Pumpkin muffins

Are you all sick of pumpkin recipes? Your dad won't eat cake unless it's graham cracker cake so I'm going to use the freshly baked sugar pumpkin I just baked and make these muffins tomorrow. I'll add a note at the bottom of the page to let you know how they turn out.

Ingredients

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
•  
• 4 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 5 tablespoons white sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons chopped pecans
•  
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/3 cups canned pumpkin
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease and flour 18 muffin cups, or use paper liners.
2. To make the filling: In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until soft. Add egg, vanilla and brown sugar. Beat until smooth, then set aside.
3. For the streusel topping: In a medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, cinnamon and pecans. Add butter and cut it in with a fork until crumbly. Set aside.
4. For the muffin batter: In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Make a well in the center of flour mixture and add eggs, pumpkin, olive oil and vanilla. Beat together until smooth.
5. Place pumpkin mixture in muffin cups about 1/2 full. Then add one tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture right in the middle of the batter. Try to keep cream cheese from touching the paper cup. Sprinkle on the streusel topping.
6. Bake at 375 degrees F (195 degrees C) for 20 to 25 minutes.

Amount Per Serving  Calories: 304 | Total Fat: 12.2g | Cholesterol: 54mg

Bacon and green-onion mashed potatoes

Bacon and green-onion mashed potatoes

2.5 pounds of potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

4 slices of bacon, cut into 1-inch chunks

½ tsp. fresh minced garlic

¼ tsp. paprika

2 green onions, thinly sliced

4 oz. cream cheese (I'll use light)

¼ c. butter

¼ c. skim milk

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Cook the potatoes until tender. Drain and return to the pot.

While potatoes are cooking, cook the bacon until crisp. Drain and reserve.

When the potatoes are cooked and drained, add cream cheese, butter, seasonings and milk to the pot. Mash the potatoes until creamy and mostly smooth. Mix in bacon and green onions, season with salt and pepper.

Serves 5

*The original recipe suggests Yukon gold potatoes but I’m using Idaho potatoes.

*Your father said this recipe sounds good. So, I'm making it for him tonight along with a small pre-marinated pork roast.

Turkey Meatloaf

Turkey Meatloaf

1 tsp. olive oil

5 mushrooms, finely chopped

1/2 yellow onion, diced

1/2 c. red, yellow or orange bell pepper, finely diced

3 cloves of garlic, minced or garlic powder to taste

1 pound of ground turkey

4 T. garlic or herbed bread crumbs (crushed crackers/croutons also works)

2 T. milk

1 egg

3 T. parsley, chopped or crushed if using dried

Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Heat the olive oil and cook the onions and bell pepper  with the garlic.  When these vegetables have cooked for a while, add the mushrooms to cook until all are tender.

Mix all the ingredients together and bake in a loaf pan at 350 degrees for about 1 hour. I served this with mashed potatoes and mushroom-turkey gravy.

I watched a food show where they took a turkey meatloaf and rolled it with fresh, chopped spinach and shredded mozerella cheese and then baked the meatloaf . . .  It looked delicious and so when I warmed up my leafovers, I put spinach on top of it and then a slice of mozerella and it tasted great!

NOTE: This was a very moist meatloaf. . . I adapted it from a recipe that Andrea e-mailed me.

Chicken and Steak Fajitas

Lorena, this recipe is for you! Since I know you're missing Mexican food in Sweden, I can't imagine you don't have the ingredients for these out there. I've never been a huge fajita fan until I tried these. They're from Cooking Light and they are delicious and I know you and Rob will love them! The marinade is super easy (it says to marinate for 4 hours but tonight I only did it for 2 and they still tasted good) and you can probably use whatever steak you have on hand, or even just chicken. I didn't use a grill for any of it, just a frying pan (cooked the meat first and then added onions, green peppers, and then tomatoes very last). Seriously, they have so much flavor, you will love them!

Chicken and Steak Fajitas
(From Cooking Light)

Ingredients
Marinade:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon grated lime rind (I didn't use this)
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (I used bottled lime juice)
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14.25-ounce) can low-salt beef broth

Fajitas:
1 (1-pound) flank steak
1 pound skinned, boned chicken breast
2 red bell peppers, each cut into 12 wedges
2 green bell peppers, each cut into 12 wedges
1 large Vidalia or other sweet onion, cut into 16 wedges
Cooking spray
16 (6-inch) fat-free flour tortillas
1 cup bottled salsa and/or guacamole
1/4 cup low-fat sour cream
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Fresh cilantro sprigs

Preparation
To prepare marinade, combine first 10 ingredients in a large bowl; set aside.
To prepare fajitas, trim fat from steak. Score a diamond pattern on both sides of the steak. Combine 1 1/2 cups marinade, steak, and chicken in a large zip-top plastic bag. Seal and marinate in refrigerator 4 hours or overnight, turning occasionally. Combine remaining marinade, bell peppers, and onion in a zip-top plastic bag. Seal and marinate in refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight, turning occasionally.
Prepare grill.
Remove steak and chicken from bag; discard marinade. Remove vegetables from bag; reserve marinade. Place reserved marinade in a small saucepan; set aside. Place steak, chicken, and vegetables on grill rack coated with cooking spray; cook 8 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.
Wrap tortillas tightly in foil; place tortilla packet on grill rack the last 2 minutes of grilling time. Bring reserved marinade to a boil. Cut steak and chicken diagonally across the grain into thin slices. Place the steak, chicken, and vegetables on a serving platter; drizzle with reserved marinade.
Arrange about 1 ounce steak, about 1 ounce chicken, 3 bell pepper wedges, and 1 onion wedge in a tortilla; top with 1 tablespoon salsa, about 1 teaspoon sour cream, and 1/2 tablespoon cilantro. Fold sides of tortilla over filling. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, if desired. Serve immediately.

Apple Dumplings

WARNING: This recipe is ADDICTING. Whenever I have to make a dessert lately, I always make this and it is always a big hit.  It's seriously incredible.  Brittany originally shared this recipe with me and now I share it with everyone else.  Seriously... it's amazing.  Everyone who reads this blog, and is a benefactor of this blog will thank you for making it. If you don't have Mountain Dew, then any kind of soda works.  Also, you must serve with vanilla ice cream. 

Ingredients

• 2 whole Granny Smith Apples
• 2 cans (8 Oz. Cans) Crescent Rolls
• 2 sticks Butter
• 1-½ cup Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• Cinnamon, To Taste
• 1 can (12 Oz.) Mountain Dew Soda

Preparation Instructions

Peel and core apples. Cut each apple into 8 slices each. Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll. Place in a 9 x 13 buttered pan.

Melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir. Add vanilla, stir, and pour entire mixture over apples. Pour Mountain Dew around the edges of the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Serve with ice cream, and spoon some of the sweet sauces from the pan over the top.

Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake

With nearly 2000 reviews, and a near flawless five star review, I couldn't pass up making, yet another, pumpkin dessert. What can I say, it must be fall. Thanks to Brittany for passing this recipe along, I told her I'd gladly make it and supply my own review.

Amy's review: Wow, YUM, DELICIOUS! I'm sad it's almost gone. When Paula says, "make sure not to overbake..." don't do it. I think I overbaked it a little, seeing that the crust was a little more crisp than I imagine it was supposed to be, but it was still, simply fabulous. I imagine NOT overbaked, it would taste that much better. We may have to make this for Thanksgiving dinner.

Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake:

Ingredients

Cake:

• 1 (18 1/4-ounce) package yellow cake mix
• 1 egg
• 8 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:

• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 8 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan.

To make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter, and beat together. Next, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mix well. Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure not to overbake as the center should be a little gooey.

Serve with fresh whipped cream.

Variations: For a Pineapple Gooey Cake: Instead of the pumpkin, add a drained 20-ounce can of crushed pineapple to the cream cheese filling. Proceed as directed above.

For a Banana Gooey Cake: Prepare cream cheese filling as directed, beating in 2 ripe bananas instead of the pumpkin. Proceed as directed above.

For a Peanut Butter Gooey Cake: Use a chocolate cake mix. Add 1 cup creamy peanut butter to the cream cheese filling instead of the pumpkin. Proceed as directed above.