**This giveaway is now closed!**

I thought today would be a good day for a giveaway!

Why?

Because I’ve been meaning to do one for a long time now.

Because I’m tired of looking at this giveaway stuff sitting in my dining room.

Because the holidays are approaching.

Because I’m feeling thankful.

Because it rained here today.

Because your comments make my day, even though I don’t always have time to respond to them.

Because my Pumpkin Crunch Cake post is blowing up on Pinterest and that really tickles me.

Just because!

So what’s up for grabs?

The giveaway includes:

• Organizing Utility Tote from Thirty One
• Get Clean Household Mini Kit from Shaklee
• Organized Simplicity, by Tsh Oxenreider
• Simple Food for Busy Families, by Jeannette Bessinger and Tracee Yablon-Brenner
• 14.5 oz. Pumpkin Patch Scented Candle from Slatkin & Co
• Glee Presents The Warblers CD

That’s over $130 of goodies, just for you!  My biggest giveaway ever!

These are just a few of my favorite things, and I wanted to share them with you.  Just so we’re clear, this is NOT a sponsored giveaway.  This stuff was all selected and purchased by me over the last few months to give to you.

Here’s how to enter the giveaway:

No jumping through hoops.  One entry per person.   Just leave a comment answering the following question:  What are you thankful for?

That’s it!

The winner will be announced on November 20th.

Good luck and thanks for reading The Picky Apple!

This pregnancy has completely changed my taste buds, and perhaps that’s a good thing.  I used to eat oatmeal, yogurt, and smoothies for breakfast.  Now the thought of something sweet in the morning is completely unappetizing.  Most mornings, I’m craving something more savory.  Eggs.  Bacon.  Breakfast Sausage.  Hash browns.  I’ve never been a big egg-lover, but that has certainly changed in recent months.  I’ve had eggs for breakfast more often than not.

The trouble with eggs is that they can be tough for an on-the-go breakfast.  Eggs and bacon are more a leisurely weekend type of meal.  And it seems like no matter how early The Littlest Apple and I wake up (it’s been around 5:15 for the last two weeks), we always have trouble getting out the the door on time.  So when I saw this recipe on Pinterest, I thought it would be just perfect for a make ahead, grab-and-reheat savory breakfast, full of all those savory things I’m craving these days.  To make these little beauties, you layer shredded hash browns in the bottom of a muffin tin to create “nests” or “baskets” for your eggs and other toppings.  Then you simply crack an egg into each basket and top with bacon, cheese and whatever else your heart or pregnancy cravings desire.  These turned out great!  The only thing I might do differently next time is scramble my eggs first….I prefer scrambled eggs to having the yolk all in one big yellow clump.  But maybe that’s just me.

Hash Brown Baskets with Egg, Bacon, and Cheese

recipe from The Domestic Mama & The Village Cook

Ingredients:

• 24 ounces frozen shredded hash browns, thawed (or grate your own!)
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 12 eggs
• Toppings (bacon, shredded cheese, parsley, anything else you can think of!)

Take a bag (24oz) of thawed hash browns, mix in 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper, 2 tbs oil and about 1/3 c shredded cheddar cheese. Put then in a well greased muffin tin, and make a well in the center.

Bake at 425°F for 15-18 minutes, cover with foil if the edges appear to be getting too brown.

Now, lower the oven to 350°F. Crack a medium egg into each “nest” and top with bacon bits, cheese and parsley flakes or whatever else you’d like!

Bake for about 13-16 minutes.

Gentle slide a knife along the edges, and gently pull up with a fork.

What’s your favorite savory breakfast?

As you know by now, The Littlest Apple is an extremely picky eater.  One food he will eat is pizza (cheese or pepperoni only, and preferably from one pizza chain in particular).  He also really enjoys the cheesy breadsticks we get from said favorite pizza chain.  I think the breadsticks might be his favorite part.  Honestly, that’s my favorite part of ordering pizza, too!  Since I’ve become quite comfortable making pizza at home, I decided it was high time I try to recreate one of our favorite pizza treats- the cheesy garlic breadsticks.  This recipe includes a recipe for the dough, and I love, love, LOVE this dough recipe.  It really is fool-proof and makes for great breadsticks, pizza, and pepperoni rolls.

Yum!  Those extra browned cheesy bits are my favorite!

Cheesy Garlic Breadsticks

recipe from Lauren’s Latest via Pinterest

Ingredients:

• 1/2 recipe Fail-Proof Pizza Dough (recipe below)
• 2 tablespoons softened salted butter
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4 pound mozzarella cheese (I like to use the real stuff and slice it)
• garlic salt and pepper (optional)

Preheat oven to 500 degrees with pizza stone inside. Mix butter and garlic in a small bowl and set aside. Spread pizza dough out into a 12-inch circle on parchment paper. {This makes it easier to transfer to the pizza stone.}   Spread the butter and garlic mixture over dough and top with parmesan and mozzarella cheeses. Top with a light sprinkling of garlic salt and pepper, if desired. {That step is totally optional!}  Bake 9-10 minutes or until bubbly and golden. Remove from oven and cool 1-2 minutes before cutting. Serve hot, with marinara.

Don’t skimp on the cheese.  Use the good stuff and slice it.  Next time I’ll use even more!

Basic Pizza Dough
yield: 2-12 inch pizzas, approximately 1 lb. of dough

Ingredients:

• 1 cup warm water
• 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cups bread flour (I’ve also used all purpose flour with success)

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, preferably that of a stand mixer, stir yeast and honey into warm water. Sit for 5-10 minutes or until bubbles form and mixture starts to foam. This tells you that the yeast is alive and kicking. Pour in salt, oil and half the flour and mix. Once that flour is incorporated, start adding flour in bit by bit until you get the pizza dough to the consistency you want: slightly tacky, but when you touch it it doesn’t stick to your hands. Once you reach this stage, turn the mixer on high to knead for 6 minutes. Turn a timer on and walk away! Resist the temptation to stop earlier than 6 minutes! The dough should be smooth and easy to work with. And the bowl should be clean! Lightly grease the bowl & the dough so it doesn’t dry out, cover with plastic wrap and let it rise 1-2 hours.

I hope it isn’t too late to share a few Halloween photos with you.  My husband posted all of these of Facebook, but I never got around to sharing them here on the blog.

Hope all of you had a Happy Halloween!!

This activity came about when I was cleaning out the kitchen cabinets and ran across a giant tub of Spiced Gumdrops that are at least a year or two old.  The Littlest Apple likes gumdrops, but these are spiced.  And gross.  So they were never eaten, but also never thrown away.

When I found them a few weeks ago, I thought we could put them to good use.  I grabbed some toothpicks and The Littlest Apple and I got busy building.

This was a huge hit with The Littlest Apple, and definitely a project we’ll be revisiting in the future!

When I started making this dessert a few years ago, I’d never had Apple Crisp before.  Apple pie, yes.  Apple Crisp?  No.  But I was in the mood for something apple-y and too lazy make my own pie crust and certainly not interested in going to the store to buy one.  So I came up with this recipe, probably after seeing something similar on the Food Network.  (I watched a lot of Food Network back then…now I mostly watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Jake and the Neverland Pirates.)

This has become my go-to recipe when I’m craving something baked and apple-y and short on time.  Obviously I didn’t invent Apple Crisp, but this is how I make it.  I usually don’t measure the ingredients.  I just throw it all together.  But this time I measured, just for you.  I make mine in a 16 ounce ramekin, using just one apple.  This could be enough for 2 people to share….if you feel like sharing.  Since The Picky Apple and The Littlest Apple won’t eat Apple Crisp (crazies!), I usually eat half and save the rest for later.  Or eat it all in one sitting.  I’m currently eating for two, right?  Just kidding.  Do yourself a favor and save half for later.  My version is heavy on the topping because that’s how I like it.

Apple Crisp

recipe by me

Ingredients:

• 1 apple, peeled and cut into 1″ chunks (I use whatever kind of apples we have on hand, usually Pink Lady or Sweetango Apples)
• 3 tablespoons cold butter
• 4 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons oats
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 cup pecan pieces
• dash of kosher salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Layer the apple chunks in the bottom of the ramekin or other baking dish.

For topping: Cut the butter into small pieces.  In a small bowl, cut together butter, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt until mixture is crumbly and well combined.  Stir in oats and pecans.

Pour topping on top of apples, and press down slightly.  Bake at 400 degrees F for approximately 30 minutes.

I’ve seen lots of pictures in magazines and on Pinterest where a large pumpkin was used as a vase for a floral centerpiece….

This variation was new to me, however.  The Littlest Apple brought this home from his Gardening Club at preschool today, and I thought this idea was too cute not to share. They used mini pumpkins not as vases, but as flower pots!  They scooped out the insides of the pumpkins, then filled the pumpkins with soil and flowers.  This would look really neat in a larger pumpkin too!  The coolest thing about this project is that it is 100% biodegradable!  You can plant the pumpkin in a pot or in your garden as soon as you’re done with it.  This was obviously planted by a preschooler, but isn’t this a cute idea?

I love a good seasonal snack mix.  They are so much fun!  I’ve done one for Valentine’s Day and the Thanksgiving Blessings Mix, and I’m sure I’ll whip one up for Christmas this year too.  This snack mix, inspired by the Halloween Snack Mix at Munchkin Munchies (discovered on Pinterest) was just what I was looking for: something that didn’t require much time to make.  This is the easiest kind of snack mix to make because you just throw together ingredients with no baking and no measuring.  This is somewhat similar to the Thanksgiving Blessings Mix I made last year, with a few extra Halloween-y elements thrown in and without the symbolism of the Thanksgiving mix.  This recipe (if you can even call it that) is super flexible, stores well, and would be great for Halloween parties and gifting.  What more could you ask for?!

Halloween Snack Mix

Ingredients:

• Bugles
• Cheez-Its
• Mini Pretzels
• Crunch n’ Munch
• Honey Nut Cheerios
• Honey Roasted Peanuts
• Candy Corn
• M&Ms
• Reeses Pieces
• Other ingredient suggestions: dried cranberries, raisins, Goldfish, popcorn (butter flavor, white cheddar), cocoa puffs, sunflower seeds, mellowcreme pumpkins

Just get your biggest bowl and throw it all together.  Want more sweet stuff?  Want more salty stuff?  Adjust to your particular tastes!  Couldn’t be easier.

Here’s a quick fall craft The Littlest Apple and I did the other day using corks, inspired by Pinterest.  This isn’t our first time using corks to paint..we used them last year for our Indian Corn Painting, too.

First, I cut a tree form out of brown construction paper and glued it to the white paper.  You could also paint the tree and then wait for it to dry, but we were being impatient.  Then I presented some fall paint colors and corks of different sizes to paint with.

The Littlest Apple decided that most of the leaves had fallen off of his tree already…

I couldn’t resist making my own.  This was lots of fun!

So easy, but so beautiful!

I’m sharing this activity with…

Show and Share Saturday @ I Can Teach My Child

Link & Learn @ No Time for Flash Cards

I’m always on the lookout for new breakfast recipes I can serve for “brinner” (breakfast for dinner).  We love breakfast food, but I rarely cook big breakfasts at breakfast time, unless it is a special occasion.  We’re also picky about what we like and don’t like in breakfast casseroles (for example, we say “yes” to bacon and peppers, “no” to soggy bread chunks, artichokes).  This casserole fit the bill, was easy to make (as the title implies), and also tasted great leftover.  The pepper jack cheese gave this casserole just the right amount of spice.  I served this with Gingerbread Waffles (recipe coming soon) and fresh fruit.  This would be great for a brunch, Christmas breakfast, or a weeknight dinner!

Easy Potato and Bacon Breakfast Casserole

recipe from My Best Bites

Ingredients:

• 4 c. Southern/country-style hash browns (cubes), completely thawed (if they’re not thawed, they won’t cook correctly)
• 1 12-oz. package bacon
• 1 1/2 c. pepper jack cheese
• 1 1/2 c. cheddar cheese
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 3 eggs
• 1 c. milk
• about 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• about 10 turns freshly ground black pepper

Begin cooking bacon.  While the bacon is cooking, place the potatoes in a 9×13″ baking dish. Mix the cheeses together and sprinkle it over the potatoes. When the bacon is done cooking, drain it on a paper towel and reserve 2 tablespoons of the drippings. Cook the onions in the drippings for 2-3 minutes or until they’re tender and fragrant. Spread the onions over the cheese mixture and then sprinkle everything with the crumbled bacon.  Whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper and, whisking constantly, pour the egg mixture evenly over the potato mixture.  Cover and refrigerate overnight or for 7-8 hours. (Picky Apple note: mine went straight from prep to the oven, and it still tasted great!)

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350.  Bake, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly but not brown. Allow to stand for 15 minutes before cutting. Serve with fresh fruit.