Light and Fluffy Pumpkin Pancakes

Winner Winner Pancake Dinner!!!These are super yummy!!! I like to grab one hot off the plate and eat it! No Syrup needed if you ask me, but good with it too! Im posting a recipe for a Apple Cider Syrup that is suppose to be delicious with the pancakes, but I have not made it before.

Light and Fluffy Pumpkin Pancakes

Katie (Katiedid) from Recipezaar

1 ¼ c all-purpose flour

2 T sugar

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp ginger

½ tsp nutmeg

½ tsp salt

1 pinch cloves

1 c 1% low-fat milk (can be any kind)

6 T canned pumpkin puree

2 T melted butter

1 egg

Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, spices and salt in a bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, pumpkin, melted butter, and egg. Fold mixture into dry ingredients. Spray or grease a skillet and heat over medium heat; pour in ¼ cup batter for each pancake. Cook pancakes about 3 minutes per side. Serve with butter and syrup. Makes about six 6-inch pancakes.

Katiedid's Notes: I tripled the recipe and for the 3 ¾ flour I used 2 cups whole wheat and 1/¾ cups all-purpose. I added about 1 tablespoon more sugar (7 T total) and a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice to spice them up a little more since the kids eat these plain. I used skim milk. I spread the batter out a bit on the griddle and these still turned out light, thick and fluffy. From a triple batch, I got 24 large (maybe 5-inch) pancakes. I froze them and they reheat beautifully in the toaster. Also delicious with apple cider syrup.

Hot Apple Cider Syrup

Katie (Katiedid) from Recipezaar

¾ c apple cider

½ c packed brown sugar

½ c corn syrup

2 T butter or margarine

½ tsp lemon juice

½ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until slightly thickened. Let stand for 30 minutes before serving.

Candied Pecans

I made these yesterday for teachers gifts. Simple and yummy(or so my husband told me, I dont like pecans)!

Candied Pecans
Michelle (MMmom) from my mom

1 tablespoon egg white
2 cups pecans or walnuts
¼ cup sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 300. Mix egg white with pecans, stirring until pecans are coated and sticky. Mix sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle over pecans. Stir until pecans are evenly coated. Spread on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Makes 2 cups.

Sloppy Joe Turnovers

This is a totally kid friendly meal!

They can help you make it and that will totally make them want to eat it! It worked for me! My kids helped roll out the biscuits and fill the biscuits up with the filling.

I found this recipe on Babycenter. Again, a trusted place for me to find great, fun, tasty, and easy recipes!

I added a tablespoon or two of BBQ sauce and a tad bit more of sour cream. We made 4 turnovers and 4 muffin variations to see which ones the kids liked best, and they preferred the turnover version.

Sloppy Joe Turnovers
~*~Sandy~*~

1 lb ground beef (or turkey)
1/4 cup chopped onion (or onion powder)
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup sour cream (lite)
1/2 t salt
1/4 t garlic powder
10-oz can Hungry Jack Flaky Biscuits (10 biscuits) (larger biscuits work better)

Preheat oven to 375º.

Brown the ground beef and onion, drain. Add the ketchup, sour cream, salt and garlic powder, stir to combine.

Roll out dough to 4” round. Place 1/4 cup (or so) meat mixture in center and fold over top. Seal edges firmly with fork. Bake 15 minutes.

Sandy’s notes: I use ground turkey, light sour cream, and reduced fat biscuits (when I can find them). Turn it into a casserole by using two cans of refrigerated pizza dough. Press one can of dough into bottom of casserole dish, spread meat mixture on top. Carefully lay the second piece of dough on top and stretch to cover casserole. Pinch together any tears. Bake at 375º for 20-25 minutes. Make sure center is done. If not, cover with foil and put on bottom rack for another 5-10 minutes. Cut into squares.

To freeze: Whenever I make this recipe I double the filling, and freeze half of it. Then when ready, thaw the filling and make the individual turnovers (or a casserole) with fresh dough. Also makes an excellent pizza topping, with grated cheddar sprinkled on top.

Muffin tin variation: Grease muffin tins and press in biscuits. Fill with 3-4 tablespoons meat. Top with cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 12 minutes.

Ever since I made this recipe several years ago, it has become my "go-to" recipe for turkey.

It is so moist, juicy and flavorful that there should be no other way to make a turkey!

It is actually the ONLY Sandra Lee recipe I like!

Roasted Butter Herb Turkey

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
• 2 tablespoons garlic herb sauce mix (recommended: Knorr)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed garlic
• 1 (32-ounce) bag celery and carrot party sticks
• 2 large onions, large dice
• 1 (32-ounce) container low-sodium chicken broth
• 12-pound turkey, thawed if necessary
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon pepper
• 3 (3/4-ounce) packets fresh herbs poultry herb blend (sage, thyme and rosemary)
• 1 lemon, thickly sliced

Directions

In a small bowl, combine softened butter, poultry seasoning, garlic herb sauce mix, and crushed garlic. Use a fork to mix together until well combined. Cover and put in the refrigerator for 15 to 30 minutes, until firm but not hard.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Arrange celery, carrots, and half of the diced onions in the bottom of a roasting pan. Add chicken broth and set aside.

Rinse the thawed turkey and pat dry. Use your finger to carefully loosen the skin around the entire bird. Take the butter mixture and cut into large pieces. Place the butter pieces under the skin of the entire turkey. Rub the remaining butter pieces on the outside of the skin and season with salt and pepper. Stuff the inside of turkey cavity with remaining onions, fresh herb poultry blend, and lemon slices. (Truss if necessary.) Insert the pop-up thermometer at an angle about 3-inches down from the neck cavity and 2-inches from the breast bone, in the thickest part of the breast.

Place turkey on the bed of vegetables in roasting pan. Place in the oven and reduce temperature to 325 degrees F. Roast for 1 hour, then baste with pan juices every 20 minutes until thermometer pops up or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thigh registers 180 degrees F, about 3 hours.

Roasted Garlic-Parmigiano Broccoli

Here is another favorite at my house! I have used fresh and frozen broccoli and even cauliflower!

Its always a hit!

Roasted Garlic-Parmigiano Broccoli
Michelle (MMmom) from Food & Wine

Roasting broccoli makes it sweet; topping it with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and broiling it makes it additively crispy and almost nutty tasting.

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2 large garlic cloves, very thinly sliced
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 pounds broccoli, cut into long spears and stems peeled
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 425°. Position a rack in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. In a food processor, pulse the butter with the garlic and cheese until smooth. Scrape the butter into a small bowl and season lightly with salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, toss the broccoli spears with the olive oil and season them with salt and pepper. Spread the broccoli spears on 2 large rimmed baking sheets and roast for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring once and shifting the pans halfway through, until the broccoli is crisp-tender and browned on the bottom.

Preheat the broiler. Return the broccoli spears to the bowl and toss with the garlic-cheese butter. Transfer the broccoli to the baking sheets, scraping all of the butter in the bowl onto the spears. Broil one pan at a time 6 inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until the butter is golden in spots. Transfer the roasted broccoli to a platter and serve.

Crockpot Pineapple Chicken

OK, I have to say...I loved this! It was so yummy!!! Not too sweet at all and for it to be Weight Watcher friendly is a huge plus!
Hubby liked it, but he didn't eat any of the pineapple chunks or the sauce. He is weird like that.

Diva M didn't like it, but she likes pineapple and chicken. I guess just not put together.

C-man wouldn't touch it, but I have said before " self-made vegetarian" over here.

I added a bit more soy sauce than the recipe called for because when I taste tested it, it was too pineapple-y for me. The soy sauce mellowed it out perfectly. I served it over rice.

Crockpot Pineapple Chicken

6 whole chicken breast halves without skin -- skinned and split
1 dash pepper
To taste paprika
20 ounces pineapple chunks in juice -- 1 can tidbits
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 clove garlic -- minced

Arrange chicken in bottom of crockpot. Sprinkle with pepper and paprika. In a small bowl, combine drained pineapple tidbits, mustard and soy sauce. Pour over chicken. Add minced garlic. Cover and cook on LOW 7-9 hours or HIGH 3-4 hours. Makes 6 serving.

Per Serving: 194 Calories; 2g Fat; 28g Protein; 16g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 68mg Cholesterol; 483mg Sodium.

Strawberry Bread

I had a quart size bag of already sliced fresh strawberries that I needed to use up. I went on the hunt for a strawberry bread recipe and found this one on Cooks.com

Jake is loving on a slice of this bread right now as we speak.

My only complaint is that the nutmeg is too overpowering. I can't taste the cinnamon and the strawberries are faint. The next time I make it I will use less nutmeg and more cinnamon or keep the nutmeg out all together.

It was easy to throw together! I just wish it used more of my strawberries. I still have half of the quart size bag left!

Strawberry Bread

3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1tsp. cinnamon
1tsp. nutmeg
1tsp. baking soda
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup oil (I used applesauce instead)
1 cup nuts, chopped(I omitted)
1tsp. vanilla
1(10ounce) box frozen strawberries, thawed to room temp (I used fresh)

Mix dry ingredients together. Make a well in the center and add the liquid ingredients. Mix by hand until moistened. Pour into bread pans that have been buttered and sugared. Bake at 350 degree for 1 hour and 15 mins. Cool on rack. Freezes Well.

*Mine only took a hour and 5 mins to cook, so check on it around a hour.

Shredded BBQ Chicken(Crock pot)

I have yet to find a good BBQ place in Houston. I have no idea why its hard for me, but I'm really picky when it comes to BBQ.
My favorite place is called C&J's BBQ in College Station. They have the best jalapeno cheese sausage ever! The blackberry cobbler is awesome..and the place just screams BBQ!

Since I have not been able to find a place even close, I tend to make my own. This recipe is my absolute favorite for shredded BBQ sandwiches! Its so easy to throw together. I have even put the chicken in the crock pot straight from the freezer! No defrosting required!

Slow-Cooker BBQ Chicken
Jackie (Theboysandagirl)

3-4 chicken breasts (can be frozen)
2 C ketchup
4 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp vinegar
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Mix all ingredients (except chicken) in crock-pot. Add the chicken, coating each piece in sauce. Cook on high 4 hours. Remove chicken and
shred/pull with forks. Return to pot and stir in sauce to coat. Serve on buns.

Cindy's notes: I add 1/2C of our favorite BBQ sauce to the slow cooker aswell

Stuffed Zucchini

I surf the net a lot....A LOT! I came across this awesome blog called Dutch Girl Cooking.

Her recipe for Stuffed Zucchini caught my eye and I just had to make it!

You can read her hilarious entry and recipe here.

I did not use the tomato that she suggests, instead I used a roasted redpepper. And I did not use curry powder since we dont even have that in my pantry.
Not sure what it would of added to the dish, but I loved the stuffed zucchini.

My hubby and kids, not so much.

Oh well, plenty for me!

Parmesan Crusted Tilapia

This is another super simple way to make Tilapia and its so yummy!


Parmesan Crusted Tilapia

3-4 Tilapia fillets
2.5 cups Panko Bread Crumbs
1 cup Parmesean cheese
1/2 TSP Pepper
1/2 TSP Parsley
1/2 TSP Salt
1 egg wash mixture(1 egg with a little bit of water)

Dip fish in egg mixture, then coat with the breading mixture and bake or pan fry until done. I baked mine on 350 till the fish was done, all this depends on the size of your fillets. I then turned on the broiler and got a nice brown on top.

Crispy Roasted Potatoes

My husband absolutely loved these! They are so yummy! The go great with the BBQ Beef Roast in the Oven.



Crispy Pan-Roasted Potatoes:
Sandy


3 lbs red potatoes, peeled and cubed
2-3 T oil, seasoned salt to taste
paprika

To prepare, heat oil in non-stick pan. Add potatoes, season and stir into oil so the potato cubes are well coated. Cook on medium to medium-high heat, do not stir, for 5 minutes (check to make sure the heat isn't too high). Stir potatoes and cook for another 5 minutes. Continue to cook and stir every 5 minutes until potatoes are browned and crispy.

BBQ Beef Roast in the Oven

I saw this recipe on the Babycenter Cooking for your Family board and I knew I had to try it.

Only problem was, I didn't have a beef roast. So what do you do in a jam like this? You improvise! I used a pork loin in place of the beef roast.

OH.MY.WORD was this good! I mean really really good. The aroma it put off the whole time it was cooking was simply mouth watering!

You absolutely must try this recipe! No ifs, ands, or buts about it! Add it to your list and try it out now! I served this with Crispy Roasted Potatoes and roasted asparagus.

Barbecued Beef Roast in the Oven
~*~Sandy~*~
via The Big Book of Easy Suppers

Just the aroma of this meat roasting in the oven will pique your appetite. It takes 1 1/2 hours to cook, but it is worth the wait. Bake some potatoes along with the roast for a weekday family supper. Leftover meat makes good sandwiches the next day.

1 beef top round roast, 1 1/2 inches thick (about 3 pounds)
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup ketchup
1 T prepare mustard
1 tsp prepared horseradish
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 small yellow onion, sliced

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Place beef in a lightly sprayed or oiled roasting pan or Dutch oven. Season with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, combine ketchup, mustard, horseradish and Worcestershire sauce and mix well. Spread mixture over meat and arrange onion slices on top. Cover and bake until meat is tender, about 1 1/2 hours.

If desired, to make gravy, blend 1/4 cup flour with 1/2 cup water and stir into pan juices over medium heat until thickened.

Sandy's Notes: Caramelize the onion before adding to the pot

Comforting Smothered Chicken

Well hello yummy..southern...comforting goodness. It has been a while.

My husband does not like things soaked in a nice gravy....he is weird...but I love him anyways.

This dish was amazing! It made me think of home, made me all warm and fuzzy inside, and filled me up!

You absolutely must try this dish! I found this recipe on the Babycenter Cooking for your Family Board. So they get all the props on this one!

Comforting Smothered Chicken (meltort)

3-4 boneless chicken breasts
2 teaspoons seasoning salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2/3 cup flour
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 small onion, sliced
2 cups chicken broth, low sodium

Season flour with salt and pepper and mix well. Coat chicken completely with the seasoned flour. Heat oil in heavy skillet. Add chicken and brown on each side (about 4 minutes per side). Remove and set aside. Add sliced onions to the pan drippings and cook for 1 minute. Add remaining flour continue to stir until onions and flour begin to brown. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil, stir until incorporated and return chicken to the gravy, cover skillet, reduce heat and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until gravy is thick and chicken is tender.

** My notes: I used chicken tenders since that's what I had. I think I will use more chicken broth next time, my gravy got really thick. Love this dish!

Blueberry Coffeecake

I am one of those "Can't wait to try it people". I cant wait to try new recipes and I surely cant wait for things to cool off before trying them. Which usually results in a scorched tongue! Usually, the numbing, burning pain is so worth it!

And this my friends, was so totally worth it! It will be awesome tomorrow morning for breakfast but I loved it today for my dessert after lunch! It took zero time to throw together, not very many ingredients and always things I have on hand!

You must give this a try!

Blueberry Coffeecake
from Lin at That Lin Chick

Cake
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup shortening
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
2 cups sifted flour
2tsp baking powder
1/2tsp salt
2 cups blueberries(fresh or frozen)

Crumb topping
1/2cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/2tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup butter

Directions
Mix sugar, shortening, and egg together until well blended. Stir in milk. In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt. Combine the wet and dry ingredients, add in blueberries last, folding gently.
Pout into a greased 8 inch round pan. Mix the crumb mixture together and sprinkle on top.
Bake at 375 degrees for 45-50 mins.

**My notes- I used frozen blueberries and I used a spring foam pan to bake it in.

Pierogi Chicken Lasagna

OH. MY. GOODNESS!
Talk about heavenly! This meal was just.....just......AMAZING!

Hubby and I devoured this! Another one the kids wouldn't touch, but again..I'm not surprised.

I definitely plan to make this one again! Next time I plan to use more sauce since it was a little dry for our tastes. Hubby likes a lot of sauce on his pasta!

Pierogi Chicken Lasagna
~*~Sandy~*~

Preparation Time: 10 Mins
Total Time: 40 Mins
Number of Servings: 4

A nice twist on classic lasagna! Try this creative version with layers of potato stuffed pasta and tender slices of white meat chicken baked in a traditional red sauce and lots of cheese.

Ingredients and Steps:

1 lb pierogies, frozen
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
1 (18 oz) jar spaghetti sauce
4 grilled chicken breasts, sliced

1. Preheat oven to 375° F.

2. Pour half of the sauce into a 9"x 9" casserole dish.

3. Layer pierogies over sauce and top with sliced chicken breast.

4. Pour remaining sauce over casserole and sprinkle with cheese.

5. Cover with sprayed foil and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Roasted Potatoes and Sausage

This is one of my favorite meals.

Why do you ask? It reminds me of my mom, and its always good to think of your mom, especially when its over a food that she helped teach you how to make.

This meal is not a fancy meal by any means, but its a nice hot, comforting meal sure to please any one in your family. OK, who am I kidding, my kids wont touch this, but they don't know any better. In time I know this will become one of their favorites too because it will be something I have taught them to make just like my mom taught me.

This is just a standard recipe. You can add or take away as much as you like. This was the measurement of ingredients I used tonight and it fed myself and my husband and leftovers for the both of us.

Roasted Potatoes and Sausage

4 large russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1-2 packages of Ekrich Smoked Dinner Sausage
2 packages of dry onion soup mix
canola oil (you just want enough oil to make the onion soup mix stick to the potatoes and sausage)
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced or use a micro plane
1 medium size red onion, cubed
pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Toss all of the ingredients in a bowl till covered with the onion soup mix. Place in a greased(with Pam) casserole dish(9x13). Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour. Check after 1 hour, if potatoes are done(stick with a fork) then your dish is done, if not , let it go for a little longer.


I served this with Parmesan Zucchini tonight but its also fine by itself and with some nice bread!

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan

So, my husband is allergic to shellfish. SIGH...sad I know. I love shellfish!

Anyways, so I still try to get him to eat some kind of fish since its better for you. Luckily, tilapia is a fish that he has learned to love! Especially when I make it this way! Even my daughter loves it! She eats a whole fillet by herself! I wish I could say the same for my oldest son, but again, self made vegetarian. I usually serve this with couscous because that is the one thing that my picky son will eat, and broccoli.

Tilapia is a great mild, buttery fish. If you have not tried it before, this should be your first recipe to try out!

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan

2 pounds tilapia filets
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon celery salt

Preheat your oven's broiler, and grease a broiling pan, or line with aluminum foil.

In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise, and lemon juice and season with dried basil, pepper, onion powder, and celery salt, mix well and set aside.

Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the fillets over, and broil for a couple more minutes.

Remove the fillets from the oven, and cover them with the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side and broil for 2 more minutes, or until the topping is browned, and fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to over cook the fish

Pumpkin Gingerbread from Cyndy

These are amazing!

My house smells like fall!

And if you have read my Texas post earlier this week, you know that we just don't get fall around here! So to make my house smell like fall is awesomeness!

These muffins are light, fluffy, and oh so moist! I have eaten 2 already. *blushing*

You can get the recipe over at Daily Cynema. My friend Cyndy has tons of other recipes on her site, even some awesome looking Greek cuisine!

Honey Garlic Chicken

I tried out another new recipe tonight that I got off Babycenter Cooking for your Family. Its a winner at our house!

My daughter said this was too sweet, so next time I will use less brown sugar and more soy sauce. I also used chicken tenders since thats what I had on hand.
But over all, its a fantastic quick dish!

Honey Garlic Chicken
Niki5959

INGREDIENTS
1 onion, sliced
1 large package of cut up chicken pieces
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda

DIRECTIONS

Place onion on bottom of crock pot. Place chicken on top of onion. In a large bowl, combine the honey, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic and brown sugar. Stir until honey and sugar are completely dissolved, then stir in the baking soda. The mixture will begin to foam. Pour over chicken and cook on low until done

NOTE: I turned the chicken about halfway through to make sure both sides were covered with the sauce.

No Peek Tips

This is another Babycenter Cooking for your Family recipe. Its also a family favorite! My daughter just loves it!

We do not use the mushrooms since no one really eats them and we serve them over buttered egg noodles.

I wish I had a picture, but I forgot!




No Peek Tips
(fourwonderfulboys)

2 lbs cubed stew beef
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can mushrooms
1 pkg dry onion soup mix
1 pkg dry brown gravy mix
1 c. ginger ale or 7 up


Layer ingredients in proceeding order. Cover and bake at 300* for 3 hours.

Or Make in the slow cooker for 6hrs on low. Serve over rice or the egg noodles.