Pumpkin Bread

This is our family's Halloween tradition.  We make it every year to serve on Halloween before Trick or Treating with our nutritious Halloween Soup.  A couple of years ago, I tried another recipe that was supposed to be Copycat Kneader's Pumpkin Bread, but I think I like this one I've made forever better.  I usually triple the batch because then it uses 1 large can of pumpkin.  A triple batch makes 2 large and 5 small loaves (a nice Halloween gift to share.)

Pumpkin Bread
1 1/2 cup sugar (4 1/2 cups if you're tripling)
2 eggs (6 eggs if you're tripling)
1 teaspoon cinnamon (1 Tablespoon if you're tripling)
1/2 teaspoon salt (1 1/2 teaspoon if you're tripling)
1 teaspoon soda (1 Tablespoon if you're tripling)
1 2/3 cup flour ( 5 cups if you're tripling)
1/2 cup oil (1 1/2 cup oil if you're tripling)
1 cup pumpkin (1 large can pumpkin if you're tripling)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder (1 1/2 teaspoon if you're tripling)
1/3 cup water (1 cup if you're tripling)

In your mixer, mix together the sugar and eggs.  Turn off the mixer and add all of the dry ingredients, then mix together.  Add the pumpkin and water and blend until well mixed.  You can add chocolate chips, raisins, or nuts if you'd like.  Pour into a greased loaf pan.

Bake at 350 for 45-55 minutes (depending on size of the loaves)  Test by sticking a skewer or pick into the center.  Remove from pans and cool on wire rack.  This bread freezes well.

Tandoori Chicken

My current "favorite meal" on our regular food rotation is this Tandoori Chicken. Our good friends, Steve and Rachael, made it for us a while back and I feel totally spoiled when we eat it for dinner...and lunch the next day...and lunch the day after that. Yesterday I passed up a delicious meal out in order to come home and eat these leftovers. Hopefully you enjoy it too!

Ingredients:

1/2 T curry powder

1/2 T red pepper flakes

1/2 T salt

3/4 t ground ginger

3/4 t smoked paprika (I just used normal)

3/4 t cinnamon

3/4 t ground turmeric

1 T minced garlic

2 T lemon juice

1 1/2 cups (1 can) coconut milk

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

9 chicken thighs or 4 chicken breasts (I cut mine in half so they weren't as thick)

Directions:

1.  Whisk together above ingredients and place them in a gallon ziplock bag, add 9 chicken thighs (you could also use chicken breasts).  Close ziplock and massage marinade into chicken.  Place mixture in fridge to marinate for 6 hours (I did for 12 hours because I had errands all day and it was fine).  

2.  Preheat oven to 350.

3.  On the stove top, heat a cast iron skillet (or oven safe skillet) on med-high heat with a few Tbsp of olive oil (I used coconut oil).  Brown the chicken, skin side down (mine was boneless, skinless) for approximately 5 minutes or until the chicken is a nice golden brown.

4.  Turn the chicken over.  Pour remaining marinade over chicken.

5.  Bake chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees, which is approximately 20 minutes.

This week I made it with this butternut squash and I loved the 2 together. 

I served it with Basmati Rice. Yum!

Also, I have found my children think it is too spicy, so I won’t put as much, if any, red pepper flakes in next time.

Super Soft Play Dough

I made this very soft play dough when my grandkids were here visiting.  It is very soft and fun to play with and has only three ingredients.

Super Soft Play Dough
2 parts corn starch
1 part hair conditioner
food coloring, as desired

Mix together and enjoy!

Note 1:  Because conditioners vary in "juiciness," you may need to add more to get it the consistency you want.
Note 2:  Obviously, this is a non-edible playdough, so should be used with older children.

Caesar Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

1 lb pasta, we like this Radiatore or Garden Rotinii

1/3 to 1/2 bottle of this Light Caesar house dressing

1/2 tsp of Mrs. Dash

salt and pepper (or Lemon Pepper is great too) to taste

2 carrots, peeled and diced

1 large cucumber, peeled and diced

2-3 tomatoes, diced

Directions:

Boil pasta 1 minute less than box instructions. Add the chopped carrots for the last 2 minutes of pasta cooking time to soften them up. Drain.

While the pasta is cooking, put the tomatoes and cucumbers in a big bowl. Sprinkle some salt on them to help their juices come out to make the salad more tasty. After it has rested with the salt for at least 5 minutes, add the Mrs. Dash, pepper to taste and 1/4 cup of the Caesar dressing. Stir. Then add the drained pasta and carrots. Pour more dressing on the pasta and stir together. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours to cool and marinate. Add a bit more dressing to moisten right before serving. Sprinkle some parmesan cheese over the top and serve. My kids love this salad and I hope yours do too! Enjoy! 

Loaded Baked Potato Pizza

Loaded Baked Potato Pizza

This recipe won the "main dish dinner" category for the Pillsbury Bake-off.  It really does taste like a loaded baked potato. 
Loaded Baked Potato Pizza -- Serves: 6 servings
 Ingredients:
1 can (13.8 oz) Pillsbury(r) refrigerated classic pizza crust 
1 medium potato 
1 tablespoon Olive Oil 
1/4 teaspoon salt 
1/4 teaspoon pepper 
1 box (10 oz)  frozen broccoli and cheese sauce
2/3 cup sour cream 
1 tablespoon ranch dressing 
1 cup shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese blend or any shredded cheese
5 slices cooked bacon, coarsely chopped 
1 tomato, seeded, chopped 
2 or 3 green onions, chopped 
 Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray large, sided cookie sheet. Unroll pizza crust dough on cookie sheet; press dough into 13x9-inch rectangle. Bake 10 to 13 minutes or until crust is light golden brown. Remove from oven; set aside. Meanwhile, pierce potato with fork; place on microwavable paper towel in microwave oven. Microwave 4 to 5 minutes, or until tender. Let it stand for awhile.  When potato is cool enough to handle, peel potato and cut into 1/4-inch cubes. In small bowl, mix potato, oil, salt and pepper; set aside. Cook broccoli in microwave as directed on box. Empty from pouch into another small bowl to cool slightly; set aside. In another small bowl, mix sour cream and ranch dressing. Spread mixture over pizza crust to within 1/2-inch of edges of crust. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the cheese evenly over sour cream mixture. Sprinkle with bacon. Spread broccoli mixture and potato mixture evenly over bacon. Sprinkle tomato, onions and remaining 1/2 cup cheese evenly over potato mixture. Bake 15 to 22 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown and cheese is melted. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting.

Pantry Pick of the Month: Prego Fresh Mushroom Pasta Sauce/ Chicken Mozzarella Pasta

There are probably 101 things I could make with this month's pantry pick. I was delighted when I reached in and pulled out one of my favorite products- Prego Fresh Mushroom Pasta Sauce.   I chose to try a Pioneer Woman's recipe for Chicken Mozzarella Pasta, and was I ever glad.  It was just delicious and I will be making this again and again.  It was very easy and very fast, too.  The Pioneer Woman says it takes 16 minutes.  I think it took a bit longer for me because it took so long to get the pot of water to boil.  But, still it was really fast.

My poor husband never gets to eat until I take a picture!  He's pretty patient with me.

Chicken Mozzarella Pasta
1 pound pasta, penne or rigatoni or whatever you have (some of the reviewers said it was delicious with whole wheat pasta)
Olive oil, about 2 Tablespoons in pan, and more for drizzling over the pasta after it's cooked
2 boneless chicken breasts, chopped into small pieces
Salt and Pepper
2- 3 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
1 large onion, diced
1 Jar Prego Fresh Mushroom Pasta Sauce (or any other Marinara sauce)
1/4 teaspoon- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (to taste)
Handful of chopped fresh parsley
8 ounces of fresh mozzarella, diced (you can buy this at Costco)
Grated Parmesan cheese
About 12 basil leaves, chiffonade

Cook the pasta to al dente in very salty water.  While it's cooking, make the sauce:
Put the olive oil in a large sided skillet or a Le Cruset' pan and heat on medium high heat.  Salt and pepper the chopped chicken breasts  and mix with your hands.  Add to the hot oil.  Cook for two or three minutes, stirring and browning the chicken.  Remove the chicken (put on a plate) and add the onion and garlic to the oil.  Saute on med-high heat until the onions are soft and translucent and golden and smelling SO good.

Reduce the heat and add the jar of sauce, red pepper flakes to taste and a big ladle or two full of the pasta water.  Stir and cook for a minute, then add the chicken chunks and the parsley.  Simmer for about 7 minutes.  The sauce should be bubbly and hot. Turn off the heat.  Add the cheese chunks and gently stir.  Then just let the sauce sit for 2-3 minutes while you drain and prepare the cooked pasta.

Put the drained pasta in a large bowl.  Drizzle some olive oil in and mix it in.  Then sprinkle on a generous amount of Parmesan cheese.  Then pour the sauce over the pasta.  Sprinkle on a little more
of the Parmesan and the basil.  Serve.   So, so yummy.  The fresh Mozzarella softens and melts and it's just so good.  This makes a BIG bowl of pasta.

Baked French Toast

Every month when the "Friend" magazine comes, you'd think it were Christmas at our house by the behavior of our five year old daughter.  She thoroughly enjoys the stories, and seeks out the "Family Fun Time" page before I've had the chance to even open the Ensign.  This was one of the "Family Fun Time" recipes from August.  My whole family enjoyed it.  I appreciate the fact that it is a bit healthier than some similar recipes because it doesn't call for corn syrup, and can be made with whole wheat bread. It is kid friendly too!  It keeps my five year old busy: She tears up the bread while I mix the other ingredients.  

8 cups of torn whole wheat bread (about half a loaf) -- or torn french bread

6 large eggs

2 cups milk

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup brown sugar

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Put the torn bread in a  lightly greased 9x13-inch pan.
• Beat the eggs, and mix in the milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt.  Pour the mixture over the bread. Stir the bread to get it all coated.
• Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly on top of the bread.
• Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 45-50 minutes or until a knife comes out clean when you stick it in the middle.  Serve plain or with fresh fruit - it doesn't need extra syrup.
• 
   Waiting for it to cool is hard.