Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I stole this from my friend Niha and they are sooo moist and yummy.  Because of the pumpkin in them I keep telling myself that they are healthy. =)

 

What you need:

1 cup pure pumpkin

1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup veg. oil

1 egg

2 cup all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp milk

1 tbsp vanilla extract

2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

 

Make it:

Mix pumpkin, sugar, veg oil, and egg. 

In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.

Dissolve baking soda with milk and stir into flour mixture. 

Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and stir well. Add vanilla, and chocolate chips. 

Drop by spoonful onto greased cookie sheet, and bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes or until lightly browned and firm.

Cool completely, and store in airtight container. Cookies will be soft and chewy. Enjoy!

Cowboy Potatoes

This recipe was past down from Scott's mom, Harla.  I know that when we make it the memories come flooding back for us both.  His memories include him as a little kid, mine are from some of the last parties we had before Harla past away.

What you need:

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

3/4 cup butter-melted and divided

2 cups sour cream

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 large bag Southern style hash browns or Ore Ida with peppers - THAWED

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2 cups crushed corn flakes

Make it:

Combine cheese, 1/2 cup butter, sour cream, onion, potatoes, soup, salt and pepper.

Spoon into greased 9x13 pan.

Mix remaining 1/4 cup butter and cornflake crumbs, sprinkle on top of potatoes.

Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes.

Black Bottom Cupcakes

Will post pictures soon!! Thank you to my hubby's cousin for the recipe.

What you need:

- Bottom
1½ c all-purpose flour
1 c sugar
¼ c unsweetened cocoa
1 t baking soda
½ t salt
-
1 c water
1/3 c cooking oil
1 T vinegar
1 t vanilla

- Topping
8 oz cream cheese
1 egg
1/3 c sugar
1 c semisweet chocolate chips

Make it:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. 

2. Mix first five ingredients. 

3. Make a well in the dry mix, add next four ingredients and mix well. 

4. In a separate bowl, mix last four ingredients. 

5. Fill cupcake pan ½ full of chocolate mixture, dollop cream cheese mixture on top. 

6. Bake for 25 minutes.

Cold veggie pizza

What you need:

2 packages crescent roll dough (I like the butter flavored ones)

2 8oz packages cream cheese

2/3 cup mayo

1 package powered Ranch Dressing

Toppings:

Raw vegetables such as; broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, green peppers, tomatoes, celery and mushrooms.

1 cup shredded cheese, cheddar or mozzarella

Make it:

Press dough onto large pizza pan (do not grease pan) and bake according to directions of package (400 degrees - 10 minutes until brown.) Cool

Mix cream cheese, mayo and dressing until smooth. Spread over cooled crust.

Finely chop vegetables and sprinkle on top.  Top with shredded cheese and press down firmly.

Quesadilla Casserole

What you need:
2 tsp Chili Powder
1 tsp Ground Cumin
1 tsp Minced Onion
1/2 tsp Oregano
dash Crushed Red Pepper

1 lb ground meat (beef, venison, turkey etc)
1/2 chopped onion
2 cans (8 oz each) tomato sauce
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (8 3/4 oz) whole kernel corn, undrained
1 can (4 1/2 oz) chopped green chiles, undrained
6 flour tortillas (8-inch)
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

MAKE IT:

BROWN beef and onion in large skillet on medium-high heat; drain. Add tomato sauce, beans, corn and green chiles; mix well. Stir in all of the spices except red pepper. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer 5 minutes. Add red pepper to taste, if desired.

SPREAD 1/2 cup of the beef mixture on bottom of 13x9x2-inch baking dish sprayed with non stick cooking spray. Top with 2 of the tortillas, overlapping as needed. Layer with 1/2 of the remaining beef mixture and 1/2 of the cheese. Repeat with remaining tortillas, beef mixture and cheese.

BAKE in preheated 350 degree oven 15 minutes or until heated through. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Four-cheese pasta florentine

What you need:
3 cups mostaccioli, uncooked
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach
4 oz. (1/2 of 8 oz pkg. cream cheese
1 cup low fat cottage cheese
2 eggs
1 pkg. 8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Make it:
Heat oven to 375 degrees F
Cook pasta as directed on package.
Meanwhile, cook spinach as directed on package; drain well. Place in large bowl. Add cream cheese; stir until melted. Stir in cottage cheese and eggs until well blended.
Drain pasta. Add to spinach mixture with mozzarella; mix lightly. Spoon into 8- or 9-inch square baking dish; top with parmesan.
Bake 25 minutes or until heated through.

My picky 5 year old even loves this!

Loaded Nachos

We absolutely love to eat nachos. Especially during football season. We had spinach in the house last time we made nachos so I tore some up and put it on the nachos as well. It was delicious!

Loaded Nachos

What you need:
1 lb ground beef (We use ground venison.)
one sweet onion, diced
1 can refried beans
1 packet taco seasoning

tortilla chips

Toppings
sour cream
queso cheese sauce
shredded cheddar cheese
diced tomatoes (we love using cut up grape tomatoes)
your favorite guacamole

Make it:
1. Brown meat and drain any leftover fat.
2. Add onion and cook til soft
3. Add packet of taco seasoning and water called for on packet
4. Add can of refried beans and heat through

Put tortilla chips on plate and add meat mixture and toppings. Enjoy!!

Stuffed Green Peppers

Stuffed Green Peppers

2 - 4 servings

What you need:
2 medium green bell peppers
1 lb. mild italian sausage
1 medium white onion, chopped
1 C white rice (Minute rice)
1 C water
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes (reduced sodium or no salt added)
Worchestire Sauce
Italian Seasoning
Minced Garlic
1 C shredded cheddar cheese (I use extra sharp)

Make it:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Fill a large pot with water and put on to boil. Cut each pepper in half, lengthwise. Clean out the seeds & membranes. Place halved peppers in the boiling water until tender (3-5 minutes, usually). Remove from boiling water & place, inverted, on a paper towel to drain.

Brown the sausage & chopped onion in a skillet. Once browned, drain off the excess fat. Pour in the rice and water (always use a 1:1 ratio, but you can add more rice if you'd like more stuffing). Add in the can of tomatoes (do not drain), several shakes of Worchestire Sauce and Italian Seasoning and a generous scoop of minced garlic. (Note: I truly do not measure the spices - start out with a little, taste the mixture, add if needed.) Cover & simmer on medium heat until rice is cooked (about 15 minutes).

Place peppers cut side up (so, like a bowl) in a baking dish. An 8x8 usually works well for 4 halves.

When the stuffing mixture is cooked through, add half of the shredded cheese (if you're using it) stir, and fill each pepper half. If there's leftover stuffing, add it to the same baking dish.
Top the peppers with the remainder of cheese (again, optional) and pop in the 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes (until warmed through.)