Lunch: Homemade Pasta Sauce

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Cooking, Food

Happy Pasta Day!

Pumpkin Pie Almonds

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Cooking, Food, recipes

PUMPKIN PIE ALMONDS

2 cups raw almonds, 3 tsp cinnamon, 3 tsp pumpkin pie spice, 4 tbs honey, 1 tsp vanilla, sea salt. Bake at 325 for 20 minutes

Source: dreaming-of-autumn

Cheesy Chicken Tater Tot Casserole

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Cooking, Food, recipes

Ingredients:
1 (32 oz.) bag frozen tater tots
1 (3 oz.)bag bacon pieces
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 cup milk
salt & pepper, to taste

Directions: Spray slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
Layer half of the frozen tater tots on the bottom of the slow cooker.

Sprinkle with 1/3 of the bacon pieces.

Now top with 1/3 of the shredded cheese.

Add diced chicken on top.  Season with salt & pepper.

Now add 1/3 of the bacon pieces and another 1/3 of shredded cheese.

Put the rest of the frozen tater tots on top.

Finish with the remaining 1/3 cheddar cheese and remaining 1/3 of bacon pieces.

Pour 3/4 cup milk all over the top.

Cover and cook on low about 4-6 hours.

Please note: Some slow cookers run at different temperatures. If you are using an older slow cooker (older than about 6 years old), your cooking time may take longer. Newer models run a bit hotter so keep an eye on this around the 4 hour mark.  You want to make sure the chicken is cooked thoroughly (to 165F degrees).

 

Olive Oil & Herb Cubes

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Cooking, Food, oranization, Organization

Toss a cube or two into your pan whenever you’re in need, and presto: fresh herbs, all winter long.

Source: ramshackleglam

Poppers

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Cooking, Food, recipes

Original recipe makes 32 servings

• 12 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 (8 ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 tablespoon bacon bits
• 12 ounces jalapeno peppers, seeded and halved

• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup dry bread crumbs
• 2 quarts oil for frying

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, mix the cream cheese, Cheddar cheese and bacon bits. Spoon this mixture into the jalapeno pepper halves.
2. Put the milk and flour into two separate small bowls. Dip the stuffed jalapenos first into the milk then into the flour, making sure they are well coated with each. Allow the coated jalapenos to dry for about 10 minutes.
3. Dip the jalapenos in milk again and roll them through the breadcrumbs. Allow them to dry, then repeat to ensure the entire surface of the jalapeno is coated.
4. In a medium skillet, heat the oil to 365 degrees F. Deep fry the coated jalapenos 2 to 3 minutes each, until golden brown. Remove and let drain on a paper towel.

Source:allrecipes.com

Hazelnut, White Chocolate, and Pumpkin Cheesecake

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Cooking, Food, recipes

Ingredients

• CRUST
• 3/4 cup vanilla-wafer crumbs
• 1/2 cup ground hazelnuts
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• CHEESECAKE FILLING
• 3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup coarsely chopped white chocolate
• 1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts (toasted, if you like)

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 325 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the crust ingredients and mix well. Press the mixture into the bottom and a half inch up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, then remove it from the oven and set aside. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, blend the cream cheese, sugar, flour, and pumpkin-pie spice with an electric mixer on low speed (at low speed, less air will get into the batter and the cheesecake will be less likely to crack while baking). Add the pumpkin and eggs and beat until well combined. Stir in the white chocolate. Pour the filling into the crust-lined pan, then sprinkle on the chopped hazelnuts.
3. Bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour. Then turn off the heat and leave the cheesecake in the oven with the door closed for another 30 minutes or longer until set. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and chill. Makes one 9-inch cheesecake.

Source:FamilyFunMagazine

 

Lunch: Cajun Coleslaw (Vinegar Based)

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Cooking, Food, lunch

Lunch: Honey & Apples

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Cooking, Food, recipes

Sweet Potato Rosemary Biscuits

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Cooking, Food, recipes

Sweet Potato Rosemary BiscuitsYield:12-14 biscuitsCook Time: 15-17 minutes

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 cup diced roasted sweet potatoes
1 cup buttermilk
3 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the minced garlic and fresh rosemary. Mix in cold butter with your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add roasted sweet potatoes and gently stir. Pour buttermilk over all of the ingredients and stir with a spatula until just combined.

3. Drop round spoonfuls of dough, about four tablespoons, onto prepared baking sheet. Brush biscuits with melted butter. Bake 15-17 minutes or until tops are golden brown. Remove from oven and serve warm.

Source:twopeas&theirpod

Salted Caramel Apple Crumb Bars

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Cooking, Food, recipes

Salted Caramel Apple Crumb Bars

Yield: 16 bars

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Salted Caramel Apple Crumb Bars-the perfect dessert for fall. These bars are also good with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Ingredients:

Salted Caramel Sauce:

2 cups granulated sugar
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces
1 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
1 tablespoon fleur de sel or Maldon sea salt flakes

Apple Crumb Bars

For the Apple Filling:

5 cups peeled and diced apples (I used Granny Smith)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
½ cup all-purpose Gold Medal flour
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground all-spice

For the crust:

3 cups all-purpose Gold Medal flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

To make the Salted Caramel Sauce:

1. First, make sure you have all of the ingredients ready. Once you start the caramel sauce you have to pay close attention so you don’t burn it. To begin, heat the sugar over medium high-heat in the bottom of a heavy 2-3 quart saucepan. When the sugar starts to melt, start whisking the sugar. The sugar will clump up, but keep whisking. It will continue to melt. When the sugar is melted, stop whisking. You can swirl the pan to move the sugar around.

2. Continue cooking the sugar until it reaches a deep amber color. Make sure you watch the pan very closely. This is where it is easy to burn the caramel. You want the caramel to reach 350 degrees F. If you are new to making caramel, I suggest using a thermometer.

3. As soon as the sugar reaches the dark amber color, carefully add the butter. Whisk until butter is melted.

4. Remove the pan from the heat and carefully pour in the heavy cream. Whisk until cream is incorporated and caramel is smooth. Whisk in the fleur de sel or Maldon sea salt flakes.

5. Let the caramel sauce cool for about 10 minutes in the pan. Pour the caramel into a large mason jar and cool to room temperature while you make the apple crumb bars. This recipe makes 2 cups of caramel sauce. You can store the leftover caramel sauce in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

To make the Apple Crumb Bars:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.

2. For the apple filling- place the diced apples in a large bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice. Mix gently. In a separate bowl whisk together flour, cornstarch, sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground all-spice. Pour over the apples and carefully combine. Set aside.

3. For the dough-in a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or by using your hands, until butter is mixed in, but you still have small chunks of butter. Mix the egg and vanilla together. Add into the flour and butter mixture and combine. The dough will be crumbly. Pat half of the dough into the prepared pan.

4. Spread the apple mixture evenly over the bottom crust. Drizzle about salted caramel sauce over the apple filling, about 3/4 cup. Crumble the remaining dough over the apple caramel layer and pat gently.

5. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into squares. Drizzle salted caramel sauce over the squares and serve.

Note-you won’t use all of the salted caramel sauce for this recipe. Store the leftover sauce in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Source:twopeas&theirpod