Pumpkin Pie

If made right, I might just say that Pumpkin Pie is one my favorites.
I've had a lot of really good pumpkin pies and some really bad pumpkin pies.... in fact, the worst dessert I've ever had and literally had to choke down, just happened to be a pumpkin pie.

I'd have to say that my Mom makes the best pie. The best.
I'd like to think that one day I'll make them as good as her. I'd like to think that I'm making my way there.

Anyways, I don't know why, but I've been craving pumpkin pie for a week or two now. So today I decided to make some. Finally.



If you'd like my recipe, here it is....

PUMPKIN PIE (2 pies)

Make your pie crust. Here's a link to my earlier blog posting on how to make mine. (though, don't poke holes in your crust and don't bake it until after the filling is in)

In a bowl, combine
6 eggs
2 1/2 c. half and half
28 oz. can of pure pumpkin
1 Tbsp. & 1 tsp. corn starch
1 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. all spice
1/4 tsp. ginget
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (optional)
Beat with a hand mixer. Pour into your prepared pie crusts and sprinkle with some nutmeg.
Bake at 350F for 1 hour.
Cover with whipped cream before serving. Mmmmm.

Happy Valentines Day

To all my friends and family, I wish you a Happy Valentines Day!!

Last night, I decided to make some valentines cookies for my family and a few to give away. Normally, I make sugar cookies, but instead I decided to make a traditional rolled shortbread since it's been so long since I've made them. Plus, my family prefers it when I decorate with buttercream icing and I'm more inclined to use that icing with shortbread.


If you'd like the recipe for my rolled shortbread, here it is...

ROLLED SHORTBREAD
1 c. icing sugar
1 c. corn starch
2 c. flour
1 1/2 c. softened butter or margarine

Mix in a bowl (you'll probably have to use your hands for this).
Refrigerate for 1 hour (okay, I usually skip this and it turns out fine)
Roll out between two pieces of wax paper or parchment paper. Cut into shapes.
Bake at 350F for 9-10 minutes.
Once cool, decorate with buttercream icing.
One batch will make about 45 cookies (depending on the sizes you cut them).
One last note... these cookies are a bit on the fragile side. If you stack them, like I do with sugar cookies, you might find that they might break on you. But, they taste SO GOOD though.

Enjoy!

Christmas Sugar Cookies

On the weekend, I had plans to do a lot of baking.... and it just didn't happen like I planned. A lot of things came up and so I'm left with a bunch of un-iced sugar cookies. Well, they've been taunting me. So, late last night, I sent messages to a few friends who have asked me if I could show them how to do "flooding" with royal icing and invited them over.

I enjoy decorating sugar cookies, but I am by no means a pro at it. I cut corners and I don't do a thicker outline. I'm lazy in that regard. If you want to see some nice cookies, check out this website.

Anyways, we had a good time. We decorated a few cookies.
Here's a little look at some of the cookies I decorated...

Well, I know some of you would like recipes. Yes?

Here's my favorite sugar cookie recipe. It's the recipe my Mom used to make when I was little...

SUGAR COOKIES
Cream together
1 c. margarine or butter
1 1/2 c. sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
Sift together and then add
3 1/2 c. flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda

Mix together well. Form ball and leave in the fridge for 1 hour (to be honest, I never do this, but that's what the recipe says to do... it's up to you).
Bake at 350F for 8-10 minutes. Personally, I like a softer cookie, so I tend to bake mine for 7. 8 or more will give you a more crispy cookie, which is good if you're wanting to bake them on sticks or anything like that.


ROYAL ICING
4 c. icing sugar
3 Tbsp. meringue powder
5-6 Tbsp. water.
Mix together and beat until it starts to loose it's sheen.
Divide and mix into colors. If you're wanting to flood cookies, mix in water a little at a time until you can drizzle some icing off your spoon and it disappears after 7 seconds or so. I know, not very specific, but if you're one of my friends who was here and watched me do it, you'll know what I'm talking about. If you don't, I apologize. Basically, you want it so that your icing is thick enough to stay in place and not run off your cookie, but thin enough that it will blend together and give you a nice smooth surface when you're done.

Well, it was fun. I'd love to hear if you make any yourself with your family.

Favorite Oatmeal Cookies

Tonight for Family Home Evening, we made some cookies. Oatmeal Cookies! These just might even be my favorite cookies and I've been making them since I was a teen.
While I'm waiting for them too cook in the oven, I thought I would share the recipe with you, if you feel inclined to try a new recipe...

Oatmeal Cookies

Mix together
1 c. butter or margarine
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. sugar
Combine until smooth and then add
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbsp. milk
Mix, then add
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 c. rolled oats

That's the basic recipe, but I rarely stop there. I usually proceed to add
1 c. coconut (I don't measure, usually it's whatever I have)
1/2 c. - 1 c. chocolate chips
1/2 c. raisins
1 grated orange rind.
Or any combination of the above ingredients. I actually think, the more the merrier. Put whatever you like in.

Bake your cookies for 9-10 minutes or until light brown in a 350F oven.
Also, you don't want to over cook these cookies or they'll be hard and crispy. I like mine soft and chewy, so quite often they almost look on the under-done side. Just so you know.

Enjoy!

2 of my favorite cake recipes

Okay, I thought I'd share with you 2 of my favorite cake recipes.

First one is a Vanilla Cake.
I've made several vanilla cakes completely from scratch, but the one that everyone usually prefers is this one. I even had a taste test one time, where I made several cakes and the one that everyone liked, you guessed it, was this one. It's not a scratch cake. It's an altered cake mix. So much easier. And this cake bakes a little denser, so it seems like I made if from scratch.

Vanilla Cake
1 vanilla cake mix (I usually use Betty Crocker's french vanilla)
1 c. sugar
1 c. flour
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. egg whites (about 3 eggs)
1 1/3 c. liquid (1/2 c. milk, the rest water)
1 tsp. extract (I prefer coconut, but you can use almond or any other flavor)
1 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Mix together well. Bake at 350F.
Okay, and I'm not going to list how long, because it depends on whether you're making cupcakes or cakes. And even cakes, it depends on if you're using even-bake strips or not.
If that frustrates you, just look on the box and go by that, but check it near the end and decide if it's done or not. I know, you're really loving me right now.

Oh, and I thought I'd mention that you can substitute all the liquid for coconut milk and add a can of crushed pineapple (drained), that's pretty yummy. Or, sometimes I've even been known to throw strawberries (usually frozen bagged ones that have been thawed) into the batter before mixing too. It's really flexible.


Okay, I'm not a chocolate cake fan. I usually chose not to eat it, but this next recipe, is for a chocolate cake and it's really good. And that's saying a lot for a non-chocolate cake lover. I'll even find that sometimes I'll eat several cupcakes of this recipe and enjoy it. Whenever I've made this for someone else, they've always loved it....

1 Bowl Chocolate Cake

2 c. sugar
1 3/4 c. flour
3/4 c. cocoa powder
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 eggs
1 c. milk
1/2 c. oil
2 tsp. vanilla
Mix together and beat for 2 minutes. Then add
1 c. boiling water
Mix well. **This batter will be very runny! Almost like soup, just so you're not worried.**

Bake at 350F too. Keep an eye on it cause you don't want them to be undercooked.
This cake is good with a mint buttercream (my favorite) or sometimes with a peanut butter filling (my sister makes that). So many different things you can do. Experiment a little.


And lastly, I just thought I'd mention what my favorite icing recipe is..... the recipe that's on the back of the Roger's Icing Sugar bag. That's right. It's the easiest and I actually like it the best. I've made several types of recipes and this is my favorite. For anyone that doesn't have Roger's icing sugar, I'll post the actual recipe later.

Rhubarb Pie

One of my favorite pies is.... Rhubarb pie! Just plain rhubarb. I love the fact that it's sweet, but still maintains a bit of the sourness to it too. Hot rhubarb pie with ice cream, it's the best.

The other day, I was quite happy when a friend said she had some rhubarb and was willing to give it away. I quickly said I would love to have some.

So, with there being a Relief Society "birthday" dinner, I decided that I would make some pie as my contribution towards dinner. And, since it's one of my favorite things to eat, I thought I'd share my recipe, in case any of you would like to make some yourself....

Rhubarb Pie

Pie Crust (for one pie - top and bottom crusts)
2c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 c. Crisco shortening
Use a pastry cutter until dough is the size of split peas
4 Tbsp. ice water
Sprinkle 2 spoons, then add the other 2. Use a fork to mix, then use your hands.
Handle the dough VERY LITTLE. Only mix until it holds together, you'll already notice that it's very flakey. Divide in 2 (top, bottom crusts) and roll between wax paper.

If you're a visual person and want some pictures, you can look at one of my previous blog postings that shows how I make my pie crust.... though, stop just before poking holes in the crust, cause you don't do that will filled pies. Click here for a link to it.

Rhubarb Pie
4 c. rhubarb cut into pieces
1 1/4 c. sugar
1/3 c. flour
1/8 tsp salt
1 Tbsp. butter

Now that you've got your crust in the pan and ready, take your cut rhubarb and fill your pie a little more than half full.

Then you're going to mix together the above amounts of sugar, flour and salt. Pour half of this mixture onto your rhubarb in your pie. Put the rest of the rhubarb on top and fill your pie so that it is heaping. Pour the rest of your sugar/flour mix on top.
(so basically, your pie is layered... rhubarb, dry mix, rhubarb, dry mix)

Now take your butter and just dot the top.

Then roll out your top crust dough, lay it on top and finish of the edges however you'd like.
Lastly, cut some slits into the top of your pie.

Bake your pie at 425F for 40-45 minutes. And just as a side note, if you want though I don't always do this.... before you start baking, take some tinfoil and cover your crust edges. This will prevent them from baking faster than the rest of your pie and prevent you from having burnt looking edges. Then half way through the baking, remove the tinfoil and bake normally.

So, there you have it. That's how I make rhubarb pie. It's one of my favorites.

Oh, and what do you do with the left over dough?? Well, I like to roll it out and sprinkle sugar and cinnamon on it and bake it (425 for approx 6 minutes) It's a yummy snack too!

Hamburger Soup

It's been another busy day. The first of many really busy days actually.
Today I baked a few cakes, ordered a bunch of pictures to scrapbook this weekend, went and checked on my geocaches since they've had a bunch of DNFs lately (DNF = Did Not Find), made homemade buns and one of my favorite soups. Oh, and let's not forget all the things I made out of K'nex today for Matthew. I think I made a space shuttle, a hot air balloon and an airplane. Phew! Don't you find that the more you have to do, the more you can get done above and beyond? And days where there isn't much going on, it's hard to get even those few things done? Today is one of those days where I thought it might be a struggle to get everything done and yet I accomplished more and I'm surprisingly not exhausted. I love days like that.

Anyways, tonight I made Hamburger Soup. It's one of my favorite recipes. I got it from my friend Kelly many years ago and it's surprisingly one of the few meals I can make and I don't get a single complaint. Not one. Plus, it's a fabulous recipe to make that uses up some of my food storage.... you know, like dried carrots, onions and barley..... and no one would even know.

If you'd like the recipe, here you go...

1/5 lb. ground beef, cooked (I use whatever amount I have and I highly doubt it's ever exactly 1.5 lbs)
1/4 c. dehydrated onions
1 c. dehydrated carrots
1 28oz. can diced tomatoes
2 c. water
3 cans consomme
1 can tomato soup
4-5 sticks celery, finely chopped
8 Tbsp. barley
pepper

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker crockpot and let cook anywhere from a few hours to all day. I don't think it matters. You can even cook this on your stove and it turns out good.
If it gets a little dry, just add a little water. This is great for leftovers too!!


Oh, and don't forget to eat it with some buns. Tonight I made the 1 Hour bread.... love that recipe, just cause it's done from start to finish in one hour and a day like today, I didn't have time to bake buns that take a couple hours.

Caramel Popcorn

Mmmmmm............Caramel Popcorn. One of the best snacks ever!

I go through phases on what we eat. We'll eat something over and over and over again, then it's almost like I forget about it until months/years later when I remember and think "hey, remember when we used to eat this...". I'm like this with just about anything we eat. Probably most noticable, supper. I get in these ruts and I can't remember what I used to make, just that I used to make something that we don't eat any more.

Anyways.... where am I going with this?? Oh, yes. Caramel Popcorn. A forgotten snack. And when I remember it, I wonder how I could ever forget about it!! And I'll make a big batch several times in a row, over a course of a few days, because it's just so good and yummy.

Last night we were going to stay in a hotel for the night. Nothing special. We just had a free night to use up and it was our only free weekend before it expires. So, I thought we needed a snack we could eat in the hotel.... Caramel popcorn. We ate it all!!! And I could have easily eaten more.


Well, if you'd like the recipe, here it is....
Ingredients:
6 Quarts of popcorn
1 c. butter
2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. corn syrup
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla

Pop about 6 Qts of popcorn. Okay, I have absolutely no idea exactly how much 6 quarts is.... but it doesn't really matter. I think I use about 3/4c to 1c of unpopped kernels.

Melt butter in a large pot. Add brown sugar, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil and let boil for about 5 minutes. Stir constantly.

Add baking soda and vanilla. Remove from heat.

Mix with popcorn. I mix it all in a large roaster (large.. as in I can cook a large turkey in it)

You can eat it while it's soft. But, I prefer to eat it when it's crispy.
So, if you want the crispy popcorn, put it in a 225F oven for 1 hour (taking out and stirring every 15 minutes so it doesn't clump together) If it doesn't seem crispy enough, you can bake it for an extra 15 minutes. Oh, and if you like nuts, like my sisters, feel free to throw in some nuts (peanuts, cashews, pecans...) before you bake it too.

Enjoy!! This is one of my favorites.

Goofiness & Lemon Meringue Pies

Before I get to the pies, I thought I'd post a picture of Elora....

Last Friday, we went to a music concert for Cam's nephew, who is leaving for a mission to Argentina. We gave the kids strict instructions that they were to be quiet. I was impressed to see how nicely they sat with their coloring books and boxes of felt pens/pencil crayons. Then, about an hour inot the concert (2/3 over), I look over and there was Elora.... sticking these big googly eyes all over her forehead. I couldn't help but giggle. Sometimes my kids are so darn goofy. I love it. Next thing I knew, Emily also had extra eyes as well. Abigail was thoroughly disgusted by it all... because Elora was licking them to help them stick if they wouldn't stick on their own. Anyways, it was pretty funny. Thanks for the great laugh Elora!!

So, my parents invited us to come over tonight. I'm supposed to bring dessert. Let me just say that I'm a "food snob" in the fact that I like home-made desserts and rarely like store bought. I'll also say that, as much cake as I make, it will never be my first choice in dessert. Far from it actually. So, tonight's dessert is going to be lemon meringue pie. One of my favorites.... but it has to be home-made. For some reason, I find store-bought pie unbearable. Okay, and I'm picky about looks too.... so if it doesn't look good, I don't usually touch it (that goes for just about anything) I'm not picky, but I am. If that makes sense.

Anyways, I thought I'd post some pictures of how I like to make pie....

My favorite recipe (I learned from my Mom.... which is very close to the recipe on the crisco box, but not quite) It's ALWAYS nice and light and flakey!

In a bowl, combine
2 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 c. Crisco shortening.
(this is enough for 2 lg pie crusts.... or one pie with a top and bottom)


Use a pastry cutter and cut it into small pieces. Pea sized.


Next, we're going to add 4 Tbsp. of ice water (okay, I just use really cold water from the tap).
Sprinkle 2 Tbsp. on the dough first. Use a fork to mix lightly.
Sprinkle with the last 2 Tbsp. of water. Use a fork, then your hands.
*Handle the dough very little!! Mix it just enough that it will form into a ball... and even then, it still barely holds. Remember, very little. Should look kind of like this...

Next, you're going to want to roll it out. I like to roll my dough out between two pieces of parchment paper, but you can use wax paper. Make sure you sprinkle flour on the paper before you put the dough down, and then put a little on top as well.


Then to get the dough into the pan, I just lift if up right on the paper, place it over the pan and peel the paper off. I push the sides down and make sure there are no air pockets. Finish off the edges however you like to and poke lots of holes in the bottoms and sides (don't poke the holes if you're doing a pie that has a top.... like apple or rhubarb or such)

Bake your pie crust at 425F for 8-12 minutes.

For the filling, I like to use the Jello brand of lemon pie filling. I like it the best! Just follow the instructions on the back of the box. Remember, one box makes enough for one pie. So, if you're like me and you're making both pie crusts, you'll need to make 2 boxes!

The meringue is my favorite part to make. Once again, follow the instructions on the back of the Jello box. I think the key part, is how long to mix your meringue. The box says until it forms stiff peaks. I like to stop just before.... when you can lift a spoon and the peak will FLOP over and hold it's shape. It'll look like this.....

Make lots of little peaks on top. Don't just spread your meringue smooth on top.... make it look pretty! Then, when you've thrown it back into the oven for a few minutes, it'll come out looking like this....


Yum! Don't you just love lemon meringue pie too??

Pumpkin Spice Cake

I LOVE PUMPKIN.
Just about any recipe, if it has pumpkin in it, I know I'm going to like it. My friend Jen once gave me a recipe for her pumpkin spice bars. They're not really "bars"... they're more like cake... cooked in a flat, large cookie sheet. But, they're delish! And each time that I make them, everyone loves them.

So, for my Grandma's birthday cake, I decided to use this pumpkin spice bars recipe and cook them as a cake. It turned out so good!! I think it just might be one of my favorite cake recipes! So yummy and so very moist. And with cream cheese icing to top it off, what could be better??


If you're interested in making some.... here's the recipe.....

Pumpkin Spice Bars (cake)

Mix together
4 eggs
2 c. sugar
1 c. oil
1 can pure pumpkin (16 oz.)
2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. cloves
2 tsp. cinnamon
(I also like to add an extra tsp. of pumpkin pie spice and some nutmeg)

Spread into a large cookie sheet. Bake at 350F until cooked (about 20 minutes.... surprisingly, I don't have an actual time written down on my recipe. So, keep an eye on it)

This would be a good amount for a 8x8 cake.... so, alternatively you can divide the batter into two 8x8 pans and cook for approx. 35 minutes.

When cooled, cover with your favorite cream cheese icing. ENJOY!!!