Sweet Potato Muffins

1/2 c butter

1 1/4 c sugar

2 eggs

1 1/4 c cooked sweet potatoes, mashed

1 1/2 c flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 c milk

1/4 c chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Grease muffin tins. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and mix well. Blend in sweet potatoes. Sift flour with baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add alternately with milk. Fold in nuts if desired. Fill muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake at 400 for 25 minutes.

**I have made these twice with sweet potatoes from Bountiful Baskets. I just stick the sweet potatoes in the oven at about 350 for 20-30 minutes, until they are soft and fall easily from their jackets. They are easy to mash with a potato masher. Both times they have been eaten up within a day. Really yummy!

Peanut Butter Pie

This recipe is a family favorite & if you like peanut butter you'll love this pie. It isn't to rich but it is light & sweet but in a peanut butter way. I believe this is the kind of food they serve in heaven, it’s that good.

½ cup crunchy peanut butter

1 ½ cup powdered sugar

8 oz. cream cheese

8 oz. cool whip

Graham Cracker Crust

Blend Peanut butter, powdered sugar & cream cheese together.

Add cool whip & mix ingredients together. (Careful not to over due it, to much mixing of the cool whip will make it flat.)

Pour into graham cracker crust.

Chill in fridge for 30 minutes before serving.

I haven’t tried this yet but I think an Oreo crust would put this over the top.

Chili (with cocoa)

My kids call this chocolate chili but it doesn't taste like chocolate at all but it is delicious!
If you have never added cocoa to your chili then you should, it will change your life in a way chili never has.

1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

1 1/2 teaspoons of cocoa

1 can (16 ounces) whole tomatoes, undrained

2 cans (15-16 ounces) kidney beans

2 cans (15-16 ounces) red beans

Combine all ingredients and simmer for one hour.

This chili is delicious by it’s self but one of my favorite meals is to add chips, cheese, tomatoes & spinach over the top of the chili. Think taco salad but not really.

Pumpkin Cheesecake (A new Holiday "MUST"!)

Okay...I have to preface this...I'm not a photographer....it's not a talent. So..don't let the picture deter you from making this...you'll really thank me - if you go to all the trouble to make this!

And...if you've ever gone to Claim Jumper (my all-time favorite restaurant) you've probably tried this...and this is the closest I could make the recipe to theirs!

Pie Crust:
1 1/2 Boxes (3 sleeves) of Lorna Doone cookies
1 Stick Butter

Crush the cookies in your food processor (or in a ziploc if you don't want to go to the trouble of breaking out your food processor) until they are fine.  Melt your butter and add the two ingredients together.  The crumb mixture should hold together when pressed by hand.

Press firmly and evenly in the bottom of a 9 1/2" springform pan.  (Make sure to go up the sides a little...) Then put the pan into the refrigerator to "set" while you work on the filling.

Pumpkin Spice Mix:
(1) 15 oz. can of Libby's Pumpkin (puree only)
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground allspice

Combine the pumpkin and spices together, whisking by hand until smooth.  Set aside.

Cream Cheese Mix:
4 boxes (2 lbs) softened cream cheese
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 eggs, beaten slightly
1 Tbsp. lemon juice

Beat the cream cheese, until all the lumps are out and it is completely smooth.  Add sugar and then beat smooth again.  Fold in the remaining ingredients.  Mix until smooth. 

Take 2 cups of this mixture and add to the Pumpkin Spice Mix in its bowl, mixing until smooth. 

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees.  Get your springform pan out of the fridge, lightly spray the sides with non-stick spray, and then add the cream cheese mixture.  Smooth it out, then add the pumpkin mixture on top. 

Depending on your oven baking time could take anywhere from 50-60 minutes (with a convection oven) or 1 1/2-2 hours (if you're using a 30 year old dinosaur like I did at my Mom's...LOL)

If you've never made a cheesecake before, you'll need to check for the following signs: 

*Lack of "jiggling" in the middle - there should be some, but not a lot...the cheesecake will continue to have residual baking when you take it out...but not more than 1/2"-3/4" diameter's worth...
*Insert a toothpick...it should come out clean.  If it doesn't...you've got a lot more time you'll need to bake it.
*Check out this website:  Tips

When you take it out, cool for 45 minutes, then mix the topping together.

Sour Cream Topping:
18 oz. sour cream (1 small container)
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 tsp. lemon juice

Combine the sour cream, sugar and lemon juice in a mixing bowl.  Whisk it all together until smooth.  Spread the sour cream topping evenly over the cheesecake. 

Preheat your oven to 350.  Bake for 8 minutes (convection) or 10-20 minutes (again...probably will be closer to 12 minutes unless you're using a dinosaur like I was!)

Crush some of the remaining cookies (you should have 1 sleeve left) - however many you like - our leftovers never made it to the top...  ;)

Refrigerate 2 to 3 hours before serving.

This is now a new holiday tradition for our family....!!

ooey gooey easy caramel corn

This stuff rocks!

Try not to eat it all once you make it- I dare you.

Ooey Gooey Caramel Corn

1 cube butter
1 cup corn syrup
2 cups brown sugar

Melt together in large pot over medium heat and cook and stir until soft ball stage. (test a drop of mixture in cold water and if holds its shape when pinched into a ball, its cooked)

Turn off heat and slowly add;

1 can of sweetened condensed milk
2 cups mini marshmallows
1 tsp vanilla

Mix until marshmallows are just about melted and pour over a large batch of popcorn.
( I usually use around 3-4 bags of light butter popped corn)

Cool on a cookie sheet and devour.
Or shape into balls with intentions of taking to neighbors- it wont make it there. ;)

Zucchini Soup

FYI...the picture doesn't do this dish justice...it's from my phone...! :(

This soup is perfect for cold days. So I whipped up a batch of this and I have rolls rising right now...that will be popped into the oven shortly....for a quick, flavorful meal...! (and it's easily adaptable to the crockpot...just follow the steps, set on low - let it cook all day - but add the peppers 1 hour before serving...)

You'll need:

1 lb. Italian Sausage
1 C. chopped Onion
2 C. chopped Celery
2 lg. Zucchini (cut into chunks)
2 Green Bell Peppers (chopped up and seeded)
(2) 28 oz. cans stewed chopped Tomatoes
2 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Italian Seasoning
1 tsp. Oregano
1/2 tsp. Basil
1 tsp. Sugar
1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder

Brown the sausage with the onion. Drain the fat. In a large soup kettle, combind all ingredients except peppers. Simmer 1 hour, stirring occassionally. Add bell peppers and simmer 15 minutes before serving.

Some other tasty variations: Add corn, yellow crooked neck squash, pearl barley or (because normally I double this) use half sausage/half hamburger. I sometimes even cheat (like today) and use frozen bell pepper strips that you can find in your grocers frozen section...(yellow, red & green - doesn't matter!) to speed things along. It's super easy...and such a great use of all that left-over Zucchini...! (tho' I admit...I'm not having an excess of that this year!!!) ;)

Enjoy!

Simple Spanish Rice

{photo courtesy of Tasty Kitchen Blog}

If I find a good Spanish rice at a restaurant- I will order the heck out of it.
When I lived in Utah, I would often go to an authentic Mexican drive through in town and only order like 6 sides of rice and a cream churro.
I LOVE spanish rice.
Well I finally found a recipe that equals.
{Now if I can find a churro recipe to match}

Simple Spanish Rice

2 TBS olive oil
1 onion finely chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
2 cups long grain white rice
4 cups chicken broth
1 8 0z can tomato sauce

Heat oil in skillet, when hot add rice, onion and garlic. Stir until rice is lightly golden. Add chicken broth, tomato sauce and salt and pepper. Bring to boil then reduce heat to low and cover with lid. Let cook (not stirring) about 20 minutes until rice is tender.
Fluff with fork before serving.