Don't Miss Rachel Ray TOMORROW

I found this really terrific blog a couple of months ago about Crockpotting. Stephanie is a really neat lady with a terrific sense of humor that comes through in a way you could never imagine in posts about recipes! I just visited her blog and found out that she is a guest on the Rachel Ray show - tomorrow, Wed., July 9th! I know some of you found her blog via this one, so I thought you might like to be sure to see her there.
Here is the link on the Rachel Ray website.
Have you ever heard of six degrees of separation? Me and Rachel Ray are now 2 degrees! I can live vicariously through a fellow blogger! Go Stephanie, crock pot queen!

It's All a Crock

I am absolutely loving this blog. I can't believe someone would be brave enough to try and cook int their crockpot every day for a year. It is amazing. As I've said here before, the crockpot is favorite way of cooking. I used to only think of it for those hot meals ready when you get home from a long day out. I realized last year that it was a great way to cook a meal without heating up the kitchen. What I really like about her recipes is that they are healthy, and she has a lot of healthy suggestions to go along with all the food she prepares. Many recipes that I find for the crock pot are made with canned soup, etc. which are alright once in a while, but too high in sodium and other things to use regularly. She is also hysterically funny. I was enjoying reading her "verdict" to each recipe that she tried. Another thing I love about crock pot cooking is that I can put dinner together in the morning when my energy level is highest instead of at 4 pm when I am zapped. I planned my whole menu for the week around my crock pot. I can't wait to see what the family thinks about all the new things we're going to try! I am even going to try a dessert for the first time.

Christmas Cookies - New Recipes This Year

I decided this year that I was going to find some new recipes to make for Christmas. Travis' cousin Renee was supposed to come and bake with me, but called early this morning to cancel because she wasn't feeling well, so the kids and I decided to start our baking anyway. The two new recipes that we chose turned out to be such winners. Sooooo yummy! These recipes are both from Taste of Home's Holiday and Celebrations Cookbook 2003.

Peppermint Biscotti

¾ cup butter (no substitutes) softened

¾ cup sugar

3 eggs

2 tsp. peppermint extract

3 ¼ cups all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. salt

1 cup crushed peppermint candy

FROSTING:

2 cups (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips

2 Tbsp. shortening

½ cup crushed peppermint candy

In large mixing bowl, ream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extract. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; stir in peppermint candy. Gradually add to creamed mixture, beating until blended (dough will be stiff).

Divide dough in half. On an ungreased baking sheet, roll each portion into a 12-in. x 2 ½ in. rectangle. Bake at 350⁰ for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Carefully remove to wire racks; cool for 15 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board; cut diagonally with a sharp knife into ½ in. slices. Place cut side down on ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until firm. Remove to wire racks to cool.

In a microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Dip one end of each cookie in chocolate; roll in candy. Place on waxed paper until set. Store in an airtight container. Yield: about 3 ½ dozen.

I did not dip them in chocolate, I drizzled it over and then sprinkled with the crushed peppermints. I also found the rectangle was not my favorite – so you can shape them however you want!

Frosted Nutmeg Logs

These cookies have an EggNog flavor - and they are fabulous!

1 cup butter (no substitutes) softened

¾ cup sugar

1 egg

2 tsp. vanilla extract

½ - 1 tsp. rum extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. ground nutmeg

¼ tsp. salt

FROSTING:

1/3 cup butter, softened

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ - 1 tsp. rum extract

1-2 Tbsp. half and half

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg and extracts; mix well. Combine the flour, nutmeg and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture. On a lightly floured surface, shape dough into ½ inch wide logs. Cut into 2 inch pieces. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350⁰ for 11-14 minutes or until center is set and edges are lightly browned. Cool for 2 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.

For frosting, in a mixing bowl, combine the butter, confectioners’ sugar, extracts and enough cream to achieve a spreading consistency. Frost cooled cookies. Yield: about 4 ½ dozen.

Food Glorious Food! Pie Crust Edition

Tomorrow, I will bake pies. I didn't want to bake them too long before Turkey Day because I don't like them when they get stale-ish. I found this Martha Steward recipe that I got years ago from my mom - who always went on and on about how wonderful it is in the food processor - only I never had one. I tried it today - and it is a snap. The recipe is terrific - and it makes THE BEST pie crust - ever. I thought I'd share - and tomorrow when the pies are baked - I'll post some pictures of those too!

Martha Stewart Pie Crust

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter
1/4 + cup of ice water

Makes enough for 2 single-crust pies or 1 double crust pie

Making the dough:
1. Add flour, butter (very cold and cut into cubes), salt and sugar to food processor.
2. Pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few pea-sized pieces remaining.
3. Add 1/4 cup ice water (mostly ice with water to fill spaces and drain 1/4 c very cold water off)
4. Pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed. If needed add up to 4 Tbsp. more ice water 1 Tbsp. at a time) DO NOT overmix
5. Turn out onto work surface,; knead once or twice, until dough comes together - Chill
For easy rolling, always start with well-chilled dough, and a lightly floured work surface. Chilled dough will not soften as quickly as warmer dough; flour absorbs any moisture from the dough and prevents it from sticking.

Use this with any of your pie recipes.
Here are some other tips:

To Freeze Dough:

Put tightly wrapped disks in a resealable plastic bag. Label with the date, and freeze for up to three months. Defrost the dough overnight in the refrigerator before using.

Pressing: Place one dough disk on a floured piece of parchment paper. Using knuckles, press edges of dough to help prevent cracking.

Rolling: Roll dough to a 14-inch round. Using parchment, lift and wrap dough around rolling pin; carefully unroll over a 9-inch pie plate.

Fitting: To avoid tearing or stretching the dough, lift around the edge, and let the dough drape inward. Use kitchen shears to trim the edge of the dough to a 1-inch overhang.

Crimping: Fold excess dough under so it’s flush with (and on top of) pie-plate rim, and pinch to form a flat edge. Crimp edge of dough, if desired: Using your thumb and forefinger, press the dough gently against a knuckle from your other hand, and continue at regular intervals.

1 Preheat oven to 350°. Prick bottom of pie dough all over with a fork (to prevent it from puffing up or shrinking). Refrigerate until chilled, at least 10 minutes.

2 Carefully line dough with parchment paper or foil; fill to the top with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until crust is firm, about 15 minutes.

3 Remove parchment and weights; continue baking until crust is golden brown and bottom is flaky to the touch, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool completely before filling.

By following these seven simple rules, you can produce a flaky, tender crust every time.

1. When making the dough, make sure the butter is very cold.

2. Handle the dough as little as possible. Both the stretching of the dough and the warmth from your hands will further the development of gluten -- long, stringy protein molecules that form when flour is blended with liquid -- resulting in a tough dough that's difficult to roll out.

3. Since our pie-dough recipe yields two single crusts, divide the dough in half, and pat each half into a flat disk before wrapping it in plastic and chilling. This will make it easier to roll out each crust into a perfect circle.

4. Chill the dough thoroughly (at least 30 minutes) before rolling it out, and use a minimum of flour to dust the rolling pin and work surface. Brush excess flour from the rolled dough with a dry pastry brush before transferring it to the pie plate.

5. For an extra-crispy pie crust with a golden color, brush the unbaked top crust with water, and sprinkle it with sugar.

6. For a shiny pie crust, brush the unbaked top crust with an egg wash made from one egg and 2 tablespoons cream.

7. Cut decorative vents in the top of a double-crusted fruit pie; vents allow steam to escape and prevent the fruit juices from overflowing.

Holiday Ebook Project

I am working on another project! I am working on another ebook and I need your help. I am making a "Family Holiday Favorites" ebook with favorite recipes, craft ideas, memory makers, thrifty tips, etc. I am going to give away the finished product to five of you who contribute to this book. Please send me recipes for your favorite holiday meals, cookies, candy, pies, etc., fun things to do to celebrate the holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas and/or Hanukkah and New Years), thrifty ways to make your holiday dollars stretch without skimping on the fun and festivities, etc.
Please send these ideas to me via email at julientexasATsbcglobalDOTnet. Be sure to include your name, city & state and country if you're outside the US.
Please help me get the word out!
Email me if you would like the button or banner that will link back to my blog. It is the first one I've ever made - I did it myself! Woo hoo!

Oh Yum Yum Yummy - Pumpkin Dip

I found this incredible, delicious recipe the other day, and whipped some up to take as a snack for co-op today. We shared it with anyone who seemed brave enough to try it, and everybody loved it. If you like pumpkin - you will LOVE this stuff. Served with ginger snaps - it is my totally new favorite snack. As my daughter Kendra says, it is very fall-ish.

Creamy Pumpkin Dip
16 oz (2 pkgs) softened cream cheese
15 oz can packed pumpkin
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
2 cups of powdered sugar

Mis first 4 ingredients together with a mixer on low, and slowly add powdered sugar until creamy. Refrigerate until firm. Serve with ginger snaps.

I only made half a batch and it made a huge amount. Enjoy!

Scrap Happy - Week 8

Hey all you scrappers! I have still not gotten my Photoshop program reloaded onto my computer since my crash - so I have no new pages to share! I am going to however share a page with you that I made last April:
I know that there are all sorts of products now that are for scrappin' your recipes - but this was an original idea of yours truly! My girl loved this Shrimp Scampi recipe so much that I made it for her on her birthday. It was when we had our house for sale in West Virginia - and the day I made it our realtor stopped by and said, "Oh my gosh that smells so good. I can smell it all the way to the car!" I chose paper colors to match the shrimp - and found the clip art online! I hope you will scrap some of your recipes and share them with me! YUM!
Now get scrappin'!

Deep Green Southern Roots

I am going to give away the one part of me that is definitely, without a doubt, and unashamedly southern to the core! I LOVE southern cooking - sweet tea, cornbread, fried chicken! I think I am packing on the calories just thinking about it. One of the first things that I was loving when we first got to TX last May (yep our one year anniversary on the 29th - but that is another post!) was the abundance of fresh produce available at the local farmer's market - as well as in the gardens of all of Travis' family - everytime you visited somebody you were taking home an armful of something - even if you had never seen it before and didn't know how to cook it! One of my favorites things to make was Fried Green Tomatoes! They are sooo soo good! (I have also always loved the movie by the same name!)
Anyhoo - I thought I would share my favorite recipe for them which is from the Fanny Flagg's Whistle Stop Cafe Cookbook. Be careful though - if you get too addicted, you may never let any tomatoes get red - and they are so good too!

¾ c self-rising flour

¼ c cornmeal

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

¾ c milk

3 – 4 green tomatoes, cut into ¼ inch slices

Vegetable oil

Combine first 5 ingredients; mix until smooth. Add additional milk to thin if necessary (I say - don’t do this! Keep the batter thick!) Batter should resemble pancake batter. Working in batches, dip tomato slices into batter, allowing excess batter to drip back into bowl. Fry in 2 inches hot oil. (375⁰F) in a large, heavy skillet until browned, turning once carefully with tongs. Transfer to a colander to drain.

I used a fork, and I laid mine on a paper towel as with most fried foods. They are tangy – and not everybody likes them. If you try them and enjoy them let me know! Oh yeah, and they are super dipped in Ranch dressing!

Breakfast Casserole

Last night there was a terrible storm that went ripping through our neck of the woods. We woke this morning to find some huge tree limbs in the backyard. As usual, every member of the family slept through it except me. I was up early - so I decided to make the sleepy heads some breakfast. My step-mother has made this recipe before but I never did until today.

Breakfast Casserole

6 slices bread, cubed
1 pound sausage, browned and drained (I added chopped onion)
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
8 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk
1 tsp salt
pepper to taste

Cube bread and place evenly in greased 9x13 pan or baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with sausage and cheese. Mix eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Pour over ingredients in pan. (May cover and chill overnight - if you do this remove from fridge 15 minutes before baking.) Bake 45 minutes at 325 degrees or until set. Cut in squares to serve.
Serves 8 - 10.

My husband loved this. Good thing - he's having it for dinner, as we are going to play Lazer Tag with the youth group!

Blueberry Muffin Recipe

I thought since BOTH of my girls mentioned it in the previous post - that perhaps y'all would like the recipe to these awesome blueberry muffins that I made for the first time on Easter Sunday. I got this recipe from the Taste of Home cookbook - and it was wonderful. We will definitely make them again!

Berry Cream Muffins

2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries or blueberries
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup (8 oz) sour cream
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1. In large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add berries and toss gently. Combine the eggs, sour cream, oil and vanilla; mix well. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.
2. Fill greased muffin cups two-thirds full. (personal note: whenever I make muffins, I always sprinkle sugar on the tops if the muffin doesn't have a topping - it makes a nice sweet crust on the top) Bake at 400 degrees for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack.
Yield: about 1 dozen
Note: If using frozen berries, do not thaw before using.

These were terrific. We will definitely be making them again.

Crock-pot Cookin' - Pot Roast

The weekly Slow Cooking Thursday recipe exchange is hosted at the blog of Diary of a SAHM - if you're interested, make sure to post your recipe and go put your link up there to share it with others. If you want to go directly to this week's crock pot post - click on the graphic above!

Beef Pot Roast and Potatoes
This is the first thing I ever learned how to make in the crock pot, and honestly the only thing I made in it for many, many YEARS! It is a faithful standby that my family loves.

3-4 pound beef roast
6-8 medium sized potatoes
4-6 carrots
1 large onion, chopped
beef broth
Worcestershire sauce
Some people brown their roast before putting it in the crock pot - I never do. One of the reasons I use the crock pot is because of the easy, one pot cooking and little mess. To me, this misses the point. My roast is always tender and wonderful.
Place roast in the crock pot and sprinkle with seasoned salt and pepper. Cover with half the chopped onion. Pour 1 cup of beef broth over the roast and generously sprinkle with Worcestershire sauce. Cut potatoes into halves or quarters depending on size. Layer on top of beef roast. Also cut carrots into medium sized pieces. Add remaining half of chopped onion. If I have a celery rib, I will chop it and add to the crock pot as well. Salt and pepper the vegetables.
Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours, depending on size of roast.

Crock-pot Cookin' - Chicken and Stuffing

I love my crock-pot. It makes cooking so handy. I was so thankful when I found Diary of a Stay at Home Mom hosting Slow Cooking Thursday. If you're like me you can always use more good recipes that are tried and tested by other moms! Speaking of which, I made this yummy recipe for Taco Soup in my crock-pot today that I found on somebody else's blog - and I just had to take a taste when we got home from co-op! It is sooo good! And while you're at it, hop on over to Life on the Rocks where she's posted a yummy meatless (alright it has chicken broth though!) version.
Here's one of my tried and true crock-pot recipes:

Chicken and Stuffing
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped celery
4 oz can mushroom pieces, drained
1/4 cup dried parsley flakes
1 1/2 tsp rubbed sage
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
12 cups bread cubes
2 eggs
10 3/4 oz can cream of chicken soup
5-6 cups cooked chicken
Combine all ingredients except bread, eggs, soup and chicken in saucepan. Simmer for 10 minutes. Place bread cubes in large bowl. Combine eggs and soup. Stir into broth mixture until smooth. Pour over bread and toss well. Layer half of stuffing and then half of chicken into very large slow cooker. Repeat layers. Cover. Cook on low 4 1/2 - 5 hours.

Ultimate Blog Party Snacks - $250 Cookie Recipe

I got this recipe from my friend Helen. I had actually seen it floating around on the internet - the recipe that a woman asked for at Neiman-Marcus and was told it was "two fifty" and later saw that her credit card had been charged $250. So she decided it was hers to share with everyone. But, although I had seen it, I never tried it until my friend Helen made them. They are THE BEST chocolate chip cookies you have ever put in your mouth. I am serving them at corner of the Ultimate Blog Party tonight! (Technically I made them to donate as a refreshment to serve during the "winter Bible study" break at church - but we'll pretend I served them at my UBP!)

$250 Cookies
2 cups butter (4 sticks)
4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda (Helen omits - I do not - both cookies are great!)
2 cups of sugar
4 cups blended oatmeal (ground to powder in food processor - or buy oat flour)
24 oz chocolate chips
2 cups brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 - 8 oz Hershey bar (Helen and I both use milk chocolate chips instead)
4 eggs
2 tsp baking powder
3 cups chopped nuts (I like walnuts)
2 tsp vanilla
Cream butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla. In separate bowl, mix flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Add to wet ingredients. Mix. Add chocolate chips, Hershey bar and nuts. Roll into balls and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes at 375 degrees.
Makes 112 cookies.
Store in a well sealed container - as cookies get hard easy. If they get hard - serve them crumbled over ice cream! YUM YUM

Ice Cream for Breakfast

This weekend we hosted part of a Mexican themed "progressive dinner" that was hosted for the youth group at our new church. We were the first stop, and from here I was one of the drivers to the rest of the stops. Here is what was on the menu:

Appetizers: stuffed jalapenos, chicken taquitos, taco dip, homemade tortilla chips, salsa, and salsa with sour cream

Salad: taco salad

Main course: Fajitas (chicken, steak or beef) with all the fixins, refried beans, and Spanish rice

Dessert: Fried ice cream

After the whole day of eating, we went to an older lady’s house for a bonfire and hot dogs with marshmallows. WAAAYYYY too much food. My kids and I had never had the fried ice cream the way they made it though, and we all loved it. It was easy to make too so I thought during the Ultimate Blog Party I would share the recipe – which is so simple it’s not really even a recipe – with you so you could enjoy it too.

Simple Fried Ice Cream

Small tortillas
Butter
Cinnamon & Sugar
Vanilla Ice Cream

Melt butter and fry one side of tortilla lightly. Flip tortilla and add a generous amount of cinnamon & sugar. Cook lightly – you want the tortilla to be soft. In warm tortilla add one scoop of ice cream to cinnamon & sugar side – and wrap. Eat up!

It works best if the ice cream is as hard as possible – that way it is less messy. Regardless – it is messy but it is worth it.

I made these for my kids for breakfast this morning! What a fun treat! It can't have any more sugar than cereal or a pop tart which is what 90% of American children ate this morning!

My Favorite Bread Recipe – Buttermilk Oat Bread

Ever since I got a Bosch kitchen mixer, I've been making our family's daily bread. I really do enjoy it most of the time, although there are days when I wish I didn't have to do it. It isn't that it's hard – it's just those days when it is just one more thing to do. However, the results are so wonderful that we don't really like store bought bread anymore – and find most of the time, even the better brands that we used to swear by taste much like a dried up sponge. I have tried several different recipes that we've liked, but boy did we find a great one last week. I hadn't tried it before because it called for "buttermilk powder" – and it wasn't a staple ingredient I had in the cupboard. I think this is the favorite of the whole family. The recipe is from Marmee Dear's Bread Basket Cookbook.

Buttermilk Oat Bread

Mill 2 cups hard wheat in your mill – set aside (I don't do that – I just use whole wheat flour)

Place these ingredients in your mixer equipped with dough hook:

4 cups boiling water

1 ½ cups oatmeal flakes

9 Tbsp softened butter

9 Tbsp raw sugar or granulated sugar

1 ½ Tbsp sea salt

9 Tbsp dry buttermilk powder

Add the wheat flour from above – then add:

2 Tbsp SAF yeast (or any brand – I can never find SAF)

Unbleached bread flour will be used in the next step.

Mix until ingredients are combined with the mixer on a low speed. Now begin adding unbleached bread four, 1 cup at a time, until dough begins to clean away from sides of mixer bowl. Add flour very carefully as you only want a soft, workable dough. Do not add TOO much flour but dough should be able to be handled and not sticky. Knead on medium speed for 6 minutes. Let dough "rest" for 1 hour. Turn mixer on briefly to deflate dough. Turn dough out onto clean oiled surface. Form loaves and place into greased loaf pans. If desired, brush with egg wash and sprinkle tops of loaves with oatmeal flakes. Let rise for 45 minutes. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes. If tops have not been sprinkled with oatmeal, brush hot loaves with soft butter. Let loaves cool in pans for 5 minutes after removing from oven. Remove to cooling racks and cool completely. Cool completely before slicing.

This bread makes for a GREAT peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but we've also enjoyed roast beef and havarti, ham and cheese, etc.

NEW Year - or Is It?

Our family got together with some of our closest friends on New Years' Eve to celebrate the closing of what was a very difficult year for our family. Within our family of five we love and support one another, but outside of our little home, this has been a year of tremendous changes.
My friend and I were sitting just after midnight around her kitchen table. All the goodies we made had been consumed - the pepperoni bread, bean dip (I got this from a blog on Homesteadblogger and it was AWESOME!) and Chinese donuts -- all the cherries were gone and rolling around in the bottom of half consumed Shirley Temples. Our discussion was about whether it really is a NEW year, or just a continuation of the same. If you think about time in relation to eternity the way the Lord sees it, there really is no starting and stopping points.
Long before this discussion, I decided this year, I would make no New Years' resolutions. Any changes that I were to make, or that I would yield enough of myself for the Lord to make in me, would not be for a year - but for a lifetime. This first conversation of the "new year" really pulled everything I was thinking together, and solidfied my thoughts. Whether it is January 1st or June 19th or October 7th - if you know something in your life, your family, your home needs some alteration - THAT is the day to resolve it in your heart - and make the difference. When the Lord brings something to your attention - there is no time like the present to address that issue, and begin anew.
I don't want to be a bummer to anyone that has truly committed in their heart to make a much needed change in their lives. I have many areas where the Lord is helping me through the refining process. My desire is to encourage anyone who now realizes it is January 2nd, or 7th, 18th or 23rd - or maybe you were searching my Archives and found that today is August 12, 2009 - TODAY can still be the place where everything turns around!
A Happy and Blessed New Year to each and every one of you!
Much love - Julie

Ravioli Soup

Yesterday my 12 year old daughter, Kaitlyn made an awesome dinner called "Pizza in a Pot" - from Fix it and Forget It - crock pot cookbook. It was very yummy! She also made a gourmet chocolate Hershey bar bundt cake! That thing should be illegal! I really like to cook and that is one thing I really hope I pass along to my daughters. Kendra doesn't seem quite as interested in cooking as Kaitlyn, although she can make a mean apple pie!!! I got inspired this week to make Ravioli soup because my friend Kathie was making it last week! It is for our dinner tonight - and it turned out so yummy I just had to share the recipe, so here goes:

Ravioli Soup

3/4 pound ground beef or Italian sausage
1 can beef broth
1 pkg cheese ravioli or tortellini - fresh or frozen
1 small zucchini - cut into small quartered slices
onion & garlic
1 can diced tomatoes

In 5 quart pot, cook meat; drain. Add tomatoes, broth, and 1 3/4 cup water - Bring to a boil - reduce heat. Stir in ravioli and cook according to package directions. Add zucchini and heat through. Season with pepper and sprinkle with parmesan cheese and/or mozzarella according to preference.

I made a double recipe of this - so I used both ground beef and Italian sausage - only one bag of small raviolis (and it is loaded). I added onion and fresh garlic with the meat as it cooked. I'll serve it with garlic bread. It is so yummy! I just wish it would turn into chilly fall soup weather!!!!

Happy Fall Y'all

Tomorrow is the FIRST day of fall. What do you do with your family special to celebrate this awesome season? If you're reading this - consider yourself TAGGED! Tell me what you do to celebrate autumn!

Our family always loves to go to a fall festival called Joshua's Hands, put on by a large homeschooling family with the support of their church. They have games and all kinds of activities - puppet shows, face painting, auction, crafts to make and take, Christian bands, petting zoo, demonstrations of spinning wool, antique show, and my favorite part is the food - homemade beef barley stew, chilli, hot dogs, and apples everywhere! They decorate it really nice and it is such a great fall outdoor activity.

Another tradition we started last year with my friend Tina was "Happy Fall" breakfast together. They come to my house and we have a BIG breakfast. I make a ton of pumpkin pancakes, and sausage with maple syrup and butter - and we have hot spiced apple cider and hot chocolate or coffee to drink. It was such a fun thing to do. Last year we did it rather impromptu - but both of our families loved it so much that we decided to plan it, and invited another family that lives nearby.

Oh yeah, and for anyone interested, here is the Pumpkin Pancake recipe:

Pumpkin Pancakes
2 cups biscuit/baking mix
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs
1/2 c. pumpkin (canned - NOT pumpkin pie mix)
1 can (12oz) evaporated milk
2 Tbsp oil
1 tsp vanilla
Maple syrup

Combine dry ingredients in bowl.
Combine wet ingredients separately.
Blend well - and stir into dry ingredients and mix well.
Pour batter by 1/2 cupfuls onto a lightly greased, hot griddle. Turn when bubbles form on top of pancakes. Cook until second side is golden brown.
Serve with syrup.

Sorry for the oversight - originally I left the pumpkin out of the recipe - inadvertently. I apologize for the error! Gosh! I promise the rest of the recipe is here - in the right amounts!!!! We had them today, and they were wonderful!

Morning Maple Muffin Recipe

These are some of the best muffins I've ever tasted! I got them from fellow blogger JoysintheJourney, and she kindly gave me her permission to share it here! I hope you enjoy them as much as we did!

Morning Maple Muffins
2 cups flour
1/2 c packed brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup butter melted (1/2 stick)
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup sour cream
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Topping:
3 Tbsp flour
3 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp chopped nuts
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line muffin tin with paper cups. In a large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, combine the milk, butter, syrup, sour cream, egg and vanilla. Stir well. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients until just mixed. Fill muffins 2/3 full, add topping and bake 16-20 minutes, or until brown. Cool on wire rack for 5-10 minutes before removing them from the pan. Let muffins cool a bit before serving them. Recipe makes 16 muffins.

They are delicious on a cold winter's monring or in the summer with a cup of orange or raspberry tea! I enjoyed them with my friend Tina, on a stressful morning waiting for someone to come and look at my house! They were a sweet treat!