Pumpkin Pie or Tarts

It's great to have guinea pigs friends who will test my baked goods. I, personally really really dislike Pumpkin Pie  but it's one of those things that Ben really likes. I didn't have the energy or time to make any for Thanksgiving this year. Yes, Thanksgiving is in October in Canada unlike the states where it's in November.
Yesterday, after a really busy long day I got busy making the filling for Pumpkin pie while I was talking with Ben. Yes, I made a mistake but it turned out that it wasn't a mistake. According to my guinea pigs friends and Ben they were amazing.  It was more of a preference of the recipe writer.

Pumpkin Tarts or Pie
2 eggs
398 ml (1/2 can of 796 ml) of Pure Pumpkin
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup evaporated milk
1 (9 in"/23 cm) unbaked home-made or frozen deep dish pie shell
OR
36 unbaked tart shells

Beat eggs lightly in medium bowl. Add pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and salt; stir until well combined. Blend in milk. Remember to prick the bottom of the pie shell. Pour filling in pie shell. Bake 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degree F (180 degree C) and continue baking 30 to 35 minutes longer or until knife inserted in centre comes out clean. Cool Makes 1 pie.
Tarts
Pour 1 tbsp of pumpkin filling into each tart shell. Makes about 36 tarts. Bake 400 degree F for 20 minutes.

Chef n' Training

I've found a new blog that I'm really enjoying. I just wanted to share it with all of you.

Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble

Fruit filling:

6 cups fresh or thawed frozen sliced rhubarb

2 cups sliced strawberries,

1/2 cup sugar

3 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp finely grated orange rind

Crumble Topping:

1 cup large-flake rolled oats

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 tsp cinnamon

Pinch salt

1/3 butter, softened

• Grease 8 inch (2 L) square glass baking dish; set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• CRUMBLE TOPPING: In bowl, whisk together oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. With a fork mash in butter until crumbly.
• Spread fruit filling evenly in prepared baking dish; sprinkle with crumble topping. 
• Bake on center rack of oven until bubbly, fruit is tender and topping is crisp and golden, 40-60 minutes. Serve warm. (Make-ahead: Let cool. Set aside for up to 8 hours. Reheat to serve.)

Kathy's Notes...

I usually use all the strawberries that I have on hand so it's more like 4 cups. The mix of oats that I buy has oats, flax seed and many more good things in it. We really like the crumble topping so I usually double the topping. With the extra strawberries & topping I bake ours in a 7 x 11 inch glass pan. Ours was done perfectly around 40 minutes. The hard part is waiting long enough for it to cool down enough to eat. 

Lime Squares

So I've been toying with the idea of trying Lime Squares instead of just sticking to my Mum's Lemon Squares. I finally did it! It's pretty much the same recipe as the Lemon Squares recipe but with two small changes. Substitute Lime juice for the Lemon juice and add desired amount green food coloring.

I asked Ben to take some pictures of it for me. I hope you enjoy them too!

I believe Monkey liked them!

Pecan Turtle Bars

If you like eat a delicious chocolate turtle then here's a recipe for you.

Pecan Turtle Bars
Crust
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup butter, softened

Filling
1 cup pecan halves
1 1/3 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar, packed

Topping
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup milk chocolate chips

Crust: Combine flour, brown sugar and softened butter in large mixer bowl. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer 2 to 3 minutes or until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Pat mixture evenly onto bottom of ungreased 13 X 9 inch baking pan. Sprinkle pecans evenly over crumb mixture. Make a low edge to keep the mix in. The high the edge, the less it stays together.


Filling & topping: Combine butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until entire surface is bubbly. Cook and stir 1/2 to 1 minute more. Pour into pan, spreading evenly over crust.
Bake in 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven 18 to 20 minutes or until entire surface is bubbly. Remove from oven; immediately sprinkle with chocolate chips. Let stand 2 to 3 minutes to allow chocolate to melt; use knife to swirl chocolate slightly. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Use sharp knife to cut into 48 bars.

Lemon Squares

This is one of my favorite treats that my mum use to make when I was younger. If you know my cooking, then it's nothing like my Mum's. She's one of the best.

Lemon Squares
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. This makes a 8x8 pan.

Crust
1 cup flour
1/2 cup margarine
1/4 cup powder sugar

• Mix together then  press in ungreased pan. build up to 1/2" in edge on the edge. bake for 20 minutes till light brown on outside edge.

Filling

2 eggs

1 cup white sugar

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 Tbsp Lemon juice

• Beat for 3 minutes until light & fluffy. Pour over hot crust. bake another 25 minutes or until no imprint remains in center when touched.
• Dust powder sugar when slightly warm.

*If you would like to make Lime squares just use 2 Tbsp Lime juice instead of Lemon juice. Add desired amount of green food coloring.

Peppy Pizza Salad

This is great if you have extra toppings from pizza. My kids just loved the idea of having two of their favorite meals in one meal. What's better than salad and pizza?

Peppy Salad Pizza
1/4 cup Pizza Sauce
2 flour tortillas

1/3 cup Italian dressing
2 tbsp pizza sauce
1/4 tsp dried oregano
4 cups shredded iceberg lettuce, lightly packed
1 cup chopped deli pepperoni slices
1 cup chopped green pepper
1 cup sliced fresh white mushrooms
8 tomato slices
1/2 cup Italian cheese blend, grated
1/4 cup  sliced black olives

• Brush 2 tbsp. pizza sauce onto each tortilla. Cut each tortilla into 12 wedges. Arrange in single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in 350 F degree oven for 15 minutes until crisp and golden
• Combine next 3 ingredients in large bowl. and next 4 ingredients. Toss. Transfer to round serving platter.
• Layer remaining 3 ingredients, in order given, over top. Arrange tortilla triangles around edge of platter. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

Greek Vegetable Salad

Find a ll the texture and bold flavour you'd expect in a Greek salad, with a hearty dressing that's chock full of pureed vegetables and herbs.


Greek Vegetable Salad

19 oz. can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
2 cups English cucumber, chopped
2 cups green pepper, chopped
2 cups  halved cherry tomatoes
1 cup Diced feta cheese
1 cup pitted kalamata olives
1/2 cup red onion, diced

Vegetable Dressing


1/2 cup carrot, chopped
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
2 tbsp olive (or cooking) oil
1 tbsp Lemon juice
2 tsp Anchovy past
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp celery salt
1 garlic clove, minced (or 1/4 tsp garlic powder)

Toss first 7 ingredients in extra-large bowl.

Vegetable Dressing: process all 9 ingredients in blender or food processor until well combined, but not smooth. Makes about 2/3 cup Add to Cucumber mixture. Stir. Makes about 10 cups

Asian Lettuce Wraps!

I've discovered how much I like Lettuce wraps. Ben made it last summer. It was yummy but not yummy enough that I told everyone that the leftovers are MINE! Yes, I did that this week. I enjoyed every bite. 

Asian Lettuce Wraps

16 Boston Bibb or Butter Lettuce leaves

 1 lb ground pork

1 tbsp oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp soy sauce

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tbsp rice wine vinegar

1 can water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped

1-2 carrots, finely chopped

2 teaspoons Asian (dark) sesame oil

1 bunch green onions, chopped

1 yellow bell pepper, chopped

Sweet Red Chili sauce (optional)

• Rinse whole lettuce leaves and pat dry, being careful not tear them. Set aside
• In a medium skillet over high heat, brown ground pork in oil, stirring often and reducing the heat to medium, if necassary. Drain,  and set aside to cool. Cook the onion in the same pan, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger and vinegar to the onions and stir. Stir in chopped water chestnuts, carrots, sesame oil and cooked pork; continue cooking until the onions just begin to wilt, about 2 minutes.
• Arrange lettuce leaves around the outer edge of a large serving platter, and pile meat mixture in the center. To serve allow each person to scoop a portion of the meat into a lettuce leaf. Top with green onions, yellow bell pepper and Sweet Red Chili sauce. Wrap the lettuce around the meat like a burrito, and enjoy.

Turtles

Last year I delicious some amazing enrichment meetings. I mean it was uber yummy! We learned how to make delicious homemade chocolates. I know chocolate is good, but I don't like store bought chocolate any more. I LOVE homemade chocolates. A big thanks go to Laverne Vold for teaching me how to make these. I'm looking forward to tomorrow, it's a girls day of making chocolates. We'll see if any chocolates last long enough to get photographed. :P


Turtles
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup rogers syrup
1 cup butter
1 cup heavy cream
 pecans.
Cook until soft ball stage (250 degrees), stir only at first to dissolve the sugar then stop stirring. Pour onto buttered pan. Cool wrap in pecans. Dip

*If you don't like nuts, then leave them out and make chocolate covered caramels. 

Buttery Corn Bread

I knew my Mum really liked corn bread. I couldn't understand the desire for it until I found this wonderful delicious corn bread. My mouth is watering just thinking about it, and I just had dinner. Maybe I should have made that dinner instead. This melt-in your mouth corn bread is.... perfect. It's moist and not to sweet. It's hard to leave any for left overs. My friends' daughter doesn't like bread or such (she even turned down my cinnamon rolls) asked for more corn bread.

Buttery Corn Bread

2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 2/3 cups milk
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal
4 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

• In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Combine the eggs and milk. Combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with egg mixture.
• Pour into a greased 13x9x2" baking pan. Bake at 400 degrees F for 22-27 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cut in squares; serve warm.

Banana Banana Bread

Everyone should experience tasting Banana Bread sometime. It's nice not wasting the bananas that no one dares to eat.

Banana Banana Bread

2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
• In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
• Bake in preheated oven for 60-65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

Indoor Smores

This is one of my new favorites! I liked rice crispy treas, but this beats them.

Indoor Smores
Butter a 9x13 pan, set aside.

5 c. miniature marshmallows
1/2 c. corn syrup
6 Tbsp margarine
1 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips

Melt over low heat stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add in this order stirring after each:

1 tsp. vanilla
8 c. Golden Grahams
1 cup. mini marshmallows

Press into pan. Cool.

Peanut Butter Cheesecake Brownie Bars

This is a recipe from one of my best friends LOVES. It's great sharing recipes with friends. Thanks Andrea for sharing this with me. I love testing recipes on Andrea & Charles. I have to reward them somehow for all the times my kids climb and beat them up.

Peanut Butter Cheesecake Brownie Bars


1 cup Chipits Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder

Topping:
1 pkg. Chipits Reese Peanut Butter Chips
3/4 cup milk
8 oz. Cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 egg

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). 
• Butter a 9x9 inch (23x23 cm); set aside
• In a microwave or in the top of a double boiler over simmering water, melt Chipits semi-sweet chocolate chips and butter. 
• Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in milk. Beat in eggs and vanilla extract until smooth; set aside.
• In another bowl, sift together sugar, flour and cocoa powder. Pour chocolate mixture over dray ingredients and stir together. Measure out 1/4 of the batter; set aside. Spread remaining batter into prepared pan.
• To make topping, in a microwave or in the top of a double boiler over simmering water melt Chipits Reese peanut Butter Chips; set aside.
• In a medium bowl, beat together cream cheese, sugar, flour, egg and milk. Pour in melted peanut butter chips and beat until smooth.
• To assemble, spoon cheesecake batter over the brownie batter, covering well. Drop spoonfuls of the remaining browning batter over top and swirl with a knife to create a marble effect. 
• Bake for 35-40 minutes or until set. 
• Cool completely before cutting.

Bruschetta

Here's another recipe from the bake swap. I know it wasn't baked, but it was too yummy not to share.

Bruschetta

• Prepare 1/3 cup of oil: add 1 tbsp of oregano and Mrs. Dash garlic & herb blend (no MSG) add a pinch of garlic salt.
• Chop or food process 5-6 tomatoes, 3 cloves of garlic and 1 small onion.
• Put chopped mix in bowl & pour oil mixture over; then add feta cheese to taste (I add A LOT!!)
• Serve on rice crackers, tortilla chips or cut up a ciabatta baguette into thin slices. 

Soft Gingerbread Cookies

A couple of weeks ago I participated in a bake swap. It was a lot of fun. A group of gals gathered and shared some of their favorite goodies and recipes. I'm going to make a batch of these Soft Gingerbread Cookies today. There's more recipes to come. Enjoy!

Soft Gingerbread Cookies (for a large batch)

1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 cup lard (or shortening)
1 cup fancy molasses or eating molasses
1/2 boiling water
3 tsp baking soda dissolved in 1/2 cup boiling water
about 6 cups flour (enough to shape dough in a soft ball)

• Mix ginger and salt together in a large mixing bowl.
• Add sugar, lard and molasses and blend well.
• Add plain water and blend.
• Add half of the flour and mix.
• Add baking soda water mixture and blend well.
• Add flour until dough can be shaped into a softball.
• Roll out on floured board and cut out shapes.
• Place on greased cookie sheets and bake until centre is done. About 8 minutes.

Royal Icing

3 egg whites, at room temerature

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

2 cups icing sugar

few drops of flavoring

• Beat everything together until Icing stands in stiff peaks. DO NOT UNDERBEAT! 
• Keep icing covered with damp cloth.
• Keep leftovers in fridge, covered with damp cloth and in a airtight container.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Pecan Pie

This is absolutely the best Pecan Pie recipe. I hated pecan pie before I found this recipe. I dreaded making one of Ben's favorite pies because I don't like pecan pie and didn't like it one bit.

Pecan Pie
1 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans*

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a large bowl beat eggs until foamy, and stir in melted butter. Stir in the brown sugar, white sugar and the flour; mix well. Last add milk, vanilla and nuts.
• Pour into a unbaked 9-in. pie shell. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes at 400 degrees, then reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until done.

* I don't like biting into big pieces of nuts, so I finely chop the nuts. It melts in my mouth. To adopt this recipe into Pecan Tarts then just fill the tart shells with about 1 Tbsp of mixture. If there's too much in the tart/pie it will be fine. It shrinks down. Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Beat together margarine and sugars until creamy. Add eggs, milk and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda and salt; mix well. Stir in oats, chocolate chips and nuts; mix well.
3. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 9-10 minutes. Cool for 1 minute on cookie sheet; remove to wire rack.

WHY GOD MADE MOMS

A friend sent this to me and I had to share it with you.

 Answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions:

Why did God make mothers?
1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

How did God make mothers?
1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
3. God made my mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.

What ingredients are mothers made of?
1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.

Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom?
1. We're related.
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's mom like me.

What kind of a little girl was your mom?
1. My mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.
2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.

What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?
1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?

Why did your mom marry your dad?
1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my mom eats a lot
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
3. My grandma says that mom didn't have her thinking cap on.

Who's the boss at your house?
1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof ball.
2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.
3. I guess mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.

What's the difference between moms and dads?
1. Moms work at work and work at home and dads just go to work at work.
2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller and stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friends.
4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.

What does your mom do in her spare time?
1. Mothers don't do spare time.
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

What would it take to make your mom perfect?
1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.
2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be?
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.
2. I'd make my mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it not me.
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.

WHEN YOU STOP LAUGHING -- SEND IT ON TO OTHER MOTHERS, GRANDMOTHERS, AND AUNTS.... and anyone else who has anything to do with kids or just needs a good laugh!!!

Apple Cream Pie

Thanks to my cousin Tanis who shared this delicious recipe with me. I made it today for the first time and it was WONDERFUL! I've had it before, but it was Ben's first tasting. He has found a new favorite pie! Enjoy!

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 T cornstarch
• 2 T milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2-3 tart apples, cored, peeled, sliced
• 1 T flour
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 (15 ounce) package pastry for double-crust pie
  
• 1/2 cup powder sugar
• 1 T milk
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• 1 T butter, softened

Directions
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup heavy cream and 1/4 cup butter. Heat until butter is melted, stirring occasionally. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, 2 tablespoons milk and vanilla; stir into saucepan. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and set aside to cool slightly.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). In a medium bowl, combine the apples, flour and cinnamon. mix well.
Line a 9 inch pie pan with pie dough. Pour thickened filling mixture into pastry-lined pie pan. Arrange apple mixture evenly over filling. Top with second crust, seal and flute the edges. Cut slits in top crust.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and apples are tender. Cool for at least 30 minutes.
In small bowl, combine powder sugar, 1 T milk, 1/4 tsp vanilla, and 1 tbsp softened butter. Blend until smooth; pour evenly over warm pie.
Refrigerate for AT LEAST 1 1/2 hours before serving (longer is better).