Cherry Tomato Pie

I knew from the get-go that this year would not be a year of "tomato crazy", when tomatoes in the garden were so plentiful they were driving me nuts. This is the first year gardening at our new house, and we didn't have time to get manure from the farm before I started planting. (This fall though, is a different story. And hopefully next year's garden will be so bountiful I'm giving produce away!)

Even though I'm not growing tons of tomatoes, a good friend at work is, possibly due to the loads of horse manure she incorporated into her raised beds. So she gifts plenty of tomatoes to me and others at work. The August issue of Better Homes & Gardens has a recipe for Cherry Tomato Pie, which inspired my version. I'll note at the end of the recipe which changes I made.

Cherry Tomato Pie (my version)

Crust: (Pat in the Pan crust from Joy of Cooking)
1-1/2 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp dried basil
1/2 c butter (1 stick)
2-3 Tbsp heavy cream

Mix the flour, basil and salt together. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender. Mix in the cream.

Dump onto a floured surface and need about 10 times. Then pat into a 9" tart pan, on the bottom and up the sides of the pan.

Bake the crust by itself for about 10 minutes at 375.

Filling:
6 strips bacon, fried
2/3 c grated Parmesan
1 yellow onion, diced
1/4 c fresh basil, finely chopped
2 sprigs oregano, finely chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
4 oz Chevre
1/4 c Miracle Whip
4 c +/- cherry tomatoes, cut the larger ones in half and leave smaller ones whole

Fry the bacon until crispy. Remove bacon from the pan to drain. Keep about 2 Tbsp of the bacon grease in the pan and use it to saute the diced onion until tender.

In a bowl, mix together 1/2 c of the Parmesan, herbs, salt and pepper, Chevre and Miracle Whip.

Arrange the bacon around the edge of the tart pan, as a second layer of "crust".

Then spread the herb-cheese mixture into the tart pan, then cover with the onions, and then the cherry tomatoes. Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan on top.

Bake for 35 minutes at 375.

This is approved for breakfast, lunch,or dinner. Delicious when warm, but also chilled.

What's different:
1. The original recipe called for 2 layers of refrigerator pie crust instead of the homemade crust.
2. The original recipe called for 4 oz cream cheese instead of Chevre.
3. The original recipe used mayo instead of Miracle Whip (but I like the tangy zip!)
4. I added oregano because I had some fresh.
5. The original crust recipe does not have herbs.

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Chicken Goulash with Biscuit Dumplings

Earlier this week, I made a recipe from the latest Food & Wine magazine: Chicken Goulash with Biscuit Dumplings. Mine looks a little different than the magazine photo, but still tastes delicious. 

Chicken Goulash with Biscuit Dumplings

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2" chunks

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1-1/2 c flour

5 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 tsp baking powder

2-1/2 c chicken stock (I used 2 c water with 2 tsp chicken boullion)

1 c sour cream

1 onion, diced

1 bell pepper, diced (I used half a dozen mini sweet peppers from Aldi)

2 garlic cloves ( I used 3)

1 stalk celery, diced (not in original recipe, but I added for more veggies)

2 Tbsp smoked paprika

3/4 tsp caraway seeds (didn't use this because I didn't have them, but probably wouldn't have used them if I did have them because I don't think the Hubs would like)

1 tsp thyme leaves

Preheat oven to 425. 

In a large (cast iron) skillet, melt 4 Tbsp of the butter and the olive oil. 

Add the chicken, turning a few times until golden and mostly cooked. 

In the meantime, mix the biscuit dough: flour, baking powder, salt, pepper, and cut in the butter with a pastry blender. (Or use a food processor like the original recipe says, if you don't mind cleaning it.)

Mix in 1/2 c sour cream and 1/2 c chicken stock until dough forms. 

Move the chicken to the edges of the skillet, and put the onion, peppers, celery and garlic in the center. Cook until tender, about 3-5 minutes. 

Stir in the spices, then the remaining chicken stock and sour cream, until smooth. Bring the skillet mixture to a boil. 

Scoop the biscuit dough in 3 Tbsp mounds on top of the chicken mixture. Move the skillet to the oven and bake 20 minutes. Then turn on the broiler for a couple minutes until the biscuits are golden. 

Notes: 

Would be better with more veggies. It felt like the dish was mostly chicken and biscuits. 

I make another version of chicken goulash (with gnocchi) that has mushrooms. This has a very similar flavor, and would probably be good with sliced fresh mushrooms. 

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When Life Give You Lemons

Also known as "that time you made caramels, only for them to harden into an 8x8x 1/2" sheet of toffee". 

Yes, that happened last week. 

I made caramels, but somehow between the overcast weather and the candy thermometer, the caramels hardened too much. 

My parents and brother agreed it still tasted ok, but couldn't be marketed as caramels. As soon as Mom called it "toffee" I knew what I had to do. 

Cover it in melted chocolate and chopped pecans. 

To make it more edible. 

Start out with this recipe. 

Then chop it up into 1/4 to 1/2" pieces. Lay it single layer on a piece of parchment paper, on a cookie sheet.

Melt 1 bag of chocolate chips in a sauce pan and pour over the toffee. 

Sprinkle 1/2 to 1 cup of chopped pecans* on top of the chocolate. 

Let the chocolate cool and harden, and then break the toffee into bite-sized pieces. 

*Make sure to chop the pecans before you start melting the chocolate, because the chocolate needs to be stirred and monitored so it doesn't burn!

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Quiche: version 1

Several years ago, the Hubs was on the Atkins diet and was on a big quiche kick. We got a little burnt out on egg-pies. That was over 5 years ago, so I decided to brave the possibility that we still wouldn't like quiche, and try a recipe again. One of the blogs I follow suggested using a pie crust, which differed from the way we were making quiche. Atkins diet = no carbs = no pie crust. 

I had a leftover pie crust from Thanksgiving, when I intended to make turkey pot pie, but there wasn't enough leftover turkey to have pie and "regular" leftovers, so the pie crust just hung out in the fridge. 

Until yesterday. 

The hubs isn't sure he likes it, but he's recovering from a sinus infection and bronchitis, so his taste buds can't be trusted right now. He even said "I'm sure this is delicious, but I can't taste a thing."

So of course I'll have to make another one once he recovers. 

Last night, we ate the quiche for dinner; I had a side salad with three-cheese ranch. 

Then I ate a serving for breakfast this morning too. Amazing.

Quiche

8 oz mushrooms, sliced

1/2 red onion, sliced or diced

2 Tbsp butter (or some leftover bacon grease)

10 oz package frozen spinach, thawed and drained

2-3 turkey sausage links - close to 1/2 lb 

1 refrigerator pie crust

5 eggs, beaten

1/2 -1 c milk (or heavy cream if you have some leftover from making caramels)

3 handfuls of cheese (I used Italian cheese blend because we had it in the fridge)

In a large skillet, saute the onion in the butter/grease until tender on medium heat. Then add the mushrooms and saute until they have released their liquid. Add the spinach, and cover the pan to steam.

In a separate pan, cook the turkey sausage. I removed it from the casings. Drain the grease when it is finished cooking, and then add the sausage to the veggie mixture. Turn off heat. 

Roll out the pie crust into a pie or tart pan. Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes, or until it starts to get golden. Remove from oven. It's okay if the crust bubbles up - it will flatten out once you put the filling in!

Mix the eggs and milk in a medium bowl.

Put the filling into the pie/tart pan. Then pour the egg/milk mixture over it. Sprinkle the handfuls of cheese on top. 

Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

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Curried Quinoa, Kale and Sweet Potatoes

This recipe is loosely based on this recipe.

Several weeks ago, I picked an entire plastic shopping bag full of kale. It nearly filled up the crisper drawer it was so full. I've been slowly making my way through the bag.

The original recipe used spinach, but since I had kale, I modified it.

Curried Quinoa, Kale and Sweet Potatoes
 1 large sweet potato
1/2 c dry quinoa, cooked per package instructions
enough kale to fill up your salad spinner, after removing the central rib from each leaf
chickpeas, prepared per this recipe
1/3 c raisins
about 5 dried apricots, diced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper
1/2 to 1 tsp sweet curry powder, to taste
olive oil

Start by preparing the sweet potato. Dice into 1/4" to 1/2" pieces. Spread out flat on a cookie sheet, sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper, and roast in a 350 degree oven until tender, about 20 minutes. Stir at least once during cook time, to keep them from sticking.

I already had the chickpeas prepared. If you don't, put in them in the oven with the sweet potatoes.

Put about 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet or dutch oven. Saute the onion until tender.

Then add the raisins, apricots and garlic. Saute for a couple minutes.

Then add the kale and stir. Put the lid on and let the kale steam for a few minutes. You may need to add a little water. Steam until it's at the consistency you want. I like my kale to still be a vibrant green; if you cook too long it will turn brown. Turn off heat.

Stir in the sweet potoatoes, chickpeas and quinoa. Then start seasoning with curry powder. I ended up using one teaspoon.

I topped mine with sharp white cheddar, which melted nicely when reheated for lunches at work.

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Coconut Shrimp

The original recipe may be found here. 


1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined 
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp shredded sweetened coconut
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp panko crumbs
2 tbsp all purpose flour 
1 large egg
pinch salt



For the Sweet and Spicy Dipping Sauce:1/2 cup peach preserves 
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425°. Spray a non-stick baking sheet with cooking spray.
Combine coconut flakes, panko crumbs and salt in a bowl. Place the flour on a small dish. Whisk egg in another bowl.
Lightly season shrimp with salt. Dip the shrimp in the flour, then into the egg, then in the coconut crumb mixture.
For the sauce, combine all the ingredients and place in a small bowl. You may need microwave it for 15-20 seconds.
Lay shrimp on the cookie sheet; bake in the middle rack for about 10 minutes. Turn shrimp over then cook another 6-7 minutes or until cooked though. Remove from oven and serve with dipping sauce. I baked the shrimp on a silicone mat so I didn't have to grease the pan.
Served with baked broccoli and cauliflower, rice pilaf and garlic-parmesan rolls.

1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
3/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

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Pear-Apple Pie

You know, I have this list of recipes I would like to try, as a page here on the blog. Somehow, I'm really good at making other recipes from the same books, but not the one on the list.

Yesterday, I stopped by my Grandma's house to pick up a massive bag of banana and bell peppers. We're talking a plastic shopping bag so full the handles barely met. This is the second time in the last couple of weeks that we've had such a large bag of peppers in the house. And apparently her deep freezer is full of them as well. The last bag I used in chili, sauteed with onions with steaks, and in breakfast hashbrowns. This bag is going in meatloaf and chicken fajitas this week.

At the same time that I picked up the peppers, Grandma also gave me several pears from her tree. These pears are huge; I believe Grandma said they weighed one that was 1-1/4 pounds!!! These are easily twice the size of pears I buy at the store. For scale, here's a photo of one with two of the apples I have left from Aunt Patty:

The recipe I chose is from 100 Great Breads, which obviously has recipes for things other than bread. The original recipe calls for a raspberry-confectioner's sugar syrup to be served with the pie. But there aren't free raspberries being given away by family members to use for such a sauce, so there isn't a sauce with my pie.

Pear-Apple Pie

For the pastry dough:
2-1/2 c flour
1-1/4 c sugar
1 stick butter, softened
1 medium egg
2 Tbsp water, plus more if dough won't stick together

Mix the above in a (large Pyrex) bowl with a hand mixer or pastry blender. Split the dough in half. Roll out half of it on a floured surface, and line a pie pan (or a tart pan).

For the fruit filling:
8 apples, cored, peeled, sliced/chunked
3 monstrous pears, cored, peeled, sliced/chunked
about 1/4 c sugar

Put the above in a dutch oven or some other large pot and cook on low/medium heat for 5-10 minutes, until the fruit begins to soften and smell heavenly.

Pour or spoon the filling into the pastry. Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg. I probably used about 1/2 tsp cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg (this was not in the original recipe).

Roll out the other half of the dough and cover the fruit filling, pinching edges to seal.

Brush a beaten egg onto the top of the pie, then sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for 25 minutes.

Did you have leftover dough after making the top and bottom crust? No worries! Roll it out, brush with leftover egg wash, and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Bake for about 10 minutes or until golden. It's like a cinnamon-sugar cracker!

Something else from this weekend... While the Hubs was out hunting on Saturday morning (a successful hunt, as he bagged a 10-point buck on the farm!), I was working away at the house, cleaning and putting the rest of the cabinet handles on! The bags of produce from left to right: pears, apples, peppers

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Dinners week of 11/12

Meatloaf w/ mashed potatoes and veggies
Chicken tacos (crockpot recipe)
Pork Chops
Fried fish w/ hushpuppies

I promise we'll eventually get to something more than food. It's almost Thanksgiving, which means garden catalogs are on their way...

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Cajun Chicken Pasta

The original recipe may be found here.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

8 ounces uncooked pasta - I used elbow macaroni because that's what we had
1 pound chicken breast, cut into 1/2" pieces
1-2 tsp Cajun seasoning  - used Weber Cajun Seasoning
1 tbsp olive oil
about 6 mini sweet peppers, sliced
8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
medium yellow onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
15 oz can fire-roasted tomatoes
1 cup vegetable broth
1/3 cup 2% milk
1 tbsp flour
3 tbsp cream cheese
pepper and salt to taste


Directions:
Prepare pasta in salted water according to package directions.

Heat a large heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; saute the chicken in olive oil  5 to 6 minutes or until done.

Add olive oil to a second large skillet; add bell peppers, onions, and garlic to skillet, sauté 3-4 minutes. 

In a small blender make a slurry by combining milk, flour and cream cheese. Set aside. Season chicken generously with Cajun seasoning, garlic powder and salt.

Add mushrooms and tomatoes and sauté 3-4 more minutes or until vegetables are tender. Season with salt, garlic powder and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to medium-low; add chicken broth and pour in slurry stirring about 2 minutes.

Add chicken to vegetable skillet; adjust salt and Cajun seasoning to taste, cook another minute or two until hot. 

Serve with the pasta. 

Note: I may have used too much Cajun seasoning, as the Hubs was sweating. Oops. 

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Making use of Apples

Mom gave me some apples from my Aunt's tree (Thanks Mom and Patty!) I love eating fresh fruit, but in addition to the clementines, bananas, pears, grapes, and additional apples from Mom last weekend, I was afraid some of this fruit would go to waste. So instead of eating them raw, I dug out the Joy of Cooking cookbook and searched for apple recipes.

The Hubs doesn't like pie. Weird, I know. So I settled on the recipe for Apple Tartlets with the Basic Pie Dough.

Preheat the oven to 375.

Basic Pie Dough:
2-1/2 c flour
1-1/4 tsp salt

With a pastry blender, cut in until blended to the size of peas:
3/4 c shortening
3 Tbsp cold butter

Add 6 Tbsp butter, then roll out to 1/4" thick.

Use a 3" biscuit cutter to cut 12 rounds of dough, and then pressed them into and up the sides of a muffin pan.

Filling:
4 c thinly sliced apples (hint: use your Pampered Chef Apple Peeler Corer Slicer for this!), and then cut into 1/2" pieces

Distribute the fruit between the mini-pies. Then mix in a medium bowl:
1/2 c sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 Tbsp butter, melted
1 c evaporated milk (I had this left over from a recipe from last week, otherwise use 1 c heavy cream)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg

Distribute the liquid, about 1/4 c per mini-pie.

Bake for 40 minutes.

Mini apple pies!

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Dinners week of 11/5

Crockpot Roast w/ Potatoes, Carrots, Onions - didn't make this last week as planned!
Coconut shrimp w/ parmesan roasted cauliflower
Cajun chicken pasta
Deer Chili

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Tortellini

Wednesday was one of those throw together dinners. I knew I had the components, but didn't have a "recipe". I just went with what I thought would taste well together.

1 pkg of spinach/ricotta tortellini, prepared per package instructions
1 lb ground pork, browned and drained
about 4 mini bell peppers, diced
half an onion, diced
4 oz mushrooms, sliced
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 jar of pasta sauce

Brown the pork and drain it, then add the seasoning, onions and peppers to the pan and saute until tender.
Add the mushrooms and saute until cooked.
Mix in the pasta sauce, and mix in the drained tortellini once cooked.

On the side, I sauteed about 1 lb of asparagus, that were cut into 1-1/2" pieces. I sauteed in about 1 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp olive oil, and seasoned with salt, pepper and Parmesan.

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The Hub's birthday cake

The Hub's birthday was this week. I grew up in a household where you chose your birthday dinner and birthday cake. Is it like this in all families? I'd like to continue that tradition in my household. The only problem is, who will make my cake?

Anywho, the Hubs decided he wanted a carrot cake with the icing that goes on German chocolate cakes. Weird combination, I know. But it worked, and tasted delicious. Notice the past tense in that last sentence...

To make this cake, I used recipes out of two different cookbooks. The cake came out of the Joy of Cooking. The icing came out of Better Homes and Gardens Bridal Edition of the Red Plaid Cookbook.

I used (2) 9" round cake pans and made a layer cake. Next time I make this icing for a layer cake, I'll double the recipe because there was only enough icing to ice between layers and the top. The sides of the cake were exposed.

Carrot Cake

Preheat oven to 350.

Whisk together in a large bowl (I used my large Pyrex bowl):

1-1/3 c flour

1 c sugar

1-1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp salt

In another bowl (I used my medium Pyrex bowl), whisk together:

2/3 c vegetable oil

3 large eggs

Mix into the egg mixture:

1-1/2 c shredded carrots (about 21 baby carrots)

1 c chopped pecans (original recipe called for walnuts)

1 c raisins

1/2 c canned crushed pineapple

Mix the wet mixture into the dry mixture. Scrape into 2 9" pans, or a 9x13, lined with parchment paper. (This was the first time I've lined a cake pan with parchment paper and it was genius!) Bake 25-30 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.

Let cake cook for about 5 minutes, then remove the cake and parchment paper from the pan and let col on racks.

Coconut-Pecan Icing

In a medium saucepan, beat:

1 egg

Add:

2/3 c evaporated milk

2/3 c sugar

1/4 c butter

Cook over medium heat until thickened, about 6 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in:

1-1/3 c coconut

1/2 chopped pecans

Allow to cool before icing the cake.  

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Sweet and Sour Chicken

This is one of those recipes I found on Pinterest. The original may be found here. I tweaked it by adding vegetables. One of our favorite Chinese restaurants in Springfield was Hong Kong Inn, and they put pineapple, peppers, and possibly onions (I can't remember!) in their sweet and sour chicken. It was delicious. I haven't found a Chinese restaurant here that compares. And then I made this recipe.

We may never eat out for Chinese again.

Start off cooking your rice. I used Bob's Red Mill Brown and Wild Rice blend. This takes about 45 minutes to cook properly.

Sweet and Sour Chicken
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" pieces
1 c cornstarch or flour in a ziplock baggie
2 eggs beaten in a bowl
2-3 bell peppers, or about 6 mini peppers, cored, seeded, and julienned

Heat a skillet with about 1/3 c vegetable oil in it.

Put a handful of the chicken into the ziplock baggie and shake it to coat. Then put several pieces in the egg to coat.

Cook the chicken until lightly browned. You'll probably want to coat and cook in several batches.

Put the chicken in a 9x13 pan.

In a separate skillet, saute the peppers in some olive oil until tender. Place on top of the chicken.

For the sauce, mix together:
3/4 c sugar
1/4 c ketchup
1/2 c white vinegar
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp garlic powder

Then pour over the chicken mixture. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Serve over the rice.

Next time, I'll add canned chunk pineapple and about half an onion, sauteed.

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Meals week of 10/29

This week, I went out of town for a conference for work for a day and a half... I knew I would be gone for part of the Hub's birthday, so I made his cake on Sunday. His cake was carrot cake with coconut pecan icing.

For dinners this week:
Tritip roast on the grill
Tortellini with asparagus
Pinto beans with Ham (crockpot)
Sweet and Sour Chicken
Crockpot roast with potatoes, carrots and onions

My lunches:
Sauteed kale and mushrooms with carmelized onions, roasted chickpeas and white cheddar. Make this chickpea recipe!!! I could eat this instead of popcorn!

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Crock Pot BBQ Ribs

About last night's dinner.... I meant to photograph the ribs, but we ate them all. I had about a 2 lb package from the half hog we bought awhile back. The original recipe may be found here.

Crock Pot BBQ Ribs

• 
  
• 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp mustard
• 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp hot sauce
• 1 tsp Sriracha
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 rack spareribs, cut in half as needed to fit in crock pot
• 1 cup your favorite barbecue sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray's)
• 1-1/2 c water

Preparation

In medium bowl, mix all the ingredients.

Add the ribs  to the crockpot  and top with the sauce, turning them to coat. Cover the crock and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

I added water to the recipe because I knew I would be away from the house for 12 hours. Last time I made fajita chicken in the crockpot, I didn't add water, and the chicken was really dry and almost burnt. I didn't want that to happen with ribs!

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Chicken Fricassee

I made this recipe for dinner Sunday night.The original recipe may be found here.

Chicken Fricassee

1 whole chicken, cut into pieces
Seasonings: salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 onion, diced
2 handfuls of baby carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
chicken organs: liver, gizzard, heart, diced
2 Tbsp flour
2/3 c dry white wine (I used Chardonnay)
4 cups chicken broth
2 sprigs fresh parsley
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 large egg (original recipe called for 2 egg yolks)
1/4 c half & half (original recipe called for heavy cream)

Season the chicken pieces with the spices.

Melt the butter in a large dutch oven. Then place the chicken pieces in the butter until lightly browned. Remove chicken and put on a plate; you may need to cook in batches depending on the size of the chicken and pot.

Add the veggies to the dutch oven and saute until tender. Stir in the flour until incorporated. Stir in the wine and cook until evaporated. Stir in the chicken broth, chicken organs and spices. Bring to a boil.

Add the chicken pieces back in and simmer for 25 minutes, or until chicken reaches correct temperature (165).

Remove the chicken pieces to a plate again....

In a heatproof glass, or a coffee mug, mix together the egg and half & half. Stir in 1/4 c of chicken liquid at a time, until mug is full. This is to prevent the egg from scrambling when it hits the broth in the dutch oven! Slowly pour the egg mixture into the veggies, stirring constantly. When all egg is in the pot, add the chicken back in.

Serve!

We ate this on top of mashed potatoes.

You'll notice the original recipe included mushrooms, which I forgot to buy even though they were on the grocery list... How does that happen?

I used one of our freshly butchered roosters for this meal. The rooster was one of those that ran wild in the cow pasture eating bugs and grass all day, and he had the darkest "dark meat" I've ever seen! Very tasty though!

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Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

The original recipe for these Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins may be found here.

The recipe makes 12 muffins. 

Cream cheese filling:

4 oz cream cheese

1/4 c sugar

Mix together with a fork or hand mixer and put in the fridge until needed. 

Muffins:

3/4 c sugar

1/2 c vegetable oil

1 c pumpkin puree

2 eggs

1-3/4 c flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1-1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cloves

Mix together the sugar, oil, pumpkin and eggs. Then mix in the flour, baking soda and spices. 

Place 1-2 Tbsp of the batter in the bottom of a muffin pan, either lightly oiled or lined with paper cups. 

Then place about 1 Tbsp of the cream cheese in the muffin pan. 

Then cover with the remaining batter, about 2-3 Tbsp per muffin. 

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. 

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Meals for week of 10/22

This coming week we're having:

Chicken fricassee - made from one of the roosters we butchered last weekend

Enchilada casserole

BBQ ribs in the crockpot

Goulash - made by the Hubs

Chili - if we need another meal - we need to perfect our recipe so we can win the chili cookoff next year!

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Baked Pasta with Spinach and Sausage

 

Tuesday night for dinner, I made Baked Pasta. The original recipe may be found here.

1/2 c ricotta or cottage cheese
1 c Italian cheese blend, shredded + 1/2 c more for topping
1/2 box of pasta
4 Italian sausage links
10 oz frozen spinach
1 can tomato paste
1 pint tomatoes, I used home canned
Italian seasoning
handful of fresh parsley
3 cloves garlic, smashed and minced

Preheat the oven to 350.

Remove the sausage from its casing and saute in a skillet. Add the spinach and cook until warmed through.

Prepare the pasta per package instructions.

In a medium bowl, mix together the ricotta/cottage cheese, Italian cheese, Italian seasonings and parsley.

In a medium saucepan, simmer the tomato paste, tomatoes and garlic. Cook until slightly thickened.

Once everything is cooked, mix the pasta, spinach/sausage mixture, the cheese mixture, and half of the tomato mixture together. Pour into a 9x9 baking dish.

Cover with the remaining tomato sauce and cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly.

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