Frosted Pumpkin Spice Cookies

I love this recipe! It is delicious, easy and a big crowd pleaser. Definitely a holiday staple!

INGREDIENTS:

Cookie:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting:

• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 tablespoon melted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
   
2. In a mixing bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup of butter and white sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy. Mix in flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt.
   
3. Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls and bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven.
   
4. Cool cookies completely and dip tops in the glaze. Let them sit for a few hours and dry completely. Store in an open container. They get too soft and moist in stored in a sealed contained.
   
5. To Make Glaze: Combine confectioners' sugar, milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add milk as needed, to achieve desired consistency.

**Recipe from Allrecipes.com***

Blueberry Pie

When my husband was a child he had blueberry pie and fell in love with its delicious combination of tart and sweet and its firm, ripe berries. Every time he had blueberry pie after that it was a sugary glob devoid of texture. After culinary school he found this recipe and proclaimed it to be his childhood blueberry pie. I am in LOVE with this pie, and would eat it for every meal if I could (not that it ever lasts a whole day).

Ingredients:

Filling:

-3/4 cup sugar

-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

-1/2 cup water

-4 tbsp ultragel/ or 2 tbsp corn starch (you'll have to cook the mixture if you use corn starch, but not for ultragel)

-3 cups blueberries (I always use fresh; can't vouch for how well frozen would turn out)

-1 tbsp lemon juice

Pastry:

-2 cups all purpose flour

-1 tbsp sugar

-1 tsp salt

-3/4 cup butter or shortening

-1 egg

-2 tbsp water

1/2 tbsp white vinegar

-flour for dusting

-sugar for sprinkling on top

Directions:

1. Filling:

If using ultragel: Combine sugar, ultragel, cinnamon and water. If needed add additional ultragel a teaspoon at a time to reach desired thickness. Stir in blueberries and lemon juice.

If using corn starch: Combine sugar, corn starch, cinnamon and water. Add to a sauce pan and heat rapidly until thickened. Set aside to cool. Once cool add the berries and lemon juice.

2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

3. Combine flours, sugar and salt. Cut in the butter. Whisk together egg, water and vinegar. Add to flour mixture, combining with a fork. Turn out onto a lightly floured cutting board or counter and use your hands to combine.

4. Separate into 2 parts and roll each flat. Line the bottom and sides of your pie plate with one of the crusts.

5. Pour filling into dough lined pie pan. Place second crust on top and use a fork or your fingers to pinch the rim. Cut vents into the top (I like to do 4-6 teardrop shapes in a circle in the center). Sprinkle top with sugar.

6. Place pie onto a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes at 425 degrees. Then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool before serving (otherwise the filling won't hold up as well). Enjoy plain or with ice cream!

Slow Cooker Chicken and Dumplings

This recipe is flavorful and super easy. Even my picky 3 year old loved it. The chicken is so tender it falls apart and is very moist. Definitely a staple in my house.

Prep time: 10 minutes; Cook time: 6 hours; Serves: 6

Ingredients:

2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 tablespoons butter
1 (10.75 ounce) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
1/4 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp Parsley
Salt & pepper
1/2 onion, finely diced
2 cups mixed vegetables
Chicken stock
1 (5 ounce) packages refrigerated biscuit dough (the smallest kind), torn into pieces

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients except biscuit dough in the crock pot, and fill with enough chicken stock to cover.

2. Cover, and cook for 5 to 6 hours on High. About 3 hours before serving, place the torn biscuit dough in the slow cooker (okay to submerge in the liquid. It will give it more dumpling like texture). Serve in bowls and enjoy!

Easy Blackberry Cobbler

Prep time: 15 minutes; Cook time: 1 hour; Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup butter or margarine, divided
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 2 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
  
• 1/3 cup milk, room temperature
• 4 cups fresh or frozen blackberries
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine water & sugar in a sauce pan and heat until sugar is completely dissolved. Set aside.

2. Melt 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) of butter in your baking dish.

3. Combine flour, baking powder, salt and butter in your mixer. Mix until butter is cut in evenly. Add milk and mix until dough comes together.

4. Place dough on a piece of wax paper, place a second sheet of wax paper on top and roll until dough is flat.

5. Place a part of the dough in the bottom of your baking dish, add berries, place 2nd piece of dough on top (of pieces of dough if that is easier), sprinkle with cinnamon and pour sugar solution over the top.

6. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. Let cool slightly and serve either by itself or with ice cream.

Bacon Baby Bok Choy

Bok choy is a great vegetable, low in calories and high in vitamins C, A, K and calcium. Regular bok choy can be a little bitter and tough, but baby bok choy is tender and delicious. If you're looking for a flavorful, nutrient-rich side try this out!

Serves: 3-4 Cooking time: 10 minutes; prep time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

4 strips of turkey bacon, chopped
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 red or sweet onion, chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes
2 lbs baby bok choy, cut into halves
salt to taste

Directions:

1) Cook the bacon until crispy. Remove from pan and add olive oil, onion, garlic and red pepper. Cook until onion is tender

2) Add bok choy, cover and cook for 3-5 minutes. Remove cover, add bacon and salt and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Serve immediately!

*Original recipe from http://allrecipes.com/recipe/bacon-y-bok-choy/detail.aspx

Recycled Crayons

While brain storming fun party favor ideas for my son's construction truck themed birthday party I ran across these adorable construction truck shaped crayons at the following website:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/43616549/construction-trucks-crayon-set

I LOVED the idea but HATED the price. I decided to make my own. I found some chocolate molds shaped like cement trucks at ebay for $5 (including shipping). You can get almost ANY shape you like.

Materials:
Plastic chocolate mold

Crayons
Large pot with water
Metal bowl that will fit on top of the pot
Wax paper
Tooth pick or other utensil you don't mind getting wax on

Instructions:

-Sort crayons by similar shade, strip off the paper, and break into smaller pieces

-Bring pot of water to a boil, then turn heat to medium low and place the metal pot over it.


-Fold the wax paper so it creates a centered crease. Place a shade of crayons in the center and place in the metal bowl. Allow the crayon to melt completely. If crayon starts to separate into a clear and colored portion, stir with a tooth pick. By folding the paper before you melt the crayons, it creates a clean line for the crayon to flow down.

- Once the crayon is completely melted, quickly pour into the mold. This must be done as quickly as possible because the wax cools rapidly. If a significant amount of crayon cools onto the paper you can set it in the freezer for a few seconds. After it hardens, break the wax and place it back into the center of the paper. Melt again and pour into a mold.

-Let the crayons sit until they cool completely. You can put the mold in the fridge/freezer to speed up the process if you want. Once cool, the crayons should pop right out. Enjoy your awesome recycled crayons!

Summer Strawberry Pie

One of my favorite summer foods is fresh strawberry pie. I used to make strawberry pie with store bought glaze but it always had a bit of a plastic taste to me. I love this recipe because it is incredibly easy, fast and tastes so fresh.

Serves 6-8 (in theory; in reality I could eat the whole thing all by myself)

Ingredients:

-1 9-inch graham cracker crust (store bought or home made)
-2 pints fresh strawberries (2 lbs)

-3/4 cup sugar

-4 1/2 tbsp ultra-gel or cornstarch
 (recipe varies depending on which you use)
-1/3 cup water

-1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Wash the strawberries and remove the green leafy tops.
 Cut berries into halves or fourths depending on your preference. Put in a bowl and set aside.

2. Take 1 cups of the berries and puree them in a food processor.

-If using ultra gel: Combine puree with sugar, ultra-gel, water and vanilla. Stir and set aside.

-If using corn starch: Combine puree with sugar, cornstarch and water in a medium saucepan and whisk to combine. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil for about 1 minute, then remove from heat, add in the vanilla extract and whisk the mixture steadily (doesn’t need to be fast, just to prevent the sauce from sticking to the pan) while it cools down for about 5 minutes.


3. Pour the sauce over the sliced berries and stir until the berries are coated evenly. Pour berries into the crust and smooth over using a spatula. Refrigerate for at least two hours. Serve plain or with whipped cream.

Gram Cracker Crust

Ingredients:
-1 1/4 cup crushed gram cracker
-1/3 cup white sugar
-6 tbsp butter, melted


Directions:

1. Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter until well blended . Press mixture into an 9 inch pie plate.

2. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 7-9 minutes, or until crust starts to brown just slightly. Cool.

Italian Sausage Pasta

This is one of my family's FAVORITE recipes. The left overs heat up great also. If you are tired of pasta covered in tomato or cream sauce this dish is a refreshing, flavorful alternative.

Takes about 30 minutes to make depending on how quickly you can wash and prep the ingredients. Serves 6-8.

INGREDIENTS:
-1 lb dry fettuccine
-3 tbsp olive oil
-1 medium red onion, sliced
-1 clove of garlic, smashed
-4 mild Italian sausages, casing removed
-1 pint red or yellow cherry tomatoes
-2 tbsp red wine vinegar
-Sea salt
-Black pepper
-1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
-1-2 cups collard greens or kale, torn into bite size pieces
-Freshly grated Parmesan

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cook the fettuccine according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.

2. While the pasta cooks, heat oil in a large sausage pan with tall sides, and add garlic and sausage, chopping into bite size pieces. Brown for about 5 minutes.

3. Add onion, tomatoes, greens, vinegar, salt and pepper (as desired). Cook about 8 minutes or until tomatoes pop. If the tomatoes haven't popped after 8 minutes use a spoon to help break them. (It is important to the flavor of the dish that the juices inside the tomatoes get out).

4. Add basil, then toss mixture with the fettuccine. Plate the pasta and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Chicken and Rice Casserole II --Allyson's version

I wanted to post my version of chicken and rice casserole because if I can avoid mushrooms/cream of mushroom soup I DO! I usually have left over chicken whenever I cook a fryer chicken or buy a roasted chicken from the grocery store. And whenever I make rice I usually make a ton because it's so easy to throw it in soup or casseroles such as this.

I rarely measure anything for this recipe. I just eye ball it, so here goes:

Serves about 8 people, or a small family twice. Serve with rolls or a salad!

2-3 cups cooked brown rice

left over, cooked chicken cut into bite-sized pieces (equivalent of 2-3 breasts)

1 package of frozen broccoli, or mixed veggie of your choice (cauliflower, carrots, and peas go really well too!)

2 cups hand shredded cheddar

1/2 to a whole small tub of sour cream for zip!

1 family sized can of cream of chicken soup

1 small can of broccoli cheese soup

1/2 cup chopped dehydrated onion

salt and pepper

1 tsp-ish powdered garlic

*breadcrumbs

1. Mix everything together in a very LARGE mixing bowl except breadcrumbs. If it looks to thick add water, chicken stock, or another small can of cream of chicken to smooth it up.

2. Grease a 9-13 pan (or bigger if you want it to cook faster)

3. Sprinkle breadcrumbs over the top if you desire.

4. Cover with foil.

5. Bake at 350 or up to 450 if you're in a hurry.

6. It usually takes about 20-40 minutes to heat all the way through depending on your temp. If you hear it bubbling it's ready. If you didn't add breadcrumbs, stir it all around to make sure it's hot evenly throughout.

7. If you did add breadcrumbs turn the oven to broil and brown the breadcrumbs on top. Watch it closely so you don't burn it like I almost did in my pictures.

Broccoli, Chicken, Cheese Casserole

This is one of my favorite childhood comfort foods. I've added some steps that make it a tad more time consuming but largely improve flavor and texture. Perfect for taking dinner to a neighbor, to a pot luck or just feeding the family.

Serves 8

Ingredients:
1 cup uncooked rice
2 cups water (to cook rice in)
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 boneless chicken breasts
Salt
Pepper
Chipotle pepper
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup milk
1/2 (16 ounce) package broccoli
1/2 small white onion, chopped
1/2 pound shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. Cut broccoli into bite size pieces and steam until al dente. Cook the rice. (If you cook the rice in a rice cooker, you may be able to steam the broccoli with it at the same time if yours has a steamer basket on the top, which many do.)

3. Heat a saute pan and add the olive oil. Season both sides of the chicken breast with a sprinkle of salt, pepper and chipotle pepper. Sear the chicken, then cook on low-medium heat until the center temperature is 165*. Let the chicken rest at least 5 minutes then cut into cubes. By searing and pan frying the chicken before adding it to the casserole you avoid the dried out, flavorless that is often found in casseroles.

4. Mix all ingredients together and pour into 9x13 inch baking dish. If desired, sprinkle a little additional cheese over the top. Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes.

Spicy Peanut Butter Sauce

I love eating raw vegetables, but plain veggies get boring fast and I am so tired of ranch and creamy dressings. This recipe is fantastic for those looking for something flavorful, delicious and very easy to make.

Ingredients:

-1/2 cup of smooth peanut butter
-1/2 cup warm water
-1 tsp salt
-1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
-1/2-3/4 tsp ground chipotle (start with less and add more to taste)
-3 medium garlic cloves
-1/4 cup minced cilantro

Directions:

Put all ingredients except the cilantro into a food processor and mix until well blended. Stir in the cilantro by hand. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours for the dip to become thick (I usually don't like to wait so I just dig in while the dip is thinner).

This sauce is great to dip vegetables in. If you add 2-4 additional tablespoons of water during the blending process, this sauce goes great over salads made with pork, shrimp or chicken breast.

This is my son trying and loving broccoli for the first time. It wasn't the sauce that made him like it, but just seeing me enjoying the broccoli made him want to try it. Studies have shown that kids who see their parents eating and enjoying vegetables are more likely to eat and enjoy veggies themselves. Food for thought.


I got this recipe during a holistic cooking class I took at Southwestern Institute of Healing Arts. The original recipe comes from "the Garden of Eating" by Rachel Albert-Matesz.

Hearty Beef Stew

I recently moved to the Seattle area with my family from Arizona. It is much cooler up here in April (highs in the low 50's) so stew makes a perfect dinner. Even though stew might not be what you want for dinner when it is 100 degrees outside, the flavors are delicious and the meal is easy to make. Also, if you have vegetables left over from other meals, you can toss them into this stew. It's a great way not to waste food.

Serves: 6
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 1.5-2 hours

Ingredients:

-1 lb of cubed beef stew meat
-1 tbsp of vegetable oil
-1 cup cabernet sauvignon
-4 cups beef stock
-1/2 tsp dried rosemary
-1/2 tsp dried parsley
-1/4 tsp ground black pepper
-1/2 large golden potatoes, cubed
-2 carrots, cut into cubes
-3 celery stalks, chopped
-1/2 large onion, chopped
-1/2 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved*
-1/2 a bunch of kale, torn into bite size pieces*
-1 tsp corn starch or 2 tablespoons of ultragel
-cold water

*- optional; adds additional color

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a pot and sear the meat until it turns brown. Pour in wine and stock (if you want to forgo the wine, just add another cup of stock. The wine adds a lot of flavor to the stew and all the alcohol cooks out so I highly recommend using it). Stir in the rosemary, parsley and pepper. Heat to a boil, then reduce and let simmer for 1 hour.

2. Stir in all vegetables. Dissolve cornstarch in 2 teaspoons cold water and stir into stew. If you are using ultra gel (which is much easier to use than corn starch and is color and flavorless) sprinkle directly into the stew and stir. Add additional thickener if needed to reach desired thickness. Cover and simmer 1 more hour or until meat is tender. Serve with fresh bread.