Cooking Up a Storm

A while ago I found a copy of my Mom's classic Betty Crocker Cookbook at Goodwill. My mom got hers as a present from her mom, and it's the cookbook we grew up with. It pretty much tells you how to do everything. Here's an excerpt from the front pages:

Its been tested people. By Betty Crocker herself. It's one of my most favorite cookbooks. Many a dinner has been loosely based on one of these recipes. (Very loosely.) And every time I see it I'm hit with the urge to put on an apron and cook something.

Speaking of cooking something, we made some homemade pizza with our friends Chris and Kendal the other night. Kendal made the most delicious dough from scratch. Scratch! She's awesome.

Chris broke out the ol' Chuckie Cheese skills, and taught us how a real man rolls out pizza dough.

He makes it look so easy!!

And then we spread on the toppings.

Kendal's side vs. Chris's side.

Pepperoni, onion, bell pepper, and mushroom.
Pretty much anything goes over here.

Dinner was delicious, and it reminded me, yet again, of how much I like cooking things. 

A few weeks ago I bought a five pound bag of green apples. I wanted some apples, but buying a few single apples was just as expensive as buying a whole five pound bag! So I bought it.

Turns out, that was a little excessive. Also turns out, Cory doesn't eat apples.

The combination of our newfound Betty Crocker confidence, Chris and Kendal's homemade pizza inspiration,  and half a bushel of leftover apples made for what some would call, The Perfect Storm. You know, if you liken kitchen experimentation to a storm. Which, over here, we most definitely do.

I told Cory we could make some apple empandas. When he asked what an empanda was, I told him I wasn't sure, but I think its kind of like an apple turnover. When he asked what an apple turnover was, I told I thought it was kind of like a hot pocket and apple pie had a baby.

Finally, we were on the same page. And so I looked up "Apple Pie" in the good ol' Betty Crocker bible, and very loosely came up with this.

Then we took a four hour break to have Sunday dinner at Cory's parent's house. So...yea. The lighting is significantly worse from here on out.

We broke out those crescent rolls. Ready to bake is how we decided to go here. We'll go real home made next time. Maybe.

I love the "pop" of the crescent rolls. Always have. Cory wasn't expecting it though, and when the tiny explosion happened he was very concerned. "Are you okay??" he asks.

My method of filling was, haphazard at best. Plop some apple slices down, roll up the dough, and call it good.

Cory was not having it. "Haphazard" is not how he rolls. The sounds of general consternation were unceasing from his end.

I thought it was going swimmingly. I got excited about one of the more perfect of my little apple-crescent balls o' happiness, and said, "Ooo, this is gonna be a cute one"

Cory holds up the mangled, oblong pile of dough and apples with this disgusted look on his face.

He says, "Lindy. I don't think these are going to be as cute as you think they are."

But, they totally were.

They taste alright too.