Pumpkin Cookies With Frosting

Kyle and JD have been telling me they want a pumpkin pie.  So I thought I would be a wonderful mother and have one made for them when they got home from school.  Well I only had one pie crust and so I had to half my recipe.  This was going great until the second ingredient went into the bowl.  I halved the pumpkin but not the sugar.  So I had to find a recipe for cookies instead.  I found this one.  The boys were pretty happy to have cookies so I guess it worked out ok.

2 cups shortening

2 cups white sugar

2 cups canned pumpkin

2 eggs

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

4 cup sall-purpose flour

6 tablespoons butter

8 tablespoons milk

2 cups confectioners' sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup packed brown sugar

 

Cream shortening, white sugar and pumpkin. Add eggs and mix well. Sift together the baking soda, ground cinnamon, salt and flour. Add to pumpkin mixture and mix well.

 

Drop from spoon to cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees

 

To Make Frosting: Cook butter, milk, and brown sugar until dissolved. Cool and add confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Spread over warm cookies.

Fresh Peach Pie



This is my friend Jana's pie recipe.  I tried it a few years ago and love making it every time I have fresh peaches.  I am sure you can make it with canned ones too but I never have.  It really is so easy to make and unbelievably delicious!

9" baked pie shell, cooled I just got one at the Wal-Marts because I wanted it right NOW.

5-6 large peaches

1 cup sugar

3 heaping tablespoons corn starch

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Take 3 large peaches and wash and peel them. Slice peaches into the bottom of your pie crust.

Next, mash 2-3 peaches, depending on size. I usually mash 3 medium sized peaches.

Add the sugar, corn starch & water...you need heaping tablespoons of the corn starch like this:  I am even using her pictures.  Thanks Jana!

 Then mix it all together. It will look like this when your done.

Thicken in the microwave. Mine usually takes 6 minutes all-together. Make sure you stir it after every 2 minutes. You will know when it is ready because it turns from a watery milky-looking mess to a beautiful translucent pie filling!

Now add the butter and almond extract. Do not skip the almond.

Pour the thicken pie filling over the cut up peaches.

Refrigerate until set & cooled. 

Enjoy!

Swirl Bread/Stuffed French Toast

I love to make Swirl Bread.  I haven't made it for a while so when I made the cherry braid I used half the dough and cream cheese mixture to make this.  Some times I use cinnamon and sugar too. 

 The Swirl Bread is good just plain but it is wonderful and Stuffed French Toast.

I use half the dough from the the cherry braid and roll it out next to a bread pan so I don't make it to long.  You can roll it out and much the other way as you want but I would let it be kind of thick it is easier to roll and bakes a little easier.  When it is all rolled out spread half the cream cheese mixture from the Cherry Braid on it which is:
1 can Cherry Pie Filling
1 (8oz) cream cheese
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Mixed together.  You can also use:
Cinnamon and Sugar
Cream Cheese
Mixed together.  Both are so good.
When it is all spread out roll up the dough and put seam side down in the greased bread pan.  Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.  You will need to kinda check it and make sure it is baked all the way through.

If it is not all gone in the next day or two make Stuffed French Toast out of it.  Just like you always make your French Toast.  It comes apart very easy so just squish it back together and by the time it is cooked it is back together again.  Sprinkle with powder sugar and enjoy!

Cherry Braid

I make this every year for Christmas morning.  It is one of Matt's mom's recipes.  I made it a few days ago for a little breakfast we went too.

I use the the bread recipe that I use for everything else.  It makes enough for two loaves.  Then I let it rise.  When it has risen I take half of the dough and roll it out to about a quarter inch oval.

1 can Cherry Pie Filling
1 (8 oz) Cream Cheese (softened)
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Mix the cream cheese and sugar together until smooth then all the pie filling until it is all well mixed.  Pour half the mixture down the center of the dough and leave about three or four inches on the sides.  Use a pizza cutter to cut strips up and down both sides then braid the dough.  Seal the ends.  I usually have to cut some dough off the end so there is not to much on the ends.

Pour some icing over the top.

A little butter
A little milk
and Powder sugar

Mix together until the right taste and consistency.

Cowboy Caviar

Candy makes the best dip every year during the Celebration called Cowboy Caviar.  This is the only picture I could get of it.  It was gone before I knew it.  

Dustrie eating.  Poor girl I made her pose for the picture.

She really didn't seem to mind.

2 cans diced tomatoes

2 can black beans (drained)

2 cans corn

green onion (optional)

cilantro

4-5 avocados

packet of Italian dressing (put the amount of water the instructions have but not the oil)

garlic salt

Serve with tortilla chips.  Or just eat it with a spoon, no one will know.

Snikers Fruit Salad

The picture doesn't look like there is much to see, but give it a try.

1 big container of Cool Whip (thawed)
1 or 1 1/2 bricks of Cream Cheese (softened)
1 cup powdered sugar
1 bag of fun size Snikers Candy bars (To me this was almost not enough you might want to get a few more)
4-6 Granny Smith Apples

Mix Cool Whip, Cream Cheese and sugar together.  Cut up Snickers and apples and mix altogether.  I thought that adding strawberries and maybe some banannas would make it even better.

Atomic Poppers

It isn't the best picture you will just have to take my word that these are worth the work!  I found a these and decided to change them up just a little.

Jalapenos
Cream Cheese (room temp)
Red Pepper Jelly (divided)
Bacon
Little Smokies

Cut the jalapenos in half and clean out seeds.  Use gloves if you have them.
Mix cream cheese and red pepper jelly together and fill the cleaned out jalapenos with as much cream cheese as it takes to make it level with the edges of the jalapeno.  If you get to the end you can skimp on some or borrow from others if you need too.
Top cream cheese with a Little Smoky.
Cut your bacon in half and wrap the whole thing and stick a toothpick through so it stays together.  I don't do that with the regular ones but you will want to with these.
Then top each popper with a small amount of red pepper jelly.
Bake for an hour at 300.  At the end you might want to turn up the oven to make sure the bacon is crispy.
I had 20 jalapenos, two boxes of cream cheese, a jar of jelly, two packages of bacon and a package of little smokies.  So it made 40 poppers.  I usually don't make that many but they were still gone super fast.

Oreo Treats

I made these for Matt and his crew for Father's Day.  I thought they kinda looked like coal so it was fun to make them.  And what man doesn't like Oreo's.

2 bags Oreo's
2 bags marshmallows
1 stick butter

I used my blender to chop up the Oreo's but a food processor would work great.  Chop them pretty fine almost like you are making a crust with it.  I did like when I bit into a piece that wasn't quite so fine.
Melt marshmallows and butter until smooth and add Oreo's.  Mix well and pour into a greased 9x13 inch pan.  Let cool and cut into squares.
You can half this and put into a 8x8 inch pan.

Raspberry Rolls

I had these the other day when I was at Aunt Karma's.  She got this recipe from Miranda.  They are just a little bit addicting.  I couldn't wait to make them when I got home.  I had to send a pan full to work with Matt so I wouldn't sit home and eat them by myself.

For the dough I used the Quick and Easy White Bread recipe (click on the link for the recipe).  Aunt Karma uses Grandma Bonnie's Cherry-Go-Round dough recipe that is in the cook book (which is also the dough recipe Grandma used for her cinnamon rolls).

2 cans Raspberry Pie Filling
Sugar

After you mix the dough let it rise in a bowl for a few hours.  Then divide the dough in two and roll out the first batch like you are making cinnamon rolls.  Spread one can of Raspberry pie filling over entire surface of dough.  Then sprinkle generously with sugar and mix with pie filling.
Now the messy part.  Roll up the dough like cinnamon rolls, it will be messy but just keep as much filling in as possible and keep rolling. When it is all rolled up cut into about 1-1 1/2 inch sections place in a buttered pan or a pan lined with parchment paper, scrape all the extra filling that fell out while you were doing your rolling and spread over rolls.  Let rise for another few hours or until it fills the pan.  Repeat with remaining dough.  Bake at 425 for 25 minutes.  Keep a close eye on them you may have to adjust you oven and time.  Cool for about 30 minutes then dump out of pan.
I just used a basic Cream Cheese Frosting, but a easy powder sugar glaze would be good too.

Copy Cake

JD calls Coffee Cake, Copy Cake.  I hate to correct him when he hears things wrong, he comes up with some funny stuff. 

Matt and I went to visit his Grandparents in Texas when I was pregnant with Kyle and she made this for us.  I loved it so I got her recipe.

Batter:
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup shortening
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons flour
2 Tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup chopped nuts
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Mix sugar, shorting and egg good.
Add baking powder and salt to egg mixture.  Then add alternately the flour and milk.  Mix very well.  Spread half of batter in greased 9x9 pan.  Mix topping ingredients together and spread half of topping over half of batter in pan and circle in with a fork.  Repeat with batter and topping.  Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.

Guacamole

A friend brought some Guacamole the other day to a BBQ we were having.  I couldn't believe how easy it was to make it so I whipped up a little for us.

Avocados
Sour cream
Pase Picante Sauce
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder
Lime juice

I used two avocados and just dumped everything else in I didn't measure anything.  So just do what you think would be best.  If you keep the avocado pits in the guacamole it keeps it from turning brown so fast.  The picture kinda looks brown but I think it is from the Pase.

Quick and Easy White Bread

I got this recipe from my friend Jana also.  It is a very simple recipe but very good.  I use it for lots more than just loafs of bread.  I make braids and rolls with it as well.

2 Tablespoons yeast
1/2 cup warm water
2 cups HOT water
3 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon salt
5 Tablespoons oil
6 cups flour, divided

Put yeast in the 1/2 cup warm water and let sit.  Mix together the Hot water, sugar, salt, oil and 3 cups of the flour in a mixer.  Mix with whips until dough is smooth.  Pour in the yeast and rest of the flour and replace the whip for the dough hook.  Turn mixer on and add more flour if needed.  The dough should "clean" your bowl.  And let it knead the dough for about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, grease 2 bread pans.  When the dough is finished kneading separate into 2 loaves and work it into a loaf.  Place each loaf in a pan and cover with a dish towel and let rise for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350.  Place loaves in oven and cook for about 35-40 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.  Remove from the oven and butter the top while still warm.

Fruit Dip

This dip is too easy and good not to make.

8 oz of Cool Whip, thawed
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup Coconut cream (found in the mixed drinks section)

Mix all together until fluffly.

Chili Cheese Dip

This dip is very addicting be careful....very careful!  We eat it with chips, bread sticks, hamburgers and sometimes with a spoon.  I would have taken a picture but it really doesn't last long.  I got this from my friend Jana, who has her own cooking blog.  doublethedeliciousness.blogspot.com

8 oz Velveeta
8 oz cream cheese
8 oz sour cream
Chopped Green Chillies, you could use the canned chillies.

Put all ingredients in a microwave safe bowl and heat in 1 minute intervals, stirring after each minute until smooth and melty.

Corn Bread

I haven't posted anything for so long!  I make this all the time with chili.  The boys love it.  I got it from Gina.  It is a sweet corn bread and so delicious.

1 2/3 cup flour
1/3 cup corn meal
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Mix altogether and add
1/3 cup oil
2 eggs
1 cup milk

Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes.

I usually double this and put it in my large cast iron pan.  If I don't double it I just put it in my smaller one.  You can also put it in a 8x8 pan.

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake

I found this on Pinterest. It doesn't look quite like the picture of the one I found but is very good anyway. I think it is because she made her own dulce de leche. I found a can of it at Wal-Mart and just used it. My friend made her own as well just from sweet and condensed milk. I tried it and I am not talking about it. It was a big mess. So mine was darker but both very good.
Crust:
17 whole graham crackers finely ground
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
10 Tablespoons butter

Filling:
3 (8oz) packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 cup dulce de leche
2 teaspoons vanilla

Glaze:
2/3 cup dulce de leche
3 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream (if you buy the dulce de leche you will need a lot more)

Preheat oven to 350. Coat a 13x9 inch baking pan with spray. Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Add melted butter, stir until coated. Transfer crumb mixture to pan. Press evenly onto bottom of pan. Bake until crust is light golden, about 10 minutes. Cool completely on rack.
Blend cream cheese and sugar until smooth and creamy. Add eggs 1 at a time, mixing after each one. Add dulce de leche and vanilla; process until blended. Spread batter evenly over cooled crust. Bake until just set in center and edges are puffed and slightly cracked, about 38 minutes. Cool completely.
Heat dulce de leche and 3 tablespoons cream in microwave in 10 seconds intervals until melted. Stir to blend, adding more cream it too thick to pour. Pour glaze over cooled cheesecake; spread evenly. Refrigerate until chilled.
If you buy your dulche de leche you should only need 1 can. For the glaze I used quite about a bit more than 3 tablespoons. But I think it is thinner if you make your own.

Mandarin Salad and Dressing

Mandi sent me this salad recipe. I am for sure going to try it.

Salad:
2 heads romaine lettuce, diced
1 (15 oz) can or 1 cup diced chicken or turkey
1 (6 oz) can mandarin orange segments rinsed and drained
1/2 cup chow mein noodles or wonton noodles
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Dressing:
1 cup canola oil
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1/2 cup honey
3 Tbsp each: Rice vinegar, yellow mustard and Bragg's Liquid Aminos
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sesame seeds

Combine, toss with salad ingredients and serve. You can keep the salad and dressing separate in fridge and put the dressing on when you want to eat some salad and it keeps longer.

Grandma Bonnie's Jello Popcorn Balls

Grandma Bonnie always made these for Halloween. She must have spent hours making them because she always had a ton of them for all the Trick-or-Treaters. And she always gave me more than just one in my bag. Then we would eat them every time we went up to her house for days. I always love to make one of Grandma's recipes, I talk to her while I am cooking and ask what I am supposed to do next, or tell her she needs to help me make it right. When I made these it was no different but what caught me off guard was the next morning when I was getting out the toaster and I caught a whiff of the popcorn and jello. I couldn't believe how fast it took me back to Grandma and Grandpa's kitchen.
A few years ago I asked if anyone had this recipe and Mandy sent it to me. I am so happy someone was smart enough to get it from Grandma because I'm sure it wasn't something she had written down. And most of the time when you say "I'm looking for a recipe for Jello Popcorn Balls because my Grandma made popcorn balls with jello and they are the best" people look at you like you are crazy. I decided to make them for JD's Valentine's Day Party.

1 big raspberry jello box (not sugar free)(I used strawberry because I didn't have raspberry)

1 cup sugar

1 cup Karo

2 bags popcorn

Bring everything but popcorn to boil over medium heat, stirring often. By the time it comes to a boil it shouldn't be super grainy. Take off heat and pour over popped popcorn in a large bowl. Stir and stir until it is well coated.

Grandma must have started making balls very soon after she poured the mixture over the popcorn but it is very hot. We ate dinner and got it cleaned up before I made mine and it was kind of hard to make sick together. When I was making them I was thinking how Grandma did it when they were so hot. But then I remember her and Grandpa pulling taffy when it was super hot too. She must have just been used to it.

Gina's Rich, Yummy Chocolate Cake

Gina said this was her first ever real homemade from scratch nice cake. It looks great to me. Maybe Valentine's Day??
She said she got it off of all recipes.com.

Cake:
2 1/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 (1 oz) squares unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
1 cup water

Frosting:
6 (1 oz) squares unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 egg yolk
4 cups confectioners' sugar
2 Tablespoons vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons heavy cream
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened

Ganache:
2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips
1 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour 2 (9 inch) pans. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In the top of a double boiler, heat 6 ounces chocolate, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool to lukewarm.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Stir in the melted chocolate. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the sour cream. Stir in boiling water (batter with be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
Make the Chocolate Buttercream Frosting: In the top of a double boiler, heat 6 ounces chocolate, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool to lukewarm. In a large bowl, whip the butter for about 10 minutes until it is super fluffy, beat in egg yolk. Gradually blend in the confectioners' sugar, alternating with 2 Tablespoons vanilla and 2 Tablespoons cream, then blend in the melted chocolate. Beat in the softened cream cheese.
Make the Ganache: In a large saucepan, combine chocolate chips and 1 cup heavy cream. Heat, stirring constantly, until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove form heat and set aside.
Assemble the cake: When the cake is completely cooled, cover the bottom cake layer with as much ganache as desired. Refrigerate for 5 minutes, or until ganache has set. Spread frosting over the ganache. Cover with top layer of cake. Frost top and sides with buttercream, and garnish with more ganache.

Crockpot Chicken Tacos

Mandi sent me this one too. I am always looking for something new for chicken. It sounds really good.

2-3 chicken breasts
1 can chicken broth
1 package taco seasoning
1 cup salsa
1 can corn
1 can black beans, drained

Place all ingredients in the crockpot for 3-4 hours on high. Just before serving shred chicken and mix in 1 cup sour cream and 1/2 cup shredded cheese. It with be runny. You can serve in tortillas, taco shells or you can fry up scones to make navajo tacos. Top with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes onions, salsa, avocados or anything else that you like. Mandi served with the Whole Wheat Flax Tortillas.

Whole Wheat Flax Tortillas

These tortillas are from Mandi. She served them with the crock pot chicken recipe.

5 1/2 cups wheat flour plus 2 Tablespoons
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 Tablespoons seasoning (garlic, sage, chili powder, etc.)
1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
6 Tablespoons olive oil
2 cups warm water

Mix dry ingredients then add wet ingredients. Knead. Let rest 10 minutes. Make small balls, roll out, and cook on griddle.

Chocolate Cookies

I found these on Pinterest and decided to try them. I really can't believe how wonderful they are. They don't have any flour in them they are very interesting.
I doubled this
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (divided) I used milk chocolate chips
3 large egg whites
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar (divided)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350. Spray cookie sheets with cooking spray. Melt 1 cup chocolate chips in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds. Cool slightly.
Using electric mixer beat whites in large bowl to soft peaks. Gradually beat in 1 cup sugar. Continue beating until mixture resembles soft marshmallow cream.
Whisk 1 cup sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt in medium bowl to blend. On low speed, beat dry ingredients into meringue.
Stir in lukewarm chocolate and 1/2 cup chocolate chips (dough will become very stiff)
Place 1/2 cup sugar in bowl. Roll 1 rounded tablespoon dough into a ball; roll in sugar, coating thickly. Place on prepared sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, spacing 2 inches apart.
Bake until puffed and tops crack, about 10 minutes. Cool on sheets on rack 10 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool.

Orange Ginger Chicken and Veggies

Gina found this in the Light and Tasty magazine. They really loved it. I love making Chinese but for some reason never do.
1 medium navel orange
4 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger or 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger root
1 cup chicken broth
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 Tablespoons chili sauce
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 lb. chicken breasts cut into 1 inch pieces
2 garlic cloves minced
1 Tablespoon canola oil
2 cups broccoli florets
1 medium red and yellow bell peppers julienned
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/3 cup unsalted cashews
rice

Grate orange peel, reserving 1 1/2 teaspoons. Peel and section orange, set orange sections aside. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and ginger. Stir in the broth, soy sauce, chili sauce, hot pepper sauce and reserved grated orange peel until blended; set aside.
In a large nonstick skillet or wok, stir-fry the chicken and garlic in oil for 2-3 minutes or until lightly browned. Add the broccoli, peppers, and carrot; stir-fry for 5 minutes or until the veggies are crisp-tender. Stir broth mixture and add to the pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in cashews and reserved orange sections. Serve with brown rice.