Pecan Pie

I remember seeing Pecan Pie growing up and thought there was no way in heck I was going to try that. I am not sure when I gave into temptation but I am so GLAD I did. This is one of my favorite things including turkey, yams, rolls and pumpkin pie. Just thought I'd share the recipe with you in case you need a go to Pecan Pie Recipe!

1 c white corn syrup
1c brown sugar
1/3 c melted butter
1 c heaping pecans
3 large eggs beaten
1 tsp Vanilla and a dash of salt
Mix all ingredients well and pour into unbaked 9" shell bake 350' 45-50 min

This recipe makes 2 crusts.
2 c flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 c butter
1/2 c shortening
Mix together with fingers til shortening is blended.
Add 6 Tbl orange juice add liquid little by little don't over handle or crust is too hard. Divide into 2 balls. The crust is my Grandma's recipe.

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's beginning to look a lot like...

Christmas! Everywhere you go.

With all the hustle and bustle of the season my blog has seen it's better days. This is what we've been up to.

Finally got the tree up. Not sure why I wasn't as motivated as I usually am to put it up. We usually do it Thanksgiving weekend. With an early Thanksgiving and family and work party's we waited til the first weekend in December. Kids had fun as usual; Mike got the job of separating the globs of ornaments in one area. He tired easily. I gave the kids the ornaments one by one.  I love the memories behind each ornament. My favorites are baby's first Christmas, each child has a picture of their first Christmas. Wow, how time flies. It feels like yesterday it was Maddy's first Christmas and soon we'll have another picture to add to the tree.

One of our yearly traditions is to add a new ornament as a family and then one for each kid. This year it is a Disney World ornament and we're still on the look out for the kids, maybe today we'll go find one. I also get a new ornament every year from the ornament exchange party. Here's this years grab! It's cute and wiggly!

Baking is done. Although it is mostly consumed, guess we'll have to make cookies again so Santa can have some Christmas Eve! Ya, twist my arm on that one!

These were yummy. I was planning on making homemade oreos and just putting crushed candy canes in the frosting...OBB added peppermint flavor to the frosting and then rolled the cookie in the crushed candy canes. MMMM, is all I can say! Here's their from scratch recipe. Here's OBB from scratch recipe.



 

I love making these cookies, its a cake mix and you add lots of butter & eggs!

Here's the recipe I have if Santa needs some of these at your house.

Oreo Cookies

2 boxes German Chocolate Cake mix or Duncan Heinz Devil Food cake mix

1 1/2 c butter flavored Crisco (although I reduce it to 1 c.)

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

Blend together with hands or mixer. Roll into walnut/marble sized balls. Bake 8 min @ 350'

Filling:

3 oz cream cheese

1 cube margarine

2 c powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Fill between 2 cookies.

Put the frosting in a ziploc, cut off the corner and fill your cookies.

For mutual the YM and YW were going to Temple Square to see the lights. It's so cold outside and with the inversion I figured I wouldn't want to do it again, so I dragged my family along with us.

No one seemed to mind. By the end the kids complained that they were cold.

It was 26'.

Baby it's cold outside!

But the spirit that you feel is amazing.

The beauty is breath taking and its just something you need to do every year.

 Lexi and Jack did not want a family picture taken. Lexi is hiding behind her gloves and Jack got picked up at the last minute, he was hiding behind mom and Maddy. Guess we were having fun right!

We enjoyed donuts and hot chocolate when we got back to the casr. That seemed to make the trip complete!

Next up is the Ugly Sweaters party. Thanks Mom & Dad & Brody for watching the kids.

Lovely Matching Cardinals.

Lexi: "Mom why are you wearing that bird?"

Mom: "Do you like it?"

Lexi: "No"

And when we got home look who was all bundled up keeping Brody company.

Here's this years Christmas card (or one of 3 versions of it). I didn't realize til I got it home that it only said Happy Holidays. So Merry Christmas to everyone too!

And nothings better than trying to play St. Nick while getting clean.

 Ho, Ho, Ho

Still on the check list is wrapping presents and finishing the Book of Mormon.

We're having brunch tomorrow with Grammie before she heads to California for her winter break and then lots of school activities for the last week of school. Poor kids have to go to school ALL week.

Only 8 more days on the Christmas count down. Are you ready?

Thriller!

I love October and a good reason to have a festive and highly creative party. This years Thriller party was no exception. Here's what was on the menu.

Pulled Pork served Jack Skelington style

A mean veggie tray and dip

Green hand punch

Mmmm donuts

Finger Jello Pretzel Salad

And more hand punch

Mummy cupcakes and FINGER food

Makinzee, Clairesse, Camille and baby bones, Rachel, Ann, Cami, Sarah and Carrie

The ladies left the guys to chat or hang or clean up or go back home to the kids and went to Kingsbury Hall and enjoyed Thriller. The big pops and bright lights get me every time. My favorite dances are the Frankenstein & Frankenstein, Dem Bones, Salem's Mass, and River of Blood Dance. Oh and one can't forget the Thriller dance itself! One year for Halloween I'm going to dress up like a zombie! Maybe next year, already got this years costumes in da works!

Thanks for a fun filled evening!

Zucchini Cobbler

I went to a cooking class last week and she served us this. I honestly thought it was apple cobbler. Here's to eating your veggies while eating dessert!!

Zucchini Cobbler




8 cups chopped, seeded, peeled zucchini
2/3 c lemon juice
1 c sugar
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon


In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, cook and stir zucchini and lemon juice for about 15-20 minutes or until zucchini is tender. Add the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg; simmer 1 minute longer. Remove from the heat, set aside.


Crust:

4 c flour
2 c sugar
1 1/2 c cold butter
1 tsp cinnamon

Combine flour and sugar and cinnamon. Cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs (I used my hands). Press half the crust mixture into a greased 9x13 or larger baking pan. Spread zucchini over the top; crumble remaining crust mixture over zucchini. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake at 375' for 35-40 minute or until golden and bubbly. 16-20 servings



NOTE:

I boiled the sugar with the zucchini and it was just fine (didn't read directions very well). I also cut the recipe in half for the crust and just put it on top. If you like lots of crumble do as the recipe calls or half it and it is still yummy.

Veggies 101

Quiz Time: I got this in my Bountiful Basket this week. What is it?

Second Question: What is this? Same or different?



I was so excited to get my produce on Saturday from Bountiful Baskets. I'm loving all the yummy produce I get. What's BB? Go to www.bountifulbasekts.org On Monday mornings at 10am Utah time, you have to order a basket to be picked up at numerous locations in several states on Saturday. I've been getting a basket every 2 weeks. But with my garden starting to produce, I might go later that that.

I ordered a case of strawberries and made 5 batches of freezer jam. My kids love strawberry jam! Back to the basket, we have had a couple new things which now we know we like-artichokes and hicima. Everything else we've received we've loved. This last basket we got lots of peaches, mango's, strawberries, limes, apples, plums and 2 cabbage, carrots, celery and what I thought was rhubarb.

Sunday evening, my brother Brody and Grams came over for dinner. Grams brought with her a London broil---mmmm and a bean salad. I made Chinese Chicken Salad (w/o chicken) from my basket and a delish potato salad. AND for dessert we were going to have rhubarb crisp. A great friend in Boise, Sarah Holderness, gave me rhubarb from her garden and her recipe.

Maddy had just put 1/2 of the crisp in the bottom of the pan and I was slicing the rhubarb. I thought, I better taste this. HMMM, not sour but a beet taste? I said, Mike taste this. Yep, it's rhubarb. Me again, no tastes like beets. I googled beets to see if they grew without a bulb at the end. Nope. Called Mom/aka Tifani who has rhubarb and asked her what I got in my basket. She said have you ever heard of swiss chard? Googled that and what do you know the picture looked exactly like what I got in my BB.

My taste buds were very disappointed, and now what do I do with swiss chard all chopped up like celery ready to go into a crisp (I dug out the leaves from the trash apparently they are edible too). So if you know what to do with swiss chard let me know.

And now looking at the two--I can tell which is rhubarb and which is swiss chard. Guess I need to go back to school and take Veggies 101!

And I promise to post recipes of all the yummy things I've mentioned.

Baby Red Potato Salad from skinnytaste.comBaby Red Potato Salad
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 6 • Size: 3/4 cups • Old Points: 2 pts • Points+: 3 pts
Calories: 107.2 • Fat: 3.2 g • Carbs: 17.8 g • Fiber: 2.1 g • Protein: 2.2 g

4 cups baby red potatoes, cut in small pieces
1/2 cup green bell pepper, finely diced
1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
3 scallions, diced
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp reduced fat mayonnaise
salt and fresh pepper

Boil potatoes in salted water until soft, approx 10 minutes. Drain and let cool.

While the potatoes are boiling, combine red onion, green pepper, mustard, olive oil, vinegar and mayonnaise and season with salt and pepper. Mix well and let the flavors marinade while the potatoes cook. Once the potatoes are done and cool, mix into the bowl and add scallions and additional salt and pepper to taste. Serve room temperature or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Rhubarb or Apple Crisp1 c flour
3/4 c oats
1 c brown sugar
1/2 c butter-melted
1 tsp cinnamon

Combine and press 1/2 in bottom of 8x8 pan then add rhubarb chopped and cleaned
4 c. rhubarb

1 c sugar
2 T cornstarch
1 c. water
1 tsp vanilla
Bring to boil-boil til clear, pour over rhubarb.

Sprinkle other 1/2 of crisp on top

Chicken Cabbage Salad
1 3 oz package ramen noodles broken up
1/4 c slivered or sliced almonds
2 T sesame seeds
Place on baking pan and toast 350’ for 5-8 minutes. Remove from oven

3 c shredded cabbage
2 c chopped cooked chicken or turkey
1/4 c thinly sliced green onions

Dressing
3 T salad oil
2 T white wine vinegar
2 T soy sauce
1 tsp sugar

For dressing, in screw top jar combine ingredients and shake well. Pour over cabbage mixture. Add toasted noodle mixtures and serve immediately!

London Broil
1/4 C honey melted in microwave
3 T veggie oil
3 T worcheshire sauce
1 T soysauce
juice 1 or 2 limes
2 tsp chopped garlic (fresh)
1 tsp onion powder
2-2.5 lbs London broil -ask the meat guy
Mix all ingredients together and marinade 8-24 hrs turn frequently.
Cook meat medium rare and slice thinly across the grain

Garden Update

On the news the weather man said that so far we haven't really seen summer weather this year and it is the middle of June. Yikes, Christmas will be here before we know it, I hope we get summer weather before then. In June, Utah has had 10 of the 13 days, below average temperature. And there are still 2 ski resorts open in Utah. WOW! Sometimes ski resorts are lucky to stay open til Easter. I think I can count on one hand the number of beautiful days of summer we have had this year. Oh well, the garden seems to be doing okay despite the below average temps. Here's proof everything is growing well.

For those of you, I'm included here, who have never seen broccoli grow and harvested here's how it works. The plant starts out tiny, and you can plant when it's cold. I believe I started these back in early April. They get big large leaves and eventually a head starts growing up the middle of the stalk. And then if you look below the head, down the stalk, more heads are starting to grow.

We picked this last night for dinner. My kids LOVE, LOVE, LOVE broccoli. They fight over who gets to eat more. I wash it, cut it in spears and steam it for about 5 minutes. Don't overcook it or it's mush (kind of like last nights). Then I drain the remaining water and cut a lemon in half and squeeze lemon juice over it. MMMM! My kids won't eat broccoli when it doesn't have lemon on it, some how it makes it taste different. I use lemon juice on cauliflower, asparagus and broccoli. What's your secret with getting your kids to eat their veggies?

See after we cut the big head off you can see little smaller heads starting to grow. And she really is smiling or saying cheese, just doesn't seem like it in this picture.
And here's the green beans and potatoes. I must be an Idahoan....these things are growing amazingly well! And my guard dog did wonderful guarding the beans. I keep removing him from the garden but the kids keep bringing him back, so I guess he'll stay all season.

My little green thumb herself.

And fruit! Cherries are even turning reddish. The peaches are super small still and so is the tree and for some reason my apple tree never blossomed. Bummed about that, it's a big tree we could have gotten a decent crop. Maybe next year.


I didn't get a picture of the spinach and lettuce. But we have been eating it like crazy and sharing it! It grows so quickly and is so delicious and good for you. Here is a favorite strawberry spinach salad recipe.

1 lg bunch of spinach
10 large firm strawberries
Clean spinach and tear in serving pieces. Add strawberries, cut into pieces. Top with dressing and serve immediately.

Dressing:

1/2 c sugar
1tsp dry mustard
1 c oil
1 tsp salt
1/3 c white wine or vinegar
2 tsp poppy seeds

Mix all dressing ingredients except poppy seeds in blender. Add poppy seeds to dressing at serving time.

Yummy add ins: sliced mushrooms, roasted almond slivers, candy coated pecans, bleu cheese.

Pumpkin Bars

Pumpkin Bars

Ingredients:
2 C Flour
1/2 tsp Ground Cloves
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Ground Nutmeg
2 tsp Baking Powder
4 Eggs
1/2 tsp Salt
1 C. Vegetable Oil
2 tsp Cinnamon
2 C. Sugar
1/2 tsp Powder Ginger
1 small can Pumpkin (16 oz.? or 2/3 large)


Frosting:
8 oz Cream Cheese 1 Tbl Milk
1/2 C Butter, softened 4 C Powdered Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. Set aside.
Beat eggs, oil, sugar, and pumpkin. Gradually add dry ingredients.
Pour batter into an ungreased jellly roll pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 min (toothpick comes out clean).


These are baking in the oven today. If you have a big can of pumpkin you can substitue that instead of a small can and add 1/2 c oil for lighter and still delishous cake.

YUMMY!

Chalupas

This is for my friend Emma who has raved about her Chalupa recipe for years...I finally tried it and it we all loved it. Can't wait for left overs tonight:) I love Cafe Rio's sweet pork recipe. However, this isn't sweet and is very different from it but still delish. Hope you try it and love it too. Plus it uses some of our beans from food storage. Who doesn't love that. Even my kids loved the beans-who aren't bean eaters!

Night before soak dry beans in crock pot. I used 1 cup white and 1 cup black and added enough water to cover the beans. Use how much you want and whatever kind you have. Or use canned beans and don't worry about remembering the night before to let them soak.

2 lb pork roast-cover with water in crock pot
Add:
1 lb pinto beans
2 cloves garlic
2 Tbs chili powder
1/4 c picante sauce
2 tsp. salt
1 Tbs cumin
1 tsp oregano

Cover and cook in crock pot on low heat 6-8 hours. Serve on bed of crushed tortilla chips or taco shell. Garnish with chopped onion, tomatoes, lettuce, grated cheese, avocado, olives, lime, sour cream, salsa etc.

Didn't take a picture but use your imaginations!