Pumpkin {Chocolate Chip} Bread

This recipe doesn't originally call for chocolate chips, but chocolate makes everything better, right?!?! I actually don't think it added much to this, it is soooooo good to begin with! But, if adding chocolate chips makes your kids {or your sweet tooth} happy, then by all means, add away! My mom enriched my life with this fall favorite, though the recipe only makes one loaf. That is simply not enough. Plus, it only calls for 1 cup of pumpkin. What are you supposed to do with half a can of pumpkin? So I've added the doubled amounts to the side of the ingredients{in case math wasn't your strong suit} and you can easily choose which way you want to go and not have anxiety over wasting that leftover pumpkin. You can just plan on doubling it and bring that extra loaf over to me. Thanks. **Warning** If you ever think you'd like to make this or any other pumpkin recipe at any time besides September- December, then it is imperative that you stock up on canned pumpkin NOW while it is still in stores for the season. If you forget, I have plenty! ;) ***Bonus Warning!*** You will totally pick at this all day. You've been warned.

1 1/2 C sugar (3 C)

1/2 C shortening (1 C)

1/2 C water (1 C)

1 C canned pumpkin (2 C or 1- 16 oz can)

2 eggs (4 eggs)

1 2/3 C flour (3 1/3 C)

3/4 tsp salt (1 1/2 tsp)

1 tsp soda (2 tsp)

1/2 tsp cloves (1 tsp)

1/2 tsp nutmeg (1 tsp)

1/2 tsp cinnamon (1 tsp)

1/2 tsp baking powder (1 tsp)

Mix all ingredients together. Spread in a greased and floured large loaf pan {for best results, line bottom of pan with wax paper}. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until knife clean. Makes one large or two small loaves.

Fried Rice

It is totally common for me to make WAY too much rice at my meals, store it in the fridge until it's WAY past its prime, then throw it away. Well, not this time! Bolstered by my mom's mention of making her own fried rice, I thought I'd give it a try myself! So, I checked out a couple recipes over at allrecipes.com, took what I liked from them and left out what I didn't and came up with this. I couldn't believe how much it tasted like the fried rice at Panda Express! Pair it with this Orange Chicken and your husband will be asking where the take-out boxes went! Now let's see if I can remember how it goes...

2-3 eggs {about 1 egg per 1-2 C rice, depending on how much you like egg!}

4-6 C cooked rice

1/4 tbsp canola, olive oil, or butter {I think I used margarine}

1 C peas and carrot frozen vegetable blend

2 tsp garlic

1/4 C soy sauce

Beat the eggs and cook in a large skillet until done; chop to desired size and set aside. Add the oil or butter and heat on medium high until hot or melted. Add the rice; saute for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the vegetables, saute another 5 minutes. Add the garlic, soy sauce and eggs for 2-3 minutes or until evenly heated. Serve immediately.

The beauty of this is you can add more or less of the things you want. You can even add different things to your taste, such as Green onions, celery, bacon, shrimp, chicken, ham, etc.

Spinach Salad

In my opinion, spinach totally deserves the bad wrap it's gotten. I know I've had a few recipes with it, but they are exceptions to an otherwise sound rule. So is this one. In fact, I am surprised at how much we LOVE this salad. It's our go-to when we are in charge of salad for get-togethers. But it is mandatory to serve with Poppyseed dressing. The tart cranberries, sharp mozzarella, bitter leaves and salty bacon are an incredible mix of flavors and textures. Plus, other than the bacon, it's SUUUPPPPERRR healthy!

1 bag/container baby spring mix salad
1 bag/container Spinach salad{or you can sometimes find a 50/50 mix which is the two already combined}
1 pkg bacon, cooked and crumbled {I usually use turkey bacon- cheaper, healthier and I actually prefer the taste}
4-6 pieces of string cheese, chopped or mozzarella, cubed
1- 1 1/2 C cranberries
1- 1 1/2 C almonds {not pictured...}

Place half the salad in a bowl, sprinkle with half of each of the toppings. Repeat. Serve with poppy seed dressing {my fav is Brianna's Home style with the picture of a peach on it...}.

Banana Bread

During my pregnancies, I would crave anything cake. To try to minimize the empty calorie intake, I would occasionally make banana bread to munch on instead. I don't know that it was loads healthier, but I felt better! This yummy banana bread came from Angie Randall!

3 C flour

2 1/4 C sugar

3 eggs

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1 1/8 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1-4 dashes of cinnamon

1/3 C sour cream or vanilla yogurt

3/4 C margarine

1 1/4 C bananas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients until smooth. Coat loaf pans with cooking spray and sugar. Bake for 50-60 minutes.

Monkey Bread

This was a disaster. Sorry. I was slightly distracted by two handsome men when I was scooping the flour and I think I left a whole cup out! Whoops! Then it got too warm and too big... Eh, everyone still liked it, but it could have been so much better! Ya notice that I say that a lot? Anyway, this monkey bread is so deliciously butter and {should} pulls apart very nicely. This is the original recipe, but I three-fourthed it to get it to fit in my bread machine- wet ingredients first, dry on top!

2 C warm water

1/2 C sugar

1 tbsp salt

2 tbsp yeast

2 eggs

7 C Wondra flour

4 tbsp oil

1 C butter, melted

Mix warm water, sugar, salt and yeast together, set aside for 5-10 minutes. Beat eggs, add to yeast mixture. Add 3 cups flour, beat well. Add oil and remaining flour. Stir and knead if necessary. Cover and let rise 2 hours or until double or overnight in the fridge. Roll out and cut with biscuit cutter. Dip in melted butter and stand side by side in a bundt pan or 3 loaf pans. Let rise 3-4 hours{or 15 minutes in outside in AZ right now!}. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

Roasted Sausage, Peppers, and Onions

This was probably the fan favorite of the night. It was so robust and delicious, but when I asked Jamie Massie what she'd used to season it, she simply said "salt and pepper." That's it! You'd never guess that's all it took. It will certainly be made again!

1 lbs potatoes, peeled

1 green bell pepper

1 red bell pepper

1 medium onion, peeled

1/4 C olive oil

salt and pepper

1 lb Italian sausage

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut potatoes, peppers, onion and sausage into bite size (1") pieces. Spread vegetables in a single layer on the bottom of a shallow roasting pan. Mix in oil and salt and pepper. Roast in oven for 45 minutes, stirring once or twice. Place sausage on top and cook an additional 15-30 minutes or until sausage is cooked through.

Rigatoni with Broccoli

Jamie Massie continued to wow us with this garlicy dish. The light sauce and healthy broccoli keep it from being an overly heavy pasta dish. Though most of us agreed our husbands and kids would probably eat around the broccoli...

1 bunch broccoli (about 1/4 lbs)
salt
1/4 C olive oil
4 garlic cloves, sliced thin
pinch of crushed red pepper
8 oz of rigatoni noodles

Trim the broccoli and cut into pieces. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Add the broccoli and cook for 5 minutes. Remove broccoli from water and set aside. Add rigatoni to water and cook until al dente{check box for time}. Pour oil into skillet large enough to hold all ingredients. Add garlic and red pepper. Cook over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add broccoli and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes. Add cooked and drained rigatoni and remove from heat. Toss with Parmesan.

Macaroni and Cheese

Molly Heaton brought this homemade Macaroni and cheese- talk about carbs! Someone brought it to her after the birth of one of her two daughters and she liked it so much that she hunted down the recipe! What do you think??

8 oz macaroni noodles, cooked
8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
12 oz cottage cheese
8 oz sour cream
1/4 C Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Stir everything together and sprinkle more cheddar cheese on top. Cover with foil. bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes, removing foil for last 5-10 minutes.
*Optional crumb topping: Mix 1/4 C butter with 1 C dry bread crumbs. Sprinkle on top instead of extra cheese.
*Good recipe to double and then freeze half of it.

Applesauce Bread

I thought this was another banana bread, but it's not! Applesauce bread! It was as good as any banana bread I'd ever had! Excited to add that to the list of regulars!

1/3 C butter or margarine, softened
1 C sugar
1 egg
1 1/4 C applesauce
1 1/2 C flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/2 C raisins(optional)
1/2 C chopped walnuts (optional)

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add the egg and applesauce; mix well. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cloves. Gradually add to the creamed mixture just until combined. Fold in raisins and nuts. Pour into a greased 8"x4"x2" loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 60-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack.

Applesauce muffins

Ohhh... good thing I just added Mom's recipe! This muffin recipe is so versatile and so delish! They can be made and frozen for a latter time, so handy!

1 egg

1/2 C milk

1/4 C oil

1 1/2 C flour

3/4 C sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Beat egg slightly, stir in milk and oil. Mix in remaining ingredients just until flour is moistened. Fill greased muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Remove from pan immediately.

Variations:

Fruit: Stir in 2/3 C drained fruit with the milk. Sprinkle tops with cinnamon sugar if desired. i.e. applesauce, crushed pineapple, chopped apricots, chopped cherries, blueberries, whole cranberry sauce, mashed banana, etc.

Cereal: Decrease flour to 1 cup. Stir 3/4 C crushed cereal into milk and egg before adding dry ingredients. i.e. raisin bran, wheaties, any fruit and nut cereal, instant oatmeal, crushed graham crackers, etc.

Chuck Wagon Beans

Another recipe from my youth- the salty potato flavor of the tater tots over the hearty, brown sugary baked beans... yum! It's great as a main dish, or could be done as a side at a barbecue.

1/2- 1 lb lean ground beef

3 1/2 lb can of pork and beans

1/4 C brown sugar

2 tbsp catsup

2 tbsp molasses

1 tsp minced dry onion

salt and pepper

1/2 pkg frozen tater tots

cheddar cheese, grated

Brown ground beef, drain fat. Stir in remaining ingredients except tater tots and cheese. Pour into 2 1/2 quart casserole dish. Top with tater tots and cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Leslie Nebeker's Applesauce

Ok, so I think I've used this in enough recipes, like this and this, and I actually had some of this tasty applesauce to take a picture of, so YAY!!! I have so many memories of full days spent peeling and coring apples, eating peels until we had the runs, heating up the house canning the finished product and having this applesauce with anything worthy of applesauce! I've been quite spoiled and think all store bought applesauce is garbage! I just don't want to commit to the work of peeling and coring and canning necessary to make it for myself. Maybe if some one wanted to team up to tackle it this fall... hmm.... It's really not that bad if you don't can, so don't be intimidated. Though I did talk it up to be atrocious... Good luck!

40 apples (half golden delicious, half johnathan)

5 C sugar

1 1/2 C water

2 tbsp cinnamon

Peel, core and slice apples. Put all ingredients in a large pan(LARGE!), bring to a boil and simmer on a medium heat for 20-30 minutes, until apples are soft and mushy. Use a spoon to stir and break up apples into sauce. Ladle into prepared jars, cook in hot water bath for 25 minutes to seal jars.

For pink applesauce with a little extra bite, substitute 1/2 C red hot cinnamon candies for the cinnamon.

Homemade Mac N Cheese

I have been out of town for 2 weeks, and though I have had lots of delicious food, I haven't had a chance to share any of it with you! I was too busy having fun to even take pictures of the delicious food! So, my apologies for the temporary hiatus. Now as soon as my AC is fixed and I start cooking at home again, we'll be back in the swing of things! In the mean time, here's a tasty dish that would be great at a potluck bbq- our upcoming theme! I love the combination of flavors- the creamy cheese, the salty ritz topping, the bacon. It really culminates to something wonderful. When I made this in the picture, I had been out of milk and used evaporated. I wouldn't recommend it- it wasn't as smooth and creamy as it should have been.

1/4 C butter or margarine

1/4 C flour

1 C milk

1/2 lb velveeta cheese, cubed

6-10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

2 1/2 C elbow noodles, cooked and drained

6-10 Ritz crackers, crushed

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in saucepan on medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Gradually stir in milk. Cook until mixture boils and thickens, stirring constantly. Add velveeta and cook for 2 minutes or until melted, stirring frequently. Stir in bacon and noodles.

Spoon into a 2 qt casserole pan sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle with Ritz {I added about a 1/2 C Italian bread crumbs for a little extra flavor}. Bake 20 minutes or until heated through.

Hawaiian Fruit Dip

I jumped at the chance to make this scrumptious fruit dip. It is pudding based but the pineapple and lime give it a sweet, tropical twist. Careful, it makes a lot. Great for a party, but if you make it for dinner, plan on it for a couple of days. Not that that would be a bad thing....

3/4 C milk
1/2 C Sour Cream
1 lg pkg instant vanilla pudding
1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple, with juice
1/2 C sweetened flake coconut, toasted and divided
1 lime

Combine milk, sour cream, and pudding mix in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk until smooth. Stir in pineapple with juice and 1/3 cup of the coconut. Zest lime to measure 1 tsp. Juice lime to measure 1 tsp. Stir juice and zest into dip. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving. Serve with fruit

Best Banana Bread

I LOVE this recipe. Funny story: This is another one from my mom and I always loved it growing up. So, I grow up and get married and decide to make this for my husband. Well, it calls for buttermilk, which we don't just have on hand, so I dutifully make a trip to the store to get some. I follow the recipe and stick it in the oven. It smells so good as it cooks, but when I go to pull it out the center is all sunken in and the edges are rock hard. I was seriously disappointed. Undeterred, I tried several times more, each time hoping for that warm, delicious reward. Each time with the same results! I gave up on it for a while and blamed it on my oven. Then we moved. New oven, new chance to succeed! ...Or not. Finally, I call my mom and ask her what in the world I'm doing wrong. That's when I realize: 1 cup of buttermilk, PREPARED! Not 1 cup of powdered buttermilk. Iiii'm an idiot. But she doesn't even use buttermilk. She uses regular milk with some lemon juice in it. That was NOT in the recipe. Now, I am happy to say, I can make it with the best of them! Finally! FYI- the best banana's to use for this are WAY past their prime. I'm talking BLACK peels. Like, when you think a banana is just past that peak of ripeness and starting to taste funny- wait a couple more days to a week. The more past ripe they are, the stronger their flavor. Unless they start to ooze. Then throw them away.

1 C bananas{I use 2 large bananas or 3 small to medium bananas}
1 C sugar
1 C brown sugar
1/2 C shortening
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
3 C flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp soda
1 C nuts, coarsely chopped (optional)
1 C buttermilk {Prepared!! Or about 2 tbsp lemon juice then add milk to make a cup and let sit for a minute and the milk will curdle.}

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel and mash bananas. Add sugar, brown sugar, shortening, vanilla, bananas, and eggs. Cream together. Sift dry ingredients in a separate bowl and add alternatively with the buttermilk. Pour into 2 large, or 4 small greased loaf pans. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a knife inserted in center of a loaf comes out clean.

Mexican Pull Apart Bread

Ohhh, just thinking about this makes my mouth water! You MUST love heat to fully appreciate this delicious side or appetizer!

1 can (16 oz) Refrigerated biscuit dough, cut into quarters

2-4 tbsp butter, melted

1 1/2 C Mexican shredded cheese blend {Confession, I get a bag of shredded cheddar and monterey jack cheese from Costco that I use any time a recipe calls for shredded cheese...}

3/4 C drained, canned, sliced Jalapeno peppers (this makes it suuuper spicy, so if you aren't feeling it that hot, I'd go with a smaller can of diced jalapenos. Pansy.)

3/4 tsp parsley flakes

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x5 inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Dip 1/3 of the biscuit pieces in the melted butter and place in the pan. Top with 1/3 EACH of the cheese, peppers, and parsley. Repeat layers. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 5 minutes then invert onto a plate. Serve warm.

Deviled Eggs

I, for one, LOVE deviled eggs. I think I ate six that night. I always go right for them when someone brings them to a potluck, but I am extremely partial to this recipe. I was put in permanent charge of bringing these to our massive extended family Easter dinners. Again, from my mom.

8 eggs

1 tsp sweet pickle juice

salt and pepper

1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/3 C miracle whip

Paprika

Boil eggs for 12 minutes, cool. Remove shells and carefully slice eggs in half. Carefully remove the yolks and put in a small bowl. Add remaining ingredients, except paprika. Stir until smooth. Spoon yolk mixture into egg halves, sprinkle with paprika. Keep refrigerated.

3 Layer Jello

I got really excited, so I couldn't help myself from making a few different things. This is the first. A tasty jello recipe I give props to my mom for. This sets up in about an hour, so it's a great quasi-last minute jello side. It makes a frothy layer on the top that's almost like eating cotton candy jello. The lighting is pretty yellow, giving this an orange-y hue, though it was very red... Sorry for the weird color!

1 (6 oz) pkg Jello gelatin
2 C boiling water
1 small can fruit( or about 1 C fresh or frozen)
8-10 ice cubes

Pour hot water into blender. Add jello and blend until dissolved (30 seconds). Add fruit and ice cubes, blend until mixture looks smooth and foamy. Immediately pour into serving bowl and chill at least 1 hour. The layers form as the jello cools. You can mix and match the flavor of Jello and the fruit. My favorites are red raspberry Jello with strawberries (the kind pictured) and purple jello with pears.

Go- To Side Dishes

It is taking everything in me not to start flooding this thing with my recipes! But, since our theme is "Go-To's", I figure I should represent more than just the main dish! This is SUPER simple when I'm wanting to throw fruit in the diet.

1 can fruit(15 oz)

1 cup yogurt

Drain the fruit then mix with the yogurt.

That's it. Our favorite is peaches with strawberry yogurt.

This next one is from my mom. She is AMAZING in the kitchen, but she'd never let you tell her so! This is one of the recipes I grew up on and there was NEVER enough at dinner!

Cooked Carrots

1-2 carrots per person (or 1 lb baby carrots)

1/8 tsp salt

1/2 C brown sugar

2 tbsp butter

Peel and slice carrots, boil just until soft in salted water(about 10-15 minutes). Drain water thoroughly. Add butter and brown sugar, replace lid and let sit until they melt. Stir once before serving.