Chicken Pad Thai

Another really good Weight Watcher meal. This is 9 points per serving. You know it is good when your kids eat it without complaining. :) Ichanged the recipe a little but nothing that would effect the points.
I finsihed my first week on WW with a 8.6 pound weightloss, every night I made a WW meal.
I went over on my points one day and used all my extra weekly points. My goal this week is to not go over and to save all my extra points for the WW carrot cake I plan on making for Easter.

7 oz packaged rice noodles
1 pound(s) uncooked boneless skinless chicken breast(s), cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1/4 cup(s) fish sauce, divided
4 cup(s) uncooked broccoli, florets
1 medium uncooked carrot(s), finely sliced
1/4 cup(s) fresh lime juice, divided
1Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp water
1 1/2 tsp ginger root, fresh, finely minced (I used powder ginger because I was out of fresh, about 3/4 tsp.)
2 spray(s) cooking spray
4 tsp peanut oil, divided
1 tsp green hot chili peppers, or red chili pepper, Thai-variety, deveined, seeded, minced* (I used jalapeno)
4 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), minced
1 1/2 cup(s) uncooked bean sprouts
2 1/2 oz peanuts, dry-roasted, salted, minced (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup(s) cilantro, fresh, minced

Soak noodles in cold water for 1 hour. Place chicken in a small bowl and cover with 1 tablespoon of fish sauce; set aside. Steam broccoli and carrot until crisp-tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Immediately immerse in cold water; drain and set aside. Meanwhile, in another small bowl, combine remaining 3 tablespoons of fish sauce, 3 tablespoons of lime juice, sugar, water and ginger; mix well and set aside. Coat a large wok or skillet with cooking spray and warm over medium-high heat; add 2 teaspoons of oil. When hot, add chicken; cook, stirring occasionally until chicken is cooked through, about 4 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and cover to keep warm; set aside. Drain noodles thoroughly. Off heat, coat same wok or skillet with cooking spray and warm over medium-high heat; add remaining 2 teaspoons of oil. When hot, sauté garlic and chili pepper until just fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add noodles and fish sauce mixture; cook, stirring, until sauce is mostly absorbed, about 3 minutes. Stir in chicken and peanuts; remove from heat. Add remaining tablespoon of lime juice, bean sprouts and cilantro; mix well. Serve immediately. Yields about 2 cups per serving.

Honey-Ginger Chicken Thighs

 This is a really good Weight Watcher recipe it is only 6 points


















2 Tbsp. ginger root, freshly grated, or less to taste
2 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), minced
1/4 fl oz. orange juice
2 Tbsp. low sodium soy sauce
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 pound uncooked boneless skinless chicken thigh, cut into 36 chunks
2 tsp. honey

In a medium glass bowl, combine ginger, garlic, hoisin sauce, orange juice, soy sauce and pepper; add chicken and turn to coat with marinade. Cover bowl and refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours.
When ready to cook, soak 12 wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes (or use metal skewers).
I grilled mine on a cast iron grill to give the grill mark before cooking in the oven.

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil to catch drippings; place a wire rack over prepared pan.
Remove chicken from marinade; reserve marinade. Thread 3 pieces of chicken onto each skewer and place on wire rack; cook for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, spoon reserved marinade into a small saucepan; stir in honey. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat; boil for at least 1 minute to kill any bacteria.
After chicken has cooked for 10 minutes, remove from oven and generously brush with boiled marinade. Flip skewers and bake until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes more. Place on a serving platter and garnish with scallions. Yields 2 skewers per serving.

Ginger Lemon Cookies

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1 large egg
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup diced (1/8 inch) crystallized ginger





Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment; set aside. In an electric mixer, use paddle to mix butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl twice. Add egg; mix on high speed to combine. Add zest; mix to combine.In a bowl, whisk together flour, ground ginger, baking soda, salt, and crystallized ginger; add to butter mixture; mix on medium-low speed to combine, about 20 seconds.Using two spoons, drop about 2 teaspoons of batter on baking sheet; repeat, spacing them 3 inches apart. Bake for 7 minutes. Sprinkle cookies with sugar, rotate sheets between oven shelves, and bake until just golden, about 7 minutes more. Slide parchment with cookies onto a wire rack; let cool 15 minutes. Store in an airtight container

Fried Rice

2 egg
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cups cooked white rice, cold
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup frozen vegetable
1 cup cooked, chopped chicken meat
green onions, sliced

In a small bowl, beat egg with water. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium low heat. Add egg and leave flat for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from skillet and cut into shreds.
Heat oil in same skillet; add onion and saute until soft. Add frozen vegetables and cook for a few minutes. Then add rice, soy sauce, pepper and chicken. Stir fry together for about 5 minutes, then stir in egg and green onion. Serve hot.

 

 

 

 

Fudge

My grandmother use to make a Rocky Road fudge and would add mini marshmallow and walnuts to her fudge. I made this for someone so I did not add caramel or nuts like I wanted to because I was not sure if she likes them added to her fudge. Next time I will. :)

1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow creme
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1/4 cup butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk chocolate chips
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Line an 8x8 inch pan with aluminum foil. Set aside.
In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine marshmallow cream, sugar, evaporated milk, butter and salt. Bring to a full boil, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat and pour in semisweet chocolate chips and milk chocolate chips. Stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Stir in vanilla. Pour into prepared pan. Chill in refrigerator for 2 hours, or until firm

 

 

Pasta Salad

2 cups rotini pasta,uncooked
2 cups fresh broccoli florets
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 cup celery, sliced
1/4 cup sliced black olives
1/3 cup Kraft Light House Italian Dressing
1/4 cup Kraft Grated Parmesan Cheese.
Cook pasta in large saucepan as directed on package, adding broccoli to the boiling water for the last 2 min.; drain. Place in medium bowl and add remaining ingredients; mix lightly. Cover.REFRIGERATE several hours or until chilled.

Chicken Parmesan Spinach Bundles

4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, well drained
1-1/4 cups Kraft Shredded Low-Moisture Part-Skim Mozzarella Cheese, divided
6 Tbsp. Kraft Grated Parmesan Cheese, divided
6 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1-1/2 lb.), pounded to 1/4-inch thickness (I just cut deep slits in mine, I hate to pound chicken)
2 egg
2 Ritz Crackers, crushed (about 1 cup)
1-1/2 cups spaghetti sauce, heated
Preheat oven to 375
Mix cream cheese, spinach, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese and 3 Tbsp. of the Parmesan cheese until well blended; spread evenly onto chicken breasts. Starting at one of the short ends of each breast, roll up chicken tightly. Secure with wooden toothpicks, if desired. Set aside.BEAT egg in shallow bowl or pie plate. Mix remaining 3 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese and the cracker crumbs in separate shallow bowl or pie plate. Dip chicken bundles in egg, then roll in crumb mixture. Place, seam-sides down, in 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.BAKE 30 min. or until chicken is cooked through (165ºF). Remove and discard toothpicks, if using. Serve topped with the spaghetti sauce and remaining 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese.

Lemon Bars

 


















1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 lemons, juiced
1 T Lemon peel,finely grated

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
In a medium bowl, blend together softened butter, 2 cups flour and 1/2 cup sugar. Press into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 inch pan.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until firm and golden ( Ionly let mine get a little color to it). In another bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1/4 cup flour. Whisk in the eggs, lemon peel and lemon juice. Pour over the baked crust.
Bake for an additional 20 minutes in the preheated oven. The bars will firm up as they cool.

 

 

Quinoa Tabbouleh

 


















2 cups water
1 cup quinoa
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 tomatoes, diced
1 Hothouse cucumber, diced
2 bunches green onions, diced

1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
In a saucepan bring water to a boil. Add quinoa and a pinch of salt. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature; fluff with a fork.Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine olive oil, sea salt, lemon juice, tomatoes, cucumber, green onions, carrots and parsley. Stir in cooled quinoa

Valentine Cupcakes

 



























This is the Duncan Hines recipe I made , I just changed a few things. They are really good made the way the recipe calls for. I love coconut but think they would be better without the coconut and I always like homemade frosting better.

1 pkg Duncan Hines® Moist Deluxe® Red Velvet Cake Mix
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
Frosting
2/ 8oz cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
1 tea vanilla
4 cups powder sugar
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease muffin pans or line with paper baking cups.
Prepare batter according to package directions
Spoon batter into lined muffin cups. In small bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar and egg; mix until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips and coconut.
Spoon about 1 tablespoon cream cheese mixture onto batter of each cupcake.Bake 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cupcakes following package directions. Spread cupcakes with frosting.
Frosting
Beat butter and cream cheese until smooth, add vanilla and slowly add powder sugar (I don't alway add four cups, taste and add what you think is good) whip until light and fluffy

Spicy Chicken Chowder

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Aprils-Home-Cooking/112189978816473?sk=notes#!/notes/aprils-home-cooking/chipotle-chicken-chowder/558156204195777

1 can chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 Anaheim pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried thyme
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups whole milk
2 cups chicken stock6 small red potatoes, peeled and diced small
4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
4 ounces Cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
2 cups diced, cooked chicken breast
2 cups frozen corn
1 (15-ounce) can cream-style corn
1 cup crushed tortilla chips
Juice from 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons)
Chopped cilantro, to garnish (optional)

1. Remove one (I used two) chile from the can of chiles and mince it. Remove 1 teaspoon of the adobo sauce and set it aside to be used later. You can save the remaining chiles and sauce for another use.
2. Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven or stock pot over medium heat. Add the poblano pepper, red bell pepper, the chile from the can, cumin, thyme and oregano, and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the peppers become soft. Add the garlic, stir and cook for an additional 30 seconds, or until fragrant.
3. Stir in the flour with a wooden spoon and cook for 1 minute, or until there is no longer any visible raw flour. Slowly stir in the milk and chicken broth, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan as you stir.
4. Add the potatoes, bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and can be easily pierced with a knife.
5. Add the shredded cheeses a handful at a time, stirring after each addition until the cheese is completely melted.
6. Finally, stir in the chicken, both cans of corn, the tortilla chips, lime juice and the reserved 1 teaspoon of adobo sauce. Cover and cook for an additional 10 minutes, or until the soup is completely heated through. Serve immediately.
Note: If you have leftovers that have been refrigerated and reheated, you may need to thin out the soup with some extra chicken stock, as it may thicken up in the refrigerator.

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Chicken Sandwich

I can't seem to upload photos off my computer so I have to add links from my Faceook page.
You really need to make this it is so good.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Aprils-Home-Cooking/112189978816473?sk=notes#!/notes/aprils-home-cooking/chicken-sandwich/557151287629602

Smokey Orange Chicken

8 (5-ounce) skinless chicken breast halves (with bone)
Salt and ground black pepper
1 cup orange marmalade
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a large roasting pan with cooking spray.
Season chicken all over with salt and black pepper. Arrange chicken in prepared pan and set aside.
In a small bowl, combine orange marmalade, soy sauce and liquid smoke. Mix until blended. Pour mixture over chicken.
Roast 35 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Serve 4 chicken breast halves with this meal and refrigerate remaining chicken until ready to use"

Red Velvet Cake

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 2 ounces red food coloring 1 cup buttermilk 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup shortening 1 1/2 cups white sugar 2 eggs 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon white vinegar

	Grease two 9 inch round pans. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Make a paste of cocoa and food coloring. Set aside.
	Combine the buttermilk, salt and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and 1 1/2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the cocoa mixture. Beat in the buttermilk mixture alternately with the flour, mixing just until incorporated. Stir together baking soda and vinegar, then gently fold into the cake batter.
	Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting. Refrigerate until ready to serve. I just made  NY cheesecake for the middle layer, I will post that recipe later. It is from my Juniors cookbook.
.	Frosting I just throw my frosting together  2 8oz cream cheese 1/4 cup butter 1 t vanilla Powder sugar Cream butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add vanilla and enough powder sugar to your taste.

Herb StuffedPork Roast

1 Pork rib with six ribs
3 cups fresh parsley
3 T Olive Oil
1 T fennel seed, rushed
3 cloves garlic
1/3 c golden raisins
2 T flour
2 1/4 cups chicken broth
1 T grainy mushroom seed

Let pork sit at room temp. 30 minutes Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a food processor, puree parsley,oil, fennel seed and garlic until smooth. Add raisins; pulse until finely chopped. Season with salt and pepper.I asked my butcher to butterfly my pork to save me a little time. Butterfly pork being careful not to remove bones. Spread herb mixture evenly over pork and roll up tightly towards bones, secure with twine between bones season wth salt and pepper. Place pork in a heavy bottom roasting  pan.Roast until a instant thermometer inserted in center reads 145 about 60 minutes.

Transfer pork to a cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest 30 minutes. Pour the drippings into a measuring cup and skim off fat. Add 1/4 cup chicken broth into pan scraping  up brown bits with a wooden spoon cook until reduced in half. Whisk in flour, then slowly wisk in remaining 2 cups broth, whisking until gravy is thicken about four minutest . Stir in mustard and seasonn with salt and pepper. Cut pork and serve with gravy.

Gumdrop cookies

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 tea nutmeg
1 tea cinnamon
1/2 tea cloves
2 cups flour
1/2 cup uncooked quick oats
1/2 cup coconut
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup gumdrops
1/2 cup pecans

Heat oven to 375°. Lightly grease cookie sheets.
In a large mixing bowl, combine sugars, butter, shortening, egg and vanilla. Beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.
Add remaining ingredients, except gumdrops, and beat until a soft dough forms. Then add gumdrops and nuts 
Drop dough by heaping teaspoons 2-inches apart on prepared baking sheet.  Bake 7-10 minutes or until golden brown. Cook

The True Olive Connection

Today my husband and I went downtown for lunch and decided to walk around a little. Across the street from Cafe' Gratitude is a The True Olive Connection and a nut place, sorry can't remember the name of the nut place, we did buy some great pumpkin sugar almonds though. But back to the Olive Connection, you are able to sample all the olive oils and balsamic vinegar, I was so full from lunch that I could not try anything else so I had my husband try them. The oils where good and I will be going back to get some before Christmas. I also had my husband try some of the balsamic vinegar I am not sure which ones he tried but I tried the black cherry one.....oh my! I could just drink this out of the bottle it was so good. I was thinking of using it on salad and also as a marinade for chicken. I bet it it would be great on pineapple. I rarely write about something I buy but it you live in the Santa Cruz area you need to go check them out. I can't wait to go back in there and buy some more.

Turkey Pot Pie 2012

Turkey Pot Pie for dinner tonight. Need my fridge back so I need to get the turkey used up.

2 cups left over turkey, chopped in big pieces (or small, I was too lazy to chopped it up small.)
2 cup frozen mixed vegetables
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon celery seed
2 bouillon cubes
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
2/3 cup milk
2 (9 inch) unbaked pie crusts

Preheat oven to 425 degrees
In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Slowly stir in chicken broth, cubes and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and set aside.
Place the turkey mixture, vegetables and sauce in a large bowl, mix well. Pour into bottom pie crust. Cover with top crust, seal edges, and cut away excess dough. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Banana Split Cake Delight.

Oh my, I can’t believe I found this recipe. I use to make this when my kids were little.

1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs

½ cup butter, softened.

1 cup powder sugar

1 egg

4 bananas, cut in half lengthwise

1 (8oz) can crushed pineapple

1 (8oz) cream cheese, softened.

Cool whip

½ cups chopped nuts

                In a small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and ½ cup butter; mix well. Press in bottom of a 9x9 inch baking pan. Bake @ 350 degree oven for 5 minutes. Cool.

                In a small bowl, combine powder sugar, egg and remaining ¼ cup butter; beat until smooth. Spread sugar mixture on top of cooled crust. Place banana halves over sugar mixture. Drain pineapple. Reserve ¼ cup liquid. Sprinkle pineapple over bananas. In a small bowl, combine ¼ cup reserved pineapple juice and cream cheese; beat until smooth. Spread over pineapple. Top with cool whip and nuts. Chill over for a few hours or over night.

Island Fruit Punch

I cannot believe I found this recipe, I LOVE this punch. I use to make it for birthday’s and holiday’s.  It is sooooooo good.

1 (29 oz) can pear halves, chilled

1 (12 oz) can frozen lemonade concentrate

3 cups unsweetened pineapple juice, chilled.

1 (28 oz) bottle (3 ½ c) 7-up, chilled

1 quart pineapple, lemon or orange sherbet.  (I like orange, I use lime for Saint Patty’s day)

                Place undrained pears and frozen concentrate in a blender; cover and blend until smooth. Combine with pineapple juice and 2 cups cold water. Pour mixture into a large punch bowl, slowly pour in 7-up and add sherbet  on top, or top each cup with a scoop of sherbet.

 

 

Clara’s Caramel Corn (the best caramel corn)

About 30 years ago my Mother-in-law bought me a cookbook from a church fundraiser in Orville, Ca.

All these years it has had some of my favorite recipes, some are lost because the book was so well used.  I know once it had a green cover and that is also long gone. I would love to find another one to replace all my missing pages. This recipe for caramel corn I believe is the best one I have ever had. This will shock all those who know me, I did not change the recipe at all I just added almonds to it.

1 ¼ cup butter

2 cup brown sugar

½ cup white Karo syrup

1 t salt

½ t baking soda

1 t vanilla

2 cup almonds or pecans

6 quarts popped popcorn

                Stir butter, brown sugar, Karo and salt until it starts boiling. Boil 5 minutes without stirring. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda and vanilla. Pour over 6 quarts popcorn in a non-stick pan. Stir well. Place on 2 or more cookie sheets and bake at 250 degrees for one hour. Stir often.

Eggnog Coffee

 This is a really good recipe. I use to make this for my girls when they were  teens, I don't think they remember it though.

1-1/2 teaspoons instant coffee granules
1 tablespoon hot water
4 cups eggnog
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract In a bowl, dissolve coffee in water. Add eggnog, brown sugar and cinnamon; whisk until sugar is dissolved. Chill. In a mixing bowl, beat cream, confectioners' sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Pour eggnog mixture into glasses; top with whipped cream. Yield: 4 cups.

Bean Soup with a kick

 















1 tablespoon olive oil

8 large garlic cloves, crushed or minced

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

4 cups chopped raw kale (cut in small pieces)

4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

2 (15 ounce) cans white beans, such as cannellini or navy, undrained

1 14 oz can diced tomatoes

2 teaspoons dried Italian herb seasoning

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup chopped parsley

*

In a large pot, heat olive oil. Add garlic and onion; saute until soft. Add kale and saute, stirring, until wilted. Add 3 cups of broth, 2 cups of beans, and all of the tomato, herbs, salt and pepper. Simmer 5 minutes. In a blender or food processor, mix the remaining beans and broth until smooth. Stir into soup to thicken. Simmer 25 minutes. Ladle into bowls; sprinkle with chopped parsley.

 

Next time I make this I will add chopped carrots

 

*I also added about 1/4 cup of Orzo to give it a little more thickness for the boys. After I cooked it for 20 minutes I added the Orzo. 

Hummus

2 cups canned garbanzo beans, drained 1/3 cup tahini 1/4 cup lemon juice 1 teaspoon salt 2 cloves garlic, halved 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 pinch paprika 1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley  Place the garbanzo beans, tahini, lemon juice, salt and garlic in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Transfer mixture to a serving bowl.

Pumpkin bread

I doubled this recipe and it made three loaves. It would make four but I have a long bread pan that I baked one in and it was the one that turned out the best. I also put pumpkin seeds on one and salted pecan on the long one and it was really good. I loved the sweet and salty flavor combination.

1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree

4 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

2/3 cup water

2 cups white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

11/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon allspice 

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

	Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Grease and flour three 7x3 inch loaf pans.
	In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger and allspice. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.
	Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Tamales

This is a Alton Brown recipe. Might be my favorite for tamales so far.

 

I have to confess...I go to the little Mexican Market here in town and order my masa since I make so many at a time I don't want to deal with it. I tell them they are for Tamales and I want the dough a little on the dry side so I can mix in the wonderful liquid from what my meat was cooking in. I also add more garlic and jalapeno peppers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1/4 cup chili powder

2 tablespoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon onion powder

2 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon freshly toasted and ground cumin seed

2 pounds Boston butt meat, untrimmed

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

 

For the wrappers:

 

4 to 5 dozen dried corn husks

For the cornmeal dough:

2 pounds yellow cornmeal, approximately 6 cups

1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

7 1/2 ounces lard, approximately 1 cup

3 to 4 cups reserved cooking liquid

 

For the meat filling:

 

In a small bowl, combine the chili powder, kosher salt, paprika, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, black pepper and cumin. Divide the mixture in half and reserve 1 half for later use.
Cut the Boston butt into 6 even pieces and place into a 6 to 8-quart saucepan. Add half of the spice mixture and enough water, 3 to 3 1/2 quarts, to completely cover the meat. Set over high heat, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the meat is very tender and falling apart, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Remove the meat from the cooking liquid to a cutting board. Leave the cooking liquid in the pot. Both meat and liquid need to cool slightly before making dough and handling. Remove any large pieces of fat and shred the meat into small pieces, pulling apart with your hands or using 2 forks.
Place a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat and add the vegetable oil. Once shimmering, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are semi-translucent, approximately 3 minutes. Add the garlic, jalapeno, and remaining half of the spice mixture and continue to cook for another minute. Add the meat and cook until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
For the wrappers:
While the meat is cooking, place the husks in a large bowl or container and submerge completely in hot water. Soak the husks until they are soft and pliable, at least 45 minutes and up to 2 hours.
For the dough:
Place the cornmeal, salt, and baking powder into a large mixing bowl and combine. Add the lard and using your hands, knead together until the lard is well incorporated into the dry mixture. Gradually add enough of the reserved cooking liquid, 3 to 4 cups to create a dough that is like thick mashed potatoes. The dough should be moist but not wet. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and set aside until ready to use.
To assemble the tamales:
Remove a corn husks from the water and pat dry to remove excess water. Working in batches of 6, lay the husks on a towel and spread about 2 tablespoons of the dough in an even layer across the wide end of the husk to within 1/2-inch of the edges. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the meat mixture in a line down the center of the dough. Roll the husk so the dough surrounds the meat, then fold the bottom under to finish creating the tamale. Repeat until all husks, dough and filling are used. Tie the tamales, around the center, individually or in groups of 3, with kitchen twine.
To cook the tamales:
Stand the tamales upright on their folded ends, tightly packed together, in the same saucepan used to cook the meat. Add the reserved broth from making the dough and any additional water so the liquid comes to 1-inch below the tops of the tamales. Try not to pour the broth directly into the tops of the tamales. Cover, place over high heat and bring to a boil, approximately 12 minutes. Remove the lid, reduce the heat to low, to maintain a low simmer, and cook until the dough is firm and pulls away easily from the husk, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Serve the tamales warm. For a 'wet' hot tamale, serve with additional simmering liquid. Store leftover tamales, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, in the freezer, for up to a month. To reheat, remove the plastic wrap and steam until heated through.

Caramel Corn

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1/2 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
teaspoon vanilla extract
5 quarts popped popcorn
Almonds

Preheat oven to 250 degrees Place popcorn in a very large bowl.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in brown sugar, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil without stirring 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in soda and vanilla. Pour in a thin stream over popcorn, stirring to coat.
Place in two large shallow baking dishes and bake in preheated oven, stirring every 15 minutes, for 1 hour. Remove from oven and let cool completely before breaking into pieces

Sweet and Spicy Chicken and vegetables Stir-Fry

I got this recipe out of my Cooking Light magazine. I seen it while I was on luch at work (I have a hour lunch so I bring things to read) anyhow, I knew I was going to make it because it looked so good. I have not owned a wok in at least 25 years, I just use a large pan.















3 T dark brown sugar
1 1/2 T lower-sodium soy sauce
1 T fish sauce (I had to sneak this in because my son hates anything to do with fish) he did ask   
                          if  had oyster sauce in it. I told him no, but failed to say it had fish sauce in it.)
1 T rice wine vinegar
1 T sambal oelek
1 t dark sesame-oil
3/4 t cornstarch
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
8 ounces sugar snap peas
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1/2 medium red onion, cut into thin wedges
1/4 sliced green onions
1/4 unsalted dry-roasted peanuts

Combine the first 7 ingredients, stirring well; set aside.
Heat a large wok (or large pan) over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon canola oil to pan, swirl to coat. Add chicken, stir-fry for 4 minutesor until brown and done. Remove from wok. Add remaining 1 T oil to pan. Add snap peas, bell peppers and red onions. Stir-fry for 3 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in brown sugar mixture cook one minute or until thickened. Stir in chicken onions and peanuts.

Apple Donuts

I love Autumn all the scents and flavors that go with it. I love the Fall recipes, the colors, just about everything. I have a lot of wonderful memories with my kids when they where little and they are all center around Autumn. Some of the places we went were Casa de Fruita, pumpkin Patch, walks to the park and rolling down the hills together, trips to the library (OK, that took place all the time) but there was just something special about going in the Fall. Maybe it was because the books we would get to read together and the planning for Thanksgiving and then came decorating for Christmas. Most of the kids are grown up and on their own now and every time the weather changes I miss them being little again. I think what started it was I seen a little girl who came into the store skipping with braids and she reminded me of my girls when they were little, which made me make the remark to my husband that we should adopt a little one. I think he just thinks I have lost it. We have six kids, two are still at home but time is moving really fast the older we get and I have to say these two are pretty boring, they only like to  play Xbox and computers. :o) But there are times I can drag them out and believe me it feels like I am dragging them sometimes.

Well back to my post. My house smells like a crisp cool Autumn day with these donuts in the oven. I would say between our strange weather and the smell of these baking has got me really thinking about Autumn. Well to be honest with you I have been thinking a lot of about Autumn these past few weeks.
I seen this recipe on Barbara Bakes and knew I was going to change it a little, one thing I did not do and wished I did was either grate the apples or just left them out all together. But my boys are eating them up so they must not be too bad, my 16 year is the one who said I should had left the apples out. I think he is just glad I opened the apple sauce and apple cider so he could have some.



1 cup  apple cider
1/2 cup very finely chopped or better yet grated dried apples
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup applesauce
1 tsp vanilla extract

Topping
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

In a small saucepan, simmer the apple juice and dried apples over medium heat until all of the liquid has been absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
Preheat oven to 325º. Lightly grease two 6 count donut pans with cooking spray or vegetable oil.
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat together sugar and egg until well combined. Whisk in vegetable oil, applesauce and vanilla extract. Stir in cooled apple mixture. Add dry ingredients and stir just until combined.
Divide batter evenly into 12 donut cups, filling each about 3/4 full. (Use a pastry bag or plastic bag with corner cut out to make filling the cups easier.)
Bake for 10-15 minutes, until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
While donuts are baking, in a small bowl combine remaining sugar and cinnamon for topping.
When donuts are done, cool for a few minutes in the pan, remove from pan and dip donut top in cinnamon sugar mixture. Cool on a wire rack.
Makes 12 baked donuts.

Blueberry Bars

http://aprilshomecooking.blogspot.com/2009/07/aprils-home-cooking.html

I cooked some of the berries this time with a T water and spread them on top of the cooked bottom layer, then I added some fresh berries on top, added my top crust and baked. I then added orange juice to powder and while the bars where warm drizzled the mixture on top of the bars.