Cream Cheese Pumpkin Pie

If you know me, you know that anything is better with cream cheese in it! Here's one of the tastiest pumpkin pies I've ever had!

1 graham cracker crust

First layer:

4 oz. Cream Cheese

1 Tbsp. milk

1 Tbsp. sugar

2 cups whipped cream

Second Layer:

1 cup milk

1 large box vanilla instant pudding

1 16 oz. can pumpkin

2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Mix cream cheese, milk and sugar. Fold in the whipped cream gently. Spread on the bottom of the graham cracker pie crust. In separate bowl, add milk to pudding mix. Beat 2 minutes. Stir in the pumpkin and spices. Spread over the cream cheese layer. Refrigerate for 4 hours before serving. Top with more whipping cream and a light sprinkle of cinnamon sugar. Enjoy!

Barbie's Quick and Easy Rice Pilaf

I've neglected the cooking blog for the past few weeks because life has just been a bit too busy! Our adoption was final and we have been too busy celebrating to think about anything else! So, getting back to the business of cooking, here's a tried and true favorite that is so so simple! Great side dish for a busy night when you don't have time to hang out in the kitchen. Toss a roast in the crockpot in the morning and you've got a great start to a great dinner!

6 cups water

3 cups rice (not instant)

2 pkgs. onion soup mix

2 tsp. boullion

1/2 cup butter

Mix in a 9x13 baking pan. Cover. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes at 350°. Enjoy!!

Carol's tasty Cheeseball

Of all of Carol's tasty recipes, this is my favorite appetizer!

2 - 8 0z. cream cheese

1 large can drained crushed pineapple

1/4 cup finely chopped green pepper

2 tbsp. green onion

1 tsp. lawrys seasoning

1 cup chopped pecans

Blend cream cheese and remaining ingredients well, except the pecans. Roll into a ball and then roll the ball in the chopped pecans. (To simplify things, Carol just mixes the pecans right in!) Place on platter and chill until served. Serve with crackers. (We love it so much that we use it as a sandwich spread too.) Enjoy!

Party Meatballs

Got two minutes? Make these nummy party favorites! Literally, you can make them quicker than you can get the three ingredients out of the pantry! The secret ingredient is this wonderful brand of chili sauce (Googled the photo!) and the sweetness of the grape jelly blends perfectly with the kick of the chili sauce! They'll be a sure hit at any party and the leftovers freeze well and are also great served over rice for dinner! Enjoy!

1 small jar of grape jelly (10 oz.)

1 small container of chili sauce

about 40 frozen meatballs (I use the large bag sold at Sam's Club, but you do have to toss them more while cooking to coat them all.)

Place meatballs in your crockpot. Stir the jelly and sauce together. Pour over the meatballs. Cover and cook about 6-8 hours . Stir occasionally to coat the meatballs. Make sure to have some fun toothpicks for guests to pick them up with!

Chicken Divine

This quick and easy version of chicken divan is a most requested recipe in our home. It's a great way to put leftover chicken to use! The amounts for chicken and broccolli vary because I use whatever I have. This meal can be prepared in less than fifteen minutes, which makes it a favorite to cook as much as a favorite to eat! Enjoy!

2-4 cups chopped, cooked chicken

4-6 cups fresh or frozen broccolli (A large bag of frozen broccolli is perfect!)

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 soup can of milk

1/2 cup mayonaise

1 tsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. - 1 tbsp. curry (to taste... for us the more the better!)

1 tsp. black pepper

2 cups shredded cheese (I use colby-jack)

3 slices of bread, toasted and shredded, if desired

Steam the broccolli to give it a head start in baking. In a large bowl, mix the soups, milk, mayo, curry and pepper. Stir in the cooked chicken, brocolli and cheese. Top with bread crumbs and more cheese, if desired. Cover and bake at 350° until bubbly (about 30 minutes).

White Grape Juice Slush

The most simple drink is our favorite party drink! This weekend for my 50th birthday bash, we are serving this from a giant black cauldron. The cauldron will be the only black thing at the party and that's because it goes along with the fall theme, not because I'm fifty!

Mix 2 cans frozen white grape juice concentrate as directed on can. Add a 2 liter bottle of Ginger Ale. Slice lemons and limes, strawberries as a garnish.

(For the party this weekend, we'll be slicing limes and oranges, just for the color.) Fill the punch bowl with Sonic crushed ice! Pretty, tasty! It's so simple you don't need the excuse of a party to serve it! Enjoy!

English Crumpets

Another great breakfast treat or a great party favor, this recipe sounds a bit tedious, but it's really no more difficult than making homemade pancakes. It just takes an extra half hour because the batter has to rise for a bit. Definitely worth the wait!

Dissolve:

1 T. yeast

1 T. sugar

3/4 cup lukewarm water

Mix together:

1 cup milk

3 lightly beaten eggs

3/4 cups melted butter

Mix together in large container:

3 cups flour

1 1/2 t. salt

Make a well in the flour. Add the remaining ingredients. Mix well. Cover. Let double in size. Drop by teaspoons onto hot buttery griddle. Cook 3 minutes, turn and cook 3 more minutes. (they don't take much longer to cook than a pancake.)

Serve with preserves or this tasty spread:

8 oz. cream cheese

1 cup strawberry banana yogourt

1/2 cup strawberry jam

Serve them like hot pancakes or they can be served at a party at room temperature with the spread. Very tasty! Enjoy!

Dinner-time Roll-ups

This is a favorite quick and easy recipe in our home and it's great when you're feeding a crowd! It's got a gazillion variations, use your own imagination! You can use Rhodes roll dough, if you don't make your own rolls. Either way, it's a hit! (The photo is BBQ version.)

You'll need:

Roll dough

Your choice of meat browned with your favorite seasonings.

Grated Cheese

A few options that I use often:

Brown your ground beef, browned with garlic and chopped onions. Then season as desired.

• For Mexican style, add taco seasoning and a large can of tomato sauce and salsa until it suits your tastes.


• For Italian style, mix spaghetti sauce and italian seasonings in with your meat.


• For BBQ style, add a bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce.

OR

Finely chop your ham.

• Toss the ham with ranch dressing until it's coated and "wet", not soupy though.


• Mix ham and green onions.


• Toss ham with a bit of dijon mustard or mayonnaise.


• Toss ham and a mild coating of apple butter.

OR

Finely chop left-over turkey.

• Toss and coat in left-0ver gravy.


• Mix a bit of curry powder to taste with turkey and a light coating of mayonaise, salt and pepper.

OR create your own meat mixture. Roll dough out into a large rectangle about 1/4 - 3/8" thickness on a greased kitchen counter or pastry board. Gently spread the meat evenly across the dough. Top the meat with a generous helping of shredded cheese. Roll like a jelly roll. Then slice the dough into 1" thick pieces and place each roll-up on a greased baking pan. Bake at 400° until golden-brown. The meat is already cooked, so you are, basically, baking the bread and reheating the rest.

Serve with dipping sauces....depending on your filling:

• For the ham: Ranch dressing, creamy Italian dressing, dijon mustard, applesauce or butter...


• For turkey: gravy, cream of chicken soup mixed with 1/2 can of milk, ranch dressing


• For the beef: Aujus, BBQ sauce, ketchup (ugh, but the babes love it), ranch, salsa mixed 1 part ranch and 1 part salsa, marinara sauce.

The sky's the limit! Enjoy!

Five Alarm Radio-active Salsa

This is the recipe that I found in a newspaper article with a gazillion salsa recipes the summer that Doug and I were married. I've made it almost every year since and we love it! It's hotter than hot, but, you can adjust the peppers to your taste. Last year, we used milder peppers and it was delish but not hot at all. Another few times, I used a few less peppers. Everyone still said that it was HOT! Just remember to wear rubber gloves when making salsa or your fingers and hands will burn for days! And, whatever you do... do not rub your eyes when making salsa! (I learned that one the hard way!)

30 tomatoes, skinned

6 large chopped onions or 2 cups dried onions

2 pounds or 30 mixed peppers, chopped (for less hot salsa, use only half the peppers)

3 heads of chopped fresh garlic

2 cups vinegar

1/4 - 1/3 cup salt

Chop tomatoes, onions and peppers in blender or food processor. Mix in the remaining ingredients. Simmer on low heat for six hours, uncovered. If not thick enough, add a large can of tomato paste. Fill canning jars to one inch from the top, making sure not to leave any salsa on the top of the jar before placing lids and rings on jars. Process in the steam canner for 25 minutes. Enjoy!

Mexican Tomato, Corn and Chicken Soup

Soup Day is coming!! Soup Day is the first day that we have cool weather and snow on the mountains here in Utah. I thought I'd share one of our favorite soups because it's what I'm craving these days! (I know that this photo isn't of the soup, but it is of Soup Day 2006, so it worked for me.) One winter night, I was dropping something off at my sister-in-law's home as she was preparing this soup. She said that it was a 20 minutes start-to-finish soup. I stuck around and watched her prepare it, then had a taste. It was so good that I stopped on the way home at the grocery store for the ingredients because it was delish! This is a must try recipe!! Seriously, you'll thank me for sharing it!

8 scallions or green onions, thinly sliced

7 cloves garlic
2 jalepenop peppers, seeded and chopped

1 quart coarsely chopped tomatoes

2 small cans tomato sauce

1 quart chicken broth

2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. salt

2 pounds chicken breasts, cut into 1/4 inch strips

2 cups frozen corn

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

juice of 1 lime (4. tbsp.)

2 cups crushed corn tortilla chips

Saute the scallions and peppers in 2 Tbsp. olive oil for about 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes, sauce, broth, cumin and salt. Brint to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook until the flavors are blended, about five minutes. Add the chicken and corn. Cover and cook until the chicken is cooked, about three minutes. Stirn in the cilantro and lime juice. Serve with a dollap of sour cream and/or shredded cheese. Enjoy!

Almond Blondies

My friend, Tami, made these for Bunco and they were a huge hit! Try 'em, you'll love 'em! And they are so simple!!

3 cups flour

3 cups sugar

6 beaten eggs

3 sticks butter or margerine

3 tsp. almond extract

Stir with a fork as little as possible. Sprinkle slivered almonds on top. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes in a jelly roll size pan. Cool and cut into squares. Enjoy!

Tami gave me a great tip last night that I'd never heard of! She suggested that when cutting brownies or bar cookies, use a plastic knife instead of a metal one. They cut much sharper corners and don't drag the brownie!

Pumpkin Waffles and Creamy Syrup

More breakfast! This is our most favorite fall breakfast. For some reason, once the holidays are over, this recipe fades into oblivion until this time next year. What's wrong with me!? It's delicious and it's not like I can't buy a can of pumpkin anytime of the year?!

Pumpkin Waffles

3 cup flour

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

4 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. salt

2 eggs

2 1/2 cup milk

1 cup canned pumpkin

4 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. In a separate bowl, combine egg, milk, pumpkin and oil. Pour wet ingredients into the flour mixture and mix gently until smooth. Do not over mix. Cook in a well-greased waffle iron. Serve with warm applesauce. (add 1 tsp. cinnamon sugar to the applesauce!) OR serve with creamy syrup!

Creamy or Buttermilk Syrup

1/2 cup real butter

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup buttermilk OR 1 tsp. lemon juice and enough milk added to equal 1/2 cup

Bring to a hard boil for two minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in:

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. baking soda

Make sure that your saucepan is very large. The syrup will more than double in size and boil over into a huge mess when you add the soda and vanilla. Serve warm over pumpkin waffles, any waffles, pancakes or french toast! Enjoy!!!

*** Photo from http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2147/1830550153_8646dad3e7.jpg?v=0.

Tortilla Strata

With LDS General Conference coming up in a couple of weeks, I've been thinking about breakfasts! Here's one of our most favorite breakfasts, a recipe that I got from my sister-in-law, Barbie. It's been a huge success ever since our first taste! This is a keeper for Christmas morning! (Not my photo, I borrowed it from the net!)

10 flour tortillas

2 cups chopped ham, sausage or bacon

2 cups shredded cheese

1 bunch chopped green onions

6 beaten eggs

2 cups milk

1 Tbsp. flour

1 tsp. milk

Mix meat, cheese and onions. Fill and roll into the tortillas, enchilada or burrito style. Place in a heavily greased 9x13 baking pan. Mix eggs, milk and flour. Pour over the tortillas. Refrigerate overnight. Cover with foil tightly and bake at 325° for 1 hour and fifteen minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle more shredded cheese over the top, if desired. Enjoy!!

Weanie Beanie Delight

This is one of those what I call "dump recipes", where you just dump everything in the crock pot and come back hours later for a delicious meals! It's my favorite thing to request from one of my brothers-in-law, who happens to be a fabulous cook!

1 package Li'l Smokies, chopped into pieces

2 large cans Pork and Beans

2 can Black Beans

2 Kidney Beans

2 can of Pinto Beans

2 can Black-eyed Peas

One bottle honey barbeque sauce

1 can crushed pineapple, undrained

2 small cans tomato sauce

1 small bag of frozen corn

1 cup brown sugar

2 tbsp. Basil

Simmer til serve. Serve with cheese and crackers or garlic toast or cornbread or fritos or doritos or any of the "o's chips" as my brother-in-law calls them. Enjoy!

Cranberry-Chili Chicken

It's time that I get this blog back in business. Life's been a bit insane lately, but I'm cooking, so there's no reason not to be sharing recipes! My son-in-law shared this tasty chicken dish with me last week. It was very simple and tasty! Different, for sure... not the combination that I'd have come up with but it was delish! He cooked it on the stove top. I'd do it in the crock pot until the chicken next time, but it's most nummy!

1/2 cup Heinz Chili sauce
1/2 cup whole berry cranberry sauce
2 T orange marmalade
1/4 tsp. allspice
4-6 skinless boneless, skinless chicken (about 1.5 pounds)

Buddy cooked it in the frypan, basting it in the sauce. I'm putting doubling the recipe and cooking it in the crock pot all day long, then serving over rice or pasta! Enjoy!