Soy-Garlic Chicken

 I made this chicken for a friends birthday dinner.  It was nice to be able to throw the chicken in the slow cooker, and not have to fuss with frying something up right before.  It was really flavorful!  I thought it would be fun to shred it, mixed in with the yummy sauce and make sandwiches or something fun like that.  (I got this one from Simple and Delicious)

Soy-Garlic Chicken

6 chicken legs quarters, skin removed (I used boneless, skinless chicken breast.)

1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 tsp. minced garlic

Place meat in slow cooker.  In small bowl, combine the tomato sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar and garlic; pour over chicken.  Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until meat thermometer inserted into chicken reads 180.

Quick French Onion Soup

Every man needs a good flavorful bowl of broth when he is feeling under the weather... or maybe it is just my man. :) Doug wasn't feeling well last week, so I made this for him. It is kind of funny to use a recipe with "One serving" but it worked! I got this from the "L.A. Lite Cookbook."

French Onion Soup

1/2 cup raw white onion slices

1 packet low-soium beef bouillon

1 cup water

1 bay leaf

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp lite salt

6 melba toast rounds

1 oz. mozzerella

freshly ground pepper, to taste

dash of parley

nonfat cooking spray

1. Saute onion in skillet with notfat cooking spray

2. Add beef bouillon to onions.

3. Add water, salt. pepper, bay leaf and onion powder.

4. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer10-15 minutes.

5. Remove bay leaf.

6. Place soup in a bowl. Top with melba toast.

7. Sprinkle cheese over melba toast.

8. Microwave soup until cheese is melted.

9. Sprinkle with parsley and serve hot.

Crunchy Tuna Casserole

I remember my mom making Tuna Casserole every now and then as a kid, so this dish brought back some memories for me.  I don't know why I don't make it more often, because my girls always really like it.  It's a good "kid friendly" meal.

Crunchy Tuna Casserole

1 (6 1/2 oz.) can tuna

1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 cups cooked noodles

1/4 cup bread crumbs

3 T. melted butter

1 small pkg. potatoe chips, crushed

Combine tuna, peas, soup, and noodles.  Spoon into a greased baking dish.  Moisten bread crumbs with melted butter; sprinkle over casserole.  Top with crushed potato chips.  Bake at 375 for 35 minutes, or until bubbly hot.

Natalie's Perfect Sugar Cookies

My friend Natalie makes the most amazing sugar cookies!!! They are perfect! Soft, but not crumbly. She invited my girls over to decorate Christmas cookies, while I got all the presents wrapped. (True friendship!) They were thrilled! She is such a great person, and now I think she is even greater, because she shared her recipe with me! :) Just wish the cookies could have lasted longer... at least now I can make another batch! :)

Natalie's Perfect Sugar Cookies
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla

Mix all of the above ingredients together, then slowly add 5 cups of flour. (Chill dough before you roll out cookies for best results)

Frosting
1 cube butter, softened
1 block of cream cheese, softened (8 oz.)
about 1 lb. powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Beat until creamy. (Sometimes I add a little milk and less butter to get the consistency I want)

Here they are with their pails full of cookies! What a gal- she knows how to make little girls VERY happy!

Peanut Butter Popcorn

I just found my new favorite recipe for caramel popcorn from my friend Emily! Who would have thought it could get even better with a bit of peanut butter?! I was excited mostly because I stink at making caramel popcorn, and this is such an easy recipe, that I couldn't mess it up! It was so gooey and yummy- that is my favorite! We bagged it up in cute little festive bags and shared it with our neighbors for Christmas. (It was hard to share, but I figured, it's Christmas... any other time and I probably would have eaten it all myself! :) (Picture from blog.vegcooking.com)

Peanut Butter Popcorn
3 Bags butter-flavor microwave pop-corn (I just popped a few batches in my popper.)
1/2 c. Honey
1/2 c. Corn Syrup
1 c. Sugar
1 c. Peanut Butter
1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla

Pop popcorn and pour into large bowl. (I had mine in two bowls.) In a saucepan, mix honey, cornsyrup and sugar. Heat and boil for 1 minute 15 seconds. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter and vanilla. Pour over popcorn and stir and toss until popcorn is covered.

Creamy Gravy

This is a recipe I found in a food storage pamphlet. I went to a really neat workshop on gathering at least one months supply to have as a back-up in case of an emergency. My husband and kids have all had the flu this last week, and I haven't made it to the store- so it is nice to a recipe using ingredients from my pantry to get a good meal on the table without a trip to the store, even if I was the only one that was able to enjoy it. :) (That so shouldn't have been said. :)

Creamy Gravy and Rice
Stir together:
1 (12 oz.) can low fat evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups reconstituted milk
(or 2-3 cups of regular milk if you have it.)
1/3 cup flour
1 tsp beef favored bouillon
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp. onion powder

Place the above ingredients in a sauce pan along with:
1 (6 oz.) can of Tuna (I just warmed up some of my frozen meatballs.)
2 T. butter
Salt and pepper
Cook and stir constantly until thickened. Serve warm over rice, biscuits, pasta or bread.

Now you need some tortilla chips to go with that guacamole! (I have had a bunch of extra corn tortillas and I decided to put them to good use.) These turned out great. I actually added some cumin, chili powder and onion powder. It gave it a good flavor! Here is what the The Recipe Zaar had to say:

A wonderful healthy snack and a great way to use up leftover corn tortillas. Great with Easy Authentic Guacamole or for making nachos. I vary the toppings on this depending on what I will be serving them with, but lately have just been making them plain. VARIATION: If you need more healthy oils in your diet, brush with olive oil.

Healthy Baked Corn Tortilla Chips (Homemade)

Ingredients

• 5 corn tortillas (Great Value or Misson brands are Gluten Free)
• salt (optional, additional spice options listed in directions)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Stack tortillas one on top of the other and use kitchen sizzors to cut them into 4 slices like you would cut up a pizza.
3. Spread them out in a single layer on a cookie sheet (not air-bake) , spacing them at least 1/4" apart (they will be chewy instead of crispy if not spaced properly). (NOTE: If you must use an air-bake pan, try 350 degrees for 20 minutes.).
4. Shake salt and desired toppings over tortillas.
5. TOPPING OPTIONS (choose any combo): SPICES: paprika, chili powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder (sparingly), cayenne pepper (sparingly, will add heat!). CHEESES: grated parmesan cheese, cheddar cheese, pepper jack cheese, etc. or try SWEET: cinnamon & sugar.
6. Bake 8-12 mins or until chips are starting to get crispy and slightly golden brown at the edges (check every 1-2 minutes after 8 mins).
7. Remove from oven and let cool 5-10 mins before serving in order to let them fully crispen. Extra Crispy: put back in turned off oven at least 10 mins or until ready to serve for extra crispy and warm chips (watch them, you may need to leave oven door cracked to prevent over browning).

Quick and Easy Guacamole Salsa

Time of make some yummy guacamole tonight! I found this recipe on www.recipezaar.com and I added my own twist. Always makes a yummy appetizer or dresses up a salad or pita.

Quick and Easy Guacamole Salsa

Ingredients

• 3 large ripe avocados (should give a little when squeezed)
• 2 teaspoons lime juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 2-4 plum tomatoes (~1 cup diced)
• 1 medium onion (~1 cup diced) or green onion
  
• cilantro, roughly chopped
• 1 can black beans
• Add some heat if you like
  

Directions

1. Wash and discard the peels and seeds of your avocados and put the remaining flesh in a medium sized bowl.
2. Add lime juice, salt and pepper and mash into the avocado with a fork or potato masher until smooth.
3. Dice tomatoes, onion black beans, and cilantro and stir into avocado mixture. Add more salt to taste.

Baked Potato Soup

My Mother-in-law found this recipe in Taste of Home's Big Book of Soup. It was so creamy and delicious! I could do this one any (or every) night of the week, especially when she's doing all the dirty work!!! :) The process and taste reminded me a lot of my clam chowder.

Baked Potato Soup
2/3 cup butter
2/3 cup flour
7 cups milk
4 large baking potatoes, baked, cooled, peeled and cubed (about 4 cups)
4 green onions, sliced
1-2 bacon strips cooled and crumbled
1-1/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup (8 oz.) sour cream
3/4 tsp salt (or more to taste)
1/2 tsp pepper

In a large soup kettle or dutch oven, melt butter. Stir in flour; heat and stir until smooth. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly until thickened. Add potatoes and onions. Bring to a boil. stirring constantly. Reduce heat; simmer for 10 minutes. Add remaining ingredients; stir until cheese is melted. Serve immediately. Yield: 8-10 servings (2-1/2 quarts)

Black Bean Soup

I found this recipe in Family Circle. Mine turned out really thick- I think I would dilute it a bit more, but it had a really good flavor!

Black Bean Soup
Heat 2 T oil in 5-quart stockpot over medium heat. Add 2 carrots, peeled and diced, 2 ribs celery trimmed and diced, 1 medium diced onion and 4 cloves minced garlic. Cook, over medium heat, for 5 minutes. Once fragrant and slightly softened, add two 14-ounce cans vegetable broth, 1 envelope ham flavoring (I used a ham-hock and boiled it in with it. I also added a bit of beef bullion.), 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne, 2 cups water and 6 cups soaked and cooked black beans. (One pound bag yields 6 cups when cooked.) Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, covered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Puree soup in batches; serve warm, with sour cream, if desired.

My sister-in-law sent me this delicious recipe and I gave it a try. Either you like yams or you don't. (But you might just kind yourself "liking" after you try this recipe.) I love candied yams-- I have to say that they are one of my very favorite parts of Thanksgiving! We usually make my Grandma Lou's special recipe- lots of sugar and butter. They are so good! But this was delicious! Not too sweet and I like what the ginger and nutmeg added. It was fun to try baking them instead of boiling. I think I'll defitely try this one again!

Brown Sugar-Glazed Sweet Potato Wedges

Make this tasty side dish up to two days ahead, and store, covered, in the refrigerator. Reheat at 350°, covered, for 20 minutes or until heated through; if desired, finish the dish under the broiler to recrisp the edges of the potato.

Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 2/3 cup)

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
• 4 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled, cut in half crosswise, and cut into 1/2-inch wedges
• Cooking spray

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°.

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add sugar, water, salt, nutmeg, ginger, and cinnamon; bring to a simmer. Cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Discard cinnamon stick. Combine sugar mixture and potato wedges in a large bowl; toss well to coat. Arrange potato mixture on a large jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 40 minutes or until tender, stirring after 20 minutes.

Creamy Herbed Potatoes

My Mom found these delicious potatoes on the Pioneer Woman site. I think they were the most popular side dish for Thanksgiving dinner. They had so much delicious flavor- they almost put the typical mashed potato dish to shame! :) Hope you'll give these a try!

Creamy Herbed Potatoes

Ingredients

• 4 whole To 5 Whole Russet Potatoes
• 1 stick Butter
• 1 whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced
• 8 ounces, weight Cream Cheese
• ¾ cups Heavy Cream
• 1 cup Whole Milk (half And Half Works, Too)
• 1 teaspoon Finely Chopped Rosemary
• 1 teaspoon Finely Chopped Parsley
• 1 teaspoon Finely Chopped Chives
• ½ teaspoons Finely Chopped Sage

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Slice potatoes very thinly.

Add butter to a large skillet over medium low heat. When melted, add diced onion. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cream cheese to the pan and stir to melt. Pour in cream and milk, stirring to combine.
Season with plenty of salt and pepper, then add chopped herbs.

Place potatoes in a buttered baking dish. Pour contents of skillet over the top. Top with Parmesan cheese and bake for 45 minutes, or until bubbly. Allow potatoes to sit 15 minutes before serving.

Sweet Potato Chips

Looking for a deliciously healthy side dish? This was surprisingly tasty! My parents served them as a simple dish and it was fantastic!

Sweet Potato Chips
2-3 large sweet potatoes (you can peel them, but I liked the texture the peel added.)
2-3 T olive oil
kosher salt, to taste
Cumin, to taste

Thinly slice sweet potatoes or yams. Toss in olive oil until coated. Lightly sprinkle with salt and cumin. Spread evenly on baking sheet. Cook at 350 for about 10-15 minutes, or until cooked through. (Cooking times may vary.)

Chocolate Silk Pie

Can I just say WOW! My friend, Emily, made this amazing pie for our cooking night and I'm still dreaming about it! It was so yummy! Way to go Emily!!!

Chocolate Silk Pie

This is a definite winner in my book and so easy too. This recipe is from my Kitchen Aid manual, so it has specific instructions for the mixer.

1 1/2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3 eggs
2/3 cut evaporated milk
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust
whipped topping (optional, but we all love it!)

Place sugar and cocoa powder in mixer bowl. Attach bowl and wire whip to mixer. Turn to Stir Speed and mix to combine, about 15 seconds. Continuing on Stir Speed, gradually add eggs, evaporated milk, and vanilla, mixing until well blended, about 1 minute. Stop and scrape bowl. Turn to Speed 6 and whip until smooth and slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.

Pour into prepared crust. Place pie plate on preheated baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 55 to 60 minutes or until center puffs and pie has set. Cool completely on wire rack. Garnish with whipped topping. Yield: 8 servings.

Chocolate Pecan Pie

Here is another pie from Bekah- She brought two winners!!! I didn't realize how much I like Pecan Pie! This was so good and the beauty alone was enough to win the blue ribbon in my book! It looked so pretty- the kind you just hate to cut into. :) ...And yet...

Chocolate Pecan Pie

• 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 1/2 cups light corn syrup
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 recipe Basic Pie Crust, rolled and fit into a 9-inch pie plate
• 1 cup pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with rack in lowest position. In a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water, melt chocolate, stirring occasionally, until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes (or melt chocolate in microwave). Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, stir together (do not whisk) eggs, corn syrup, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Stirring constantly, gradually add melted chocolate. Pour filling into prepared crust; place pie plate on a rimmed baking sheet. Arrange pecans in one even layer over filling.
3. Bake just until set (filling should jiggle slightly when pie plate is tapped), 50 to 60 minutes, rotating halfway through. Let cool completely on a wire rack, at least 4 hours (or up to overnight) before serving.

Best Ever Banana Cream Pie

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! I kind of checked out for the Holiday, but I have a bunch of yummy recipes on the way! This delicious Banana Cream Pie really is the "best ever"! My friend Bekah made this for our "Pie" themed cooking group this last month. It was fabulous!

Best Ever Banana Cream Pie

Crust:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup finely chopped pecans
Combine and press into 9 inch pie plate. Cook at 350 degrees for 25 minutes till golden. Cool.

1st layer:
1 eight ounce package of cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup cool whip
Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar together. Fold in cool whip. Spread over cooled crust.

2nd layer:
3 bananas
Slice the bananas and place over the cream cheese layer. This will be a thick layer of bananas.

3rd layer:
1 3.4 ounce package of instant vanilla pudding
1 1/3 cup cold milk
Wisk pudding and milk together and place over bananas.
Top with cool whip and chill. You can drizzle a bit of hot fudge over the top to decorate.

One-Pot Easy Chicken

Love a good crock-pot dish. You'll like this one!

One-Pot Easy Chicken
6-8 medium-sized potatoes, quartered (I used Yukon gold)
1-2 large onions, sliced
3-5 carrots, cubed
1 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
5 lbs. chicken breast
1 small onion, chopped
3/4 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. whole cloves
2 T chopped fresh oregano
1 tsp. dried rosemary
1/2 cup lemon juice
(I sprinkled it with fresh parsley.)

1. Mix together potatoes, sliced onions, carrots, 1 tsp. garlic salt, and 1/4 tsp. black epper in bottom of slow cooker.
2. Rinse and pat chicken dry. In bowl mix together chopped onions, 3/4 tsp. black pepper, cloves, and 2 tsp. garlic salt. Dredge chicken in seasonings and place in slow cooker over vegetables.
3. In small bowl mix together oregano, rosemary, and lemon juice. Pour over chicken.
4. Cover. Cook on low 6-8 hours, or until vegetables are soft and chicken juices run together.

Oatmeal Cherry White Chocolate Cookies

I found this recipe for Oatmeal Cherry White Chocolate Cookies on Joy the Baker's site. I thought it turned out to be a good recipe. I used raisins instead of the cherries, but I bet cherries would be so good.

Oatmeal Cherry White Chocolate Cookies

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups old fashioned oats

1 cup dried cherries

1 cup white chocolate chips or chunks

Heat oven to 350°F.

In large bowl, beat margarine and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Add oats and raisins; mix well.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.

Betty Crocker's Buttermilk Pancakes

I made these yummy pancakes for breakfast the other day. Doug said they were the best I've made, and I'm sure it is because I didn't try to add whole wheat flour or anything healthy. :) I do like the taste of buttermilk.

Betty Crocker's Buttermilk Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
2 tbsp. oil
1 cup flour
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:

Beat egg: add remaining ingredients in order listed and beat with rotary beater until smooth. Grease preheated griddle. Test griddle with a few drops of water. If bubbles skitter around it is just right.

Pour batter onto hot griddle. Turn pancakes as as they are puffed and full of bubbles but before bubbles break. Bake other side until golden brown.

makes 10 - 4" pancakes

Doug's Heavenly Orange Julius

One thing that makes me REALLY HAPPY is when Doug blends up this little beauty. I love his version of Orange Julius, and I finally talked him into writing it down. I decided it is kind of an art as he was explaining the "thickness" and such, but I hope you get the general idea, and just know that you'll never quite make it quite as good as he does, but you can certainly try. :)

Doug's Heavenly Orange Julius
1/2 container orange juice concentrate
1 tray of ice cubes
1 banana (optional)
1/4 cup sugar
about 1 T vanilla extract (to taste)
Milk (add last and fill blender almost to the top.)
Add milk to preference:
-More milk- runnier but serves more.
-Less milk- thick (and chunkier if you blend less and add banana), but serves less.

Blend to desired thickness.

(Frankly, we're all big fans!)

Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

Here is another option for you. I have to admit, I didn't like the flavor as much. Doug thought it was pretty good, but the buttermilk and hotsauce were too strong for me. I did like what the dill added. It seemed appropriate for something "ranchy" so I think next time I'll use the Betty Crocker recipe, but add some dill. (Picture from Taste of Home.)

Rachel Ray's Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
1 cup buttermilk
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 garlic clove, grated or finely chopped
A few dashes of hot sauce
2 T fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
2 T fresh dill, chopped
2 T fresh chives, chopped

Mix together the buttermilk, lemon juice, garlic, hot sauce, parsley, dill, and chives in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Buttermilk Dressing

Had to make some good dressing to go with that yummy salad bar. I really liked this recipe. I thought it had a good flavor- tasted a lot like ranch.

Betty Crocker's Buttermilk Dressing
3/4 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp parsley flakes
1/2 tsp instant minced onion
1/2 tsp salt
Dash of freshly ground pepper
1 clove garlic, minced

Mix all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to blend flavors. Store covered in refrigerator.

Salad Bar...

Here is a fresh idea! When was the last time you had just a good salad with all the works on it? I mean really good... not like you were eating rabbit food kind of good. We used to have a Salad Bar line everyday in high school for lunch. It was SO GOOD! I sometimes forget it as a dinner option, because I usually think of salad as a side dish. It also takes a minute if you are chopping everything up, but it ended up being so fun, special, and colorful in the end, that it is worth the trouble. The girls helped me put everything into bowls and put them on the table. They were so excited, and they actually ate it really well. This was so tasty and I want to share two yummy recipes I found for home-made ranch/buttermilk salad dressing. (They are comming up!) So freshen things up and put together a yummy salad bar tonight!

Ideas for toppings:
olives
green onions
peppers
croutons
tomatoes
pineapple
Mandrine oranges
peas
sprouts
sunflower seeds
bacon bits
nuts
cheese
beans/kidney beans
dressing
cottage cheese

Post a comment it you think of something else that is good!!! :)

Zesty Chicken Tortilla Bake

Absolutely delicious! I hope you try this one! I thought it was so good! I really liked the idea of using mayo and flour to make a white sauce, instead of butter. It came together really well. I was in hurry too, and I sped things up by making it into a layered casserole rather than wrapping each one individually. All in all, I thought this was a great recipe... one I will definitely make again! (Also found it on the Kraft site.)

Zesty Chicken Tortilla Bake

1/2 cup Mayo

1/2 cup flour

3 cups milk

1 pkg. (8 oz.) Shredded Cheddar Cheese, divided

1-1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked, cut into bite-size pieces (I just used canned chicken drained to save time.)

1/2 cup Thick 'N Chunky Salsa

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

16 flour tortillas (6 inch) (I used corn tortillas and they gave it a really good flavor.)

HEAT oven to 375°F.

MIX dressing and flour in medium saucepan with whisk until well blended. Gradually stir in milk. Bring to boil on medium heat, stirring constantly; cook and stir until thickened. Add 1 cup cheese; cook until melted, stirring constantly. Reserve 1 cup sauce.

STIR chicken, salsa and parsley into remaining sauce; spoon 1/3 cup down center of each tortilla. Roll up. Place 8 roll-ups, seam-sides down, in each of 2 (13x9-inch) baking dishes sprayed with cooking spray; top with reserved sauce and remaining cheese.

BAKE 25 min. or until heated through.

Pumpkin Cream Cupcakes

I found this one in the Kraft magazine and really liked how simple it was, but how the pumpkin helped it not to taste like a cake mix. It was a fun idea with the cream cheese.

Pumpkin Cream Cupcakes
1 pkg. (2-layer size) spice cake mix

1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 pkg. (8 oz.) Cream Cheese, softened

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg

HEAT oven to 350ºF.

PREPARE cake batter as directed on package. Add dry pudding mix and pumpkin; mix well. Spoon into 24 paper-lined muffin cups.

BEAT cream cheese with mixer until creamy. Blend in sugar and egg; spoon over batter. Swirl gently with small spoon.

BAKE 18 to 21 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool 5 min.; remove to wire racks. Cool completely.

Betty Crocker's Buttermilk Biscuits

Whenever I hear "buttermilk", I am reminded of Charlotte's Web and I think, "I'm gonna give that pig a buttermilk bath." After making these delicious biscuits, I thought I wouldn't mind a bath in buttermilk! (You might just see buttermilk "dripping" into some of my other recipes. :) I made these biscuits for breakfast this last week and I had to hide them from myself because I just about wiped out the batch! We cut them out in heart shapes, they were really cute. :) I've got to find my camera charger! It is driving me nuts not to be able to take pictures of food. :)

Betty Crocker's Buttermilk Biscuits
1/2 Cup Butter
2 Cups Flour,All-Purpose
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda
3/4 Cup Buttermilk

1) Mix the flour with the baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium-sized bowl.

2) Cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles fine crumbs.

3) Stir in the milk until the dough leaves the side of the bowl (dough will be soft and sticky).

4) Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly 10 times.

5) Roll or pat the dough into a thickness of about 1/2 inch. Cut with a floured 2-1/2 inch round cookie cutter and place on an ungreased cookie sheet, touching for soft sides and about 1 inch apart for crusty sides.

6) Bake at 230° C (450° F) until golden brown (about 10 to 12 minutes).

Canberry Pumpkin Bread

I'm so excited to have this fun new recipe from Simple and Delicious! It made a delicous loaf! I'm loving cranberries in things- and I really love pumpkin already!

Cranberry Pumpkin Bread
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp each ground ginger, nutmeg, and cloves
3 eggs
2 cups canned pumpkin 1 cup canola oil
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
3 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted (I used walnuts)

In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and spices. In another bowl, combine the eggs, pumpkin, oil, sugar and vanilla; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened, Fold in cranberries and nuts.

Pour into two greaded 8x4 loaf pans. (I made 4 mini loaves and 1 large one.) Bake at 350 for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire rack.

Sausage Skillet Dinner

Oh- I hope you will try this one! It was so good! I found it in the most recent Simple and Delicious (picture too- I've lost my camera battery). I have never used caraway seeds, and they are pretty strong, but the savory mix of flavor added so much to this meal- it just seemed like a fabulous harvest dish! (I made a few changes that I think improved it a bit.)

Sausage Skillet Dinner
3/4 lb. smoked sausage, but into 1-in. pieces (I used ground sausage, and it was really good!)
2 T butter
2 cups refrigerated red potato wedges (I just cut up about 5-6 red potatoes into small pieces. It took a little longer to cook through, but cheaper and a bit more crispy.)
1 medium onion, cut into wedges
1 medium apple, cut into wedges (I loved the flavor this added as it mixed with the cider vinegar!)
1/4 cup cider vinegar (maybe even less- be careful! :)
3 T. sugar
1/2 tsp caraway seeds
2 T minced fresh parsley

In a large skillet, saute sausages in butter for 3 minutes. Add the potatoes, onions and apple; saute 4-5 minutes longer or until apple is tender and potatoes are golder brown. Stir in the vinegar, sugar and caraway seeds.

Bring to a boil. Reduce hear; simmer, uncovered, for 2-3 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with parsley.