Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

I have made this several times during the last few months, they are so good. Its generally a fall treat, but I could enjoy them all year round...Enjoy!

1 1/2 Cups Sugar
1 Cup Canned Pumpkin
1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
1/2 Cup Water
2 Eggs
1 2/3 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
3/4 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 Cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, pumpkin, oil, water, and eggs; beat well. Combine dry ingredients; gradually add to pumpkin mixture and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Line a muffin tin with paper liners and fill half-way. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 12-15 minutes. Insert a toothpick in to check for done-ness. If it comes out clean, then it is done. Remove to a wire rack and cool. This recipe should make 24 muffins.

Recipe and picture compliments of "Kaitlin in the Kitchen"

Brandy

Sheperd's Pie

This week sure has been busy! I am still not sure how it is already wednesday, and most definitely not sure how it is only two days away from Christmas! Can someone explain that?? Anyways, I knew I wouldnt have much time to make dinner last night but I didnt have enough chicken for the crock pot. So, I had to come up with something else! Shepards Pie used to be one of my fall back recipes but somehow got lost in the move! Meaning, I havent made it since May.. not really sure why! I would like to thank my cousin DeAnna for this delicious easy recipe!

Sheperds Pie

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1 lb ground beef/turkey

1 can corn

1 can green beans

1 can tomato soup

****This was the directions for my potatoes 2 cups of boiling water for 1 cup of pearls, let sit for 3-5 minutes**

6 cups of water

3 cups Instant Mashed potatoes-*anything you want in your potatoes*

a healthy handful of cheese

Preheat oven to 350

Cook ground beef in large skillet. Once it is fully cooked add corn, green beans, and tomato soup. Mix together and let simmer on low heat for just a minute or two stirring constantly.

In separate pan boil 6 cups of water, add instant potatoes and let sit for 3-5 minutes. I added butter salt pepper, garlic powder and milk to my potatoes until they tasted how I wanted them to.

Place beef and vegetable mixture into the bottom of a 9 X 13 pan, spread out evenly. Place potatoes on top of beef mix and spread out evenly. Top with cheese and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Eat and Enjoy!

Jen

Apple Turnovers

My husband loves apple turnovers. I found this recipe to make them for my very first time. I made them first with the puff pastry which was wonderful. Tony didn't like the puffy pastry so much, so the next time I made them with Grands biscuits for him, he loved them. So either way you prefer is good. If you use the biscuits just roll them out on a floured surface and add the filling and bake according to the package instructions. Enjoy!

2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 cups water
4 Red Delicious apples - peeled, cored and sliced
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
1 (17.25 ounce) package frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed

Combine the lemon and 4 cups water in a large bowl. Place the sliced apples in the water to keep them from browning.
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Drain water from apples, and place them into the hot skillet. Cook and stir for about 2 minutes. Add brown sugar, and cinnamon, and cook, stirring, for 2 more minutes. Stir together cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water. Pour into the skillet, and mix well. Cook for another minute, or until sauce has thickened. Remove from heat to cool slightly.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Unfold puff pastry sheets, and repair any cracks by pressing them back together. Trim each sheet into a square. Then cut each larger square into 4 smaller squares. Spoon apples onto the center of each squares. Fold over from corner to corner into a triangle shape, and press edges together to seal. Place turnovers on a baking sheet, leaving about 1 inch between them.
Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until turnovers are puffed and lightly browned.

Brandy

Crock Pot Creamy Chicken

I am not sure what else to call this except for delicious! I have posted this on my personal blog before but not on here yet! This is now a staple meal! Also I must advise you that if you do not use your crock pot now is the time to start! It simplifies your life!

3-4 Frozen Chicken Breasts
2 cans cream of chicken
atleast 1/2 cup sour cream (more the better)
1 packet dry lipton onion soup mix

Put all the ingedients into the crock pot. (If chicken isnt fully covered you can add a little chicken broth) Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. Once cooked take two forks and shred the chicken in the crockpot. Serve over Rice and add cheese on top!
I could eat this all day! Thank You Shannon for this recipe!

Enjoy!
Jen

Creamy Sausage Rotel Dip

I love that I actually have time to cook on the weekends! I also made this recipe for the Ugly Sweater party, it was my Mexican dish! A coworker brings this to all the holiday potlucks and it is always one of the first things gone!

Creamy Sausage Rotel Dip

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1 pound hot sausage (You can use regular as well, just depends on your preference)

2 pkgs cream cheese

2 cans rotel (hot is HOT, just a warning, Mild works great)

Cook sausage thoroughly, then add cream cheese and rotel. Cook on medium until cream cheese is melted.

Serve with chips (Santitas are our favorite) and enjoy!

Jen

Boston Cream Pie

Have you gained five pounds yet with these last couple of posts? So because my cream puffs were a disaster, I had to come up with something else to use the cream with. My meme had made a boston cream pie (cake) before and it was pretty simple. Her filling was more simple (vanilla pudding and whipped cream) but mine would do just perfectly! It was a huge hit at the party!

Boston Cream Pie

1 box yellow cake

*all ingredients on box, 3 eggs, 3/4 cup oil, and 1 1/4 cup water)

Filling

2 cups milk

1 pkg instant vanilla pudding mix

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 pkg cream cheese (or the 1/3 the fat version that no one can pronounce)

1 container of cool whip or homeade whipped cream

Chocolate Frosting

Divide batter evenly into two 8 inch pans and bake according to the directions on the cake box.

Make sure your pan  (s) are sprayed heavily with pam so that the cake with easily come out.

Once baked, set on separate plates and set in freezer to cool for 30 minutes.

In the mean time...

Directions for filling:

Mix together milk and pudding mix. Add in sweetened condensed milk and cream cheese and mix together until smooth. Add whipped topping and fold in mixture with spatula until well mixed. Put in fridge until ready to use. This will make to much but its delicious!

Take out one of the cakes and top with plenty of filling, it might run over the sides but that is Okay! Place back in freezer for at least 15 minutes.

Once filling has set take out of freezer and place the other 8 inch cake on top. Frost with Chocolate Frosting!

Serve and Enjoy!

This recipe takes a while because of the cooling time but other than that is super easy!

Jen

Cream Puffs

This is where my attempts turned unsuccessful. However since it was a human error and I am positive they would have turned out to be delicious if it wasnt for my big mistake I am posting it anyways!

So you want to know how I messed them up? I am really embarrassed to say but for some reason I thought wax paper was the same thing as parchment paper... If you thought it was too then I am saving you the heart ache and embarrassment! It is definitely not and will burn when put in the oven followed by a chain reaction of events that include stopping everything you are doing to give your dogs baths because they are so terrified of the smoky house and fire alarm they have to get as far away from it as possible!

Anyways... This delectable looking treat was going to be my "international" dish since they originated in Germany!

Cream Puffs

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The Puff Ingredients

1 cup water

¼ teaspoon salt

½ tbs sugar

¼ cup butter

1 cup all-purpose flour

4 large eggs

The filling

2 cups milk

1 pkg instant vanilla pudding

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 pkg cream cheese (or the 1/3 the fat version that no one can pronounce)

1 container of cool whip or homeade whipped cream

Chocolate sauce if desired

Directions for filling:

Mix together milk and pudding mix. Add in sweetened condensed milk and cream cheese and mix together until smooth. Add whipped topping and fold in mixture with spatula until well mixed. Put in fridge until ready to use. This will make to much but its delicious!

Cream Puff Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
1. Combine water, salt, sugar and butter in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until butter melts. Add flour all at once, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon until mixture leaves sides of pan and forms a smooth ball. The mixture resembles mashed potatoes. Remove from heat; cool 5 minutes.
2. Transfer mixture to a mixing bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed with an electric mixer. Scrap down the sides of bowl occasionally and beat until batter is smooth.
3. Spoon mixture heaping tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet, leaving 2 inches between puffs.
4. Bake immediately for 35 minutes or until puffs are golden brown and have a crisp shell. (Do not open the oven door during the first 15 minutes of baking time.) Remove from oven and cool on wire racks.
5. Cut tops off and fill with 2½ tablespoons custard; replace tops and drizzle with 1 tablespoon chocolate sauce. Serve immediately.
6. Storage: Store baked unfilled cream puff shells in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Use within 24 hours or freeze up to 2 months.

Hershey Kiss Cookies

This is the first of a couple things I made this weekend. I hosted an Ugly Sweater party and had to come up with some holiday/international treats! This is one of my successful attempts! And yes that does mean there were some unsuccessful....

I have had these before but I forgot how delicious they are! The kiss in the middle is the perfect amount of chocolate!!

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ingredients

 

1 3/4 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. shortening
1/2 c. peanut butter

1 egg
3 tbsp. milk

1 tsp. vanilla
48 kisses (9 oz. bag)

 

 

directions

 

Combine all ingredients except for kisses. Form dough into 1 inch balls and roll in sugar to coat. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Take out and immediately put on Hershey Kiss.

 

*I forgot to roll them in sugar but they turned out just fine without it, just one more way to save a few calories! kinda.....

 

Now thats easy and delicious!

Enjoy!

Jen

Mmmm Mmm Good Homeade Chicken Noodle Soup

I love coming home to a good hot & ready meal! For this reason I LOVE the Crock pot! You can make almost anything in the crock pot, even cakes! Well todays forecast was wet and dreary and cold. THe solution, Soup! So I searched some recipes and found one for my 2nd favorite kitchen gadget (1st is the kitchen aid!) All I had to do when I came home was boil water and cook the noodles! So fifteen minutes after getting home I am enjoying a delicious meal! Here it is!!

Chicken Noodle Soup

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2 chicken breasts (Frozen)
2 cups water
4 cups chicken broth
1 tsp garlic powder
3 Sliced Carrots
2 tbs minced onion
4 chicken boillon cubes
salt & pepper to taste
*3 tsp corn starch to thicken if desired

1 pkg egg noodles


Put all ingredients in the crock pot  except the noodles. Cook on low for 8 hours, a little longer won't hurt either! Use a fork and shred the chicken in the crock pot and cut up the carrots.
Serve over egg noodles!

Enjoy!
Jen

Chicken Broccoli Biscuit Casserole

Last night I had to go to the grocery store. I was hungry. The number one rule of grocery stores is to "Not go while you are hungry!" So since I had to go home anyways I figured I would try and make dinner before I went. One problem, I felt like I didn't have any thing to make! I had half of all the ingredients I needed to make stuff! So to the clouds.. Just kidding. I started rummaging through my pantry & fridge and found a meal! yay! It turned out delicious! Here it is:

Chicken Cheddar Broccoli Biscuit Casserole (say that 5 times fast!)

1 can of Texas style biscuits (10/can)
2 chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken
1 cup fresh or frozen broccoli
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Cut chicken into cubes and cook thoroughly. (I seasoned mine with lemon pepper and cooked in olive oil) Simultaneously boil broccoli in separate pan. Once chicken and broccoli are cooked, place the chicken in the pan with the broccoli. Add CoC/Sour Cream/& cheddar cheese and put on medium heat until heated throughout and cheese is melted. Grease a 9 X 9 Pan and place 7 biscuits in bottom of pan. Pour chicken/broccoli mixture on top of biscuits. Then tear the remaining 3 biscuits into small pieces and place on top of the mixture. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until biscuit pieces on top are golden brown. Let sit to cool for atleast 5 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!
Jen