Pumpple

My sister sent me the link to this totally obscene dessert that someone came up with. A pumpkin pie baked in a chocolate cake & an apple pie baked in a yellow cake, all covered with butter cream frosting. Oh, and it's 1800 calories a slice! Talk about putting on the holiday pounds...yikes! If you want to read more about this gluttonous confection, go here.

Pumpkin Cake

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 1-2/3 cups sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
  ICING:
• 1 package cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 carton of Cool Whip
  

Directions

• In a bowl, beat eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin. Sift flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt; gradually add to pumpkin mixture and mix well. Pour into an ungreased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes. Cool completely before icing.

White Chili

Ingredients:
3 chicken breast halves, cubed
1 c. fully cooked ham, cubed
4 c. water
1 c. chicken stock
2 c. salsa verde
1 onion, chopped
3 (4 oz) cans of fire roasted chiles
3 (16 oz) cans of white beans, rinsed & drained
1 t. cumin
1 t. coriander
1 bay leaf
1/4 t. pepper

Directions:
1. Boil chicken for 20 min. in water, stock, salsa, onion, chiles & spices.
2. Add ham & beans and simmer for 30 minutes more.
3. Garnish with fresh cilantro & shredded cheddar cheese. Serve with tortilla chips.

German Apple Cake

Always a fall favorite in our house. So good it doesn't need icing or anything!

Ingredients:
3 eggs
1 c. canola oil
2 c. sugar
2 c. flour
1 t. salt
2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. baking soda
2 c. apples, peeled & chopped
1 c. nuts (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Beat together eggs & oil. Sift flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon & soda together. Add to egg mixture.
3. Add apples & nuts. Bake in a greased 13x9 pan for 40-50 minutes.

Homemade Baby Food

I never made baby food with Tyler. It just seemed too overwhelming to me, perhaps because he was my first child and I was trying to figure everything else out. This time around, I only give Ethan homemade baby food. It's cheaper, it tastes better (so much better), and you can control the quality of food. I bought these great baby food containers that you can stack in the freezer. And use this website for references and recipes. Here are some great combos for 6-8 month babies.

Peachy Sweet Potatoes
Apples and Carrots
Blueberry, Apple, and Pear Sauce
Bananas and Blueberries
Avocado and Peaches
Apples and Pears
Peaches and Bananas
Bananas, Blueberries and Pears
Apples and Plums
Blueberries and Apples
Pear, Peaches and Apples
Pumpkin, Bananas and Applesauce
Pear, Pumpkin and Peaches
Squash and Sweet Potatoes
Peas and Carrots
Sweet Potato and Carrots
White Potato, Green Beans, and Applesauce
Yellow Squash and Zucchini
Yellow Squash and Peas
Apples and Avocado
Banana and Avocado
Squash, Apple, Sweet Potato
Green Beans with Apples or Pears

Fruity Baked Oatmeal

I cut the sugar back & added about double the fruit. It was even better the next day!

Ingredients

• 3 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup fat-free milk
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 3/4 cup chopped peeled tart apple
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh or frozen peaches
• 1/3 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
• Additional fat-free milk, optional

• In a large bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Combine the eggs, milk and butter; add to the dry ingredients. Stir in the apple, peaches and blueberries.
• Pour into an 8-in. square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cut into squares. Serve with milk if desired. Yield: 9 servings.

Slithering Snakewich

Here's a bunch of fun Halloween recipes to make with your kids. Tyler loves this kind of stuff!

Ingredients

• 1 16-ounce loaf frozen bread dough, thawed
• 4 ounces sliced mozzarella cheese, diagonally cut in half
• 4 ounces sliced cheddar cheese, diagonally cut in half
• 1 3.5-ounce package sliced pepperoni
• 1 8-ounce can pizza sauce
• 1/2 cup red, green, and/or yellow sweet pepper strips
• 1 strip roasted red sweet pepper
• 2 pimiento-stuffed olives

Directions

1. Place thawed bread dough on a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 22-inch long rope. Place on a large greased baking sheet forming a "snaky S" shape. Let rise in a warm place for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until double in size. Bake in a 350F oven for 20 minutes or until lightly browned and bread sounds hollow when lightly tapped. Remove from baking sheet to a wire rack. Cool to room temperature.

2. Hollow out the center portion of the loaf about 1-inch deep and 1-1/2-inches wide, leaving about 2-inches on each end of the loaf. Layer cheeses down the center of loaf, pressing cheese slices down into the hollowed portion of the loaf. In a medium bowl, stir together the pepperoni and pizza sauce. Spoon atop the cheese. Top with the strips of sweet pepper. Place on a greased baking sheet and bake in 350F oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted.

3. Make a slit in the front of the loaf and insert a roasted red pepper strip for a tongue; insert two pimento stuffed olives with toothpicks for eyes. Makes 8 servings.

Jack-o-Lantern Sloppy Joe Pie

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef (90% lean)
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup salsa
• 1/2 cup chili sauce
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 sheet refrigerated pie pastry
• 1 egg
• Orange paste food coloring

Directions

• In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. In a small bowl, combine the flour, salsa and chili sauce until blended; stir into skillet. Add the corn, chilies and brown sugar.
• Transfer to a deep-dish 9-in. pie plate. Unroll pastry; place over filling. With a sharp knife, cut out a face to resemble a jack-o'-lantern; flute edges. Beat egg and food coloring; brush over pastry.
• Bake at 450° for 9-11 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Yield: 6 servings.

Eyeball Taco Salad

Ingredients

• 2-1/2 pounds lean ground beef (90% lean)
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
• 1 envelope taco seasoning
• 1 package (12-1/2 ounces) nacho tortilla chips, crushed
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
• 4 cups torn iceberg lettuce
• 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
• 10 slices tomato, halved
• 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
• 10 whole pitted ripe olives, halved

Directions

• In a Dutch oven, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the water, tomato sauce and taco seasoning. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
• Place tortilla chips in a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan; sprinkle with Monterey Jack cheese. Spread meat mixture over top; sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Bake at 325° for 25-30 minutes or until bubbly.
• Top with lettuce and onion. Cut into ten 5-in. x 3-in. pieces. On each piece, arrange two tomato slices for eyes; top each with a dollop of sour cream and an olive half. Yield: 10 servings.

Spider Snacks

Ingredients:

• 1 12-ounce package chunk white tuna in water, drained
• 1/4 cup fat-free mayonnaise
• 3 green onions, finely chopped
• 1 stalk celery, finely diced
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 12 slices whole-wheat bread, crusts cut off
• 48 mini pretzel sticks, broken in half
• 24 raisins, flattened
• 2 baby carrots, thinly sliced and cut into triangular "fangs," optional

Directions:

1. Place tuna in a small bowl and mash with a fork until no large chunks are left.
2. Add mayonnaise, green onions, celery, salt and pepper, mixing well to combine.
3. Cut bread slices in half.
4. Press a piece of bread into an ice-cream scooper to make the rounded body of the spider.
5. Fill with tuna mixture.
6. Place another piece of bread over the tuna to cover, and press around the edge of the ice cream scooper to cut away excess bread to make spider body bottom. Unmold and set aside. Repeat using all bread and tuna.
7. Place spiders on a plate and decorate with pretzel stick legs, raisin eyes, and carrot fangs.

Garlic Shrimp Pasta

Ingredients:
8 oz. angel hair pasta
1 c. fresh basil leaves
1 1/2 c. cherry tomatoes, halved
1 T. olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 1/2 lb. shrimp
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 t. red pepper flakes
3/4 c. chicken stock
2 T. butter
2 T. fresh parsley
1 T. lemon juice
Salt & Pepper

Directions:
1. While pasta is cooking, saute onion in olive oil. Add shrimp, salt & pepper, cook until pink.
2. Add garlic & red pepper, cook for 30 seconds. Then add tomatoes, basil, stock, butter & parsley. Cook for 2 minutes.
3. Drain pasta & add to shrimp mixture with lemon juice. Toss to coast & serve immediately.

**This is also great with cilantro instead of basil!**

Minestrone

I love soup & am so excited that the weather is cooling off again. I like that I can make enough soup to last a couple of meals & that it usually gets better with time. But minestrone isn't typically a soup that tastes better the next day. The noodles get too soggy & it's just not as good as the first time. So I've made a little change: Quinoa instead of noodles.

Ingredients:
1 lb. Italian sausage
1 bell pepper, diced
1/2 onion, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
2 large carrots, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. parsley
1 t. basil
1 t. oregano
1 t. garlic powder
1 cans (15 oz) diced tomatoes
2 cans (8 oz) tomato sauce
1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, rinsed
1 can (15 oz) garbanzo beans, rinsed
1 c. water
1 c. quinoa
1 c. frozen green beans
Parmesan Cheese, grated

Directions:
1. Brown sausage in a large pot. Add veggies & cook for 5 minutes longer.
2. Stir in garlic & herbs & cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
3. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, beans & water. Simmer until carrots are almost tender (about 15 minutes)
4. Stir in quinoa & green beans and simmer for 20 minutes more. Garnish with parmesan.

**The quinoa will thicken the soup slightly**

Warm Italiano Spread

I saw this recipe on Kraft foods a few months ago & finally tried it. Super easy & tasty.

Ingredients:

1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese

1/4 cup pesto

1 plum tomato, chopped

1/4 cup KRAFT Finely Shredded Italian* Five Cheese Blend

TRISCUIT Cracked Pepper & Olive Oil Crackers

Directions:

HEAT grill to medium heat. Place unwrapped Neufchatel cheese on 8-inch square sheet of heavy-duty foil; top with pesto, tomatoes and shredded cheese.

PLACE foil on grill; cover with lid. Grill 8 to 10 min. or until shredded cheese is melted and Neufchatel is softened, but still holding its shape.

TRANSFER foil to platter. Serve spread with crackers.