{Dinner Idea} Cooking With Granny Smith Apples

I bought a large bag of Granny Smith Apples and have been using a variety of recipes to get to the end of the bushel!  Have any ideas? Share in the comments below!

Grilled Cheese with Brie & Green Apples


 Serves 1
 
Ingredients:

• 2 pieces of sliced Sourdough Bread
• Brie Cheese {I like French brie}
• Half a Granny Smith apple {or choose your fav}

Instructions:

1. Heat a small skillet on medium-low
2. Coat pan with cooking spray or...butter! :-) 
3. While waiting for the pan to get hot layer cheese and apples between two slices of the bread. 
4. When hot enough, put you sandwich on the skillet for 8 minutes, flipping half way through. Cook longer if you like your bread really crispy. 

 Barley Risotto with Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Green Apples
Recipe adapted from Eats Well With Others


Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 lb brussels sprouts, quartered
• 1 granny smith or honeycrisp apple, peeled and diced
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp salt
• 5 cups vegetable broth (I used chicken broth)
• 1 cup water
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 cup barley
• 2 tbsp Saucy Mama champagne honey mustard (I used hot mustard)
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400.  Toss brussels sprouts and apple with smoked paprika and salt.  Spread on a baking pan. Spray with cooking spray and roast for 20-30 minutes, until caramelized and tender.
2. In the meanwhile, combine the broth and water in a medium pot and bring to a simmer.
3. Spray a large skillet with cooking spray, heating over medium heat.  Add the onion to the pan and cook, stirring, until translucent, about 3 minutes.  Add the barley and stir for 1 minute.
4. Add the broth to the pan in half cup increments, only adding more when the last batch has almost entirely evaporated, taking care to stir constantly.  Do this until most of the broth is gone and the barley is tender, about 40 minutes.
5. Stir in the brussels sprouts and apple.  Remove from heat and stir in the mustard and parmesan cheese.  season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve warm.

Stagecoach 2012: That's My Kind of Party

Can I just tell you if you haven't experienced a four day music festival, you MUST! Stagecoach Country Music Festival was everything I imagined and more. I didn't imagine getting sick the whole week after, but nevertheless it was ALL worth it. The first year I went the couples route in a hotel, this year I camped with seven of my girlfriends. It seriously rocked, no drama all fun. We went early on Thursday morning, had our whole camp set-up and beers cracked by 10 AM. Over the weekend we made best friends with total strangers, listened to country music, and laughed A LOT at just being girls.

Ye-Haw!

Five Firsts

1. Drove an RV- 31ft to be exact
2. Played life size Jenga
3. Didn't know Steve Martin (yes the actor) played the banjo in a band
4. Took a shot of moonshine- I do not advise you do that
5. Fell in love with a 55 year old man named Tom- he's our new BFF

Mustache Rings!

Five Favorites

1. "I know..his name is uhhhh Daryl!"..."No! That's our RV's name"
2. "For all they know, I could be a stripper in Mission Viejo"
3. "There's no electricity going to the GFI!!!!!!"
4. "We have a gorilla problem"
5. Tiny Tim/Boots/Boarder Patrol/Toby Keith/Hanktastic 

Mullet Girl!

See y'all next year!