Pumpkin Bundt Cake
Posted: October 30, 2009 Filed under: Cakes/Cupcakes, Dessert, Holiday Recipe, Pumpkin 3 Comments »Once again my love of pumpkin continues. I needed a last-minute dessert for some unexpected guests and found this recipe. It was very easy to throw together and I decided to top it with a simple powdered sugar glaze which made it even better. The cake was moist and delicious and I liked that the recipe used some ww flour. Great fall cake!
ENJOY!
Ingredients:
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 can (one pound) pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves or allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cup walnut pieces
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan or tube pan. In a large mixing bowl, mix the eggs with a large fork until well blended. Mix in the sugar. Add the oil in a steady stream, mixing all the while, until the mixture is thick and smooth. Mix in the pumpkin, vanilla, cinnamon, clove and salt. Add the baking soda and baking powder in pinches, breaking up any lumps with your fingers. Stir in thoroughly. Stir in the whole wheat and all-purpose flours just until blended. Stir in the walnuts.
Pour and scrape the batter into the pan and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Invert, remove the pan, and cool on the rack for about 15 minutes more. Once cool top with glaze if using.
Lighter Chicken Corn Chili
Posted: October 29, 2009 Filed under: Chicken, Chili, Crock Pot, Light and healthy, Soups/Stews 1 Comment »Mmmm I love different chilis on a football Saturday. Nothing is better than a crock full of delicious smelling chicken or beef chilis. I found this recipe in my Parents Magazine. This was great and perfect with either cornbread or crusty rolls.
ENJOY!
Ingredients:
1 large onion, chopped
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
1 jalapeno chile, seeded and chopped
1-3/4 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt-I omitted
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with jalapenos, drained
1-1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed
2 cans (15 ounces each) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons stone-ground cornmeal
Shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Directions:
In a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine onion, chicken, low-sodium broth, green pepper, jalapeno, 1-1/2 teaspoons of the cumin, 1/4 teaspoon of the cayenne and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Cover and cook on HIGH for 4 hours or LOW for 6 hours.
Remove the chicken to a cutting board and allow to cool slightly. Shred the chicken and return it to the slow cooker with remaining 1/4 teaspoon each of the cumin and cayenne, and the tomatoes, corn and beans. Gently mash some of the beans against the side of the bowl to thicken the chili. Stir in the cornmeal and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Let sit a few minutes to soften the cornmeal. Serve sprinkled with a little of the Monterey Jack cheese.
Nutritional info: Mine would be a bit less sodium as I omitted the extra salt.
Servings Per Recipe 6 servings
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 287
- Total Fat (g) 3
- Saturated Fat (g) 1
- Cholesterol (mg) 45
- Sodium (mg) 736
- Carbohydrate (g) 38
- Fiber (g) 9
- Protein (g) 27
Pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting
Posted: October 28, 2009 Filed under: Cakes/Cupcakes, Dessert, Holiday Recipe, Pumpkin 6 Comments »I love baking for others. So when it was time to bake for H work again, I was instructed to make something non-chocolate. Someone at his work isnt a chocolate fan (THE HORROR..LOL) and had kindly asked if I could make something non-chocolate for a change. So I knew with the Halloween/fall season upon us, I wanted to make some pumpkin cupcakes. I topped them with cream cheese frosting. These are sooo good!
ENJOY!
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice; set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together, brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, and eggs. Add dry ingredients, and whisk until smooth. Whisk in pumpkin puree. Divide batter evenly among liners, filling each about halfway. Bake until tops spring back when touched, and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating pans once if needed. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely. Top with cream cheese frosting. I dyed it orange for Halloween.
Halloween/fall Recipes
Posted: October 27, 2009 Filed under: Random Thoughts about cooking 1 Comment »HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Here are a few of our favorite Halloween/fall dishes:
http://lovestoeat.wordpress.com/?s=halloween
http://lovestoeat.wordpress.com/?s=fall
http://lovestoeat.wordpress.com/?s=pumpkin
ENJOY and have a spooky Halloween!
Crescent Mummy Dogs
Posted: October 27, 2009 Filed under: Appetizer, Halloween, Holiday Recipe, Quick 1 Comment »A great Halloween treat from Pillsbury! You can add cheese as well, but I left that out. You can also use mini dogs for a cute app as well.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
ENJOY!
Ingredients:
1 package (8 count) refrigerated crescent rolls (low fat is fine)
8 reduced-fat kosher hot dogs (or hot dogs with no nitrates)
mustard
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Unwrap refrigerated crescent rolls. Divide crescent rolls into eight triangles. Pulling the dough taut, wrap it around a hot dog, making it look like the bandages on a mummy. Repeat with remaining hot dogs and crescent rolls. Place on a baking sheet, and bake in the preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until the dough is golden brown and the hot dogs are cooked through.
Sneaky Slithering Stromboli
Posted: October 26, 2009 Filed under: Halloween, Holiday Recipe, Italian, Pizza Leave a comment »H loves stromboli and when I saw this recipe, I knew he would love it and it totally fits this time of year, Halloween!! I found this recipe from Target recipes cards. This was super fun to make and very tasty!
ENJOY!
Sorry for no photo from me, but pls see Crazy Day Dinner for a great picture or the Target recipes spot! Hope to take one next time! Mine tasted great but didnt come out photo worthy AT ALL…LOL!
Ingredients:
(13.8 oz.) pkg. refrigerated pizza crust
1/4 lb. sliced provolone cheese
20 slices pepperoni
1 (26 oz.) jar Ragu™ Old World Style pasta sauce
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese-I omitted this…seemed like A LOT of cheese with the provolone
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Slithering stromboli garnishes
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Roll dough out to a 14×10 inch rectangle. Spread with 1/4 of pasta sauce, leaving a 1-inch border. Layer with Provolone and pepperoni. Sprinkle with Mozzarella.
Starting at longest end, roll up jelly-roll style. Fold in ends and pinch to seal. On baking pan, arrange roll in an s-shape, seam-side down. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top.
Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes and slice. Serve with extra pasta sauce, heated.
Notes:
Use sliced zucchini rounds and pitted ripe olives for eyes, chives for eyebrows and a long, thinly sliced carrot for tongue.
Lighter Layered Mexican Bake
Posted: October 25, 2009 Filed under: Light and healthy, Mexican 1 Comment »MMmmmm Mexican is my favorite and this was fantastic. A great WW recipe and was easy to make. It makes a lot so I cut it down to just fit the two of us. SOOO GOOD!
ENJOY!
Ingredients:
1 spray(s) olive oil cooking spray
2 pound(s) uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast-I used gr white turkey breast
30 oz canned black beans, rinsed and drained (I only use one can, which is 15oz)
3 cup(s) fat-free sour cream–I used light and only a half a cup and a bit on top after baking
2 cup(s) shredded reduced-fat Mexican-style cheese, divided-I used mozz
8 oz chopped green chilies, two 4-oz cans –I used green peppers
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper
12 medium corn tortilla(s), cut into 2-inch strips -I used WW light, low carb wraps
1 cup(s) salsa, mild, medium or hot (I put one cup in the mixture to cook and serve with more on the side)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat a lasagna pan with cooking spray.
Place chicken in medium saucepan and fill with enough cold water just to cover chicken. Set pan over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 10 to 15 minutes; drain. When chicken is cool enough to handle, cut into 1-inch pieces. (I browned the turkey meat instead)
Transfer chicken to a large bowl and add beans, sour cream, 1 cup of shredded cheese, chilies, cumin, and pepper; mix well and set aside. (I added one cup of salsa)
Arrange half of tortillas in bottom of prepared lasagna pan, overlapping pieces to cover surface. Top tortillas with half of chicken mixture, layer with remaining tortillas and then top with remaining chicken mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cup of cheese.
Bake until filling is bubbly and cheese is melted, about 30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing into pieces. Serve with salsa on the side
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
Posted: October 24, 2009 Filed under: Cookies, Dessert, Holiday Recipe, Pumpkin Leave a comment »mmmmm I LOVE whoopie pies, especially with cream cheese filing. This was perfect with the pumpkin flavor in the cookie part. I cant wait for H to take these to his garage where he works on his car and share them there. They will love these!
ENJOY!
Ingredients:
FOR THE PUMPKIN WHOOPIE COOKIES
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground cloves
2 cups firmly packed dark-brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 cups pumpkin puree, chilled
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
FOR THE CREAM-CHEESE FILLING
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Directions:
Make the cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat; set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves; set aside. In another large bowl, whisk together brown sugar and oil until well combined. Add pumpkin puree and whisk until combined. Add eggs and vanilla and whisk until well combined. Sprinkle flour mixture over pumpkin mixture and whisk until fully incorporated.
Using a small ice cream scoop with a release mechanism, drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Transfer to oven and bake until cookies are just starting to crack on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of each cookie comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely on pan.
Make the filling: Sift confectioner’ sugar into a medium bowl; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth. Add cream cheese and beat until well combined. Add confectioners’ sugar and vanilla, beat just until smooth. (Filling can be made up to a day in advance. Cover and refrigerate; let stand at room temperature to soften before using.)
Assemble the whoopie pies: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Transfer filling to a disposable pastry bag and snip the end. When cookies have cooled completely, pipe a large dollop of filling on the flat side of half of the cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookies, pressing down slightly so that the filling spreads to the edge of the cookies. Transfer to prepared baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate cookies at least 30 minutes before serving and up to 3 days.
Colored Cutouts
Posted: October 23, 2009 Filed under: Cookies, Dessert, Halloween, Holiday Recipe 2 Comments »I recently saw some very cute cutout cookies and knew I wanted to make some with my new pumpkin cutter. I decided to dye the dough three different shades of orange and make cute pumpkin shortbread cookies. I used my shortbread recipe and the directions and idea from Stephanie cooks!
HAPP HALLOWEEN!
ENJOY!
Here they are:
HAPPY HALLOWEEN
Posted: October 21, 2009 Filed under: Cookies, Dessert, Halloween, Holiday Recipe 6 Comments »I wanted to try my hand at royal icing and have put it off for a while, but today was the day to try it. I made my usual sugar cookies in a simple circle shape and then followed Brown Eyed Baker’s tutorial of royal icing cookies. Mine came out ok. I think I did ok, but need a lot more practice with royal icing to get them looking spectacular, but all in all I found it to be easy to work with and fun to decorate my cookies. I did add some almond flavoring to the royal icing as I love it on sugar cookies and it was great.
ENJOY!
