Christmas Dinner 2011

Christmas Dinner Menu (from top left, clockwise)
Twice baked potatoes
Yorkshire pudding
Creamed spinach
Cranberry fruit gel
Rib roast
Asparagus
And for dessert, not pictured, Boston cream pie (recipe to come soon)

One of my favorite holiday recipes of all time is my family's cranberry gel. It has oranges in it, which I love. It tastes so much better than the caned stuff. Just know before you make it, it is more like a jell-o salad almost -it is not a cranberry sauce. But boy is it yummy. My sister preferred the cranberry gel over the from-scratch boston cream pie we had for dessert, actually (though everyone else helped themselves to seconds and even thirds of the boston cream pie).

Harvey Cranberry Gel
1 (6oz) raspberry gelatin mix (or two 3oz)
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup cold water
1 can mandarin oranges, drained (or use fresh, sliced/chopped oranges, if you prefer)
1 can (20oz) crushed pineapple, well drained
1 can whole cranberry sauce
1/2 cup pecans, chopped

In a large, pretty bowl that you wish to serve your cranberry gel in*, dissolve gelatin in boiling water, then add cold water. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Fold remaining ingredients into chilled gelatin and chill in fridge until firm (2-3 hours).

*you can always prepare this in a large, normal bowl, then pour into a lightly greased mold or 8x11 dish after folding in the remaining ingredients

Apricot Slow Cooker Pork

• After having gone to two Christmas parties two nights in a row that both had AMAZING food, it was pretty hard to figure out how to make a dinner that would at least try to stand up to what I had been eating. I made this roast for friends tonight and I'd say it fit the bill. I served with buttermilk mashed potatoes and green beans, with a homemade vanilla pudding pie for dessert. The combination of sweet pork and apricots, with the thyme added in was very nice to have on a chilly evening. Add hot chocolate and a Christmas movie, as well as a drive around the neighborhood to see the lights on the houses and I am a happy girl.

• Apricot Slow Cooker Pork
  Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Essentials of Slow Cooking
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp. salt, plus more, to taste
• ¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper, plus more, to taste
• 1 boneless pork loin roast, about 2 ½ lb.
• 2 Tbs. canola oil
• 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 3 cups dried apricots
• ½ cup fresh orange juice
• 2 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme
• 2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
• 
  
  On a plate, stir together the flour, the ½ tsp. salt and the ¼ tsp. pepper. Turn the pork in the seasoned flour, shaking off any excess.
  
  
  In a large fry pan over medium-high heat, warm the oil. Add the pork and cook, turning frequently, until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
  
  
  Pour off all but 1 Tbs. of the fat in the pan. Add the onion and sauté until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Pour in the broth and deglaze the pan, stirring with a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits from the pan bottom.
  
  
  Transfer the pork to a slow cooker and pour in the broth mixture. Add the apricots, orange juice and thyme. Cover and cook on high for 2 to 3 hours or on low for 4 to 6 hours according to the manufacturer’s instructions until the pork is very tender and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the meat registers 140°F.
  
  
  Transfer the pork to a cutting board and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the apricots to a bowl. Using a large, shallow spoon or a ladle, skim as much fat as possible from the surface of the cooking liquid. Strain the juices into a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced and concentrated, about 10 minutes. Stir the mustard into the sauce and add the apricots. Season with salt and pepper.
  
  
  Cut the pork loin across the grain into thin slices and arrange on a warmed platter. Serve immediately with the sauce and apricots. Serves 4 to 6.

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies... How Christmas Tastes

Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes, snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes, beautiful morning runs in Kentucky these are a few of my favorite things.

Honestly, I am a little slap happy while writing this (can't you tell from the above attempt at a song?). It's 3am and I am up because something woke me at exactly the 4 hour mark in my sleep cycle, that small window in which, if I am woken up, I cannot get back to sleep.

Just a fair warning, I can be a jerk 4 hours into my sleep cycle. Deal with it. (note: I love you, J!)

Actually, instead of dealing with it, you should make these cookies, because they could even make a very-grumpy-me content enough to stop complaining about lack of sleep...maybe. Oh well. I am off to go try something ridiculous in my kitchen (I will tell you about it later) at 3am and then to spin class at 5:30am in an attempt to not waste this early morning. Wish me luck.

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
1 ¼ c butter, softened

2 c sugar

2 eggs

10 oz bag Andes Peppermint Crunch baking chips*, divided
(*I had a hard time finding these, so I used the candy cane Hershey's Kisses and chopped them up instead, but the baking chips are less work, if you can find them)

¾ c unsweetened cocoa

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

2 c flour

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and blend well. Combine cocoa, baking soda, salt and flour; then blend into creamed mixture. Add peppermint baking chips, reserving ⅓ c. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. This is a wet, sticky dough. Top with a few reserved baking chips.

Bake at 350 degrees for 8-9 minutes. Do not over-bake. Cookies will be soft. They will puff during baking, but flatten a little upon cooling. Cool on cookie sheet until set, about 3 minutes; remove to wire rack to cool completely. Makes 4-5 dozen.

Kentucky Bourbon Balls

Christmas parties everywhere, every night. That's what December is for. Of Course, one should never show up to a party empty-handed, so here's a fun treat you can take with you next time you go to a holiday shindig. The glossy finish on the balls makes them a real treat that you can be proud of. They are a little labor intensive, but drag a friend into the kitchen and put on some dancing music and you will never notice.

Also, please please please keep these pure and use real Kentucky bourbon. I personally used Four Roses, but there are quite a number of good distilleries from Kentucky to choose from. These are not terribly strong, so you won't get tipsy off of them, but you can definitely taste the bourbon. This recipe is classic and definitely not that rum ball recipe that you find everywhere else. I personally much prefer these with their sweet, white insides.

Kentucky Bourbon Balls
From Beyond the Fence (a Kentucky cookbook)

1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup bourbon
6 tablespoons butter, melted
5 cups powdered sugar, sifted
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 block paraffin wax, shaved
Whole pecans, 1 to top each bourbon ball with

Spread chopped nuts in a shallow bowl and pour bourbon over nuts. Let soak overnight. The following day, in a separate bowl, combine butter, 4 cups sugar, and soaked nuts Mix thoroughly until mixture is consistent. Add remaining 1 cup sugar and mix well by hand. Using 1 tablespoon scoop, evenly scoop balls, rolling each into a sphere in your hand. Lay rolled balls on wax paper. Chill balls for at least 10 minutes in the fridge. In the meantime, prepare chocolate by melting chocolate and wax in a double boiler. Stir until melted and consistent throughout. Dip each ball into chocolate with a toothpick and allow excess chocolate to drip off before returning to wax paper. Place a pecan half on top of each ball before the chocolate hardens.

Should make 48 balls (I suggest to make them smaller than a tablespoon to get 48)

Lemon Pie

Why is citrus season in the winter? I mean, when I think of a season that goes with citrus, it's usually summer. Lemonade, orange creamsicles, citrus tarts... all of those things come out during the summer. The only reason I can think of for God making citrus fruits ripen in December and January is that he wanted to give us a reminder that summer will return. That has to be it, right? Because there is nothing that can make me smile like the sun just came out like a slice of lemon pie.

Also, the lemons looked so pretty at the grocery store and this recipe is soooo fast and easy! I knew I had to make this. At any rate, it was a good way to avoid studying for statistics exam that I might*possibly*probably will fail... I guess I should have gotten a tutor earlier than one week before the final. Maybe eating lemon pie will lessen the blow of failing.

Simple Lemon Pie
1 unbaked pie crust
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
Juice of 2 lemons

Grease a 9-inch pie tin and place unbaked pie crust in the tin. Preheat oven to 350F.
In a medium bowl, stir sugar into butter until fully incorporated. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in lemon juice. Pour into unbaked pie crust. Bake pie in 350F oven for 10 minutes, then turn oven down to 325F and bake for 35 more minutes. Let cool and place in fridge for at least 2 hours. Serve cold.

Turkey and Leek Risotto

It just snowed for the first time this year. I honestly really wasn't paying that much attention, as I was running late for class and more excited that I had just dropped off some white bean soup and lemon pie for a sick friend, but seeing snow in the air is always nice, no matter how distracted I am.

I hope your December is going smoothly and your Christmas shopping is complete -unless you are one of those crazies who actually finds pleasure in spending the entire morning hunting for a parking spot at the mall, only to be elbowed every 3 seconds in the overcrowded mall while searching for that "perfect gift" that never seems to appear. 

Can you tell I don't like crowds and am a notoriously bad gift-giver?

Because I am absolutely horrible at picking out gifts, I have decided to keep it simple this year. I ordered spices from Penzey's and self-sealable tea bags on Amazon and put together homemade mulling spices. Who doesn't want homemade mulling spices? Everyone can use them. You simply put cider or wine in a pot on the stove, add the bag of spices, and you're good! Here's to hoping I actually do an alright job with gifts this year. And yes, everyone on my list is getting mulling spices, no matter how special (or not special) they are to me. Maybe that's the sign of bad gift giving again... oops.

Turkey and Leek RisottoPerfect for the leftover turkey from thanksgiving and the leftover leeks that were not used up for a fish bouillabaisse last week.

Serves 6. Adapted from Cooking Light

• 5 ½ cups chicken broth 
• 1 tablespoon butter, divided
• 2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
• 3 cups thinly sliced leek (about 3 large)
• ¾ teaspoon salt, divided
• ¼ cup finely chopped shallots
• 1 ½ cups uncooked Arborio rice or other short-grain rice
• ½ cup dry white wine
• 2 cups chopped cooked turkey (light and dark meat)
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried fresh sage
• ⅓ cup grated fresh pecorino Romano cheese
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Bring chicken broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat.

Melt 1 teaspoon butter and 1 teaspoon oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add leek to pan; cook 7 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in ¼ teaspoon salt. Place leek mixture in a a bowl and set aside. Melt remaining 2 teaspoons butter and remaining 1 teaspoon oil in pan. Add shallots to pan; cook 2 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add rice; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in wine; cook 1 minute or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Stir in ½ cup stock and ¼ teaspoon salt; cook until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Add remaining stock, ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of the stock is absorbed before adding the next (about 28 minutes total).

Stir herb, turkey and leeks into the rice; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat; stir in remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, pecorino Romano cheese, and pepper. Serve.

Spiced Sweet Potato Souffle

Sweet potatoes have to be one of the best vegetables ever. They are sweet like candy and are packed with tons of nutrients. If you follow that old rule that goes, "the more color a veggie has, the better for you," sweet potatoes rock the universe. They can be made into something sweet like pie or savory like baked fries, or they can be made into fancy things (hence, souffle) or just downhome goodness of mashed potatoes. Anyway, I had been dying to try a sweet potato souffle for a while, so I tested this one out for Thanksgiving. I loved it and will be making it again. I could honestly have this as dessert as well as a side, and that's fantastic news due to the fact that this dish is relatively good for you (not too much sugar or fat compared to pie or something...). I must admit, mine did fall a little, but that really is not a reason to not make this =).

Oh, and if you are not a fan of ginger and allspice and such, feel free to omit them. Some people may find the dish to reliant upon spices (too much ginger? ha. No such thing. You people are crazy.)

Spiced Sweet Potato Souffle
Adapted from Cooking Light

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar, divided2 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 pound, 12 ounces) 
  2 tablespoons butter, softened 
  1/4 cup all-purpose flour (about 1 ounce) 
  1/2 cup whole milk
  1 tablespoon grated orange rind 
  1/3 cup fresh orange juice 
  1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar1 teaspoon ground cinnamon1/4 teaspoon ginger1/4 teaspoon allspice3/4 teaspoon salt 2 large egg yolks 5 large egg whites 
• 
  

• Position oven rack to lowest setting, and remove the middle rack. Preheat oven to 425°.
• Coat a 1 1/2-quart soufflé dish with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Set aside.
• Pierce potatoes with a fork; arrange on paper towels in microwave oven. Microwave at high 10 minutes or until tender, rearranging potatoes after 5 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Slice each potato in half, then scoop out the insides with a spoon (this is easier than peeling the potatoes, in my opinion). Combine potatoes and butter, and mash with a potato masher until smooth.
• Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, potato mixture, half-and-half, and next 8 ingredients (through egg yolks) in a food processor; process until smooth. Transfer potato mixture to a large bowl.
• Place egg whites in a large mixing bowl; beat at high speed with a mixer until soft peaks form. Add remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form (do not overbeat). Gently fold one-fourth of egg white mixture into potato mixture; gently fold in remaining egg white mixture. Gently spoon mixture into prepared dish. Sharply tap dish 2 or 3 times on the counter to level. Place dish on a baking sheet; place baking sheet in a 425° oven. Immediately reduce oven temperature to 375° (do not remove soufflé from oven). Bake 1 hour or until soufflé is puffy, golden, and set. Serve immediately.

Sesame-Coconut Snack Squares

In case you are sick of super-sweet desserts and all of the over Thanksgiving fare, these bars are a great, fairly-healthy snack to keep you satisfied through the Holidays. Though they do take a little more time than a typical bar because of the whole wheat crust baking before the sesame-coconut topping, They are well-worth the effort.


Sesame-Coconut Snack Squares
Yield: 18-20 squares. From Rose Shulman

For the cookie base:

4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 1/2 ounces (1/2 cup) raw brown sugar or organic sugar

6 ounces (1 1/2 cups) whole-wheat pastry flour, sifted

For the sesame-coconut layer:

1 ounce (1/4 cup) whole-wheat pastry flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 eggs

1/2 cup mild honey, like clover

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 ounces (1/2 cup, firmly packed) unsweetened shredded coconut

1 to 2 ounces (1/4 to 1/2 cup) sesame seeds, coarsely ground

1. Make the cookie base. Butter a 9-by-13-inch pan and line with parchment. Butter the parchment.

2. Cream the butter with the salt and sugar. Add the sifted flour and blend together. Using your hands, press out the dough over the bottom of the parchment-lined pan in an even layer. Using a fork, make holes all over the surface of the dough (this is called docking).  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

3. Bake the cookie base for 20 minutes, until it is just beginning to brown. Remove from the heat and cool for at least 5 minutes before topping.

4. Sift together the flour and baking powder. Beat the eggs with an electric mixer or whisk until light and thick. Add the honey and vanilla and beat until well blended. Add the flour and baking powder and beat to blend. Add the coconut and sesame seeds and stir together. Spread in an even layer over the cookie base, scraping out every last bit with a rubber spatula. Place in the oven and bake 20 minutes, until the surface is just beginning to color. Remove from the heat and allow to cool before cutting into squares.

Walnut Sunflower Wheat Bread

One of the best things in the world is fresh-baked, homemade bread. It took me a little while to appreciate the different texture of my homemade breads compared to the bland, snow-white wonder-bread stuff (I only got to eat that classic white bread when I was at summer camp), but I love it now. The walnuts and sunflowers add a great texture to this bread.

This bread only takes about 10 minutes of hands-on time, so it would be perfect to make while decorating the house on the Friday after Thanksgiving, when you will be at home for a 4-5 hour stretch doing various holiday activities.

Wheat Nut and Seed Bread
Yield: 1 loaf. From King Arthur Flour

1 1/3 cups (10 5/8 ounces) lukewarm water
3 tablespoons (1 1/4 ounces) olive oil
5 tablespoons (3 3/4 ounces) honey, molasses or maple syrup
4 cups (16 ounces) King Arthur Premium Whole Wheat Flour or 100% White Whole Wheat flour
1 tablespoon King Arthur Whole-Grain Bread Improver, optional
1/4 cup (1 1/4 ounces) sunflower seeds (feel free to use a bit more if desired)
1/4 cup (1 ounce) walnuts, chopped (feel free to use a bit more if desired)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast

Combine all of the ingredients, and mix them till you have a shaggy dough. Let the dough rest, covered, for 20 minutes, then knead till fairly smooth. Allow the dough to rise, covered, for about 2 hours, or until it's puffy and nearly doubled in bulk. 

Gently deflate the dough, shape it into a log, and place it in a lightly greased 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" bread pan. Cover the pan with lightly greased plastic wrap (or a clear shower cap), and allow it to rise for about 2 hours, till it's crowned about 1" to 2" over the rim of the pan.

Bake the bread in a preheated 350°F oven for 40 to 45 minutes, tenting it lightly with aluminum foil for the final 20 minutes of baking. Yield: 1 loaf.

Pumpkin Pasta

I just spent 4 days in Washington, DC gorging myself on all of the yummy food the city had to offer (um, Teaism's salty oat cookies are ah-mazing, and I was very happy with their muesli for breakfast after a 5 mile run!). I thought I would throw this recipe up in time for Thanksgiving as a fun twist on the traditional baked mac n cheese. I love this recipe. It's everything good about thanksgiving: pumpkin and sage and carbs and cheese! Honestly, I will cut up some turkey and mix it into pumpkin sauce if I have some leftover from Thanksgiving so that it really is the perfect Thanksgiving mac n cheese.


Pumpkin Baked Penne

serves about 4. Adapted from How Sweet Eats

1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup onion, chopped

1 tablespoons flour

1/4 cup cream cheese

2/3 cup milk

1/2 pound whole wheat penne

1/4 cup freshly grated mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons fresh sage leaves, chopped, plust more for garnish

crumbed bacon, if desired

Prepare water for pasta and cook according to directions.

While pasta is cooking, heat a medium saucepan over medium heat and add butter and onion. Whisk continuously until the butter browns and small brown bits appear in the pan. Immediately whisk in flour and chopped sage leaves and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add milk, cream cheese, and pumpkin, then mix until until combined. I chose to keep my “sauce” in a thicker state, but if you’d like it thinned out a bit more, add additional milk. At this point, taste and see if you’d like any additional salt or spices – this will most likely depend on how seasoned your squash was. I added another small pinch of salt.

Add pasta to an 8 or 9-inch baking dish. Pour sauce over top, then use a spoon to fold the sauce into the penne, coating it completely. Top with shredded cheeses. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until cheese is golden and bubbly. Garnish with crumbled bacon and sage leaves if desired.

Navy Bean and Ham Hock Soup

The beautiful fall leaves have gone away and the naked trees make the weather feel colder, so a hot soup sounded perfect. I even got to learn about ham hocks to make this. Ok, so I did not learn much, but apparently the ham hocks I found were cured and sealed so that they could sit out for weeks at room temperature... kinda scary. Despite the slightly disturbing, long-lasting meat, this soup did not last long at all. I did not even feel the need to add salt to it because of the saltiness of the ham.

Navy Bean and Ham Hock Soup

• Serves 8. Adapted from Food Network
• 1 pound navy beans, picked over, rinsed and drained
• 10 sprigs parsley
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme or rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 large smoked ham hocks, about 1 1/2 pounds
• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped
• 1 quart of cold water
• 1 quart chicken broth
• 4 medium carrots, chopped
• 4 celery stalks, chopped
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 
  

Place the beans in a large saucepan and cover with cold water by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook for 5 minutes; remove from the heat, cover, and let sit for one hour. Drain and reserve. Tie the parsley, thyme, and bay leaf together with kitchen twine.

In a large soup pot or Dutch oven combine the beans, herb bundle, hocks, onions, celery, carrots, and garlic with the water and broth. Bring to a boil, cover, and adjust the heat so the soup cooks at a gentle simmer. Cook until the beans and hock are completely tender, about 1-1/2 hours.

Turn off the heat and remove the hocks. Cool slightly. Remove the meat from the hocks, discarding the bones, fat, and skin. Cut the meat into small cubes. Remove the herb bundle and discard. Heat the soup and adjust the seasoning as needed with salt and pepper.

Pour into heated bowls and serve.

Party Idea: Cookie Bar

Most people think of bridal showers (and weddings, for that matter) as being in the spring, but I have noticed that quite a few of my friends are tying the knot this November and December. That being said, I hosted a bridal shower this past weekend and, knowing that bride absolutely adores icing, thought that a cookie bar seemed the perfect excuse to eat gobs and gobs of icing.

I kept it simple, since there were only 15 girls or so. I chose two flavors -chocolate and vanilla- of make-ahead, slice and bake cookies as the vehicles for the icing, then divided up a batch of icing into three parts: the 1st part was dyed green, 2nd part yellow, and the 3rd part had peanut butter whipped into it. I also bought some dairy free frosting for dairy-sensitive guests (the cookies are not dairy free though). With all of that made, I got some pretty sprinkles and I was set for the party =).


Homemade Slice and Bake Cookies
Adapted from Cooking Light

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (about 11 ¼ ounces)

*optional* ¼ cup cocoa, if you want chocolate cookies

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup granulated sugar

10 tablespoon butter, softened

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 large egg whites

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring well with a whisk.

Place granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium-high speed until light and fluffy (about 1 minute). Add vanilla and egg whites, beating until well blended. Beating at low speed, gradually add flour mixture, beating just until a soft dough forms. Divide dough into 2 equal portions. Place each portion on plastic wrap; shape each portion into an 8-inch log. Wrap logs in plastic wrap; freeze at least 2 hours or until very firm. I froze mine for a couple of days, though you can freeze them for up to 2 months.

Preheat oven to 375°.

Cut each dough log into 32 (¼-inch-thick) slices; place 1 inch apart on baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes or until set. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire racks.

Apple Pie for Breakfast

Thoughts this morning:
"Mmmmm, pumpkin pie... I really want that. But it's breakfast, I really should not have pie for breakfast, especially not before a cardio work out and yoga.
Yogurt looks good... but not as good as pumpkin pie...
There are those sauteed apple chunks from last night that I cooked and then decided not to eat, I should use those up... yogurt and apples and pie... Apple pie smoothie!"

Yup, that's how I decided on an apple pie smoothie for breakfast. It was delicious and I have no regrets about skipping the pumpkin pie.

Apple Pie Breakfast
Yield: 1 breakfast =)

2/3 cup Stoney Field vanilla yogurt (I use this kind because it is not sickeningly sweet)
1 apple, peeled, cored, diced and sauteed with water until mushy
2-3 tablespoons apple cider
1/8-1/4 teaspoon apple pie spice, depending on preference

Place all ingredients in a blender on medium or high for about 30 seconds. Enjoy!

Apple Raisin Salad

Not sure what to eat for lunch today? Well, have I got a suggestion for you. Grab a whole wheat pita and fill it to the brim with this delicious salad. I love this salad because there is no added sugar, but it is so sweet! I made this for a dinner at church to rave reviews. It's simple and I almost always have all of the ingredients on-hand.

Apple Raisin Salad
Serves 8

4 chopped apples, skins on, cored
1 1/2 cups raisins
4 celery stalks, sliced
1 cup plain greek yogurt
1 cup roughly chopped walnuts
Cinnamon to taste, optional

Mix all ingredients together, serve =)

Note: mixing a bit of lemon juice over the apples helps to keep them from browning

Simple Pumpkin Soup

• It's Fall! The colors are gorgeous, the air is crisp, and the days are perfect for enjoying a game of catch or a nice run at the arboretum. In fact, I actually tried honing my baseball throwing skills while babysitting the other day. It was a wonderful! I forgot how much fun hanging out with kids is and how it reminds me to slow down and not take life for granted. 
• The perfect way to not take life for granted is a bowl of soup with a slice of homemade bread. When I was trying to think of an easy and affordable meal to serve at church last week, I was reminded of pumpkin soup. I had never heard of such a thing as pumpkin soup until this year, but I love pumpkin and had to try it. This recipe is so easy! If you are looking for a good soup appetizer for this Thanksgiving, I highly recommend this one. Next time I make it, I am going to try it with a rind of Parmesan cheese cooking in the pot (I will remove it before I serve the soup).  Feel free to let me know if you get a chance to throw a cheese rind into the mix before I do!
• Pumpkin Soup
  Adapted from All*You
  Makes 4-5 servings
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 (15 oz.) cans solid packed pumpkin
• 1 quart chicken broth
• 1 cup milk 
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon rubbed sage
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste

• Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat; add onion and cook, stirring often until very soft, about 8 minutes. Add pumpkin, water, milk, syrup, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, whisking often. (Soup can be made 1 day ahead. Let cool and then cover and chill. Bring to a simmer before serving.)

Black Eyed Pea Salad

What did I do with my entire day, you ask? Why, I made dinner for 30 people with options for gluten-free, vegetarian, raw, and vegan persons in under 3 hours, clean up of the kitchen included.
I think that deserves an olympic medal, just saying. Or at least, my face on the front of the wheaties box, right?
Anyway, this salad is pretty darn delicious and soooo simple and so good for you! I love the way the colors pop. I mean, the stuff looks like candy, it's so bright. It was part of the smorgasbord of options that I made for the 30-person dinner =).

*Thanks to my neighbor for giving me this recipe*

Black Eyed Pea Salad
Makes 12 servings

1green bell pepper
2 red bell peppers
1 orange bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
1/2 large red onion
2 (16oz) bags of frozen black eyed peas, thawed

1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon regular mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Chop peppers and onion, mix in a large bowl. Add peas, stir.
In a separate, smaller bowl, mix the oils, vinegar, mustards, and salt and pepper. Pour over pea mixture and stir/mix to combine. Serve immediately or chill in fridge before serving.

Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies

It's a chilly, rainy day here and I just had to put in a chick-flick (When Harry Met Sally) and bake cookies. The day demanded it and I am a tad sickly, so it fit my mood perfectly. Of course, I was not in the mood for something overly sweet (though traditional chocolate chippers were tempting), so I made these breakfast cookies. Cookies, for breakfast! What a wonderful idea =). 

Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies
Adapted from Enlightened Cooking

Preheat oven to 350°F

Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silpats, or lightly coat with cooking spray.

Makes about 16 cookies at about 140 calories each

¾ cup canned unsweetened pumpkin puree

¾ cup granulated sugar 

⅓ cup vanilla low-fat yogurt

1 large egg

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup old fashioned rolled oats

½ cup whole wheat flour

½ cup all purpose flour

¼ cup ground flax seeds (flaxseed meal)

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1 cup raisins or dried cranberries

1.  In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin, sugar, yogurt, egg, oil and vanilla in a until smooth. Stir in raisins. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt.

2. Stir the dry ingredients and raisins into the wet with a wooden spoon, mixing just until just blended.

3. Drop the batter by 2 tablespoonfuls for each cookie onto prepared cookie sheet, spacing cookies about 2 inches apart.  

4. Bake 14-15 minutes until lightly browned. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool. Repeat with remaining batter.

Black Bean and Spinach Lasagna

 

Lately, I have been looking for meatless entrees, especially ones that use beans because beans are so cheap when you buy them dry in bags. When I saw this recipe, I knew I had to try it, even it sounded pretty weird. Don't let the combination of black beans and spinach/pasta scare you away. This was really good, to the point that I actually was sad I had to eat out the other day instead of being able to eat these left overs.


Spinach and Black Bean Lasagna
from Southern Living


2 large eggs, lightly beaten

• 1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups (16 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with peppers, divided
• 2 (16-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained (or cook your own)
• 1 (2-pound, 13-ounce) jar pasta sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 9 precooked lasagna noodles
• Garnish: chopped fresh cilantro

• Stir together first 5 ingredients and 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese; set aside.
• Mash beans with a potato masher or fork in a large bowl; stir in pasta sauce and cumin. Spread one-third of bean mixture on bottom of a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish.
• Layer with 3 noodles, half of spinach mixture, and 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese; repeat layers. Spread with one-third bean mixture; top with remaining 3 noodles and remaining bean mixture.
• Bake, covered, at 350° for 1 hour; uncover and top with remaining Monterey Jack cheese. Bake 5 more minutes or until cheese melts. Garnish, if desired.
  
  *You can halve this, using 5-6 lasagna noodles and in a 8x8 pan.