Joy in the Kitchen!

Time to carve pumpkins!   Be sure to save the seeds for snacking.   We look forward to pumpkin seeds every bit as much as carving the pumpkins at our house.  Last night we carved 4, and got PLENTY of seeds to enjoy.  If Worcestershire isn't a flavor you enjoy, try substituting 1/2 tsp season salt or garlic salt.  I love the Worcestershire though, Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm! Seasoned Pumpkin Seeds 2 C. pumpkin seeds  (or winter squash seeds bake up nicely too) 2 T. margarine 2 tsp.  Worcestershire 1 tsp. salt Clean and rinse the seeds.  Cover in water and bring to a boil for 10 minutes.  Drain.  Mix margarine, Worcestershire sauce and salt in saucepan.  Add seeds and coat well.  Coat cookie sheet with cooking spray and spread seeds evenly.  Bake at 350 until seeds darken and seem crisp.... maybe about 30 minutes.  Stir occasionally.  Just keep checking them every 10 minutes until they ...

I LOVE Pumpkin Pie, but sometimes I just don't feel like going to the work of making a good pie crust.  This dessert has filling really similar to pumpkin pie, but instead of a crust, you just sprinkle a dry cake mix across the top, drizzle butter over that and bake.  Easy Peasy!  (Or Easy Cheesy Lemon Squeezy as my 1st grader says. lol)  My 8 year old daughter mixed up the filling pretty much by herself. (I reached the spices out of the cupboard) Once it cools, Pumpkin Pie Cake cuts into squares nicely.  Often, we just spoon it out of the pan though, not worrying about a nice, clean cut square.  Tonight we used canned whipped cream, but nothing beats freshly whipped real cream as a topping.  MMmmmm! Pumpkin Pie Cake 1 29 oz. can pumpkin 1 12 oz. can evaporated milk 3 lg. eggs 1 C. sugar 2 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. nutmeg 1/2 tsp. ginger 1/2 tsp. cloves 1 pkg yellow or white cake mix 1 C. butter or margarine 1 C. chopped walnuts Preheat o...

Pumpkins are one of my favorite fall decorations!  We grew several large jack-o-lantern pumpkins and more than a dozen small pie pumpkins this year.  Right now our large ones are adorning the front door while they wait to be carved next week. Pumpkin is also one of my favorite ingredients!  Pumpkin pie is my favorite pie, hands down.  These Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins are a delicious way to celebrate fall.  I got the recipe from someone at Frugal Families about 5 years ago.  I can't even count how many batches I've made.  My family loves them!   I usually make a double or triple batch of these for 2 reasons.... 1.   We love them!  and 2. There are 3 cups of pumpkin in a 29 oz can and each batch uses 1 cup.  Each batch makes about a dozen.  They freeze really well and ship well too if you're looking for a treat to send.   If you have a hard time finding pumpkin in the store, don't be afraid to cook a s...

You may have noticed my blogging has slowed down the past week or so.  I've decided to try a sewing project.  Partly to prove you CAN teach an old dog new tricks. lol  I cook.... I don't sew.  (at least not very well)  I'm nearly done though, only a few seams unpicked, a few pin stabbings, and only once had the urge to say a bad word. (and I even resisted that!)  lol  Soon we'll get back to our regular hobby of cooking. Apple Crisp .  You know, when I was younger, the only part I liked was the crisp part on top.  Okay - so that was pretty much up until now.  The apples were always just a little too tart for my taste and often too firm, I like them almost mushy.  SO... with my need to figure out ways to use apples right now, I decided to fiddle with the recipe and see if I could make a crisp that I like, fruit and all.  I DO like apple pie filling - so I thought I'd treat the sliced apples the same as if I were making a pie an...

Dh's Grandma was famous for her rolls.  She always brought the rolls to Thanksgiving and other family dinners and those rolls disappeared FAST!  She submitted this recipe for our family cookbook, and I grew to love it!  I found out later that this is not the recipe she made most of the time, but I trust her judgment and if it was good enough to submit, it is good enough for me!  :o)  I sure miss having her here to call for help on a recipe or just to chat.  From start to finish this takes me almost 90 minutes only because I  bake one sheet of rolls at a time.  I could put both in the oven at once but I don't think they brown evenly that way.  These freeze well.  My photo would have looked better with the rolls piled up in a basket, but today these rolls were for a luncheon after a funeral.  They are transported easier on the baking sheets. You'll want a mixer that can handle 10 cups of flour, OR just mix them up by hand.  I...

Corn chowder is a wonderful warm meal for a cold evening.  This version is what my Mom always cooked, it is different than any other corn chowder I've seen because it is thickened with saltine crackers.  It is a bit thinner than a soup thickened with flour or cornstarch.  Last night we served this with homemade french bread. Corn Chowder 8 slices of bacon 1 medium onion, chopped 4 medium potatoes, chopped  2 C. water 2 C. cooked corn 8 saltine crackers 2 C. milk 1 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp pepper Brown bacon in large sauce pan.  Add onion and cook until tender.  Add potatoes and water.  Cook until the potatoes are tender.  Smoosh up the crackers into the milk and let soak.  Add corn, salt, pepper and milk mixture to potato mixture.  Heat to boiling.  Serve hot. Joy's Note:  Sometimes I add a tsp. of chicken boullion.  Once in a while we put shredded cheddar on top.

Yesterday was my birthday!  It is tradition at our house, that you choose your own birthday meal. (We also have a couple of fancy plates the birthday person gets to choose from.  They are from the dollar store but you wouldn't believe how much we look forward to this tradition!) I chose ham, scalloped potatoes (my Mom's recipe - it is THE best!), corn, and this Smooth and Creamy Pear Jello Salad .  Lucky Mom that I am, I got to fix my own dinner too!  LOL!  (I'm sure many others of you Mom's out there share this priviledge. lol )  My sweet daughter Audra made my cake.  Chocolate with chocolate frosting. I should have taken a picture. YUMMY!  Thanks Audra! I'm just featuring this Pear Jello Salad today.  It is absolutely wonderful.  It would work nicely as a light dessert as well.  I could eat a whole batch by myself.  I don't, but I could.  Just so ya know. ;o)  I used Lime flavored jello this time, but you could...