The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.
Here’s an excerpt:
A San Francisco cable car holds 60 people. This blog was viewed about 1,400 times in 2011. If it were a cable car, it would take about 23 trips to carry that many people.
By the way, in reference to my previous post about pumpkin pie, I made pumpkin puree (for the first time) using Ree Drummond’s easy recipe here. It worked out well, and was very easy. I also made some roasted pumpkin seeds using two of these recipes (I did the sweet and spicy and the curry powder recipes).
This year, I promised to make the dessert for Thanksgiving dinner. My grandma has always made everything for dinner, so I used her preferred recipe for pumpkin pie. It’s her favorite pie, and it’s Bobby’s favorite as well. (no pressure 
First, I made the pie crust, which I’ve already talked about in my previous post.
Then, I mixed up the ingredients for the filling, which went very quickly, especially since I had already made the pumpkin puree a couple of weeks earlier from a pie pumpkin at the farmer’s market.
Ingredients:
3 cups pumpkin puree (canned is fine–but use the canned pumpkin, not the canned pumpkin pie filling)
2 heaping cups sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves
7 eggs
2 1/2 cups milk
1 can evaporated milk
2 unbaked pastry shells
Mix first 10 ingredients together, preferably in a large measuring cup so it’s easy to pour it into the pie crusts. Place in a cold oven, then set the oven to 400 degrees, baking the pies for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
Note: make sure you put tin foil underneath the pies, as this recipe usually ends up running over and making a mess otherwise. Makes 2 pies. This recipe also makes enough for a third individual pie, or a small baking dish.
Everyone needs a good go-to recipe for pie crust. Sometimes the recipe calls for butter (for a flakier crust), sometimes it calls for Crisco (for a stronger crust), sometimes half and half. This recipe is one that calls for Crisco. It’s my great-grandmother’s, and she swore by it for all of her pies throughout the year. It’s a strong crust, but also has good flavor, which is something that isn’t easy to come by in a pie crust recipe.
Ingredients:
3 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
Put ingredients in food processor. Add:
1 cup Crisco
Blend until crumbly (size of small peas). Add:
1/2 cup cold water (more or less depending on the humidity)
Mix in food processor. Turn out onto plastic wrap and press into flattened round disc, chill in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Can be frozen. Makes 2 double-crust pies, without re-rolling scraps.
pie crust, ready to chill in the refrigerator
I always like to make a couple of batches of this ahead of time, roll it out, and then put the unbaked pie crusts in the freezer (wrapped in plastic wrap and put in a large 2-gallon Ziploc bag), so I can take it out all ready to fill whenever I need it. put it in the freezer for several hours/overnight first, then it will be frozen hard enough to stack the pie plates with unbaked crusts.
All ready to go--I used these two for pumpkin pie (I still have scraps in the freezer)
I also like re-rolling the scraps–even though all the chefs say not to do that–and making the scraps into a quick cinnamon roll. Roll out all of the scraps in a rectangle, then sprinkle in brown and white sugar, cinnamon/nutmeg, raisins, pecans, butter, then roll up and bake.
I know, I know…thanks to Johnny Carson, fruitcake has gotten a bad reputation. It’s the gift everyone gives and no one wants to get, it’s high in calories, it tastes terrible, it’s aged for years in alcohol…all of these things are completely untrue with this recipe. I can’t speak for other’s fruitcakes, as I have only ever eaten this recipe. I don’t make it very much, because most people don’t appreciate it–that is, until someone’s brave enough to try it. But until then, bringing fruitcake to a holiday party makes you the odd one out. I’ve tried it before, but got tired of the strange looks I received. It’s too bad, because this recipe is amazing–think orange-juice-flavored cake holding together a ton of candied and dried fruits and nuts. It’s really more fruit than cake, with only enough flour and eggs and butter to barely hold together the couple of pounds of fruit. Baked at a low temperature for almost 3 hours, it ends up a moist, dense loaf of candied fruit. Happy Holidays!
All of the ingredients. Well, not the Twizzlers. But maybe...
Ingredients:
12 oz. frozen orange juice concentrate
1 cup molasses (regular, not blackstrap)
6 cups raisins/apricots/dates/candied cherries/anything else (here, I used 2 cups candied red cherries, halved, plus 4 cups raisins–I really prefer putting in more apricots though)
2 lb. container candied fruit (fruitcake mix with candied citron, pineapple, cherries)
1 cup butter
1 1/3 cups sugar
6 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp allspice
1+ cup nuts (here I used walnuts, a heaping cup, though Grandma recommended pecans and increasing it to 1 1/2-2 cups)
First, combine the OJ and the molasses in a saucepan, and heat together for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the pans: grease three loaf pans generously, line each with wax or parchment paper, and grease and flour paper.
Next, put all of the fruit and the butter in a large (read: HUGE) bowl, and pour the OJ mixture over it to melt the butter easily. Add the rest of the ingredients together in the bowl, mixing well. Pour into pans.
Bake at 275 degrees for 2-2 1/2 hours (every oven is different; mine actually took closer to 2 hours and 50 minutes). Test for doneness with knife in center.
Let cool 10-15 minutes, then use paper lining to easily remove loaves from pans. Carefully peel paper away from fruitcake (when it is warm it will be very tender). Slices best when fully cooled. Can be frozen.
Trust me–it really is delicious. Ignore what you’ve previously believed about fruitcake and try it!
I think the concept of spaghetti squash is neat–it’s a vegetable, but yet it looks like spaghetti. It’s fun to cook and to eat. However, my methods of preparing spaghetti squash are always less than inspired: 1) Prick it; 2) Bake it; 3) Scoop out the seeds; 4) Scrape out the stringy flesh with a fork; 5) serve with pasta sauce and parmesan cheese. It’s good for a easy-prep meal, but not very creative. I found this recipe in the latest Country magazine and thought the extra steps would be worth a try for a more interesting dish.
Spaghetti Squash Casserole
1 spaghetti squash
1) RECIPE VERSION: Slice squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds. Place squash, cut side down, in baking dish. Add 1/2 inch of water in dish, cover tightly with foil. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until easily pierced with a knife.
1*) MY VERSION: The above method, in my opinion, is a hot mess. Literally. Slicing it first, putting it in a dish with water, etc. is unnecessary. I wasn’t able to notice a different taste with the above steamed version as compared to my usual baked version. Prick the squash several times, place in baking dish. Bake as directed above. Slice open lengthwise and scoop out seeds. No splashing of boiling water all over yourself 
1 T butter
1/2 lb. sliced fresh mushrooms
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2) Meanwhile, heat butter in large skillet, and add next 8 ingredients. Saute until onion is tender.
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
3) Add tomatoes to skillet mixture. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Set aside.
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley (I used dried)
4) Scoop out the flesh of the squash with a fork. Combine the squash, tomato mixture, bread crumbs, ricotta cheese, and parsley. Transfer to a 2-qt. greased baking dish.
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
5) Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees for 40 minutes or until heated through and top is golden brown.
Yum! This recipe was terrific–I’ll definitely make it again.
As a foodie, I’m always taking risks. I like to try and see how much spice I can take when I order at a restaurant or cook at home. I’m currently halfway along the scale of hot sauces at Buffalo Wild Wings, and my current new love is sriracha hot sauce. However, I don’t really like the smell or taste of Tabasco–I find it too bitter and sour, not the tangy spice of sriracha. When Bobby and I moved in together, we combined pantries as well as furniture and CD collections. Bobby brought the Tabasco, while I brought the sriracha. However, when I saw this recipe from the October 2011 issue of Taste of Home magazine, I wanted to try using Tabasco in something other than gumbo (previously the only way I would use the hot sauce at all). Here’s the modified recipe:
2 lbs. ground beef (the recipe originally calls for turkey)
2 celery ribs, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, grated
3 garlic cloves, minced
1) In a Dutch oven, cook the above ingredients until meat is no longer pink.
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup hot sauce (riiight…even I’m not daring enough to shake 1/4 cup into the recipe. I used a bit under 1/4 cup and it was a nice small amount of heat, but if you love your Tabasco I’d recommend the full 1/4 cup it calls for)
2 T brown sugar
2 T red wine vinegar
1 T Worcestershire
1/4 tsp. pepper
2) Stir in all above ingredients; heat through.
8 hamburger buns
1 cup (4 oz.) blue cheese, crumbled
3) Serve on buns, sprinkle with blue cheese.
Yum! You do notice, however, that it is a bit watery.
The recipe says that the cheese is optional–however, I disagree. The cool of the blue cheese pairs well with the heat of the sloppy joe. I was a bit disappointed with the runnyness of the recipe–I tried to drain it as much as I could, using a slotted spoon to serve it on the bun, but the bottom bun still got soaked. Next time I’d (1) buy a better quality bun, and (2) toast the bun. Otherwise, this was an excellent recipe. Next time, I think I’d actually use the entire amount of Tabasco called for too.
I usually make yellow curries when I cook, but I’ve been interested in trying this red curry from the McCormick website. It turned out really well–here’s the recipe:
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut in 1-inch cubes
3 T flour
1 T red curry powder
1 tsp garlic salt
1) mix flour, curry powder, and garlic salt together in plastic ziploc bag. Toss chicken pieces in and toss to combine.
3 T vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups cubed apples (I used Gala but Golden Delicious would also work well)
1 cup chopped onion
2) Heat oil in skillet; cook chicken until well browned. Reduce heat to low; add apple and onion; cook and stir 2-3 minutes.
2 T brown sugar
1 tsp garam masala (I didn’t have this)
1 can (14 oz.) lite coconut milk (I substituted plain milk)
3) Stir in last three ingredients. Simmer, covered, 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve over rice.
I took a picture after it was partway eaten...it was very good...
…or actually Sunday, as we made this meal last night for dinner. (By the way, the Cherry Nut Bars from yesterday’s post are excellent–next time I’d add some lemon juice and nutmeg to the cherry pie filling but otherwise the bars are delicious!) We had only one top round steak, but since it was just for the two of us it ended up being enough. This dish is simple enough so that a recipe isn’t really needed. But here it is anyways:
3/4 lb. top round steak
1 T soy sauce
1/4 cup lime juice
1) Marinate steak in soy sauce/lime juice mixture for one hour. Refrigerate, turning steak occasionally.
2 tsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 T lime juice
2) In saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat; add garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Stir in 1 T lime juice. Set aside.
salt and pepper
1 tsp olive oil
3) Remove steak from marinade; blot dry. Season with salt and pepper. Cook steak in skillet with oil over medium high heat until medium-rare, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to plate and loosely cover.
2 green bell peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
1 white onion, halved and thinly sliced
4) Add peppers and onion to pan; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until vegetables are tender, about 4-6 minutes (though my green peppers took longer). Stir in reserved garlic oil.
8 corn tortillas, warmed (I used flour)
1/2 cup white cheddar (I used taco blend shredded cheese)
1 tomato, chopped
cilantro sprigs (did not have this)
5) Thinly slice steak and serve with vegetables, tortillas, cheese, tomato, and cilantro.
I would have taken a picture of this meal…though it was so good we ended up eating it all before I got a chance! Next time I would actually cook the onions and peppers in a separate skillet, since the steak cooled off by the time the vegetables were done.
It’s fall break this weekend, so I get an extra two days of vacation. I’ve spent some of my vacation grading, some of it sending out applications, some of it watching movies (right now: Tangled), and of course much of it cooking. I’ve been trying to get back into the swing of trying out new recipes frequently as a way to de-stress. Just today, in fact, I’ve made two new recipes, and fajita night’s yet to come after I finish this post.
For breakfast, I made the two of us a puffy apple pancake. It’s an easy two-serving meal. If I had a cast-iron skillet, it would also be a one-dish meal. For this recipe, I sautéed the apples in butter in the skillet, then transferred the apples to an ungreased pie pan and poured the batter over top. Even though this recipe takes no spices and little sugar, it has an excellent taste.
Big Apple Pancake (from dashrecipes.com)
1) Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
1 T butter
1 large sweet apple (I used Golden Delicious), peeled, cored, and cut into ¼-inch wedges
2) Saute apple slices in butter until softened, 3-5 minutes. Arrange apple slices around pan in some pretty way
1 T butter, melted
½ cup milk
½ cup flour
4 eggs
3 T sugar
½ t vanilla extract
¼ t salt
3) Mix above ingredients together in a blender or food processor until batter is smooth. Pour over apples. Transfer skillet to oven, bake 15 minutes. Pancake will be puffed up like a soufflé.
Powdered sugar
4) Dust with powdered sugar, serve immediately. Serves 2.
Here’s the dessert for tonight—an easy bar cookie:
Cherry Nut Bars (from a Land O Lakes advertisement)
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2 cups flour
2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 ½ cups sugar
1 ¼ cups butter, melted (2 ½ sticks)
½ cup chopped pecans/walnuts
1 t baking soda
2) Mix all ingredients together in large bowl until crumbly. Reserve 1 ½ cups mixture for topping. Press remaining mixture in bottom of ungreased 13×9 casserole dish. Bake 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned on edges.
1 can (21-oz) cherry pie filling
1 cup miniature marshmallows
3) Spoon pie filling and sprinkle marshmallows on top of partially-baked crust. Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture. Bake 25-35 minutes longer or until lightly browned (mine was done by 22 minutes…but I’ve got a hot oven too). Cool. Cut into bars.
We haven’t tried it yet tonight, but it’s been making the kitchen smell good all day!
