Pioneer Woman's Apple Dumplings

I love this recipe. For so many reasons. It is a life changer as far as desserts go, and so yummy. I can say that the apples are healthy for you..... but that's about as far as it goes. You have yummy apples, wrapped in store bought crescent rolls, topped with a slurry of butter and sugar (and really, who doesn't love butter and sugar?), and to top it all off..... Mt. Dew. Seriously. Mt. Dew. That bright, green, antifreeze colored sugary drink.

Now, the original recipe calls for the apples to be cut into eighths. That is fine, but I found that the apples really just disappeared into the dough. Not bad in itself, but I wanted to know that there were apples in my apple dumplings. So my tip for this recipe is to cut the apples into quarters instead. Now, that will make it difficult to fit all of the pieces into the pan, but you can finagle it a bit, or just leave that last one out. I've thought about doing a little single one in a small ramekin, but I haven't been that ambitious. Yet.

Another tip, which Ree mentions in her post, is to not use all of the Mt. Dew. I pour just enough around the edges, and a teeny bit on top of the dumplings, just to give the dough a gorgeous crispy crust. I just pour it out without measuring, but I would guess it's less than 8oz.

This is a recipe best served warm, with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream. It's very yummy, and well worth the effort, and it's also a good idea to have lots of friends around to keep you from eating it all by yourself.

It has been a long time

It has been a while since I've really posted here, and I am thinking of starting back up again. A lot of people have told me I should blog about the foods I make. I don't really have the ability to take the nice pictures that everyone else's blogs boast, so I've shied away from it. However, being able to share the links to the recipes I try, and add what I've done to change them, is something that I can do, even if I don't have fancy pictures.

So, you may be seeing a few posts again, here and there.

Babylegs giveaway! Go enter now!

Holy Cow! Babysnazz is giving away 20 pairs of Babylegs! I love Babylegs, they are so great for little babies, and with my boys and their long legs, these have been a lifesaver for us! Also great over a cast in the winter when long sleeves are hard to get on ;) Go enter now!

A review is on it's way. Until then...

Take a look at these wooden swing sets, from another CSN store! Aren't they cute? I can't wait to have a yard again, our kids loved the swingset we used to have. Some day, right? So, just in time for summer, you can go take a look, and maybe order something for the kids!

And The Winner Is....

Lisa_Iowa!!!! Lisa, drop me a line with your email address so you can receive your prize! Congratulations!!!

Another Giveaway Already!? Yes!!

This one is much more of a fun one. Provided by Crayola through MyBlogSpark, this prize pack is for the very creative and artsy types. You know who you are.

These little items are a new product by Crayola, and are pretty neat little kits. Here are the kits you will receive if you win the prize pack:

Glass Pendant, Stationary Box, Water Bottle, Color Glow Lamp, Wind Chimes, Shadow Box, Glass Plates. Seven kits in all!

Visit Pop Art Pixies for more information on each kit.


Meet Skye! She’s sweet, thoughtful, and always thinking of others and how she can help save the environment. She loves the outdoors, playing soccer, friends, wildlife and hiking.
Skye’s Pop Art Pixies craft kits include: Create a Water Bottle, Wooden Charm Bracelets, Skye’s Herb Garden and Wind Chime kit.

Meet Maya! A free-spirited young lady, Maya lets her inner creativity show and encourages everyone to express themselves without judgment.
Maya’s Pop Art Pixies craft kits include: Create a Glass Pendant, Shadow Box Kit, Create a Water Color Frame and Create a Sun Catcher kit.

Meet Naomi! She is big into technology and music, and can mix music with the best of the best. Music is her life and her DJ spirit inspires her desire to communicate more through actions and sounds than words.
Naomi’s Pop Art Pixies craft kits include: Create a Stationery Box and Create a Color Glow Lamp.

Meet Tatum! The bubbly, social butterfly of the Pixies and famous for her cupcakes, Tatum is fun-loving, outgoing and likes to host parties for her friends because everyday is worth celebrating.
Tatum’s Pop Art Pixies craft kits include: Create a Decoupage Glass Plate, Party Lights kit, and Create a Mosaic Picture Frame.


You can also follow this link for a $2.00 off coupon for any Pop Art Pixies kit.

The contest will go through December 31st, and winners will be announced on January 1st, 2011. To enter, just tell me which kit you think your daughter would have the most fun with. If you don't have a daughter, then you can just pretend and pick a kit you like. Or something your boys would like. Or your niece, or your best friend's cousin's aunt's daughter. I'm flexible like that.

Good luck!

And The Winner Is....

Debbie! Congratulations, you have won a $75 gift code for use in any of the 200 CSN Stores! Have a very merry Christmas!!! Please contact me with your email and I will send you the code.