Pumpkin Spice Bars

Pumpkins

With the month of October behind us now, I look forward to November and the Thanksgiving season. I enjoy pumpkin pie but usually don’t have any during the year but instead leave it for Thanksgiving Day. Then it’s a real treat.

Pumpkin Spice Bars

The original recipe is doubled but I halved it and the spice bars came out fine.

Ingredients

  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 16 ounce tub ready-made cream cheese frosting
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 15-ounce can of pumpkin
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
Directions
  1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Spray a 15x10x1 inch pan with non-stick cooking spray.
  3. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin with a wire whisk until smooth.
  4. Stir in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and the spices.
  5. Spread the mixture into the pan.
  6. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  7. Cool completely then frost with cream cheese frosting.
  8. Cut into bars and top with nuts if you wish.
These are very delicious.
Note: I’m not sure where the original recipe came from.

Apples and Pesticides

Apple

While in Door County for vacation, we bought a large bag of apples to bring home with us.

I enjoy making recipes with apples — apple muffins, baked apple pancake — well, you get the idea.

I have always hesitated in eating an apple without cooking it because of the fear of the pesticides that most of them have that make my mouth itchy. These apples are no exception. One slice of apple and my mouth started itching. It didn’t matter that I had washed the apple. The pesticide penetrates into the apple.

An article in the CBS News stated that apples top the list for pesticide contamination. Yet the health benefits of eating fruits and vegetables outweigh the risk of the pesticides, according to the article.

So – for now, I’ll continue using the apple in recipes. I just can’t enjoy them in their pure form.

 

Apple Cake

This is another recipe that I’ve tweaked a little — okay, okay, I messed up and had to improvise. But it still came out great! Crunchy, light and not too sweet.

Apple Cake

Ingredients

  • 3 cups peeled apples, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon melted butter
  • 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 1/2 cup granola cereal
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Grease and flour an 8 inch square baking dish.
  3. In a medium bowl, toss together the apples, butter and brown sugar. Let this stand while you prepare the batter.
  4. In another medium bowl, stir together both flours, the baking powder and the salt.
  5. In a large bowl, beat the egg then add the sugar, oil and vanilla. Beat until combined.
  6. Stir the flour mixture into the egg mixture then spread this mixture into the prepared pan.
  7. Layer the apples on top then sprinkle the granola on top of the apples.
  8. Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
You can make this an apple spiced cake by adding 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg to the apple mixture.
This recipe can also be made with peaches (which was the original recipe). I left out the spices except for sprinkling some cinnamon on top of the apples.
Hope you enjoy this simple recipe which I found in one of my favorite cookbooks, 1000 Vegetarian Recipes.
[amazon_link id=”0025429655″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]1,000 Vegetarian Recipes[/amazon_link]

 

Potatoes Au Gratin

Potatoes Au Gratin

Simply delicious! I love to make this cheesy casserole.

Ingredients

  • 6 cups peeled, sliced baking potatoes (cut into 1/4 inch pieces)
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 3/4 cup milk (I normally use skim)
  • 1 1/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese, divided
  • 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • Paprika
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
  2. Grease an 8 inch square baking dish
  3. Cook the potatoes in boiling water 5 to 7 minutes or until tender, then drain
  4. In a 1 quart saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once melted, stir in the flour until it’s absorbed
  5. Stir in the milk using a whisk
  6. Heat this through stirring until the mixture comes to a boil
  7. Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in 3/4 cups of the Swiss cheese, 2 tablespoons of the grated Parmesan, the salt, pepper and the garlic
  8. Arrange half of the potatoes in layers in the baking pan then pour 1/2 of the sauce over the potatoes; arrange the rest of the potatoes on top and pour the rest of the sauce over them
  9. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup Swiss cheese and 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese over all
  10. Sprinkle lightly with paprika
  11. Bake 30-40 minutes or until browned on top
  12. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving

Really delicious!

This recipe was found in the cookbook 1,000 Vegetarian Recipes — but you don’t have to be a vegetarian to appreciate it.
[amazon_link id=”0025429655″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]1,000 Vegetarian Recipes[/amazon_link]

Minestrone Soup

I adapted this recipe from one I found in a vegetarian cookbook that I’ve used for years. The recipe can use fresh or canned vegetables — whatever you prefer.

Minestrone Soup

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups dried kidney beans*
  • 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 large red potatoes, cleaned and cut into large bite-size pieces
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 3 medium zucchini
  • 1 cup fresh string beans*
  • 1 medium leek, sliced
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Fresh parsley, chopped *
  • Large pinch of celery seeds
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 head of cabbage, sliced thinly
  • 1/2 cup long-grain rice
  • 5 medium tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
Directions
  1. Soak the beans overnight in enough water to keep them covered then drain them and put them in a large kettle with 4 quarts of water.
  2. Add the garlic, onion and the olive oil then simmer
  3. for about 1 1/2 hours.
  4. Add the potatoes, carrots, zucchini, string beans and leek to the pot.
  5. Season the soup with salt and pepper.
  6. Add the parsley, celery seed, basil and oregano.
  7. Simmer for another 45 minutes.
  8. Add the cabbage and the rice to the soup and simmer for another 20 minutes.
  9. Add more water if the soup is getting too thick for you.
  10. About 5 minutes before the soup is ready to serve, add the tomatoes.
Have a small bowl of Parmesan cheese set out so people can sprinkle it on top of the soup if they wish.
*Note: For the fresh vegetables, you can substitute canned kidney beans, canned tomatoes, canned string beans. I’ve substituted these when I’ve been in a hurry and the soup is still delicious. You can also substitute fresh herbs for dried herbs and vice versa.

The original recipe was found in the book “The Vegetarian Epicure.”

[amazon_link id=”B000QAWMNM” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]The Vegetarian Epicure Book Two[/amazon_link]

Sgt Peppers Grille & Bar

Last evening we went to Sgt. Peppers Grille & Bar in Oakdale, MN.

Sgt Peppers Grille & Bar

It was around 5:15 p.m. and we were seated right away in a booth next to the front door. The woman who seated us brought over a bowl of popcorn and set it on the table. Oh! I love popcorn. This popcorn though was quite salty. Not good for someone who has high blood pressure. Perhaps they should allow people to add their own salt at their table.

Popcorn

The waitress came right away and offered us drinks. I asked for a root beer with just a little ice. She came with a glass of root beer filled with ice. I tried taking the ice out and putting it in another glass but the cubes were quite large and they started falling on the floor. Oh well … when the waitress came back, I asked her if she could take some of the ice out. She whisked my drink away and brought me another one.

We had three items from the menu:

  • Chicken Rice Soup
  • Chicken Pot Pie
  • Gyros (beef and lamb) with french fries
My husband said that the chicken rice soup was not as good as the one I make at home. Not bad but not very good.
Chicken Rice Soup
The chicken pot pie was “weird” — my husband’s description. It had mashed potatoes in it and “I wished I would have ordered something else.” Not good. It did come with garlic bread though.
Chicken Pot Pie

Next there was the gyros entree. It actually was pretty good although it didn’t have the usual feta cheese crumbled on it.

Gyros Sandwich

Lastly were the french fries. They would have been good but were doused in — salt! Again, if they would just leave the salt out then more of this visit would have gone well.

French Fries

I could hardly eat them and left more than 3/4 of them.

The atmosphere was noisy but that’s to be expected because there’s a sports bar connected to the restaurant. The waitress had no animation and just seemed to go through the motions.

Ahhh well, we’ll continue looking for restaurants in the area.

 

Sweet Potato Hash

A quick and easy dinner with loads of good stuff!

Sweet Potato Hash

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons oil
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 1 sweet potato, peeled & cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 3/4 cup frozen corn or 1 can of corn
  • 15 ounce can of black beans, rinsed
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Directions
  1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat
  2. Add the onion and saute until browned in spots
  3. Add the sweet potato and stir until it starts browning in spots (approximately 5-7 minutes)
  4. Stir in the garlic, cumin and salt then saute until fragrant (about 30 seconds)
  5. Add water and cook the mixture (scraping up any browned bits) until liquid is absorbed
  6. Stir in the corn and beans then cook until heated through and the sweet potato is soft (prick a fork through a piece to test it)
  7. Season with salt and pepper

Very easy and you can have most of the ingredients in your cupboard most of the time.

Enjoy!

Nacho Mamas

Heading back through Stillwater across the bridge from Wisconsin after an errand, we stopped at a small restaurant called Nacho Mama’s.

Nacho Mamas Restaurant

One would think, by the name, that they served mainly nachos and that the prices would be inexpensive. Not so.

The sign as you enter warns of large portion sizes — “Where the small is big and the large is huge.”

The menu is quite varied and a tad bit expensive during the lunch hour.

My husband had the Chipotle Steak Sandwich which he said was rather good.

Chipotle Steak Sandwich

I had tacos. Three tacos. The first bite caused me to reach for my water glass. Not a fan of spicy foods, I was rather shocked that they did not list the fact that this was a spicy dish.

Tacos

When I mentioned the spiciness to the waitress, her response was “All of our foods are spicy. I can’t tell every customer that.”

That was disturbing to me and I should have sent the tacos back but instead I muddled through and ate the rice and beans which were pretty good.

Nacho Mamas — you really should make a note on your menu that all of your entrees are spicy. You may lose some customers but at least you won’t have any unhappy ones.

 

 

Goat Cheese Pound Cake

Goat Cheese Pound Cake

So, I have to say — I tried this recipe and it didn’t work for me. I don’t usually post recipes that don’t work but I’d like to know if anyone knows what I may have done wrong.

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces fresh Capri goat cheese (I couldn’t find Capri so used plain goat cheese), at room temperature
  • 3/4 lb butter, at room temperature
  • 2 cups sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 6 eggs, at room temperature
  • 3 cups flour
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
  2. Cream the goat cheese and butter in a mixer.
  3. Add the sugar, salt, lemon juice, and vanilla.
  4. Beat until the mixture is very light.
  5. Add the eggs one by one and beat until light and fluffy.
  6. Reduce the speed of the mixer to low and add the flour, beating just until the batter is mixed.
  7. Spoon the batter into a 10″ tube pan thickly buttered and floured.
  8. Bake the pound cake for 1 1/4 hours or until an inserted skewer or toothpick comes out clean.
  9. Remove the pan from the oven and let cake stand for 5 minutes. Invert the cake onto a rack and cool completely.
This recipe seemed simple enough and the cake looked pretty but … it was so dry. I wound up throwing it out.  Sigh …
Any ideas would could have gone wrong? I made sure not to overmix it. Could the type of goat cheese I used make a difference?

Thanks for any feedback!

I found this recipe at the Westfield Farm website http://www.chevre.com/recipes.html

[amazon_link id=”B001UP2WP0″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Capri Goat Cheese - Westfield Farm - 5 oz[/amazon_link]

Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies are really good. I would not wait until they turn too brown on the top unless you want them crunchy. Either way though — they are good.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingedients

  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 egg, at room temperature
  • 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
(The original recipe calls for nuts and a whole package of chocolate chips but I scaled back on the chips and didn’t use the nuts.)
Directions
  1. Heat the oven to 375ºF
  2. Mix the sugars, butter and egg in a large bowl
  3. Stir in the flour, baking soda and salt (the dough will be stiff)
  4. Stir in the chocolate chips
  5. Drop the dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet or use parchment paper as a liner on the cookie sheet
  6. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light brown — the center will be soft, then cool slightly and remove from cookie sheet
  7. Cool on a wire rack
Enjoy!
Please click here to see the original Betty Crocker recipe.
[amazon_link id=”B004L6GIJQ” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Betty Crocker Baking Basics[/amazon_link]