An October Birthday

Well, today is Oct 1! Not only are we just 2 months away from the end of 2006, it is also my dad's 56th birthday! What birthday is complete without an awesome birthday cake? Inspired by Martha, this cake entitled, Cocoa Buttermilk Cake, is very rich and delicious! Serve with ice cream or frozen yogurt to make it a little less intense. If you are into very chocolate-y cakes, this is your cake! The icing is also chocolate containing both cocoa and bittersweet chocolate morsels. So yummy!

Enjoy!

Cocoa Buttermilk Cake

Find the recipe at:
http://www.marthastewart.com/page.jhtml?type=content&id=recipe2210044&contentGroup=MSL&site=living
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pans

1 1/4 cups unsweetened Dutchprocess cocoa powder, plus more for pans

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 3/4 cups sugar

3 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups low-fat buttermilk

Chocolate Frosting (it makes a TON!)


1. Preheat oven to 350°. Butter two 8-by- 12-inch cake pans, and line with parchment paper. Butter parchment, and lightly dust with cocoa powder; set aside. Sift cocoa powder, flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl; set aside.

2. Put butter and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Mix in eggs, 1 at a time, and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add cocoa mixture in 2 batches, alternating with the buttermilk.

3. Divide batter evenly between pans. Bake until a cake tester inserted into centers comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack 15 minutes. Invert cakes onto rack; remove parchment, and reinvert. Let cool completely.

4. Trim cakes level. Place 1 cake on a platter. Spread with 1 cup frosting. Top with remaining cake. Spread 4 1/2 cups frosting on top and sides.

For the icing:

4 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

3/4 cup (11/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

18 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted

1 1/2 cups sour cream

1. Sift sugar, cocoa powder, and salt into a large bowl. Put cream cheese and butter into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Gradually add sugar mixture; mix until combined, 1 to 2 minutes. Mix in chocolate and sour cream. Use immediately.

Apple Cinnamon French Toast

I you have never tried Kings Hawaiian bread for your french toast, you are truly missing out. This bread makes fabulous french toast because it is already sweet! I have made 2 recipes for french toast using this bread and both are amazing. I really like the french toast bakes vs. traditional french toast b/c there are more options with the bake and it's a lot easier that dipping and flipping! Plus, this is a perfect fall treat because of the apples!

This recipe come directly from the Kings Hawaiian Website:
http://www.kingshawaiian.com/recipes/ft/appcinn.htm

1/2 loaf Kings Hawaiian Sweet Bread (16 oz) cut into 1-inch pieces
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1 & 1/2 c milk
1/2 c sugar, divided
2 t cinnamon
1 lg apple, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
2 T butter/margarine



Makes 8 Servings

Re-Enlistment

Here is a picture of my husband SSG Rich Vos on Friday September 22 at his re-enlistment ceremony. Rich is in the Army and re-enlisted for another 6 years making it a total of 12 years he'll be in. I am very proud of him!

The photos are taken in Baghdad on Saddam's old parade grounds beneath the crossed swords.


HOOAH!

Eggplant Lasagna

Well, lasagna doesn't exactly always take the best pictures, but I assure you it's delicious!!!

I'd never actually had eggplant before tonite, but always wanted to try it (basically b/c it is pretty!). I was very impressed with this dish and liked it very much. A definite make again!

Eggplant Lasagna:

6 lasagna noodles (I used whole wheat)
3 c chopped, peeled eggplant
1 medium green bell pepper, diced (about 1 c)
1 lg onion, chopped (about 1 c)
1/4 c fresh basil or 1 T plus 1 t dried, crumbled
3 medium cloves garlic, minced, or 1 & 1/2 t bottled minced garlic
2 8 oz no-salt-added tomato sauce
2 t low sodium Worcestershire sauce
1/8 t salt
1/4 t fennel seeds (optional)
1 c fat free cottage cheese
1 c part skim mozzarella chz, shredded
2 T shredded or grated parmesan chz

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray 12x8x2-inch glass baking dish w/ vegetable oil spray.

In a large stockpot, cook noodles using package directions, omitting salt and oil.

Meanwhile, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Remove skillet from heat and spray with vegetable oil. Cook eggplant, bell pepper, onion, basil, and garlic for 10 minutes, or until eggplant is tender, stirring occasionally; reduce heat to medium if mixture sticks to skillet.

Add tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and fennel. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes, or until sauce has slightly thickened and bell pepper is tender. Remove from heat.

To assemble, lay 2 noodles lengthwise in baking dish. Spread a scant 1 c eggplant mixture over noodles. Spoon half the cottage chz over sauce; spread evenly. Sprinkle w/ 1/4 c mozzarella. Repeat layers twice, ending with remaining 1/2 c mozzrella. Tuck in ends of noodles if overhanging; cover w/ aluminum foil.

Bake for 30 min. Remove from oven, discard foil.

Sprinkle lasagna w/ parmesan; let stand for 5-10 min to allow chz to melt and to make slicing easier.

Calories: 214
Protein: 15g
Carbs: 30 g
Fat: 4g
Fiber: 4g

ENjoy!

Happy First Day of Autumn!

Though it is officially not for another 2.5 hours, I want to be the first to wish all a Happy Autumn!

I love Autumn, Fall, whatever you may call it! The crisp days the smell in the air of leaves and freshness. I love the colors and the produce! Squash! I love it! Pumpkin and butternut squash are two of my favorites followed by acorn. I think I love them all. Not to mention the APPLES! If you've never been to an apple orchard, do it this year! The delicious varieties of apples along with pumpkins and cider make a great weekend getaway!

Make sure you checkout my posts from October 2005. I have some great decorations on there such as chiffon ghosts and a scary fence. Both of which are super easy to do and make a great decoration and conversational piece. I also have some great recipes such as pumpkin cupcakes as well as others.

So, here is to Autumn! Welcome Back!!!

Here is one of my favorite fall recipes! So yummy!

Butternut Squash Soup

4 slices bacon
3 lbs (2 small) butternut squash
3 T unsalted butter
2 lg onions, couarsly chopped
2 small carrots, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
2 small celery stalks, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 t salt, or more to taste
3 & 3/4 c low sodium/fat free chx broth
2 T thinly slivered fresh sage OR 2 t dried
1/4 t freshly ground pepper

Cook the bacon over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain (I use a george foreman for this!), then crumble and set aside. Pour off and discard the fat from the pot and set the pot aside.

Meanwhile, cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Cut each half lengthwise in half again and, using a sharp paring knife, peel the squash. Cut the squash into 3/4 inch chunks

Melt the butter in the pot (a large heavy pot) over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, and 1/4 t salt and cook, stirring, until the onions are translucent, 10-12 min. Add the squash and stock and bring to a simmer. Partially cover and simmer, sitrring occasionally, until the squash is very tender, about 15 minutes.

In batches, puree the soup in a blender until smooth and return to the pot. Stir in the sage, and season with the remaining 1/2 t salt and pepper. Reheat over medium heat, stirring occasionally , until hot. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle some of the crumbled bacon in the center of each serving.

Serves 8.

Picture to follow.

Orange-Blueberry Angel Food Cake

This is a delicious cake with a little tang to it! So yummy!

1 1/2 c egg whites (10-12 large)
1 1/2 c sifted powdered sugar
1 c sifted cake flour or sifted all-purpose flour
1 t vanilla
1 1/2 t cream of tartar
1 c granulated sugar (or substitute Splenda baking sugar just make sure to read the equivalency directions)
1 1/2 c freeze dried blueberries (I used the little "wild" blueberries in the frozen food section)
1 T finely shredded orange peel
1 C sifted powdered sugar
3-5 t frozen orange juice concentrate thawed (I didn't have this, just regular OJ and it tasted fine!)

~Directions~

In a very large mixing bowl allow egg whites to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, sift the 1 1/2 c powdered sugar and the flour together 3 times. Set aside.

Add cream of tartar and vanilla to egg whites. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form (tips curl). Gradually add granulated sugar, about 2 T at a time, beathing until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight).

Sift 1/4 of the powdered sugar mixture over beaten egg whites; fold in gently. Repeat, folding in the remaining powdered sugar mixture by fourths. Gently old in freeze-dried blueberries and orange peel. Pour into an ungreased 10-nich tube pan. Gently cut through batter to remove air pockets.

Bake cake on the lowest rack in a 350F oven for 40-45 min or until top springs back when lightly touched. Immediately invert cake in pan; cool completely in pan. Loosen cake from pan; remove cake.

In a small bowl combine the 1 c powdered sugar and 3 t of the OJ concentrate. Stir in enough of the remaining OJ, 1 t at a time, to reach drizzling consistency. Drizzle over cooled cake.

You will LOVE this cake and want to eat more than just one piece! and at only 208 c and 0g fat per serving (makes 12 servings) you can!!

YUM!

Chicken Tetrazzini

This delicious and creamy comfort-food is great for a chilly night, or really any night! The recipe has been modified for a more healthful approach, so don't be scared to try it only 394 calories per serving (makes 4 servings).

6 oz dried spaghetti (I use whole wheat spaghetti)
1 1/2 c sliced fresh mushrooms
3/4 c chopped red or green sweet pepper
1/2 c cold water
1/4 c flour
1 12-oz can (1 1/2c) evaporated low fat milk
1 t instant chicken bouillon granules
1/4 t black pepper
1/8 t salt
1 c chopped cooked chicken or turkey (5 oz)
1/4 c finely shredded Parmesan cheese (1 oz)
2 T dry sherry or milk
1 T sliced almonds

~Directions~

Cook the spaghetti according to package directions, except omit the cooking oil and lightly salt the water. drain well.

Meanwhile, in a large covered saucepan cook the mushrooms and sweet pepper in a small amount of boiling water until tender. Drain well, return to saucepan.

In a screw top jar combine 1/2 c cold water and flour; cover and shake well. Stir into the veggie mixture in the saucepan. Stir in the evaporated milk, bouillon granules, black pepper, and salt. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Stir in the cooked spaghetti, chx, parmesan cheese and dry sherry/milk.

Lightly coat a 2-qt square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Spoon spaghetti mixture into dish. Sprinkle with almonds. Bake, uncovere, ina 400F oven about 10 min or until heated through and nuts are lightly toasted.

Serve with a tossed salad and low cal dressing! ENJOY!!!

Self Diet

Well, I've started the Self Reach Your Goal Diet. I've chosen the Lose 8 lbs in a month with a little sculpting sexy muscles thrown in there as well. It's a great program. If you haven't seen it, go to Self.Com and check it out. I sound like a promotional video right now! Anyway, last night I had a great salad that I just had to share!

Three Pepper Salad

1 yellow pepper chopped
1 red pepper chopped
1 green pepper chopped
2 T parsley chopped
1 T chopped red onion
1 1/2 t olive oil
splash of balsamic vinegar

mix a half each red, green and yellow bell pepper, chopped, tossed with chopped parsley, chopped red onion, olive oil and balsamic vinegar! So easy to make and delicious and nutritous!

My only suggestion is to leave out at least half of the parsley, for me, it was a little over powering! YUM! It also has an amazing aroma and is very pretty with all the different colors!

Vacation

Well, the husband came home from Iraq for 2 weeks and we had a great time. We vacationed in the Virgin Islands and then just hung around good ole' NKY! He's back in Iraq now not to be seen for another 6-10 months!

Chocolate Cake

Not only is this a perfect opportunity to share a GREAT chocolate cake recipe, I can also show off my birthday present from my sister, Pam. It's from thecakepanlady.com and it's so cute! I love it!!!

Enjoy!

HERSHEY'S "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" Chocolate Cake

http://www.hersheys.com/recipes/recipes/print-recipe.asp?psize=35&id=184

Ingredients:
. 2 cups sugar
. 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
. 3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
. 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
. 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
. 1 teaspoon salt
. 2 eggs
. 1 cup milk
. 1/2 cup vegetable oil
. 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
. 1 cup boiling water

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.

2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost with Buttercream or any frosting you prefer.

VARIATIONS:
ONE-PAN CAKE: Grease and flour 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Heat oven to 350 F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely. Frost.

THREE LAYER CAKE: Grease and flour three 8-inch round baking pans. Heat oven to 350F. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost.

BUNDT CAKE: Grease and flour 12-cup Bundt pan. Heat oven to 350F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Frost.

CUPCAKES: Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups. Heat oven to 350F. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. Frost. About 30 cupcakes.


Buttercream Frosting:

1 cup butter or margarine, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 . Beat butter and powdered sugar in medium bowl on medium speed until smooth. Gradually beat in vanilla until smooth and spreadable

My Avatar

So, I have created my "avatar" not exactly sure what that is.. but it was fun making me!




and of course, what avatar wife is complete without her avatar husband!

Birthday Celebration

Happy 25th Birthday Kari!

What better than a home-made birthday cake with UDF ice cream to start a new year?! It's even better with it's kind of okay to eat!!

This cake seems to bake really fast, so make sure to watch it so it doesn't overcook! Don't forget to add a little flair to your birthday celebration, even if you are celebrating in a restaurant! Bring a bday table cloth and Target has some super fun square bday cake plates!


CHOCOLATE-BANANA CAKE WITH WALNUTS
Healthy bonus: 1/2 serving of fruit per slice, potassium from bananas, iron from walnuts
Makes 16 servings.
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Splenda Sugar Blend for Baking
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
4 large overly ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup plain lowfat yogurt
2 egg whites
2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup walnuts, chopped
Vegetable-oil cooking spray
Frosting
1 cup lowfat milk
3/4 cup Splenda Sugar Blend for Baking
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tbsp butter
2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine flours, Splenda, cocoa, and baking soda. Add bananas, yogurt, egg whites, vanilla, and 1/2 cup walnuts. Stir. Coat a 9" x 13" cake pan with cooking spray. Pour batter into pan, spreading evenly. Bake about 35 minutes. Cool.

Raise oven to 375°F. Toast remaining 1/4 cup walnuts 6 minutes. To make frosting, pour 1/4 cup milk into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in Splenda, cocoa, and cornstarch. Slowly add remaining 3/4 cup milk and bring to a low boil, stirring continuously until thick. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Cool and spread over cake. Sprinkle walnuts over cake.

Seasons Restaurant at the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort & Spa, Farmington, PA
Nutritional analysis per serving: 203 calories, 5.4 g fat (1.3 g saturated fat), 26.1 g carbohydrates, 5.9 g protein, 3.8 g fiber

Recipe from Self.com and Self Dishes Spring 2006

Ginger-Lemon Tea

If you are a tea fanatic like I am, you are always looking for new teas to try. This is so easy to make and is delicious, not to mention the awesome aroma!

Ginger-Lemon Tea

6 c water
4 t sugar
1 (1-in) piece of fresh ginger, thinly sliced
8 lemon peel strips (2.5X1in)
8 green tea bags
*Lemon slices (*optional)

In a large saucepan combine the water, sugar, ginger, and lemon peel strips. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, simmer, uncovered for 10 min. remove ginger and lemon strips with a slotted spoon and discard.

Place tea bags in a teapot; immediately add simmering water mixture. Cover and let stand 3 to 5 min. remove tea bags and discard. Serve immediately in mugs. Garnish with lemon slice.

Very refreshing on a summer evening!

Double Chocolate Brownies

This may be the most perfect Brownie recipe ever! It is incredibly easy, quick, and melt-in-your mouth good!

Non stick cooking spray
1/4 c butter/margarine
2/3 c sugar
1/2 c cold water
1 t vanilla
1 c flour
1/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder
1 t baking powder
1/4 c mini semisweet chocolate pieces
2 t sifted powdered sugar

1 - lightly coat the bottom of a 9X9X2 baking pan w/nonstick cooking spray being careful NOT to coat the sides of the pan

2 - In a medium saucepan, melt butter; remove from heat. Stir in sugar,water, vanilla. Stir in flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder until combined. Stir in chocolate pieces. Pour batter into prepared pan.

3 - Bake in a 350 oven for 15-18 min until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. removed from pan. cut into 16 bars, sprinkle w/ powdered sugar!

ENJOY!

Low in fat and Cal: 103 cal & 4 g fat per piece!!!

SO GOOD!!!

Vegetable Lasagna!

This is a super fast, easy recipe that is sure to be a crowd pleaser! Not to mention that it only has 251 cal per serving and 9 g fat!

I would definitely make this again!

From "the woman" : "very tasty and not too chewy like some lasagnas"
The woman will be taking over as "taste-tester" until the husband returns from Iraq!

The recipe:
Vegetable Lasagna!

6 dried lasagna noodles (I use whole wheat! Gotta look out for the heart! Whole grains!)
2 & 1/2 cups zucchine and/or yellow summer squash halved lengthwise and sliced (2 medium)
2 cups fresh sliced mushrooms
1/3 cup chopped onion (1 small)
2 t EVOO
1 c light (or skim) ricotta cheese
3 T finely shredded Parmesan chz (1 oz)
1/4 t black pepper
2 C purchased pasta sauce (I use Ragu Garden Primavera .. so good and has LOADS of veggies!)
1/2 c chopped, seeded tomato (1 medium)

1 - cook noodles according to package directions; drain and rise with cold water. drain well.

2 - In a large non-stick skillet cook and stir squash, mushrooms, and onion in hot oil over medium-high heat about 5 min or until tender; remove from heat and set aside. In a small bowl combine ricotta cheese, Parmesan Cheese, and pepper.

3- To assemble, place 3 lasagna noodles in bottom of a 2 - quart rectangular baking dish, trimming to fit as necessary. Spoon half of the ricotta chz mixture over the noodles. Top w/half of the veggie mix, half of the sauce, and half of the mozzarella chz. Layer w/ remaining noodles, ricotta chz mix, veggie mix, and sauce.

4- Bake, uncovered in a 375 oven for 30 min. Sprinkle with tomato and the remaining mozzarella chz. Bake 5 more or until heated through. Let stand 10 min before serving.

Serve w/ a yummy side salad and brownies!

Delicious Stuffed Pepper Recipe

This is such a nutritious, filling alternative to the traditional stuffed pepper.

1 &1/4 c fat-free reduced sodium chx broth
1 c couscous
1 T olive oil
1 medium onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 c fresh spinach
1 c canned corn, drained
1 c canned diced tomatoes
1 c grated lowfat/nonfat mozzerella chz
4 red/yellow/green peppers cored, stemmed, and seeded
4 tsp grated parmesan

Heat oven to 350. Coat a baking dish with cooking spray. heat chx both in a small saucepan until poinlin; add couscous, cover and remove from heat. let stand 10 min; fluff with a ford and set aside.

warm oil in a large pan over medium heat; saute onion and garlic until translucent, 5 to 10 min. add spinach and saute until wilted. add corn and tomatoes (with juices) and cook for 5 min. remove from heat, drain and transfer to a bowl.

stir in couscous and mozzarella; season w/ salt and pepper. place peppers upright in baking dish and fill with stuffing, then top with parmesan.

bake 20 min (including pepper tops). serve warm

383 calories

Serve with northern beans!

ENJOY!

My New Favorite Pizza

This is so very yummy! And, it's low in calories but very high in yumminess!

1 flat pita bread (not the pita pockets)
Sauce (I use Ragu Garden Primavera b/c it's got big chunks of veggies)
additional toppings (I used fresh mushrooms)
part-skim mozzerella cheese (for an added bang, i usually put a little bit of cheddar on it too)

Preheat oven to 375. Place pita bread directly on the rack in the oven. Bake for about 3-5 min - until desired crispiness. Removed from oven add sauce (I like mine w/ a lot of sauce), additional toppings, and cheese. Return to oven until cheese is melted!

Enjoy! I know this is so very simple, but the pita makes this unique. Not to mention that they are "personal" size, so if someone is on a diet they can be as healthful as they like and others don't have to "suffer" their dieting!

Rigatoni Bake

A very quick, yummy, and aromatic recipe!

2 c uncooked rigatoni pasta
1 lb lean ground beef**
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
28-oz can of crushed tomatoes, undrained
1/2 tsp dried dill weed (optional)
1/2 c shredded mozzarella cheese**

heat oven to 375. spray casserole dish w/non-stick cooking spray. in a large saucepan, cook rigatoni to desired doneness. Drain; return to saucepan.

In large skillet, cook ground beef, onion, bell pepper, and garlic until beef is browned and thoroughly cooked, stirring frequently. Drain.

Add ground beef mixture, tomatoes, and dill to cooked rigatoni; mix well. Pour into sprayed casserole dishh. Cover

Bake at 375 for 30 min. Uncover; sprinkle w/cheese. Bake uncovered for an additional 5 min or until cheese is melted.

Serving size: 1 & 1/2 cup

** to make this recipe lower in fat/caloris substitute lean 99% fat free turkey for ground beef and part-skim low fat mozzerella cheese for the regular cheese.

Easter Treats

Well, the bunny cake didn't turn out so well, but what can you do?

Cupcakes were easy and cute to make! Just an extra drop of icing and some marshmallow ears!

An Easter Tradition

This cake is so yummy and so easy! It is an Easter tradition in our house.

Carrot Cake w/ Toasted pecan cream cheese frosting

3 sticks, plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 cups grated carrots
1 cup chopped toasted pecans **be careful not to over toast**
Pecan Cream Cheese Icing:
8 ounces cream cheese
1 stick unsalted butter
1 (1-pound) box confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup chopped toasted pecans


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter 3 (9-inch) cake pans with 1 tablespoon of the butter and set aside. In a large bowl, cream the butter with an electric mixer. Add the sugar, and beat. In a medium bowl or on a piece of parchment, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt, and mix well.

Add the dry ingredients, alternating with the eggs, beating well after the addition of each. Add the vanilla extract and mix. Add the carrots and beat on medium speed until well incorporated, about 2 minutes. Fold in the nuts. Divide between the 3 cake pans and bake until set and a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest in the cake pans for 10 minutes. Invert onto wire racks, remove from the pans, and let cool.

For the Frosting: In a large bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar gradually, beating constantly. Add the vanilla and pecans.

When the cake is cool, place 1 cake layer on a cake plate or stand. Spread the top with cream cheese frosting and top with a second and third cake layer, spreading the icing between each layer. Spread the icing around the sides of the cake and let harden slightly before serving. To serve, cut into wedges.

Blueberry French Toast Bake

I made this for an office "food day". It went over very well and is super yummy! Try with blackberry or blueberry syrup!
You can make it the night before and throw it in the oven as you are getting dressed! So easy!

Seriously.. this recipe has 3 of my favorite things: breakfast, blueberries, and french toast.

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 eggs
10 slices French bread, 1 inch thick, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup fresh or frozen (thawed) blueberries
1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used walnuts, but I think pecans would have been better!)
Powdered sugar, if desired
Blueberry or maple syrup, if desired


1. Generously grease 2 1/2-quart casserole or rectangular baking dish, 13x9x2 inches. Beat flour, milk, sugar, vanilla, salt and eggs in large bowl with hand beater until smooth. Stir in bread cubes until coated.
2. Pour bread mixture into casserole. Top evenly with cream cheese, blueberries and nuts. (make sure you spread the cream cheese out - don't leave it in the cubes!) Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour but no longer than 24 hours.
3. Heat oven to 400°F. Uncover and bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve with syrup.

Pretzels

I haven't tried this recipe yet, but I want to very soon!

I do love soft pretzels! YUM!


1 & 1/4 c warm water
1 T plus 1/4 t yeast
3 & 3/4 c all purpose flour
3/4 c plus 2 T powdered sugar
1 & 1/2 t salt
2 t vegetable oil

Bath:
4 c warm water
1/2 c baking soda
1/4 c butter, melted

Salted:
kosher or pretzel salt

Cinnamon topping:

1/2 c granulated sugar
2 t cinnamon

1. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water in a small bowl or cup. Let it sit for a few minutes.
2. Combine flour, powdered sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add water with yeast and vegetable oil. Stir with a spoon and then use your hands to form the dough into a ball. Knead the dough for 5 min. on a lightly floured surface. Dough will be nice and smooth when it's ready. Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover it, and store it in a warm place for about 45 min. or until the dough doubles in size.
3. when dough has risen, preheat oven to 425 degrees.
4. Make a bath for the pretzels by combining the baking soda with the warm water and stir until baking soda is mostly dissolved.
5. Remove the dough from the bowl and divide it into 8 even portions. Roll each portion onto a flat non-floured surface until it is about 3 feet long. Pick up both ends of the dough and give it a little spin so the middle of the dough spins around once. Lay the dough down w/the loop nearest to you. Fold the ends down toward you and pinch to attach them to the bottom of the loop. The twist should be in the middle.
6. Holding the pinched ends dip each pretzel into the bath solution. Put each pretzel on a paper towel for a moment to blot the excess liquid. Arrange the pretzels on a baking sheet sprayed w/non-stick spray. If you want salt, sprinkle pretzels w/salt. Don't salt any pretzels if you plan to coat w/cinnamon sugar. You will likely have to use 2 baking sheets, and to be sure to bake them separately. Bake the pretzels for 4 min, the spin the pan halfway around and bake for another 4 to 5 min. or until the pretzels are golden brown.
7. Remove the pretzels from the oven, and let them cool for a couple of min. if you want to eat some now, brush 'em w/ melted butter first, if desired, before serving. If you want the cinnamon sugar coating, make it by combining the 1/2 c sugar and 2 t cinnamon in a small bowl. Brush the unsalted pretzels you plan to coat w/a generous amount of melted butter. Sprinkle a heaving coating of the cinnamon sugar onto the entire surface of the pretzels over a place!


ENJOY!

Chx and Black Bean Skillet

1 lb cuben boneles, skinless chx breast
2 t olive oil
2/3 c salsa
3/4 c uncooked instant rice
1/3 c water
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

-in a large no-stick frying pan, combine the chx and oil. cook over high heat, stirring, for 4 min, or until the chx begins to brown.
-stir in the salsa. cook for 3 min. add the rice, water, and beans. bring to a simmer.
-cover and simmer for 8-10 min, or until the chx and rice are cooked through. fluff w/fork before serving. season w/ the salt (if using) and pepper.

This is SOOO easy to make only takes like 20 min and it is very, very tasty.

Adding a little shredded chz to the dish adds a nice touch!

Smothered Chicken and Sweet Potatoes

One word: YUM.

2/3 c flour
1 frying chicken (3-3.5 lbs) cut into serving pieces and skinned (I used boneless/skinless chx breasts)
3 c defatted reduced-sodium chx broth
1/2 large onion
2 c halved mushrooms
2 large sweet potatoes, cut into eights
2 T cornstarch
2 T cold water
3 c hot cooked rice/noodles

-Preheat oven to 350
-Place 1/3 c of the flour in a self-sealing plastic bag. Add the chx, close the bag and shake to coat the pieces w/the flour.
-Coat a Dutch oven w/ no-stick spray. (I used a pot and then transferred to a baking dish) Set the pot over medium-high heat until hot. Add the chx. Brown the pieces on both sides. Remove from the pot and set aside.
-Pour 1/2 c of the broth into the pot and scape the bottom w/a wooden spoon to loosen and browned bits. Bring to a simmer. Add the onions, reduce the heat to low and cook for 5 min. Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 min, or until softened.
-Add the remaining 1/3 c flour and cook, stirring for 2 min (the mixture will be dry). Add 1 c of the remaining broth and stir to break up any lumps of flour.
-Add the sweet potatoes, chx and the remaining 1 & 1/2 c broth. Bring to a boil, cover and transfer the pot to the oven.
-Bake for 1 hour, or until the chx is cooked through and the sweet potatoes are tender. Remove the chx and sweet potatoes from the pot to a serving platter.
-In a cup, mix the cornstarch and water. Pour into the pot. Cook, stirring, over medium heat until the broth is thickened. Serve the chx, sweet potatoes and rice or noodles.

Jellied Cranberry Sauce

Thanksgiving is over, but who knows when you'll need some homeade jellied cranberry sauce?! This is a really great recipe, though it does take some time:

1-cup sugar
1-cup water
One 12 oz bag fresh cranberries

1. In a medium saucepan bring 1-cup water and 1-cup sugar to a boil over high heat. Stir in the cranberries and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and stir gently, occasionally, for 10 min.

2. Place a wire sieve over a medium bowl. Pour the sauce into the sieve. Mash and press the sauce through the sieve w/the back of a large spoon, frequently scraping the outside of the sieve, until there is no pulp left in the sieve. Stir well and transfer to a small bowl. Cool completely. Cover tightly with plastic warp and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Can be prepared 1 week ahead of time.

Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Official Tastetester says: Very good and .. tangy..

Pumpkin Carving Adventure

Well, It was a spin off of Martha.. and it didn't work out too well but is still fun.

What can you say?

Dinner Tonight: Crab Stuffed Mushrooms

I got this recipe from the Food Network's Paula Deen. Her recipes are always great, but this one was above par! Simply amazing!

Official Taste-tester says:
"hmmm... (scratches his lip) .. de-lis-i-o-so"

The link:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_31021,00.html

The recipe:
1 cup crabmeat
1/2 cup cream cheese
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
4 tablespoons Parmesan
House Seasoning, recipe follows
2 portobello mushroom caps, or 10 white mushrooms caps
1/2 cup bread crumbs
Nonstick cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Combine the crabmeat, cream cheese, parsley, green onions and Parmesan. Season with House Seasoning, to taste. Stuff the mushroom caps with the mixture and top with bread crumbs. Spray the tops with nonstick spray to help them brown. Transfer to the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the filling is hot and melted.

House Seasoning:
1 cup salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder

Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Recipe Review: Perfect Pie Crust

As a Martha follower, I tried her recipe for pie crust, afterall.. I had to try out my new apple corer/peeler/slicer so.. Apple Pie.

It was a great recipe and I think it is totally work the little bit of extra work. So much better than store bought crust..

The link is:

http://www.marthastewart.com/page.jhtml?type=content&id=recipe1540048&search=true&resultNo=4

there are 6 pages of instructions w/ pictures so it sounds like a lot, but it isn't! Try it!


Pie Crust

Makes 1 crust; Prep time: 40 minutes; Total time: 3 1/2 hours


1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)

2 tablespoons ice water

1. In a food processor, pulse several times to combine 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and sugar.

2. Add 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces. Pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few pea-size pieces remaining.

3. Add 2 tablespoons ice water; pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed (if needed, add up to 2 more tablespoons ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time). Do not overmix.

4. Turn out onto work surface; knead once or twice, until dough comes together. Flatten dough into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

5. Place dough on a floured piece of parchment or waxed paper. Using knuckles, press edges of dough to help prevent cracking when you roll it out.

6. Roll dough to a 14-inch round. Using parchment, lift and wrap dough around rolling pin; carefully unroll over a 9-inch pie plate. Gently fit into bottom and along sides of plate, being careful not to stretch or tear dough.

7. Using kitchen shears or a paring knife, trim dough to a 1-inch overhang; fold under, and seal to form a rim. Crimp rim with fingertips. Prick bottom of pie dough all over with a fork, to prevent it from puffing up or shrinking in the oven. Refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour.

8. If prebaking the crust, preheat oven to 350°. Bake until crust is firm and golden, about 20 minutes. Cool completely before filling.

Fudge

Ah, Halloween, a time of gluttony and chocolate. What better that deliciously fantastic fudge! There is a really easy recipe I found but the results are yummy.

Grease a pan set aside. spread fudge w/grease spatula

cover fudge w/plastic wrap. put in fridge 2 hrs or until firm. cut into 1 inch squares. store tightly covered in fridge for 3 weeks.

Chocolate Fudge:
1 & 1/2 c sugar
1 can (5 oz)evaporated milk
2 T butter
1/4 t salt
1 & 1/2 c mini marshmallows
1 c semisweet chocolate chips
1 & 1/2 t vanilla

combine sugar, milk, butter, and salt in medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly w/wooden spoon. boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

remove saucepan from heat. stir in marshmallows with wooden spoon until melted and mixture is well blended.

add chocolate chips & vanilla. stir unil mixture 6 minutes or until slightly thickened.

Peanut Butter Fudge:
3/4 c granulate sugar
3/4 c packed brown sugar
1/2 c creamy PB
5 oz evap milk
1 & 1/2 mini marshmallows
1 & 1/2 t vanilla

combine sugar, milk in medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly w/wooden spoon. boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly.

remove saucepan from heat. stir in marshmallows with wooden spoon until melted and mixture is well blended.

add PBs & vanilla. stir unil mixture 6 minutes or until slightly thickened.

Apples! Apples! Apples!

Fall, the perfect time for apples! Recently my mom and I visited Milford, OH and Rouster's Apple House. It's an orchard and really cool. They usually have u-pick but the crop was damaged and so they had bags you could buy. We bought three types: Jonagold, Krispy, and Grimes. All very delicious, my favorite is the jonagold.

So the best invention to accompany the apple is
THE APPLE CORER/PEELER/SLICER..
don't worry, there are pictures to follow!
So I bought it at Linens and Things and it was a deal at $20 it suctions to the counter so you don't have to buy a stand. So it's awesome for making pies b/c it.. cores/peels/slices in about 20 seconds!

Who knew!
Even the husband loves it!

Blondie Brownies

This recipe was provided by my mom, Edie! She swears they are the best brownies she has ever eaten!

From Edie.
Phil brought this home a couple of weeks ago, and boy o boy! are they good! Blondies
1c.(4oz) pecans or walnuts
1-1/2 C. (7 1/2oz) unbleached ap flour.
1t. baking powder
1/2t.salt
12T.(1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1-1/2 C. (10 1/2oz) packed light brown sugar
2 lg. eggs, lightly beaten
4t. vanilla extract
6 oz. good-quality white chocolate chips (1C) or 3 oz. each white chocolate, & semisweet chocolate chips.
***********************************
adjust oven rack to middle position & heat oven to 350 degrees. spread nuts on lg. rimmed baking sheet and bake until deep golden brown, 10-15 minutes. transfer nuts to cutting board to cool, chop coarsley and set aside. 2. while nuts toast, cut 18in. length foil and fold lengthwise to 8in. width. fit foil into length of 13 by 9in. baking pan,pushing it into corners, and up sides of pan. allow excess to overhang pan edges. cut 14in. length of foil and fit into width of baking pan in same manner, perpendicular to firsh sheet. spray foil lined pan with nonstick cooking spray. 3. whisk flour, b.powder, and salt together in med. bowl, set aside. 4. whisk melted butter and br. sugar together in med. bowl until combined. add eggs and vanilla and mix well. using rubber spatula, fold dry ingredients into egg mixture until just combined. do not overmix.fold in chocolate and nuts and turn batter into prepared pan, smoothing top with rubber spatula. 5. bake until top is shiny,cracked, and light golden brown, 22-25 minutes. do not overbake! cool on wire rack to room temperature. remove bars from pan by lifting foil overhang and transfer to cutting board. cut into 2in. sq. and serve.
As I said, they are DELICIOUS.

Mom's Apple Crisp

My mom has been making this recipe for years. It is always delicious. We really like the topping and so she has always doubled it or increased it by half. Any way you do it is awesome!!

Apple Crisp Recipe:

In a buttered baking dish, add 4 cups of sliced apples.
Sprinkle with 1 tsp of cinnamon
add 1/4 c H2O (if apples are really juicy, decrease water a little)
Set aside

In a bowl, combine:
3/4 c flour
1 c sugar
1/3 c butter
with a pastry blender cut dry ingredients into butter until well blended.

Turn mixture over apples bake at 350 for 40 minutes.

Official Taste Tester Says:
"Needs more crisp, but I'd give it a 10 out of 10"

Chicken Parmesan

This recipe was given to me by Paul at work. It came highly recommended. Rich and I tried it tonite and I think it was great! Very easy to make and quick too!

Official Taste Tester Says:
"Great and enough for left-overs"

Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (I halved the recipe and it worked well)
1 egg, slightly beaten
3/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1 jar/can (26-28 oz) pasta sauce
1 c shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400. Dip chx in egg, then bread crumbs, coating well.

In a glass baking dish, arrange chx. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes.

Pour pasta sauce over chx, then top with cheese. bake an additional 10 minutes or until chx is no longer pink. serve with hot cooked pasta.

10 minutes prep time - 30 min bake time

More fun Halloween decorations!

Again, totally Martha inspired! and again from her Halloween book. These are chiffon "yaking" ghosts. They are made of the paper thin slippery fabric and glued to my window by rubber cement (rubs off windows easily). The template is in her book. The ghosts are challenging to make due to the fabric but well worth it. There are 2 ghosts. The one pictured and another one the next window to the right facing left as if they are talking. I had to hang up black fabric as it was hard to see the ghosts with the lights on.

Fun Halloween Decorations!

Of course this is Martha inspired and I love it! The crows are a template from her Halloween book that I borrowed from the library. Just copy the image, trace it out on black construction paper and tape it on the fence! The fence is made of black crepe (spelling??) cut to a point and the then "planks" of the fence are cut out in different sizes and taped on the wall with double sided tape either straight up and down or tilted. Tape one long piece from one side to the other of the fence to finish the look.

Chocolate Pumpkin Cake

This recipe comes from the October 2005 issue of Country Living. I make the cupcake version today and decorated them with gummy spiders and worms. The recipe is great not to hard to make and contains many things that you already have in your pantry. The mixture of the orange frosting and the pumpkin chocolate cake is outstanding! YUM!!

The photo shows the cupcakes and also the very fun Martha-inspired fall wreath I made. It originally had little pumpkins on it which were hollowed out and tea lights were placed inside, but there were some issues with that.. it would have worked except I bought pumpkins that were too old...

The recipe:


2 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons good-quality cocoa
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon fresh-grated nutmeg
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cups pumpkin purée
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
5 large eggs
1 recipe Orange Cream-Cheese Frosting


1. Prepare cake pans: Heat oven to 350° F. Lightly butter three 8-inch cake pans and fit each bottom with an 8-inch circle of parchment paper. Lightly butter the parchment paper. Set aside.

2. Make the batter: Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl and set aside. Combine the buttermilk, pumpkin, and vanilla in a medium bowl and set aside. Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl, with an electric mixer set on medium speed, until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, until the mixture is smooth and light. Alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture, blending well after each addition.

3. Bake the cake: Divide the batter among the pans and bake until a wooden skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean ‑- about 35 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pan for 20 minutes. Remove cakes and cool. (For cupcakes: Heat oven to 375° F. Place cupcake liners in standard cupcake tins and fill each with 1/4 cup of batter. Bake for 22 minutes.)

4. Assemble the cake: Trim each of the layers. Place one layer on a cake plate and top with one third of the frosting. Repeat with the second and third layers. (To ensure that the cake layers do not shift, cut three skewers to 1/4 inch shorter than the full height of the cake and insert them before icing the top layer). Refrigerate until ready to serve.


Orange Cream-Cheese Frosting


One 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup unsalted butter (1/2 stick), softened
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon orange food coloring

Make the frosting: Blend the cream cheese, butter, orange juice, orange zest, and vanilla in a large bowl, using an electric mixer set at medium speed, until smooth. Add the sugar and continue to beat until light and creamy ‑- about 3 more minutes. Add the food coloring and gently stir until the color is uniform. Chill the frosting until ready to ice the cupcakes or cake.

The Best Chili

This recipe comes from the kitchen of the sister, Lori Trzop Schatzel. This is fantastic in a crock pot, slow cooked for hours or over your stove top if you need delicious chili in a hurry.

1 lb ground beef
1 lb mild or hot (depending on preference) sausage
1 large onion
2 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained (usually, I get the chili kind or the onion/garlic kind)
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce (unsalted is always a good choice)
2 T chili powder
1 & 1/2 t ground cumin (this is the secret to this recipe!)
salt and pepper to taste
1 or 2 cans light or dark kidney beans (depending on how much you want) rinsed & drained

1. Brown beef and sausage in skillet until cooked through, drain
2. Mix beef and remaining ingredients, except beans in a slow cooker (or pot, if using pot, add the beans)
3. Cover and cook on low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours. The longer it cooks and simmers the better is tastes or until onion is tender -- you can't cook it too long!
**If you don't use a crock pot, add all ingredients and cook until heated through. Cook for at least an hour and a half until it reaches desiered consistency. Boil at first then simmer the remaining time**
4. Stir in beans then cover and cook on high for 15-20 minutes.

Serve with a dollop (of daisy ..hehe) of sour cream or shredded cheese or oyster crackers or regular crackers or ALL FOUR!!

Enjoy!!

Pizza Twist

This is a fun "twist" to pizza. It is similar to a calzone in that you dip the slices into sauce. You can add any ingredients you want. Usually I do pepperoni, mushrooms, and pineapple! Yum! It may seem complicated, but it is very easy and delicious to make. Just remember to firmly pinch to close the seams and to do a tight crisscross. I'll post a picture the very next time I make this dish!

The Recipe:
1 pkg pepperoni slices
2 T snipped fresh parsley
1/2 c shredded mozzarella cheese
2 T all -purpose flour
1 garlic clove pressed ( I usually omit)
2 pkgs refrigerated French bread dough
1 egg
1 t italian seasoning mix
2 T fresh grated parmesan cheese
1 can pizza sauce, warmed

Preheat Oven to 375. Dice pepperoni and other "toppings" finely. Snip parsley. In a bowl combine toppings, parsley, mozzarella cheese, flour and garlic (pressed). Mix well.

Place bread dough seam sides up on smooth side of a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, slice each loaf lengthwise, end to end cutting halfway through to center of loaf, spread open flat. Lightly sprinkle additional flour evenly over dough. Roll dough crosswise creating a well down the center half of each loaf (usually I do this with my fingers)

Spoon half of the toppings mixture down the center of each loaf. Gather up the edges over filling pinching firmly to seal. Place loaves, seam side down in an X pattern on a baking sheet or stone (line the baking sheet with parchment paper). Crisscross ends of dough to form a large figure 8, keeping ends of dough 1 inch from the edge of the pan.

Separate egg, beat egg white and seasoning mix lightly brush over dough using a pastry brush ( a fork will substitute well). Using serrated knife, cut a 3 inch slit in each of the top sections of the twist to reveal filling

Sprinkle grated parmesean cheese over the loaf .

Bake 30-32 minutes or until deep golden brown. Remove to rack and cool 10 min. Cut into slices as desired. Serve with warm pizza sauce.

Mussio's Spinach and Artichoke Dip

This recipe was provided by Maggie. It is a family recipe.

1 STICK OF BUTTER
1 MEDIUM ONION, CHOPPED
2 (10oz) PACKAGES OF FROZEN CHOPPED SPINACH
1 (14oz) CAN ARTICHIKE HEARTS, DRAINED AND CHOPPED
1 (8oz) PACKAGE CREAM CHEESE
1 (8oz) CARTON SOUR CREAM
1 cup SHREDDED MONTEREY JACK CHEESE
1 cup GRATED PARMESAN CHEESE
2 tbsp TABASCO GREEN PEPPER SAUCE
SALT TO TASTE

1: melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat
2: ass onion & cook until soft - 5 min.
3: stir in spinach, artichokes, cream cheese, sour cream, 3/4 c monterey jack, 3/4 c parmesan, tabasco & salt
4: stir until well blended & heated through
5: pour mixture into casserole dish & top with reamaining 1/4 c mont-jack & 1/4 c parmesan cheese
6: bake 350 until cheese starts to brown - 10 min.
SERVE WITH CHIPS OR CRACKERS. MAKES 4 CUPS

My Favorite Cookie

I discovered this recipe just in time for my 1st Annual Cookie Exchange last year. Since then, it has been my favorite cookie.

Pumpkin Cookie:
2 c flour
1 & 1/3 c quick or old-fashion oats
1 t baking soda
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt (I usually omit)
1 c (2 sticks) butter/margarine, softened (I like to get the no salt kind)
1 c granulated sugar
1 c packed brown sugar
1 c pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix just pumpkin)
1 large egg
1 t vanilla
3/4 c chopped walnuts

Optional:
3/4 c raisins

Preheat oven to 350. Grease baking sheets.

Combine flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in medium bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in large mixer bowl until light and fluffy. Add pumpkin, egg and vanilla; mix well. Add flour mixture; mix well. Stir in walnuts and raisins. Drop tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheet repeat with remaining dough.

Bake for 14 to 16 minutes or until cookies are firm and lightly browned. cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to comepletely.

Dinner Tonight--Smoky Butternut Squash Soup

4 Slices Bacon ( I like to use hickory smoked bacon)
3 lbs (2 small) butternut squash
3 T butter
2 large onions coursely chopped
2 small carrots, halved & sliced
2 small celery stalks thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced (I usually omit but with or without is still good)
3 & 3/4 c chx stock/broth
2 T fresh sage OR 2t dried
pinch of salt
1/4 freshly ground pepper

Cook bacon until crisp. Transfer to paper towel to drain then crumble.

Cut butternut squash in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Cut each half lengthwise in half again and using a sharp paring knife, peel the squash. Cut squash into 3/4" chunks.

Melt butter in a dutch oven or large heavy pot over medium heat. add onions, carrots, celery, & garlic and cook, stirring, unti the onions are translucent, about 10-12 minutes. add the squash and stock and bring to a simmer. partially cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the squash is very tender, about 15 minutes.

In batches puree the soup in a blender (I use a food processor) until smoothand return to the pot. stir in sage and season with salt and pepper. reheat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until hot. ladle into bowls and sprinkle some of the crumbled bacon in the center of each serving.

I like to serve with herb scones.

Fish

ok, so this one isn't cooking related.. but I just love my fish so I have to share a picture of them.

You can see Angel (an angel fish) the other 6 fish and 1 frog are hiding under the pagoda or behind it!

Crock Pot Chicken

If you are like me, you want dinner waiting when you get home. But, unless you cook it, it isn't there. That is why this recipes is awesome.

Ingredients:
chicken (i did about a pound, but you can add more)
2 c rice
1 can cream of celery or cream of chx soup (low sodium)
1 c chx stock (boullion cube, homeade, store bought will all do fine)
1 pkg frozen broccoli (10 oz.)

Cook rice per package directions.

Add chx, rice, soup, & stock in to crock pot. cook on low heat for 4-5 hours.

during the last hour of cooking, stir in broccoli.

this recipe is excellent topped with shredded cheese!

Amish Bread Recipe

So, you've done your starter and it's time to make the yummy bread! I just made this recipe for the first time and it was delicious!!

Pumpkin-Pecan Amish Friendship Bread:

3 c chopped pecans
1 can (16 oz) solid-pack pumpkin (not pumkin pie in a can)
1 c starter
4 eggs
1/2 c vegetable oil2 t vanilla
3 c flour
1 c granulated sugar
1 c packed brown sugar
4 t ground cinnamon
2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1 t ground nutmeg
1 t ground ginger
1 t ground cloves

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour 2 9 & 1/2 x 4 " loaf pans

reserve 1 cup of pecans. spread remaining 2 c peacans in a single layer in a large baking pan. bake 8 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently.

combine pumpkin, starter, eggs, oil, and vanilla in a large bowl. combine remaining ingredients in separate large bowl until well blended. stir into pumpkin mixture just until blended. stir in toasted pecans. spoon batter evenly into prepared pans. sprinkle reserve pecans evenly over batter.

bake 1 hour or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. cool in pan on wire rack for 5 mintues. remove from pans. cool completly on wire rack. wrap in plastic wrap. store at room temp up to 1 week.

Makes 2 loaves.

Spicy Pumpkin Pancakes & Maple Pecan Syrup

Perhaps the most versatile food.. the pancake. French toast always used to be my favorite, but the ever versatile pancake has stolen my heart! Below is a great recipe for all you pumpkin lovers. A great fall treat or whenever the mood may hit!

Pancake:
2 & 1/3 c Bisquick mix (or generic alternative)
1/3 c. canned pumpkin (not the pumpkin pie mix)
1 & 1/4 c milk
1/4 c oil
2 T sugar
1/4 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
1/4 t ginger
2 eggs

-mix all ingredients together until blended.
-pour batter by about 1/4 c onto a hot griddle.
-cook until edges are dry and flip.
-Serve with syrup (recipe follow below)

Maple-Pecan Syrup:
1 c maple flavored syrup
1 T butter/margarine
1/4 c chopped pecans ( I used walnuts)

Heat syrup and butter until butter is melted. remove from heat stir in nuts

Amish Friendship Bread Starter:

I know it has been an obscene amount of time since I haven't posted in such a long time, I'm going to post a great recipe:
This bread is amazing! It takes 10 days to make the starter and from the starter you make the bread! Very, very yummy stuff. The best part is that it makes enough to share 1 cup of starter with 3 friends and enough for you too!!

The Recipe:
3 c. sugar
3 c. flour
3 c. milk

DAY 1: In a GLASS/Plastic bowl, combine 1 c sugar, 1 c flour, and 1 c milk. Stir mixture with wooden or plastic spoon (don't use a metal spoon or electric mixer). Cover bowl loosely with paper towl, cloth, wax paper, or plastic wrap. Keep at room temperature (don't refridgerate.

DAY 2, 3, and 4: Using wooden or plastic spoon, stir mixture once each day.

DAY 5: Add 1 Cup Sugar, 1 c. flou, 1 c. milk; stir.

DAY 6, 7, 8, and 9: Using wooden or plastic spoon, stir mixture once each day.

DAY 10: Add 1 c. sugar, 1 c. flour, and 1 c. milk. Remove 3 cups of mixture and give 1 cup each to 3 friends. Save remaining starter for yourself!!

AMISH FRIENDSHIP BREAD:

*This is the recipe I've been using every time I make this bread. I am going to try a new recipe and I'll post that later!*

1 c. Amish friendship bread starter
2/3 c. oil
3 eggs
2 c. flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
1 & 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 c. sugar

in mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. bake in 2 well greased and floured or sugared 9x5 bread pans. bake in 350 degree oven for 40 or 45 minutes.

NOTE: Raisins, chopped apples, drained crushed pineapple, candied fruit, coconut, mashed banana, dates, chopped nuts/chocolate chips (1/2 cup each) may be added to batter before baking!