Strudel, Just like Mom used to make!

Ok, so not my Mom, she never made strudel, but perhaps yours did?

Every year, my boyfriend and his friends host a small Oktoberfest.  The boys make vats of potato salad, sauerkraut, and sausages.  My contribution is strudel.  I made 3 different kinds today, the possibilities are endless on flavor.

Bake them in disposable pans if you are taking them somewhere, otherwise, a cookie sheet will be just fine!

Cream Cheese Strudel

Apple Strudel (I'll glaze it in a bit, it is fresh out of the oven)

Cherry Strudel

Cream Cheese Strudel Filling

16 oz cream cheese

1 egg

1/2 cup Powdered Sugar

1 tsp grated lemon peel

1 TBS lemon juice

Mix all ingredients together. This amount will make 2 strudels.

Fruit Flavored Fillings

1 can of desired flavor pie filling

Drizzle Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

2-3 TBS milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Stir together and drizzle on top of cooled Strudel.

Crust 

Puff pastry sheets, from your grocer's freezer!

1 egg - beaten

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Place one thawed puff pastry sheet on a floured surface.  Use a rolling pin to roll out a bit thinner, making it about an inch wider and two inches longer.  Spread your filling across 2/3rds of the sheet of puff pastry (long-ways).  Roll the puff pastry up with the seam on the bottom and place onto your baking sheet.  Using a sharp knife, cut slits about an inch apart all the way down the strudel.  Brush with the beaten egg, bake for 25-30 minutes.  Allow to cool and drizzle with glaze.



Soggy Foggy Soup Day

I'm up early, considering I have no where to be... I'm confined to the house until Direct TV shows up to re-install their services and I can kick Brighthouse to the curb.  Special thanks to Frank in Customer (Dis) Service at Brighthouse for making this such an easy choice!

After watching 2 episodes of Law & Order (Duhn-Duhn) I got bored.  And hungry...

I whipped up a pot of delicious soup!

Easy-Cheezy Smoked Sausage & Potato Soup

1 Tbs Butter

1 Tbs Olive Oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cups diced celery

8 cups Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp salt

1 quart chicken stock

1 cup half & half

6 smoked sausage links, chopped (I used Ekrich Cheddar Smoked Sausage)

Heat butter and olive oil over medium high heat in a large pot.  Add onion and celery and cook until tender.  Next add potatoes and chicken stock.  Over low heat, allow to come to a boil and simmer until potatoes are tender.  Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese and half and half.  Add smoked sausage and let soup simmer for a few more minutes.

Yum!



Make this for your Honey!

My boyfriend domestic partner (in the eyes of the insurance company) Blake loves biscuits and gravy.  Anytime we try a new breakfast or brunch type restaurant and they have B & G on the menu, Blake orders some.  I'm determined that he is on a quest to find a restaurant that makes better gravy than the one I serve.  The good news is that he's yet to find a gravy he likes better than this recipe below.

I bet you have almost all of these ingredients in your pantry, so what are you waiting for? 

Sausage Gravy

1 lb breakfast sausage (I used Spicy)

2 TBS Butter

6 TBS Flour

3 1/2 Cups of Milk

1/4 tsp Salt

1 tsp Pepper

1/2 tsp parsley

1/4 tsp garlic powder

Brown the sausage in a large skillet over medium high.  Next add the butter and allow to melt, then stir in the flour.  Add the seasonings and the milk and stir until mixed well.  Bring the gravy to a boil and allow to simmer for about 5 minutes, or until the gravy has reached your desired consistency.

Serve over your favorite biscuits.  I used canned because I had them on hand and am lazy.  :)