Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes (To Die For)!

Happy Thanksgiving!! 

I am SO grateful that I managed to find this recipe after 3 years!!

I found this recipe in September of 2012, I even blogged about it here! ,.,but when I made it I was so in heaven over the taste I forgot to come back and comment on it or even post the RECIPE!  So this Thanksgiving when I was looking for it to make and take to a friend's house... WHERE WAS IT!???  Alas, it was found... made... and is IN the oven. Since I KNOW I liked it, I will now post the recipe for all... and thanks to whoever posted it in the first place... I really don't know but I know I have found it referred to in a lot of places now.  So.. here goes! Oh, I added the "(To Die For) part of the title.

Also, I roasted a pumpkin in the oven and then pureed the 'meat' for this. If you do that make sure to not include the skin, and put the meat thru a strainer, you won't want the stringy parts.

Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes (To Die For)

15 oz pumpkin* puree (pure pumpkin, NOT pie filling)
¾ cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
¾ cup evaporated milk
⅔ cup flour
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp baking powder
2 tsp pumpkin spice

Whipped cream

Where's the Honey!?

So there I was....a new recipe in hand...  Chicken Breast with a Honey Lime sauce... sounds good! I keep a bag of frozen chicken breasts in the freezer for just such occasions... so I pull it out and look inside and to my surprise... it's chicken PIECES... like for stir fry.. Hmm Ok.. no problem, I would have cut it up eventually anyway.. It's pre-seasoned so I just heat up a frying pan and toss it in for 10-13 min. During that time I reach for the honey... WHAT???  NO Honey??? OHHHH YAAAAA I took it to work for Tea! Arrrgh... Ok don't panic... what is LIKE honey.. ??  LOL... well.. there is NOT MUCH that is "like honey" let me tell you.... but upon closer inspection, I decided that Peach jam is about the same color and consistency of honey, and it's sweet... so... Peach Jam it is!!  I get that out and once I removed the chicken from the pan, I plopped in a heaping teaspoon of peach jam!...followed by a few squirts of concentrated lime juice, and a few drops of lemon juice... Now it's looking better... just simmer until the jam all "melts" or... liquifies....  and then pour over the chicken! Voila!

Yummmmm you have to try it... Peach Lime Chicken!

Shrimp/Corn Boil!

Found this online today... Must Do!! (as soon as weather is a littler warmer)

“Frogmore Stew” or Low Country Boil

Ingredients:
1/4 cup seafood seasoning (such as Old Bay®), or to taste
5 pounds new potatoes
3 (16 ounce) packages cooked kielbasa sausage ( or similar), cut into 1 inch pieces
8 ears fresh corn, husks and silks removed
4 pounds fresh shrimp *Optional....peeled and deveined
1 Beer (optional)

Preparation:
Heat a large pot of water (+beer if using) over an outdoor cooker, or medium-high heat indoors. Add Old Bay Seasoning to taste, and bring to a boil. Add potatoes, and sausage, and cook for about 10 minutes. Add the corn; cook for another 5 minutes, then add the shrimp when everything else is almost done, and cook for another 3 or 4 minutes. **Note...here in SC we DO NOT peel the shrimp.
Drain off the water and pour the contents out onto a picnic table covered with newspaper. Grab a paper plate and a beer and enjoy!

Banana Bread is in the Oven!!

Today I'm making Banana Bread for a Quilting Group luncheon. It smells wonderful as it bakes in the oven so I thought I'd share the recipe with you. It's quite easy, my only problem this morning was that I was out of Eggs! So as I waited for the dollar store to open down the street, I suddenly remembered my neighbor Linda who has chickens! Quickly I dialed her number and asked... "Do you have eggs this morning?" "Why, Yes! " she replied. "I'll be right over!" and off I went to get a couple dozen fresh eggs! I love fresh eggs!

So here is the recipe I used today, which I got from www.simplyrecipes.com.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 cup sugar (can easily reduce to 3/4 cup)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

- I used Cooking spray (instead of buttering the loaf pan)

METHOD

No need for a mixer for this recipe. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). 

- With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. 

- Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. (I premixed these in a 2 cup glass measure then added to the bananas)

- Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. 

- Add the flour last, mix. (I added a couple handfuls of Hazelnuts! - I was out of walnuts)

- Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan.  (At this point I sprinkled Cinnamon/sugar mix on top!)

- Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.

...and here's MINE NOW!!

Ruths Ravioli Crockpot Meal

I don't say that I always eat healthy... but I try.  But today, I saw another post on Facebook by another friend.. that looked positively Yummy! The challenge? To see if I can make it without buying anything new from the store! So... Here it is, and below is my 'version' of it with what I have on hand...

Crockpot meal: 
1 bag of frozen tortellini 
1 small bag of fresh spinach 
2 cans of italian style diced tomatoes 
1 box or 4 cups or vegetable broth  
1 block of cream cheese 

put all ingredients in crockpot, chunking up the cream cheese. Cook on low for 5-6 hrs. SCRUMPTIOUS!



Ok..here's what I have to try this with...
Ruths Crockpot Ravioli
1/2 bag of Frozen Ravioli
partial bag of Frozen peas & carrots
partial bag of Frozen green beans
1/2 pint of sour cream
and roughly 5 oz of whipped cream cheese
Orrington Chicken base with 4 cups of water to make the chicken broth.

Let's see how it goes! Crock pot on low for 6 hrs...

Stay tuned for pictures tonite of the end result!

Well, PERHAPS I should not have used the sour cream... and just get more cream cheese... Here's the result.. (not very appetizing)

Cost Compare...Cost it out Before you believe Cheap Recipes!

I saw a post on Facebook this morning which kind of tells a story about why people make poor food choices. The post came from "Living on a Dime" and was re-posted by one of my friends. I, more than many, understand the need to "live on a dime" ...but I also have learned that eating healthy is NOT as expensive as people think. That's what my post today is about.

Here is the recipe my friend posted and I looked up the prices on all the ingredients:

Tater Tot Casserole Recipe - Total Cost: $20.50

1 to 2 lbs. hamburger, browned and seasoned to taste (2lbs - $8.50)
1 pkg. dry onion soup mix ($1.50)
8 oz. sour cream ($2.00)
20 oz. frozen mixed veggies, or leftover veggies* ($2.00)
1 can cream of mushroom soup (doesnt say size, we'll assume small - $1.00)
2 lb. bag of Tater Tots ($3.00)
8 oz cheddar cheese or cheese of choice ($2.50 ON SALE)

Gently mix all together but cheese and place in a greased 9×13 pan. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350° for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

*Keep a container in the freezer and, when you have a small dab of vegetables left over, put them in this container. This casserole is a great way to use them up instead of making the usual veggie soup.


and here is MY recipe from last night:

Ruths Pasta Primavera -- Cost Under $10
2 cups any type of pasta  (.60)
1 zucchini (.50)
1 summer squash (.75)
1/2 red pepper (.99)
1/2 pkg finger carrots (.98)
1 pkg chicken (thighs or breasts) ($5.00)
Seasonings of your choice (salt, pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning)
Minimal amount of parmesan cheese (1.00)

Toss cup up veggies with lite oil or cooking spray, then season, put on cookie sheet and roast in oven for 45 min.
Put Pasta in pot with water and cook Just til done (don't over cook).
Season chicken and with a SMALL amount of oil, or cooking spray, cook in skillet 5 min, flip, cook 8 more min, put cover on.

In large bowl, or individual bowls layer:
Pasta
Grated Parmesan cheese
Veggies
Chicken (cut into bite size pieces)


THEN... we can look at the health value if you like... 
- Hamburger  vs Chicken
- Dry soup mix...Lots of sodium
- Cream of mushroom soup ... sodium
- Sour Cream... Yummy, but full of the wrong fats
- Cheese... also yummy and we'll give you that but we use a lot less Parmesan than it uses Cheddar.
- Tater Tots vs. Pasta

You Decide.

Last Night's Healthy dinner!

Well, oddly enough I took no photos of this spontaneous dinner... but here's how it went...





VEGGIES:
1. Cut up veggies I like into bite size pieces. Dumped in a bowl and drizzled with maybe 1-2 teaspoons olive oil, seasoned with s&p, garlic powder and Italian Seasoning. Toss in bowl to evenly distribute.

2. Place veggies on foil lined baking sheet, and put in oven at 375 til we're ready... LOL

PASTA:
Raided the cupboard for any pasta that wasnt spaghetti or elbow maccaroni (my choice) and got it going in a pot of water.


PROTEIN:

Bought a package of boneless, skinless chicken thighs. (we like thighs better than breasts, use what you like).  Seasoned them on a plate... S&P, garlic powder and Italian Seasoning. Drizzle 1 Tbl olive oil in large skillet, when hot, add chicken.  Cook maybe 5 min on 1st side and turn, then cover and let cook another 8-10 minutes.

ASSEMBLE:
1. DRAIN pasta, then put a serving of it in bottom of a wide soup bowl.
2. REMOVE veggies from oven, they should be FORK TENDER. Add to the top of pasta in bowls.
3. Grate some fresh Parm cheese on top of veggies, or use shaker can if that's all you have.
4. Top with cut up pieces of chicken thighs. (Cut bite size so that knives are not needed at table)
5. Eat & Enjoy!