German Dinner

1 1/2 lbs new red potatoes, quartered
1 kilbasa, sliced into 1 inch pieces
1 large can saurkraut

Put the potatoes in the bottom of a crock pot. Season well with salt, pepper and some red pepper flakes. Add the kilbasa over the top. Then spread out the can of saurkraut on top, juices and everything. Season well again with salt & plenty of pepper. Cook on low heat for 6-7 hours or high for 3-4.

As a kid, my mom would make this with porkchops and bake it in the oven for an hour or so. I didn't like it as much because unless you cook it correctly, the porkchops ended up tough and chewy. So when she'd made it, my Dad and I would eat something else.

When I met Pete, he introduced me to German food again and I remembed my Mom making this. So I tried it. We still make it with porkchops occasionaly, but when we do, we make sure that there is enough juice that the pork is covered. Usually though we make it with kilbasa or better yet, brats.

Bavarian Style Apple Torte

3/4 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour 1/2 cup sugar

Cream the butter & sugar together. Add the vanilla and mix in the flour. Press into a 9 inch spring form pan.

2 (8oz) packages cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix cream cheese and the sugar. Add eggs one at a time and then vanilla. Pour over crust in pan.

3 cups apples - peeled, cored and sliced
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar

Mix well and pour evenly over the filling. Bake at 350 for about 55 minutes, or until filling is set.

This was a HUGE hit. Pete decided that it was almost the same as his mother's apple torte. And he's requested it again. We had a nice Sunday dinner of roasted chicken, potatoes and bread. I also had roasted carrots & butternut squash.