Ok ,so I have to admit while I like to cook all year long. I LOVE to bake at Christmas. Yes I am that girl with 15 bags of marshmallows, more chocolate squares than should be allowed, and all the assorted holiday tins from isle 7 in my cart. And that is just the day after thanksgiving trip to walmart.

It’s true  meer days into December my kitchen turns into something from a keebler elf factory scene.  Which leaves my entire house smelling amazing ,and my door bell ringing more often than usual from wood be taste testers that were just in the neighborhood. And while I might throw some extra flour in my hair and play up the complexity of my fudge recipe, I love every second of it.

So here are some of my favorite easy holiday baking recepies for this year! Put some in a tin for unexpected guest gifts or just eat them for yourself! As long as someone enjoys them I will be happy.

Directions

Just read this on http://www.foodnetwork.ca/index.html (Food Network Canada)

How would you like to get help from the experts?

Paula Deen, Bobby Flay, Tyler Florence, Guy Fieri and Robert Irvine, come to the aid of five Food Network fans solving their turkey day dilemmas from dry turkey to tough pie crust to “how on earth does everything get done on time in my small kitchen.” Unsuspecting fans get the shock of their lives when their emails are answered face to face by their favorite personality.

I am writing in for next year hopefully I can get some help and finally tackle gravy for my turkey day celebration! Until then I will eat Pumpkin pie & watch this show.

-Jen

This entry to the fall recipes actually includes three! I had a can pf Pumpkin Pie mix in the pantry that needed to be used & just started experimenting. What I found was that you can make a can of pie mix go along way. And the proceeds are delicious!

First we start off with a simple pumpkin cream cheese danish.

You will need:

• A few spoon fulls of pumpkin pie mix
• Cream cheese
• Crescent rolls

What you do:

Mix the pumpkin with the cheese & spread in the rolled out crescent dough. Wrap the dough over the mix & bake as directed on the roll tube. Sprinkle with pie seasoning or cinnamon!

Ohh so good with coffee & a friend!

Well as you will notice you still have most of a can of pie mix left so lets get to it!

Yummy Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Autumn flavored frosting!

(Sorry no picture my family ate them all before I got my camera out. I guess that’s saying something!)

What you need:

In a large mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin, eggs, sugar and oil; mix well. Add cake mix and pumpkin pie spice; beat for 2 minutes. Pour into a greased or lined cupcake pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack completely before frosting!

Autumn Frosting:

• 1can of white frosting
•  1block of ream cheese
• Remainder of pumpkin pie mix
• Pumpkin pie spice to taste

Just start whippin until it’s fluffy, & tastes just the way you like it, which may require many spoon samples.  (Just  a note left over frosting is great on a graham cracker for breakfast! )

Frost your cupcakes & enjoy with the ones you love by the fire with some hot apple cider! 

So there you go one can three recipes to warm your sole, fill your belly, & not take your entire day.-Happy Fall

There are classics that I stick to around certain holidays, but I am always on the look out for new & fun things to bring to the table. After all the classics are only classic because someone made them classic! So in the name of adding to my family traditions in my own way I went on a search for new Halloween treats. www.foodnetwork.com had the cutest Halloween treats. like this one below!

For this weeks spooky treat we look to the food networks Pudding Ghosts in our house. But they had all kinds of cool recipes on their Halloween page to inspire your creepy creations. Hopefully you will find something new to bring to your table & make a family tradition of your own.

Ingredients

Pudding:

• 1 package gelatin
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 6 large egg yolks (reserve 2 whites for topping)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 (15-ounce) can pure pumpkin puree

Topping:

• 2 large egg whites
• 1/3 cups sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 pinch fine salt
• Small candy, for eyes

For pudding:

Directions

Put 1 tablespoon of cold water in a large bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over the surface, do not stir, and set aside until gelatins softens and blooms

Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a saucepan that can hold a stand mixer’s bowl above the water. Whisk milk, sugar, yolks, cinnamon and salt in a heat-proof bowl. Set the bowl above the boiling water and cook, stirring constantly with a heat-proof spatula, until mixture begins to thicken and coats the back of a spoon and almost boils, 10 to 12 minutes. Immediately remove from the heat and pour over the gelatin, whisking constantly until gelatin is completely dissolved and evenly distributed. Whisk in pumpkin until combined and completely smooth.

Evenly divide mixture into 12 small 3-ounce cups (paper works fine) and refrigerate until set, about 4 to 8 hours.

For topping:

Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a saucepan that can hold a stand mixer’s bowl above the water. Whisk the 2 egg whites, sugar, cream of tarter, and salt in the bowl by hand. Set the bowl above the boiling water and continue whisking until the mixture is hot to the touch and the sugar dissolves, about 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer bowl to mixer and beat with the whisk attachment at medium-high speed until eggs hold a stiff peak, about 5 minutes.

Spoon topping onto puddings in the shape of a ghost. Decorate with candy eyes and refrigerate until ready to serve.

We are a busy family & one of my most trusted kitchen gadgets it my crock pot. So when I need a hearty family favorite with little effort I turn to my old friend crocky & whip up some french dips paired Fries, or salad, or whatever is in the fridge & my family thinks I am the coolest!

Jenna French Dip

One roast any kind

One can beef broth

One package pot roast seasoning (I likeMckormic )

One can water

Throw all in the crock pot  minus the rolls & cheese & cook on low for 8 hours

When done shred meat & return to liquid. Fill each hoagie roll with meat & cheese. broil for a few seconds, you can also serve with onions or your mushrooms for some added kick.

 Use liquid from crock for dipping!

I serve this dish with fries & it’s always a hit You can serve french dips with just about anything, and since the bread fills the plate you will most likely have left over meat you can reinvent for a new meal like beef pot pie, or beef quesadillas.

Fall means baking for our family. We love to create in the kitchen with our kids this time of year. Whether it is caramel apples, or spooky cup cakes there is always something to treat in our house  around Halloween. 

I am going to try to post a new recipe each week that will thrill, chill, & fill your family through Halloween! To start us off My boys chose spooky haunted houses

You will need:

Graham crackers or gingerbread pieces

Frosting ( I recommend a tub for gluing & several colors with decorator tips for the fine work)

Candy

A base for your house

Little imaginations to help

How to:

There reallyis no how too here! A hunted house can be any shape size or look, so just get creative & go for it. The best part of this crafty eatable creation is the time you spend doing it. So dig in & create with your kids. Don’t forget to buy your favorite candy to snack on & be careful with colored frosting’s that can stain.

-Enjoy

This past week we had a large group in for a family wedding.  I took a night on the dinner schedule & had to feed 2o people. This was no prob with this quick recipe for smothered burritos that is always a crowd fav!

What You’ll  need:

1.5 lbs of ground beef

1 chopped onion

1-2 packages of tortillas

1 large can Re-fried beans

1 can sliced olives

1large can pork green chili

1lbs shredded cheddar cheese divided

How To:

Brown & drain beef, add onion & heat through (my hubby adds taco seasoning to his ground beef, but I just s&p) add beans to beef & stir until mixed. Fill shells with meat mix & half of the cheese. Place in pan & top with green chili, remaining meat, & olives

Place in 425 degree oven covered for about 20 min, then uncover & let drown. I like them when they are a little crisp on the edges but be careful not to toast the bottoms or they will be hard to cut.

Top with sour cream, lettuce &  tomato for a supreme burrito!

These are great on a week night or game day! I usually just serve with chips & guacamole, & maybe a salad because they are so filling.

*Try doubling the recipe, making  pan through the stages but don’t bake it freeze it & it will be ready to pull out and bake on a night when you are short on time.

I love a home cooked meal & for me that sometimes means from a dutch oven in a pit covered in coals. Some of the best meals I have ever eaten were made in a cast iron pots miles from civilization.  So when I found this cool site on all things dutch I had to share it. http://www.dutchovencookware.com/dutch-oven-recipes.html

Dutch oven cooking can be done at home or in the back woods & has been around for hundreds of years. It is not as hard as it looks & trust me you have not lived until you have had peach cobbler ala dutch!

-Keep Cooking

Fall is in the air and that means I am aching to spend more time in the kitchen. Something about a windy chilly fall day gives me permission to retreat to the house for some baking or canning.

One of my favorite recipes to make & share in early fall is pumpkin butter. This thick inviting butter is like pumpkin pie in a jar!I make a batch & take it to my neighbors each year to signify that fall has arrived and it’s time to go inside, get cozy, & let the aroma of fall fill your kitchens and warm your tummies.

Oh did I mention that this is super easy to make & EVERYONE loves it?

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (29 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 3/4 cup apple juice
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

DIRECTIONS

During the summer my guys love to sleep in & then start their day with a big breakfast.Now that we are back at school I don’t want them to miss out on the big breakfast that starts their day off right, but we don’t have the kind of time it takes to leisurely make a large 1st meal either.

So to solve this problem I have a few tricks that have made sure my guys get a great healthy hearty start to their day & I don’t have to get up at 5 am to do it.

*Plan ahead!

I make up a menu at the beginning of the week & post it on the fridge so that my family knows what’s available to choose from. I don’t assign a day to each meal-we aren’t that scheduled & the lack of choice never has worked with my boys. But this takes the Uhhh what’s for breakfast today, that usually leads to  coffee & a donut.

*Make ahead

Protein is the most important part of a healthy breakfast & often times the most time consuming. So I buy sausage or bacon & cook it all on Monday so it is ready to go for the week. You can also do this with eggs & taters. One of our favs is breakfast burritos, you can make a mess of them & freeze or refrigerate them for later. They are easy & can be grab & go too.

I alos cut fruit ahead of time for wasy grab & go!

*Forzen if from your toater is still homemade!

That’s right! I do frozen waffles or you can make your own on Sunday & save some to freeze and toast later if you prefer. But this is quick, easy & still hot & ready to go with out the mess of waffle or pancake prep to worry about. I also do biscuits this way & my guys eat em up!

*Enjoy

By taking as much work out of breakfast as you can you know have a few minutes to sit with your kids. Often schedules are so crazy this might be the only time you see each other today, so take advantage of it. Feed yourself & sit down to a hot, home cooked meal with your kids! You will be amazed  how this helps your day get off on the right foot too.