CROCK POT CHICKEN WITH APPLES AND ROSEMARY

Wow it finally cooled off down here a little, it was 50 Degrees when I woke up this morning. We finally got a break in the heat, last week the heat index was 105. That's a little to warm for October. So you know what happens when it cools down here I start thinking soup stew,crock pot baking bread etc etc etc...So dust off your crock pots and let the aroma of apples onions and rosemary fill your home because next week we will probably be drinking Coronas by the pool again.

Slice a large onion and saute lightly and put in the bottom of your crock pot.
Top with sliced apples about 2 large( I leave the skin on)
Top with cut up chicken (I use thighs)I think i used 5 and next time I'll brown my chicken before i put it in the crock pot.
Take one can of cream of celery soup and thin with a little chicken broth. mix a little chicken base in also to make the flavor richer.Pour over chicken.
Top with salt and pepper and fresh rosemary. cook Low for 6 to 8 hours.
Enjoy!
Allison
allisonskitchen.blogspot.com

TEA TIME

I remember when I was little my mom was a great hostess, not only did she own a restaurant and a motel but she loved to entertain.
One thing I remember most were the little tea sandwiches she would make, she would go to the market and order bread that had been dyed red and green for Christmas then she would cut the bread out width cookie cutters and make little sandwiches with chicken salad, egg salad, ham salad etc.
Everyone just loved the sandwiches and thought they were so cute. and we always had extra in the fridge for late night snacking.
Well my Mother in Law and Sister in Law came to Fl for a visit this week, and there plane did not get in till 8pm so I made the little sandwiches cut out like fall leaves and a cheese and fruit plate and miniature desserts. We sat on the patio and enjoyed our cocktails with these little treats. I hope this helps with your holiday entertaining.
Enjoy!
Allison
allisonskitchen.blogspot.com

DO YOU LIKE CANDY CORN?

Okay Tell me what you think. Do you like candy corn or not? I can take it or leave it, but I won't go out of my way to buy any, Here are some facts on this sweet treat.

For those of us over the age of 25, when you think of Halloween candy you think of candy corn, those sugary little spikes of Halloween cheer. They've been around for as long as I remember and even as long as my grandparents remember but did you know that they were invented in the 1880's? Who the first person to make these tasty treats was is unknown but the Wunderle Candy Company of Philadelphia was the first to go into commercial production. However, the company most closely associated with this wonderful confection is the Goelitz Confectionery Company. Founder Gustav Goelitz, a German immigrant, began commercial production of the treat in 1898 in Cincinnati and is today the oldest manufacturer of the Halloween icon.

Candy corn was originally sold in bulk containers like most foods products of the time. They were packed in wooden buckets, tubs, and cartons to be delivered by wagon and train over relatively short distances. Perishability prevented widespread distribution.

During WWI, Herman Goelitz, son of Gustav, moved to Fairfield, California to start his own company, the Herman Goelitz Candy Company. Their product? Candy Corn! The fortune of the Halloween treat would rise and fall many times as recession and boom, war and peace, affected the humble confection. Throughout the hard times it was the sale of candy corn that kept the companies afloat. In the sugar crisis of the mid 1970's when the price of raw sugar skyrocketed the company had to borrow heavily to buy sugar to keep production up. After the crisis the market plummeted. Many companies went out of business. It was demand for the candy corn that kept Goelitz from bankruptcy.

according to the National Confectioners Association, in 2001 candy manufacturers sold more than 20 million pounds of candy corn. Roughly 8.3 billion kernels! Very impressive for a product that has remained virtually unchanged for well over 100 years.

Perhaps best of all, everyone can feel comfortable about enjoying tasty kernel or two. According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, candy is no different than a slice of bread, bowl of cereal or a cracker when it comes to causing tooth decay. Any food that contains sugar or starch can cause tooth decay – especially if one doesn’t brush and floss daily. So grab a bag of candy corn and enjoy. Just remember to brush your teeth after.

Candy corn has 3.57 calories per kernel
Halloween accounts for 75% of the annual candy corn production
Candy corn isn't just for Halloween there is also:
Reindeer corn for Christmas (red, green, and white)
Indian corn (it's chocolate and vanilla flavored)
Cupid corn for Valentine's Day (red, pink, and white)
Bunny corn for Easter (pastel-colored)
That's all for now.
Enjoy!
Allison
allisonskitchen.blogspot.com

BUBBLING CAULDRON

Well I was going to move on from Halloween but it's soooo much fun.
and I have soooo many Halloween recipes.


1package (16 ounces) processed cheese
2cans (15 ounces each) black beans, well drained
1cup medium or hot salsa
1can (4 ounces) diced jalapenõ peppers, drained (optional)
2loaves (18 ounces each) round marble rye bread, unsliced
Pretzel rods
Cocktail rye or pumpernickel bread slices

Preparation:
1.Melt cheese in medium saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in beans, salsa and jalapeño peppers, if desired. Carefully cut center out of bread, leaving 1-1/2-inch shell. Cut bread center into pieces for dipping.

2.Reserve 1 pretzel rod. Arrange remaining pretzel rods on serving plate to resemble campfire logs. Place bread cauldron on pretzels; fill with cheese dip, allowing some to spill over top of bread cauldron. Arrange bread pieces and cocktail bread around cauldron. Place reserved pretzel rod in cheese dip; serve immediately.

Tip: Use your favorite Halloween cookie cutters to cut scary shapes from the cocktail bread.
enjoy
allison
allisonskitchen.blogspot.com

PUMPKIN SOUP

A friend of mine was on a trip to Aruba and she ate at Boonoonoonoos and she had the best ever Pumpkin Soup! The restaurant was kind enough to share the recipe. I have not tried this yet but now is the time.

BOONOONOONOOS CARIBBEAN BISTRO,ARUBA
Pumpkin
Gouda Cheese
Heavy Cream
Salt & Pepper

Cut the pumpkin and take out the seeds. Peel the pumpkin and cut it into cubes. Boil the cubes until they are soft. Separate the boiling water and boiled pumpkin, and blend the pumpkin-meat. Put the blended pumpkin in a pan and add heavy cream, black pepper and salt (to taste). Finish the blended pumpkin with boiled water to get a creamy soup. Top with shredded Gouda cheese and add the Caribbean touch by adding sugar to taste.

To really show off this dish, empty the inside of a pumpkin and pour the soup into the shell. This makes a beautiful dinner center piece.
Enjoy
Allison

HALLOWEEN IS COMING

Okay folks, dust off your brooms Halloween is on its way!!!
So here is some Halloween trivia for you.

Jack o’ lanterns originated in Ireland where people placed candles in hollowed-out turnips to keep away spirits and ghosts on the Samhain holiday.

Halloween was brought to North America by immigrants from Europe who would celebrate the harvest around a bonfire, share ghost stories, sing, dance and tell fortunes.

Tootsie Rolls were the first wrapped penny candy in America

The ancient Celts thought that spirits and ghosts roamed the countryside on Halloween night. They began wearing masks and costumes to avoid being recognized as human.

Halloween candy sales average about 2 billion dollars annually in the United States

If you see a spider on Halloween, it is the spirit of a loved on watching over you.

Halloween is on October 31st, the last day of the Celtic calendar. It was originally a pagan holiday, honoring the dead. Halloween was referred to as All Hallows Eve and dates back to over 2000 years ago.
Well that's all for now more later as I get into the "Spirit" of things.

We were on our way back to Fl from Pa and had been to a funeral and we we're both mentally and physically exhausted.

We travel from fl to Indiana and pa quite often and have always seen the sign for the Smoke House but never stopped till now.

First we just checked into a king size room then we we're sitting outside and saw the cabins we immediately went to the office and we upgraded to a cabin.

A huge king size bed massive stone fireplace Jacuzzi and full kitchen a outdoor grill and rocking chairs on the front porch. We we're going to go to the smokehouse rest for dinner but we ended up walking next door to the liquor store and Piggley Wiggley and bought steaks and cooked out.

We enjoyed the evening so much we stayed another day and went to the town of Seweanne and looked at the quaint gift shops and had lunch then went across the street from the Lodge to the Winery. Then we cooked out again and enjoyed a blazing fire in the fireplace. We would definitely recommend this as a 2 day getaway.. And I will be recommending this Lodge to everyone on my blog http://allisonskitchen.blogspot.com/
We will try the restaurant next time but we did buy alot of homemade BBQ sauce and some fudge.

If your ever going through Tennessee stop at this quaint spot.

Enjoy!

Allison

allisonskitchen.blogspot.com