Pumpkin Cookies

This recipe is from my friend April. They are very yummy. My kids ate a lot of them. We made them before Thanksgiving and took them to all of their primary teachers.

INGREDIENTS
2 cups shortening
2 cups white sugar
2 cups canned pumpkin
2 eggs
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups all-purpose flour

6 tablespoons butter
8 tablespoons milk
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
Cream shortening, white sugar and pumpkin. Add eggs and mix well. Sift together the baking soda, ground cinnamon, salt and flour. Add to pumpkin mixture and mix well.
Drop from spoon to cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
To Make Frosting: Cook butter, milk, and brown sugar until dissolved. COOL and add confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Spread over warm cookies.

Slow Cooker Roast

I couldn't find the recipe on the website I got it from (http://www.slowandsimple.com), but here it is from memory. Paige even ate this one and asked for seconds. Bryn told me that I need to make it again sometime. It was very tender and yummy. Logan kept asking for more chicken. (Every meat is chicken to that boy.) I used a pork roast because that is what I had in the freezer.

3 to 5 pound roast (beef or pork)
1 can chili sauce
1 package onion soup mix
1 can coke (Yes, I used the caffeine free coke I had such a hard time purchasing a while back)

Place the roast in the slow cooker. Mix the other three ingredients together and pour over the roast. I started this in the morning and cooked it on low all day. We ate it for supper with Heavenly Hashbrowns and salad.

Dinner for a Friend, Part 4

Yesterday was my last meal to finish out the baby gift for my friend. I decided to be brave and experiment with a new recipe that got Bryce's and one sister's vote as something to try. It was not "spicy hot", though I was worried it might be. I'll just say it was interesting. As Bryn said: "It doesn't look too appetizing. . . it has a weird texture. . . but it tastes pretty good." I served this soup with a green salad, butter dips, and another sister's Weight Watchers Key Lime Pie.

Satisfying Lentil Soup

* 4 medium carrots, chopped
* 2 celery ribs, chopped
* 1 large onion, chopped
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 tablespoon minced fresh gingerroot
* 2 teaspoons curry powder
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
* 3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
* 5 cups water
* 2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) Progresso ® Reduced-Sodium Chicken Broth or vegetable broth
* 1 package (16 ounces) dried lentils, rinsed
* 2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* Dash pepper

In a Dutch oven, saute the carrots, celery and onion in oil until tender. Add the ginger, curry, garlic, cumin and coriander; cook and stir 1 minute longer.

Add the water, broth and lentils; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 50-55 minutes or until lentils are tender. Stir in the cilantro, salt and pepper. Yield: 10 servings (2-1/2 quarts).

Nutrition Facts: 1 cup equals 203 calories, 3 g fat (trace saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 415 mg sodium, 31 g carbohydrate, 15 g fiber, 14 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1-1/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 fat.

Butter Dips
These are a favorite from when I was a little girl. We would beg Mom to make these when we had soup. My kids love them, too.

1/3 cup butter
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp sugar
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk (or buttermilk)

Melt butter in 450 degree oven in 13x9" pan. Remove the pan from oven as soon as butter it melted.

Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add 1 cup milk. Stir slowly with fork until dough just clings together (about 30 strokes).

Turn onto well-floured board. Roll over to coat with flour. Knead lightly about 10 times

Roll out 1/2 inch thick into a rectangle, 12x8". With a pizza cutter, cut the dough in half lengthwise, then crosswise into 16 strips. Dip each strip in butter on both sides and lay close together in two rows in pan.

Bake until golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Serve hot.

Key Lime Pie

1 graham cracker pie crust
1 (4 serving size) package sugar-free lime jello
1/4 cup boiling water
2 containers (6 oz each) key lime pie light yogurt
1 (8 oz) container fat-free whipped topping

Dissolve the jello in the boiling water. Whisk in yogurt. Fold in the whipped topping and then fill the pie crust. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.

Thanksgiving is coming up!!

Thinking about Thanksgiving and all the possibilities of yummy food this holiday season had me looking through my recipes for some of my favorite pies that still have the "traditional" apple or pumpkin flavor, but not necessarily the traditional presentation. Here are a few recipes that I like and maybe you might want to try them for your holiday meal this year.

Caramel Apple Cheesecake

1 can (21 oz) Apple Fruit Filling, divided
1 10" graham cracker crust (I tried a 9" the first time and it was very full)
2 pkg (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/4 cup caramel topping
12 pecan halves plus 2 Tbsp chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Reserve 3/4 cup apple filling. Spoon remaining filling into crust.

Beat together cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Add eggs and mix well. Pour over apple filling. Bake 35 minutes or until center is set. Cool to room temperature.

Mix reserved apple filling and caramel topping in a small saucepan. Heat, about 1 minutes. Arrange apple slices around outside of edge of cheesecake. Spoon caramel sauce onto the cheesecake and spread evenly. Decorate with pecan halves around the edge. Sprinkle with chopped pecans. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes 8-12 servings.

Double-Layer Pumpkin Pie

4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 Tbsp milk or half-and-half
1 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 cups thawed cool whip
1 graham cracker pie crust
1 cup cold milk or half-and-half
2 pkgs (4 serving size) vanilla flavor instant pudding and pie filling
1 can (16 oz) pumpkin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves

Mix cream cheese, 1 Tbsp milk and sugar in large bowl with wire whisk until smooth. Gently stir in whipped topping. Spread on bottom of crust.

Pour 1 cup milk into bowl. Add pudding mix. Beat with wire whist until well blended, 1 to 2 minutes. (Mixture will be thick.)

Stir in pumpkin and spices with wire whisk; mix well. Spread over cream cheese layer. Refrigerate at least 3 hours. Garnish with additional whipped topping and nuts if desired. Makes 8 servings.

Curry Chicken Cranberry Salad

This is a recipe my friend told me was awesome. I haven't tried it yet, but it sounds like a possible use of leftover turkey (since Thanksgiving is close and most of us will probably have leftovers). And since I now have curry in my pantry and I'm getting braver about trying new things, I'm thinking of giving this one a try.

3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp lime juice
3/4 tsp curry powder
1 medium apple, diced
2 cups diced cooked chicken
1/2 cup sliced celery
3/4 cup dried cranberries (I'm thinking Craisins)
2 Tbsp sliced green onions
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Combine the first 3 ingredients well. Add the remaining ingredients, stirring to mix. Chill. If making ahead, add the pecans and onions just before serving. Serves 4-6.

Dinner/Breakfast for a Friend, Part 3

This time I decided to take my friend a breakfast, rather than a dinner. I was planning on making three flavors of scones, but accidentally purchased the wrong ingredient and didn't want to make another run to the grocery store at 9pm. So she got two flavors: Hazelnut Chip Scones and my sister's Double Chocolate Scones. I made the scones as mini scones by making twice as many as the recipe said it would make. (e.g. divide the batter into four portions instead of 2 and then pat out and cut into 8 or 6 pieces, depending on the recipe). I also made a baked omelet and fruit salad to go with it. I was initially planning on just taking these breakfast foods for dinner, but ended up delivering it for breakfast on Saturday. Maybe her hubby even served it to her as a breakfast in bed -- wouldn't that have been sweet?

Hazelnut Chip Scones
These are yummy, yummy, yummy. Definitely use the hazelnut creamer.



* 4 cups all-purpose flour
* 3 tablespoons sugar
* 4 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
* 3/4 cup cold butter
* 1 egg, separated
* 1-1/2 cups refrigerated hazelnut nondairy creamer or half-and-half cream
* 1-1/2 cups HERSHEY’®S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
* Additional sugar

SPICED BUTTER:
* 1/2 cup butter, softened
* 3 tablespoons brown sugar
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
* 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

In a bowl, combine the first five ingredients; cut in butter until crumbly. In a bowl, whisk egg yolk and creamer; add to dry ingredients just until moistened. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Turn onto a floured surface; knead 10 times. Divide dough in half. Pat each portion into a 7-in. circle; cut into eight wedges. Separate wedges and place on greased baking sheets.

Beat egg white; brush over dough. Sprinkle with additional sugar. Bake at 425° for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the spiced butter ingredients; beat until smooth. Serve with warm scones. Yield: 16 scones.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 each) equals 399 calories, 22 g fat (12 g saturated fat), 52 mg cholesterol, 333 mg sodium, 49 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 4 g protein.

Double Chocolate Scones

2 cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
2 sticks (8 oz) unsalted butter (1 stick cut into pieces and 1 stick softened)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 large egg
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a food processor, combine the flour, cocoa powder, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the pieces of butter and pulse until coarse crumbs form. Transer to a large bowl and stir in the chocolate chips.

In a small bowl, mix the egg with the buttermilk until just combined. Add to the dry ingredients and stir until the dough just comes together.

Divide the dough into 2 equal parts and place on the prepared baking sheet. With lightly floured hands, shape each piece into a flat, round cake about 6" in diameter. Using a sharp, straight-edged knife, cut each round into 6 equal wedges, leaving them in place. Sprinkle the tops with the granulated sugar and bake until firm in the center when lightly touched, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool slightly before breaking into wedges.

In a small bowl, using a hand mixer or fork, beat the softened butter with the confectioners' sugar, vanilla and cinnamon until light and fluffy. Serve with the warm scones. Yield: 12 servings.


Baked Omelet Roll
Bryn requested ham in the omelet, so I also chopped up some ham to sprinkle on when I put the cheese on.

* 6 eggs
* 1 cup milk
* 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon pepper
* 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese

Place eggs and milk in a blender. Add the flour, salt and pepper; cover and process until smooth. Pour into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until eggs are set.

Sprinkle with cheese. Roll up omelet in pan, starting with a short side. Place with seam side down on a serving platter. Cut into 3/4-in. slices. Yield: 6 servings.

Breakfast Fruit Salad

* 2 cups cubed cantaloupe
* 2 large red apples, chopped
* 1 cup red or green grapes
* 1 medium firm banana, sliced
* 1/2 cup lemon yogurt
* 1 tablespoon orange juice concentrate

In a serving bowl, combine the fruit. Combine the yogurt and orange juice concentrate; drizzle over fruit. (I included some honeydew and both red and green grapes since my bananas were pretty green and not ready to use.) Yield: 6 servings.