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Pumpkin Spice Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

November 09th, 2009 | Author: admin

An AMAZING recipe, courtesy of my cousin, Lauren! What a perfect dessert to have in the house during these fall days.

Enjoy!

BARS
4 eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 can (15 oz) Pumpkin- not pumpkin pie mix
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teas. baking powder
1 teas. baking soda
1/2 teas. salt
2 teas. groud cinnamon
1/2 teas. groud ginger
1/4 teas. ground cloves
1 cup raisins, if desired (I don’t add them)

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese- softened
1/4 cup butter or margarine- softened
2 to 3 teas. milk
1 teas. vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, if desired

1. Heat oven to 350 degress. Spray 15X10X1 inch pan with cooking spray.

2. In large bowl, beat eggs, granulated sugar, oil and pumpkin with wire whisk until smooth. Stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and clovers. Add raisins. Spread in pan.

3. Bake 25 to 30 min. or until toothpick comes out clean and bars spring back when touched lightly in center. Cool completely, about 2 hours.

4. In med. bowl, beat cream cheese, butter, milk and vanilla with electric mixer on low speed until smooth. Gradually beat in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, on low speed until smooth and spreadable. spread frosting over bars. Sprinkle with walnuts. For bars, cut into 7 rows by 7 rows. Store covered in refrigerator. 49 bars.

Category: Recipes | Tags: cream cheese frosting, pumpkin bars, pumpkin cake, recipe | Leave a Comment

The best ever crock pot breakfast to feel warm and toasty – Steel Cut Oatmeal!

September 16th, 2009 | Author: admin

I woke up this morning to the smell of brown sugar and pecans wafting through my house. I was confused at first, surely the hubby didn’t bake something before running off to work. As I descended down the stairs, I remembered the deliciousness that I put into my crock pot last night and then I couldn’t wait to check it out!

I opened the crock pot and was welcomed by a layer of pecans that had risen to the top of my Pyrex bowl. I took a wooden spoon and cut into the mixture – pecans, then golden raisins and cranberries, followed by steel cut oats, cooked to perfection and lightly sweetened with brown sugar. I scooped out some of the oats into my bowl, added some milk and a sprinkling of brown sugar and dug in. It was amazing, so delicious, so warm, so filling, so EASY and so good for you!

Want the recipe? Well here you go – Crock Pot Steel Cut Oats (also called Irish Oats)

Get out your crockpot. We’re going to make it into a double broiler. Find a dish that can withstand the constant heat and that can fit into your crockpot – I used my 4 cup pyrex measuring cup.

Into your Pyrex (or whatever you choose to use) dish, add 1 cup steel cup oats, 3 1/2 cups of water and 1/2 cup of milk. Then add your mix-ins! I chose golden raisins, cranberries and pecans – about 1/4 cup of each. I also added some flax seed (a couple of TBSPs) just because – hey, it’s healthy! Add 2 Tbsp of brown sugar (or maple syrup or honey) to add a little sweetness. Put your dish into your crockpot and add water into the crockpot basin – until it reaches about 1 inch from the top of the bowl filled with your oat mixture. Cover crockpot with lid, turn on low and let cool overnight! Mine cooked for 12 hours but I bet it would have been just fine cooking for 9 or 10.

In the morning, wake up to the smell of deliciouness and enjoy your new favorite cold weather breakfast. You can also make this plain or lightly sweetened for the kiddos and then add mix-ins when it is ready to eat but adding everything the night before makes it more flavorful, the raisins and cranberries are plump and the pecans are lightly sweetened and softened.

Category: Recipes | Tags: breakfast, crock pot, oatmeal, oats, overnight, recipe | 2 Comments

Recipe for your sweet tooth! Toffee & cinnamon apples

July 27th, 2009 | Author: admin

This is one of the most fantastic dessert recipes I have come across. It tastes like heaven, especially when used as an ice cream topping, but you could eat it as it, or served over yellow cake. Mmmm….enjoy!

Toffee and Cinnamon Apples (to serve over ice cream)
1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoons white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 apples – peeled, cored and cut into thin wedges
10 caramels
4 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 cup pecans

In large skillet over medium heat, stir together butter, sugar and cinnamon until sugar is dissolved. Place apples in pan and stir and cook until apples begin to soften and color, 5 minutes. Stir in caramels, reduce heat, and stir until caramels are melted. Stir in cream and pecans and simmer 1 minute more. Remove from heat and cool slightly before serving

Category: Recipes | Tags: caramel, cinnamon, dessert, ice cream topping, recipe, warm apples | Leave a Comment

Chicken Parmesan with a kick

July 14th, 2009 | Author: admin

I feel like chicken tonight, like chicken tonight, like chicken tonight. (That was from some commercial a long time ago – for the life of me I can’t remember whose commercial it was).

The other night I made Chicken Parmesan and I’m going to share the recipe!

Grocery list -

1 -2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts (depending on how many mouths you are feeding)

breadcrumbs (I use Italian style)

eggs

milk

flour

Parmesan cheese

2 large cans crushed tomatoes (see picture)

garlic

olive oil

crushed red pepper (ooo – the kick!)

salt

spaghetti noodles (or whatever type you prefer)

mozzarella cheese

Got everything? Let’s begin!

First let’s make the chicken. Clean off your chicken breasts and pound the heck out of them with a mallet. (This makes them so tender!). Heat a couple TBSP of

olive oil in large skillet. Put 1/4 cup of flour in a gallon sized bag and add chicken breasts, shake to coat. Now we need an egg wash bowl and a breadcrumb bowl. Beat 2 eggs in bowl (add a little splash of milk) for your egg wash bowl. And add 1 cup breadcrumbs and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese in other bowl. Take chicken breast out of flour bag – dip in egg mixture, coat with breadcrumb mixture, and throw in heated skillet. Brown both sides, turn heat off and cover with lid to keep warm and tender.

In the meantime, let’s make the sauce. Heat saucepan (at least 2 quart saucepan) on medium

high. Add 1/4 cup of olive oil, 2-3 cloves of crushed garlic, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (this gives the sauce a nice kick – for a bigger and yummier kick, make it 2 tsp but only if you like spice!). Let that garlic mix sizzle for 1 minute. Add 2 cans crushed tomatoes. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low and simmer.

Time to assemble! Preheat your oven to 350. Put chicken breasts in 9×13 glass pan, put a mound of shredded mozzarella cheese on each chicken breast.

Add the tomato sauce (I scoop it out with a large spoon so it doesn’t splash everywhere).

Then add more mozzarella to the top of each chicken breast (I do that so I know where to find them – and who doesn’t like extra cheese?) Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until edges are bubbling and cheese is browning.

While chicken is baking, boil some water and make your noodles. When everything is finished – put a scoop of noodles on your plate and add a chicken breast with a heaping scoop of sauce. Yum! Enjoy!

Category: Recipes | Tags: chicken parmesan, dinner, Recipes, yum! | 6 Comments

What’s for dinner? Chicken Enchilada Casserole

July 10th, 2009 | Author: admin

Here is one of my favorite recipes ever. I’ve made it so many times and for so many different people and they always end up asking for the recipe. It’s sure to become one of your favorites as well!

Chicken (or Beef) Enchilada Casserole

1 pound chicken breast OR ground beef
1 packet taco seasoning (you will only use 1/2 packet)
1/2 onion, chopped
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
1 jar of salsa or taco sauce – hot, medium or mild, it’s your choice!
12 small corn tortillas
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (or mexican blend, again, it’s your choice!)

Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Cook chicken (or beef) on stovetop. Shred cooked chicken or cut into chunks and put back into the pan. Add chopped onion to pan and saute. Add 1/2 of the taco seasoning packet along with the recommended amount of water. Cook for 3 minutes and remove from heat.
Cut corn tortillas into chunks (I use the pizza slicer and slice, slice, slice!).
In seperate bowl, mix cream of chicken, sour cream and 1 1/2 cups of salsa (or taco sauce).
Now get ready to layer!
In a large casserole dish (I use a round 2.5 liter corning ware dish), pour 1/2 cup salsa, add 1/2 tortilla pieces, 1/2 the meat mixture, 1/2 the soup mixture and 1 cup of cheese followed by the rest of the tortilla pieces, meat, soup mixture and cheese. Bake for 25 minutes or until bubble all around the edges.

For a spicier dish, add jalapenos on top of each cheese layer. I add a can of fiesta corn to my meat mixture to sneak in an extra vegetable.

Serve with sour cream and tortilla chips (if desired).

Now you know what’s for dinner! Enjoy!

Category: Recipes | 4 Comments

Recipes – Cherry/Blackberry Crisp & Everything but the Kitchen Sink Good for You Muffins

July 03rd, 2009 | Author: admin

Two delicious recipes for you to try over the holiday weekend!

Cherry/Blackberry Crisp

Preheat oven to 375

Mix 4 cups of (pitted) cherries and blackberries (whatever ratio you decide – 50/50, 75/25, it’s up to you. I used 75% fresh cherries, straight from the tree and 25% frozen unsweetened blackberries) with 1 cup sugar and 4 Tbsp flour. Place in 9×9 glass pan.

Topping: 1 1/4 cups flour, 1 cup oatmeal, 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 shortening, 1/4 cup butter

Press topping on top of berries. Place in oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until topping is golden brown and the fruit juices are bubbling. Serve with ice cream!

Everything but the Kitchen Sink, Good for You Muffins

1 1/2 c flour

3/4 c flaxseed meal

3/4 c oat bran

1 c brown sugar

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

2 tsp cinnamon

Mix above ingredients together in LARGE bowl.

(**The original recipe for these muffins calls for 1 1/2 c shredded carrots, 2 apples chopped and peeled, 1 c chopped nuts and 1/2 c of raisins***)

What I threw in the muffin mix -

1 large apple peeled and chopped into small pieces

1 large banana mashed

1 Stage 3 baby food jar of sweet potatoes (yes, I have little ones!)

1 serving size cup of cinnamon applesauce

1/2 c raisins

1/2 c dates

1 c chopped pecans

Stir mixture.

Add 3/4 cup milk, 2 beaten eggs and 1 tsp vanilla. Stir until everything is moistened. Do not overstir batter.

Spray muffin pan with cooking spray (Pam). Fill muffin cups 3/4 full. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. Makes about 24 muffins.

***I didn’t take pictures while baking these so all I have is a pic of the end result and my neighbors testimony that the muffins are DELICIOUS!***

Category: Recipes | Tags: berry crisp, cherry crisp, dessert, flax seed muffins, healthy muffins, Recipes | One Comment

Delicious Banana Bread Recipe

May 30th, 2008 | Author: admin

What you need:

3 medium ripe bananas

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter

2 eggs (if you do not want to use eggs, substitute 3 TBSP milk – it won’t rise as high but tastes just as good)

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

What you do:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mash the bananas, add softened butter, sugar and eggs, beat just until mixed. Add all dry ingredients (except nuts) – beat for 2 minutes on medium speed OR 300 strokes by hand. Stir in walnuts by hand. Pour batter into a greased loaf pan (5 1/4 by 9 1/2). Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour 15 minutes. I put a foil “tent” over my banana bread after 35 minutes of baking. I then removed it when there were 10 minutes left on the bake time. I didn’t want the top to get too dark.

Let bread cool, slice and ENJOY!