Cozy Up With Fall

These are yummy little creatures... I like them topped with chocolate chips or caramelized nuts.

Pumpkin Pancakes!

makes 15 pancakes

2 cups flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons softened butter

2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon allspice

1 & 1/2 cups evaporated milk

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

2 tablespoons veggie oil

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

*Mix first 4 ingredients together until blended.

*Add brown sugar, cinnamon, and allspice to it.

*Then add in the remaining wet ingredients, beat until smooth.

*Make and enjoy pancakes!

Island Treat

Indonesian Chicken
Serves 6-8

1 cup honey
3/4 cup soy sauce (low sodium)
1/4 cup minced garlic (8 to 12 cloves)
1/2 cup peeled and grated fresh ginger root

6-8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1. Cook the honey, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger root in a small saucepan over low heat until the honey is melted.

2. Pour liquid into a 9x13 ceramic or glass baking pan. Place chicken breasts in pan and make sure all parts of the chicken have sauce on it. Cover with tinfoil. Marinate overnight in the refrigerator (or at least for a few hours).

3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cook for 25 minutes covered. Then check to see if it's cooked all the way through, by cutting into one of the breasts.

*The extra chicken, chopped up, is great to top a pizza with when making one!

Pinkie's Cake

This was my Grandma's favorite cake and every time I have it I think of her. ♥ It is easy to make, scrumptious, and looks really beautiful when decorated with fresh flowers.

Lemon Cake

1 pkg. lemon instant pudding

1 box yellow cake mix

4 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup canola oil

1 cup water

*Beat 4 to 5 minutes

*Pour into greased angelfood pan

*Bake @ 350 for 1 hour

Frosting

1 box powdered sugar

Juice of 2 lemons (more or less until creamy)

Grated lemon peel

*After cake has baked, remove from oven and place right-side-up on plate. Frost immediately while hot! Let icing run down sides of cake - patch up spaces.

(I didn't patch them yet in the picture).

Summertime

This is a wonderful dish for the months of summer...

Summer Garden Pasta

serves 4

8 oz. corkscrew pasta

1/3 cup olive oil

3 medium zucchini, thinly sliced

1 cup red onion, chopped

1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

1/4 cup fresh chives, chopped

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

2 medium tomatoes, cut into bite size pieces

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Cook pasta and drain. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion, then zucchini and cook 5 minutes, until zucchini is crisp-tender and onion is translucent, stirring occasionally. Add remaining ingredients, adding tomatoes last (save a little cheese for later). Cook until tomatoes are heated through. Add in pasta, stir together, and serve!

It can be served hot or cold. If serving hot.. plate it, then sprinkle remaining cheese on top. I like it better cold. If you want it cold.. Cool it in the fridge for a few hours. After it is chilled, stir in remaining cheese and sprinkle some on top. It is fabulous!

This recipe I've been making since high school. It's from home ec. class. haha. :) And I am craving some right now!

Lovely on Sundays

I made these as a surprise for Chase on Sunday. He loves blueberry muffins! and he loved these and the crunchy streusel on top!

Blueberry Streusel Muffins

makes 12 muffins

1 & 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon baking powder

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1/3 cup milk

1 cup fresh blueberries 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line muffin cups with paper liners (using a cupcake pan).

Combine 1 & 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Add to flour mixture. Stir together. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups close to the top and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture. 

Crumb topping

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup flour

1/4 cup butter

1 & 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

Mix together sugar, flour, butter, and 1 & 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with a fork and spoon and sprinkle over muffins before baking.

Bake for about 15 minutes.

Ok, ok, ok!

When your pregnant friend says she wants a recipe - - you have to give it to her! Wouldn't want to take away from the cravings being met! Here you go, E....

Mint Brownies

1 c. butter

1/2 c. cocoa powder

2 tablespoons honey

4 eggs

2 c. sugar

1 3/4 c. flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Melt butter and mix in cocoa. Let cool. Add honey, eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix together. Pour batter into a greased 9x13 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Let cool.

Mint Icing

5 tablespoons butter

A dash of salt

3 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

2 1/3 c. powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon mint extract

Soften butter. Add salt, corn syrup, and powdered sugar. Beat until smooth and fluffy. Add mint extract. Mix. Add milk gradually until the consistency is a little thinner than cake frosting.

After the brownies have cooled spread mint icing over brownies. Place brownies in the freezer for a little bit so the icing stiffens. Remove from freezer and add a layer of chocolate icing over the top.

Chocolate Frosting

1/2 c. butter

2/3 c. cocoa powder

3 c. powdered sugar

1/3 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

Soften butter and combine all ingredients with mixer.

*A fun thing... you can add a junior mint or fresh mint leaf on the top of the brownies!

Mother's Day

Pasta for my mama...

My mom LOVES lemon (she will eat a wedge completely plain!) so I made this for her on Mother's Day.

Shrimp Asparagus Pasta

Serves 4

2 tablespoons veggie oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 pound fresh asparagus, cut in 1" pieces

1 lb. cooked shrimp, cleaned and deveined

Juice and zest of 1 lemon

1 cup chicken broth

1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. cornstarch

8 oz. cooked spaghetti

In a large skillet heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and asparagus, saute for 2 minutes. Add shrimp and saute 2 minutes.

In a small bowl combine chicken broth, lemon juice and zest, ginger, and cornstarch. Add to skillet. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute. Toss with spaghetti.

*Lemon slices to garnish.

Fly me to the moon...

Moon Cake

You'll see why I named this moon cake when you make it. 

(Otherwise known as Whitney's birthday cake! :) )

Cake

1 box vanilla cake mix

1 box vanilla pudding (large)

1 1/4 cup water 

1/3 cup oil

4 eggs

1/3 sour cream

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes 

(depends on pan shape).

Frosting

1/3 cup butter

3 cups powered sugar

4-5 tablespoon milk

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 drop red food coloring (just for Whit - to make her cake pink)

Cream together sugar and butter. Add in milk one tablespoon at a time, then vanilla. Sugar and milk to taste... depending upon if you like more buttery frosting or sweet (I added an extra splash of sugar) and if you like thick or fluffy frosting (I like fluffy so I did 5 tablespoons of milk).

*This is probably my favorite homemade vanilla cake ever. The cake part has such an amazing flavor and consistency!

Southern Comfort

Chicken Crescent Almondine

4 chicken breasts, cooked & cubed

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 8 oz. can drained water chestnuts

3/4 cup light mayonnaise

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup light sour cream

1 pkg. reduced fat crescent rolls

1/2 cup sliced almonds

3/4 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese

Combine first 6 ingredients and cook over stove until hot and bubbly.

Put in 9x13 glass baking dish then place rolls on top.

Sprinkle with almonds & then cheese. Cover with tinfoil.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, uncover, bake for about 10 more minutes. Make sure rolls are done.

Make you banana pancakes...

A friend of mine shared this recipe with me and it is sooo yummy! I made half exactly like below and half I added chocolate chips to.

Banana Pancakes
Makes about 12 (4 inch) pancakes

1 1/4 c. all purpose flour
2 tbs sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp nutmeg
3/4 c. skim milk
1 c. mashed ripe bananas
2 tbs oil
2 tsp lemon juice
3 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/4 tsp cinnamon

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Mix well.

Add remaining ingredients. Stir just until dry ingredients are moistened.

To form each pancake, pour about 1/3 c into hot skillet.

Top with carmelized walnuts, bananas, berries, peanut butter or chocolate chips. Then maple syrup!