Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake

let me start by saying that I am not a fan of anything pumpkin flavored. But I know a lot of people who are, so I thought I would bake a Pumpkin Cheesecake for a church gathering we had in November. It was very simple, but you have to take time into consideration. Real cheesecake is a time consuming dessert. After baking and cooling (in and out of the oven) for 2 1/2 hours, you still have to chill in the fridge for at least 6 hrs. it is something that you need to plan ahead.
It turned out wonderful and it was all eaten by people that love pumpkin and said it was very tasty.

Ingredients:
Crust
2 cups gingersnap cookie crumbs (about 32)
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

Cheesecake 4 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions:

Heat oven to 300°F. Grease 9-inch springform pan with shortening or cooking spray. Wrap foil around pan to catch drips. In small bowl, mix cookie crumbs and butter. Press crumb mixture in bottom and 1 inch up side of pan. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set. Cool 5 minutes.
In large bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed just until smooth and creamy; do not overbeat. On low speed, gradually beat in sugar. On low speed, beat in eggs, one at a time, just until blended. Spoon 3 cups of the cream cheese mixture into pan; spread evenly.
Stir pumpkin, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg into remaining cream cheese mixture; mix with wire whisk until smooth. Spoon over mixture in pan.
Bake 1 hour 25 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes or until edges are set but center of cheesecake still jiggles slightly when moved.
Turn oven off; open oven door at least 4 inches. Leave cheesecake in oven 30 minutes longer. Remove from oven; place on cooling rack. Without releasing side of pan, run knife around edge of pan to loosen cheesecake. Cool in pan on cooling rack 30 minutes. Cover loosely; refrigerate at least 6 hours but no longer than 24 hours.
Run knife around edge of pan to loosen cheesecake again; carefully remove side of pan. Place cheesecake on serving plate. Store cheesecake covered in refrigerator.

Blackberry Muffins

It is summer and that means blackberries are ready.  I have a few lots around my house that are wooded and full of these yummy treats.  We also have vines at work. 

This is what we see out the back window.

So - I went out during lunch and got a few.  :0

I had about 6 cups.  I must admit that I ate most of them "as is" but I made sure to leave enough to make a few muffins.  They were very yummy!

Blackberry Muffins from Taste of Home

1/2 cup butter, softened

1-1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup whole milk
2 cups fresh or frozen blackberries

In a large bowl, cream butter and 1-1/4 cups sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually stir into creamed mixture alternately with milk. beating well after each addition. Fold in blackberries so you don't mash them all up. ;0

Fill greased or paper-lined muffins cups two-thirds full. Sprinkle with remaining sugar. Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Serve warm. Yield: 1-1/2 dozen.

Chocolate Oatmeal Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies

I have always loved these cookies.  So while my MIL was visiting, we made some.  And then we made more and more.  They are addicting.
You can get the recipe I used here.  They are so fast and easy.

Cajun Shrimp

I was looking for a recipe that was low calorie but still tasted great.  This is it!  Another wonderful recipe from Allrecipes.com.  It was easy and fast but tasted as good something I could get at a little restaurant on the beach.  Shane and I both love it.
You can get the recipe for here.

Coconut Butterballs

I made these for a little cookie exchange that I was invited too.  I had never made them before and I loved how they turned out.  They really were very easy and they taste better the day after.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
2 Tbsp powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup unsifted flour
3/4 cup flaked coconut

Cream butter, sugar, and vanilla together.  Add flour all at once and blend.  Add coconut mixing well.  Shape into small balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Chill for 15 minutes in the fridge.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until lightly browned.  Roll in additional powdered sugar while warm.

**The cookie stays in a ball and doesn't spread so they can be placed very close on the cookie sheet.

French Toast Casserole

Please forgive the photo quality.  It was taken with my iphone and for some reason the apples look green.

On Saturday night, I was thinking about making French toast on Sunday for breakfast.  We had a lot of bread that was about to expire and French toast is a great way to use it up.  Then I remembered this great recipe that was sent to me by a friend on facebook.  Thank goodness I did not delete that message.  :0

1/2 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

2 apples, peeled and sliced

1 loaf Italian bread

6-8 eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Cinnamon and/or nutmeg

Heat the sugar and butter in a sauce pan until it turns into a syrup.

Pour the syrup in a 9x13 inch baking dish

Put the sliced apples on top of the syrup.

Slice the bread into 1 1/2" pieces and layer on top of apples

Mix vanilla, eggs, and cinnamon/nutmeg and pour evenly over the bread

Sprinkle with more cinnamon.

Cover and refrigerate over night.

Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes covered and then 10 minutes uncovered.

The only difference in mine was that I didn't have Italian bread so I used cubed plain sliced bread.  I also chopped my apples because it was faster.  I also did not use nutmeg since I am not a fan.  

It still tasted like French Toast and Apple Pie in one!  Thanks Chris McKnight!

Pecan Pie

Photo is before they went in the oven.  I never got one of the finished pie.  

Pecan pie is just so good!  I had to make it for our Thanksgiving this year.  It is also about the easiest pie in the world to make.

1 cup of Karo Light Corn Syrup

3 eggs

1 cup of sugar

2 Tablespoons of melted butter

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups of pecan halves

1 9 inch, unbaked, frozen deep dish pie crust

Mix the first 5 ingredients well.  Then add the pecans and mix again.  Pour mixture into the pie crust and bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes.  

I do recommend putting it on a baking sheet to cook in case there is some spillage.  Your oven will thank you.

Homemade Banana Pudding

Photo uploaded from my iphone.

I remember having this as a child.  My mother and grandmother would always make it when we had a few bananas that were overly ripe.  So I decided to make it for Thanksgiving.
I am sharing the recipe that I use that I find to be pretty close to theirs.

6 to 8 bananas, sliced
1 box of vanilla wafers
3 eggs
4 cups of milk
3/4 cups of sugar
2 Tablespoons of butter
3 Tablespoons of cornstarch

Layer the vanilla wafers in the baking dish.  Arrange the sliced bananas on top of the wafers.  Set aside and prepare the pudding.  Blend butter, sugar, and eggs, then add the milk and mix thoroughly.  Bring to a boil in a double boiler and add cornstarch.  Keep stirring it until thickened.  Pour the cream in the baking dish to cover the bananas and wafers.  Continue to layer until their is no pudding remaining.  I like to put vanilla wafers on top.
Be sure to refrigerate.

Brown Sugar Pork Chops with Onions

You need:

2 tsp of olive oil

4 boneless or boned pork lion or rib chops

3/4 tsp of black pepper

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1/4 cup orange juice

2 Tbsp of packed brown sugar

Heat olive oil in a large skillet.  Sprinkle the chops with black pepper.  Cook chops in hot oil for 6 to 8 minutes on each side or until browned and cooked through.  Remove the chops from the skillet, cover and keep warm.

For the sauce, add the onions to the same skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes or until tender.  Push the onions aside and add the orange juice and brown sugar.  Cook and stir for 1 minute or until sugar is dissolved.  Stir the onions into the sauce.  

Spoon the sauce over the chops and serve.

Whole Wheat Banana Strawberry Muffins

These were great!  I never use wheat flour and I was worried that they would be dry and unsweet, but we are trying to eat less refined sugar and bleached flour.  They were so moist and perfect for breakfast or in place of cake for dessert.  

You need:

2 eggs

1/2 cup of apple (puree or finely chopped)

1/4 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup brown sugar (packed)

1 tsp of vanilla extract

3 bananas (mashed)

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup strawberries (frozen and chopped)

Preheat the oven to 375 degress.  Line 24 regular or 12 large muffin cups.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, apple, oil, brown sugar, vanilla, and bananas.  Combine the flour and baking soda.  Stir into the banana mixture until moistened.  Stir in the strawberries until evenly distributed.  

Spoon batter into muffin cups until completely filled.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until the tops of the muffins spring back when pressed lightly.  Cool before removing from the muffin tin.

I am linking up with Tempt My Tummy Tuesday.

Stuffed Bell Peppers

You will need
4 Bell Peppers
1 Onion, chopped
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1/4 cup ketchup
1/8 cup mustard
2/3 cup cooked brown rice
1 egg, beaten

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Start the brown rice.  Cut the top of each bell pepper.  Dice the top of the peppers and add to a skillet with beef, garlic, and onions.  Cook until the meat is fully cooked and browned.  Drain the cooked meat and place in a mixing bowl.  Add the rice, ketchup, mustard, and beaten egg.  Spoon the mixture into the bell peppers and pack in tightly.  Add ketchup to the top of each stuffed pepper and place in the oven for 30 to 45 minutes.

I'm linking up with Tempt My Tummy Tuesday.

Puerto Rican Style Pork Shoulder

I decided to cook for Taft's Birthday Party this year.  I knew that we would do hot dogs for the kids, but I wanted something good for the adults.  Something that could be cooked in the house so that there was no grill by the pool.  It is enough to try to watch children in the pool and way too much to have to also remember to keep them away from a hot grill.
My friend, Yvette, makes the best pork that I have ever tasted.  So - I got the recipe from here.  There are no amounts or measurements since they just make it from memory and it is prepared to taste.  But here is basically what you need to do.

You need:
Pork Shoulder (ours were about 10 pounds each and we cooked 3)
White Vinegar
Lemon Juice
Olive Oil
Garlic
Adobo (you can find it in the Hispanic food section at the grocery store and we got the one with the blue top)
Sazon (also in the Hispanic food section and it is the one that has coriander and annatto)
Gloves (the Sazon will turn you hands orange)
Tin Foil

The first thing that we did on Friday was to put the pork shoulder in a large disposable tin pan.  We then added vinegar and lemon juice to the container to put the pork in a brine.  We also poked lots of little holes the meat.  We then covered it with foil and put it in the fridge.  It needs to be in the brine for at least 4 hours.
On Saturday morning, I took it out and drained off the brine.  Then I put the following into a boil to make a paste:  garlic, Sazon, Adobo, and olive oil.  I cut large hole in the meat and stuffed them with the paste and then rubbed it into the meat all over.  I left the fat side up and covered again and put back in the fridge to marinate.
On Saturday night, I set the oven for 250 degrees and put the covered meat in to cook.  When I woke up on Sunday, it was done.
We then uncovered the meat and put it back into the oven on broil to crisp up the skin.  That makes some great homemade pork skins. We then pulled all the meat off the bones (and saved those for Shelby Dog).  You also take the juice that the meat cooked in and add more adobo, then pour some over the shredded meat. 
It is so good.  You can make it to eat as a sandwich or alone.  We had both options and most people thought that it was good enough that it needed no BBQ sauce.

Today I am linking up with Tempt My Tummy Tuesday.

Spaghetti

I love spaghetti.  My dad has made it for years and everyone that eats it, loves it.  I even remember picking it for my birthday dinner once when I was in high school.  My girl friends came over and had spaghetti and cake.  Mine isn't exactly like his, but it is pretty good.

You need:
2 pounds of ground beef, browned and drained
8 ounces of fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 large onion, chopped
2 chopped bell peppers
2 28 ounce cans of diced tomatoes
6 ounce can of tomato paste
1 cup of water
salt
pepper
Olive oil
2 packages of McCormick brand Thick and Zesty Spaghetti Sauce Mix


In a large sauce pain, add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the chopped onion, peppers, and the sliced mushrooms.  Saute over medium heat.  While the onions and mushrooms are cooking, I start the meat.  Just brown and scramble, salt and pepper to taste, and drain the oil.
Once the onions are clear, add one cup of water, the caned tomatoes (with juice), tomato paste, and sauce mix.  Add the drained meat.  Stir well, cover and let simmer.  It really is better the longer it simmers.  We let our cook at least one and half hours.
Serve over pasta.

Today I am linking up with Tempt My Tummy Tuesdays at Blessed With Grace.

Banana Bread

You Need:
3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups self rising flour

No need for a mixer for this recipe. Preheat the oven to 350°F. With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla.  Add the flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4x8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.

This was so good.  I remember making some recipes for banana bread that were so hard to mix by hand.  This is not.  It is more like a cake batter.  I think we will be making this a lot more.

RECIPE 5:52 FOR 2012
BAKING 1:26 FOR 2012

RECIPE # 32 - TOMATO PIE



simplyrecipes.com

I got this recipe from an old school friend, Jason Crane.  He highly recommended it so I had to try it.  And - he was right.  It is yummy!

Ingredients:

1 9-inch pie shell

1/2 yellow or red onion, chopped

3-4 tomatoes, cut in half horizontally, squeezed to remove excess juice, roughly chopped, to yield approximately 3 cups chopped tomatoes

1/4 cup sliced basil

2 cups grated cheese (combination of sharp cheddar and Monterey Jack, or Gruyere or Mozzarella)

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon (or more to taste) of Frank's Hot Sauce (or Tabasco)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place pie shell in oven and cook for 8-10 minutes or longer until lightly golden. If you are starting with a frozen crust, you'll need to cook it a little longer. If you are using a homemade crust, freeze the crust first, then line the crust with aluminum foil and pre-bake it for 20 minutes, then remove the foil and bake an additional 10 minutes.

Squeeze as much moisture as you can out of the chopped tomatoes, using either paper towels, a clean dish towel. 

Sprinkle the bottom of the pre-cooked pie shell with chopped onion. Spread the chopped tomatoes over the onions. Sprinkle the sliced basil over the tomatoes.

In a medium bowl, mix together the grated cheese, mayonnaise, Tabasco, a sprinkling of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Spread the cheese mixture over the tomatoes.

Place in oven and bake until browned and bubbly, anywhere from 25 to 45 minutes.

Be sure to check out the website at Simply Recipes for lots of versions of this pie.  There are many cheese combos that you can use.  I did a mixture of Colby, Sharp Cheddar, and Monterey Jack.  Next time I am planning on some Mozzarella.

RECIPE # 31- TACO STUFFED SHELLS

I must say that Pinterest is giving me WAY to much inspiration.  Not only are there crafts to do and just pretty things to look at, but there are lots and lots of yummy recipes just waiting for me to cook.  I found this one and it comes from a little blog called Pearls, Handcuffs, Happyhour.  I did a few minor changes to make it better for us, but it was great!

1 lb. ground beef

1 pkg. taco seasoning

1 {14 oz.} pkg. cream cheese

12 large pasta shells

1 cup salsa

I cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 chp shredded monterrey jack cheese

1/2 cup tortilla chips, crushed

3 green onions, chopped {we left these out}

1 cup sour cream

In a fry pan cook ground beef and add taco seasoning and prepare according to season package. Add cream cheese cover and simmer until cheese is melted. Blend well. Set aside and allow to fully cool. While the meat is cooking cook the pasta shells.

Pour salsa in the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.

Stuff each shell with the meat mixture. Place the stuffed shells in the baking dish and cover the tops of the shells with a little salsa.

Cover with foil and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, uncover, and sprinkle crushed chips and shredded cheddar and Monterey jack cheeses on top. Cook for about 15 more minutes. Serve with sour cream and chopped onions.  Our just about anything that you like with tacos.

**I am thinking that the next time we are just going with the Mexican Blend shredded cheese instead of buying two separate ones.

RECIPE #30 - TILAPIA WITH THYME AND GARLIC

This is one of the easiest recipes ever.  I got it from my friend, Dawn, a few years ago and it is still a favorite around here.

Ingredients:

4 Tilapia filets

1/2 cup Mayo (I love Bama brand)

2 tsp of chopped garlic

1 tsp dried Thyme

Olive oil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Place tilapia filets in a lightly oiled glass baking dish.

Seriously, it is hard for me to tell you how to do this since I really do it by taste.  Mix the mayo, garlic, and thyme together.  You may want more of less and can adjust to your taste.

Spread the mixture on top of each filet and place in the oven.  Bake for 10-15 minutes of until the fish flakes.  You can take it out now or do as I like to and place it under the broiler for about 5 minutes to brown it up a little.

It is completely tasty!

RECIPE # 29 - GROUND BEEF CASSEROLE

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds of ground beef, browned and drained

1 medium chopped onion

1 can of diced tomatoes, drained (14 oz)

1 can of corn, drained (15 oz)

16 ounces diced frozen hash browns, thawed OR 3 to 4 cups sliced potatoes

1 green bell pepper, chopped

2 cups of shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

1 small can of tomato sauce

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

In a large skillet, brown ground beef, salt, pepper, and onion, drain.  Place beef mixture in the bottom of a glass casserole dish.  Layer the tomatoes, bell pepper, potatoes, and corn on top.  Spread the tomato sauce on top and place in oven for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Removed from oven and sprinkle with the Cheddar cheese.  Return to oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

An entire meal in a dish!

RECIPE #28 - ZESTY PASTA SALAD

My favorite pasta salad!

Ingredients:

12 oz box of pasta, cooked and drained
16 oz bottle of Zesty Italian Dressing
1 med onion, chopped
2 large cucumbers, diced
28 oz can of diced tomatoes

Pick a pasta, any pasta!  We have done a few different ones but Taft picked today and he liked the bow ties.

While the pasta is boiling, chop the onion and cucumbers.  Place them in a bowl.  Add the canned tomatoes and bottle of dressing.  Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and add to the bowl.  Mix well.  Chill and enjoy!

RECIPE #27 - MONKEY BREAD

Perfect for breakfast or brunch!

Ingredients:
4 cans of buttermilk biscuits
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
1 cup brown sugar
1 stick butter
1 Tablespoon of Karo syrup
1 cup chopped pecans, optional

Add butter, brown sugar, half the cinnamon, and the Karo syrup to a non-stick saucepan.  Use low heat and stir frequently.
While this is melting, open your biscuits.  Take each biscuit and cut it in half.  Place the biscuits in a large ziplock bag.  Add the white sugar and remaining cinnamon.  Shake well to coat.
Pre heat oven to 350 degrees.  Place the biscuits in a greased bundt pan and pour your melted mixture over them.  Place in oven for 30 to 35 minutes.
When you take it out of the oven, let it cool for 5 to 10 minutes and then flip onto a plate or serving dish.