Pumpkin Pie

I've been craving a good pumpkin pie ever since I posted the pie crust recipe. Unfortunately, Greg hates pumpkin pie. I KNOW!!! That's pretty much unconstitutional, right?! If I make pumpkin pie, it has to be for a crowd or I'm the only one who ends up eating it. Well, today I found a crowd to share with, so my pie craving has been satisfied...for now.

I had a good friend teach me how to make this pie when I was pregnant with Miles. It has taken a couple attempts to get it right from the crust up, but now that it's right, oh my gosh is it right! There are a few nuggets of knowledge she passed down that make a big difference I think: Handle your pie dough as little as possible, keeping it nice and chilled. And make your own pumpkin purée. Seriously the purée so easy, and so worth it.

Fresh Sugar Pumpkin Purée

Cut your sugar pumpkin in half, and scrape out the seeds and the membranes, reserving the seeds for toasting if desired. Place it cut sides down on a foil lined baking pan, and roast it at 375°F for 1 1/2 hours, or until the pulp is tender. Let it cool in the pan until it can be handled. Separate the pulp from the skin, and purée it until smooth in your blender or food processor.

In my opinion, if you're going to bother baking one pumpkin, you might as well bake two. The extras freeze very well, so when you go to make your next batch of pies, you can just pull out a pre-measured portion from your freezer. Easy as pie. (get it?)

The Best Pumpkin Pie Ever...no joke
(Thank you Martha Stewart)

1/2 recipe basic pie dough
1 cup light-brown sugar, packed
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 cups canned or fresh pumpkin purée
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups evaporated milk

1. Heat oven to 425. In a large bowl, combine sugar, cornstarch, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, pumpkin purée, and 3 eggs. Beat well. Add evaporated milk, and combine. Set aside.
2. Between two big sheets of parchment paper, roll your pie dough into a circle about an inch and a half wider than your pie plate. Place rolled dough into pie plate. (tip: loosen top sheet, then put it back on; flip the dough over, and remove the bottom sheet. With both sheets loosened it will be much easier to transfer the dough into your pan.) Trim dough evenly along edge, leaving about a 1/2-inch overhang. Tuck edges under to build up crust, and pinch to form a decorative edge.
3. Fill pie shell with pumpkin mixture, and bake for 10 minutes. Then reduce heat to 350, and continue baking for 30 minutes. (It seems like I always have to go longer than this. Both my pies took an extra 10-15 minutes to bake today.) Cool on a wire rack.

PS- Mom, don't look too hard at my crust. I was in a hurry. I swear I have better skills than that.

Pie Crust

This is my VERY favorite pie crust!! It's pretty easy to make, and always turns out delicious. I like to make my dough the night before I need the pie, but lets be honest, I'm rarely that organized. Do give yourself some time though. It needs to get nice and chilly.

Martha Stewart's Basic Pie Dough

This recipe makes enough dough for one double-crust pie or two single-crust pies.

Ingredients

* 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* 16 tablespoons cold (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
* 1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water


Directions

1. In a food processor, combine flour, salt, and sugar; pulse to combine. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with just a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining.
2. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup ice water. Pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed with fingers (if necessary, add up to 1/4 cup more water, 1 tablespoon at a time). To help ensure a flaky crust, do not overprocess.
3. Transfer half of dough (still crumbly) onto a piece of plastic wrap. Form dough into a disk 3/4 inch thick; wrap tightly in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour (and up to 3 days). Repeat with remaining dough. (Disks can be frozen, tightly wrapped, up to 3 months. Thaw before using.) Makes 2 disks.

Mom's Very Berry Pie

Mom's Very Berry Pie

1 quart (2 lbs.) fresh or frozen berries (I use a triple berry mix)
1 TB. lemon juice and ½ tsp. minced lemon rind
1 cup sugar
2 ½ TBs. tapioca (Can also use 3 TBs. cornstarch in juice or clear gel)

Combine above ingredients. Pour into a 9 inch unbaked pie crust. Dot top with 2 TBs. butter. Put on top crust. Cut slits in the top for the steam to escape. Bake 45-50 minutes at 375 degrees down low in the oven. May need to cover edges to keep from burning.

Mama Q’s Chicken Enchiladas

Mama Q’s Chicken Enchiladas

Makes 2 (9x13) dishes
1 chicken boiled and cubed (3 cups) 20 medium flour tortillas,
1 large onion diced (3 TBs. dry minced) (17.5 oz pkgs.)
1 lb cheddar cheese (grated) 2 cans of cream of chicken
2 – 4 oz. cans diced green chilies soup
2 cups of sour cream 1 can chicken broth
Garlic powder
Salt
Pepper
Paprika

Combine chicken, onion, chilies, and ½ of the cheese. Add garlic powder, salt and pepper. In separate bowl, combine soup, broth and sour cream. Put 2 large spoons of sauce into the chicken mixture. Spread the tortillas out on the counter. Divide the chicken mixture onto the tortillas (about ¼ cup each). Put small amount of sauce in baking dishes. Roll up and place tortillas into the baking dishes. Pour remaining sauce over. Top with remaining cheese and sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Grandma Atwood’s Bread Dressing

Thanksgiving is just around the corner! Woo HOO!!

Grandma Atwood’s Bread Dressing
Passed along by BJ Quigley

Cube 1 loaf butter-top bread. Set out to dry at least 1 day. (Or use 1 bag of store-bought dry cubed bread.)

Saute’ in about 5 TBs. butter: 2 large onions, chopped and the top off a bunch of celery, sliced and slightly chopped.

Put about 2 tsp. salt and sage on the dry bread crumbs. (I add the spice packet as well that comes in the store-bought package.) Mix.

Heat 1 can cream of chicken soup with 3 cups cream. (I use half and half.)

Toss soup mixture and onion mixture with bread. (Should be kind of soupy.)

Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. (I’ve never done just one batch…I think you would use a well-greased 9x13 baking dish.)

Chicken Lemon Soup

Creamy Chicken Lemon Soup

3 Tablespoon Butter
4 oz mushrooms sliced
1 Cup sliced celery
1 Cup sliced carrots
1 onion chopped
3 Tablespoon flour
6 Cups chicken broth
1.5 Cups half and half
2 Tablespoon chopped parsley
1.5 lbs cooked chicken cut in bite size pieces
1 Cup dry farfalle pasta
3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Melt butter in large pot over medium, add veggies and cook 5 minutes or until tender. Add flour cook 3 minutes. Add in chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Add half and half and parsley and simmer 5 minutes. Add chicken, cooked pasta and lemon juice.

I got this recipe from my friend Lauren and it is now one of my favorites... So good for fall/winter time!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Greg and I have been forever locked in a battle between my Mom’s oatmeal chocolate chip and Tollhouse chocolate chip cookies. I finally found a compromise that satisfies both of us. You can probably tell by the shortening that we aren’t getting any skinnier by eating them. Oh well… they are ‘licous, as Brenden would say. Try them! They really are amazing.

Sis. Moore’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups sugar 3 tsp baking soda
2 cups brown sugar 2 tsp salt
2 cups shortening 6 cups flour
6 eggs 1 bag chips

Cream sugar, brown sugar, shortening, and eggs. Add baking soda and salt, and mix in on low. Blend in flour, 2 cups at a time. Stir in chocolate chips. (She uses half milk chocolate and half semi-sweet.)

Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes, until just barely turning color on top.

Basil Pesto

Basil Pesto

1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
4 cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves (2 ounces)
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup Pecorino or Parmesan cheese (I use Pecorino.)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper

Preheat oven to 350°. Spread nuts evenly on a rimmed baking sheet; toast in oven until golden and fragrant, tossing once, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool completely. (I buy them pre-toasted at Albertson’s)

In a food processor, combine nuts, basil, and garlic. Process until nuts are finely chopped. With machine running, pour oil in a steady stream through the feed tube; process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

I like to stir it into bowtie pasta with cooked peas. Serve it chilled. Soooo good.

Jana's Frosted Sugar Cookies

From Jana's Blog:

photo by istockphoto.com

Sugar Cookies

1 cup butter (softened)

1 cup sugar

2 beaten eggs

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup sour cream

3 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

Cream the butter and sugar together, then add eggs, vanilla, and sour cream and mix together. In a separate bowl, combine all dry ingredients and then slowly add to the wet ingredients. Chill for at least 30 minutes. Roll out the dough to 1/4 inch and cut into shapes (Use a lot of flour to roll out, because the dough is really sticky). Bake at 375 degrees for 8 minutes. Cool completely and frost.

Frosting

4 oz. Cream Cheese softened

1/2 Cup (1 stick) Butter softened

1 tsp Vanilla

4-5 cups powdered sugar

A few drops of milk if it gets too thick

Food coloring (optional)

Cream together cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until creamy. Slowly add the powdered sugar a little at a time and beat until fluffy. Add a few drops of food coloring of your choice (if desired) and mix until the color is uniform. Frost cookies.

Lil Cheddar Meat Loaves

From Jana's Blog:

I got this recipe from Taste of Home. I love taste of home… all their recipes I have tried from their magazine have been really good. If you don’t have a subscription, I suggest you get one.
This recipe is also great for company since it’s easily doubled or tripled.

Lil Cheddar Meat Loaves

Ingredients:

• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 2/3 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons prepared mustard

Directions:

In a bowl, beat the egg and milk. Stir in cheese, oats, onion and salt. Add beef and mix well. Shape into eight loaves; place in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Combine ketchup, brown sugar and mustard; spoon over loaves. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 45 minutes or until the meat is no longer pink and a meat thermometer reads 160°. Yield: 8 servings.

Roasted Chicken with Vegetables

From Jana's Blog:

Here is a way to make a yummy roasted meal that is really easy using Reynold’s large oven bags. I swear by these because they are easy, make the food delicious, and they make for easy clean up.

Roasted Chicken with Vegetables

One 3-4 pound whole chicken

Vegetable Oil or melted butter

salt

pepper

garlic salt

Paprika

One large oven bag

1 Tablespoon Flour

carrots pealed and cut into large chunks

Potatoes scrubbed and cut into large chunks

(or any other roasting vegetables you like)
Rinse whole chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Rub with melted butter or vegetable oil and season with salt, pepper, garlic salt, and paprika. Place 1 Tbsp flour in oven bag. put chicken inside oven bag in a 9×13 pan. Add carrots and potatoes around the chicken. Close bag with the plastic tab, and cut 6 slits in bag to vent. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/4- 1 1/2 hours. Chicken is done when meat thermometer stuck in the thigh (not touching the bone) reads 180 degrees.

It is so easy and delicious.

The oven bags can be used for just about anything; poultry, beef, pork, fish, vegetables ( I make my thanksgiving turkeys in oven bags and they always turn out delicious). The directions for each is in the box of oven bags.

Lemon Cupcakes

From Jana's Blog:

Think Fast because I am about to reveal my secrets of cupcake making… Ok they are totally easy. You will be disappointed when you hear what they are because you probably already know most of them, but for those of you who might not… here you are:

I always start with a cake mix, I like the texture more, and the fact that they are so easy.
I used a lemon supreme cake mix, the trick to getting more credit for using cake mix though, is to add stuff to it.
I added the juice and Zest of one large lemon to the mix. If you want to make something taste really lemony, the trick is to add the zest as well, it gives it that kick. But only get the yellow part off the lemon, the white underneath is bitter tasting.

Then I followed the directions on the box… However I never bake my cakes as long as the box says to. I always start checking them about 3 minutes before the lowest time on the box. When a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out ALMOST clean, it’s done. You can also check it by pushing lightly on the top of the cake, if it springs back, it’s done. I like to take my cakes out a little early because the residual heat from the pan will continue to cook it a little more after you take it out of the oven, and if your cake is already over done it will come out really dry.

Then for frosting, as always, I make up my own recipe. I like to add real ingredients, because this gives the cupcakes that homemade taste.

Super Lemon Frosting

• 1 stick real butter (1/2 cup)
• 1/2 stick cream cheese (4oz)
• Juice and Zest(finely grated) of a large lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 cups powdered sugar

Mix together cream cheese, and butter until smooth. Add lemon juice, Zest, and vanilla, mix well. Slowly add the powdered sugar a little at a time and beat until fluffy. Add a few drops of food coloring of your choice (if desired) and mix until the color is uniform. Frost cupcakes. Top with lemon heads candy and zest curls if desired.

Fresh squeezed Lemonade

From Jana's Blog:

Here is my simple recipe for fresh squeezed lemonade.

Fresh squeezed Lemonade

1 cup hot water

1 cup sugar

4-5 lemons squeezed to make 1 cup lemon juice (I like the big bag of lemons at costco… they are huge.)

4-5 cups cold water

Ice to taste

Just dissolve the one cup of sugar in the one cup of hot water to make a simple syrup. Then add lemon juice, cold water, and Ice and stir. I like to add a couple of lemon slices for flare. That’s it… So refreshing.

Grilled Pineapple

From Jana's Blog:

I made some really tasty grilled pineapple to go with the kabobs I was making the other day and they were so good I thought I would pass my recipe on.

The first trick is to pick a good pineapple. When you go to the store pick up the pineapple and turn it upside down, the ones with a little bit of mold growing on the bottom are usually the sweetest. (I got that tip from Kat, and she lived in Hawaii, so she would know). Also a good indicator of a ripe pineapple is the smell… if it smells pineappley, that is a good sign.

Grilled Pineapple

1/2 a pineapple cored and cut into large chunks

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1-2 tablespoons orange juice

Toss pineapple in the rest of the ingredients to coat. Place on grill and pour the rest of the mixture over pineapple.

Grill over medium heat for 5 minutes on each side.

Great as a dessert or even served with grilled meats (Tucano’s style).

Try it, it’s delicious!

Jen's Sizzlin' Skillet

Here is one of my favorite recipes. It is fast, easy and delicious. It has a lot of nutritional value too!!
Hope you enjoy it!

Jen's Sizzlin' Skillet

1 pd. sausage
1 jar tomatoes (or 2 14.5 cans of Italian diced)
2 1/4 cups water
1 1/2 cups uncooked penne pasta
2 beef bouillon cubes
1 can kidney beans (rinsed and drained)
1 can garbanzo beans (rinsed and drained)
1 can cut green beans (rinsed and drained)

* In a large skillet, cook sausage, drain. Add tomatoes, water, pasta and bouillon; bring to boil.
Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until noodles are tender. Stir in beans and heat through.
Yield: 6 servings