Gold at the End of the Rainbow Pretzels

I don't generally keep sugar cereals around, but when I saw these Rockin' Xtreme Colors Fruity Pebbles, a light bulb went on. They are very brightly colored, almost neon even. With St. Patrick's Day coming, I thought these would make a fun little treat. This holiday can get over-greened very quickly, so this is a fun way to add some color, and the kids can help too!
With my 3-yr old and 1-yr old eagerly climbing up the counter, I was able to snap a few quick photos. This is the quick version.

1. Melt the yellow chocolate.
2. Dip (this is my 3-yr old helping)

 3. And roll in the pile of Fruity Pebbles (you can crush them a little if you want a finer texture). Lay on wax paper or parchment paper until dry. (Now Ezra is getting interested too).

 4. Share. They have a fun fruity flavor. I almost felt like I was eating Pop Rocks!

And if you have a little more time, you can sort the colors into separate piles. After you dip the pretzel in chocolate, sprinkle and lightly press pink cereal bits onto the chocolate. Repeat with each color in rainbow order, leaving a little "gold" chocolate at the bottom.

 

Pin It

Halloween Craft #5: Pop Tart Pumpkins

I know I'm just a wee bit late on this one, but I've decided to post it anyway. I've seen some make-at-home pop tart recipes and I had been wanting to try them. I thought some jack-o-lantern poptarts would just be the cutest thing for Halloween, so here they are.

I recommend a homemade pie crust if you want them to taste really good, but a store-bought one does work. But trust me, it doesn't taste as good. 

Here's how you do it:

1. Roll out your pie crust on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4" thickness or less. You don't want too thick of crust.

2. Take a large circle cookie cutter and press one end of it down on the crust, leaving the other end on top of the surface. Use a sharp knife to cut around the cookie cutter except for a notch at the top for the stem. Cut around a rectangular shape at the top for the stem. 

3. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut/saw out the eyes and mouth and lift them out from the center.

4. Cut a simple circle using your cookie cutter for the base layer of the pumpkin (your top stem doesn't need a bottom layer, it will be fine).

5. Place a spoonful of filling (recipe below) in the center of your base layer and spread slightly outward, leaving a sufficient clean edge around the outsides for sealing the top.

6. Dip your finger or a brush or something in water and run it around the outside edges of the base layer and the underside of the top layer to encourage sticking. Place the top/face over the filled base circle. Using a fork, press around the outside edges of the pumpkin with the tines to seal it shut. (I skipped over the stem and it didn't leak out).

7. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until golden.

I've done some where I overfilled them and some of the jam filling spilled out the eyes and mouth, which is actually kind of fun too. It's like the jack-o-lantern is drooling or crying.

Jam Filling:

3/4 c orange marmalade or apricot jam

1 Tbsp water

1 Tbsp corn starch

Mix all together and use as your filling.

If you want to be more festive you can use a pumpkin pie type filling with a cinnamon frosting, but I personally prefer jam poptarts.

Pin It

Key Lime Coconut Cupcakes

One of the cupcake shops around here won me over instantly when they sold me a key lime coconut cupcake. It was Ah-mazing! Moist and rich, with a delectable filling and dancing flavors on my tastebuds. It's a little far from my house, however, and I don't often find myself in that neighborhood anymore. So I set out to make my own by combining some recipes I found around the web. First cake attempt wasn't satisfactory, but round two was pretty darn good. So here's how it goes:

Key Lime Coconut Cupcakes

Cupcakes:
3 Tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice
1 tsp coconut extract
almost 1 c coconut milk
1 c butter, melted
4 eggs
1 Betty Crocker Super Moist French Vanilla cake mix
(that's what I used but you can experiment with different brands, or maybe a white cake too)
2 tsp lime zest

Pour lime juice and coconut extract into a 1 cup measuring cup. Fill the rest of the cup full with coconut milk. Mix butter, eggs, cake mix, and coconut milk mix in a medium sized mixing bowl according to cake package directions. Stir in lime zest. Pour into lined cupcake pans (makes 24 cupcakes) and bake according to package directions. Cool.

Filling:
I just bought some key lime filling because it was a trusted brand that I know to produce good tasting products (Private Selection brand, which is Krogers/Smiths high end store brand. They make great icecream too :)
You can make your own from scratch though. I haven't tried this but here's one example:
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1/3 c key lime juice
1 Tbsp lime zest

I tried two different methods of filling. First, I carved a little hole out of the center with a knifeand filled in the hole with the lime filling. Most of the time I put in too much. Maybe if I had a cupcake corer this would have been more successful. My second method was to use a decorating bag and tip (Wilton #230) made for filling pastries and cupcakes. For me, that worked better. I just piped in the filling until I saw the cupcake begin to bulge. After the cupcakes have been filled, you may want to cover & refrigerate them for a few hours to allow the filling to soak in just a little.

Frosting:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 c unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 tsp coconut extract
3 c powdered sugar

Mix all ingredients together and frost your cupcakes! Garnish with sprinkled lime zest and a thin sliced wedge of lime.

Pin It

Recipe Share: Low(er) Fat Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies

If you planted zucchini in your garden, then you are probably like me and have more zucchini than you know what to do with. Or maybe your neighbor has an abundance and is sharing with you. So here's a sweet way to use it up and sneak some veggies into your kids too.

Low(er) Fat Zucchini Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 c sugar
1/4 c butter
1/4 c applesauce
1 egg
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
2 c flour (whole wheat works too)
1 c oatmeal (non-instant)
1 c grated zucchini
1 c chocolate chips (I think Guittard are the best)

Cream together sugar, butter, applesauce, and egg. Add dry ingredients. Add zucchini and chocolate chips. When well blended, let sit for at least 10 minutes. Spray cookie sheet with PAM and drop by spoonfuls on to cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees F for 10-12 minutes. Makes about 3 dozen.

What's your favorite zucchini recipe? Pin It

Recipe Share: Butterscotch Budino with Whipped Crème Fraîche

When I saw this picture on Oh Joy, I started drooling. I knew I had to find a recipe and try this out. And I was not disappointed. As my sister said, "It's restaurant quality good!" She and I have similar taste in food. My hubby, however, prefers brownies and rocky road ice cream. So if you are like me and love fancy, exotic desserts, you'll love this. If you're like him, this is probably more work than will be worth it for you. Oh, and if you care about fat content—just forget it.

This amazing recipe is from epicurious.

Budino:

• 3 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1 large egg
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (packed) dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 tablespoons dark rum

Toppings:

• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream, divided
• 1 1-inch piece vanilla bean, halved lengthwise
• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 2 tablespoons water
• 3/4 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
• Fleur de sel*

For budino:
Mix cream and milk in large bowl. Whisk egg, egg yolks, and cornstarch in medium bowl. Stir sugar, 1/2 cup water, and salt in heavy large pot over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high and boil without stirring until mixture turns thick, syrupy, and dark amber, occasionally swirling pot and brushing down sides with wet pastry brush, about 7 minutes. Immediately whisk in cream mixture (mixture will bubble vigorously). Stir to dissolve caramel bits. Bring mixture to boil, watching closely to prevent mixture from bubbling over, then reduce heat to medium. Gradually whisk half of hot caramel mixture into egg mixture. Return mixture to pot, whisking to blend. Whisk over medium heat until custard boils and is very thick, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add butter and rum; stir until melted and smooth. Strain.

Divide custard among ten 6-ounce glasses or cups. Chill uncovered until cold, about 4 hours. 

DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.

For toppings:
Place 1/2 cup cream in small saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Bring to simmer over medium heat. Add butter and set aside. Stir sugar, corn syrup, and 2 tablespoons water in heavy large saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to medium-high and boil without stirring until mixture turns medium amber color, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides with wet pastry brush, about 6 minutes. Immediately whisk in cream mixture (mixture will bubble vigorously). Stir to dissolve caramel bits. Set pan in large bowl of ice water to cool. Discard vanilla bean. DO AHEAD: Caramel sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.

Using electric mixer, beat remaining 1/4 cup cream in medium bowl until peaks form. Add crme frache and beat until soft peaks form. Place 1 budino on each of 10 plates. Reheat caramel sauce just until warm. Spoon 1 tablespoon caramel sauce over each budino. Spoon dollop of whipped crème fraîche over and sprinkle with fleur de sel.

*A type of sea salt; available at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores.

My notes: 

I used rum flavoring--worked fine. 

I shelled out $7 for 2 vanilla beans. Are you kidding me? That's outrageous. You only use one inch of one bean. So if you don't have anything else to use real vanilla beans in, just try vanilla extract and save yourself some dough. Don't over-do it though, it's a subtle flavor.

I left my budino (pudding) in the ramekins rather than putting them on plates. You could put them in tea cups, mugs, glasses, anything really.

I used Real Salt sea salt instead of Fleur de sel, because I already had it on hand. The salt really ads a fantastic contrast to bring out the flavors.

Pin It

Recipe Share: Oven Pear Pancake

This recipe was recently featured on Real Simple. I made it on Saturday and ate half of it in one sitting. Of course I'm pregnant, so maybe that's not saying much. Let's be honest, even if I wasn't pregnant maybe that wouldn't be saying much. But it was good, and simple. I liked it and thought it was share-worthy. I would make it if I was having friends over for brunch. In fact, maybe I will do just that!

Ingredients

• 2 pears
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
• salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons sugar

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400º F.
2. Lightly coat a 9-inch pie plate with vegetable cooking spray. Peel, core, and cut pears into eighths and arrange them in the pie plate.
3. Combine 1/2 cup minus 2 tablespoons sugar, flour, eggs, whole milk, vanilla, unsalted butter, and a pinch of salt in a blender. Pulse until smooth, about 30 seconds.
4. Pour over the pears. Place in the oven and bake until springy to the touch, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven. Heat broiler. Sprinkle the pancake with ground cinnamon and the 2 tablespoons sugar. Broil until browned, about 1 minute. Serve warm. 

Photo and recipe from RealSimple.com

Pin It

Valentine Goodies

I found this cute idea on Super Ziper, and thought I'd give it a try. My crazy husband likes milk chocolate better than dark chocolate, so that is what I used. Chocolate dipped pretzel sticks with candy hearts on top.

The pretzels are not quite flat on the end so the candy hearts kept sliding off, so I actually sawed off the tips. Yes, I sawed off the tip of each and every pretzel with a serrated knife so they would be flat. Then dipped in melted chocolate, and stuck the candy heart on the end. Since I didn't have any styrofoam without raw meat on it, I improvised and used a loaf of rosemary bread that I was about to throw out (because it was getting old). I just stuck those dipped pretzels right in for drying. Hopefully they won't taste like rosemary. Hopefully my hubby will think they are as sweet as I do.

I made these a couple of days in advance, so the salt is starting to spot through the chocolate. So a little tip for you would be don't make them in advance if you want them to look perfect. Also, don't use a loaf of bread to stick them in. If you leave them there for a few hours, the ends start to get soggy. But they do crispen up again once removed. That's another lesson I learned.

You can find the jumbo candy heart sprinkles on Amazon or Etsy, or probably a number of other places too. Pin It

Recipe Share: Mini Chocolate Lava Cakes

Now here's a recipe that might just come in handy for you this Valentines day. Or any day really—I mean we're talking chocolate here. Double chocolate. Does your sweetheart love chocolate as much as mine?

Ghirardelli® Individual Chocolate Lava Cakes

Centers:
2 oz Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate baking bar, broken or chopped into 1-inch pieces
1/4 c heavy cream

Cakes:
4 oz Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate baking bar, broken or chopped into 1-inch pieces
1/2 c unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 large whole eggs
2 large egg yolks
1/3 c granulated white sugar
1/2  t pure vanilla extract
1/4 c cake flour
Raspberries for garnish
Whipped cream or ice cream for garnish or topping

To make centers, in the otp of a double boiler or in a heatproof bowl over barely simmering water, melt the 2 oz of chocolate with the cream. Whisk gently to blend. [I had success microwaving the chocolate 30 seconds at a time on 50% power, stirring in between, and then adding the cream. But you have to be very careful not to scorch it if you use the microwave.]
Refrigerate for about 2 hours, or until firm. With your hands, form into 6 balls; refrigerate until needed.
Preheat the over to 400 degrees F. Spray six 4-ounce ramekins or custard cups with cooking spray.
To make the cakes, in the top of a double boiler on in a heatproof bowl over barely simmering water, melt the 4 oz of chocolate and the butter, stirring occasionally until smooth.
In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, whisk the whole eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla on high speed for about 5 minutes, or until thick and light. Fold the melted chocolate mixture and flour into the egg mixture just until combined. Spoon the cake batter into the ramekins. Place a chocolate ball in the middle of each ramekin.
Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the cake is firm to the touch. [Be careful not to over bake them]. Remove from the oven and let sit for about 5 minutes. Run a small, sharp knife around the inside of each ramekin, place an upside down plate on top, invert, and remove the ramekin. Garnish with raspberries and a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream.

from AllRecipes.com Pin It

Edible Stars

Catch a falling star and put it in your pocket, never let it fade away.

And now you can eat your stars too! Just what I need to make the season bright. Edible star sprinkles, from Wilton.
Add some gilded doily/lace cups, and you've got a party! (theirs are glass votive cups, but I would try it on white paper party cups). Tutorial here.

Pin It

Recipe Share: Halibut with Skillet Potatoes

Another great recipe from Real Simple, which my whole family enjoyed.

Ingredients:
 
   4 6-ounce halibut fillets
   1 cup dry white wine
   4 tablespoons olive oil
   1 teaspoon kosher salt
   1/2 teaspoons black pepper
   4 ounces green olives, pitted
   4 sprigs fresh rosemary
   2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
   1 pound red potatoes, thinly sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rounds

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375° F.
2. Place the halibut fillets in a 9-inch square baking dish. Pour the wine over the fish. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the oil and season with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Scatter the olives, rosemary, and garlic over the top.
3. Bake until the fish is the same color throughout and flakes easily, about 15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and tender, 15 to 17 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate. Season the potatoes with the remaining salt and pepper and serve alongside the halibut and olives.

 Or click here to go to their link. Pin It

Recipe Share: Jerk Chicken with Rice, Black Beans, and Pineapple

This recipe is from Real Simple. Ryan and I both quite liked it.

Ingredients:

1 c long-grain white rice

1/4 c cider vinegar

1/4 c spiced rum or orange juice

2 Tbsp jerk sauce (such as Pickapeppa Sauce)

1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger

4 6-oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts

kosher salt & pepper

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

8 oz fresh pineaplle, cut into 1-inch pieces (don't even think about using canned pineapple, come on!)

1 bunch scallions, sliced

Cook rice according to package directions. Meanwhile, combine the vinegar, rum, jerk sauce, and ginger in a small bowl; set aside. Pound the chicken to an even thickness. Season it with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned, about 4 minutes per side. Remove from heat and add the vinegar mixture. Return the skillet to low heat and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 2 minutes. Divide the chicken and sauce among plates. Stir the beans into the rice. In a medium bowl, combine the pineapple and scallions. Serve both with the chicken.

(Tip: the jerk sauce shouldn't overwhelm the other ingredients. Taste yours before adding it--if it's too spicy, cut the amount you use in half.)

Pin It

Sweet Sushi

For Ryan's birthday we went out for sushi--yum! And then we came home and had this sushi for dessert! Can't get enough sushi, what can I say? It's made of rice krispie treats, gummy worms, swedish fish and fruit roll-ups. Happy birthday, Ryan!

Pin It

Recipe Share: Hearty Banana Pancakes

Inspired by Jack Johnson, one weekend I decided to make banana pancakes. I'm not a big fan of pancakes anymore, but these I do love. They are a great way to use up over-ripe bananas too. Here's how I do it:

2 c Krusteaz Wheat Pancake mix (trust me, they aren't nearly as good with white pancake mix)
1 1/2 c water (more or less, according to desired thickness of pancakes)
1 over-ripe banana, mashed to desired lumpiness
1/4 c flaked coconut
1/4 c chopped walnuts, almonds, or macadamias
spoonful of wheat germ (if desired, for good health)
maple syrup

Mix the pancake mix and water. Add banana, coconut, nuts, and wheat germ; mix. Pour/spoon batter onto lightly greased and preheated griddle (375 degrees/medium heat) and cook each side until browned, flipping only once. Serve with maple syrup* while listening to Jack Johnson's Banana Pancakes (In Between Dreams album).
* I like 100% pure maple, rather than the 2% maple plus corn syrup stuff. If you haven't tried it, you should. Pin It

Recipe Share: Zucchini Carrot Muffins

This recipe comes from Taste of Home's Prize Winning Recipes. I made these last week and they are surprisingly good, and even have some healthy stuff in them, which makes me not feel so bad about eating 6 in one day.

Zucchini Carrot Muffins

2 c shredded carrot
1 c shredded zucchini
1 c chopped apple
3/4 c flaked coconut
1/2 chopped almonds
2 tsp grated orange peel
2 c all-purpose flour
1-1/4 c sugar
1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 c vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract

Gently toss together carrot, zucchini, apple, coconut, almonds, and orange peel; set aside. In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Combine eggs, oil and vanilla; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened (batter will be thick). Fold in carrot mixture.
Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 375 got 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes before removing to wire rack. Yield 18 muffins. Pin It

Recipe Share: Lemon Seafood Risotto

Here's a new recipe I found on All Recipes (dot com). I tried it last week and I really liked it. I don't like scallops so I left those out, and I used shallots instead of leeks, because that's what I happened to have. Still tasted great. The key is the Arborio rice. Don't try to sub in a different kind or it won't be Risotto (though it might still taste fine...)

Lemon Seafood Risotto

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large leek, cleaned and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup Arborio rice
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 pound bay scallops
1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup fresh snow peas, trimmed and halved crosswise
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
ground black pepper to taste


Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook the leek and garlic until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the rice, and cook for 5 minutes more, stirring frequently.
Pour in 1 1/2 cups of the chicken broth, and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, uncovered for 5 minutes, continuing to stir. Pour in the remaining chicken broth and wine, increase heat to medium, and cook for about 5 more minutes, stirring constantly.
Add the scallops, shrimp, peas, and red pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until the remaining liquid is almost absorbed, and the seafood has cooked, about 5 minutes. When the rice is just tender and slightly creamy, season with Parmesan cheese, basil, lemon juice, and pepper. Pin It

Recipe Share: Zuppa Toscana

Here's a savory soup recipe to keep you warm during this cold winter. This is an imitation of the Olive Garden soup, and it's quite delicious.

Super-Delicious Zuppa Toscana

1 lb. bulk mild Italian Sausage
1 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 large onion, diced
1 Tbsp minced garlic
5 (13.75 oz) cans chicken broth
6 potatoes, thinly sliced*
1 c heavy cream
1/4 bunch fresh kale, torn up, tough stems removed

Cook the Italian sausage and red pepper flakes over medium-high heat until crumbly, browned, and no longer pink (10-15 min.). Drain, but leave a little oil in the pan and set aside.
Cook onions and garlic in same pan with drippings. Cook until onions are soft and transluscent, about 5 minutes.
Pour the chicken broth into the pot with the onions; bring to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes and boil until fork tender, about 20 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and stir in the heavy cream and the cooked sausage and the kale; heat through.

*I use a food processor to slice the potatoes (with skins on) very thin like the restaurant does Pin It

Recipe Share: Rasperry Applesauce Jello

By special request, here is my recipe for a yummy jello dish. It's better than it sounds, trust me.

Raspberry Applesauce Jello
1 lrg box or 2 small boxes of Raspberry Jello
1 c applesauce
1 pkg frozen raspberries

Disolve jello in the amount of water called for on the box (2 cups). Don't add cold water. Add frozen raspberries, then applesauce. Chill.

It's that simple, and surprisingly delicious. Try it. Pin It

Recipe Share: Sweet Potato Casserole/Pie

With Thanksgiving upon us, I thought I'd share a deliciously appropriate recipe. Although in my family this is always served with dinner, it's practically a dessert. I definitely prefer this over yams and marshmallows. First thing you need to know is that sweet potatoes are not the same as yams (a common misconception). Yams are orange. Sweet potatoes are yellow. There is a difference in flavor and texture, so be sure to get the sweet potatoes for this one.

Sweet Potato Casserole

3 c cooked yellow sweet potatoes, mashed
1 c sugar
2 eggs
1/2 c butter (1 stick)
1 c canned evaporated milk
1 tsp vanilla

Mix all of the above and put in 9x13* pan and sprinkle with topping.

Topping:
1 c brown sugar
1/2 c butter
1/2 c self rising flour**

Mix and sprinkle (drop in clumps) on top of potato mixture. Bake at 350 F for 35 minutes until crisp and golden on top.

* I think it looks just a little thin in a 9x13 so maybe try an 8x11 pan and cook it a little longer?
** to substitute self-rising flour, add 3/4 t baking powder and 1/8 t salt to 1/2 c of flour. Pin It

Another seasonal recipe for you, courtesy of Libby's. I really like this bread, and pumpkin and cranberries are both really good for you. 3 cups of sugar isn't though...Pumpkin Cranberry Bread

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
5 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 cups granulated sugar
1 (15 ounce) can LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup orange juice
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans. Combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Combine sugar, pumpkin, eggs, vegetable oil and orange juice in large mixer bowl; beat until just blended. Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture; stir just until moistened. Fold in cranberries. Spoon batter into prepared loaf pans. Bake for 60 to 65 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely.

One additional insider tip: A grocery store employee told me last week that canned pumpkin is in short supply this year--they didn't grow enough. He said there should be enough for Thankgiving but it will be gone by Christmas. So if you want any Christmas pumpkin, better go buy it now.

Pin It

Recipe Share: Stew in a Pumpkin

In the spirit of the holiday, I thought I'd share a pumpkin stew recipe. If your front porch pumpkin is still fresh enough, here's a good way to use it after Halloween.

photo from Taste of Home.com

Pumpkin Stew
10-12 lb pumpkin
2 lb stew meat, cut into 1" cubes
3 Tbsp cooking oil, divided
1 c water
5 medium red potatoes, cut into 1" cubes
4 medium carrots, sliced
1 green pepper, cut into 1/2" pieces
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp beef bullion granules
1 14.5 oz can tomatoes, undrained and cut up
(maybe add another 1/2 can too?)

Brown meat in 2 Tbsp of oil. Add water, potatoes, carrots, green pepper, garlic, onion, salt & pepper. Cover and simmer 2 hours. Stir in bullion & tomatoes; Taste test and make adjustments as desired. Wash pumpkin and cute a 6-8" circle around top stem; remove seeds and fibers. Place pumpkin in a sturdy shallow baking pan. Spoon stew into pumpkin and replace top. Brush outside of pumpkin with oil. Bake at 325 for 2 or more hours, until pumpkin is tender inside. Do not over cook or undercook.
Serve stew in pumpkin shell, scooping out some of the sides of the pumpkin with each serving.
Serves 8-10.

Be forewarned I've only made this once, and I don't remember if it was great or mediocre. But it's a fun idea to play with. Pin It