Crockpot Applesauce Chicken

I made this last night, and it was a hit with my family! We served it with mashed sweet potatoes.

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts
1 1/2 c. applesauce
1 T. dried onion flakes, or 1/4 yellow onion, chopped finely
1 T. Apple cider vinegar
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced

1. Put chicken breasts in the bottom off a 3-4 quart crock pot and add chopped onions on top. (If you're using dried onion, add that to the applesauce first).

2. In a bowl, mix applesauce, vinegar, garlic, and spices together. Pour on top of the chicken.

3. Cover and cook for 5-7 hours on low, or on high for 3-4.

(This recipe came from A Year of Slow Cooking....LOTS of good recipes on there).

Blueberry Coffee Cake

Another relatively healthy dessert (made with whole wheat flour, fresh blueberries, and very little butter/oil). This one's from Ellie Krieger. Yum.

Ingredients

* Cooking spray
* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 cup whole-wheat pastry flour or regular whole-wheat flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 3 tablespoons sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
* 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
* 2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
* 2 tablespoons canola oil
* 2 large eggs
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
* 1 cup fresh blueberries, or frozen and thawed

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8-inch square cake pan with cooking spray.

Whisk together the all-purpose and whole-wheat flours, the baking soda and salt. In a small bowl, stir together the granulated sugar, cinnamon and walnuts. In a large bowl, beat the brown sugar, butter and oil until fluffy. If necessary, use the back of a spoon to press out any lumps in the brown sugar. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, beating until fully combined. Beat in the vanilla and yogurt.

Add the flour mixture in 2 batches, stirring until just combined.

Spread half of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle half of the nut mixture over the batter and top with the blueberries, gently pressing them into the batter. Spoon the rest of the batter into the pan, smoothing the top. Sprinkle the remaining nut mixture over the cake, pressing gently. Bake until a wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool slightly and then unmold and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack. Cut the cake into 2-inch squares.


Note: I used lemon yogurt instead of plain, and tossed some lemon zest into the batter. It tasted great. I labeled it with breakfast because I know a lot of people eat coffee cake for breakfast (and I probably will tomorrow!)

Pear Bunnies

My mom used to make these for us. Kids think they are great. Not to mention they are pretty good for you. They would make a great Easter treat.

Ingredients:
1 Can Pear Halfs
Raisins
Cottage Cheese
Carrots (I used mini carrots)
Lettuce

Directions:
Take a leaf of lettuce and lay it nicely on the plate.
Place one pear half on top of the lettuce
Use the raisins to make eyes and a nose.
Put a dollop of cottage cheese at the large end of the pear half for a tail.
Take a vegetable peeler and "peel" the carrot (Not really peel it, but make strips of carrot). These are the ears.

Enjoy.

Janet Nelson's Persimmon Cookies

I double this and it can make about 80 cookies! They have a yummy, cake-like consistency.

1/2 c butter
1 c sugar (I use less)
1 egg
1 c of pulp (make sure the persimmon is ripe/soft and just scoop it out - takes 1 - 2 big ones)
1 c nuts (I use more - walnuts or pecans)
1 c raisins (instead I like to use dried cranberries- and more than 1 cup)
2 c flour (I use white whole wheat from Trader Joe's)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt (I use less)
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp each - cinnamon
ground cloves
nutmeg
often I add orange peel
Add the baking soda to the persimmon pulp and set aside for at least 5 minutes
Cream the butter, sugar, egg
Add the pulp and mix
Gently stir in the flour mixture (with spices etc)
Add the nuts and cranraisins (or whatever you're using)
Drop by teaspoonfuls (it spreads) on greased cookie sheet
Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes.
Enjoy!

Pineapple Bread Pudding

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup white sugar
4 eggs
1 (20oz) can crushed pineapple, drained slightly...
5-8 slices of cheap white bread, torn into pieces (I prefer 8, but you might like it less 'bready' and more 'fruity.' If you're using the cheap stuff, 8 slices is terrific, but if you're using regular white bread, you might want close to five)

-Cream butter and sugar until fluffy
-Add eggs and beat well
-Fold in pineapple, then bread
-bake in greased 9x9" pan at 350 degrees for 25 minutes

We like to serve this as a side dish to a ham dinner....and also for breakfast or brunch.