pumpkin muffins

Pumpkin Muffins
1 small can pumpkin
1 box spice cake mix
2 cups chocolate chips (optional)

Mix ingredients together. Fill muffin tins. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 - 18 minutes, or until done.

So easy. So good. I prefer mine plain, without chocolate chips or frosting, but do whatever floats your boat. They freeze well and stay moist and delicious for several days in an air-tight container.

pumpkin waffles + buttermilk syrup

Everyone I've ever served this to has asked for the recipe. It is that good! Way better than the picture makes it look. Have I mentioned that photography isn't one of my strengths??

Pumpkin Waffles
2 1/2 cups flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. baking soda, salt, nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cloves

In a large boil whisk:
4 eggs
2 cups buttermilk
1 cup pumpkin
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla

Add dry ingredients. Cook in waffle maker. Serve with buttermilk syrup and whipped cream.

Buttermilk Syrup
1/2 cup butter
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Stirring, bring to a boil. Allow to boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk in:
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1/2 - 1 tsp. cinnamon

Store in the fridge for several weeks.

Homemade Pizza

I LOVE homemade pizza. It's so fun and easy to come up with a variety of pizzas in no time. One of my least favorite things about pizza is all the melted cheese, so I especially love being able to control the amount we use.

Pizza toppings are endless. We particularly love the following combos:
- ham, artichoke hearts, grape tomatoes, fresh basil
- ham, pineapple, mushrooms, fresh basil
- bbq chicken, mushrooms, peppers

I have tried several different dough recipes and this is by far my favorite one. It is so fast and easy and it always produces great results. It makes enough dough for two pizzas, so I usually freeze half the dough and use it later. Just let it come to room temperature before using. Also, my oven only goes to 500 degrees, so I bake it at that temp the whole time. The instructions call for baking the pizza with toppings, but I prefer to bake the crust for 6-7 minutes first (at 500 degrees), add the sauce and toppings, and then bake the whole thing again until the crust is golden and the cheese is melted.

I'm also including my favorite recipe for pizza sauce (from the same source). In a pinch I'll use a jarred sauce, but this tastes so much better.

Basic Pizza Crust
from the book 'No Need to Knead'
1 tsp. yeast
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
4 to 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
6 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. salt

In a container that pours easily, sprinkle the yeast over the water and stir until dissolved. Put the flour, olive oil, and salt into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Blend for a few seconds and then add the yeast and water, blending just until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. The dough will be slightly sticky to the touch. Dip your fingers in a little olive oil and lift the dough from the bowl, shaping it into a ball. Put the dough in an oiled bowl.

Same day method: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 60 minutes.

Overnight method: After the first rise, transfer the dough to a plastic freezer bag and seal tightly, leaving a little air in the bag. Alternatively, ignore first rise completely and place the dough directly in bag. Refrigerate overnight or up to 1 week. The dough will rise in the bag and take on a lovely, sour taste. Let the dough come to room temperature before using.

To shape and prepare pizza: Coat two 13-by-18-inch baking sheets with olive oil. Divide the dough in half and stretch each piece on a baking sheet into a 12-by-6-inch rectangle, forming a thin 1/8-inch-thick crust. Push the dough up around the edges to make a lip to hold the sauce.

To bake the pizza: Preheat the oven to 525 degrees. Place the pizza with topping on the lowest rack of the oven and increase the temperature to 550 degrees. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes.

Simply Perfect Tomato Sauce
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup minced sweet onion
16 ounces of crushed tomatoes
1/2 tsp. salt
pinch of sugar

In a saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Saute the onion until translucent. Add the tomatoes with their liquid, the salt, and sugar and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until thickened.

Sprite Chicken

I got this recipe from my friend Tania!  It's an easy one to make for a small or large group of people.  Boy, is it delicious and addicting.

Sprite Chicken

Marinate

1 cup of sprite

1/4 cup of soy sauce

Cut large chicken breasts into 2” or 3” pieces and marinate overnight or the morning before you need it.

 

 

Dressing (sauce)

1/2 cup mayo

1 TBP honey

2 TBP dijon mustard

 

Grill chicken pieces, while grilling the chicken brush on the dressing. Reserve a little of this sauce to brush one last layer on when the chicken is done cooking.

When the chicken is cooked, remove from the grill and lay tinfoil down.  Put the chicken on the tinfoil, laying it very close together (this is when you can brush on extra dressing.)

Top the chicken with sliced mushrooms and bell peppers. Sprinkle shredded cheese over the whole thing (I usually just use a Mexican blend, but you can use anything.)

Close the grill top and let sit until the cheese melts.  Then move the tinfoil to a platter and serve.

Shredded Pork Sandwiches

I fell in love with this pork a few weeks ago at a church activity. It was moist and juicy, and mild. Pork (aside from bacon and ham) has never been my favorite, and for many years I flat out refused to eat it, but I'm slowly giving it another chance. It is delicious and so easy!!

I served the pork in sandwiches with Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce, but it would also be great in quesadillas, burritos, nachos, etc.

Shredded Pork
1 pork shoulder (mine was about 4-5 lbs.)
seasoning salt
3/4 cups water

Place pork and water in crock pot. Liberally sprinkle with seasoning salt. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. At this point, the pork should fall apart when you touch it. If it doesn't, cook it a bit longer. Remove as much fat as desired and shred pork. Place in a ziploc bag and pour 1 - 1 1/2 cups juice over the pork. Seal bag and let sit for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork and enjoy.

This also freezes well. After you've poured the juice back over the pork, seal the bag and pop it in the freezer.

Broccoli Chicken

This was probably my favorite meal growing up and it's still one of my favorites today.

Broccoli Chicken
broccoli, cut into medium-size chunks
chicken, cooked and shredded/chunked
3 cans cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1 - 2 tsp. curry powder
1 cup cheese
1 cup bread crumbs mixed with 2 tsp. butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Steam broccoli. Mix soup, mayo, lemon juice and curry powder together. If it seems too thick, add a little milk. Spread broccoli and chicken evenly into a 9X13 pan. Pour sauce over. Sprinkle with cheese and breadcrumbs. Bake for 35 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Serve with rice.