Today's Brilliant Idea: Butterscotch Snowflakes

 

There is no recipe for this post, per se, just a brilliant idea, but with some work involved! I've had a recipe for butterscotch gingerbread I've been wanting to try, but I'd already made gingerbread men with chocolate chip eyes for Christmas this year, so I "tweaked" a packaged sugar cookie mix by adding a box of instant butterscotch pudding! The best idea ever! Possibly the best cookies I've ever made! Sooooo rich and decadent, and soooo pretty too!
 

The hardest part was rolling out the dough (which I refrigerated for a few hours) and cutting out the snowflakes.  I scooped store-bought vanilla frosting into a Ziploc bag, cut off the tip and piped lines on the cookies.  Then, my little "elf" helper (my 4-year-old daughter) sprinkled them with blue and white sugar. I am so in love with these right now! I may make them for every holiday; with appropriately shaped cookies! Yum!

Crabby Snacks; so festive!

 

I've been meaning to post this recipe for over a month; but it's been a little hectic around here, what with Christmas and all! I first made these yummy treats after watching Silver Linings Playbook.  The main character's mom made them to eat while watching football, and after some research, I discovered the recipe for the 1970's era appetizer. I kind of made them just for fun, but they were SO good, I've made them 3 times since! They are super tasty; all cheesy and crabby, and a bit retro too!

Crabby Snacks (thanks to www.slate.com for the recipe)

1/2 cup (one stick) butter, softened
one 6-ounce can crabmeat, drained
one 5-ounce jar Kraft Old English cheese spread (this cannot be substituted for!)
1 tablespoon mayonnaise (not Miracle whip!)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
6 English muffins, halved, or a sliced baguette

Combine the butter, crabmeat, cheese spread, mayo and garlic powder in a medium bowl; stir.  Chill.  When ready to serve, spread mixture on bread. Place on baking sheet and broil until browned and bubbly; about 5 minutes.  Serve warm or at room temperature. 

 

Another version of this recipe suggests spreading the mixture on the English muffins and freezing them for 30 minutes before slicing into quarters and broiling.  I liked the bite-sized slices of baguette best. 

Today's Brilliant Idea: Pumpkin Pie in a Jar!

 

Brilliant! I've seen this on Pinterest, of course, and just HAD to try it! Since there's no crust in my version, it's even easier to make! When I was little, my mom used to pour leftover  pumpkin pie filling into "custard cups", a.k.a. small Pyrex bowls, and bake it as a treat. I remember eating it cold from the fridge as an after school snack and thinking how decadent it was! I've never been a huge fan of the pastry crust that is de rigour with pumpkin pie; I used to scrape out the filling and leave the crust when I was a kid...so this version was perfect! I topped our "pies" with Cool Whip (a must) and sprinkled it with cinnamon - oh my! Another plus? It's so simple to store leftovers; just screw on the lid and pop into the fridge for later - sweet!

I used the recipe on the back of a can of pureed pumpkin:

 

Pumpkin Pie in a Jar (adapted from Libby's Famous Pumpkin Pie recipe)

 

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

2 eggs

15-ounce can pureed pumpkin

12-ounce can evaporated milk

 

Combine sugar and spices in a small bowl and set aside.  Beat eggs in a large bowl.  Stir in pumpkin and sugar/spice mixture.  Gradually stir in the evaporated milk. Pour into canning jars (I used 16-ounce/2-cup wide mouthed jars).  Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes, until top is "set".  Serve immediately or refrigerate.  Yummy!!!



Mini Pumpkin Muffins

 

We are HUGE muffin fans at my house; they are our breakfast-go-to most of the time.  I usually make big batches and freeze some for future breakfasts. This week my 4-year-old daughter was "snack leader" at preschool, so I made some cute, tiny and healthy muffins.  I may have sent along 20 bags of Scarecrow Crunch (see 11/7/13 post for recipe) too...I mostly always over-do it on "snack day"! Best of all, there were plenty of muffins left over for us, too! They are moist, a little chocolate-y and just the right size to pop in your mouth - yay!

The Best Mini Pumpkin Muffins 
adapted from Smitten Kitchen

1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil (I used safflower)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
a dash salt
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup (or so) mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease the cups of a mini muffin tin VERY WELL.  In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, sugar, oil, eggs, spice, baking soda and salt.  Add flour and stir until just smooth. Carefully fold in chocolate chips.  Divide batter among greased muffin cups, filling each just a bit more than 3/4 full.  Bake for 10-14 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool and eat right away or store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated.  Enjoy!

 

Something new: a crafting playdate!

 

I got this great idea, after seeing "crafternoon" posts on a bunch of blogs online, to do some crafts during playdates.  And, I don't mean do crafts with the kids, I mean the mommies craft (and drink coffee, and eat goodies, and gossip, and vent) while the kiddos play! Today was the first one, at my house, and I tried out three things I recently found on Nora's blog at www.justmakestuff.com.  She's awesome! Check her out some time!

      First, we made cute ribbon covered tea lights, which were supposed to be washi tape covered tea lights, but my closest retail store had NO washi tape (guess I need to make a run to Michael's or Hobby Lobby in the near future)! Double-sided tape and cute grosgrain ribbon worked just brilliantly (see above photo).

 

 

 

 Then we covered jars I've squirreled away in my craft supply closet with fabric, paper, ribbon, etc. to create candle holders.

 

 

 

 

And, you don't think I'd do a post without a recipe, do you?  I served pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting and made Scarecrow Crunch to send along home. Great seasonal snack mix! I'm thinkin' of sending this to Regan's preschool for her snack day!

 

Scarecrow Crunch (a big thanks to www.justmakestuff.com)

 

4 cups crunchy oatmeal cereal squares

4 cups tiny pretzels

a 22-ounce bag autumn mix candy corn

2 cups Reeses Pieces

2 6-ounce boxes/bags caramel popcorn with nuts

a box (6-7 ounces) chocolate Teddy Grahams

 

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Makes 15 cups.

 

 

 

Doesn't that look festive?

 

 

Now, if I could just stop making THESE!

Pumpkin Spice Mini Doughnuts

 

This morning while making coffee, I suddenly had a craving for pumpkin doughnut holes. Changing out of pajamas and driving to the supermarket did NOT sound like fun, so I dug through my pantry. Inspired by numerous Pinterest recipes calling for canned pumpkin and boxed cake mix, I whipped up my own pumpkin muffin/doughnut concoction. I did consult a few "mom blogs" to check baking temperatures and times. Let me tell you, this recipe is easy, quick and sooooooo delicious! My 4-year-old daughter gobbled down 3 on the spot, while they were still warm! And my house smells better than any old Yankee Candle scent!

 

Pumpkin Spice Mini Doughnuts 

 

one box spice cake mix

one 15-ounce can pumpkin

granulated sugar

 

Combine the cake mix and canned pumpkin and blend till smooth. If you have a mini doughnut pan, it's WAY easier to fill if you put the batter into a resealable plastic bag, cut off the tip and pipe into the pan (see photo of my little "helper" below). If you don't have a mini doughnut pan, mini muffin tins work just as well; then you can call them "doughnut holes" instead!

Bake at 325 for 8-10 minutes.  I took the mini doughnuts out at 8 minutes, and the mini muffins at 10 minutes.  Scoop some granulated sugar into a resealable plastic bag, throw the still very warm muffins/doughnuts inside and shake to coat. These were amazing while still warm! Enjoy

 

 

 

A Seasonal Treat: Apple Butter!

 

Since we picked bushels and bushels of apples recently, I've had to come up with several different uses for them. I've already made applesauce, apple dumplings and apple crisp. I've never made apple butter before, but my maternal grandmother used to spend hours each fall in her church basement making vats of it with her church-lady friends.  

 

Online, I found recipes for making apple butter on the stove top or in a crock-pot. I was in a hurry, so I opted for the quicker version (only a few hours, not overnight)! No matter how much seasoning I added, it just tasted like cinnamon applesauce to me, but maybe that's how it's supposed to taste! Never fear, it really is good! Try it and see!

 

Apple Butter (adapted from www.bettycrocker.com)

 

12 medium tart cooking apples, peeled, cored and cut into quarters

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1 1/4 cup apple cider

1 Tbl ground cinnamon

1 Tbl lemon juice

1 tsp ground allspice

1 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground cloves

 

Combine all ingredients in a big pot.  Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for one hour. Let cool slightly.  Mash apples with a potato masher (or fork), or puree in blender or food processor. Return to pot and cook on low heat for one or two additional hours, stirring occasionally, until mixture is very thick.  Let cool. Spoon into containers and store in refrigerator for up to 3 weeks, or freeze.

Girls Night and Candy Bars

 

Behold the fabulous Snickers Salad! I made it for my girlfriends this week, and they LOVED, LOVED, LOVED it! I can't believe I haven't shared this recipe before; I think I've taken it to a dozen different carry-in dinners or picnics. It's such a yummy seasonal concoction too, with apples and CANDY BARS! I'm sure I found this recipe on Pinterest (where else?) but don't know the source, so it's not really MY recipe, but whatever......enjoy!

  

Snickers Salad

1 8-ounce container cool whip, thawed
1 3.3-ounce package white chocolate instant pudding
4-6 Granny Smith apples, diced (I used Jonathon apples from last week's orchard trip)
3 standard-sized Snickers bars, diced (I used 10 "snack sized" Snickers)

Spoon Cool Whip into a large bowl and sprinkle packet of pudding over top, using a whisk to combine.  Stir in apples and chopped Snickers.  Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 8 hours.  SOOOOOOOO GOOOOOOOD!

 

My 4-year-old "helper" loved chopping up candy bars for the "salad"! She also set the table and made cute place cards for my "mommy party"!

Today's Brilliant Idea: Two-Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins!

 

I was in the mood to bake this morning, and so, of course, I perused Pinterest! If you've EVER ventured onto Pinterest, surely you have encountered THIS recipe, or a similar cake version:

I've been curious since I saw the recipe months ago, so, I gave it a whirl! The batter is a bit thick, and the centers were a little moister than I would want, but hey, the recipe really  does work! I added a few handfuls of milk chocolate chips and glazed them with a simple powdered sugar and milk mixture - yum!

 

An added bonus was how wonderful my house smelled all morning! Next time, I think I'm going to try the "cake" version of this recipe; with an apple cider glaze! Double yum!

 

 

Delish Side Dish

 

Earlier this week, I had a craving for pork chops marinated in barbecue sauce, but was at a loss when it came to planning a side dish.  I had just bought a few zucchini squash at an Amish produce stand, so I perused my Pinterest board aptly named "Yum" and found this gem: Cheesy Zucchini Rice! I added sweet corn from my freezer (also from the aforementioned Amish produce stand), which "beefed up" the consistency.  It was soooooo savory! I had thirds...

 

 

Cheesy Zucchini Rice (with corn)

adapted from www.bunsinmyoven.com

 

1 TBL olive oil

1 cup long-grain white rice

2 cups chicken broth (I made mine with chicken bouillon)

2 TBL butter

1 medium or 2 small zucchini, grated (I used one small zucchini)

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I used shredded co-jack)

1/2 tsp garlic powder

salt and pepper, to taste

 

Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add the rice and stir to coat.  Toast the rice, stirring often, just until it starts to turn golden.  Pour in the chicken broth, bring to a boil, turn heat to low, and cover.  Cook, covered, for 15-20 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed.  Remove from heat and add the butter, grated zucchini, cheese and garlic powder.  Stir until well incorporated.  Cover and let sit for 5 minutes.  Stir again and season with salt and pepper. Yum!

 

 

Green Goddess Pasta Salad; sooo healthy!

 

I've probably mentioned before that my girlfriends are my "new recipe guinea pigs"...but seriously, who better to try things out on? They love food as much as me, and my immediate family (husband and 4-year-old daughter) are a bit picky; food-wise.  I found this recipe in Health magazine (www.health.com) and have been dying to try it. Total success! It was crunchy, cheesy, savory and kind of "green-ey" (in a good way). 300 calories (sorry), but also 16 grams of protein!

I paired it with store-bought Parmesan foccacia topped with cherry tomatoes from my garden - delish!

Green Goddess Pasta Salad

12 ounces mini ravioli or tortellini (I got my mini cheese ravioli at Trader Joe's)
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 pound frozen peas, thawed
3 Tbl. sliced almonds
6 cups watercress or baby arugula (I used baby arugula)
1 Tbl. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese shavings

Cook pasta as package label directs.  Add asparagus and peas to the cooking pasta during the last 2 minutes. Drain well and let cool slightly.  While pasta is cooking, place almonds in a small dry skillet over medium  heat and cook, shaking pan often, until lightly toasted, 1 to 2 minutes. Let cool and set aside.  Place cooked pasta and veggies in a large bowl and toss with watercress/arugula, olive oil, salt and pepper.  Top with almonds and Parmesan and serve.

Today's Brilliant Idea - times two!

 

Today, I whipped up a super easy twist on one of our regular snacks, and it was a hit! I blended mini M&M candies in smooth peanut butter; for dipping apple slices into! My 4-year-old LOVED it! Brilliant....

 

 

Switching gears just a bit, I keep forgetting to post this gem: DIY Banana Chips! Usually, I make muffins or a quick bread with the bananas that "turn", but we seem to ALWAYS have overripe bananas and can only eat so many muffins! I do not recommend using super-brown and mushy bananas, but if they are "borderline", this is a perfect use for them!

 

You will need one of these handy contraptions, though. I got mine in the mid 1990s and it's still plugging along.

Cut banana in MANY slices...

and dry for 8-12 hours (follow the instructions for your dehydrator), depending on how chewy or crunchy you want them.  Store in a resealable bag. Hide some from your husband or he will eat them all; or is that just at my house?

Cherry Tomato Crisp; delish!

 

Yes, I know, ANOTHER cherry tomato recipe? You just don't realize the bumper crop of cherry tomatoes I've had this year! I have frozen bags and bags of them, and still have new ripe tomatoes every day! I found this idea on , of course, Pinterest...it sounded so simple and yummy; and it was!

Cherry Tomato Crisp 

5 cups cherry tomatoes
2 slices white sandwich bread
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tablespoons fresh parsley leaves (or one Tablespoon dried)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, chopped finely
coarse salt and ground pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a food processor, combine bread, Parmesan, parsley leaves, olive oil and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.  Pulse until bread is coarsely chopped.  In a baking dish, arrange cherry tomatoes in a single layer.  Sprinkle with crumb mixture.  Bake until "crust" is browned and the tomatoes are tender; about 20-25 minutes.

 

I used panko bread crumbs instead of white bread and it turned out great; cheesy, and tomatoe-y!  Yum!

Today's Brilliant Idea:  Freeze Cherry Tomatoes!

 

So, my cherry tomato plants have been VERY HEALTHY this summer, on the branches of the plants they look like bunches of grapes - yikes! I eat some with dip, throw some in a salad and make a Putanesca sauce with some of them, but THEN what? Well, after some research online, I discovered a crazy simple solution: wash them, remove the stems, put a few handfuls into into a freezer bag and toss in the freezer. Done. No blanching to remove skins, no cooking/stewing, nothing. The frozen tomatoes will, upon thawing, be a little gooey, so they will need to be made into sauce or juice. I love EASY solutions!

 

I was SO excited, I illustrated the bags with "happy cherry tomatoes"!

Salted Caramel Pretzel M&M Blondies...omg!

 

Oh yeah, you heard that right! Let me repeat: Salted Caramel Pretzel M&M Blondies...and yes, they do taste THAT good! Damned Pinterest! Very rich, salty, chocolaty, etc. PERFECT for my company picnic today, as it was all women! Some of my coworkers said this was a little too rich....whatever....I had "thirds"!

I am DEFINITELY making this again!

 

 

Salted Caramel Pretzel M&M Blondies 

 

1 cup butter (2 sticks), room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 eggs

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons coarse sea salt

2 1/2 cups flour

2 cups Pretzel M&Ms

1 cup chocolate chips (semi-sweet or milk chocolate)

a 14-ounce bag caramels, unwrapped

1/4 cup milk

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9 X 13 baking dish with non-stick spray and set aside.  Cream butter and sugars together in a large bowl.  Add vanilla and eggs and mix well.  Add baking soda, flour and salt, stirring until combined.  Fold in M&Ms and chocolate chips.  In prepared baking dish, press 1/2 of batter into the bottom of the dish.  Bake for 8-10 minutes, until just beginning to set, but not golden brown.  While the "crust" is baking, put the unwrapped caramels into a microwave-safe bowl, along with the milk.  Microwave for 2-3 minutes, stirring every minute until melted.  When the "crust"is done, remove from oven and pour melted caramel on top.  Drop spoonfuls of the remaining batter on top of the caramel, and spread as well as you can. Return to oven and bake for 15 minutes, until golden brown. 

 

*I didn't have the "cubes" of wrapped caramels, I had a partial bag of meltable "caramel bits".  I combined them with 2 tablespoons of water and microwaved for about 2 minutes, until melted. 



Almost hands-free dill pickles

 

 

Got cukes? Pounds of them? I found an AMAZING, simple dill pickle recipe that does not involve fancy canning techniques...just jars and a refrigerator!  I found this recipe YEARS ago in Real Simple Magazine, but I've never tried it.  Last year, when I made dill pickles, I used a pre-packaged mix found in the canning/freezing section of my supermarket. This recipe was almost that simple, but I could "tweak" it a bit.  I left out the sugar and increased the garlic-oh yum! I also threw in some dill heads from my garden, which makes the jars look super pretty! The pickles were VERY garlicky and crunchy; just like I like 'em!

 

 

                      

 

Refrigerator Dill Pickles 

For Each One-quart Jar, you will need:

a pound, or so, cucumbers, peeled, seeded and sliced any way you like (I made spears and chunks)
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 small onion, sliced thinly
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon dill seed
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
2 teaspoons Kosher salt (it dissolves better than table salt)
3/4 cup hot water

Place the cucumbers in jar with tight-fitting lid.  In a bowl, combine the vinegar, onion, garlic, sugar, dill, peppercorns, salt and hot water.  Stir until the sugar and salt dissolve.  Pour the vinegar mixture into the jar with the cucumbers, cover and refrigerate for at least one day before serving.  The pickles will last up to one week.  

Don't they look BEAUTIFUL in my fridge?

Today's Brilliant Idea: Caprese Salad

 

Got tomatoes? How about a bazillion tomatoes? It's definitely "tomato time" in my garden; I've probably got a dozen ripe ones every few days. Especially difficult to deal with are the cherry tomatoes, as they are best eaten raw, and due to the sheer quantity of the little things! Behold the easy-peasy Caprese salad:

In a large bowl, combine a dozen or so cherry tomatoes, halved, 8 ounces Ciliegine (small mozzarella cheese balls), halved, and a handful of fresh basil, torn into pieces. To serve, scoop a spoonful or two onto a plate, drizzle with vinaigrette and sprinkle with coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve to your girlfriends. Have seconds. Vow to make recipe again!

It's Blueberry Time!

 

 

 

 

Here in the Midwest, we had a pretty long strawberry season, which is now being followed by an even longer blueberry season.  Good deal for us berry lovers! I usually freeze a majority of the blueberries I pick, and then bake a few dozen muffins (which I also freeze).  I'm always looking for OTHER things to make with berries too, and jam seemed like a yummy thing to try.  One disclaimer, the recipe I used seemed extremely sweet, which may be something you like. Not that it's "bad", it's very blueberry-ish, but pretty sweet.  And, the addition of Jell-o really helped it "set". 

Lemon Blueberry Jam (thanks to http://danielleguyer.com)

4 cups fresh blueberries

2 cups sugar

a 3-ounce box lemon Jell-o

2 tsp. fruit pectin powder (like Sure Jell)

Puree blueberries in a food processor or mash with a potato masher (for chunkier jam). 

 

 

Place the blueberries in a medium saucepan, add the sugar and cook on medium heat until it boils, stirring constantly. Simmer on low for about 20 minutes, and then add the lemon

Jell-o and pectin. Cook until powder has dissolved.

 Remove from heat and pour into seal-able jars. Place in refrigerator to cool and thicken.

 

This recipe made one pint (16 ounce) jar and two half-pint (8 ounce) jars of jam.  Enjoy!