Sausage Wontons and Crafting a Creative Life with Bobbi Gaukel

Living a life of curiosity and creativity means you will, at times, gracefully let go of things that no longer fuel your passion or serve you positively. This week’s podcast guest, Bobbi Lynn Gaukel, and I agree—the earlier in life you learn this practice, the more open and freer you are to being curious and trying new things. What does that have to do with crisp and flaky sausage wontons? Well, nothing really, except that it’s a recipe Bobbi shared with me and, out of curiosity, I tried it. It’s a keeper.

Instead of living by a word-of-the-year, Bobbi asks herself, “I wonder what would happen if…” when a new opportunity comes along or she finds herself gravitating toward something she hasn’t tried yet. Yep, even the uncomfortable or scary stuff.

Funeral Potatoes & Wool Mittens Podcast

Meet Bobbi Lynn Gaukel, owner, entrepreneur and graphic artist at Pie in the Sky Co on Funeral Potatoes & Wool Mittens Season 2 Episode 21. It’s available on all major podcast apps and YouTube (audio only).

Throughout her life, Bobbi has weaved in creativity and learning, leaving a trail of beauty wherever she goes. In addition to her professional life as a graphic artist, she gardens, crochets, writes, takes captivating photos, thrifts, repurposes, bakes desserts, crafts and so much more.

Follow her on social media so you know when she does plant and thrift pop-ups at her home. I’m especially going to watch this fall for when she offers dried flower wreaths.

The three recipes that Bobbi shares in this episode are below—sausage wontons, crock pot apple butter, and her mom’s easy carrot cake with an inch of cream cheese frosting.

Her Grandma Elizabeth taught her to crochet, all while burning through soap operas together. She began her graphic design career without a computer. And she once threw away a paint-by-number because for her, the whole experience was awful.

She’s the friend you give your funeral plants to when they start to die and you feel too guilty to throw them away.

A lifelong Midwesterner, she and her cat are living their best lives in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Bobbi is intentional about spending time with friends and connecting with people, but like me, she also likes to do it in small doses. Otherwise, it’s just too much people-ing.

Easy to Make Sausage Wontons

Ingredients

• 48 wonton wrappers, at room temperature so they are easier to work with
• 1 lb bulk ground pork sausage
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 oz. packet ranch salad dressing and seasoning
• ½ cup chopped black olives, drained, optional

Instructions

• Heat oven to 350℉. Spray two 24-cup mini muffin tins with cooking spray.
• Spray two 24-cup mini muffin tins with cooking spray. Place wonton wrappers into the prepared muffin cups; press gently into the bottom and up the sides.
• Bake at 350℉ for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pans.
• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, cook sausage until lightly browned and no longer pink. Drain off the fat.
• Mix cooked sausage, Monterey Jack, cheddar, ranch dressing mix and olives together in a medium bowl. Divide mixture evenly among cooled wonton cups.
• Return to the oven and bake, watching closely to ensure wontons do not burn, until filling is bubbly and slightly brown, 10 to 15 minutes.

Variations of Sausage Wontons

Go with your taste preferences—there are all sorts of combinations you could come up with. Like adding scrambled eggs and turning them into sausage wontons for breakfast. Below are just a few ideas to spark your imagination.

For example, make mini tuna melt wontons— stir together your favorite tuna salad with diced celery, red onion and dill. Add sharp cheddar and Gruyère. Bake. Serve at your party with a sprig of dill weed.

Meat

• Spicy Italian bulk pork sausage
• Ground sirloin
• Ham, bacon, diced up sausage links or patties
• Deli meat like ham, chicken turkey, roast beef
• Shredded rotisserie chicken
• Tuna
• Swap out the meat for vegetables

Cheese

• Parmesan
• Gruyère
• Swiss
• Colby jack, pepper jack
• Feta
• Mozzarella
• Gouda
• Asiago
• Blue
• Havarti

Seasoning

• Italian
• Cajun
• Lemon pepper
• Chipotle
• Pizza
• Steak

Vegetables

• Diced bell peppers and/or onions
• Green olives
• Broccoli
• Tomatoes

Bobbi’s Crock Pot Apple Butter Recipe

Ingredients

• Approx. 6 lbs apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
• ½ to ¾  c. dark brown sugar, packed
• 1 T. ground cinnamon
• 2 ½ t. ground nutmeg
• ¼ t. ground cloves
• Pinch of salt
• Approx. ½ to ¾ c. apple cider*

*Note from Bobbi: I like granny smith or other tart apple. The addition of organic apple cider is optional, but helps to keep the mixture from sticking and adds extra flavor.

Instructions

1. Peel, slice and core apples. I use an apple peeler (affiliate link) that attaches to my kitchen counter. 
2. Place in crock pot. Add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt and apple cider. Stir until well combined.
3. Cover and cook on for 10-12 hours, stirring occasionally, until the apples are tender and a dark brown caramel color. 
4. If there are any large pieces left (there should not be many, as the apples will break down in the cooking process), puree with an immersion blender until smooth.
5. If the mixture still seems watery, cook on high for an additional 1.5 to 2 hours until a jam-like consistency is reached, stirring occasionally. 
6. Spoon into jars or containers. Let cool and then cover and refrigerate for up to 1 month.
7. You can also can this mixture traditionally in a water bath canner. I add a bit of lemon juice to each jar, before canning my apple butter for about 20 minutes.Spread on bread, biscuits, or muffins, stir into yogurt or oatmeal, or top your pancakes, waffles, and French toast with it! Apple butter is a great gift. 

If you still have apples to use, make a pan of caramel apple bars. Here’s my recipe.

Bobbi the Graphic Artist and Designer

You must see Bobbi’s graphic art work so head on over to her website and look at the different brands and logos she’s designed. I was originally drawn to her work because I really like her style, and hired her because she is a woman of deep faith.

See the designs she’s worked on for me on this web page (some that you haven’t see before), a few of them are still a work in progress. She’s so talented!

Where to Find Bobby Lynn Gaukel and Pie in the Sky Co

• Website: pieinthesky.co
• Facebook: Pie in the Sky Co
• Instagram: @bobbilynngaukel
• Instagram: @ps_wedesignthings
• Email: bobbi@pieinthesky.co
• Bobbi’s monthly article in etc. for her magazine. (In addition to the current issue, you can read her articles in the back issues too.)
• Watch: How to thrift your way to a beautiful, sustainable home with Bobbi

Also mentioned in this episode:

• Cindy Lindgren, artist, you may recognize her Midwest vibe http://www.cindylindgren.com
• Alissa’s Flower Farm near Rock Valley and Hull, Iowa, alissasflowerfarm.com

Sweet wishes,