Overnight Oats

Don't have time for breakfast?  Here is a fast and easy way to fix it, so you can grab and go!  It only takes a couple of minutes to fix, then all you have to do is leave it in the fridge overnight, and you're ready to go.

I even make it in the morning sometimes, so I can have it for dinner.

Ingredients:
~ 1 1/2 - 2 cups of rolled oats
~1/4 cup chia seeds
~1/8 cup flax seeds
2 Tbsp brown sugar
~4-5 sliced up strawberries
~1/2 banana 
~1/2 cup blueberries
~1 cup of unsweetened coconut milk (or milk of your choice)


Directions:  
Layer the ingredients, starting with the oats, then 1/2 of the chia seeds, flax seeds, 1 Tbsp brown sugar, fruit, oats, the other 1/2 of the chia seeds, 1 Tbsp brown sugar, fruit, and finally top it off with oats again.  

Slowly pour the milk in until it just covers the top of the last layer of oats.

Cherry Turnovers

These cherry turnovers are fast and easy.  If you're having guests over for a visit, these would be perfect to serve with hot tea or coffee.  Of course, you can use any kind of pie filling you prefer.  Sometimes, I make several different kinds for larger family events, like Thanksgiving or Christmas.  

Ingredients:  
2 sheets of Pepperidge Farm puff pastry dough (thawed)
1 jar/can of cherry pie filling (or your choice of flavors)
1 egg
1 Tbsp water
sugar to sprinkle of top

Directions:
In a small bowl, mix water and egg. 

Roll out thawed puff pastry on a floured surface and cut each of the two puff pastry sheets into 6 equal squares for a total of 12 squares. 

Brush egg and water mixture over each pastry square. Spoon a little over one tablespoon  of pie filling into the center of each square. 

Fold the pastry squares over to cover the filling, and then seal the edges with a fork. *Its easier to fold them over to make rectangles instead of triangles.  If you try to make triangles, the filling comes out. 

Brush the tops entirely again with the egg/water mixture and sprinkle a little sugar over each one.

Bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes. 

Homemade Potato Skins

These appetizers are SUPER fast and easy to make.  They would be great for a football party or sleepover for kids.  You could serve them with ranch dressing or salsa, or you could top them with sour cream and green onions or chives.  Two large potatoes can easily serve 4 people, so go from there when deciding how much to make.

Ingredients:
2 large baking potatoes 
1 bag of shredded cheese
bacon bits
salt


Directions:
Slice the potatoes (skin on) in 1/8 inch slices and boil them in a large pot of water for about 8 minutes.  You don't want to boil them for longer than that because they will fall apart.  

Carefully dump the boiled potato slices into a strainer and them lay them out on a paper towel.  Gently dab them with a paper towel to remove excess water.  The drier they are, the crispier they will be when you bake them.

Arrange them in one layer on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray.  Lightly salt them and then sprinkle with cheese and then bacon bits.

Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes. Serve warm and enjoy!


 

Apple Roses

This is the cutest treat!!  I saw it floating on Facebook, so I just had to try it myself to see if I could get it to work.  They are really not hard to make, as long as you are patient and gentle with the puff pastry, as always.  They are SO cute and SO yummy!!!  Perfect for a small dinner party!

Ingredients for 6 Roses:

2 large, red apples (I used Gala.)
1 large lemon
3 Tbsp apricot preserves
2 Tbsp water
cinnamon 
1 sheet of puff pastry (I used Pepperidge Farms.)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. \
Squeeze the juice of the lemon into a small mixing bowl. 

Slice the two apples in half and remove the cores.  
Cut the apple halves into very thin slices and place into the bowl of lemon juice.  Gently toss the apple slices with your hands until they are coated with the lemon juice and microwave for 2 1/2 minutes.  Drain the juices when your done.

In a small mixing bowl, mix together the apricot preserves and water with a spoon and microwave for 1 minute.

Roll out the puff pastry onto a floured surface and cut into 6 long strips.  Coat each strip with apricot preserves and then place the apple slices along the top of one edge so that they are overlapping. Lightly sprinkle with cinnamon.  Fold up the bottom half of the dough strip and then gently roll up the apples and dough until it has made a rose shape.  

Gently place the roses into a muffin tin sprayed with coconut cooking spray. Bake at 375 for 40-45 minutes.