Spiced Pumpkin Bread

Just another reason for me to love fall. Bake this delicious bread and your kitchen and whole house will smell divine! Plus, the added ginger and orange give a special twist to the old fashioned pumpkin bread! (I've made it without the ginger and orange and it is just as delicious too)

BREAD

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/3 cups sugar

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened, cut up

1 cup canned pure pumpkin

2 eggs

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

2 teaspoons grated orange peel

GLAZE

1 cup powdered sugar

1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons milk

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon grated orange peel

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom of 9x5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Whisk flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and baking powder in medium bowl.
2. Beat sugar and butter in large bowl at medium-high speed 4 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add pumpkin, eggs, ginger and 2 teaspoons orange peel; beat at medium speed until well-blended. (Batter may look curdled.) Slowly beat in flour mixture at low speed just until blended. Spoon batter into pan.
3. Bake 60 to 65 minutes or until edges pull away slightly from sides of pan and center springs back when lightly touched. Cool on wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely. (Bread can be made to this point 2 weeks ahead and frozen.)
4. Whisk all glaze ingredients in small bowl. Pour into small resealable plastic bag; cut off small corner of bag. Drizzle glaze over bread; let stand until set.

Applesauce, I think

My wonderfully darling friend, Ms Bright, posted this recipe for applesauce. It looked easy enough so I tried it. Um, not applesauce. Its dessert. Hana even tried it and said "this tastes just like apple pie!" Delish. I promise. Thank you, dear Lesley, for sharing.

And so, I am passing it along to you.

You are welcome.

10-12 Rome (or baking) apples
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup water
Peel the apples and chop into stamp size bites.
Put chopped apples in a crock pot.
Pour the rest of the ingredients on top of the apples.
Put the lid on and cook on high for 3-4 hours (or low for 5-6).
Let cool a bit and enjoy hot or cold!

(I added a step and mashed them up a bit with a potato masher, but its not necessary)

Pumpkin Muffins

I know I have posted this before, but I thought I would post it again. I love this season. Fall definitely is my favorite. The colors outside are changing, its the beginning of the holiday season, family starts gathering more often, children's laughter fills the air with glee and anticipation of what is to come...and the food. Nothing is better than the food that comes along with the holidays. Pumpkin, being one of my favorite. And, of course, simple recipes that the children all love...that makes me happiest of all!!!Ingredients:
1 box of cake mix (any will do, my favorite is spice cake)
1 15oz canned pumpkin
1 cup mini chocolate chips/nuts/filling of your choice

Preheat oven to 350, mix pumpkin and cake mix until blended. Add chocolate chips, or nuts, or whatever you want. Fill lined muffin cups almost to the top. Bake for 20 minutes.

I even caught Reid sneaking a mini muffin!

Brownies

This is the kind of recipe that makes me happy. Not just because it is chocolate, but it is easy. So easy and so good, it makes me never want to buy pre-packaged brownie mix again. Almost.

But really, this is a good brownie. It is nice and fudgy, not cakey (Bryan despises cake-like brownies) and it has a nice layer of crunch on top. Oh, and did I say that they were EASY?

Fudgy Brownies

4 eggs

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

1 cup flour

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs 1 at a time. Mix in remaining ingredients. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 325 for 40-50 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean

Taco Crescents- a new twist on Taco Night!

We have "Taco Night" very often in our home. It is something easy to make and the kids love them, so why not? This dinner puts a new twist on tacos by using crescent rolls instead of tortillas. I usually have left over taco meat that I freeze. It is never enough for a full taco dinner, but the amount is always perfect for this one.

Taco Crescents

1-3 containers of crescent rolls (depending on the size of your family.)

taco seasoned meat

cheese

Unroll the rolls and put them on a cookie sheet. Place a spoonful of meat and a spoonful of cheese on each on. Bring top of "triangle" down to one side.

Bake at 350F for 11-13 minutes, or until lightly browned. Serve with lettuce, tomatoes, olives, sour cream, salsa, or any other taco condiments you enjoy.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Muffins

It has been one of those weeks at my house. But, sitting down and enjoying one of these muffins fresh from the oven is just what the doctor ordered. This muffin is so moist and delicious. And, its works great with other fruit as well, with or without the cream cheese!

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup plus 3 tbsp sugar, divided

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

6 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut up

1 cup chopped fresh strawberries

3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp buttermilk

1 egg

3oz cream cheese, cut into 12 cubes

Heat oven to 400F. Grease bottoms of 12 muffin cups or line with paper liners. Combine flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder and baking soda in medium bowl. With pastry blender, or 2 knives, cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Stir in strawberries.

Whisk buttermilk and egg in small bowl until blended. Gently stir into flour mixture just until combined. Divide evenly among muffin cups.

Dip cream cheese squares in remaining sugar and place in center of muffin. Sprinkle muffin with remaining sugar.

Bake 20-25 minutes or until light brown and toothpick comes out clean. Serve warm, store leftovers, if there are any, in fridge.

Fresh Peach Salsa

This is my weakness. If I make it, I have to make several batches because I could sit and eat this. All. Day. Long. I guess its better than sitting and eating chocolate cake...

2 large peaches
2 medium tomatoes
3/4 cup diced onion
1 jalapeno pepper
2T olive oil
1t white balsamic vinegar
2T cilantro
salt and pepper to taste

Chop cilantro and put in medium bowl (this is where I add another tablespoon or so. LOVE fresh cilantro)
Cut pepper in half, remove seeds, chop finely, and add to cilantro.
Cut peaches into small pieces (I remove skins as well, but it isn't necessary), add to bowl.
Dice tomatoes and add, as well as onions.
Mix oil and vinegar, and gently stir in to mixture. Add salt and pepper.
Enjoy!