Even More Pumpkin!

Sorry about my lack of blogging lately. In between doubling up on classes, getting ready for the bean, not cooking a whole lot and the holidays, I have been a slacker. So, I will spend some time today updating.

I made this recipe several weeks ago. I had some leftover canned pumpkin in my fridge and I didn't want it to go to waste. After all, I can never pass up an opportunity to bake. I went in search of a recipe that was both healthy (because I am trying not to gain too much pregnancy weight) and tasty, well because let's face it, taste is the most important aspect.

I believe this is the first time I have used a recipe from cooks.com and I certainly wasn't disappointed. I found a lowfat muffin recipe (140 calories per muffin and only 4.6 grams of fat) that was really tasty. I only altered one thing and that was the sugar. I used half sugar and half Splenda. If you use all the sugar that the recipe calls for, it only adds a few calories per muffin. Not enough to worry about.

This was very easy to throw together. So much so that on a night before class, I whipped these up and brought in a batch for my classmates. It took less than an hour to make and bake and package them up.

I put the label for this recipe as a dessert and breakfast because I feel that pumpkin and raisins are appropriate all times of the day. So if you are looking for a quick breakfast, grab one of these muffins and a cup of coffee and you are all set!

These muffins don't have an overpowering taste of pumpkin. I love pumpkin, so it doesn't bother me how much is in a recipe, however, some people don't care for pumpkin. These muffins have a very nice pumpkin accent. It is one of the main ingredients, but even if you don't care for pumpkin, I think you would like these. They result in a very moist, muffin. I suggest eating them while they are still warm. They were the most tasty that way!

Be careful not to overmix the batter. Follow the directions and only mix until the flour is moistened. I really think the muffins were moist because of this. The more you mix, the tougher the muffins will be. Also, don't be afraid to add more spice than the recipe calls for. I always add a little extra cinnamon and nutmeg to things. It gives more depth (doesn't that sound fancy?) to the recipe in my opinion.

Pumpkin Muffins
from: www.cooks.com

1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar (I used half Splenda and half sugar)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 egg
1/2 cup raisins

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease bottoms of 12 medium muffin cups. Mix all ingredients just until flour is moistened. Batter should be lumpy. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon sugar over batter in each cup. Bake 18 to 20 minutes. Immediately remove from pan.

Aren't these beautiful when you cut into them?

Pumpkin For Breakfast

Remember when I said that fall is in the air? You know what that means? It's time for pumpkin! Starbucks has had their Pumpkin Spice Latte out for a few weeks now and I will admit that I have indulged. Quite a few times actually.

I made two pumpkin recipes this weekend. One was enjoyed this morning at breakfast. It's a recreation of Starbucks' latte. How did it turn out? It was okay. Of course, it wasn't nearly as good as the real thing, but it saved me money and a trip out of the house at 8:00 in the morning.

I prepared this recipe last night and chilled it in my baby crockpot in the fridge over night. My lovely husband then took it out of the fridge and started it at 6:00 this morning (he works swing shift and usually comes to bed around that time). So, when I woke up, I had my delicious coffee beverage waiting for me.

I would suggest using much stronger coffee than I did. While it was good, I prefer my coffee to actually taste a little like coffee. So next time I make this, it will be with the stronger stuff. Also, I imagine whipped cream would be delicious on this. I wouldn't know. I am trying not to gain too much weight during this pregnancy, so I omitted the whip. I am pretty sad about that because I think the whipped cream really adds to the flavor.

Overall, this was easy and yummy. I have some leftover for my breakfast tomorrow which makes me doubly happy.

Crockpot Pumpkin Spice Latte
from: http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/10/crockpot-pumpkin-spice-latte-recipe.html

2 cups milk (I used 1%)
2 tablespoons canned pumpkin
2 tablespoons white sugar (I used Splenda instead)
2 tablespoons (yes tablespoons) vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup brewed espresso or 3/4 cup strong brewed coffee

This will make enough for two people to have a big mug with a bit leftover. If you are having friends over, adjust the recipe accordingly. I used my baby crockpot (for dips and small things) for this, but you can double and use a bigger crockpot.

Add the coffee/espresso and milk to the crockpot. Whisk in the pumpkin, spices, sugar and vanilla.

Cover and cook on high for 2 hours if everything is cold. Whisk again.

See? Mine is a little pale. Use STRONG coffee!

Mmmmm, Breakfast

Here comes the first pregnancy craving. Well, not really, but before I went to bed last night, the thought of having coffee cake for breakfast sounded absolutely divine! So I looked for a recipe before bed and found one to make in the morning. The key was easy and have all the ingredients on hand. I was really hoping for one that was like the recipe on the box of the Bisquick container. I would have made that particular recipe, but I am low on Bisquick (mental note to add to grocery list).

This morning, I awoke very excited. I have been in a baking mood since our weather has been less than desirable. It's been cold and rainy so what better way to wake up than a hot piece of coffee cake and a cup of coffee?

This recipe was easy and I do have to say, it was very close to that Bisquick one that I love. Um, plus, I ate three pieces, so I can vouch for it's tastiness. It's a big pan, so let's hope I don't go overboard. While this is more of a breakfast food, you could certainly have it as dessert too. It's sweet which is the one requirement of a dessert in my house.

Here it is out of the oven.

The whole house smelled like cinnamon and sugar, which is perfectly fine for me. As the title says, it goes perfectly with a cup of coffee. I had some milk too which made me feel a little healthier. All in all, it's not terribly bad for you. As long as you only eat one piece, which I didn't. The topping is perfectly crispy and soft at the same time, and the cake part baked up beautifully.

All Recipes has done it again. A tasty dish that is easy to make. It seriously is my favorite site for finding tried and true recipes. One day I will probably run across one that isn't so great, but for now, I will take my chances.

Aunt Annie's Coffee Cake
from: www.allrecipes.com

2 cups flour
3/4 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1 egg
3/4 cup milk, or as needed
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 cup flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup butter

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan. Make the streusel topping: In a medium bowl, combine 1/4 cup flour, 2/3 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Crack an egg into a measuring cup and then fill milk to make 1 cup. Stir in vanilla. Pour into crumb mixture and mix just until moistened. Spread into prepared pan. Sprinkle top with streusel.

3. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.


The corner piece in all it's delicious glory.

Oatmeal, Raisin and.......Chocolate?

I know, strange combination. And I also know that I have said that before on my blog several times. Ie; shrimp and grits, mayonnaise and chicken, and bacon and pasta. So, that being said, I thought oatmeal, raisin and chocolate was an odd pairing (or is it thirding since that is three ingredients?).

I wanted something sweet today, and something to take along to my in-law's since we are heading over there for dinner. I am too lazy to make cookies, so I thought, "Hmm, I wonder if there is a recipe for oatmeal raisin muffins on the internet somewhere?" Well, I found one. Thank you trusty allrecipes.com! This recipe had all the yumminess of oatmeal raisin cookies but in a muffin form. Also, it had a couple of tablespoons of cocoa, which I thought was unique.

I was under a bit of pressure, because I haven't done the grocery shopping for the week (bad Pachey), and I was limited with ingredients. I had one egg on hand, not very much milk, no brown sugar and was running low on oil. That severely limited the choices that I had. It must have been divine intervention because this recipe only took one egg! And only a cup of milk!! And only 1/4 of oil!!! Can you tell I am excited? Even better, it doesn't have a lot of sugar, which makes it diet-friendly.


Between rinsing out towels and cleaning soap suds out of my washer (that's a story for another time), these muffins were baking. The house smelled like a combination of brownies and oatmeal raisin cookies. When they came out of the oven, they were dark, but not dark enough to tell that they contained cocoa powder.


Mmmmm, they are good! Very easy to put together, and I would classify them as a muffin for any time of day. They have oatmeal and raisin in them, so they are appropriate for breakfast. Plus, with the addition of the chocolate, they are good for an after dinner treat too! That is why I labeled this one as Dessert and Breakfast


I hope my in-laws like them. They are traditionalists and frown upon anything new. Well, I might just have to break them of that trait.


Chocolate Raisin Oatmeal Muffins
from: http://www.allrecipes.com/ (submitted by CHEWLY)


1.5 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup raisins
1 cup milk
1 egg
1/4 vegetable or canola oil


1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a muffin pan or line with paper muffin liners. Stir together flour, baking powder and cocoa powder. Set aside.


2. In a large bowl, stir together the rolled oats, sugar and salt. Mix in the other dry ingredients and raisins. Add the milk, egg, and oil. Mix until just blended. The batter will be lumpy. Spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups.


3. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from cups to cool on a wire rack.

It's Puffy All Right

Tonight, we had breakfast for dinner, yum! I had a few pieces of bacon from a couple of weeks ago's pasta recipe (See Bacon Pasta post), and I had all the ingredients on hand for this Betty Crocker recipe, so Puffy Oven Pancake it was! Add some eggs, and it was a complete meal.

I wanted a little more pizazz, so I made the variation at the bottom of the recipe for Apple Oven Pancake. What better way to usher in the fall by celebrating with apples?

This dinner baked up very quickly, and I am not so great with timing everything to finish at the same time, so a big pat on the back. The pancake, bacon and eggs were all done at the same time! No cold food in sight. I think that's why I like casseroles so much. Everything is done and hot at the same time.

I bet this recipe would be good with other fruit too. Maybe peaches? I would suggest pineapple, but the husband doesn't like pineapple. Such a shame considering all the fresh pineapple that we encountered while vacationing in Jamaica.

I served this plain, with a tiny bit of maple syrup over the top. It was sweet enough that it didn't need syrup, or even extra butter.

Here's to pancakes in the oven!

Puffy Oven Pancake

from: Betty Crocker

2 tablespoons stick margarine or butter

2 large eggs

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup milk

1/4 teaspoon salt

lemon juice and powdered sugar or cut-up fruit if desired

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Melt margarine in pie plate in oven; brush margarine on side of pie plate.

2. Beat eggs slightly in medium bowl with wire whisk or hand beater. Beat in remaining ingredients except lemon juice just until mixed (do not overbeat). Pour into pie plate.

3. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until puffy and deep golden brown. Serve immediately sprinkled with lemon juice and powdered sugar.

Apple Variation

Prepare Puffy Oven Pancake as directed, except sprinkle 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon evenly over melted margarine. Arrange 1 cup thinly sliced peeled baking apple (1 medium) over sugar. Pour batter over apple. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Immediately loosen edge of pancake and turn upside down onto heatproof serving plate.

An Uprising!

Who doesn't love hot cinnamon rolls fresh from the oven? If you can honestly answer no to that question, there may be something wrong with you.

I haven't had a lot of experience with yeast breads, however, I thought I would take a shot at cinnamon rolls. I figure, even if I mess them up, they would still taste pretty decent.

These weren't terribly hard to make. The only thing that was worrisome for me was where in the world I was going to roll out my dough. Let me explain: My kitchen is tiny. Very very tiny. See proof below:

See? So, instead of rolling out the dough in my kitchen nook on our breakfast table, I decided to use the counter. I moved those canisters you see, and it worked out just fine!

I can honestly say that these were a success. They were easy, fun to make, and tasted really really good. I pulled the frosting recipe from another cinnamon roll finding on allrecipes, and the two recipes in combination were a hit! I normally don't like cream cheese frosting, but this wasn't overly cream cheesy (is that a word?).

See my progress in the pictures below.

Here is the dough all rolled out ready to rolled into the rolls. That's a lot of the word roll in one sentence. Doesn't the filling look yummy? I used the Makara cinnamon that Cinnabon sells.

All ready to go in the pan. Look how tiny they are!

Here they are halfway through rising. The picture looks funny because there is plastic wrap over them. I set the pan on top of my washing machine. It was the warmest place in the house since the sun comes through the window there. It ended up being the perfect place for them.

Here they are after completely rising.

Now it was into the fridge for a couple of hours until Jason got up to enjoy them also.

Cinnamon Rolls
from: http://www.allrecipes.com/

1 package (.25 oz) active dry yeast
3/4 cup warm water (110 degrees)
1/4 cup white sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, room temperature
2.5 cups bread flour

1/4 cup butter, softened
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar

1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

2. In a large bowl, combine the yeast mixture with the sugar, salt, egg and 1 cup flour; stir well to combine. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well with each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Cover with a damp cloth and let rest for 10 minutes.

3. Lightly grease an 8x8 square baking pan. Roll dough out on a lightly floured surface to 1/4 inch thick rectangle. Smear the dough with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon and brown sugar. Roll up the dough along the long edge until it forms a roll. Slice the roll into 16 equal size pieces and place them in the pan with the cut side up.

4. Cover pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or cover and let rise at room temperature until doubled in volume, about 45 minutes.

5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake rolls until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Out of the oven. Yummmmm.

Cinnamon Roll Icing

1/2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons milk

1. Mix all ingredients together and spread over warm, not hot, cinnamon rolls.

Spontaneous

I title my entry this because that is what I was this morning. I woke up on Sunday at 6:30 (thanks to one of my cats), and it was now 10:30. I hadn't eaten and I was hungry. My two cups of coffee had not satisfied me. I really didn't want the regular breakfast fare, so when I saw the recipe below, it "called" to me. It was like an epiphany.

This recipe has circled around the Nest for some time, so out of hunger or spontaneity, I decided to try it. I do have to admit that I ate too much of it. I now have a stomach ache. Although it could partially be the fact that I am allergic to cinnamon. But, the stomach ache is worth it because this is a good one! It makes lots too, so it would be good for entertaining or for a family breakfast. It's similar to a coffee cake. You can use as little or as much brown sugar as you desire. If you like a lot of topping, use a lot. If you prefer a lesser topping, use less.

I probably should limit the times that I am spontaenous when it comes to cooking. I end up making or baking something that is not usually healthy. Last weekend for 4th of July, I decided to bake a chocolate cake. Not a good idea for a woman home alone.

Oh well. Anyhow, enjoy the one below.

Cinnamon Flop
from: The Nest (www.thenest.com)

2 cups flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder

Mix all the ingredients above together. Pour into a 9x13 pan, or two round cake pans.

Top with lots of brown sugar and cinnamon. I suggest using enough brown sugar to lightly cover the pan. Sprinkle the cinnamon on top of the brown sugar. Cut up some butter, around 1/4 cup, into little chunks and place it over the top of the brown sugar and cinnamon mix.

Bake for 20 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Breakfast for Dinner

Even though this is another casserole, I would like to point out that it's not your typical casserole. Tonight, it was breakfast for dinner in our house. I actually made this dish last night (as it needs to refrigerate overnight) so the cooking and prep time was very minimal this evening.

This recipe is from Cooking Light, and you can't tell that it is lower in calories. No really! It has bacon, cheese, potatoes, and lots of other gooey ingredients. Although, the bacon and cinnamon rolls we ate with the lighter casserole cross canceled out anything healthy. Oops.

This is a great recipe for any time of day really. Breakfast, brunch or dinner. It would be especially special (tongue twister) on Christmas morning or even Easter.

You can omit the green onions if you don't care for them, but they really do give the casserole a finished flavor. I didn't have any on hand this time and I could really tell the difference. The last time I made this, I couldn't find the specific kind of cheese that the recipe called for. Instead, I settled for a cheddar, which is completely fine if you can't find the Four Blend at your supermarket.

I used a stainless steel pan to cook the bacon and onion mix, and this is the mess it left:

Enjoy! And please be smarter than we were and try turkey bacon as your side dish. That way, you aren't negating the whole purpose of a LIGHT casserole! Oh, and don't have any cinnamon rolls either.

Hash Brown Casserole with Bacon, Onions and Cheese
from: Cooking Light Magazine, November 2005

6 bacon slices

1 cup chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 package (32 oz) frozen Southern-Style has brown potatoes

1 cup (4 oz) preshredded Classic Melts Four Cheese blend, divided (by Kraft)

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 can (10.75 oz) 98% fat-free cream of mushroom soup

1. Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan and crumble. Discard drippings in pan. Add 1 cup onion and garlic to pan; cook for 5 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in the potatoes; cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Combine bacon, 1/4 cheese, green onions, sour cream, salt, pepper, and soup in a large bowl. Add potato mix; toss gently to combine. Spoon mix into an 11x7 casserole dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Cover with foil coated with cooking spray. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove casserole from fridge and let stand 15 minutes. Bake, covered for 30 minutes. Uncover, and bake an additional 30 minutes.