Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Cocoa Kiss Cookies

Cocoa Kiss Cookies are another recipe that I love to make since I am an avid chocolate lover. This also comes from New Hampshire from an inn called The Darby Field Inn. It is a super simple cookie recipe that is great for gift giving (although these do not ship well either,but make great gifts packaged in decorative tins and given to friends and family locally. My family loves these as well and they were received well also when I brought them to work in one of my treat trays. I work in a happy place and like everyone who works there to be happy also during this time of year. The Hershey kiss on the top of each cookie remains soft after the cookie has cooled so it gives a great burst of chocolate when you bite into this cookie. Truly a chocolate lover's cookie!



Cocoa Kiss Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks)of butter
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 2/3 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup finely chopped walnuts (if desired)
1 package (9 oz) Hershey Kisses, unwrapped
Powdered sugar for sprinkling on top

Beat butter, sugar, and vanilla in a bowl until smooth and creamy. Mix flour, cocoa, and salt in a small bowl. On low speed, beat into butter mixture. Add walnuts (if desired); beat until blended. Chill for 1 hour or until firm enough to handle. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Roll dough into balls, 1 tablespoon of dough each. Press unwrapped kisses into centers of balls. Place on ungreased or parchment paper lined baking sheets, spacing 1/2 inch apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool slightly on sheet on rack. Remove cookies to rack to cool. Dust with powdered sugar. If desired, dust with sugar again before serving. Store in airtight container.

Notes:
- I do not use nuts in my cookies, my family isn't really all that hot on nuts in cookies. I find they taste better without the nuts, but feel free if you like nuts in your cookies.

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Sunday, December 14, 2008

Raspberry Almond Shortbread Cookies

This is a wonderful holiday cookie recipe that I have come to love over the years. The Raspberry Almond Shortbread Cookies come from New Hampshire from The Forest which is a quaint country inn located there. I got it from my magazine Holiday Cakes and Cookies by Family Circle from 1999. They are super simple to make and the recipe makes quite a bit of cookies. It is versatile in that you can use any berry jam, I really like the raspberry and one year I made it with cherry jam and it was very good too. With the almond glaze, this makes it a very decadent cookie for any occasion. My family loves them, I usually end up making at least 3-4 batches a year for Christmas cookies. I may have to make more this year since I took some to work and they were received very well by my fellow co-workers. This is not one of my Grandma's recipes but, it is just a good cookie to have around!



Raspberry Almond Shortbread Cookies

2/3 cup sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) of butter, at room temperature
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup raspberry jam

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp almond extract
2-3 Tbsp water (or milk can be used for a richer glaze)

Beat sugar, butter, and almond extract in a large bowl until light and creamy. On low speed, beat in flour until dough forms. Cover and chill at least an hour. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Shape dough into 1 inch balls; place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. With thumb, make indentations in center of each dough ball. Fill each indentation with 1/4 tsp of jam. Bake for 14-18 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on rack.

For the glaze whisk together powdered sugar and almond extract. Add water or milk until desired consistency is achieved whether you like a thin glaze or a thick frosting. Pipe on or drizzle on glaze on each cookie. Store in an airtight container.

Notes:
- Good cookie for gift giving but not for shipping. They are too fragile to make it in the mail but are great to put into a decorative tin to give gifts to friends and family locally.
- I make my glaze thick so that it pipes on good and stays on the cookie and a thicker glaze doesn't make the cookie soggy while it is stored. If you use a thinner glaze, plan on eating the cookies within about 3 days as they will absorb the moisture and become soggy the longer they sit.

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Friday, December 12, 2008

Gooey Bars

Here is another recipe that is great for the holidays and would make a great gift for the person who has everything but is a lover of sweets. These Gooey Bars are very rich and decadent and so very easy to make. With a combination of chocolate, cranberries, and coconut, it is sure to please everyone. The best part, they are gooey and yummy!

Gooey Bars

1 1/3 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 stick of butter, melted
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 bag (12 oz) chocolate chips
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup shredded coconut

Combine the melted butter and graham cracker crumbs. Spray 13x9x2 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Pat down graham cracker crumbs into bottom of pan for the bottom crust. Pour sweetened condensed milk all over the crust covering all the crust. Add chocolate chips; then cranberries and nuts; finally top with coconut.
Bake in 350 oven (325 for glass dish) for 25 minutes or until golden brown on top. Cool completely, then cut and serve. Store in airtight container at room temperature.

Notes:
- Arrange these in decorative tins for a great gift giving idea.
- Substitute raisins for the cranberries if desired.
- Substitute any type of nuts for pecans; the pecans are my nut of choice.
- Also great with crushed chocolate cookie crust instead of graham crackers.

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Cranberry Pecan Chocolate Clusters

Here is a fun and easy Christmas candy that also makes a great gift in a jar or tin. It takes no time at all and I think I made my batch of clusters in about 20 minutes from start to finish. Get some great holiday tins or jars and they make great gifts for chocolate lovers. Try some!

Cranberry Pecan Chocolate Clusters

1/2 lb vanilla almond bark (or chocolate can be used for more chocolate flavor)
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup chopped pecans

Melt the vanilla almond bark and chocolate chips. Add cranberries and pecans. Drop by spoonfuls onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate until hardened. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

How easy can it get? Pretty darn easy for fast gifts that anyone will love!

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Thursday, December 11, 2008

Swedish Cocoons


Ok this is a recipe that my mom has made for us during the holidays ever since I can remember. I do not know how this got to be a traditional recipe, but in our family, these cookies are a must have during the holidays. My mom made them for me and my sisters and now I make them for my kids. My older sister always needs to have these cookies, so she calls mom and asks her to make some and send them to her since she has such a hectic work schedule with little time to bake them herself. Mom is always happy to do it for her, these cookies are that good! They are super simple and only require just a few ingredients but the burst with flavor. Here it is:

Swedish Cocoons

1 1/2 cups margarine or butter (butter makes these cookies taste much better)
2 cups powdered sugar
3 tsp vanilla
3 cups flour
3 cups finely chopped nuts (we use pecans)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream margarine or butter with 1 cup of the powdered sugar until light; add vanilla. Blend in flour, add the nuts. Shape into cocoons (finger shaped pieces 1 1/2 inches long) Place 1 inch apart on cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes. Roll in remaining 1 cup of powdered sugar.

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Lightning Fast Black Forest Cake

Well, here it is... the 100th post!! YAY!! Thanks to everyone who reads my blog for making it a success.

So here is a dessert that is very decadent but can be made lightning fast and no one has to know that it is a cake mix cake rather than from scratch. It is that good! If you do not have time to make a great dessert, consider this one. Here it is:



Lightning Fast Black Forest Cake

1 devils food cake mix
1 can cherry pie filling
1 8 oz tub of whipped topping
chocolate curls for garnish if desired

Make cake by box directions. Let cool. On the top layer, frost with whipped topping lightly (just enough to put half the cherries on that bottom layer so they stick there). Put second layer on top. Frost all the way around with whipped topping and then put the other half of cherries on that top layer. Garnish with chocolate curls (directions for chocolate curls to follow). Store in refrigerator. Add a dollop of whip cream if desired when serving (can use regular or chocolate flavor whip for garnish).

Notes:
- To make a richer cake, you can add a box of chocolate pudding mix to the cake mix and follow directions on the box.
- For richer topping, use heavy whipping cream and add 3 Tbsp sugar and 1 tsp vanilla to the cream and whip until heavy peaks form. With this you cannot finish the cake until right before serving. That is so the heavy whip cream does not turn to liquid from sitting. This makes a more decadent cake, but if you do not have the time to spend decorating your cake right before serving, this may not be an option for you.
- For chocolate curls, I just get a Hershey chocolate bar and grate it with a grater for fine curls; or using a vegetable peeler, I slowly peel the chocolate into thin long strips that will curl while peeling and then garnish my cake.

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Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Chicken Bacon Stuffing Casserole

This is just a quick fix for dinner when you are in a hurry and have limited ingredients on hand. The ingredients in this casserole are things everyone should have in their kitchen anyway on a regular basis. I always keep some Stove Top stuffing in the cupboard in an emergency for when I need a fast meal or when I really do not feel like cooking. It is that easy! Sort of reminds me of the Chicken Bacon Ranch Sandwich at Subway (which is only my most favorite sub there).



Chicken Bacon Stuffing Casserole

2 chicken breasts, diced
1 box chicken flavored stuffing mix
8 oz sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/4 cup cooked bacon, diced fine (about 3-4 slices)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 tsp black pepper
salt to taste
Ranch dressing, warmed up (if desired)

Cook the chicken breasts and dice. Cook stuffing according to package directions. Combine the sour cream, chicken soup, garlic, black pepper, and salt; mix with stuffing. Add chicken. Mix well. Spray 13x9x2 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pour stuffing/chicken mix into the pan, top with cheese, then top with bacon. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve with garlic bread and salad.

Notes:
- Add broccoli to the dish for a complete meal in one pan.
- I use regular Kraft ranch dressing warmed just until the chill is off of it to drizzle on my casserole serving.

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Peanut Butter and Jam Bars

If you like peanut butter and jam... this is a great dessert to make. It is very easy and tastes just awesome! I used my own homemade raspberry freezer jam to make this, but you can use any kind of jam with this recipe.



Peanut Butter and Jam Bars

1/2 C. granulated sugar
1/2 C. packed brown sugar
1/2 C. shortening
1/2 C. peanut butter
1 egg
1 1/4 C. all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 C. raspberry jam (or other berry flavor that is your favorite)
Glaze (recipe follows)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix sugars, shortening, peanut butter, and egg in large bowl. Stir in flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Reserve 1 cup of dough. Press remaining dough in ungreased rectangular pan, 13x9x2 inches. Spread with jam. Crumble reserved dough and sprinkle over jam. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely. Prepare glaze and drizzle over bars. Makes 32 bars.

Glaze
2 Tbsp margarine or butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3-4 tsp hot water

Melt margarine and mix in powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat in water, 1 tsp at a time until smooth and desired consistency.

Notes:
- For the glaze, I only added enough water to get a glaze that could be piped on rather than drizzled for a more frosting effect.
- For the glaze, I did not melt the butter first because I wanted more of a frosting consistency than a drizzle.
- The plate decoration is just heated raspberry jam until it is of a drizzling consistency used like a garnish on the plate. I just heated it until just warm so that it drizzles nice.

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Friday, November 28, 2008

Pear Crisp

This is a great dessert to prepare if you have canned alot of pears this past summer. I have 48 jars of pears sitting in the pantry waiting to be eaten and I used 3 jars for this dessert. It was very tasty and unlike most pears, this dessert did not taste grainy like pears texture can get. It was very refreshing heated up with vanilla ice cream and would make a great winter dessert to warm a person up. Here is the recipe:

Pear Crisp

5 cups sliced pears
3 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup regular rolled oats
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon, nutmeg, or ginger
1/4 cup butter (margarine will work, but butter tastes better)
1/4 cup chopped nuts or coconut

Place fruit (undrained) in a round baking dish, stir in sugar. For topping, mix together oats, brown sugar, flour, and spice of choice. Cut in butter (or margarine) till mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in nuts or coconut. Sprinkle topping over filling. Bake in 375 oven for 30-35 minutes or till fruit is tender and topping is golden brown.

Serving Suggestions:
- Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or light cream (such as half and half).

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Sunday, November 23, 2008

Not Your Normal Grilled Cheese Sandwich

This is not your normal grilled cheese sandwich, it is different but it tastes very good. I have had people say I was crazy to put Havarti cheese with strawberry jam but trust me... it is yummy! We first saw this on TV a couple years ago and we have been eating them since. We saw it on Ham On The Street from Food Network, when that show was still on, I do not know what happened to that show, we thought it was good. Just try this sandwich one time, it is addicting. You have to use regular Havarti cheese because any flavored Havarti is not good. Try one out and let me know what you think. (ignore the cut in one of the halves in the picture, I thought I was cutting it into fourths for my youngest daughter until she told me she wanted her own sandwich LOL)

Not Your Normal Grilled Cheese Sandwich

2 slices bread (sourdough or french work best we think)
2 slices deli style Havarti Cheese
Strawberry Jam
Butter

Butter the pieces of bread and lay them face down on a griddle. Add one slice of cheese then the jam and then one more slice of cheese. Put the sandwich together and grill at about 375 degrees until golden brown. Enjoy!

Notes:
- Sourdough or French breads work well, you can use any kind of bread
- I used my own homemade strawberry freezer jam, but raspberry also works good.

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Saturday, November 22, 2008

Thanksgiving Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

You cannot have Thanksgiving without mashed potatoes and gravy, although history says that the first pilgrims did not have mashed potatoes and gravy for their first Thanksgiving; it has become a mainstay of this holiday through time. In my opinion, my mashed potatoes are top notch, they come out perfect every time without lumps and they are very creamy and go great with the gravy from the turkey drippings. My potatoes are very easy to make and the hardest thing you will do is peel the potatoes. So here is the recipe:

My Perfect Mashed Potatoes

10 russett potatoes, peeled and halved
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk
1/2 stick of butter (not margarine, have to use real butter, unsalted is preferred)
salt and pepper to taste

Boil the potatoes for about 30-40 minutes or until they are fork tender. Drain. Combine potatoes, sour cream, milk, and butter and mix with electric mixer until creamy. Add additional milk to get the consistency you want. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with gravy.

Turkey Gravy

drippings from turkey
1 can chicken broth
1 stick of unsalted butter
1/2 cup water mixed with 1/8 cup cornstarch
Salt and pepper to taste

Skim off fat from turkey drippings. Put in saucepan with chicken broth, butter, and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Gradually add the cornstarch mixture and cook and stir until thickened. Serve with mashed potatoes.

Notes:
- If you use salted butter in potatoes or gravy, omit extra salt.
- You can strain the turkey drippings to remove the crusty parts of drippings for a smoother gravy. I do not do this as the crusty goodness (as I call it) makes for better flavor and it tastes good too. But if you like smooth gravy, strain the drippings before skimming off any fat or oil from the turkey.
- Butter rather than margarine makes for a better flavor potatoes and gravy.
- You can add 1/4 cup white wine to gravy to make a nice flavor also.

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Friday, November 21, 2008

My Homemade Rolls

Just in case you didn't know... there is nothing better to go with turkey and the trimmings than homemade rolls to soak up all that gravy that goes over everything (well at least I put gravy over everything, but that is my own preference). And, contrary to popular belief, rolls are not hard to make at all, they just take time. If you have the time, then homemade rolls are the way to go, rather than store bought. They are more economical and taste better. Rather than spending $3 for a package of rolls at the store, I can make 24 rolls for just pennies a roll with the ingredients I already store in my kitchen on a regular basis. Here is how you do it (this is what my grandmother had done for years, so I am not totally sure where the recipe came from, but it is pretty easy):

My Homemade Rolls

4 1/4 to 4 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 pkg of active dry yeast
1 cup milk
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup shortening, margarine, or butter
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs

Combine 2 cups of the flour and the yeast. Heat and stir milk, sugar, shortening/margarine/or butter, and salt just till warm (120-130 degrees) and shortening/margarine/or butter almost melts. Add to flour mixture along with eggs. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Using a spoon, stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can. (I recommend using an electric stand mixer with dough hooks or electric hand mixer with dough hooks to make mixing easier).



Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (6-8 minutes total). Shape dough into a ball. Place dough in a greased bowl; turn once to grease surface. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double (about 1 hour)



Punch dough down. Turn out onto lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Shape dough into desired rolls (I will show how to do cloverleaf and rosette rolls below) Cover and let rise in a warm place until nearly double (about 30 minutes)

Bake in 375 degree oven for 12-15 minutes or till golden brown. Makes 24-32 rolls.

To make cloverleaf rolls:
- grease 24 muffin cups. Divide the dough into 3 small balls per muffin cup. Place 3 little balls in each muffin cup. For fast cloverleafs, you can make a larger ball for each muffin cup then snip the top in a criss cross fashion on top and they turn into cloverleafs.

To make rosette rolls:
- Lightly grease cookie sheets. On a lightly floured surface, make 24 thin 12 inch ropes. Tie in a loose knot, leaving 2 long ends. Tuck top end under roll, bring bottom end up and tuck into center of roll. Place 2-3 inches apart on cookie sheet.

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Thursday, November 20, 2008

Pistachio Fluff

This is an unusual recipe that tastes so yummy. We have this in place of traditional fruit salad with our Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas dinner. I make individual serving bowls of this and garnish it with pineapple and chopped pistachio nuts on top. It is very easy to make and it just tastes good! I call it fluff because it does have a fluffy texture and makes a nice addition next to the cranberries or cranberry mousse at dinner.

(sorry about the grainy photo, I do not have the best camera but I am saving for a new camera that takes better pictures)

Pistachio Fluff

1 Pkg pistachio pudding mix
1 8oz tub of whipped topping
1 small can of crushed pineapple (reserving some for garnish)
1 c. miniature marshmallows
1/4 c. chopped pistachio nuts (reserving some for garnish)

Combine and pudding mix powder with the whipped topping. Drain pineapple. Add pineapple with marshmallows and nuts. Combine thoroughly. Chill until ready to serve. Fill custard cups or small bowls with the fluff and garnish with pineapple and chopped nuts before serving.

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Pumpkin Pie

You cannot have Thanksgiving dinner without the dessert... which for me is the traditional pumpkin pie with real whipping cream. I do not and will not use cool whip or aerosol whip, I always whip my own for pumpkin pie. With this recipe, it is a little bit richer made with sweetened condensed milk rather than evaporated milk, which is what I did here. Give the top of the pie a shake of nutmeg for some extra flavor.

Pumpkin Pie

1 15 oz can pumpkin (2 cups)
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt

Crust:
1 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 c. shortening
3-4 Tbsp cold water

Directions for crust:
In mixing bowl, stir together flour and salt. Cut in shortening till pieces are the size of small peas. Sprinkle one tablespoon water over part of mixture, toss gently with fork. Repeat until all is moistened. Form dough into a ball.
On a lightly floured surface, flatten dough with hands. Roll dough from center to edges, forming a circle about 12 inches in diameter. Wrap pastry around rolling pin and unroll into 9 inch pie plate, being careful not to stretch pastry. Trim to 1/2 inch beyond edge of pie plate, fold under extra pastry to make a fluted edge.

Directions for filling:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Whisk pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, spices, and salt in medium bowl until smooth. Pour into pie crust. Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking 35-40 minutes or until knife inserted 1 inch from crust comes out clean. Cool. Garnish with real whipping cream. Store covered in refrigerator. Sprinkle nutmeg on top of the whipped cream for extra flavor.



Whipping Cream instructions:
Chill bowl and beaters for electric mixer until very cold. Pour whipping cream into bowl and add 1/2 tsp vanilla and 1/8 cup sugar and whip until cream forms stiff peaks (about 7 minutes). Serve on top of pie or other desserts.

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Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Cranberry Mousse


Here is a tasty twist to regular cranberry sauce at your Thanksgiving table. It is Cranberry Mousse, and it is very easy to make. You can make it into single serving size or one large mold to have on the table to add a little bit more elegant flair on the table instead of regular cranberry sauce. It looks pretty too! I got this from Kraft Food and Family magazine Holiday edition 2006. The free subscription is well worth the emails (you can opt out of emails too and just get this magazine in the mail only). Or you can also look in their archives of past issues of Food and Family magazine on their site at Kraft.com. I am making 2 of these Cranberry Mousse molds for my daughter's up and coming Christmas party for her Taekwondo school in December. We just love this dish!

Cranberry Mousse

1 1/2 c. boiling water
1 pkg (8 serving size) Jell-O Cranberry flavor gelatin, or any other red flavor
1 can (16 oz) whole berry cranberry sauce
1 c. cold water
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
2 cups thawed Cool Whip whipped topping

Stir boiling water into dry gelatin mix in large bowl at least 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Add cranberry sauce; stir until mixed. Stir in cold water. Pour 2 cups of the gelatin mixture into a 6 cup mold pan. Refrigerate 45 minutes or until set but not firm. (Gelatin should stick to your finger)

Meanwhile, stir cinnamon and cloves into remaining gelatin mixture. Refrigerate 30 minutes until slightly thickened (consistency of unbeaten egg whites). Add whipped topping, stir with wire whisk until well blended. Pour over gelatin mixture in mold.

Refrigerate 4 hours or until firm. Store in refrigerator. Makes 12 servings.

Notes:
- I used a bundt pan to mold my cranberry mousse, you can use any pan or bowl to mold the mousse.
- To invert onto serving plate, dip bottom of pan into hot water for about 15 seconds and turn upside down onto plate, it should come out easily.

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Acorn Squash Casserole


This is a new dish for us this Thanksgiving; I happened to have 2 acorn squashes in the pantry and thought about a casserole for Thanksgiving. I searched for one that would be similar to my usual Sweet Potato Casserole that I usually make for my son, but since he wasn't here this week, I chose something else. I found this recipe on Cook's.com recipe site and thought it sounded good. It is very easy to make and was very tasty. The sweetness of the brown sugar topping and the squash made a very nice combination with a little crunch of pecans in the topping as well. It was received well by the family.

Acorn Squash Casserole

3 c. mashed acorn squash or 2 pkgs of frozen squash, thawed
1/2 c. sugar
2/3 stick butter, softened
2 tsp vanilla, divided
2 eggs, well beaten

Topping:
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 stick butter
1/3 c. flour
1/2 c. chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice acorn squash in half, remove seeds, and bake 1 hour or until fork tender. Take out squash from skins. Combine baked squash, sugar, butter, and 1 tsp vanilla. Mix with electric mixer until well mixed. Add remaining vanilla and beaten eggs. Mix well. Place squash mixture into greased 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Mix together topping ingredients until texture is that of small peas and mealy. Spread on top of squash. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Makes 6-8 servings.

Notes:
- This can be made a day ahead and refrigerated until ready to bake and baked while turkey is resting after being roasted.

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Apple Cranberry Pecan Stuffing


I love this stuffing and so does my family, since I found this recipe Thanksgiving 2006. It tastes so good with the sweetness of the cranberries and apples that goes with the savory of the onion, celery, and spices of stuffing. This recipe comes from Kraft Foods and Family magazine (of which I subscribe to faithfully) Holiday 2006 edition. You can subscribe to Kraft Food and Family magazine from this link. It is easy and best of all, it is FREE! Notice in the picture that you can see the apple chunks and the cranberries, it is what makes this dish so unique. YUMMY!!

Apple Cranberry Pecan Stuffing

3 cups apple juice
1/4 cup butter or margarine
2 small apples, chopped
1 cup dried cranberries
2 pkg (6 oz each) Stove Top stuffing mix for chicken
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Bring juice and butter/margarine to a boil in medium saucepan on high heat. Stir in apples, cranberries, and stuffing mix. Cover. Remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir in pecans. Makes 16 servings.

Notes:
- I added 1/2 cup celery and onion mixed for some crunchy to this stuffing.
- I cut this recipe in half since it was just my family, not a large crowd. I prepared this right before cooking the turkey and put it in the turkey to mix with the drippings and butter from the turkey. You can also serve this separately as a great side dish without having it stuffed into the turkey; in that case, prepare while turkey is resting, it is very quick to make.

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Apple Brined Turkey


Well, my early Thanksgiving dinner was a success and now I am sitting here very full. So, here is the barrage of recipes for what I just prepared the last 2 days (my Thanksgiving cooking is never a short story, rather a lengthy delight in the kitchen). First, you have to have turkey for Thanksgiving, nothing else will do (at least to me nothing else will do).

I started with a 16 lb turkey and brined it yesterday morning until about 1:30 this afternoon, turning it only once and letting it soak. When you let it soak in the brine, it retains more moisture so that when it is cooking, the breast will not turn out dry. This one was no exception, it was very moist when we carved it tonight. It oozed with juice all over the place. While it was cooking, it formed blisters of liquid beneath the skin and that is what you want with a brined turkey. That way when it comes out of the oven, and you have to let it rest for 30-40 minutes before carving, the meat soaks up the juice and thus... no dry turkey.

Here is how cook it:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. You want to figure 15 minutes for every pound of turkey, and then at the end add 30-45 minutes for a stuffed turkey. So, my 16 lb turkey took almost 6 hours to roast.

Take the turkey out of the brine and rinse it under cold water (this rinses off alot of the salt and makes it not so salty, this also helps when you make the gravy at the end. Nothing kills gravy than it being too salty). Pat it dry with paper towels and smather butter all over it, make it look totally covered with butter. Sprinkle a little pepper over the butter. The plus side of the butter is that when it melts, it goes into the stuffing that is in the body cavity, into the meat itself, and makes a richer gravy with the drippings with butter in it.

Stuff the bird loosely with the stuffing; in our case, I made a Apple Cranberry Pecan Stuffing which is another post altogether coming up soon. Make the stuffing loose so the heat circulates within the body cavity and the stuffing. Stuff the bird too tight, and the inner cavity does not cook and that is when you dig into it, the breast will not be cooked all the way through.

Get some foil and make a tent over the turkey but do not let the foil touch the top of the bird. You want to tent it so that it does not brown to quickly and it retains the heat and distributes it evenly so it cooks nice in the oven.

Baste at intervals of after the first hour and a half, then after the second hour and a half, then an hour later, than every half hour after that. Basting helps not to dry out the top of the turkey and it prevents the skin from becoming too leathery. I like to eat the skin, so I want it moist as well as tasty. Add liquid if it evaporates in the pan, you can add chicken broth or water. I added a mix of chicken broth and apple juice once during cooking so there is juice in the bottom for gravy later.

Remove the tent in the last hour of cooking so the top gets brown.

Remove the turkey when a meat thermometer inserted between the thigh and breast reaches 170 degrees. Allow to rest for 30-40 minutes before carving. The temperature still rises while it is sitting there, so do not carve it before the resting period is over. This also allows the meat to soak up any other juice to retain moisture within the meat.

One of my favorite tips: I cut a thin slit in the skin for wing tips. Near the wing tip cut a slit of the skin (be careful not to slice into the meat) and insert the wing tips inside so they do not become too crunchy. I like the wings but detest crunchy wing tips which is why I do it. It is not necessary but makes the wings stay nice and moist without being overcooked.

One more tip: IF you get a frozen turkey, leave the metal piece where the legs are tied until after you carve and clean the carcass, this is built in trussing where you do not need a turkey lacer and string, just tuck the legs back into the metal piece after stuffing and keep the cavity somewhat closed while cooking.

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Turkey Brine

Well, we are at that time of the year again to start thinking turkey! It is hands down my favorite meal in the world to prepare and eat (especially the eating part) so to kick off the Thanksgiving recipe fest (there will be many recipes and pictures in the next few days featuring what I am preparing for my Thanksgiving dinner early so I can give everyone my recipes and tips).

First of all, I always plan ahead on the turkey and then I plan the side dishes after I figure out what kind of turkey I am preparing. I have 3-4 different ways I fix turkey, it just depends on what I am thinking at the time. This year I have chosen to brine my turkey in an apple brine. The recipe is simple and you soak your bird for about 24 hours before cooking it. I wish you guys could smell it, it is in the oven right now and it smells fantastic!

To make my brine here is the recipe:

1 gallon of water
1 can (14 oz) chicken broth
2 cups apple juice or cider
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. coarse salt (kosher or sea salt, it doesn't matter as long as it is coarse)
2 tsp granulated garlic or 1 clove garlic (minced or pressed)
2 tsp ground sage or 1 Tbsp freshly chopped sage leaves
2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1 tsp rosemary
10 allspice berries
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Mix all together until salt and brown sugar is dissolved in a large stockpot or clean 5 gallon bucket. Wash turkey, remove giblets and neck. Soak turkey a minimum of 24 hours, turning after 12 hours.

Notes:
- If you use a bucket, make sure that it fits into the refrigerator and I will buy a brand new bucket if using it for turkey, rather than trying to wash out one I already have.
- If you have a boiling water canner, it makes a great vessel to brine the turkey since it is large enough for a 25 lb bird and under and fits in the fridge on the top shelf (that is what I used is my boiling water canner pot)

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Gifts In A Jar Featured Website

I thought since it was that time of the year again... Yes, I mean the holiday season and with that here is a great website for do it yourself gifts on a budget. The website I am referring to is a great one for ideas about gifts from the kitchen. It is called Gifts In A Jar and they even have a free ebook you can download to have ideas at your fingertips to make some great Christmas gifts, hostess gifts, and any other gift you can think to put into a jar. I am going to download my ecookbook and use some of the recipes myself, since I am on a budget this year.

So, go on and give them some love; it is a great site! I really enjoy it!

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Saturday, November 15, 2008

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls



Whether you are fixing breakfast for a holiday or just because you want to; these cinnamon rolls are just plain fantastic! It does take some time, but taste so much better when they are homemade than store bought. With this recipe, you can be versatile and add raisins or use cream cheese frosting, or just use a plain powdered sugar glaze. Heat them up in the morning for breakfast or freeze some to bake later, they are great anytime. Here is my recipe:

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

4 to 4 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1 package active dry yeast
1 cup milk
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup margarine or butter
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup raisins, optional

Cinnamon mix for center of rolls
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tbsp margarine or butter
2 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine 2 cups flour with yeast. Heat and stir the milk, 1/3 cup sugar, and margarine or butter, add salt and cook until warm and margarine has almost melted (about 120-130 degrees). Add to flour/yeast mixture along with the 2 eggs. Beat with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl. Beat on high speed 3 minutes. Using a spoon stir in as much of the last 2 1/3 cups flour as you can.

Turn out onto lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of remaining flour (there should be 2 cups left to add if needed)to make a moderately soft dough that is smooth and elastic (3-5 minutes total of kneading). Shape into a ball. Place in a lightly greased bowl, turn once. Cover; let rise in a warm place until double (about an hour)

Punch dough down. Divide in half. Cover and let rest about 10 minutes.

Roll half the dough into a 12x8 inch rectangle. Melt the 3 Tbsp butter or margarine, brush half the margarine or butter onto the dough. Combine the 1/3 cup sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle half the mixture over the butter on the dough. Top with raisins if desired. Roll up the dough and seal the ends. Cut the dough with a piece of fishing line pulling through the dough the make a clean cut without smashing the rolls. Slice into 12 pieces. Repeat with remaining dough until you have 24 rolls. Place rolls into 2 greased cake pans. Cover, and let rise until nearly double (about 30 minutes) Bake in 375 oven for 20-25 minutes. Cool slightly, remove from pans. Drizzle with powdered sugar icing or cream cheese frosting (recipes following here)

Powdered Sugar Icing

1 cup sifted powdered sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
milk or orange juice

Mix powdered sugar, vanilla, and 1 Tbsp milk or juice. Stir in more milk and juice until desired consistency to drizzle over rolls.

Cream Cheese Frosting

2 - 3 oz packages of cream cheese
1/2 cup softened butter or margarine
2 tsp vanilla
4 1/2 - 4 3/4 cups powdered sugar

In a bowl, beat together cream cheese, butter or margarine and vanilla until light and fluffy. Gradually add 2 cups of powdered sugar, beating well. Gradually beat in enough of remaining powdered sugar to make frosting of spreading consistency. Frost onto cinnamon rolls




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Friday, November 14, 2008

Hot Spinach & Artichoke Dip

This is the best dip for watching the big game, holiday parties, or just for a good snack. I found this on the back of Knorr Vegetable recipe mix package. We served it with pieces of sourdough bread although it is also good with crackers. The combination of the spinach, artichokes, and cheese makes this a winner recipe. You can also find this recipe here at Knorr Hot Spinach & Artichoke Dip recipe page.

Hot Spinach & Artichoke Dip

1 package (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup Hellmann's® or Best Foods® Real Mayonnaise
1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese (about 6 oz.)
1 package Knorr® Vegetable recipe mix
1 can (14 oz.) artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 can (8 oz.) water chestnuts, drained and chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine all ingredients except 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese. Spoon into a 2-quart casserole, then top with remaining 1/2 cup of cheese.
Bake for 35 minutes or until dip is hot. Dip, dip hooray!

Spanakopita Dip: Substitute feta cheese for the cheddar and omit artichoke hearts. Spoon into mini phyllo cups and bake 8 minutes or until filling puffs.

MAKES 4 cups dip


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Thursday, November 13, 2008

5 Hour Spaghetti Sauce

This is a great recipe for those who love their crockpots. I make this quite often since it makes so much and I can freeze some after we have had our meal. It takes about 5-6 hours to simmer in the crock pot and after you add the noodles to the sauce, it makes a great meal just pennies a serving. Freeze the rest in freezer containers to have for future meals. It is a lot of slicing and dicing but the work is worth it. Pair up this spaghetti with garlic bread and salad and you have a great meal. You can also make large quantities of this if you grow your own tomatoes and process in a canner to make sauce for all year, instructions follow for that at the bottom. Now for the recipe:

5 Hour Spaghetti Sauce

4-6 Roma tomatoes, diced or you can use one can diced tomatoes (15 oz)
2 cans tomato paste
2 cans tomato sauce
1 cup water
1-2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
1-2 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano
1-2 tsp fresh ground pepper
1-2 tsp salt
3-4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed (you can cut this down if you do not want such a strong garlic flavor)
1/2 green pepper, diced fine
1/2 red pepper, diced fine
1 medium onion, diced fine
1 small can sliced olives or 1/4 cup diced green olives
1/4 cup white wine, if desired
1 lb hamburger or Italian sausage, if desired

Combine all ingredients in crock pot and simmer on low for 5-6 hours. Cook hamburger or sausage about an hour before sauce is ready and add to sauce, if meat is desired. Serve over hot spaghetti noodles.

Freezing and canning instructions:
- Fill freezer containers leaving about 1 inch head space, label with date and contents and freeze for up to 3 months. Or you can process this is a boiling water bath for 25 minutes for pints and 30 minutes for quarts to keep longer or if you make large quantities of sauce.

Variations:
- Add meatballs instead of hamburger or sausage and make meatball sandwiches
- Use this sauce with no meat for pizza sauce


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Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Apple Raspberry Turnovers

I found these turnovers in a new magazine I picked up and made just a couple changes to it. The magazine I found this recipe in is called All You (October 24, 2008 issue)and you can find it at their website at www.allyou.com. It seems to be a pretty good magazine that is not expensive (magazines are getting so expensive these days).

I substituted my own raspberry freezer jam for store bought raspberry jam and instead of putting sprinkled sugar on top, I used a powdered sugar icing on top of the turnovers. The variations of this recipe will be at the bottom of this article.

Apple Raspberry Turnovers

1 medium apple; peeled, cored, and diced
2 Tbsp seedless raspberry jam
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 sheet frozen puff pastry (from one 17.5 oz package), thawed
1 large egg, slightly beaten

Position rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper. Combine apples, jam, and cornstarch in a medium bowl. Mix sugar and cinnamon in a separate small bowl.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out puff pastry into an 8x12 inch rectangle. Cut pastry into 6 - 4 inch squares with a sharp knife or pizza cutter (I used a pizza cutter and it worked better to keep the shape, the knife sort of pulled on the puff pastry)

Spoon some of apple mixture into center of each square, leaving a 1 inch border. Brush borders with beaten egg. Fold each square into a triangle and press edges with tines of a fork to seal (be sure to seal tightly). Using a sharp paring knife, cut 2 small steam vents in the top of each turnover. Sprinkle each turnover with cinnamon sugar. Place turnovers on lined baking sheet.

Bake until golden and puffed, about 20 minutes. Serve warm.

Variations:
- Serve warm with vanilla ice cream for dessert.
- Instead of the cinnamon sugar, drizzle with powdered sugar icing consisting of 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla, and 5-6 drops of water and mix into a drizzling consistency (add more water depending on how thin you like your icing) you can make it thick and pipe it onto the turnovers to make them extra nice looking for special occasions.

Tips with the puff pastry:
- Check the label. IF you are using an all-butter puff pastry, freeze the turnovers for 15 minutes before baking. If you are using a puff pastry made with vegetable shortening, freezing isn't necessary.


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Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Zucchini Relish


This is a great recipe for those gardeners who grow a lot of zucchini. This relish has great flavor, is easy to make, and compliments anything you put it on. Add some red peppers for color and this can easily be a family favorite condiment in your house like it is in my house. This recipe comes from my husband's granny's kitchen and it is soooo good!

Zucchini Relish

5 cups zucchini squash
2 cups onion

Put both in food processor and chop very fine. Sprinkle squash and onion with 1/8 cup salt and let stand overnight. Next morning, rinse well and let drain.

Mix together:
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/8 cup vinegar
1/2 Tbsp dry mustard
1/2 Tbsp celery seed
1/2 Tbsp tumeric powder
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 large green pepper or red pepper, chopped fine in food processor.

Stir well into squash/onion mixture. Cook slowly for 2 hours. Pack and seal in pint jars. Process for 5 minutes in boiling water canner. Set aside to cool and let jars seal. Can be kept up to 2 years in dry cool place.

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Saturday, October 25, 2008

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup


Now that fall is setting in, it is time for soup. This is a freshly concocted recipe for some chicken noodle soup that turned out really well. I wanted some soup and had a lot of things on hand and just threw it all together and tested it on the family. It went over well. I made a creamy version, but you can leave out the cream of chicken soup and just have it with a chicken broth if you want.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

8 cups chicken broth
2 chicken breasts, diced
1 can cream of chicken soup (optional, it just makes it a creamy chicken soup)
1 cup frozen peas
1 large carrot, peeled and diced
1 can corn
2 stalks of celery, diced
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 clove of garlic, minced or pressed
1 Tbsp parsley flakes, or fresh chopped parsley
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1 tsp dried basil leaves, or fresh chopped basil
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/2 tsp celery seed
* 1 tsp salt, only if using low sodium chicken broth or you can salt your soup to taste when served
6 oz pasta (can use small egg noodles, vermicelli, small shells, or elbow macaroni; those are my recommendations anyway, I used vermicelli in my soup)

Combine all ingredients in crock pot except for pasta and turn it on low for 8-10 hours. In the last hour of cooking, add pasta.

If you want to freeze this soup, just put it into plastic freezer containers and label with the date and freeze. It will keep in the freezer for 3 months. Then to reheat, just put frozen soup in a saucepan, turn on the heat to low and wait until it is hot.


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Thursday, October 23, 2008

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake


This is a dessert that is easy to make, but it does take some time to bake. But, it is so yummy with a bit of whipped cream. You can freeze this into individual portions but it does have to be refrigerated. I also will include directions at the bottom if you do not have a springform pan, it is very easy to make in a 13x9" baking dish. In this recipe, I used fresh pumpkin since I felt ambitious and bought sugar pumpkins but it is also just as good using canned pumpkin. I found this recipe in my Fall 2006 issue of Kraft Food and Family magazine of which I subscribe to and it comes in my mailbox every season. If you have not already, get this subscription. It is free and has many many wonderful recipes and you can subscribe at Kraft Food and Family Magazine and Email subscription. You can opt for email recipes or just sign up for the Kraft Food and Family Magazine.

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

Crust:
25 Nabisco Ginger Snaps Cookies, finely crushed (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1/4 cup butter (melted)

Pumpkin Filling:
4 pkg (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar, divided
1 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin or fresh pumpkin (directions for fresh pumpkin are as follows below)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
dash of ground cloves (I used 1/8 tsp)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees (300 if using a dark pan). Mix ginger snap crumbs, pecans, and melted butter; press firmly onto bottom and 1 inch up side of 9 inch springform pan.

Beat cream cheese, 3/4 cup sugar, and vanilla with electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Remove 1 1/2 cups batter and set aside in a small bowl. Stir in remaining 1/4 cup sugar, pumpkin, and spices into remaining batter. Spoon half of the pumpkin batter into crust; top with spoonfuls of half of the reserved plain batter. Repeat layers. Cut through batters with knife several times for the swirl effect.

Bake 55 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool completely and remove springform pan sides. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight, cut into 16 slices. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator. Serve with whipped cream if desired.

Notes:
- If you do not have a springform pan, you can use a 13x9 inch baking dish. Line with foil and extend the foil over the edges. Prepare as directed, reduce baking time to 45 minutes or until center is almost set.
- You can use 1 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers in the place of ginger snap cookies.
- You can use fresh pumpkin instead of canned. It is a bit more work but it can be done. To do this, get one pie pumpkin or sugar pumpkin (they are small, cut them in half after removing stem, take out seeds, bake flesh side down in 350 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours and then cool. Spoon out cooked pumpkin from skin and puree in blender or food processor until smooth, use as you would use canned pumpkin. Refrigerate any leftover pumpkin and it will keep in refrigerator for 5 days.


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Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Pumpkin Muffins

A very good friend of mine gave me this recipe for pumpkin muffins with a few variations. This is a great muffin for snack or breakfast during the fall weather. Picture this muffin with your morning coffee. It is yummy warmed up with a bit of butter or honey on it.



Pumpkin Muffins

1/4 cup soft butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
1 cup fresh or canned pumpkin
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
3 1/2 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin tins or place paper liners in muffin tin. Cream butter (or margarine) and sugar until fluffy. Beat in pumpkin and eggs. Mix in milk. Sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a separate bowl. Make a well in the middle and pour in pumpkin mixture. Add raisins. Mix just until dry ingredients are moist. Spoon into muffin tins and bake 20 minutes. Insert toothpick into center and it is done when it comes out clean.

NOTES:
- DO NOT over mix, if this happens you get tunnels in your muffins and they become very dry and tough. Mix just until dry ingredients are moist, and then stop stirring. It may look like there are lumps of dry ingredients but it will even out in the oven.
- If you use fresh pumpkin, I suggest getting what is called a sugar pumpkin (they are smaller then traditional pumpkins and usually made into pies and other dishes) and then either steam it or bake in the oven until it is fork tender and then cool and mash to use in recipes. It does make the dish taste much better despite the fact that canned pumpkin is much more convenient; it just becomes a toss-up whether you have the time or the desire to use fresh pumpkin as it is a bit time consuming preparing it for the recipes.

VARIATIONS:
- You can substitute finely chopped carrots or zucchini for the pumpkin for a different flavor of muffin or if you do not have pumpkin available.
- For a nutty struesel topping: Mix together 1 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup butter or margarine, and 1/4 cup chopped nuts. Mix until mealy and then put on top of muffin batter in tins before baking and bake as directed.
- Maple Oat Topping: Mix together 1 cup brown sugar, 2 Tbsp maple syrup, 1/4 cup rolled oats in a bowl until mealy. Top muffin batter with topping before baking and bake as directed.


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Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Caramel Sauce

I had a great request from one of our friends in India in regards to the Banana French Toast... and I quote from her comment:

"But I also have another question how in heavens does one make caramel sauce? In India, one has to make everything, not much comes out of a packet or a tin and even if it does, it tastes quite nasty, and the thought of hunting down caramel sauce is far too exhausting, it's quicker to just make it oneself, so please tell me a recipe for caramel sauce."

Ok Madhavi, here is a great recipe which I use when I actually have the time to make my own caramel sauce (usually during the holidays, it makes a great gift in a jar for caramel lovers also). This is a great recipe and very easy and even has microwave directions for those who want to save time during this busy holiday season. I am sorry about no picture, but I haven't made any yet but it is on my list.

Caramel Sauce

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup light cream
2 Tbsp light corn syrup
1 Tbsp margarine or butter (I prefer to use butter because it gives it a better flavor)
1/2 tsp vanilla

In a heavy saucepan, mix sugar and cornstarch. Stir in 1/4 cup water. Stir in cream and corn syrup. Cook and stir until bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat, stir in margarine or butter and vanilla. Serve warm over the Banana Pecan French Toast.

Microwave Directions:
In a 2 cup measure, mix sugar and cornstarch. Stir in 1/4 cup water, then cream and then corn syrup. Micro-cook, uncovered 100% power (high) for 2-3 minutes or till bubbly, stirring every minute till slightly thickened, then every 30 seconds. Stir in margarine or butter and vanilla. Serve as above.

Notes:
- This is also a great sauce over ice cream or other desserts
- Makes a great gift in a jar for anyone who loves caramel


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Monday, October 13, 2008

How to Cut Up a Pineapple... Easily


Many people wonder when they buy a pineapple how to cut it. Sometimes it will just sit on the kitchen counter while they are wondering what to do with it now that they have it. Some people wait so long that it goes bad right on the counter, and then they are left still wondering how to cut up a pineapple so they can benefit from fresh pineapple in their dishes. Well, I just follow the directions that come with the pineapple and it is very easy. But what happens if the pineapple doesn't come with the little tag with the directions? Well, you just come here because I am going to tell you how to do it.

First off when choosing a pineapple, make sure it isn't too orange-yellow in color, you want one that is more green than orangy-yellow because that means that it may have already gone bad if you buy it when it is too ripe. Costco is a good place to go when you want one that is just right in ripeness. Ok the directions so you can quit staring at it sitting on the counter:

1. Twist off the top, do not cut it, you could lose some of the yummy flesh if you cut it down too much. It should twist easily when it is ripe enough, if it doesn't twist easily than it isn't ripe enough and you should wait another day.

2. Cut it in half, then into quarters.

3. With each quarter, take a sharp knife and slice out the core.

4. Then slice into wedges. If you are serving it for a party you can leave on the skin as it would look more festive. If you are making it into chunks, then you want to slice off the skin off of each wedge.

Notes:
- If you want pineapple rings, you should invest in a pineapple corer so you can slice, core, and peel a pineapple easily. It makes rings that you can easily have fresh pineapple for that Pineapple Upside Down Cake you have been wanting to make without having to open a can.
- Fresh pineapple tastes better in any desserts, pizza, sweet and sour chicken or pork, and whereever else needs pineapple.
- Much more economical than buying canned pineapple, especially when you get a great deal at the store on fresh pineapples. Costco has the best prices I have found at about $2.99-3.99 each and they have nice big ones.


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