Tasty Tuesday-11/30

Cranberry Orange Streusal Bars-Teacher Turned Mommy
Orange Lentil Soup-For the Love of Grub
Creamy CHicken and wild rice soup-what's Megan Making?
Gingerbread Chocolate Chip Muffins-Apples to Zucchini
Gingerbread Hot Cocoa-Apples to Zucchini
Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies-Muchkin Muchies
Mint Chocolate Delights-Alli-n-Son
Snickerdoodle Muffins-Eat At Home

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

So to continue my love for pumpkin, how about some cookies? I did give half of this batch to a friend with 2 meals.

My husband also called me on the fact that I've been making a LOT of pumpkin recipes....but I don't like pumpkin pie. I think its purely a texture thing for me!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies-shared from $5 dinners
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 cups flour(half ww, half ap)
1 tbsp baking soda
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp salt
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream together butter, sugar, eggs, and pumpkin. Once smooth add in the flour, spices, and baking soda. Stir until dough forms. Fold in chocolate chips.

Spoon onto cookie sheet and bake for 9-11 mins.

**These were more cake like than a cookie. My cookies didn't seem to look like Erin's...but they were still pretty good. They reminded me more of a muffin top. They also didn't spread out like her picture. But still a healthy version of a cookie.

Rainbow Cupcakes and Butter Cream Frosting

 A certain little boy I know turns 4 today...I'm really not sure how that happened! But I wanted to send in some cupcakes to school to celebrate. I saw the idea for rainbow cupcakes a while ago and then this past week they were posted again on another blog so I had to try them out.(Although he did want chocolate, but I felt bad that a little girl in his class doesn't like chocolate, so I convinced him of rainbow!)

Rainbow Cupcakes-cake recipe shared from Hallee the Homemaker
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

*This made around 21 cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350, prepare muffin tins with oil or cupcake liners.

Sift together sugar, salt, flour, and baking powder. Mix together milk and vanilla. Add in half the milk/vanilla and oil to flour mixture. Beat on medium for 2 mins. Add in the rest of the milk and eggs, beat for another 2 mins on med.

Divide batter into 4-6 bowls(depending on how many colors you want to do). Tint dough with food coloring to desired color. Have birthday boy help with this! Little fingers provide BRILLIANT colors! Stir well. Divide amongst cupcake pan(s). Starting with one color in the bottom, followed by each color after to form layers.

Place in oven for 15-18 mins until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

**These came out so pretty and were fun to make especially with little helpers!















Butter Cream Frosting-shared from Hallee the Homemaker

I LOVE frosting...well on cake! I like a really really good one too, not the whipped kind(which we found out the hard way Q can't have! Oops!)  Hallee came through with this recipe and it rivals the bakery in town, it's definitely a keeper!

1/2 cup butter. softened,
1/2 shortening
2 lbs powdered sugar
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
2 tsp vanilla
milk

Beat butter and shortening until fluffy(about 2 mins on a stand mixer). Add in the sugar, cream of tartar, and vanilla. On low gently beat the sugar until all the creamed mixture is combined. Slowly add 1 tbsp of milk to mixture until desired consistency is achieved. Once this is done, put mixer on high and beat for 3-4 mins until light and fluffy!

**This is my absolute favorite frosting recipe and I use it all the time whenever a cake needs to be made!

Lasagna Soup and Pizza Hut Bread Sticks

I can't remember where I got this recipe from...I think it was one of the magazines I get. It intrigued me as I never thought to make soup out of lasagna and it was completely worth it! I make it in the crock pot but you can also do it on the stove!

Lasagna Soup
1 lb Italian sausage, crumbled(or sliced) cooked, drained
8 oz-1 lb pasta(I used shells, but any will do)
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
2 bay leaves
1 onion, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 container cottage cheese
2 tbsp tomato paste
pinch of red pepper flakes
1-2 tsp dried oregano
1-2 tsp dried basil
6 cups broth

Place all ingredients in slow cooker except cheese and pasta. Cook on low for 6 hrs. Cook pasta in another pot until tender. Stir cheese and pasta into soup and serve.

**We love this soup, although this time I forgot the cottage cheese. But it was still pretty tasty!

Pizza Hut Style Bread Sticks-shared from food.com
1 1/3 cups warm water
3 tbsp olive oil
4 cups flour(3 ap, 1 ww)
1 tsp salt
2 tsp oregano
3 tbsp powdered milk
2 tsp yeast

Place ingredients in bread maker according to manufacter's directions. Set on dough setting and wait!

In the mean time make topping:
2 tbsp parmesan cheese
1 tbsp garlic salt*
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp oregano
olive oil

Combine all ingredients except olive oil in bowl and stir until well combined. Set aside. *I didn't have garlic salt, so I added in more garlic powder and 1 tsp salt.

Once dough is done, remove from bread machine and place on a lightly floured surface and roll into a rectangle that is 1/2-3/4 inch thick.  With pizza cutter cut dough into 1X4 inch strips. Place on greased cookie sheets(I did use my non-stick pans). Brush bread with olive oil and sprinkle with topping. Let rise for 20 mins or until doubled. Place in 350 degree oven for 10-12 mins or until golden.(Make sure you watch these as the topping browns quickly)

**We can't say that these tasted just like pizza hut, but I think the fact that they aren't dripping in fat is the reason. These were the best bread stick recipe we have tried thus far. They were fluffy and airy. The outside had a bit of a bite and the topping was great.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hope this post finds you well and celebrating the holiday with family and friends!

Here is our Thanksgiving Menu...the non-basic turkey day items will have recipes coming. Most are pretty traditional so I don't really feel the need to share them, but of course if you would like them let me know!

-Roast Turkey
-Apple Onion Stuffing(recipe coming)
-Broccoli Cheese Rice casserole(recipe coming)
-Sweet Potato Rolls(recipe to come)
-Butternut Squash
-Salad
-Gravy
-Mashed potatoes
-Cranberry sauce...from the can!(It's the only kind my brother will eat!)
-Green Bean Casserole(with homemade Mushroom Soup)

Dessert:
-Black and Tan Trifle(chocolate and pumpkin whipped cream with homemade choc. wafers)
-I think my mom was going to also make some cheesecake bars.

Pumpkin Granola bars...or Pumpkin Baked Oatmeal

I stumbled on this recipe when I found another blog to read. Snowhite show cased this blog in one of her Friday Favorites and these looked really good!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Granola Bars-shared from Two Peas in Their Pod
3 1/4 cups old fashioned oatmeal
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup honey or maple syrup(I used maple syrup)
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8x8 inch pan.

In a large bowl whisk oats, spices, and salt together. In another bowl whisk brown sugar, pumpkin, applesauce, syrup, and vanilla. Pour over oats and mix until moist. Stir in chocolate chips. Evenly press mixture into pan. Bake for 30-35 mins or until golden brown. Make sure the center is set as the pumpkin keeps them moist but you don't want them raw in the middle. Cut using a sharp knife and cool on a rack.

**This reminded me more of a baked oatmeal than a granola bar. It could have been because I used quick oats and old fashioned, none the less it was delightfully delicious! I've been eating it broken into pieces with a splash of milk over the top.

Tasty Tuesday-11/23

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cheeseball-Meal Planning with Connie
Southwestern Taco Pot Pie-Brenda's Canadian Kitchen
creamy taco mac-Jenn's Food Journey
Easy Vegetarian Tortilla Soup-Let's Dish
Red Velvet Pancakes-The Sweets Life
Chicken Nacho Bake-Jenn's Food Journey
Smore Bars-Lick the Bowl Good
Healthy Poptarts-Heavenly Homemakers
Chocolate Bark-Made On
Cranberry Pecan Pitas-Apples to Zucchini
whole wheat pull apart yeast rolls-Hallee the Homemaker
Pumpkin Knots-The sweets life
Pumpkin Blondies-Baking Junkie
Pumpkin Spiced Hot Cocoa-Smithfield.com

Menu Plan Monday

I have quite a bit of prep work to get done for thanksgiving. I choose not to post our menu probably until Thursday. This is only because it's pretty basic and nothing special! I will be posting the stuffing and the dessert recipes at a later date!

To get us to Thursday we will be enjoying:
-Taco Soup
-Minestrone Soup
-Apple Sausage Cheese Balls(or just Sausage Cheese balls)
-Coffee cake muffins
-possibly a veggie barley soup...or lentil barley soup, can you see I haven't decided! OR philly cheesesteak soup(if i have all the ingredients)

After Thursday:
-Pumpkin Spice Bagels and Cranberry Orange Bagels
-Rustic Turkey Pie(or tart)
-Turkey broth(and I'll make sure NOT to have them over expand and freeze!)
-Turkey and Dumpings
-Pepperoni Pizza
-Blueberry Pancakes
-Some kind of birthday cake...I was going with chocolate but I think now the bday boy wants vanilla...so who knows!

Coffee Chocolate Chip Muffins

I am always looking for new muffin recipes and for some reason I thought this was a mocha muffin, but it turned out to be just coffee!

I wasn't a huge fan of the 3 STICKS of butter that this recipe required, so I cut the butter in half. I also cut back some of the sugar.

Coffee Chocolate Chip Muffins-adapted from Lick the Bowl Good
Beat on high until fluffy:
3/4 cup butter(1 1/2 sticks)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
5 tbsp instant coffee
(add in 3/4 cup applesauce,mix)

Sift in:
2 cups ap flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

At low speed mix until just combined:
1 cup milk
1 cup chocolate chips

Place batter in greased muffins tins. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 mins or until toothpick comes out clean.

**These were pretty good for a coffee muffin. Although I do think next time I'll add in some cocoa powder.

Crock Pot Indian Curry

On my quest to try more curry, I found this simple recipe. I've never had Indian Curry before so I don't know how this compares to the real thing, but I was willing to give it a try!

Slow Cooker Indian Curry-shared from A Year of Slow Cooking
1 can coconut milk
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
1 inch peeled ginger, grated
few dashes of hot sauce
1 onion, chopped
2-3 cloves minced garlic
1 sweet pepper, chopped
2 sweet potatoes, peeled chopped
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed/drained
1 lb chicken breast(optional)

Place milk, paste, spices, garlic, hot sauce, and ginger in bottom of crock pot. Stir well. Place chicken in sauce and flip a couple of times to coat well. Add in veggies and beans. Cook on low for 7-9 hours or high for 4-6 hours. (I did stir in my veggies to get them coated in the sauce, but you don't have to.) Right before serving, remove chicken and shred, add back in and coat with sauce. Serve over your favorite rice.

**Like I mentioned before I am not sure how authentic the spices are, but it was still pretty good and curbed my curry craving! It was a touch spicy but not hot. I didn't think my boys would like it so I offered them something else. Little did I know they LOVED it, mostly the beans. This could easily be adapted to vegetarian by omitting the chicken and adding in more beans and veggies.

'Tis the Season...to Donate!

The other day A came home with a project from preschool and to go along with it they have the kids bring in food for a food drive.  I was hoping they still did this as there are times when I find I want to donate especially this time of year, but never seem to remember or have the opportunity to.  I also want to teach my boys that it is better to give than receive and no matter what we happen to be going through there just might be someone out there that is worse off and could really use the help.

Money has been tight for many people this past year in this economy. I started our "better eating/whole foods" approach last January. Part of it was to help us save money as it is a lot cheaper for me to make a loaf of bread than to spend $2 on a loaf that has who knows what in it! It has helped us to eat better and healthier while saving a few bucks, plus it tastes about 10 times better!

As I sit here pondering what I want to donate, I remember a post Hallee made about her work in the soup kitchen. Basically its about the low quality of food that is being provided for these people, who many are in poor health. She goes on to say that if these people had better quality food they would be in better health. So I can imagine that the same people who go to a food bank could use the same quality of food.

I wandered through the store tonight trying to think of things that are more whole food appropriate so I can donate what I preach. Now I would LOVE to give them organic foods, but I'd much rather give them  quantity vs. quality. Don't get me wrong organic is probably the best way to go, but if I spent $3 on a bag of organic dry beans only one family will profit. But if I get 3 bags of regular beans 3 families can have at least 3 meals of a better quality food, not great, but better.(Prices are a guess, I haven't priced organic dried beans, but I know regular in our store is around $1/lb).

So if you find in your heart you want to donate this holiday season, I challenge you to donate more whole foods vs. the "processed" stuff. Sure you can pick up 5 boxes of the blue box mac and cheese, but instead grab 5 lbs of dried beans for the same price(if not cheaper).

Here are some other suggestions:
-brown rice
-Old fashioned oatmeal
-whole wheat crackers
-whole wheat flour
-100% juice
-dried beans(black, red, kidney, white, etc)
-No sugar(or sugar substitute) jelly(Polaner's All Fruit is one)
-Natural Peanut Butter
-whole wheat pasta
-canned fruit(in juice not syrup)
-canned vegetables(no salt added)
-I'd like to say soup, but most of those are also loaded with chemicals and sodium, so maybe a low sodium broth.
-low sugar cereal(cheerios)
-Tuna

Other non-food items that they also look for:
-shampoo
-soap
-toilet paper
-toothpaste
-toothbrush

If you have any other ideas, please feel free to share! Also let us know what YOU have donated this year!

Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup

This made its first appearance on my Tasty Tuesday post and I needed something quick and easy for lunch today. This couldn't have been simpler! I also added in some cheese tortellini and leftover spaghetti.

Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup-shared from Let's Dish
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 jar roasted red peppers, drained
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups broth
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
salt and pepper to taste

Place tomatoes and broth in sauce pan. Bring to a boil and simmer. In a blender puree peppers and garlic. Add to tomatoes along with lemon juice and spices. Simmer for another 30 mins. Add in cooked pasta just before serving.

**I actually used a can of whole tomatoes and pureed them and next time I'll used diced just to give it a bit more texture. I may even roast them. I felt like it was missing something and perhaps I just needed to up the spices a bit, but it was still quite tasty!

Chocolate Chip cookies...with a secret ingredient

I know I've seen this before, but never tried it. I don't usually have packages of pudding in the cabinet anymore, but I had one more left that I just didn't know what to do with it. We don't eat pudding much as Q can't have it...I used a cheesecake flavor of pudding.

Chocolate Chip Cookies-shared from Family, Food, & Fun
2 sticks butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
2.5 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
2.5 cups flour(I used half whole wheat)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 (3.3 oz) box of instant pudding
1-2 cups choc. chips

Preheat oven to 375.

Cream together sugars and butter until smooth. Add in one egg at a time until combined. Add in vanilla. Add in dry ingredients and mix until throughly combined. Stir in choc. chips. Place on cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 mins.

**I have to say these are one of the best chocolate chip cookies I've had...if you like soft cookies. These were prefect and oh so good!

Tasty Tuesday 11/16

Chocolate Pudding Mix-Taste of Home
Southwest Sloppy Joes with Honey Lime slaw-Debbi Does Dinner Healthy
Toasted Marshmallow Milkshake-Joy the Baker
Mississippi Mud Brownies-Family, Food, and Fun
Challah-At Home with Haley
Loaded Chicken Philly Sammie-Siggy Spice
Sweet Hawaiian Rolls-Apples to Zucchini
Oozy:Arabic Recipe via Huhu
General Tso's Chicken Stir Fry-Debbi Does Dinner Healthy
Tiramisu Bowl-Kraft foods

Menu Plan Monday

This is the last week of preschool for Avery before the holidays, so I will be making him some rainbow cupcakes with maybe rainbow frosting! We will see how the frosting goes!
Other baking includes:
-Cinnamon swirl coffee cake muffins
-Cranberry Orange Bagels(to freeze for Black Friday)
-French Bread


Dinner:
-Baked Ziti with sausage, peppers, and onions (for a friend)
-Vegetarian Chili and corn muffins
-Beef Stew
-Ham Stuffed Shells
-Apple Cheddar Monte Cristos

Pumpkin Cheese Coffee Cake

I was looking for a new dessert to make for Halloween...I was leaning towards an apple cake, but then I stumbled upon this delicious looking cake! Of course it is pumpkin!

I did cut back the sugar, used whole wheat flour, and low fat cream cheese. I also only put the coconut topping on 3/4 of the cake as I didn't figure my mom would be able to eat it yet.

Pumpkin Cheese Cake-adapted from Food, Family, and Fun
1 2/3 cup sugar
1 1/4 cup pumpkin
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup oil
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/4 cup flour(1/2 whole wheat, 1/2 ap)

Filling:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1 tbsp sugar

Topping:
3/4 cup shredded coconut
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans(omitted)

Preheat oven to 350. Mix together cake ingredients and place in a greased 9x13 inch pan.

Cream together filling ingredients.  Using a small cookie scoop place dollops of cream cheese over cake batter. Swirl using a knife.

Combine topping and sprinkle over topping. Place in oven for 35-40 mins until a knife comes out clean.

**This was so very good! We did decided it was tastier with the topping on it(sorry mom). This would be great for a potluck dinner. It was quick and easy too!

Pumpkin Spice Bagels

I am continuing my love for pumpkin right now...A asked for bagels and this was on my list this week so I went ahead and made them. They are very easy considering they use your bread machine, but I'm sure you could easily make them using a stand mixer.

Pumpkin Spice Bagels-shared from Apples to Zucchini
2/3 cup warm water
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp cloves
3 cup bread flour*
2 1/4 tsp yeast

*I used 2 cups whole wheat flour, 1 cup ap flour, and 4 tsp vital wheat gluten.

Combine ingredients in bread maker according to man. recommendations. Start dough cycle.

About 15 mins before the cycle ends, place a large pot of water on the stove and bring to a boil.

Once cycle is complete, turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Shape dough into 9 balls. Flatten slightly and push a hole into the middle. Stretch dough out to make about a 1 inch hole. Lay on cookie sheet, cover and let rise for 10 mins. Preheat oven at 400 degrees.

Place 2-3 bagels into boiling water and boil for about 45 secs, flip and boil for 45 secs more. Place on greased cookie sheet. Place in oven for 15-20 mins until golden brown.

**A wasn't a fan of these...even though I called them orange bagels. If I called them pumpkin, I knew he wouldn't eat it. Q on the other hand loved one and ate almost a whole one. Then half of mind for breakfast...I loved the flavor. I did freeze the batch this time as I remember last time they went bad before we finished them. Now we have fresh homemade bagel whenever we like! I think these would taste fabulous with the creamy apple tortilla cream cheese.

Low Fat Pomegranate Blueberry Scones

I had about a half cup of pomegranate seeds left that the boys somehow didn't devour...and I remembered this recipe. I added in some blueberries to even it to a cup of fruit. I wasn't sure how the recipe was going to work as it uses very little butter, but it worked out surprisingly well!

Low Fat Pomegranate Blueberry Scones-shared from Gina's Skinny Recipes
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup suga
zest of one lemon
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup ap flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp cold butter, cut into small pieces
1 cup pomegranate(or 1/2 cup pom, 1/2 cup blueberries)
1 large egg white, beaten
2 tbsp sugar

Preheat oven to 375. Mix together the first 5 ingredients. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and whisk together. Cut in chilled butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Gently fold in fruit.  Add milk mixture until moist.(Dough will be sticky)

Place dough on floured surface and knead lightly four times with floured hands.(I used a bit of extra flour as it kept sticking to me and the mat). Form dough into 8 inch circle onto baking sheet.(about 3/4 inch thick). Using a knife cut dough into 8 wedges, but not all the way through. Brush egg white over scones and sprinkle with sugar. Bake until golden for about 18-20 mins.

**These came out wonderful! The lemon was a great flavor and they were very good for only using a little butter. I had never cooked with pomegranate before but they worked out well. Definitely a great recipe for brunch or Christmas breakfast! I can't wait to try new flavors!

Black Bean Tacos

After I used some corn tortillas for a soup, I was left with quite a few tortillas left over. This recipe IMMEDIATELY came to mind! It's quick, easy, and delicious! Although, I swear I posted it before! It is a great vegetarian meal that is quite filling.

The original recipe calls for feta crumbles, but I wasn't paying $4 for a small pkg, so I cut up some sharp cheddar into tiny squares and we loved it even more!

Black Bean Tacos-shared from The Hart of the Home 
2 cups black beans
1/2 tsp cumin
1 pkg broccoli slaw(or shredded cabbage)
1 lime, juiced
1/3 cup feta crumbles or chedder cubes
oil
8 corn tortillas
hot sauce

Mash the beans slightly and sprinkle with cumin, stir. Set aside. Combine slaw and lime juice, sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Stir well and set aside.

Heat 1-2 tsp of oil in frying pan until hot. Place corn 1-2 corn tortillas in pan and fry until golden brown. Flip and fill with 2 tbsp beans(or what will fit), fold over and heat for a few mins. Remove from pan and place some slaw on top, sprinkle with hot sauce just before serving. Continue with the rest of the tacos.

**We added to much hot sauce to ours, but that was our own fault! We liked the sharpness of the cheese and the tang of the lime juice. YUM!

*This has been linked to Finding Joy in My Kitchen

Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup

I've never actually had or made a tortilla soup before, but I do see the recipes. I had some leftover chicken and it was a cool cold, rainy day. I remembered I had this recipe in my Tasty Tuesday and had almost all the ingredients. I had to run to the store to get the last two, but it was very worth the trip!

Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup-shared from Mennonite Girls Can Cook
2 cups chopped, cooked chicken(or 1 lb raw chicken breast)
1/2 cup of your favorite salsa
1-2 cups black beans(or one 1-2 cans, rinsed, drained)
1.5 cups cream of chicken soup(or 1 can)
1-2 cups chicken broth*
1 pkg frozen corn
1 can diced tomatoes with jalepenos
4 corn tortillas cut in strips

Place all ingredients in slow cooker except tortillas, turn on and cook on low for 5 hours or high for 2. About 15 mins before serving, stir in tortillas. Garnish with sour cream, cheese, cilantro, etc.

*The original recipe called for 2 cans of cream of chicken soup, I only had enough for one can. So I added in enough broth to make it soupier.

**This was so good and easy to make! It had just the right amount of kick to it. Q loved it, but he loves beans, corn, and chicken. This is definitely a keeper! The tortillas do act like noodles in the soup and it had a great texture.

For more great soup and stew ideas check out Finding Joy in my Kitchen's 2010 Soup Round Up!

Tasty Tuesday 11/9

Baked Pumpkin Donuts-Apples to Zucchini
Apple Sausage Balls- cooking during stolen moments
Sweet Potato Rolls-How Sweet it is
Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos- Family, Food, & Fun
Cajun Chicken Pasta-F,F,&F
Turkey and Black Bean Soup-F,F,&F
Ham Stuffed Manicotti-What a Crock
Slow Cooker Apple Oatmeal-Eat At Home
Gingerbread Pancakes-Debbi Does Dinner...Healthy
Ranch dressing mix-heavenly homemakers
Turkey sausage-Heavenly Homemakers
Italian Dressing Mix-Heavenly Homemakers

Menu Plan Monday

My friend Melissa is coming over on Thursday so I can show her how to make homemade pie crust...she's never done it before and it's super simple! Now to figure out what to put IN the pie! In turn, she is showing me/making spaetzel...something else I've never had. On a recipe shopping trip she bought a spaetzel maker, so I was a bit intrigue!

Breakfast/Baking:
-Maple Oat bread into French toast
-Raspberry Swirl Blondies(If I get to them)
-Coffee Choc. chip muffins
-Pumpkin Oatmeal cookies(also to a friend)

We are still working on some leftovers of Red Pepper and Tomato soup and lots of turkey!
Dinners:
-Lasagna Soup and pizza hut bread sticks
-either Indiana crock pot curry OR Katie's Chicken Curry Stew
-Chicken Pot Pie(taking to a friend)
-Turkey Noodle Soup(also sharing with a friend)

What is your favorite pie? savory or sweet?

Whole Wheat Apple Pancakes

One would think that after eating all the apples last month from apple picking I would be done with apples for a while...until I saw this recipe and needed a pancake recipe for Saturday morning breakfast! I did double the recipe so I could freeze some for quick breakfasts!

Whole Wheat Apple Pancakes-shared from Eat At Home
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1/2 cup applesauce
2 cups milk*
1 tsp vanilla
1-2 apples, peeled, finely chopped(or shredded)

*The recipe calls for 2 cups of milk, but when doubled I only used 3 cups of milk. I thought the batter would have been too thin if I used all 4 cups, so I stopped. Use your best judgement.

Whisk together dry ingredients. Add in wet ingredients and stir until combined. Fold in apples. Place on hot oiled griddle. May need to spread out a bit with a spoon. Wait for bubbles to form and flip. Serve with butter and maple syrup.

**These were tasty and perfect for a fall morning!

Maple Butter Spiced Popcorn

We have started to have movie night every Friday with the boys. I generally make a batch of popcorn to share. A couple weeks ago I think Finding Joy in my Kitchen posted this on her Friday Favorites...and so I saved it! It sounded PERFECT!

Maple Butter Spiced Popcorn-shared from The Kitchn
1/3 cup popcorn kernels
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger (omitted)
dash of nutmeg (omitted)
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp maple syrup
1/4 tsp salt (opitonal)

Pop popcorn by preferred style. I use my whirly pop.

Melt butter. Whisk in syrup. Combine spices and salt. Drizzle butter over hot popcorn sprinkle spices over top and shake. I ended up doing this in a couple times. Enjoy!

**I decided to leave the extra spices out as I wasn't sure how the boys would like it. In some recipes I also find that nugmeg over powers the dish so I went with just the cinnamon. Let's just say this was a very delicious treat! YUM! It was the perfect sweet/salty combination and easy to make!


Popcorn

Cream of Chicken Soup

I know I have TWO cream of ....soups on here. But one is for cream of mushroom which after looking back I realized its quite different than the cream of chicken and the first one uses butter and I like this recipe better as it doesn't have the extra fat. I like making my own cream soups so I can adjust the ingredients and use a milk alternative as well. *Sorry no pictures, I used it right away and forgot!

Cream of Chicken Soup-shared from Tammy's Recipes
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1/2 onion chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt(or less, taste test)
1/4 tsp parsley(I did use dried)
dash of paprika
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 cup flour
1 tsp olive oil

Place olive in hot pan, add in onions and garlic. Saute until soft about 5 mins. Add in broth, 1/2 cup milk, and seasonings and bring to a boil. In another bowl whisk together remaining 1 cup of milk and flour. Add to boiling mixture and continue whisking until mixture comes back to a boil and thickens.

**This is a fairly quick soup to make and I love how it thickens so quickly! I added a bit more garlic then I intended too, so it was more garlicky, but it did still work. This yields about 2 cans of soup. It does seem to freeze well.

Homemade Sandwich Thins

I'm sure you have seen these in the store...they go for about $2.50 for 6 of them at the store. Pretty pricey...and sometimes not very good for you even though they are about 100 cal/roll. This recipe will yield about 16 rolls at a much cheaper and healthier price.

Homemade Sandwich Thins-shared from From Apples to Zucchini
1 1/4 cup warm water(110-115)
2 tbsp sugar
2 1/4 tsp yeast
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup wheat germ
2 tbsp vital wheat gluten
1 tsp salt
1 egg
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp rolled oats
water

Combine water and sugar, stir. Sprinkle yeast over top and let sit for 10 mins.

Mix together dry ingredients and divide in half. Add one half to the yeast mixture(and save the other half for later). Add in oil and egg. Mix until throughly combined.(I used the bread hook on the kitchen aid mixer.) Cover and let rise for 1 hour.

Add the remaining ingredients and knead with bread hook for 5 mins. This will be a sticky dough. Divide dough into 16 equal pieces. Roll each portion into a ball and flatten in your hand. Place on greased(or parchment lined cookie sheet) and press outwards until a 5 inch circle is achieved.

Brush tops of rolls with water and sprinkle with oats. Let rise for 30 mins and "dock"(press finger tips into dough to make indentations). Place in 350 degree oven for 12-15 mins.

Let cool completely before cutting.

**At first the technique of making these rolls seemed odd to me, but I went with the directions exact. It worked out perfectly!! Although I think I forgot the salt in them, but they were still pretty tasty. A loved them. I cut them in half and froze most of them so they wouldn't go bad before we had a chance to eat them.

Pancake and Sausage Muffins

I saw these one week on Heavenly Homemakers and I'm also looking for easy breakfast options! Mostly to help on the hectic mornings that I have to run out the door!

I did add a half cup of oatmeal in for the flour as I was out of whole wheat flour, so I wanted to bump up the nutrition a bit.

I also decided to put maple syrup IN the muffins instead of on top. If you choose not to do this, then you will 1 1/2 cups milk.

Pancake and Sausage Muffins-adapted from Heavenly Homemakers
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup quick cook oatmeal
1/3 cup applesauce
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup milk
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 eggs
1/2 lb breakfast sausage, cooked, crumbled, drained well

Combine flour, salt, powder, and oatmeal. Add in syrup, applesauce, and eggs and stir well. Fold in sausage. Place in greased muffin tins. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 mins or until golden brown.

**These were quite tasty, they had just a touch of maple flavor that worked perfect! Q devoured 2 of them!

Tasty Tuesday-11/2

Pumpkin Donut Muffins-Simply This That and the other
Pumpkin Pie Scones-Simply this that and the other
Thai Beef-A year of slow cooking
Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup-Mennonite Girls Can Cook
Chocolate Mint Brownie Cookies-Making Memories
Cranberry Orange Bagels-Apples to Zucchini
Creamy Chipotle Cheddar Chicken- Jenn's Food Journey
Peppermint Rainbow Cookies-Apple to Zucchini

Menu Plan Monday

There isn't much going on this week as far as events. But I did do a alot of baking/cooking over the weekend.

Baking/Breakfast:
-Pomegranate Blueberry Scones
-Pumpkin Spice Bagels
-Pumpkin Spice Latte
-Chocolate chip cookies...with a twist
-Pumpkin Cheese Cake
-Homemade sandwich thins

Dinner:
-Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup with Tortellini, Pizza hut bread sticks
-Pot Roast, Carrots, and mashed potatoes
-Black Bean Tacos

I also have a really BIG turkey to cook...all 20 lbs of it! Once it thaws, I'll roast it and freeze part of it for thanksgiving and then make some tasty broth!  Not sure if this will go into our menu or not, but it may.