Fall Weekend Wrap Up + Apple Crisp

The weather was gorgeous this past weekend, and we did a second round of apple picking at our favorite orchard which made the most delicious apple crisp (recipe below!).

Friday I realized that I had dozens of eggs in the fridge (don’t ask) and decided to make a quiche. Then I realized I did not have prepared crust so did a quick recipe search and found this simple recipe for pie crust. Could not have been easier, was delicious and I used real ingredients like organic flour and butter so am guessing was much healthier too and without the preservatives in refrigerator crust! French guy was impressed although we both agree we need to find a low-cost source of gruyere cheese which is one reason why quiche in France is so delcious (I used sharp cheddar as that is what I had on hand).

We also had our last day at the shore which was bittersweet. Even during the pandemic, it was so great to escape to sail, kayak and hit the beach and socialize safely outside. It has been a silver lining to discover the beatuiful, CT shore and go back to my roots of sailing (and now teaching the girls to sail).

While hiking will be great during the fall, I told Mr. SB that we need a winter escape (am asking for cross country skis for Christmas). Downhill skiing may be challenging as the pandemic continues.

Sunday afternoon I tackled cleaning the basement. I actually organized the spot two years ago, and while it looked terrible in recent days, it only took me about an hour to remove unwanted items and put others away in the labeled spaces I had created years ago. I used my 5 step organization method for a particularly messy part. So nice to go in and not have stuff everywhere! I also realized that end of season or any major event should be an alert. That is the time to empty beach bags, wash towels etc. (anyone ever clean out a kid’s backpack and find 3 month old hummus?…surely not me:).

Now what about that apple crisp?

Apples from apple picking

So all in all a good weekend. The apple crisp was a perfect way to end Sunday dinner. I used a mix of Jonah Gold, Granny Smith, Cortland and Mutsu apples. Typical recipes use far more sugar – while this recipe is plenty sweet I like to taste the apples. The top is a delicious mix of oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and butter. If you love crisps as much as I do, be sure to check out last week’s pumpkin crisp recipe which is also easy, perfect for fall and delicious. Super easy…enjoy!

Apple Crisp

Best Homemade Apple Crisp

Sunday’s bread recipe for warm, homemade apple crisp.  Nothing says home like apple crisp.  Top with some vanilla ice cream or whipped cream for the perfect, sweet comfort food.
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Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Apple, Dessert, Fall, Fruit dessert
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Cost: $3

Equipment

  • 8 by 8 pan
  • Peeler
  • Sharp knife

Ingredients

  • 4 cups apples sliced thinly. I leave a little skin on for texture.
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar I use Costco organic
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup butter cold and cut into smaller tablespoon sized slices
  • 3/4 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup oats
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon of cinnamon

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  • Combine the first three ingredients and place in a greased 8×8 baking dish.
    Sliced apples
  • Combine the remaining ingredients. I use kitchen gloves to work the butter into the dry ingredients. Mixture should look crumbly. Spread over the top of the apple mixture.
  • Bake for 30 minutes. Apples should be juicy and bubbling but hold their shape. Test with a fork or knife to determine that the apples are tender. Bake for another 5 to 10 minutes if necessary.
    Apple crisp from the oven

Fall Weekend Wrap Up + Pumpkin Crisp

We had beautiful, crisp weather in the New York area this weekend. The weekend was full of cooking autumn dinners and dessert (pumpkin crisp recipe to follow!). I also tackled organizing the bathroom top to bottom so will be sharing that as well. Of course I used my foolproof steps to do so. But let’s talk food.

What did I cook this weekend?

Fridays as always are evenings where my Mr. SB comes in late. Last week was a stressful one (hence my lack of blog posts) so cooking something yummy on Friday was a great stress reliever. I admit – I love pumpkin both in savory and sweet dishes (with the exception of pumpkin pie…not sure why I do not like pumpkin pie!). So I went in search of a savory, pumpkin-based sauce and found a great recipe from Rachel Rae. Rachel is famous for her 30-minute meals and this recipe for pasta with pumpkin sage sauce and sweet Italian sausage was delicious. It also refrigerated well so we had leftovers last night:)

Saturday morning meant looking in the fridge/freezer at leftovers and figuring out what kind of home made soup to make. It turns out the easiest pot roast recipe in the world also makes a fantastic Beef and Barley soup. I promise recipes to come. In the meantime a quick photo.

Beef and barley soup from leftover pot roast.  Delicious and hearty.

Pumpkin Crisp – the perfect fall dessert

So here’s the deal – I love pumpkin bread, pumpkin spice and most pumpkin desserts (except pumpkin pie). A few years back I had pumpkin bars which had this delicious, gingerbread crust and tender filling. It made me think about why not having a pumpkin crisp with those same flavors. Combine all that gingery goodness into a crumbly mixture and layer it on top of the yummy part of pumpkin. It came out delicious. So here is the recipe…enjoy!

Pumpkin Crisp

Pumpkin Crisp

Creamy custard, pumpkin spice goodness topped with a gingerbread crisp. Nothing better on a fall day and a great addition to Thanksgiving too!
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Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Crisp, Dessert, Fall, Pumpkin
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 8
Cost: 4

Equipment

  • Deep square or rectangle pan.

Ingredients

  • 1 15 ounce can pumpkin puree
  • 2/3 c sugar
  • 1 5 oz can evaporated milk
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • tsp of nutmeg
  • ¼ tsp of cinnamon
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice or more if you love pumpkin spice!
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 c Gingersnap cookie flour made by putting Gingersnap cookies in the food processor
  • 1 c quick oats
  • 1/3 c brown sugar
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 c butter softened
  • ½ tsp of pumpkin pie spice

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Grease a deep square or rectangular pan or a 2-3 qt casserole dish.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the first ingredients through salt, and then pour into the prepared dish.
    Pumpkin custard
  • In a medium bowl, combine the ground up gingersnap cookies, oats, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and powder. Then, use a fork to incorporate the butter into the dry mixture.
  • Bake the custard for 20 minutes. Once you see it start to harden at the edges and set, you can add the crumble topping. If you add the crumble mixture right away it may sink!
  • Bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, or until the center of the pumpkin pie filling reaches 175°F. The center will still have a little wiggle, but it won’t be super runny.
    Pumpkin Crisp from the oven
  • Serve with ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce if you so desire.

Notes

Pumpkin crisp is best served warm with some ice cream or whipped cream on the side.  

Kale Salad with Crispy Chickpeas and Tahini Dressing

Hi there! We are enjoying fall around here and have been doing plenty of seasonal cooking. Kale is a hearty fall green that goes so well with many of the stews, soups and other fare you find this time of year. I love kales salad with crispy chickpeas and tahini dressing. Both kale and chickpeas are super healthy too. Kale is full of anti-oxidants.

Fall weekend cooking and eating

Fridays tend to be a late night for my husband so I usually cook in the Instant pot or slow cooker. The girls and I tend to eat earlier, and then when he comes in the meal is still warm. The sauces in these types of recipes make his serving as fresh as if he ate with us.

Kale salad goes well with my regular, Friday night rotations such as slow cooker pot roast, chicken marsala, meatballs or even Indian style chicken curry. This week it was foolproof pot roast (recipe coming soon).

Fall weekend look back

The weekend was full of activity. We had warm temperatures here so were thrilled to enjoy the shore, and even went clamming/oystering (with a license of course!). I finally set up my fall table took out the autumn, pumpkin dishes. I figure if we are still spending so much time at home we may as well make it pretty.

Fall pumpkin centerpiece
Fall pumpkin centerpiece

How do you make Kale Salad with Crispy Chickpeas and Tahini Dressing?

So moving on to my fall salad recipe – first step is to wash the kale and strip out the tough center fibers. Kale is very different than lettuce. It is heartier. As such, you will need to cut it into smaller pieces and ideally let it sit in the dressing for at least twenty minutes to marinate. I use a kitchen shears to cut the kale into smaller ribbons. Then I make the dressing:

1/2 cup of mild olive oil (or I like avocado oil)

Juice from one lemon (or 2 to 3 tablespoons or more if you like it very lemony)

2 tablespoons of tahini

1 teaspoon of sugar (mellows out the lemon)

Salt to taste

Shake in a container to mix, and then pour on your cut up kale leaves. Set aside while you make the crispy chickpeas. Enjoy!

Kale salad with crispy chickpeas and tahini dressing

Roasted Crispy Chickpeas

Crispy, spiced chickpeas are healthy and a delicious snack or topping for salad or anytime you want some crunch and texture.
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Course: Appetizer, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: GF, gluten free, vegan, vegetarian
Prep Time: 7 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 75kcal
Cost: $1.50

Equipment

  • Sheet pan
  • Standard oven

Ingredients

  • 1 can of chick peas
  • 1 tablespoon of avocado or another oil that can cook at high temperature
  • 1 teaspoon of cumin
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees
  • Drain chickpeas
  • Pat with paper towels and let dry. It is important that the chickpeas dry before cooking or else you will steam them when you go to roast them.
  • Toss chickpeas with the oil and cumin powder.
  • Lay evenly on a baking sheet. I like to line my baking sheet with foil to avoid mess.
    Crispy roasted chick peas
  • Put pan in middle of preheated oven and cook for thirty to forty minutes. Shake to turn halfway through cooking.
  • Let cool and chickpeas will continue to crisp.

Notes

Serve over salad or as a snack.  Chick peas are best eaten day of preparation.  If refrigerated they may soften.  You can also vary the spices.  Curry powder or smoked paprika are also delicious spices to try.

Nutrition

Calories: 75kcal

The Best Pumpkin Bread

Welcome to my very first blog post on Sunday’s Bread which also includes a recipe for pumpkin bread.

This blog will be my mini Martha Stewart (very mini) where I share odds and ends about my life in an effort to help others and connect too. So, I will be sharing recipes, budget tricks, organization tools, how to be budget-wise  in an excessive world, decorating and other tips.

Why Sunday’s Bread?

Why Sunday’s Bread? Well for the last month or so in an effort to be more budget-minded, I have been cooking more and more from scratch. I also meal plan every Saturday because, as a working mom, I must or I end up not having meals ready for my two teen age girls and us (my husband and me).

Baking on Sunday

I love to bake and as I took stock of our pantry and what is around (black bananas I am looking at you).  I started to become creative and have been baking a loaf of quick bread or muffins every Sunday for the upcoming week’s breakfast. This has also turned into a nice routine. The house smells delicious and I can’t help but think it must be nice as my girls do homework on Sunday afternoon and my husband is watching football or some other sport – it creates just the right atmosphere. I also find baking and creating very relaxing so it is a wonderful way to end the week.

Can you guess what I made the last two weeks given that it is fall? Not surprisingly I made some delicious, moist pumpkin bread.

Here is the recipe which I adapted from Once Upon A Chef. I try to limit gluten (although we are not allergic) and prefer coconut oil to butter. I also had pumpkin pie spice on hand so it was easier to use versus having to create my own. Enjoy (it is particularly delicious with a bit of nut butter on it which also adds some nice protein in the morning).

Pumpkin Bread Recipe:

Servings: Makes 2 loaves Prep Time: 20 Minutes.  Cook Time: 65 Minutes Total Time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
  • 1 cup of gluten-free flour (I use Trader Joes brand)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 Tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice
  • 3/4 cup coconut oil, melted
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 15-oz can 100% pure pumpkin (I use either Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods organic but Libby’s would work too)

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Generously grease two 8 x 4-inch loaf pans with butter and dust with flour.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and pumpkin pie spice. Whisk until well combined; set aside.
  3. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the coconut oil and sugar on medium speed until just blended. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until very light and fluffy, a few minutes. Beat in the pumpkin. The mixture might look lumpy and even a bit curdled but it is supposed to look that way.
  4. Add the flour mixture and mix until just combined.
  5. Turn the batter into the prepared pans, dividing evenly, and bake for 60 – 75 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. I usually check loaves at 55 minutes.
  6. Let the loaves cool in the pans for about 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.