Sharing the Sweets

It’s so great to be home at my parent’s for the holidays—we’ve been enjoying each other’s company being that this is the only time during the year where I am home for a whole month. I always feel sad to leave my apartment and all my college friends, but spring semester will come soon enough, so I’m not worried.

I’ve been enjoying everything Christmas related, besides just cookies of course. Like shopping, and taking random mall photos. This actually went on my cards this holiday season!!

This year, instead of buying individual gifts for all my college friends, I decided to spend a whole day baking away and give them goodie bags—after all, who doesn’t like a supply of sweets to help pound through the last week of finals. So here’s what I put into the bag..

• Peppermint Pinwheel Cookies (recipe here)
• Cinnamon Roll Popcorn (recipe below)
• Pumpkin Donut Muffins  (recipe below)

Responses were..

• “Best popcorn ever!”
• “Can I have all the recipes?”
• “Can you make more of those cookies?”
• “Did you make those donuts, or buy them?”

Needless to say, the recipes were all a great success.

Pumpkin Donut Muffins

 

Ingredients:

• 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 cups all-purpose flour (I used 14 ounces)
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (original recipe uses nutmeg and allspice)
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/4 cups pure pumpkin puree (This is almost the entire 15-ounce can of pumpkin)
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs

Cinnamon Sugar Coating

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. I used mini muffin pans. Spray the pan with Pam with Flour, or butter and flour the cups.
3. In a bowl, whisk together: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.
4. In a small bowl or measure cup, whisk together buttermilk and pumpkin puree.
5. With the paddle attachment, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.
6. Beat in eggs, one at a time.
7. With mixer on low, add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with two additions pumpkin mixture. Do not overmix.
8. Spoon into batter. I baked the mini muffins for 10-12 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
9. While the muffins are baking, combine granulated sugar and cinnamon in a large bowl.
10. After the muffins sit for 5 minutes, remove muffins and brush the entire muffin with the melted butter. Toss and coat in the sugar mixture. Eat warm or let cool completely.
11. Hint: I wore disposable gloves and my left hand held the muffin for the melted butter basting and my right hand mixed the muffins in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
12. I got 46 mini-muffins from this recipe. The original recipe yields 12 regular size muffins. I think the mini-muffins are the perfect size...like donut holes.

Food Librarian

 Cinnamon Roll Popcorn

Ingredients:

· 12 C popped popcorn (about 1/2 C kernels)*

· 1 C roughly chopped pecans

· 1 C brown sugar

· 3/4 t cinnamon

· 1/4 C Karo syrup (or honey makes a good substitution)

· 1 stick real butter (1/2 C)

· 1/2 tsp. baking soda

· 1 tsp. vanilla

· 3 squares almond bark

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 F

• · Place popcorn and chopped pecans in a large bowl and set aside. And by large bowl, I mean like, twice as big as you think you really need.

• Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a big, microwave-safe bowl. Like a 2-quart bowl or Pyrex measuring bowl. Again, use a bowl larger than you think you need to avoid scorching hot caramel goo accidents. It's really important to incorporate the cinnamon into the brown sugar at this point. For some reason, if you don't it does crazy things. I don't know why. Try it and then email Alton Brown and ask him if you really want to know.

• Chop butter into chunks and place on top of sugar mixture. Pour corn syrup (or honey) over the top of everything.

• Microwave on high for 30 seconds (just to soften the butter a bit) and then stir to combine.

• Return to microwave and heat for 2 minutes. Remove and stir and then microwave for 2 minutes more.

• You can microwave it a little longer, but just beware that if you over cook it, it will reach the hard candy stage and you'll end up with a giant clump of tasty concrete-like substance with little popcorn pieces stuck to it.

• · Remove from the microwave and add in vanilla and baking soda.

• Pour it right over the popcorn and pecans. Stir right away, and stir lots. Take too long and the caramel will harden on you. Keep stirring until everything is well coated.

• Spread popcorn mixture onto a foil-lined jelly roll pan.

• Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

• After 30 minutes, take a piece out and let it cool. "Sample." If it's not crunchy enough, bake for another 5 minutes. "Sample" again. This will not be the end of "sampling."

• When it's done, give it a final stir and let it cool off for a bit while you melt your almond bark (just nuke it in the microwave according to the package directions).

• Now, just use a fork and drizzle the melted almond bark over the popcorn mixture.

Baking Bites

Stay tuned for a cookie-a-day till Christmas!

What treats do you make for your friends and family?

2009 Christmas Menu

-2009 Christmas Menu-

• Appetizer

Farm Rich mushrooms which I received a coupon for a free bag awhile back. I used the oven method, stabbed each one with a toothpick and served with warm marinara sauce—everyone LOVED these!

• Bread

Italian Loaf for Bread Machine

(for 2 lb loaf—22 slices)

Ingredients:

• 1 c milk
• 1 egg
• 1/4 c water
• 4 tsp margarine or butter
• 4 c bread flour
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 tsp active dry yeast

Directions:

• Add to machine according to directions for bread machine and bake as a basic light colored loaf.

 

• Main Dish

Italian Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients:

• 3-4 lb boneless pork tenderloin
• 1/4 c butter, room temp—I used I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 1/2 c Italian breadcrumbs
• 1/4 c fresh chopped parsley, or 1 Tbsp dried
• 3 Tbsp chopped fresh sage or 1/2 Tbsp dried
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/2 c apple juice
• 1/2 c apple butter

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 F. Combine butter, breadcrumbs, scallions, parsley, sage, and lemon juice. Place tenderloin on surface, cover with plastic wrap. Using mallet, pound until 3/4 inch thickness. Remove wrap; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread breadcrumb mixture within 1/2-inch of edge.
• Starting from long side, roll up and tie with twine. Place in roasting pan. Roast until meat thermometer inserted reaches 170 F for 1 hr 15 mins.
• In a small pot, cook apple juice and apple butter on medium-high heat until thickened, 5 minutes; cool. Brush over tenderloin during the last 10 minutes of roasting. Transfer turkey to platter and slice.

• Side Dish

Garlic and Rosemary Roasted Root Vegetables

Recipe HERE!

• Dessert

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Cranberry Glaze

Ingredients:

• 1 batch Fiber One crust
• 2- 80z. packages of fat free cream cheese, block style
• 2 eggs + 1 egg white
• 1-8 oz. container fat free sour cream
• 1/4 c + 1 2/3 c sugar (I used 1 2/3 C Splenda and 1/4 c sugar)
• 1/4 c + 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 16 oz canned pumpkin
• 1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 cup whole-berry cranberry sauce
• 1/2 c thawed frozen whipped topping

Directions:

• Position racks in center and lower third of oven. Place roasting pan filled halfway with water on lower rack. Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat 9 x 3 spring form pan with cooking spray.
• Follow instructions for pie crust here, but omit the pre-bake.
• On medium-high speed, beat cream cheese and sugar until fluffy, 3 min. On low speed, beat in eggs/whites, one at a time. Beat in sour cream, 1/4 c flour and vanilla. On medium speed, beat 2 min.
• Transfer 1 1/2 c batter to separate bowl; stir in pumpkin, pie spice and 1 Tbsp flour. Pour into crust. Bake 25 minutes or until center jiggles. Top hot layer with remaining batter. Bake 35 minutes or until center jiggles slightly when shaken. Turn oven off. Let cake stand in oven with door closed for one hour.
• Run knife around edge of pan. Cool on rack. Chill overnight. Remove side of pan and spread cranberry sauce over the top right before serving. If desired pipe whipped cream in a star-tipped pastry bag.

 

Make sure to follow me on my Orlando trip for the next week!

 

Cloudy with a Chance of..Lara Bars and Pie

I knew it! Mother Nature wouldn’t be too nice for long—it’s cloudy, rainy, and gloom. But instead of letting it ruin my mood, I  just use it as an excuse to go stroll the mall and, oh yeah..write a persuasive essay.

And another reason I cannot be blue—I received my prize package from winning Shannon’s recipe contest for a great cause! I entered my Pumpkin Angel Food Cake with Cinnamon Cream Filling—told you it was a winner! ;-)

Shannon you are such a sweetheart!! See sent me the cutest card and A LOT of goodies!

She knew my kitchen is cupcake themed, so this goes fabulous on my fridge!

But it doesn’t end there. She sent 2 Blueberry Vanilla and 2 Choco PB Honest food bars, coupon for a free Promax bar, and 2 Newman’s Own dog food coupons, since the contest was paired with the Humane Society. My dog will be one happy camper!

And I know you will all be green with envy, but check out all these mini Lara bars!!

And no I am not eating all of them just like they are, I have a little recipe idea brewing..so stay tuned for that!

Now obviously I’ve been flooded with a rainstorm of Lara bars, but that’s not the only treat that’s fallen into my hands. I came up with a brand new pie recipe that was quite the rival to the Lara’s! For some reason I have been craving slices of pie..maybe I just don’t have the patience to wait for Thanksgiving?? So, here’s a knew one that quieted the pie pestering for awhile, but I am already in the kitchen planning a new one for the week =)

Whipped Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Pie

Ingredients:

• 2 c Fiber One Cereal
• 1/4 c whipped butter spread
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 Tbsp Splenda, or other granulated sweetener
• 1 c canned pumpkin
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 c FF evaporated milk
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 packet cheesecake mousse filling & needed prep ingredients, see below
• 4 Pumpkin Spice Hershey’s kisses, or if you can’t find them anymore, you can omit.

Here’s the cheesecake mousse I used. It’s SF and used 1 cup of Almond Breeze milk to prepare.

 Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 F. Pulse Fiber One, butter, vanilla, and Splenda in food processor till fine crumbs are formed. Press into the bottom of a sprayed pie pan. Bake for 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile beat pumpkin, egg whites, vanilla, cinnamon, and evaporated milk with a hand mixer until thoroughly blended. Pour on top of crust and bake for 20 min, or until the pumpkin filling is shiny and set.
• Let cool for about 25 minutes, meanwhile following cheesecake mousse instructions. With mousse, plan on beating it with a hand mixer for at least 5 minutes to get it fluffier.
• Pour cheesecake layer over pumpkin.
• Take your Hershey Kisses and curl them with a vegetable peeler to get fine curls and sprinkle evenly across the top.

--This was great! I loved the chewy pumpkin filling contrast with the fluffy cheesecake top. Definitely a pie that is on the lighter side, yet still full of flavor that makes for a satisfying fall dessert!--

*If I haven’t over-sweetened you with this post, head on over to this sweet giveaway!*

What Month is it?

In Minnesota for once it does not feel like November at all—more like September weather, which is nice, but I have a feeling we are just being spoiled and that all of a sudden Mother Nature will dump us with insurmountable amounts of snow—fingers crossed it’s the opposite!

Anyway, since it really is November, that means it’s Good Nutrition Month. So what does that mean? If you haven’t been paying as much attention as you should about what your putting in your body, here’s a little reminder to keep tabs on what your food can do for you! Splurges are necessary, but overall, we need to fuel up with good food to keep us all going strong, and fend of all these crazy illnesses floating around!

I figured in lieu of November being  Good Nutrition Month, I was glad all the recipes I made yesterday would qualify as good for you & good tasting! It left my mom and I with plenty of energy to power through the rest of our day. How are you going to become more aware of good nutrition this month? Maybe start by finding some healthy recipes here:

• My Recipes
• Ellie Krieger Healthy Appetite
• Hungry Girl

Of course breakfast is the first chance of the day to start off on the right foot—I’d say yesterday’s breakfast definitely did. I finally got around to making Brandi’s Pumpkin Stuffed French Toast with a few changes—drool worthy!

Ingredients:

• 2 slices bread, I used light
• 1/4 C canned pumpkin
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp light brown sugar swirl cream cheese
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tbsp slice almonds
• 1/4 C SF apple pie filling
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbsp milk, I used Almond Breeze
• Syrup if desired

Directions:

• Mix egg, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, vanilla, and milk together until blended and pour into a shallow bowl.
• In another bowl mix cream cheese, brown sugar, 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, and pumpkin until thoroughly blended.
• Spread pumpkin mixture between 2 slices of bread and sandwich together.
• Spray skillet with cooking spray, dredge the sandwich in the egg/milk mixture and cook as you would French toast.
• Once browned, remove to plate and top with apple pie filling, a squirt of syrup, and top it off with almonds.

YUM!

Moving onto lunch, I decided on a really unique recipe that involved polenta because I have never tried it…

Ratatouille Bruschetta Bake

Adapted from here.

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped (1/2 c)
• 1 medium bell pepper, coarsely chopped
• 1 small unpeeled eggplant, diced (2 c)
• 1 medium zucchini, diced (1 c)
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 can (14 1/2 oz) Italian, stewed tomatoes, undrained
• 1 tube (16 oz) polenta, see below for what kind I used
• 2 Tbsp shredded Parmesan cheese
• 3/4 c finely shredded mozzarella cheese (3 oz)
• 1/2 c fresh baby spinach

Directions:

• Heat oven to 375ºF. Spray 12-inch nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Cook onion and bell pepper in skillet 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in eggplant, zucchini, salt and pepper. Cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender. Stir in tomatoes, breaking up with spoon; reduce heat to low. Cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Spray rectangular baking dish, 11x7x1 1/2 inches, with cooking spray. Cut polenta into 1/4-inch slices. Arrange slices on bottom of dish, overlapping and cutting to fit where necessary. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Spoon vegetable mixture evenly over top.
• Cover and bake 30 minutes. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and parsley. Bake uncovered about 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and casserole is bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

I used this polenta, and it was delicious!

After all of that hubbub, I needed to get my extensions changed up—four long hours later, I came out looking like this:

 

And not only did I have fresh new hair, I was mighty hungry and Subway was the closest, so I got my favorite Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki with every veggie under the sun.

Thank God tomorrow is Friday!

All About the Winners

Happy November!

First off, let’s get to the winner of the Nature Valley prize pack! Thank you all who entered—there was a great turn out, and I really enjoyed reading about what nuts you prefer. I forgot to say that mine are peanuts and I like eating the Planter’s honey roasted ones for a snack =)

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

                                 16 

Timestamp: 2009-11-01 12:16:05 UTC

Maren! She said, “great giveaway! my favorite nut is almonds, and my favorite way to eat them is in raw crunchy almond butter!!!”

So please email me your mailing info at apinchandadash@live.com and the Nature Valley folks will have your prize on the way!

----------------------------------------------------------------

So now that that’s out of the way, I really wanted to get to a winning dessert I recently thought up. It was based on a recipe in a old Taste of Home magazine from the 90’s, but I wanted to lighten it up just a tad. Now when I say this is a GREAT dessert, I have family and friends for proof who all claimed this was way better than pumpkin pie—and I have been eating it everyday for a week since I made it last Sunday! I was dying to share it with y’all! I will actually be featuring this dessert in one of my upcoming cooking classes, because it’s that good.

Now when you see it, you may think, “Oh c’mon, I’ve had my share of pumpkin already!” But you may regret it if you don’t make these till next pumpkin season! I know I will be making them even during the warm months =)

Perfect Pumpkin Delight Bars

Serves: 12-15

Ingredients:

1 box of yellow cake mix, I used reduced-sugar

1/2 cup light butter spread

1 egg

1 (30 oz) canned pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling

1 (5 oz) can of fat-free evaporated milk

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 sugar, I used Splenda

2 Tbsp all-purpose flour

2 Tbsp whole wheat flour (can use 1/4 c all purpose flour)

3 tsp ground cinnamon

3/4 c mini marshmallows

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, butter and egg until crumbly. Set aside 2/3 c for topping. Press the remaining crumb mixture into a sprayed 13 x 9’ baking dish.

For crust, in a large bowl, combine the canned pumpkin, milk and eggs—pour over crust.

For topping, combine sugar, flour, cinnamon and reserved crumb mixture. Sprinkle over pumpkin layer, topping with marshmallows.

Bake at 350 F for 45-50 min or until top is golden brown. Cool on wire rack for 1 hr. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hrs before serving.

Please do yourself a favor, and try these ASAP if you have the ingredients handy!

I Found My Fall Angel

---Finally Friday!!---

Have you ever combined two good foods to get something extraordinary? That’s what happened with this recipe. Two things a lot of people probably have lying around their pantry paired together to create one delicious dessert. Usually I will make something, eat it throughout the week, and get sick of it. With this one, I made it Sunday and wish I had made more! This would be perfect for a fall time/Halloween get together too.

 

 +  =

 

Pumpkin Angel Food Cake with Cinnamon-Cream Filling

Serves:12

Ingredients

Cake

• 1 box Betty Crocker® white angel food cake mix
• 1 tablespoon Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 3/4 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
• 1 cup cold water

Cinnamon-Cream Filling

• 2 cups Cool Whip
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Directions

1.Move oven rack to lowest position; heat oven to 350°F. In extra-large glass or metal bowl, beat all cake ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 1 minute. Pour into ungreased 10-inch angel food (tube) cake pan.

2.Bake 37 to 47 minutes or until crust is dark golden brown and cracks are dry. Immediately turn pan upside down onto heatproof funnel or glass bottle. Let hang about 2 hours or until cake is completely cool. Loosen cake from side of pan with knife or long metal spatula. Turn cake upside down onto serving plate.

3.In chilled large bowl, beat cool whip and powdered sugar with electric mixer on high speed until stiff. Fold in cinnamon. Cut cake horizontally in half to make 2 even layers. Spread half of the filling on bottom layer; replace top of cake. Spread remaining filling on top of cake. Sprinkle with additional pumpkin pie spice if desired.

Will all the pumpkin recipes floating around this time a year, I would definitely recommend adding this to your list of “must makes”! Let me know if you make it and how you like it =)

The blogenda for next week:

• A new cookie line review
• A pie—oh my!
• A easy fall side dish

The Great [Squeal!] Reveal

It’s sweet, but savory.

It can be used many ways,

After you see this recipe, you may be making it for days.

Ok, I’ll just get to the reveal, but try not to squeal,

because this is just so good.

…………………………………………………

Any guesses?

?

?

?

Sweet and Savory Stuffed Pumpkin

Yes, I did it, and I am so glad I did. I basically winged this recipe with a scribbled piece of paper in hopes that it would meet up to my high hopes. Plus who doesn’t want to eat out of a mini pumpkin?? It was so fun and delicious! If you can’t find mini pumpkins, you can sub 1/2 c canned pure pumpkin in the step of the pumpkin flesh, and just eat it out a bowl. Please put this on your list of things to make this weekend, you’re taste buds will thank you!

--------------------

Ingredients:

• 1 mini pumpkin
• 1/4 c canned cream corn
• 1 link of breakfast turkey sausage(I used Jimmy Deans)
• 2 Tbsp dried cranberries
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350F. Cut the top off the pumpkin(along with stem), and discard. Also get all the seeds out and either save them for roasted pumpkin seeds or discard also.
• Hull out the pumpkin flesh, leaving about 1/4” inch of shell. Place all flesh in a microwavable bowl.
• After microwaving flesh for 2 minutes, place in food processor with 1/4 c cream corn. Pulse until smooth, about 1 minute.
• Place food processor mixture into bowl.
• Chop breakfast sausage link into small pieces. Then add sausage and cranberries into the pureed pulp.

• Carefully stuff pureed mixture back into pumpkin. Top of with maple syrup (it will seep throughout the mixture, so no need to stir).
• Place in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the outside shell is fork tender.

I also added some poppy seeds to the top for extra crunch! Honestly, this is one of the best meals I have had in a long time, and that’s saying a lot from a mean food critic like me. :-)

From my pumpkin to yours—enjoy!

Summer Jam Session

  I’m back! Can you believe tomorrow is a start to a new week once again? At least my week ended with a bang—my little trip home and my day with dad turned out to be super fun! Seinfeld is even funnier in real life and had the whole place laughing for 2 hours straight—I woke up the next morning with sore facial muscles from smiling and laughing the whole time—sometimes that’s just what you need! Besides that my dad and I spent the day eating good food (buffets anyone? or ice cream?), and then went to shop the little stores down by Lake Superior—we found a huge antique shop and spend over an hour having fun looking around. Did you do anything fun this weekend or just relax? Unfortunately no cameras were aloud in Seinfeld, so I didn’t even bring mine.

On a different note, I experimented with a new bread recipe recently and it turned out to be a great one! Don’t be turned off by the pumpkin because it is very subtle in the final product and adds a really nice texture. This bread is extremely good toasted or not with some spread like jam on it. (Easy homemade jam recipe below!)

Pumpkin Oatmeal Bread

Makes: 1 1/2 lb loaf

Ingredients:

• 3/4 C milk (I used Almond Breeze)
• 1/4 C canned pumpkin
• 1 egg or 2 egg whites
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1/8 C applesauce
• 1 Tsp salt
• 1 1/2 C old-fashioned rolled oats
• 2 C bread flour
• 1 1/2 Tbsp wheat gluten
• 1 1/2 Tsp rapid or quick yeast

Directions:

• Mix all ingredients according to bread machine manufacturer instructions.
• Select basic for cycle.

No bread machine? No big deal! Try this recipe which is somewhat similar, just add in a bit of applesauce.

So now you have the bread—why not continue on your culinary kick and make so homemade jam. This method is so easy, I promise!

Work Time: 20 Minutes
Total Time: 20 Minutes + Standing
Yield: 4 Half-Pints

1. Whisk together 1 1/2 c sugar and 1 package (1.59 oz) "no-cook freezer jam fruit pectin in a bowl. Be sure to buy the right type!

2. Mash 1 c raspberries, 1 c blackberries, and 2 c strawberries (hulled and quartered) in another bowl until fruit is a chunky puree.

3. Pour sugar and pectin into the bowl with the fruit and stir until very well combined. This will take 2 to 3 minutes.

4. Ladle jam into four 8 oz freezer jam jars (either glass or plastic), let stand until set, about 30 minutes, and freeze.

*Courtesy of Prevention Magazine*

Shout For Sprouts

  When it comes to trying new foods, sometimes I am all for it, other times I go back and forth while deciding if I really want to try it. Ever since I started blogging, I have realized how many foods I really haven’t tried! I still need to try an avocado, feta cheese, and different cuisines such as Thai and Indian. What are foods you have on your “to try” list? One of the foods I recently checked off of my list was bean sprouts. I had never had any type of sprout and was impressed by their nutritional value--

Sprouts are a great and inexpensive way of obtaining a concentration of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes. They contain all of the nutrients found in various fruits and veggies. Eating sprouts is a safe way to get the nutritional advantage of produce without that contamination of harmful insecticides. Studies have shown that in comparison to dried seeds, sprouted foods contain an amazing increase in nutrients. During the sprouting process, the vitamins, minerals and protein increase substantially and the calories and carbs decrease.

 Are you interested in how to eat your bean sprouts? Why not--

• Make some sprout hummus?
• What about a bowl of sprout cereal?
• Maybe a side dish? Try out this sprout coleslaw.
• Something summery? This tropical gazpacho sounds great!
• An entree you say? Black beans and rice sounds nice.

  And I am sure you want to know how I now eat my bean sprouts? I use them in an unlikely way—for a lighter summer pasta swap. I buy em’ in the can so they are a little bit mushier than fresh ones, and I squeeze the excess juice out of them, warm them in the microwave and top with pasta sauce, meats, and veggies, just as you would normally make your favorite pasta dish. Much lighter to accompany summer appetites!

For this meal, I topped a can of sprouts with some chicken sausage, sautéed bell peppers and mushrooms, and some pasta sauce with a little shake of parmesan! It truly is delish!

Make sure to check your grocer’s Oriental aisle which is where the canned bean sprouts can usually be found.

Speaking of pasta, I recently was asked to review a product for My Blog Spark. Unfortunately I haven’t gotten around to it yet, but I have made these meals before, and I would highly recommend them! They are cheap, fast, and restaurant quality. I did happen to snap a few pictures!

  These newer Macaroni Grill meals come in five flavors, so there is surely one that will suite you. All you need to complete the meal kit is some chicken breasts and your ready to whip up a restaurant meal at home. Included in the package from the generous folks at My Blog Spark was also a really great metal colander, a pasta spoon, and a grater to grate fresh cheese—can you say Italian night? What’s your favorite Italian food? Mine would have to be anything smothered in a good pasta sauce—it’s in my blood =)

And since I am on a roll with all things pasta , I recently tried the new Healthy Choice All Natural entree in Pumpkin Squash Ravioli.

  I am not a huge fan of frozen meals at all, but when I get a good coupon, I figure I might as well try it. Well I picked this one because I thought it would be a savory ravioli dish, but instead the noodles were too rubbery, the filling was way to sweet, which I was not expecting, and the sauce just did not pair well at all. Maybe some people like it, but I ended up tossing half of it. But there are other flavors in the All Natural line—here’s some info:

All-natural ingredients such as pumpkin, asparagus, nine-grain pastas, and 100% extra virgin olive oil are highlighted in our line of new All Natural Entrées, which includes four vegetarian options. Each contemporary recipe was crafted to deliver delectable food packed full of nutrition.

• High in fiber for digestive health
• Antioxidants such as lycopene and vitamins A and C
• Low in fat and saturated fat
• Vegetarian options include Mediterranean Pasta, Pumpkin Squash Ravioli, Sweet Asian Potstickers, and Tomato Basil Penne

Enjoy your finally Friday!

Iced, Spiced, And Very Nice

  I got another new addition to my growing pan collection—a mini cupcake/muffin pan. I have been looking for one lately, and scored one at Wal-Mart for under five bucks! I love my heart pans, donut pan, Bundt pans and various shaped cake pans. When I buy em’ I have no set plan of when I’ll use a certain one, but I always find a occasion! Do you have a favorite pan you use? If you are slightly obsessed with different pans, or just have some free time, head over here to look at a store that carries every pan under one roof! Pretty neat huh?!

Well today I am getting my cable hooked up finally. They were booked solid for two weeks supposedly, so I have been watching my share of DVD’s, more specifically all seasons of Full House—I just love that show. =) And unfortunately the streak of nice weather has left the area, rainy skies have been hanging out for the past 3 days, so of course I use it as a perfect excuse to stay in and bake! I had a realization that I am seriously lacking on cupcake recipes on the blog, yet I have tons of recipes to try. So I got out the mini-muffin pan and my trusted Hungry Girl 200 Under 200 Cookbook and began a cupcake bake day. (Btw, this book is my “recipe book of the month”, if you’d like to email me your fav cookbook for next month, I’d be thrilled!)

The cupcakes I chose to make are the Iced 'n Spiced Pumpkin Puddin' Cupcakes—if you’re against the hype on healthy cupcakes, this recipe may just change your mind. I am glad I made them in mini size because they are really satisfying with just a little bite. Plus you can have a couple instead of one big one! I also love recipes that are based on canned pure pumpkin because it is so cheap, and I love having leftovers to eat with random things! Not sure if these are something you want to bake? Maybe this picture will convince you otherwise!

Yes, these little gems even come with a cream cheese based frosting that tops the cake! (literally)

Iced ‘N Spiced Pumpkin Puddin’ Cupcakes

Adapted from Hungry Girl’s 200 Under 200 Recipes

Ingredients

For Cupcakes:

• 2 c moist-style spice cake mix
• 1 c canned pure pumpkin
• 1/3 c liquid egg substitute or 2 egg whites
• 1/8 tsp salt

For Frosting:

• 1/2 c plus 1 tbsp Cool Whip Free, thawed
• 2 tbsp Splenda, or other granulated sugar substitute
• 2 tbsp FF cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 tbsp canned pure pumpkin
• 1 tsp sugar-free fat-free vanilla instant pudding mix
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 F.
• In a medium mixing bowl, combine all the frosting ingredients, stirring until well mixed. Refrigerate until cupcakes are ready to be frosted.

• In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the cupcake ingredients with 1/2 c of water. Mix until blended.

• Line a 12-cup muffin pan (or a 24 c mini-muffin pan) with baking cups and/or spray with nonstick spray. Evenly distribute cake mixture among the cups.
• Bake in the oven for 15 mins, until a toothpick inserted the center of cupcake comes out clean.
• Cool cupcakes completely, then evenly distribute frosting among the tops.

Let me know if you try these! Tomorrow’s Friday—ya!

Pumpin’ It Up With Pumpkin

  Most people think of pumpkins as strictly a fall or winter food, but me, well I prefer them 12 months out of the year! I am not a big fan of fresh pumpkin(although I do like the seeds roasted), but I always have a stock of Libby’s canned pumpkin ready to be used for either a dessert, baking, or in this case, a main dish.

   A little about this wondrous squash:

• Pumpkin is a gourd-like squash of the genus Cucurbita and the family Cucurbitaceae (which also includes gourds).[
• The word pumpkin originates from the word pepon, which is Greek for “large melon". The French adapted this word to pompon, which the British changed to pumpion and later American colonists changed that to the word we use today, “pumpkin".
• Out of the seven continents, only Antarctica is unable to produce pumpkins; the biggest international producers of pumpkins include the United States, Mexico, India, and China.
• As one of the most popular crops in the United States, 1.5 billion pounds of pumpkins are produced each year. The top pumpkin-producing states in the U.S. include Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and California.
• Pumpkin growers often compete to see whose pumpkins are the most massive. Festivals are often dedicated to the pumpkin and these competitions.
• The town of Circleville, Ohio, holds a big festival each year, the Circleville Pumpkin Show. The town of Half Moon Bay, California, holds the annual Pumpkin and Arts Festival, drawing over 250,000 visitors each year and including the World Champion Pumpkin Weigh-Off. Farmers from all over the west compete to determine who can grow the greatest gourd. The winning pumpkin regularly tops the scale at more than 1200 pounds. The world record pumpkin in 2007 was 1689 pounds, grown by Joe Jutras in Topsfield, Massachusetts.

A Few Ways to Use Canned Pumpkin:

• Pumpkin Pie
• Pumpkin Cheesecake
• Pumpkin Soups
• Pumpkin Waffles
• Pumpkin Pancakes
• Pumpkin Muffins
• Pumpkin Breads
• Pumpkin Rolls
• Pumpkin Cookies
• Pumpkin Flan
• Pumpkin Cake
• Pumpkin Frosting
• Pumpkin Mousse
• Pumpkin Dip
• Pumpkin Spreads
• And any way you can dream up!

If you have a can laying around, why not try out this winning recipe I made the other night?

Pumpin’ It Up Shepherd's Pie

Serves: 8

[[Ingredients]]

• 1 large russet potato (about 3/4 lb.), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 can (15 oz.) 100% Pure Pumpkin, divided
• 1/2 cup grated or shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
• 1 tablespoon EVOO
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
• 3/4 lb. extra-lean ground beef, ground turkey, or soy crumbles
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 cup reduced-sodium fat-free beef broth
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (optional)

[[Directions]]

• PLACE potato chunks in medium saucepan. Cover with water; bring to a boil. Cook over medium-high heat for 10 to 15 minutes or until tender; drain. Return potatoes to saucepan; add 1 cup pumpkin, 1/4 cup cheese, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Beat with hand-held mixer until smooth. Cover.
  
• MEANWHILE, HEAT oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and carrots; cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until carrots begin to soften. Stir in beef, flour, garlic powder and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 to 4 minutes or until beef is no longer pink. Stir in broth, remaining pumpkin and Worcestershire sauce; bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes or until mixture has thickened slightly.
  
• PREHEAT broiler.
  
• SPOON beef mixture into ungreased 9-inch deep-dish pie dish or other broiler-proof casserole dish (1 1/2- to 2-quart). Spoon pumpkin-potato mixture evenly over beef filling, spreading gently. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese.
  
• BROIL for 5 minutes or until cheese is lightly browned.

Recipe adapted from here.

Stay tuned tomorrow for a red, white, and blue tribute!