Pages

10/26/16

(11) Eleven Autumn Recipes Featuring Pumpkin




Today is National Pumpkin day so it's a great time to repost this - a list of yummy pumpkin recipes to welcome Fall.

If you need pumpkin pie spice and you don't have it in the pantry, you might already have the spices to make it yourself;

Pumpkin Pie Spice

1 t cinnamon
1/8 t nutmeg
1/8 t allspice
1/4 t ginger


Eleven Autumn Recipes Featuring Pumpkin


Pumpkin Griddle Cakes

Pumpkin Gingersnap Cheesecake

Double Layer Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin Bars

Pumpkin Dessert (Made with a Dry Cake Mix!) 

Pumpkin Pie made with Apple Butter

Pumpkin Spice Cookies with Penuche Frosting 

Low Carb, Sugar Free Pumpkin Bars

3 Layer Pumpkin Bars

Pumpkin Muffins with Flaxseed

 

  

 

 


Print Friendly and PDF

10/25/16

Good Ol' Southern Homecookin' Y'all - Quick & Easy Side Dish - Green Beans with Mushrooms and Bacon






It's a day/night I really don't feel like cooking but I know everyone is going to be really hungry after a busy, full day.  So, into the Crock-Pot when some BBQ Beef Ribs and I didn't think about it the rest of the day. 

Time for some good old Southern style cooking.  Green beans with bacon and mushrooms it is!  You can absolutely use fresh or frozen green beans for this; just cook them on the stove or in the microwave first until tender while the bacon is cooking.

Green Beans with Mushrooms and Bacon

4-6 slices of bacon
1 small can of mushrooms or about 1/2 cup fresh, sliced mushrooms
1-2 cans green beans of your favorite brand and style or fresh/frozen pre-cooked til tender on the stove or microwave

In a large pan fry the bacon, flip and continue cooking til just beginning to crisp.  Add the mushrooms. Continue cooking the bacon and mushrooms together until the bacon is dark golden and crisp and the mushrooms are golden.  Add the drained green beans.  Heat through, season with salt and pepper and serve.





Print Friendly and PDF

10/16/16

Sugar Free Toffee Popcorn






6-8 cups popped popcorn - (I pop mine the old fashioned way but I guess you could use microwave version too)
Sugar Free Caramel/Toffee topping (below)
Optional: Sugar Free chocolate to drizzle (I used Bakers Chocolate Squares, melted and sweetened to taste)
Optional:  Almonds or other additions

Preheat your oven to 230 degrees (I used this temperature because I hit 'lower' on my oven and this is what it goes to). Lightly spray a parchment covered baking sheet with Pam or similar spray.  Line the tray with your popped popcorn and add the almonds now if you are using.  Prepare either of the two caramel style toffee's below.  While they are warm, drizzle or pour them over the popcorn as heavy or light as you wish.  Place the baking sheet in the oven and let it bake for about 15 minutes, stir it a bit and let it bake another 10-15 minutes, you can stir a little, and turn off the oven.  After another 10-15 minutes take the popcorn out and let it set on the counter to cool.  The topping should harden as it cools.  Break apart the popcorn and serve.



Sugar Free Toffee- Thinner Syrup style

6 T real butter
1 cup Just Like Sugar or Global Sweet Xylitol (sometimes I use confectioners style - 'baking' style in Just Like Sugar too)
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 t vanilla

Have everything measured out, ready to go, because once you start to make this, you don't want to walk away from the stove and let it burn. Heat butter in a heavy bottomed pan on the stovetop over high.  Just as soon as it starts to sizzle and boil, watch for it to start turning golden brown.  Immediately add the Just Like Sugar or Xylitol and cream to the pan, whisking quickly.  After only a minute or so, your toffee/caramel should now be a rich color and thickened.  Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.  Store in a glass jar - let cool on the counter and then put the lid on and store in the refrigerator.

OR

Sugar Free Toffee- Thicker Style

6 T real butter
1 cup Just Like Sugar or Global Sweet Xylitol
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 t vanilla
1/8 t xanthan gum

Have everything measured out, ready to go, because once you start to make this, you don't want to walk away from the stove and let it burn.

Heat butter in a heavy bottomed pan on the stovetop over high.  Just as soon as it starts to sizzle and boil, watch for it to start turning golden brown.  Immediately add the sweetener and cream to the pan, whisking quickly.  Still whisking, sprinkle lightly the xanthan gum and whisk like crazy so it doesn't clump.  If you want your caramel sauce thinner, leave it out completely.  This is a thickener - which makes it easier for me to use in my candy but for brownies, ice cream, etc. you won't need it.  After only a minute or so, your caramel should now be a rich color and nice and thick and beautiful.  Remove from heat and whisk or stir in the vanilla.  Store in a glass jar - let cool on the counter and then put the lid on and store in the refrigerator.






Out of the oven as it is cooling and hardening - after it's cool I break it into pieces


 I don't like chocolate but my husband does so I melt Baker's chocolate, sweeten with natural sweeteners
and drizzle his.  If you are not watching your sugar intake just melt chocolate chips or any chocolate bar to drizzle.


 A quick snap of my husbands favorite version with chocolate drizzled on.






Print Friendly and PDF

Idahoan Signature Russets! Easy & quick side dish!

Last week I received a package of the Idahoan Signature Russets for free for testing purposes.

It just so happened I had chicken with a mushroom sauce planned for dinner that week and I was running behind on getting it ready so an easy-peasy, last second side dish came in handy... and there it was, right in my pantry!

One of the things I look for on the labels of our food is the sugar content.  I was happy to see the Idahoan Signature Russet Mashed Potatoes had just 1 gram of sugar. 

The instructions are quick and easy and the ingredients you need to add are just water, butter and milk.  In the time it takes to bring it to a boil on the stove or microwave and let it set for 1 minute more, you can have hot, filling and tasty 'taters' on the table.

Flavor was great - not a traditional homemade from scratch taste, but still very yummy.  And we do butter in our house; real butter - so some butter, salt and pepper is all we used to season and was all it needed to pair perfectly with the chicken and mushroom sauce being served along side.



 

Instructions were easy:
  • Heat 1 2/3 cups water and 2 Tablespoons of butter to a boil (I did this in the microwave)
  • Remove from heat, stir in 1/3 cup cold milk, then stir in potatoes. Let stand one minute.
  • Mix with fork or wire whip and serve.






Print Friendly and PDF

10/15/16

Mama Dip's Carrot Cake - One of the best carrot cakes and so simple


Before the internet... there were books.  In 1999 I bought this one hot off the press.  It's an oh-my-gosh so awesome book of amazingly good ol' Southern foods and comfort foods.  This is the book that taught me how to fry chicken.  To make a killer broccoli casserole. My first attempt at Blue Cheese Dressing.

I haven't made this particular version in a few years since we rarely eat food items with this much flour in them and we don't use sugar, but it's Autumn - the leaves are changing - there is a chill in the air - and I always start to crave and think about desserts like this one in the Fall.  I may actually make this one this week - using my own hand ground flour and of course a natural sweetener in place of the sugar.




Carrot Cake


2 1/4 c self-rising flour
1 1/2 t cinnamon
1 t baking soda
2 cups sugar
1 1/4 c canola/vegetable oil (my book calls for 1 1/2 c but I cut down a bit when I'd make it)
4 eggs
3 c grated or shredded carrots
1 c chopped walnuts
Frosting:
16 oz. cream cheese (2 - 8 oz. pkg.)
1 stick butter (real)
4 c powdered sugar
1 t vanilla
1 c crushed walnuts

Preheat oven to 350° -Mix the oil and sugar til smooth.  Add the eggs.  Beat well.  Stir in the flour, baking soda and cinnamon.  Add the carrots and walnuts and mix until incorporated into the batter.  Pour into 3 greased and floured round cake pans.  You can line them with parchment paper if you wish.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes until the centers are done.l  Cool in pans for 5 minutes before removing from pans to cool completely.  While they are cooling completely make the frosting.

Beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth.  Beat in the powdered sugar about a cup at a time.  Add the vanilla and beat well.  Spread some frosting between the layers of cake, adding a bit of crushed walnuts to each layer.  Finish the top with a layer of frosting and the final sprinkle of walnuts.





Print Friendly and PDF

10/7/16

KFC Style Beans and Rice

Another post from deep in the 'draft' files of An American Housewife.  This one is from 2007


KFC Style Beans and Rice

30 oz can of Red beans
1 t white pepper
4 T butter
1/4 t paprika
dash of cayenne
dash of garlic powder
1 1/2 c white rice cooked

Pour beans with liquid into a saucepan and cook over medium heat. Add the seasonings and butter. When the mixture begins to boil use a fork to mash 1/2 the beans. Simmer approximately 10-15 minutes. Stir in rice.



Print Friendly and PDF

Taco Bell Style! Homemade Crunch Wrap Supreme








One of the secrets to this being super yummy is to make sure your taco meat is similar to Taco Bell.

While I have various 'copy cat' recipes in my files dating back over 15 years, honestly, all you have to do is make your taco meat with a Taco Bell seasoning packet but after it starts to brown a little bit, remove it from the pan, give it a couple whirls in your food processor with the 'S' blade and then put it back in the pan; add the seasonings and finish cooking according to directions.

This gives it that restaurant texture that is much more smooth than if you just brown it in a pan like usual.




The other 'secret' to this would be to use a good copycat style sauce or if you have a pile of sauce packets from the restaurant, use them. If you want to make it from scratch, just grab a saucepan and add;

1 1/2 cups water
1 t corn starch

Stir until dissolved. Add;

1/2 a can of tomato paste (use 3 oz.)
1 1/2 T vinegar
2 t chili powder
1 t salt
1/2 t cayenne pepper
Heat to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about 5 minutes, stirring every so often. Cool.


Now that you have your taco meat and your taco sauce, let's get started!



Crunch Wrap Supreme

1 lb. ground beef made into taco meat (process described above with 1 pkg taco seasoning and 2/3 c water)
1 pkg corn tostada shells - the crunchy ones
1 pkg. flour tortilla shells as large as you can find (as big as your head)
1 can nacho cheese sauce (Rico's is one brand, but use whatever you have locally or make a nacho cheddar cheese sauce from scratch)
lettuce
sour cream
tomatoes
taco sauce

Lay a flour tortilla down and scoop a big spoonful of taco meat on it.  Spoon some nacho cheese sauce on the meat and top with a crunchy tostada shell.  Layer your sour cream, lettuce and tomato - add some shredded cheese or even guacamole if you like!  Add some taco sauce.

Now start to fold the wrap up over the tostada - it will fold easily and almost on its own as you start.  *If your flour tortillas aren't big enough to completely cover the center just grab an extra flour tortilla and rip into quarters.  Place one piece on your tostada layer and then fold up as usual.  Now spray with Pam and place FACE DOWN on a hot, sprayed griddle or in a skillet on the stove over medium high heat.  Press down with a spatula gently to flatten and let cook about 3-4 minutes or until it's golden brown.  Flip and cook the 2nd side.  Now?  Serve!  Mmmmm.




It's hard to find flour torillas large enough to completely fold and cover; just place a ripped tortilla piece in the center first!



Cooking 3 or 4 at a time is easiest - no one wants to have to wait for their Crunch Wrap to get done!


Face down first then flip and cook the second side til golden brown.


Mouth. Watering.
Y'all know I don't care about 'pretty' pictures and photo shoots (LOL) my pictures are snapped on my iphone.  As a matter of fact, sometimes you get copies of the SnapChats I sent my kids or my husband.  Like this one!






Print Friendly and PDF

Homemade Taco Sauce





If you want to make it from scratch, just grab a saucepan and add;

1 1/2 cups water
1 t corn starch
Stir until dissolved. Add;
1/2 a can of tomato paste (use 3 oz.)
1 1/2 T vinegar
2 t chili powder
1 t salt
1/2 t cayenne pepper

Heat to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about 5 minutes, stirring every so often. Cool. I store ours in a pint sized Mason jar in the refrigerator.




Print Friendly and PDF

10/4/16

Dessert Alert! Pecan Cookies with Cheesecake Icing! Sugar Free, Wheat Free and Low Carb!





These cookies are a cross between a cookie and a dessert!  It was the perfect combination for two cravings; cheesecake and a sandy pecan style cookie.  Best of all?  By starting with my sugar free, low carb  'sugar cookie' recipe and tweaking it a little, I was able to make a healthy pecan sandy cookie that coupled with a cheesecake style frosting filling, was almost like having a mini personal cheesecake dessert!  These have been our morning coffee/dessert/snack this week and I found they freeze beautifully!

Lastly; I made them into two styles.  Some I frosted like a regular cookie, but others I sandwiched together like a Little Debbie style sandwich cookie as they were easier to package into a ziploc baggy and send with my husband to work this way. 

Sugar Free, Wheat Free, Low Carb
Pecan Cookies with Cheesecake Filling/Frosting

1 3/4 c almond flour
1/4 c coconut flour (Tresomega Nutrition Organic Coconut Flour)
1/4 t xanthan gum (you can leave this out if you don't have it. I've made it with and without - not too much difference)
1/4 brown sugar sweetener
1 beaten egg
1/4 c real butter
1/4 c cream cheese
1/4 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
1/2 c chopped pecans
1 - 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
1/2 c powdered sugar version of sweetener
3/4 c of my homemade sugar free sweetened condensed milk
1 1/4 t lemon juice
1/2 t vanilla

In a bowl, mix the almond flour, coconut flour, xanthan gum, baking powder and salt.  In a mixing bowl, blend the sweetener with the egg, butter and cream cheese.  Add the dry ingredients.  Stir in the chopped pecans.  Form into a log, wrap in plastic wrap and chill until firm enough to slice.  You can also freeze it until firm for easy slicing.  When you are ready, slice into thin slices (mine were a bit thick but I was in a rush and didn't really care how they looked as it was just for our immediate family and obviously I'm not concerned about big 'photo shoot' style productions on this blog!).  Bake on a very lightly greased baking sheet or parchment lined sheet.  I baked a batch at 300 and another at 350.  The finished products were very similar and the temperature didn't matter as much as this:  baking until they considered 'done' by touch - and then turning the oven off and letting them bake completely a little longer until the bottoms are just golden brown and they are drier than a regular sugar or chocolate chip style cookie.  One batch I carefully 'flipped' each cookie when I turned the oven off - and I thought they turned out best and finished baking a bit better as almond flour is so moist. 

Think;  Sandy Pecan Cookies or even a 'crust'.  If they are not baked long enough they will fall apart too easily.  **Almond flour bakes softer and takes longer than wheat flour!  Mine were cut pretty thick and I would say they took 'approximately' 15 minutes baking at 350 and then another 10 minutes or so in a turned off oven.

Let cool on the baking sheet 5 minutes and then carefully remove to fully cool.  Do not handle them until completely cool.  Once they are cool they are pretty sturdy.

Make the filling by beating the ingredients and spreading on the cooled cookies much like a mini cheesecake OR sandwich two together with filling for ease in packaging, travel, storing or eating.  Must be stored in either the refrigerator or freezer.



YUMMY dough!  I used 'natural' almond flour so you can see the flecks.  You could use blanched
and it would give you a pale cookie base with bits of pecan in it.


Wrapped in plastic wrap, ready to chill out until slicing


I sliced this batch a little thicker than a normal sliced cookie because I was in a hurry
and didn't really care!  :)



Whip up a simple cheesecake style filling


Here are some of the 'sandwiched' versions which work best for being packaged in lunches.


My favorite way to eat them was a 'mini cheesecake' style cookie!

*** You could TOTALLY make these cute by drizzling sugar free caramel or chocolate on them or adding a bit of sliced strawberry, etc.  They would be perfect for a dessert fitting any guest or even! ***








Print Friendly and PDF