Pumpkin Swirl Brownies

The other night I had a craving for some pumpkin and chocolate and instead of heading to Dairy Queen in this chilly fall weather I made these Pumpkin Swirl Brownies from Betty Crocker. I am a lover of all things pumpkin and this is a quick go-to recipe if you don't have time to make pumpkin pie or if you don't want to run out to DQ. :) Enjoy!

Pumpkin Swirl Brownies
from: Betty Crocker

Filling 

1 pkg (3oz) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

1 egg

3 tbsp sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg (I use fresh)

Brownies 

1 box Betty Crocker® Premium Brownies Ultimate

ingredients listed on box

1. Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Grease bottom only of 9-inch square pan with shortening or cooking spray. In small bowl, beat all filling ingredients with electric mixer on low speed until smooth. Set aside.

2. Make brownie batter as directed on box, using 1/4 cup oil, 2 tablespoons water and the egg. Spread 3/4 of the batter in pan. Spoon filling by tablespoonfuls evenly over batter. Spoon remaining brownie batter over filling. Cut through batter several times with knife for marbled design. 

3. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted 1 inch from side of pan comes out almost clean. Cool completely. Cut into 4 rows by 4 rows. Store covered in refrigerator.  

They don't make good leftovers so you'll have to eat them all in an evening - so invite some friends over to share. :)

Honey Spiced Cranberry Sauce

This is seriously the BEST cranberry sauce I've ever had. It was almost like eating applesauce with a little tartness at the end. Yumm-O!! It's really simple and I picked it because I had most of the ingredients (except the canned cranberry sauce) in my pantry. This would make a great condiment for a turkey sandwich and is great with stuffing, too!!

Honey Spiced Cranberry Sauce
from: Cook's Country Magazine Oct/Nov '08

1 16-oz can cranberry sauce
2 Tbs honey
1 Tbs lemon juice
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground allspice

Pulse together in food processor until combined. Refrigerate, covered, for 30 minutes. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

See, I told you it was easy. ;) Cook's Country Magazine is by far my favorite cooking magazine. I enjoy reading each article and the foodie pictures are wonderful. Check out a copy and consider putting a subscription on your Christmas wish list.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese

Yes, I'm still obsessed with pumpkin. And it won't be ending soon. I haven't even made pumpkin pie yet!!

I found this recipe on Bake at 350, such a cute blog, and thought I'd share it with you. It's SO delicious and is the closest thing to pumpkin cheesecake that I'll ever make. My husband even went to Panera and bought some fancy bagels for the pumpkin cream cheese. So delicious. Enjoy!!!

Pumpkin Cream Cheese
(from Bake at 350)

8 oz cream cheese, softened (1/3 less fat, ok)
1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla
4 tbsp brown sugar

Beat all ingredients together until smooth. Refrigerate.


Yumm-O!!

Ranch Pasta Salad

On Sunday, we were invited to swim with some friends at their parent's house. They were planning a barbeque and I thought I should bring a little something to share. Since we hadn't been to the store in a while, and this wasn't on my menu plan I dug through the pantry and the fridge and made up a nice pasta dish.

Ranch Pasta Salad

1 1/2 cups macaroni noodles
1 cup mayo
1/4 milk
1 packet dry ranch seasoning
1 tsp dry minced onion
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp white pepper

1/3 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1/3 cup carrots, chopped
1/3 cup celery, chopped
1/3 cup frozen peas, thawed

Cook pasta according to directions on package. Meanwhile, mix mayo, milk and seasonings. Rinse pasta in cold water and toss in veggies. Pour dressing over pasta and veggies; gently mix until combined. Refrigerate and serve well-chilled.


It was really easy and it was delicious. You can add dry bacon bits if you like and change up the veggies too. It's really one of those recipes you make to use up your extra produce.

Italian Chicken Pasta Toss

This recipe is so fresh and is full of vegetables. My husband and I really enjoyed it, but the kids, not so much. They aren't used to zucchini and red peppers. We still make them try it but they mostly stuck to the tomatoes, chicken, pasta and peas.

Italian Chicken Pasta Toss
adapted from Pampered Chef Casual Cooking

3 cups uncooked bow-tie pasta
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 small onion, chopped
1 medium zucchini, sliced
1 small yellow or red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch strips
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, pressed
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 tsp Italian seasoning mix
1 tsp salt
fresh grated Parmesan cheese

1. Cook pasta according to package.
2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Press garlic into skillet and saute with onions. Add chicken. Stir-fry for 5 minutes until chicken is no longer pink. Reduce heat to medium. Remove chicken and set-aside. Add zucchini, pepper, seasoning mix and salt; stir-fry 2 minutes.

3. In a large bowl combine warm pasta, chicken and veggie mixture, peas and tomatoes. Toss until well combined. Serve with freshly-grated Parmesan cheese.

It takes about 20 minutes to prepare this dish. I chopped all my veggies in the time it took for my water to boil and my pasta to cook. Just make sure to keep the pasta warm while waiting for the meat and veggies to cook. You can make this a vegetarian dish by omitting the chicken. Enjoy!!

Macaroni and Cheese Mix-Ins

Macaroni and Cheese is a treat around our house. I don't usually buy it because for what you get, it's not really worth it. But my boys like it and so do my husband an I so I make it for lunch occasionally.

But I rarely make just mac'n'cheese. I grew up with some fun mix-ins and have recently added to my repertoire. All you need is a box of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese and add these combos or make-up your own:

meat option: 1 lb ground beef
mix-ins: 1 can tomato soup
* kind of bland, but my boys like it

meat option: 2 small chicken breasts, shredded (about 1 cup)
mix-ins: 1 can corn and peppers, 1 can diced tomatoes, 1/2 tbsp chili powder
* my boys didn't really care for the tomatoes, but I did

meat option: can tuna
mix-ins: can peas
*I grew up with this one

meat option: pepperoni slices, quartered
mix-ins: 1 cup chopped green peppers, 2 cups fresh diced tomatoes
* my husband likes this one (mostly because of the pepperoni)

If any of your family likes mac'n'cheese plain, you can always set some aside before adding the mix-ins. I hope you try to spice up your mac'n'cheese soon!! ;)

For more Kraft-inspired mix-ins click here.

Farmhouse BBQ Muffins

This is a recipe I got from my husband's cousin. They're really easy and tasty! You can make the meat filling ahead of time and store in the freezer. Then when you need a quick meal you can thaw out the meat and bake it with the biscuits.

Farmhouse BBQ Muffins

1 can buttermilk biscuits
1 lb hamburger
1/2 cup ketchup
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 cup shredded cheese

Flatten biscuits and press into muffin tin. Brown beef and drain. Mix remaining ingredients (except cheese) and add to beef. Divide mixture evenly into muffin cups and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 18-20 minutes.

I plan on serving this with tater-tots and raw veggie sticks. Enjoy!

Spanish Rice

I've been looking for a yummy Spanish Rice recipe for a while. I know that it's healthier to make fresh than to make it from a box, so I started digging around the internet. This was our favorite Spanish Rice recipe. It's a little spicy (our 3-year-old refused to eat it and our 15-month-old loved it...go figure) so you can adjust the spices to your liking. Enjoy!


Spanish Rice

2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 green onions, sliced
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup uncooked rice
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 cups chicken broth
1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes with chili's
1 cup frozen corn (can used canned corn)
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
parsley
1/2 tsp cumin

Heat the vegetable oil over med-high heat in a large skillet. Saute onions and peppers until soft; add garlic and rice, browning the rice well. Pour in chicken broth, tomatoes with chili's, corn, and spices. Simmer on low for 30 minutes or until rice is cooked and liquid is absorbed.

You can omit the corn if you like, but it added much needed sweetness to the spice. Yumm-O!!

Chicken Noodle Hold the Soup

Seriously, this recipe is easy and delicious!! I saw it on the Rachel Ray Show about a year ago and I had to try it. So, I looked it up online and it's super easy!! It really only takes about 20 minutes - most of it's cutting and boiling.

Chicken Noodle Hold the Soup
from the Rachel Ray Show

1 rotisserie chicken (I just used cooked s/b chicken breast because it's what I had on hand)
2 tbsp EVOO (extra virgin olive oil - you can use vegetable oil if you don't have EVOO on hand)
1 medium onion, thinly sliced (I cut my slices in half)
2 to 3 medium carrots, cut into matchsticks
4 to 5 celery ribs, cut into matchsticks
2 small zucchini, cut into matchsticks (I omitted these because I didn't have them on hand)
salt and pepper
1 pound extra-wide egg noodles
1 tbsp butter or margarine
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley (I just sprinkled on some dry stuff)
1/2 10-ounce box frozen peas, defrosted

1. Bring a large pot of salted water over high heat for the egg noodles. Discard skin from the chicken and remove the meat from the bones. Shred the chicken meat with your fingers or two forks and reserve.

2. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat with the EVOO. Add the onion, carrot and celery to the pan, and cook until the veggies begin to get tender, 3-4 minutes. Toss zucchini inot the pan along with some salt and pepper, and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until all the veggies are tender.

3. While the veggies are cooking, drop the noodles into the boiling water and cook to al dente according to package directions. Drain the noodles and reutrn them to the pot they were cooked in. Add the butter and parsely to pot and give everything a good toss to melt the butter and coat the noodles.

4. Add the shredded chicken and peas to the pan with the veggies and cook until the chicken is heated through.

5. To serve, spoon some noodles into a bowl and top with the chicken and veggie mixture.


I didn't get a picture of this one because we dug-in too fast and it was gone. It's so good and really easy. I usually have all the ingredients in the house (except for the rotisserie chicken) and I substitute the chicken for chicken breast or whatever's in the freezer. Enjoy!!

Zucchini Pie

This is an easy recipe from Steph at Live.Love.Eat, one of my favorite foodie blogs. She has great recipes and is now posting Not-So-Fat Fridays. Be sure to check out her blog!!


Zucchini Pie

3 c. zucchini, sliced thin, with skin on
1 c. Bisquick
1/2 c. chopped onion
3/4 c. Parmesan cheese, grated
2 tsp. parsley
1/2 tsp. salt
Pepper
Dash oregano
1 c. oil
4 eggs

Mix all ingredients together in large bowl. Pour into greased casserole & bake at 350 degrees until brown & firm, about 35 - 45 minutes.

My toddler even helped with the prep of this meal by pouring the ingredients in the bowl. He also "helped" by eating the extra sliced zucchini. He ate a plateful of zucchini pie at dinner and I don't know if it's because he liked it or because he helped make it. One thing: I would add more cheese. I love cheese and would make it an even cup of Parmesan. I served a side salad with it and a glass of ice cold milk. Yumm!!

Vanilla Wafers

I got this recipe from Monica at Homespun Heart. They looked good and Vanilla Wafers are a favorite around here, so I decided it was time to give them a try.

Vanilla Wafers
makes about 50 cookies

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup shortening
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups cake flour (I used all purpose)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp water

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Cream together first five ingredients.
3. Add the flour and baking powder. Add water and continue mixing until dough forms a ball.
4. Roll dough into 3/4-inch balls and flatten slightly onto cookie sheet.
5. Bake 15-18 minutes or until cookies are light brown.


They are good little cookies, but weren't like the original Vanilla Wafers. I used margarine instead of butter, so that could be part of the problem. I also thought about using almond flavoring instead of the vanilla. That could be a yummy "twist" on this cookie. Also, it helped when I sprayed a little Pam on my hands before rolling them into balls. The dough was a little sticky. And I would recommend NOT using an airbake pan. Check out what happened when I did. Yikes!!

Easy Garlic Bread

There's nothing like having garlic bread with your pasta and salad. This has become our favorite quick and easy garlic bread because it takes no time and it's inexpensive.

Easy Garlic Bread

hot dog buns, frozen
butter or margarine
garlic powder
garlic salt
Parmesan cheese
mozzarella cheese (for cheese bread)

Line a baking pan with aluminum foil. Cut hot dog buns in half and spread with butter. Sprinkle garlic salt, garlic powder and Parmesan cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for about 5 minutes (may have to broil to get edges crispy).

I usually stock up on hot dog buns when they're on sale and keep them in the freezer. This is a great way to make garlic bread because you can make just a few or a bunch. It's a great quick fix!!

BLT Dip

My friend, Wendi, served this dip at a grill-out in her backyard in the fall of '08. It's really yummy and fresh-tasting (just what I needed on a super-cold winter's night). Tonight we shared it with some friends who came over for game night.

BLT Dip
courtesy of Recipezaar #16884
makes 3-4 cups

1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayo
4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup diced green pepper or celery
1 large tomato, seeded and diced (I used 3 Roma's since they're our favorite)
1 lb bacon, cooked crisp, drained, cooled, and crumbled
1/2 tsp garlic powder
black pepper, to taste
shredded lettuce to garnish (optional)

1. In medium bowl, with mixer, blend sour cream, mayo, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, chopped onion and green pepper, garlic powder, and black pepper.
2. Add bacon and tomato to mixture; stir well.
3. Garnish with shredded lettuce just before serving, if desired.

I served this dip with celery sticks, carrot sticks, and Wheat Thins. You'll need about two boxes of Wheat Thins for this recipe. Also, you can get away with using light cream cheese and even omitting the mayo if you want a lower fat version. It's really simple and super delicious.

Nibble Mix

This is one of my favorites since I'm more of a salty-snacker than a sweet-tooth. You can easily cut this recipe in half. This is another recipe that's great for summer too because you don't have to use the oven or even the microwave. It's great for car rides and picnic lunches.

Nibble Mix

1 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp dill
1/4 to 1/2 tsp garlic powder (I use 1/4 tsp)
1/4 tsp onion powder (opt.)
1 pkg Hidden Valley original ranch dressing seasoning packet
2 (12 oz) pkg oyster crackers

Whisk oil, dill, powders and seasonings. Pour over oyster crackers and mix well. Let stand for at least 1 hour. Store in airtight container.

Microwave Caramel Corn

This recipe reminds me of my sisters. They love caramel corn and this is a great recipe because it's so quick and easy. Last night I brought it to our small group's game night and it was a hit!

Microwave Caramel Corn

1 brown paper grocery bag
1 cup brown sugar
1 stick butter/margarine
1/4 cup white corn syrup
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
3 to 4 quarts popped popcorn (I make my own, but you can buy a bag of plain popcorn at the grocery store)

Combine all ingredients, except baking soda and popcorn, in a microwave-safe 2-quart bowl. Bring to a boil in the microwave, and boil for 2 minutes. Add soda to mixture and stir (it will foam). Pour mixture over popcorn in brown paper bag. Fold top and microwave 1 1/2 minutes. Shake and turn. Microwave 1 1/2 minutes more. (Bag will be VERY hot!) Spread on cookie sheet to cool. Store in airtight container.

Enjoy!!

No-Bake Cookies

This is another easy recipe that our family enjoys. We like to store them in the freezer; they're so good when they're cold!

No-Bake Cookies
makes 3 1/2 dozen

2 cups sugar
2 tbsp cocoa
1/2 cup milk
2 cups quick oats
1/2 cup peanut butter (we like chunky)
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix the sugar, cocoa and milk together, and boil for 4 minutes (stir continuously so it doesn't scorch). Take mixture off heat. Quickly stir in butter, vanilla, peanut butter and oatmeal. Drop by teaspoonful onto waxed paper.

Salted Nutroll Bars

This is another easy recipe. It's also great for the summer because it doesn't require the use of your oven.

Salted Nutroll Bars

1 (16 oz) jar salted dry-roasted peanuts
3 tbsp butter or margarine
1 (12 oz) pkg peanut butter chips
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (10 oz) pkg mini marshmallows

Grease a 9x13-inch pan. Spread 1/2 of the jar of peanuts on the bottom of the pan. Melt the butter and the peanut butter chips together in the microwave, then add the sweetened condensed milk. Add the marshmallows to this mixture (do not melt these) and stir. Layer this mixture onto the peanuts. Press this mixture down and top with the remaining 1/2 jar of peanuts, pressing them onto the marshmallow mixture. Cool and cut into bars.

Yumm-0!!
Check out my complete Christmas Goodies List here.

Turtles

This is a really simple recipe that I got from my friend, Jess.

Turtles
makes 3 dozen

1 pkg of pecan halves
mini twisted pretzels
1 lg bag of Rollos (chocolate-covered caramels)

1. Open bag of pecan halves and count how many you have. (I had 36 in my bag. You can join broken pieces to make a "whole.") Open same number of Rollos.
2. Put a piece of parchment paper on a large cookie sheet. Place pretzels on the cooking sheet and top with a Rollo.
3. Bake for 2 minutes at 200 degrees.
4. Take out of oven and while warm, press pecans into caramel.

That's it. Yummy!!!
Check out my complete list of Christmas Goodies here.

Pear Cranberry Side Salad

We have lettuce salad as a side to our meals a lot. Sometimes it gets boring with lettuce, carrots, and ranch dressing. So I started experimenting with ingredients I'd had in salads at restaurants. Give this one a try. It's really refreshing.

Pear Cranberry Side Salad
for 1 serving

bowl of lettuce (we've used iceberg and romaine)
1/4 pear, cubed
1 tbsp dried cranberries
1 tbsp walnuts (can be toasted)
1/2 tbsp raspberry vinaigrette

You can change the amount of cranberries and walnuts to your liking and you can also add some feta or gogonzola cheese. Delicious!!

Gramma's Thanksgiving Stuffing

My husband's Gramma brought stuffing to our family Thanksgiving on Thursday. It was really yummy so I was surprised to find out the secret ingredient...StoveTop Stuffing! I know. I was really surprised! It was so good that I don't know why I would spend so much time making it from scratch. She did add some special touches to make it original and I never would have thought it came from a box. So here it is:

Gramma's Thanksgiving Stuffing

1 box StoveTop Chicken Stuffing, cooked according to directions
slice of white bread, toasted, cubed
slice of wheat bread, toasted, cubed
2 tbps hot water
1/4 cup butter (no substitutions)
1/4 cup celery, diced
1/4 cup onion, diced
1 small can of water chestnuts, roughly chopped

Place bread crumbs in a small bowl and moisten with water.

Melt butter in a medium saucepan add onion and celery and saute until done, do not let it brown. Add celery-onion mixture to stuffing and mix in water chestnuts and moistened bread crumbs. Put in casserole and bake 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Thanks Gramma!!