Halloween Pumpkins and Roasted Pumpkin seeds

*Yesterday we carved pumpkins.  My sister came over to do hers as well.
* I roasted the pumpkin seeds after we were done.  This is the recipe I always use, My mom got it from a newspaper a long time ago.  It was like a first place winner recipe or something.  It's really yummy.

Wash and dry pumpkin seeds
Boil them in heavily salted water for 2-3 minutes
Strain them and in a separate bowl mix the following ingredients:

3 Tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp salt
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
About 2 c. pumpkin seeds

Mix the seeds and other ingredients well
Heat oven to 225 Fahrenheit
Line a cookie sheet with foil and pour seed mixture onto it.
Spread out the seeds and cook in oven for about 1-2 hours until seeds are crisp stirring seeds every 15-20 minutes.

Applescotch Pie

This is the best apple pie I've ever made.  It came from a Betty Crocker Cookbook I bought a little over 10 years ago. I made it for the first time about a week ago and I wish I would have made it sooner.
First you start off making the dough for a TWO CRUST PIE.  The size depends on the size of your pie pan.  I believe this recipe is for a 9 inch pie.   You could make it in a 10 inch and just add more apples.

Applescotch  Pie

5 cups thinly sliced peeled tart apples (about 5 medium) HERE is a list that shows which apples are good for what.
1 C packed brown sugar
1/4 C water
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 C all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
3/4 tsp vanilla
3 Tbsp margarine or butter

Mix apples, brown sugar, water, and lemon juice in 2 qt saucepan.  Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer just until apples are tender, 7 to  8 minutes.
Mix flour, granulated sugar and salt; stir into apple mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils.  Boil and stir 1 minute; Remove from heat.  Stir in vanilla and margarine; cool.
(just a note, I didn't read the instructions very well and I didn't let the apple mixture cool and it was fine. But if you like to follow directions, I'd suggest making the filling first and then while it's cooling, make the crust)
Heat oven to 425 Fahrenheit .  Prepare pastry.  Turn apple mixture into pastry lined pie plate.  Cover with top crust that has slits cut in it; seal and FLUTE. Cover the edge with foil (or use a pie crust cover.) to prevent excessive browning; remove during the last 15 minutes of baking.
Bake until crust is golden brown.  40 to 45 minutes.

Homemade Pie Crust

Once you've had a delicious, golden, flakey, homemade pie crust, you'll never get store bought again.  I never had store bought growing up.  My Mom always made our pie's from scratch and she taught me how to do it.  I'll be honest, they take practice.  The first ones I made, tasted nothing like my mom's.  So once I even bought the Pillsbury kind that you bake yourself (don't tell)  And I'm sorry to anyone who likes them, but I thought it was disgusting.  (My personal opinion)  Even my worst pie crusts tasted better than that.  So I kept at it and now I think my pie crusts taste pretty good.  They are thin and flakey and yummy.  But it's taken a good 10 years, so don't get discouraged, just keep trying.   By the time you've made  2 or 3 you'll have learned a lot and will probably be better than the first one. Here is the recipe I use and a few tips I've learned over the years.   I got my recipe from Betty Crocker.

One- Crust Pie, 9 Inches

1 c all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 c Lard or 1/3 C plus 1 Tbsp shortening
2 to 3 Tbsp cold water

Two- Crust Pie 9 inches

2 cups  all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2/3 C Lard or 2/3 C plus 2 Tbsp shortening
4 to 5 Tbsp cold water

One crust pie 10 inches
1 1/3 C all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 C plus 3 Tbsp Lard or 1/2 C shortening
3 to 4 Tbsp cold water

Two crust pie, 10 inches
2 2/3 c all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
3/4 C plus 2 Tbsp Lard or 1 C Shortening
7 to 8 Tbsp cold water

First decide what size pie pan you have by measuring across it (not around it).  Then decide if you need one or two crusts.  Does your pie need a top?  Like apple or cherry pies? If yes, you'll need two crusts.  Anytime I make a pie, I almost always make two crusts. Its really not any more work, and then you have two pies instead of one.
I use shortening.  I've never used Lard.  Maybe it's better, I'm not sure.  I use shortening.  I've never been a fan of crusts made with butter either, don't like the flavor as much, maybe because I grew up with the shortening kind.

Instructions:
Mix flour and salt.  Cut in Shortening (or lard) until the particles are the size of peas.  This step is very important. You want large pieces of shortening in there, it's what helps it become flakey. I use a pastry cutter, but you could use a fork or blender.

Sprinkle in the COLD water. ( It has to be COLD!  I get mine out of the refrigerator or you could add ice to tap water.  It needs to be cold though.) Sprinkle it in 1 Tbsp at a time until all flour is moistened and pastry almost cleans side of bowl.  I mix the water into the flour/shortening mixture with a sturdy spatula so as to not cut apart the shortening any further. Don't add too much water or the crust will be hard, don't add too little or the crust won't stay together.
Gather pastry into a ball; shape into a flattened round on a floured countertop. (For two crusts divide the dough in half first)

Roll the pastry 2 inches larger than pie pan.  I use a metal pancake turner to help lift the dough off the counter and fold it.   Fold the pastry into fourths and transfer into pie dish. unfold and press the dough firmly against bottom and sides of pie dish.
For a one crust pie, trim the overhanging edge for two crust pie, I wait until I have the filling in it and then I add the second crust on top.
For crusts that are baked first heat, oven to 475 degrees Fahrenheit and Prick bottom and sides throughly with fork.  Bake 8 to 10 minutes.
For pies that you bake the crust with the pie filling, like pumpkin, and apple, DO NOT prick the bottom and sides.  I did that once.  Obviously, the pie filling ran out through the holes and made a BIG mess!

How to Blanch your Green Beans for Freezing

Why blanch?  All fruits and vegetables contain enzymes and bacteria that, over time, break down and destroy nutrients and change the color, flavor, and texture of food during frozen storage. green beans require a brief heat treatment, called blanching, in boiling water or steam, to destroy the enzymes before freezing. Blanching times for beans is 3 minutes (the duration should be just long enough to stop the action of the enzymes and kill the bacteria).
The great thing about blanching your beans is that you can freeze them and eat fresh tasting green beans all winter long.
First get some green beans.  Mine came from my garden but you could use store bought.  Refrigerate them if you aren't going to use or freeze  them immediately.  Don't wash them until you are ready to use them.

 Wash them off.

Cut off the ends

Then cut them to whatever  size fits your fancy.

Boil a pot of water and them drop them in.  Boil about 3-5 minutes depending on the size of the beans.

Pour off hot water and put them immediately into ice cold water.  My pictures of the beans in ice water (yes put ice in the water) didn't turn out but I'm sure you can picture it.  Keep the beans in the ice water for the same amount of time that they were boiled.  So in my case 3  minutes.

Then I pour off the ice water and dry the beans off on paper towels.

Then put them into labeled freezer bags and freeze making sure to lay them flat until frozen. The get all clumped together if you don't. If you have a food saver that would be awesome to use.  I don't so I just use freezer bags.

Corn's Ready!!! How to Pick and cook Corn

 Remember when I planted my corn....way back on the last frost day?  May 10th!  Well Harvest time is here!  Look how tall it is now!  It's amazing how something so big can grow from something so small!  It amazes me every year how seeds just know what to do.  I love seeing all those tall corn stalks.  Plus they make a cool forest for the kids.

 To tell when you corn is ready.  (Now this is for Sweet Corn)  You want to make sure the ears feel full and plump (I like that word) and the silk that is exposed should be completely brown and dry.  If you aren't sure, make a slit in the husk with a knife or peel back the top a little and stick your fingernail or knife in one of the kernels and the liquid that comes out should be translucent not opaque or watery.
If your corn meets those standards it's ready to be picked.  The explanation of how to do this is more complex than the action really is.  Grab the corn and pull it back (away from the stalk) and down(toward the ground) in one motion.  I usually grab  the corn with my hand upside down thumb pointing down. Then to completely release the corn lift it straight up.


Now on to cooking these babies.  Fill a large pot with water and add 1/2 C. of sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved.  Once the water is boiling add the corn and cook for no more than 8 minutes.  Remove from the water and slather in butter and salt!  Yumm!

Mock Eclairs

These are seriously soooo good!  I got the recipe from a good friend of mine about 12 years ago!  They  are delish and super easy to make.  The only down side is that you are suppose to wait 24 hours to eat them.  I usually make them in the morning of the day I want to eat them.  I never wait 24 hours to eat them.....well maybe to eat the last half.

This what you'll need:

2 small packages of French Vanilla Instant pudding
12 oz Cool whip
3 packages of Graham Crackers

Mix pudding with 3 cups of milk
Fold in cool whip
Cover the bottom of a 9x13 pan with graham crackers and then pour half the pudding on top.
Add a second layer of graham cracker and top that layer with the rest of the pudding.
Add one more layer of Graham Crackers to the top and place in the fridge while you make the chocolate topping.

Topping:
Melt 4 Tablespoons of Butter and take it off the burner (if using the stove.)
Add 3 Tbsp baking cocoa
4 Tbsp of very hot water
2 C powdered sugar
Whisk well with fork or whisk and pour over the last graham cracker layer while the chocolate is still warm.
Place in fridge for at least 8 hours so the graham crackers can soften

Layered Jell-O

This recipe is super easy.  It's a little time consuming, but it's always a big hit.  Plus you can change out the colors  and flavors to fit any occasion.  I'll give the original recipe with it's original colors and flavors.

2 pkgs. lime jello
2 pkgs. lemon jello
2 pkgs. orange
2pkgs. strawberry
2 can evaporated milk
1 container whipped topping

1)  Dissolve lime jello in ( a separate bowl) in 3/4 C hot water.
2)  Add 3/4 C cold water
3  Pour in a large pan 9x13
4)  After about an hour your ready for the next layer.  Mix the second package of lime jello (In the separate                    bowl) with 3/4 C hot water.
5)  Then add 3/4 C  Evaporated milk (if you put the cans of evaporated milk in the fridge so they are cold,    the jello will set up faster.)
6)  Pour this on top of the first layer.  IMMEDIATELY.  Don't wait for the jello to cool off.  You want it to    be warm so it kinda melts the first layer slightly,that's what makes them stick together.
7)  Continue with the other packages of jello.  The last one will be REALLY close to top.
8)  Top with Whipped topping of your choice.


TIPS

After about the 3rd layer you only need to wait about 30 minutes between layers.  They set up pretty quick because the lower layers are cold.
Also, don't wait too long between layers.  Meaning, if you start the jell-o the night before and then let it sit overnight between layers 4 and 5, it will separate from each other, right at those layers when you dish it up.  So if you don't want it sliding all over the place when your dishing it up, try and do it all in one day and don't wait more than 2 hours between layers.  Try and do the next layer right when the one before it is set.  ( You can see in the photo I did the first layer (yellow) the night before. It's separated)

Ham and Swiss Casserole/ White Sauce

I made this for dinner on Sunday.  I'm not a huge fan of casseroles, but this one is good.  You start with a white sauce.  My Mom taught me how to make a white sauce when I was probably 14.  White sauces are used all the time in cooking.  Growing up, we made it and then added a can of tuna and then put it on toast.  A basic white sauce is also used when you make the "cooked"frosting on an original Waldorf Red Cake (better known as a Red Velvet Cake).  Anyways, this is how you make a white sauce:  You take equal parts butter or margarine  and flour and then add milk.  Sounds easy, but it takes some practice.  The first dozen times I made it....LUMPY, LUMPY, LUMPY!  It's easy now, but it does take some practice.  First off I get all my ingredients ready because when the time comes, you need to dump them in fast.  So here's what you'll need.

2 C. cooked brown or white rice ( I use instant, so that's 1 cup uncooked)
10 oz. cubed ham (1 1/4 C)
4 oz shredded swiss cheese (1 C)
1 1/4 C. milk

Optional:
1/4 C chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp. dried marjoram leaves
1 can (4 oz) mushroom stems and pieces, drained

I don't put in the "optional" things because my kids don't like "things" in their food.....okay, who am I kidding,  I don't like "things" either.
Okay so I get the milk, ham, cheese and rice all measured and ready. ( And also any "optional" ingredients)

Heat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 2 quart (any shape) casserole dish.

Now we're ready to make the white sauce.  Take a heavy saucepan and melt 2 Tbsp. of margarine.

Then remove it from the heat!

Stir in the flour ONE Tablespoon at a time, stirring it in, with a fork until there are no more lumps!

After both Tablespoons have been added and stirred, it should look like this:

Kind of thick and pasty.  Next you add your milk (1 1/4 Cup) SLOWLY!!!!!!  I add about a quarter of a cup at a time and stir each new addition until there are no lumps.  

After all the milk has been added,  put it back on the burner at about medium high and stir it constantly until it starts to boil.  Once it's started boiling, you need to stir and boil for 1 minute.  When the minute is up, remove it from the heat and dump in all the other ingredients.

Stir it in and then pour it into your sprayed casserole dish and cook it UNCOVERED in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until it's hot and bubbly!

Here's the cooked casserole.  Not sure if you can tell a difference between the two but here it is non the less.

Million Dollar Brownies with Green Mint frosting

These are the absolute, best brownies ever!  In my opinion anyways.  They seriously taste like fudge with frosting.  If you like cake-like brownies this recipe is not for you.  I've never found a recipe I like better.   You make it on the stove so all you need is a sauce pan and a spoon. So here it is:


Million Dollar Brownies

1/2 C Margarine                  1/2 C flour            
7 TBSP cocoa powder        1/2 tsp salt        
1 C sugar                              1/2 C chocolate chips      
2 eggs                                  1/2 C pecans
1/2 tsp vanilla


Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Melt margarine in pan and REMOVE FROM HEAT (Really, if not you might end up with scrambled eggs)
Stir in cocoa, sugar, eggs and vanilla
Stir in remaining ingredients.
Spread in an 8 X 8 X 2  greased square pan
Bake 20-25 minutes or until top is set.

Mint Frosting

3 Tbsp margarine
1 1/2 C powdered sugar
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
1 to 2 Tbsp milk
Green or red food coloring about 3 or 4 drops or until it's the color you want.

I always add the food coloring and mix it  a little bit before I add the milk, or else you might end up with soup.

You can also use this same recipe and add vanilla extract instead of the mint, for a creamy white vanilla frosting or cut the brownies when they are still warm and roll them in powdered sugar.  Yummm!

Teriyaki Marinade

I thought I'd share this recipe I made for Teriyaki marinade.  It is so delicious!  Way better than store bought Teriyaki sauce.

1/4 C Soy Sauce
3Tbsp brown sugar
3 Tbsp Vinegar
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp garlic powder

1) I put about 5 or 6 thawed chicken tenderloins from Costco, (You know the kind that are like half of a breast.?) In a quart size Ziploc bag.
2) Then I just add all the ingredients right into the bag, seal it closed and then mush it all up, mixing all the ingredients together ( like 15 seconds).
3) Then leave it  to marinade for up to 24 hours.  It tastes AMAZING when it's been allowed to marinade for 24 hours but I always forget to do it, so mine usually ends up marinading for 30 minutes to an hour.
4) I cook mine outside on our grill.  You could cook it in the oven, but I highly recommend grilling it.  I turn our grill to low and then cook them about 4-5 minutes on each side.

I usually serve ours with baked potatoes or Almond Rice Pilaf.  You can buy it in a box at most grocery stores I get mine at Walmart.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

First I start with the Egg Noodles.  They really are so easy to make!  You'll wonder why you never did it before.  When Jarrett and I were first married, I made some egg noodles but waited until they were completely dry, before I cooked them (like most recipes say)  Needless to say I had egg noodles covering every surface in our small apartment kitchen for almost a week.  While they were tasty, I thought to myself, I'm never making that again.  Then 8 years later I came across something on the internet that said you don't have to wait until they are dry. And numerous people had commented saying that they never wait.  That sold me, and I decided to try it again.  This recipe makes about 8 servings.  The noodles are so filling that it doesn't take much.  I  half this recipe for my family of 4.

Egg Noodles

2 1/2 C flour
1 pinch of salt
2 eggs beaten
1/2 C milk
1 Tbsp butter

1- add flour and salt in a bowl and mix.
2- In second bowl put in egg and beat with whisk or fork.  Add milk and butter.
3- Make a well, aka; hole) in flour and pour egg mixture into it.
4- Knead dough until smooth, cover with cloth and let sit for 10 minutes.
5- Roll out on floured surface to 1/8 inch think and cut with pizza cutter

I let the noodles dry while I boil my chicken  ( I use the frozen chicken tenderloins from Cotsco) in water with 'Chicken and Herb Bullion' added. ( I add 2 cubes per cup of water.   I use about 10 cups of water for half the recipe)  There are other 'healthier' ways to make the stock, but with 2 little kids, this works best and fastest for me.  Once the chicken is cooked, I add carrots ( I usually use whole baby carrots) and then the noodles and cook the noodles until they are no longer white inside when cut (or bit) open.

 That's all.  You could add, celery, onion and garlic if you wanted but if I did that no one would eat it here (including me).  Although  garlic and bigger chunks of onion wouldn't be bad, I always forget to buy them so I just make it with carrots, chicken and noodles and the herb bullion does a good job of flavoring it.

Then serve with hot rolls!

New Apron=Delicious Cake

 Here is my new apron that I finished sewing last night.  My only other one, was one that I made in 9th grade sewing class.  This one is definitely a step up, and I feel cute wearing it and that's what's important right?

 So now that I have a new apron I needed something to bake!  I've had my eye on a Butterscotch Marble cake for quite some time now.  So that's what I made.