Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Tastes like fall...And brings back memories. This recipe was submitted by one of my cute 4th grade students for a Mother's Day Cookbook that we published in 2005. I've made these cookies every fall since then and absolutely love them!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

(Submitted by Alexis Teasdale)

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup shortening

2 eggs

1/2 large can Libby's Canned Pumpkin (NOT Pumpkin Pie...about 1 1/2 cups)*

1 tsp vanilla

2 tsp cinnamon

2 cups flour

1 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp nutmeg

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

12 oz chocolate chips

Cream sugar and shortening. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix in pumpkin. Add dry ingredients. Mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes.

*I personally think Libby's is the BEST brand of pumpkin out there and I do think it makes a different in your baking. Also, you can buy just PUMPKIN or PUMPKIN PIE, make sure it is the PUMPKIN. They are different!

Tomato Macaroni Soup

A combination between pasta and soup, this healthy meal is something the whole family will love! It's a sweet tomato flavor that will leave you coming back for seconds. Perfect comfort food for a fall night.

Tomato Mac

Cook 1 1/3 cup elbow macaroni until slightly undercooked (al dente) and set aside.

In a large soup pan mix the following ingredients:

1 large (32 oz.) can tomato juice and then a half can of water

1 ½ t. dried parsley flakes

1 t. chili powder

½ c. sugar

2 T butter

½ c. Catalina light dressing

1 pound browned ground beef (salt and pepper to taste)

Heat the above and add cooked macaroni last. Simmer until macaroni is warmed.

Mom's Chili

Delicious...SUPER EASY! This Chili recipe is amazing and requires little effort. Perfect for a chilly fall night! Serve with corn bread or breadsticks to round out the perfect middle-of the week meal.

Mom's Chili

2 large cans chili beans

1 Tbsp minced onion

1 tsp salt

dash of pepper

1 Tbsp sugar

1 quart tomato juice

1/2 cup ketchup

1/8 tsp chili powder

2 cups water

Bring to a boil. Add 2 lbs. UNCOOKED hamburger beef. Boil 30-40 minutes. (Watch it so the beans don't burn...I like to stir every few minutes...) Serve with sour cream and grated cheese.

Baked Apple Dessert

Fall is in the air and nothing says 'crisp air' like apples! This is one of my favorite childhood desserts. It is like unto apple crisp, but less crunchy, which is why I like this so much better! I won't admit publicly that I have made the topping and eaten it plain...It's that good!

Baked Apple Dessert

6 cups apples (about 5 apples...I like Granny Smith)

Evenly layer them in the bottom of a 9X13 pan. Sprinkle with sugar.

Mix together: (Note: I always double this because I love the topping!)

1 cup sugar

1 cup flour

1 heaping tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

Add mixture to the top of the apples.

Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes. Optional: Serve with ice cream or sweetened whipped cream.

No-Fail Rolls

These rolls are super yummy...but the BEST part about them is that YOU CANNOT MESS THEM UP! If you don't think you can successfully make homemade rolls...then these are the ones for you! Seriously! The recipe calls for a total of 2 hours of rising time...but, if you don't get around to them for 5 hours...they STILL WORK!

Crescent Rolls

Nikie Elwood

1 cup (2 cubes) softened butter or margarine

2 cups hot water

3/4 cup sugar

1 Tbsp salt

Mix until frothy.

Add:

2 cups flour and mix well

2 Tbsp yeast and another 2 cups flour and mix well

3 eggs and another 3-4 cups flour and mix well

Let raise 1 hour. Cut into 3 sections. Roll into a circle and with a pizza cutter divide the dough into 16 slices. (I often divide my dough into 4 sections and then do 12 slices...) Roll each slice into a crescent starting at the fatter end and rolling towards the thinner end. Let rolls raise 1 additional hour. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes. Yields 4 dozen.

Cereal Mix

Most commonly called "Jazz Mix" in Kandi's Kitchen as its made to munch on while watching the Utah Jazz play basketball, this cereal mix is easy to put together and easy to disappear...Super yummy!

Cereal Mix (Jazz Mix)

Mix together in large bowl:

4 1/2 cups Golden Grahams Cereal

6 cups Rice Chex Cereal

1 1/2 cup cashews

In a medium pan, bring to boil:

1 1/2 cubes margarine

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup white corn syrup (Karo)

Cook mixture to just under 230 (soft ball stage). Pour over cereal and stir until cool and separated. When TOTALLY cooled, add 1/4 lb. M&Ms. (You can use red/green M&Ms at Christmas or red/black ones at Halloween for a festive treat!)

You Don't Know Unless You Try It

This is not a recipe - well, there is a recipe to the above picture, but I am not sharing it...believe me, you don't want it! :-) I was just adding a few posts and thinking how the awesome thing about recipe blogs is that they give you a chance to see things you may want to try. I have tried many recipes off of blogs that we have loved and some that we have hated...however, they all get me thinking and they have given variety to my family meals and treats.

I took a picture of this before we ate it in case it was wonderful and I could post it for all of you. I don't think this tasted awful, but the fact that curry filled my entire house and seeped through all of our clothes for the next 3 days, made this a definite NO on our votes as whether to keep this recipe or not.

Here's hoping that this blog gives you a few recipes that you love and ones that you can add to your recipe book!

Blueberry Crumb Cake

I am laughing that Mauri's post on "Breakfast Cake" has a picture that very much looks like the picture I am posting for this recipe. Not the same recipe, but just as awesome!

Blueberry Crumb Cake

(Barefoot Contessa)

Streusel:

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1 1/3 cups flour

Cake:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

2/3 cup sour cream

1 1/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup fresh blueberries

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350. Butter and flour a 9-inch round baking pan.

For the streusel:

Combine the sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl. Stir in the melted butter and then the flour. Mix well and set aside.

For the cake:

Cream the butter and sugar on high for 4-5 minutes, until light. Reduce speed to low and add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla, lemon zest, and sour cream. IN a separate bowl, sift the dry ingredients. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined. Fold in the blueberries and stir with a spatula to be sur the batter is completely mixed.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread it out with a knife. With your fingers, cruble the topping evenly over the batter. Bake for 40-50 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool completely and serve sprinkled with confectioners' sugar.

Pavlova

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie...Oi, Oi, Oi!!

For those of you that don't know, my husband's work took our family to Australia for two years. Moving back to the states, we left behind many great friends and places, but we did take away a love for that country...and for their desserts! This one here happens to be my favorite.

Pavlova is a meringue base that is crunchy on the outside and marshmallow like on the inside. Top that with whipping cream and your choice of fruit and you have found heaven on earth. People at Brian's old job believed there was heroin in this because they couldn't stop eating it.

Pavlova

5 egg whites

scant teaspoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 pinch salt

Combine and beat 5 minutes with mixer.

Add 1 1/8 cups sugar

Beat 5 more minutes

Preheat oven to 400. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. Spread mixture on parchment in circle, making the center slightly thinner than the outside.

Put pan on BOTTOM shelf of oven and immediately reduce oven temperature to 275. Cook for 1 hour. Let cool completely.

Spread with whipping cream that has been slightly sweetened...base is sweet enough that cream doesn't need to be overly sweet. Top with fruit. My favorite combo is strawberries and kiwi...and even better if drizzled with passion fruit.

Oatmeal Brownies

I have never claimed to be a photographer, and I don't think the picture does this yummy treat justice. (It actually looks really cool in the pan before it is cut, but I didn't get a picture of it this time.) However, I will claim to know when a dessert is yummy, and this one is!

Oatmeal Brownies

1 cup (2 cubes) margarine - softened

2 cups brown sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon soda

1 teaspoon salt

3 cups quick oats

2 1/2 cups flour

Cream butter and sugar. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Sift together dry ingredients and add them to butter and sugar mixture.

Spread 2/3 oatmeal mixture on bottom of greased 10x15x1 inch pan (pan size is important!) Spread filling over top. Dab the rest of the oatmeal mixture on top. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

Filling

1- 12 oz. package chocolate chips---melt and then add:

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons butter (or margarine)

1 teaspoon vanilla

Easy Caramel Fruit Dip

Super easy and deliciously yummy....this fruit dip is perfect for fall. Our favorite is dipping apples, but any fruit will do! Note: For variation, leave out the chocolate chips, toffee chips or both.

Easy Caramel Fruit Dip

1 package cream cheese (8oz), softened

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

handful of toffee chips or chocolate covered toffee chips

handful of mini chocolate chips, optional

Mix together with electric mixer and enjoy!