Pumpkin Cookies

These were really good. I usually only eat cookies when they're hot out of the oven, but these were good cool. =)
Also, the whitish spots in the photo are NOT mold, of course. They are melted green and blue chocolates...
Makes about 4 dozen cookies

2 cups flour
2 cups oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 Tablespoons molasses
1 cup pumpkin
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup raisins
3/4 cup M&M baking bits (optional - they are very good with out chocolate)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease baking sheets or line with parchment paper or silicone mats.

Cream butter and sugars in a large mixing bowl. Add molasses, pumpkin, egg, and vanilla, beating well after each addition. Add cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Mix well. Gradually add flour and then oats. Stir in walnuts, raisin and M&Ms.

With cookie scoop, drop onto baking sheets.

Bake for 9 minutes, or until cookies are lightly browned. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Apple Pie Bars

These were a big hit!
Makes 15 bars

2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup butter
1 egg
1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons sugar
3 Tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
6 1/2 cups cooking apples, cored and thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a mixing bowl, combine 2 cups flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in egg until combined. Press half of this crust mixture into an ungreased 9"x9" or 8"x8" pan.

In a large bowl, stir together remaining ingredients except the apples. Add apples and toss to combine. Layer evenly over crust in baking pan.

Sprinkle with remaining crust mixture.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until the upper crust is lightly golden. Cool and cut into bars. If it necessary to eat the bars right away, they may be cut while still hot, but will be slightly runny.

Pilaf Stuffed Acorn Squash

I've always enjoyed this recipe, and when I made it the other evening, Chris thought it was a perfect autumn dinner. It's quick and easy, not to mention economical, and of course, very tasty.

Serves 4

2 acorn squash
1 pkg Uncle Ben's wild rice & chicken rice mix
1 Tablespoon butter
2 1/3 cups water
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup slivered almonds
salt to taste
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

With sharpest knife, cut squash into somewhat even halves. Place cut side down on a jelly roll pan or 9" x 13" dish, and add about 1/2" water. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until tender. You may need to add a little more water while baking.

While squash are baking, prepare rice mix as directed on package, using 1 tablespoon butter and 2 1/3 cups water. When rice is done cooking, stir in cranberries, slivered almonds and 3/4 cup cheese.

When squash is done cooking, turn cut side up, and sprinkle with salt. After you make these a few times, you will have an idea how much is enough. You are not scooping out the soft squash, and it does need salt!

Spoon rice mixture into squash halves and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake for 3 to 5 minutes longer, or until the cheese is melted.

South of the Border Enchiladas

Lydia with really impressed with these!

Serves 8 - 10

1 can (28 0z) whole tomatoes, undrained
1 large onion or two medium onions, halved

2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 Tablespoons dried cilantro
2 teaspoons honey
1/8 teaspoons cayenne pepper
3 cups cooked pinto beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups ricotta cheese
1 large bell pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 pkg 8" flour tortillas
1 cup Mexican cheese blend, or half cheddar half Monterey Jack

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 9" by 13" baking dish.

Place tomatoes, onion and garlic in blender or food processor. Cover and blend until smooth. Pour into a 3 quart pot and add the honey, cayenne pepper, and 1 Tablespoon cilantro. Cook over medium heat 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. In baking dish, spread enough tomato sauce to cover the bottom.

Combine beans, ricotta cheese, bell pepper, cumin, remaining 1 Tablespoon cilantro and 1/2 cup cheese. Spoon about 1/3 cup down the center of a tortilla, and roll up, placing seam side down in baking dish. When tortillas are filled, pour remaining tomato sauce over them. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes or until tomato sauce is bubbly and cheese is thoroughly melted.

Mushroom Stroganoff

Serves 4-6

1 (8 oz pkg) spinach fettuccine
2 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 (8 oz) pkgs sliced fresh mushrooms -- I used the baby bellas
1 heaping Tablespoon minced garlic
1 large or 2 medium onions, chopped
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
2 Tablespoons tomato paste (optional)
1 cup sour cream

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, and keep warm.

Melt butter with oil in 3 quart pot until sizzling. Add mushrooms, onion and garlic. Cook over
medium heat until mushrooms are tender. (about 7 minutes).

Stir flour and pepper into mushrooms. Cook for one minute. While stirring, slowly add tomato paste and vegetable broth. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil and boil 1 minute. If it becomes too thick before boiling, add a little more veggie broth.

Stir in sour cream, and continue cooking until heated through, about 1 to 2 minutes. Do not boil.
Serve mushrooms over fettuccine.

I thought the spinach fettuccine was pretty with the mushrooms, but any pasta would be tasty.

Mexican Manicotti

We served this for company and everyone had seconds!
I doubled this recipe and did not double the meat. I think it would have been just as good if I had left the meat out altogether. No one would have noticed.

Serves 8

1 pound ground turkey
1 (16 oz) can refried beans
1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chilies
2 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
2 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 package manicotti shells
2 1/2 cups water
1 (19 oz) can enchilada sauce
1 (16 oz) jar picante sauce
2 cups sour cream
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack or Mexican cheese
1/4 cup sliced green onions
sliced olives -- optional

In a bowl, combine, combine the uncooked turkey, beans, green chilies, chili powder, cumin and oregano. Spoon into uncooked manicotti shells. This can be somewhat complicated. It works best if you use a pastry bag or a regular plastic bag with a hole in the corner. You don't want to spend all day on this part! Arrange the shells in a greased 9" by 13" baking dish. Combine water, picante sauce and enchilada sauce, and pour over the shells. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Touch the shells and if they are not yet soft, bake another 15 minutes. Uncover. Spread sour cream over the top and sprinkle with cheese, green onions and olives. Continue baking another 5 to 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Lemon Doodles

My sister Lydia's comment on these is: "These are GOOD!"

Makes about 4 dozen

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups sugar or Florida crystals
3/4 cup flaked coconut
1 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed. Drop rounded spoonfuls of dough 2 inches apart onto ungreased (or silpat-lined) cookie sheets. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned. Removed immediately from trays. Cool some to save for later!

White Bean, Sausage & Kale Soup

I put this together in just a few minutes this morning before heading out for the day. It cooked in the crock pot all morning, and the house smelled so good when we returned! It was the perfect soup for a cool, rainy day.


Serves 10

16 oz. hot and spicy bulk pork sausage
1 large carrot
2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes - plain or with Italian seasonings
8 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 lbs. torn kale
2 14.5 cans great northern white beans

Stovetop directions:
In a medium pot cook sausage well. Add tomatoes, carrot, and chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Add kale and cook until tender. Stir in beans, and heat thoroughly before serving.

Crockpot directions:
Cook sausage well in a frying pan. Meanwhile, add all the other ingredients to a crockpot. Add sausage. Cover. Cook on high for 3-4 hours.

Creamy Red Potato Salad

Serves about 10

3/4 cup mayonnaise
3/4 teaspoon dried dill weed
2 teaspoons mustard
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
3 pounds new red potatoes, unpeeled
4 hardboiled eggs
1/2 cup chopped green onions

In a small bowl combine all ingredients except potatoes, eggs and green onions. Set dressing aside.

Boil potatoes until tender. Cut potatoes and eggs into chunks, and combine in a large bowl. While potatoes are still warm, toss with dressing, and top with green onions. Chill and serve, or serve warm.

Oatmeal Scotchies

I have made these many times, and they are always great. These were made with unbleached flour and white sugar because they were for an outreach meeting. Usually I make them with whole wheat flour and Florida crystals or honey.

Makes about 5 dozen cookies

1 1/4 cups unbleached flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups old fashioned oats
1 (11 ounce) package butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, beat sugars into butter until smooth. Add vanilla and eggs and mix well. Add salt and cinnamon. Sprinkle baking soda over the dough and gradually beat in the flour. Add oats and mix well. Stir in butterscotch chips.

Using a small cookie scoop or tablespoon, drop dough onto ungreased baking sheets. You'll save yourself some scrubbing if you line your baking sheets with a silicone mat or parchment paper.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes for chewy cookies, or 11 to 12 for crisp cookies. Cool on baking sheets for at least 2 minutes before removing to cooling racks. Cool completely before storing. For best taste, eat immediately before moving to cooling racks.

Old-Fashioned Brownies

We found that these are pretty crumbly if you overcook them... However, they tasted great, and if you top them with ice cream, they're perfect.

Serves: 2 dozen bars

2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 cup Florida crystals
3/4 cup honey
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts (we used walnuts)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In large mixing bowl, cream butter, Florida crystals and honey together. Add all the other ingredients except the flour and nuts, and mix well. Add flour and beat until smooth. Stir in nuts.

Spread into a greased 9 by 13" pan. I doubled the recipe so I could use my favorite Pampered Chef bar pan.


Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until firm to the touch. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

If you are using these for ice cream sundaes, try warming the brownies before serving. Enjoy!

Fruit Filled Thumbprints

These delicate little cookies are so pretty! We tried three different jellies: blackberry, strawberry and orange. We also used three different "nuts": pecans, walnuts and sesame seeds. The cookies are best if you actually follow the recipe. If you use whole eggs in the batter instead of merely the yolks, they are not as delicate, and require more flour to make the dough workable. These would be perfect to serve at formal events.

Makes about 6 dozen

2 1/3 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup butter, softened
2 eggs, separated
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups finely chopped nuts (pecans will make a nice dark contrast to the cookie, walnuts will be lighter and taste more delicate)
fruit preserves, at least 1 1/2 cups

Preheat oven 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together sugar and butter. Add egg yolks, salt, vanilla and flour. Beat until well mixed, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Beat egg whites with a fork until foamy. Form cookie dough into 3/4" balls. Dip into egg whites, roll in chopped nuts, and place 1 inch apart on greased cookie sheets, or, as I prefer on sil-pat covered baking sheets. Make a depression with a thumb or teaspoon in the center of each cookie. The deeper/wider the indentation, the more jelly will fit in, and the sweeter the cookies will be.

Bake for 8 minutes; remove from the oven, and fill centers with preserves. Return to the oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes longer, or until lightly browned.

Captian Lord Mansion Creamy Hash Browns

We stayed at the Captain Lord Mansion of Kennebunkport, Maine this April to celebrate our first wedding anniversary. It was a comfortable but regal (Federal) bed and breakfast, and we stayed on the third floor. Their breakfast were excellent, and we could smell them as we descended all those stairs in the morning. The friendly Christian cook gave me his recipe for the hash browns he served on Saturday morning.

Serves: 12 - 16

1 (2 lb) bag southern style hash browns, thawed
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cups grated cheddar, jack, or mexican cheese
2/3 cup ranch dressing
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 can French fried onion rings

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all ingredients except for the onion rings. Bake in a greased 9 by 13" glass baking dish for 1 hour. Top with the onion rings and bake another 10 minutes.

Serve immediately.

Broccoli Tuna Bake

Serves: 8

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup
2/3 cup milk
1/3 cup chicken broth
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
3 (6 ounce) cans solid albacore tuna in water, drained and flaked
3 cups cooked rice
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (16 ounce) package frozen broccoli, thawed
2/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place broccoli in a pot with about an inch of water and cook 5 minutes or until tender. Remove broccoli with a slotted spoon. Save 1 cup of this vitamin rich water.

Combine saved broccoli water with lemon juice, soup, milk, broth and pepper. Stir in tuna and rice. Transfer to a greased 8" square dish.

Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Top with broccoli, sprinkle with cheese, and continue baking for 5 -10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Spinach Turkey Delight

Very tasty!

Serves: 8-10
1 pound ground turkey
1 large or 2 medium onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 (4 ounce) cans mushroom stems and pieces, drained
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 (10 3/4) ounce can condensed cream of celery soup
2 cups sour cream
2 cups mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup Italian blend cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large skillet, brown turkey with onion and garlic. Add mushrooms and seasonings and stir well. Stir in spinach, soup, sour cream, and mozzarella cheese.

Transfer to a greased 9" by 13" pan. Bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and continue baking 5 minutes longer, or until cheese is melted.

Serve hot. In the photo it is served with pirogies. We found we also like it as a dip with crackers.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Makes about 3 dozen

1 cup shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup peanut butter
2 eggs
2 Tablespoons water
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream together the shortening, sugars, and peanut butter until well blended. Add eggs and water, and mix well. Combine dry ingredients, and gradually add to dough.

Form cookies on ungreased baking sheets with a cookie press or roll into balls and flatten with a floured four, fingers, or cookie stamp. I used my favorite "hand and heart" cookies stamp.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. The cookies come off the tray best if you wait about 5 minutes before removing them to the cooling racks. Of course, they taste best right out of the oven!

Broccoli Salad

This recipe has been handed down to me from my mother and grandmother. I always enjoyed it when Mom made it as I was growing up. This week I made it for the first time, and shared it at the church fellowship meal.


Serves: 12
8 cups chopped fresh broccoli
1 cup chopped Vidalia onion
1/2 cup raisins
1 lb cooked bacon, crumbled

1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1/4 cup vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar)
1/2 cup maple syrup

The night before serving, mix together the mayonnaise, vinegar, and maple syrup for the dressing, and refrigerate.

For the salad, combine the broccoli, onion, raisins, and bacon. Just before serving pour the dressing over the salad.

Enjoy!

Cheddar-Chile Corn Muffins

I served these with chili one evening this week. I thought they could use a little more cheese, but everyone enjoyed them. The chilies add a nice kick. =)

I usually use whole wheat flour for baking, but I had no time to grind any, so these were made with unbleached flour. We also used Florida crystals in these, as I didn't take the time to melt down my tub of honey.

Makes: 12-14 muffins
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup unbleached flour
1/4 cup sugar or Florida crystals
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons chopped onion
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 4.5 oz can chopped green chiles, undrained

Heat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, sugar (Florida crystals), baking powder, salt, onion and cheese. Make a well in the center the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, mix oil, egg, milk and chiles. Pour liquid ingredients into the well of flour mixture, and stir just until mixed.

Using a large cookie scoop, fill greased muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan 5 minutes so the cheese won't stick to the pan.

We heated these to serve with our chili, and had them cool with taco salad the next evening. I prefer them warm, but others liked them cool.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Serves: 4-6
6 6-inch corn tortillas
1 onion, chopped
2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
2 garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
2 14 1/2 oz cans chicken broth
1 14 1/2 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 14 1/2 oz can black beans, drained
1 4 oz can chopped green chilies
2 teaspoons dried cilantro
salt to taste
chedder cheese

Preheat the oven 400 degrees F. Cut tortillas into 1/2-strips. Place flat on a baking stone and bake 12-14 minutes until crispy.

Cut chicken into 1/2 inch pieces. Heat oil in a medium sized pot, add chicken. Stir until chicken is cooked through. Add onion, garlic, chili powder and cumin. Cook until onions begin to be translucent. Stir in broth, tomatoes, chilies and beans. Bring to a boil, then add cilantro, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Add salt to taste.

To serve, divide tortilla strips into bowls, cover with soup, and sprinkle with cheese. Alternately, serve the soup into bowls, and add the cheese and tortilla strips on top for more crunch.

~ A variation of a Pampered Chef catalog recipe

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies

I made these for an outreach meeting, and Chris really liked them.

Makes 5 to 6 dozen cookies

2 1/4 cups flour
2/3 cup baking cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
1 (11 ounce) package peanut butter chips, or peanut butter & milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, sugars and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add salt and cocoa and mix well. Sprinkle baking soda over cookie dough, and gradually add flour. Stir in peanut butter chips.

Using a teaspoon or a small cookie scoop, drop cookie dough onto ungreased baking sheets. You'll save yourself some scrubbing if you line your baking sheets with a silicone mat or parchment paper.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until centers are set. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes, and remove to cooling racks. Cool completely before storing.

Tortellini Soup

This is not the best picture of this soup. It would have looked better without the cheese on top. Anyway, I made this fast and easy soup on one of the cooler evenings this week, and Chris and I both enjoyed it. I used to make more meatless dinners, but Chris has missed the meat, so I try to remember to incorporate it a few times a week.

Serves: 8
Ingredients:
1 pound ground chicken/turkey
1 onion, chopped
2 14.5 oz cans Italian diced tomatoes
1 14.5 oz can chicken broth
1 can water - from the sink =)
1 12 oz bag from cut green beans
1 13 oz bag frozen cheese tortellini
1 zucchini, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a large pot cook chicken and onions until the meat is no longer pink. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook 5 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top when serving.

The next day when I went to serve it again, it had thickened a lot, so I added another can of chicken broth, and it looked and tasted just the same as the previous day.

Herb Cheese Dollars

I saw these crackers on Tammy's Recipes blog, and decided to try them. When I made them, I added extra cayenne pepper, and Chris and I both really liked the extra kick. They really do taste like cheese-its! When I went to cut mine after I chilled the dough, I used a knife instead of dental floss. The crackers really were so fast and easy, and we really liked them.

Peanut Blossom Cookies

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup granulated sugar

48 milk chocolate candy kisses, unwrapped

Heat oven to 375. Combine 1/2 cup sugar, brown sugar, butter and peanut butter in large mixer bowl. Beat at medium speed until light and fluffy (1 to 2 minutes). Add egg, vanilla and salt; continue beating until well mixed (1 minute). Add flour and baking soda. Continue beating, scraping bowl often, until well mixed (1 to 2 minutes).

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. (If dough is too soft, refrigerate 30 to 60 minutes.) Roll balls in 1/4 cup sugar. Place 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until very lightly golden brown. Immediately press 1 chocolate kiss in center of each cookie. Remove from cookie sheets; cool completely on wire racks.

Makes 4 dozen cookies

Variation: The last time I made these, I made the balls half the size, and used mini kisses. The mini kisses come in a bag like chocolate chips. I thought the cookies were better smaller.