Pumpkin Granola

Granola is one of my favorite things to munch on. It's great on cereal, yogurt, and even by itself. I haven't tasted any granola that's as good as this recipe. The spices along with the pumpkin and dried cranberries give the perfect flavor for this season. I've already made two batches. I added pumpkin seeds to the first batch, and omitted them on the second batch. I prefer the batch without the pumpkin seeds the most.

This is what my breakfast looks like in the morning. Greek yogurt sprinkled with pumpkin granola and then drizzled with a little maple syrup. Mmmm. Heaven!


I also packaged some up and mailed it to my sister and brother-in-law in Kansas City. I hope they enjoy it.

Ingredients:
5 cups rolled oats
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup dried cranberries

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325-degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine oats, spices, and salt. Mix well.

In a medium bowl, whisk together brown sugar, pumpkin puree, applesauce, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth. Pour wet ingredients into oat mixture and stir until the oats are evenly coated. They will be moist. Evenly spread the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and stir. Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until the granola is golden and crisp. Remove from the oven and stir in dried cranberries. Let cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Source: Adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod ... originally from Baking Bites

Nutritional Info** I added up all of the fat grams and calories as I added each ingredient. I came up with the following nutritional information:
For 1/4 cup granola, there are 1.2 grams fat and 94 calories

Pecan Pie

I made this pie for Thanksgiving, and I jokingly called this my "Charlie Brown Pecan Pie" because the crust looked so sad. I really have to work on my pie crust skills. It reminded me of Charlie Brown's christmas tree.... kinda wimpy. However, the taste wasn't wimpy. This pie was delicious, and it all disappeared. It was especially delicious and rich with the Whiskey Maple Cream Sauce.

Ingredients:

1 whole unbaked pie crust
1 cup white sugar
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup corn syrup
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup melted butter
3 whole eggs, beaten
1 heaping cup chopped pecans

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
Mix sugar, brown sugar, salt, corn syrup, butter, eggs, and vanilla together in a bowl. Place the unbaked pie crust in a pie dish, and pour chopped pecans in the bottom of the pie shell. Pour syrup mixture over the top.

Cover top and crush lightly/gently with foil. Bake pie for 30 minutes. Remove foil, then continue baking for 20 minutes, being careful not to burn the crust or pecans. Pie should not be overly jiggly when you remove it from the oven. If it shakes a lot, cover with foil and bake for an additional 20 minutes or until set. Required baking times vary widely with this recipe. It took mine almost 1.5 hours to cook.

Allow to cool for several hours or overnight. Serve in thin slivers.
Yield: 12 pieces

Source: Pioneer Woman

Whiskey Maple Cream Sauce

I made a pecan pie for Thanksgiving, and this sauce really complimented it. I found the recipe last minute, and I had to run to the grocery store on Wednesday to get some heavy cream. It was a mad-house in the grocery store. Now I remember why I like to shop ahead of time. And it's also the same reason I don't go shopping on Black Friday. I refuse to compete with the crowds.

This sauce was absolutely amazing. It would also be good on most pies, cheesecakes, and ice cream recipes.... not just pecan pie. If you have a way of getting real maple syrup, do it! I ordered some from Vermont, and it tastes like nothing I've ever tasted before. We've been enjoying it on yogurt every morning, and I've also used it in several other cooking/baking recipes. My favorite is the Grade A Medium, which is the most common table syrup.


Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
5 Tablespoons pure maple syrup
3 Tablespoons light corn syrup
1 Tablespoon Whiskey (optional)

Directions:
Combine cream, maple syrup, and corn syrup in a saucepan and stir to combine.
Cook over medium-low to medium heat, stirring constantly, for 15-20 minutes or until sauce is reduced and thick (sauce should bubble slightly as it's cooking).
When sauce is thick, remove from heat and stir in whiskey. Return to heat for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly.
Pour into a container and refrigerate until completely chilled. Stir before serving. Drizzle over pies and ice cream.

Source: Pioneer Woman

Baked Brie Wrapped in Puffed Pastry

I've seen this recipe several times before from various different places, so I decided to give it a try. Baked Brie is one of my favorite appetizers, and it's always the one to disappear first at parties. I made this as an appetizer for a football get-together at my in-laws. I usually serve it with Wheat Thin crackers, but you can also eat it straight off of a fork.


Ingredients:
1 frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 round (5-inches) Brie cheese
1/4 cup Pumpkin and Orange Spiced Jam or your favorite jam
1 egg, beaten, mixed with 1 T water
Flour for dusting

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400-degrees.
Lightly flour puff pastry, and roll out to 1/8-inch thickness. Wrap dough around Brie, and trim away excess pastry. Reserve excess pastry to cut decorative shapes. Seal edges by pressing with your fingers. Place the Brie on a baking sheet seam-side down. Attach any decorative pieces of dough in the design of your choice. At this point you may refrigerate for up to 48-hours. When ready to bake, brush the entire top of the Brie with egg wash.

Bake for15-20 minutes until golden. Remove from oven and let rest for about 20 minutes before serving.

For another great Brie recipe, check out the recipe for Pecan Caramelized Brie.

Pumpkin and Orange Spiced Jam

I got this little jam pot from My Favorite Store (AKA: Anthropologie). I could easily spend my whole paycheck there. This pot is in the shape of an apple, and the stem is actually a little wooden spoon. It looks so cute in my refrigerator right now.


I couldn't wait to make a jam to put in it. A friend from pharmacy school had a recipe that I was dying to try. Pumpkin and Orange Spiced Jam seemed like the perfect jam to make this season, so I tackled it one Saturday. It was delicious, but I think I put a little more than a pinch of nutmeg. Oh well, it's still good.... just a little nutmeg-y.

Ingredients:
2 small pumpkins (about 3 pounds total), peeled, seeded and cut into small pieces
2 cooking apples, cored, peeled and chopped into small pieces
6 3/4 cups sugar
juice of 1 lemon
juice of 1 orange
zest of 1 orange
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg

Directions:
In a heavy bottomed saucepan add the pumpkin and apple. Pour in 1/4 cup water, bring to a boil, then simmer for 10-20 minutes or until pumpkin is soft.
My note: I used way more than 1/4 cup water. I put enough water to barely cover the pumpkin/apple mixture. I drained most of the water out, reserving about 1/4 cup juice after the pumpkin and apple softened.

Mash coarsely, keeping a few chunks of pumpkin whole.

Add the sugar, lemon juice, orange juice, orange zest, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir until dissolved. Bring to a rolling boil and cook for 20 minutes or until the jam thickens and reaches the setting point.

Ladle into warm sterilized 1/2 pint mason jars. leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Store in a cool, dark place and refrigerate after opening.
Yield 3.5 to 4 pints (7 to 8 half-pint jars).

**Another note: Suzanne said that you can also bake the apple and pumpkin at 375-degrees for about an hour instead of boiling it.

Source: Suzanne Piper Cooley (Originally from Preserve It! by Linda Brown... also found on Food.com)

Crispy Chicken-and-Rice Casserole

I changed this recipe up just a little to make it more healthy. I tried to add up all of the calories, and I came up with about 290 calories per serving (give or take a few). The removal of several calories did not take away from the flavor. This is amazing and filling. It also freezes well, which helps me on those busy week nights when I don't have time to prepare supper.



I bought a few covered casserole dishes from Tuesday Morning, and they are perfect for freezing meals. I'm able to get two servings in each dish, which is perfect for husband and wife. My mom gave me this idea when she told me that her mother would send her home with several porcelain casserole dishes of chicken spaghetti for her and my dad. She would stick them in the freezer for future meals.

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
2 (10.5 ounce) cans low fat cream of mushroom soup
1 (8-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 (4-ounce) can sliced mushrooms, drained
1 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup light mayonnaise (I used the Canola mayo)
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup crushed cornflakes cereal

Directions:
Cook rice according to package directions (omit the butter and salt). Stir together cooked rice and next 10 ingredients in a bowl. Spoon into a lightly greased 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with cereal.

Bake at 350-degrees for 30 minutes or until golden and bubbly.

Note: Freeze casserole up to 1 month, if desired. Don't put the cornflakes on top of the casserole until it has thawed out (right before putting into the oven). Bake, covered with aluminum foil, at 350-degrees for 45 minutes. Remove foil, and bake 15 minutes more or until thoroughly heated.

Yield: Makes 8 to 10 servings

Source: Adapted from Southern Living

Papa

This past week has been a tough one. My grandfather, “Papa” passed away Tuesday, November 2. He had prostate cancer that spread throughout his body, and the Lord took him home to be with Him. Now he is without pain and in a much better place. I’m so happy I got the opportunity to spend some time with him right before he took a turn for the worse. Catherine (my sister), Maggie (my cousin), and I drove to Aliceville, AL a couple of weeks ago to visit my grandparents. Papa was very emotional that day, but he assured us that they were tears of joy. He said that “Gentry tears” (Gentry is his last name) are always joyful tears. He was so overjoyed thinking about the love and pride he had for his family, and all of that joy was expressed through his tears.

That’s all I could think about when I shed my tears over the past several days. They are truly tears of joy because I know that Papa is with sweet Jesus now. It makes me think of a Father’s Day sermon I heard several years ago. The pastor said that the best gift that a father can give their child is the knowledge that when he leaves this earth, he will be in a better place with Jesus. Papa definitely gave that gift to his wife, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. He had a true relationship with Jesus and lived a life that was evident of that. We have a peace now because we know where Papa is.

There are so many memories that I have of Papa; far too many to put into written words. I have come up with my favorite top 10 memories:

10. When I was a child, Papa would grill steaks every Sunday night for a huge family dinner. He also smoked the turkeys every Thanksgiving. During those days he would wear the smell of smoked meat on his clothes and hair and give us a “smoky” hug and kiss.

9. Papa had the greenest thumb that I have ever seen. He could grow any vegetable and/or flower you could think of. During summer months, he would always send me home with bags full of fresh vegetables.

8. Papa absolutely adored his bride. Papa and Sugar (we call my grandmother, “Sugar”) had the kind of marriage that everyone dreams of. Papa loved her with everything he had. Sugar told me that she never doubted his love for her. She called him “Honey” because he was so sweet to her.

7. Papa loved to tell people about Jesus. Missions were dear to his heart, and he wanted everyone to know his Savior.

6. Papa loved chocolate. There was a cabinet designated for chocolate, and I would always visit that cabinet before I left. His favorite was the chocolate Andes mints. He taught me how to make a goblet/wine glass out of the green foil wrapper.

5. Papa and Sugar took my brother, sister, and me to British Columbia, Canada for an Elder Hostel. Papa went camping, kayaking, and watched us enjoy our first rock climbing adventure. Instead of sleeping in on Sunday like my family typically did when on vacation, Papa found a nearby church for us to visit.

4. Papa loved classical music and singing in the choir. The classical song that most reminds me of him is a song from Peter and the Wolf. He knew every instrument as it was playing, and he would try to teach them to us. He also loved singing in the church choir. He would always make us smile as he sang in the choir with his mouth in the shape of an “O.”

3. Whenever any of the grandchildren spent the night with my grandparents, Papa would wake us up with a “good morning” song and some juice on a tray. “Good morning to you; good morning to you…..”

2. When I was in pharmacy school, I drove to Aliceville to shadow my uncle in his pharmacy. I spent the night with my grandparents and got up early the next morning to work. I was used to grabbing a granola bar and eating it on the way to work, so that’s what I expected to do that morning at my grandparents. I should have known better! My grandfather had juice and toast waiting for my grandmother and me, and we ate breakfast out on the deck. After breakfast, I witnessed a typical morning at my grandparent’s house. We went back into their bedroom so my grandmother could get back in her bed (she can’t stay up for long periods of time due to MS). My grandfather read a chapter of the Bible. I think they were going through the book of Genesis at that time, but I’m not completely sure. After he read a chapter, Sugar prayed. Every single child and grandchild (and several leaders in their church) had a detailed prayer every single morning.

1.Christmas Eve has always been my favorite day of the year. My whole family gathers at my grandparent’s house, and it’s such a special time. My grandparents have 6 children, 18 grandchildren, and 3 great-grandchildren. Needless to say, we have a house full of family. Before we exchanged gifts, Papa read the Christmas Story (Luke chapter 2) aloud to the family. That’s a family tradition that I would like to carry on to my children. The reason we give gifts is because we received the ultimate gift of salvation from our Lord.

Papa, we will miss you here on earth. Thank you for all that you have taught us.

S'mores Cookies

Last month I promised to bring homemade Halloween goodies to one of the nursing homes that I visit. They are a small nursing home, so one batch made the perfect amount. Of course, I had to taste one, and I was really pleased. They were so chewy, and there were several chocolate chips with each bite I took.
In order to give the marshmallows a "roasted by the campfire" look, I turned the oven to broil for the last minute.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups miniature chocolate chips
2 cups mini marshmallows
2 Hershey bars, chopped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375-degrees.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking soda, & salt. Whisk together. In a separate larger bowl beat together the butter, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Slowly beat in the flour mixture until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 8 minutes, and remove from the oven. Push 3 to 4 marshmallows and a piece of Hershey bar into each cookie. Return to the oven and bake an additional 3 minutes, then broil for 1 minute to roast the marshmallows.

Makes approximately 4 dozen cookies.

Source:  Two Peas and Their Pod

Candy Corn Ice Cream

Those of you that know me well know that I have a love-hate relationship with candy corn. I eat so much of it at once until it makes me sick and never want to lay eyes on it again. But then miraculously the next day I feel great and want more. I sure am glad that candy corn is a seasonal candy, or else I'd have a mouth full of cavities and on a sugar high every day of the year.
Speaking of cavities, I'm always due for the dentist around Halloween. How did that happen? I always walk in the dentist office like a child that just stole a cookie from the cookie jar because I'm anticipating the scolding I'm about to get.

This ice cream is my guilty pleasure. I've had a scoop every night with a few pieces of candy corn scattered around. The candy corn is pretty much ALL SUGAR, so you don't have to add additional sugar.

Ingredients:
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
13 ounces candy corn

Directions:
Pour 1 cup of the cream into a medium saucepan and add the candy corn. Warm over medium heat, stirring, until you start to see the candy corn dissolve. Turn heat off and let cream come to room temperature. Add the remaining cream and milk.

Put mixture into an air tight container and refrigerate overnight, at least 12 hours. When you can remember, shake the container or stir the contents to loosen the candy corn. This will also help the dissolving process.

Remove from the refrigerator and strain the milk/cream mixture through a sieve or really small strainer to catch the candy corn pieces that did not disintegrate.

Freeze in your ice-cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Top with extra candy corn if you would like.
I got about 5 cups out of this recipe.

Source: Culinary Concoctions by PeaBody

Roast Beef Panini

I have a new-found love for paninis. Not only are they delicious, but they are the perfect thing to make when you've had a busy day. In no time at all, you have a warm sandwich with endless possibilities of flavors.
This particular sandwich had a combination of spicy, sweet, and smoky flavors with every bite. The hot pepper jelly was both spicy and sweet, and the Gouda cheese gave a nice smoky flavor. The Dijon mustard also gave a nice punch of heat to the sandwich. Aubrey compared it to the heat that Wasabi has. Instead of burning your mouth, it burns your nose. I'm not sure how, but it does!
My grocery store didn't have watercress sprigs, so I used bean sprouts (Oh, how I love bean sprouts!).


Ingredients:
8 Tablespoons sweet- or hot-pepper jelly
8 slices whole-grain bread
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 ounces smoked Gouda cheese, shredded
1/2 pound thinly sliced deli roast beef
1 cup watercress sprigs or bean sprouts
Olive oil cooking spray

Directions:
Spread 1 tablespoon jelly evenly on each of 8 slices of bread. Spread each of 4 slices with 1/2 teaspoon mustard (a little of this goes a long way) on top of the jelly; sprinkle Gouda evenly on the same 4 slices. Tip the remaining slices evenly with the thinly sliced roast beef and the watercress sprigs (or bean sprouts). Combine the bread slices to create 4 sandwiches.

Heat a panini press or a grill pan coated lightly with olive oil cooking spray. Grill the sandwiches in batches, with the press closed, for 2-3 minutes per side. If using a grill pan, cook the sandwiches over moderately high heat with a heavy skillet on top of the sandwiches, pressing down, 2-3 minutes per side or until golden. Halve the sandwiches, and serve immediately.

Nutritional Info (per serving): 384 calories; 9g fat; 59mg cholesterol; 166mg calcium; 49g carbohydrate; 419mg sodium; 27g protein; 4g fiber; 3mg iron

Source: adapted from Health Magazine October 2009