Pass MORE of the pumpkin please!

    This recipe I confess is apparently a repeat...I just searched my archive and saw it way back at the beginning. However, it is so very good that it is definitely deserving of another print, especially as it is so very fitting to the season. Without any further adieu, my most favorite and might I add ever popular pumpkin pie recipe. It is crustless (save on the carbs, heaven knows we all need that over the holidays!) and even the most determined self proclaimed pumpkin pie haters have been converted to the way of the crustless pumpkin pie...

     Mom’s Famous Crustless Pumpkin Pie


1 1/2 c. sugar
4 eggs
4 Tbsp butter softened
2 13 oz. can evaporated milk
1 tsp salt
1 c. Bisquick Baking Mix
2 15 oz. cans Pumpkin (or the equivalent of 4 c. fresh or 1 large 29 oz can )
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
4 tsp. vanilla extract


Preheat oven to 350^, spray 4  9” pie plates evenly with a light coat of cooking spray. Beat all ingredients in a large bowl till smooth. Once pie plates are evenly filled, bake until golden brown and an inserted knife comes out clean, about 50 min - 1hr depending on your oven. Let set for 10 min or so. Serve with homemade whip cream or vanilla ice cream. 


P.S. This recipe can easily be cut in half for only 2 pies. We go through ‘em like crazy though, so I always make up the whole batch. Also makes a GREAT quick breakfast. You do the math, the ingredients are no more “sugary” etc than breakfast cereal, and kids LOVE it! Serve with milk instead of ice cream and your kids just may sing to you the favorite...Bill Cosby style... morning music of    “Mom is great, gives us...Pumpkin Pie!"

Why

     Why is a very important word. Not only does it help one relate to others or create understanding (i.e. Why someone is acting the way the are), but it can also explain a state of learning. For example, the "Why Phase" of childhood. It just hit me the other day that I am going to be in the never-ending, question asking, universal discovery phase for at least, oh- the next 5-10 years of my life. (I feel like I just recounted some prison sentence!) On the subject of understanding however, I have decided to look in retrospect at this last week by asking a few "Why" questions myself;  
Why am I feeling this way? (confusion) Why did we change our plans almost literally the day after we made them (some desperate attempt to remain in control) Why did Adam struggle with his first spanish question ever in the most important interview of his known military career, right before graduation, and thus affect the result of not only that test, but quite possibly the outcome of our future pay grade? (sick irony) Why did I dye my hair dark dark brown with fantastically 70'sish bangs? (I found out I was pregnant a few weeks ago and I thought this would be "easier", plus I got bored) Why do we still not have orders that will allow us to schedule our move that needs to be complete in exactly 1 week and 6 days because we already signed paperwork to sign out of a house that we will no longer be in come 2 weeks from now (Life can stink, people don't do their jobs, and sometimes it is just not fair) and of course on a more important philosophical note, Why do bad things happen to good people and thus good things happen to bad people (Again, life stinks, people can make their own choices...yadda yadda....the Gods must be crazy etc)
     So, what brings me to such a deep and introspective point in my life? Could it be that this whole move was seemingly dependent on this new little life we were so graciously and un-expectedly blessed with? Could it be that we have had more learning experiences in this last 6 months than the last 6 years of our marriage? Could it be that the Gods MUST be crazy, and thus even laughing at us and more specifically me at this very moment of thoughtful contemplation? And why wouldn't they laugh? Haven't we all laughed at others or our own children as they sort through the mysteries of life, not in a maniacal way (hopefully, if so you may need medication) but in a completely humane and personally relatable way, that is meant to bring compassion and a lightness of heart that could soften even the most hostile of environments? Alas, it is more for my own good. What are the words to that song from Anna Nalick, "2 am and I'm still awake writing a song and if I get it all down on paper it's no longer inside of me threatening the life it belongs to" (or something like that) I have found an outlet now, and other than the food that I love to experiment with and make, it's this new opportunity to write that has been most satisfying.
     And with that, I am going to add some completely satisfying dinner recipes for you to enjoy. While I am not guaranteeing that they are very healthy or nutritious in terms of fat and calories much less veggie content, they most certainly are gratifying comfort foods that will satiate your pallet, appease your appetite, and fortify any sullen spirit.


     Chicken Alfredo con Broccoli


1 pint heavy cream of whole milk
1/2 c butter + a little more for the pan 
1/2-3/4 c parmesan cheese
1 tsp garlic powder or more if desired
salt and pepper to taste, other seasonings for chicken
8 oz fettucini noodles cooked and drained
4 chicken breasts
1 crown broccoli or steamer bag of broccoli
olive oil for pan


Heat saute pan over med-high. Add a little olive oil and butter to coat pan. Cook chicken breasts with a little garlic and onion powder, salt and pepper (or other desired seasonings) for about 3-4 minutes per side til no longer pink. Drain pan and set chicken aside to rest (this is major, don't cut it up for at least 5 minutes). Combine butter and cream. Simmer til melted, add parmesan and garlic, and simmer for another 15-20 over low. While simmering, cook and salt broccoli in a saucepan of shallow water over med. heat til soft (or use those fantastically economical and time saving steamer bags of broccoli from Birds Eye in the microwave, awe-some). Make sure you cook the fettucini in the meantime. Chunk chicken into bite-sized pieces. Toss pasts lightly with sauce, chicken bites and broccoli. Serve Hot, with extra parmesan if desired. Tip* a little cream cheese added to the sauce will thicken and add more substance to the alfredo.


     Easy Chicken Pot Pie


1 box ready crust with 2 pie crusts (or your own recipe)
1 can cream of mushroom and 1 can cream of chicken soup (opt for 99% fat free)
any left over mixed veggies (also a great use for Birds Eye steamer mixed veggies)
Optional; 1 diced potato and onion, any addt'l mushrooms
1 can chicken or leftover cooked chicken
salt and pepper to taste


Cook potato and onion in a saute pan til soft. Add mushroom if using, chicken and vegetables. Heat through, and add cans of soup and mix thoroughly. Place a pie crust in a 9'' pie pan, prick the bottom a couple times. Add the mixture, place addt'l crust on top (or fill the pie plate without a crust and only top with a crust to save on calories) Bake at 425^ for about 20 min or til crust is golden brown. Let rest a few minutes if you can! Kids love this topped with cheese


     Sweet and Quick Turkey Meatloaf


1 lb ground turkey
1/2-1 c pureed leftover veggies (usually tomato, broccoli, mixed veggies, whatever)
1/4 - 1/2 c diced onion (sometimes I blend this as well for ease)
1 egg
crushed saltines or breadcrumbs (leftover rice pureed as well works here! or even oats, basically whatever type of grain you have on hand to absorb the juices/fat)
spices to taste (basil, onion, garlic, salt, pepper etc)
about 1 tbsp ketchup plus 2 tbsp ketchup
brown sugar
BBQ sauce


Preheat oven to 375^. Mix (by hand is a little easier) all above ingredients in a large bowl except the 2 tbsp of ketchup and brown sugar. Add to a lightly sprayed large loaf pan (not the little ones!) Mix ketchup and brown sugar and add to the top of the meatloaf. Poke a couple of times with a knife. Bake at 375^ for about and hour til meat is no longer pink. If your family does not like the ketchup kind (my hubby doesn't) then omit ketchup topping. We just leave a little uncovered and make a smidge of chicken gravy on the side for him, and even the kids for dipping. 


      Paula Deen's Baked French Toast Casserole (from the Food Network)

• 1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces)
• 8 large eggs
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Dash salt
• Praline Topping, recipe follows
• Maple syrup

Directions

Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch each. (Use any extra bread for garlic toast or bread crumbs). Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with maple syrup.

Praline Topping:

• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Makes enough for Baked French Toast Casserole.

If All Else Fails...Breakfast Never Does

     I could tell you that when all else fails at our house, sometimes we do give in and head to Carl's Jr. for that oh so good double cheese super star beefy and meaty burger with criss cut fries and topped off with a "it always goes down smooth" chocolate hand scooped shake. But I won't. Not that it doesn't happen (or didn't last night after a semi rough day) but I want to  focus on the beauty of an entire food group; Breakfast. 
     I may have mentioned once or twice that cereal works when you are out of time, ideas, or concern. But let's talk for a minute about the pure joy that comes from hearing shrieks of delight over buttermilk pancakes on the weekend, or cold cereal for lunch after days of experimental dinners and only the occasional kid delight of popsicles or ice cream. Maybe I spoil them, but I have to hear that sound every so often to reinforce that I am not doing so bad, even if it is just for MY vain pleasure, something so easy could hardly be harmful to their little well being's. In fact, I would like to extend some suggestions to make an anytime breakfast as healthy as any fresh chopped cobb salad. 
     ALWAYS pair fruit with your grain (unless your on some kind of food combing diet, then eat the fruit by itself). The easiest way to get fruit into my kids is to have it with breakfast foods, they just expect it now and are quite willing to eat slices of fresh or canned goodness at any waffle or french toast gig. If you can't afford the nice stuff all the time, switch back and forth. This is where the canned fruit comes in handy (those 29oz cans of peaches for $1.25 go much farther in smoothies and yogurt than $1.25 per lb. of peaches at the store!) I try to keep pure maple syrup around, but when I can't always afford it we buy some "no high fructose corn syrup" store brand and use it til we can. Or try making your own, my mother has a quick recipe of 1-1-1 that works every time (1 c. granulated sugar, 1 c. brown sugar, 1 c. water, bring to a boil and add a few drops maple syrup flavoring and whala!) 
     Between pancakes, waffles, hot cereal (you know, oatmeal, creamy wheat, that stuff you probably vaguely remember since you were a kid...or since you fed it to your baby) eggs done at least 10 different ways and cold cereal, you have a quick and easy option for ANY time of day, or meal. Our kids practically expect breakfast for dinner once a week, and we love to get them into it by peeling potatoes for hashbrownns or fried potatoes (non of which have to be fried by the way, a tablespoon of olive oil with a little butter can go very far in terms of flavor and cooking). I often keep a gluten free pancake mix around just to break things up a bit and to try eating different grains (also something they are used to as we had them on a gluten free diet for a whole year, that's another story though!) Some of our favorite pancakes have been made with pumpkin, super easy to slip into almost any recipe, just try about 1/2-3/4 c. in your favorite pancake batter with a pinch of cinnamon. It has even worked with bisquick. Here is another great one from the Vegetarian Times, a magazine I would recommend for anyone interested in learning more about veggies. You don't have to be eating like a vegetarian to get many of the benefits, they have some great articles and food preparation suggestions. This one is super yum;

Pumpkin Pancakes with Honey-Raspberry Syrup

Vegetarian Times Issue: November 1, 2008   p.83

ingredient list

Serves 6

Honey-raspberry syrup
1 lb. frozen raspberries, divided (4 cups)
½ cup honey
Pumpkin Pancakes
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground ginger
¼ tsp. salt
3 large eggs
¹⁄3 cup honey
1½ cups low-fat milk
1 cup pumpkin purée or canned pumpkin
½ tsp. vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS

1. To make Honey-Raspberry Syrup: Place 3 cups frozen raspberries and 1/2 cup water in saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer 5 minutes, or until berries are soft. Mash in pan until smooth. Strain berry mixture through sieve into separate saucepan. (You should have 1 to 1 1/4 cups.) Stir in honey, and return mixture to a boil. Remove from heat, add remaining 1 cup frozen raspberries, and cover to steam and thaw whole raspberries. Set aside.
2. To make Pumpkin Pancakes: Whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt in bowl.
3. Beat eggs and honey in separate bowl. Whisk in milk, pumpkin purée, and vanilla extract. Stir egg mixture into flour mixture with spatula or wooden spoon.
4. Coat nonstick skillet or griddle with cooking spray, and heat over medium-high heat. Ladle 2/3 cup batter onto skillet for each pancake. Cook 3 minutes, or until bubbles begin to form in center of pancakes. Flip, and cook 2 to 3 minutes more, or until pancakes are browned on both sides. Serve warm with Honey-Raspberry Syrup.




     A quick word about grain; add variety. If you like the hot cereal and toast option, there are several gluten free or multi-grain ones by companies like Bob's Red Mill that are fabulous. Just add a little of whatever milk you have around, fresh or frozen (well partially defrosted in that case!) berries, a mild sweetner like agave, honey or maple syrup and eat with a little toast, a fresh smoothie or fruit salad. My kids go bananas for this stuff, as it is considered a "dippy" food around here with the toast and all. Cold cereal is the same, go for minimum sugar and maximum grain variety, even Corn or Rice Chex can go a long way. Add the same kind of side favorites as with your hot cereal.
     Lastly, eggs pretty much rock my socks. They are always easy to do, you can go for the cage-free if you have a little exra money, pair with some homemade banana muffins or prepare them as a frittata or omelet. One great little purchase over Christmas was a cast iron skillet. After sauteing some potatoes, green onion, spinach, and cherry tomatoes, we threw in some scrambled egg, let the stove cook it for a few minutes and the oven finish it for another yummy and easy dinner. Just add multi-grain toast and fresh squeezed orange juice, and your on your way! V8 or homemade vegetable juice is another great side option with egg dinners, and yup my kids drink that up too!


Elizabeth's Frittata


1 large potato washed and diced
1 small bunch cherry tomatoes halved or small tomato diced
1-2 stalks green onion diced
1 large handful spinach roughly chopped (more if desired!)
Any other vegg you might like (chopped mushrooms etc)
6-8 eggs beaten with a Tbsp or so of water
1-2 oz. shredded cheddar cheese (stir into egg mixture)
Optional;  Add any meat you might like (or you can skip for a meatless dish, saving money too!)
Fresh basil, fresh cracked pepper, sea salt


Preheat your oven to 400^. Use a pan that is oven safe. Prepare your meat (we've used a little bacon or sausage links chopped up here before) saute the potatoes in a little olive oil and butter for about 4-6 minutes til golden. Add tomato, onion, spinach and possible other ingredients and saute for another 2 minutes or so til spinach is wilted. Add the beaten egg mixture and move around in the pan a little to begin cooking process and incorporate ingredients. You can also skip this part if you want food to stay at the bottom of the frittata. Then carefully move to a 400^ oven and cook for about 15 min (check often, til eggs are set in the middle) Remove with an oven mitt as pan will be hot and let set for another few minutes, adding torn fresh basil, fresh cracked pepper, and a pinch of sea salt to the top. You can even a side salad and really double the value of your "meat" free meal!