Every Fall, I look forward to making pumpkin pancakes. I woke up this morning thinking about warm pumpkin pancakes, sprinkled with crunchy pecans and drizzled with maple syrup. I just happened to have some leftover pumpkin to use up from my Swirled Pumpkin Yeast Bread too - bonus. Pumpkin Pecan Pancakes 1 ½ cups flour ¾ teaspoon allspice ½ teaspoon cinnamon 4 Tablespoons brown sugar ½ teaspoon salt 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda 3 Tablespoons butter, melted 1 cup milk 1 cup pumpkin 2 eggs ½ teaspoon vanilla ½ cup chopped pecans
Drop by quarter cupfuls onto a warm skillet and sprinkle with pecans. Flip and continue to cook until cooked through. On a cool Fall Sunday morning, these pancakes hit the spot.
Ciao!
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Last Sunday was a perfect day to be at the park. The weather was cool and the leaves were just starting to change. The kids rode their bikes and Mia and I walked around the lake. I love Fall. There is nothing better than spending an afternoon outside in the cool Fall air and then warming up with a warm bowl of chili for dinner. Crock Pot turkey chili is one of my favorite recipes to make when we have a busy day planned. I put all of the ingredients in my crock pot, turn it on and walk away for 5 hours. This is a super simple dinner that lets me spend more time outside with my family and less time in the kitchen. Turkey Chili 2 cups shredded turkey 1 celery stalk 2 cloves garlic 28 ounces whole tomatoes 15 ounces red beans, undrained 15 oz black beans, undrained 15 ounces white beans, undrained 6 ounces tomato paste 2.25 ounces black olives, sliced 1 tablespoon onion powder 1 tablespoon oregano 1 teaspoon salt 1 Tablespoon sugar 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon chili powder 1/4 teaspoon cumin 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1/8 teaspoon sage 1/8 teaspoon paprika 1 bay leaf 3 dashes hot sauce 3/4 cup buttermilk cheddar cheese, shredded Stir together all ingredients except buttermilk and cheese. Add to crock pot and cook on high for 5 1/2 hours. Stir in buttermilk and cook 30 minutes. Serve with cheese. I served this chili to my husbands parents. We all really liked it. It's not very spicy so it's super kid friendly. It's also a great way to use up leftover turkey or chicken. I love that it's loaded with vegetables and my kids still eat it. (Please don't tell them its healthy.) My suggestion for a great warm up meal on a cool Fall day - Turkey Chili.
Since my kids are not always big fish eaters, I wanted to make something to go along with our fish dinner that I new they would eat. Macaroni and cheese was the first thing that came to mind. As luck would have it, I had a box of elbow macaroni in the pantry and lots of little "scraps" of cheese in the refrigerator. I borrowed some ideas for my macaroni and cheese from Ina Garten and then created my own delicious version of her recipe. Macaroni and Cheese Kosher salt 1/2 pound elbow macaroni 2 cups whole milk 6 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 2 cups mixed cheeses, grated(I had a combination of cheddar, mozzarella and Mexican cheeses.) 2 cups Velvetta,cubed 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 cup fresh white bread crumbs
Off the heat, add the cheeses, salt and pepper. Add the cooked macaroni and stir well. Pour into a 3-quart baking dish. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, combine them with the fresh bread crumbs, and sprinkle on the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top. Not sure which was better - the cracker crusted trout or the macaroni and cheese. I suggest you try them both.
Ciao! What do you get when you combine juicy tomatoes, ripe avocados, fresh cilantro, spicy jalapeno and garlic? Avocado Pico de Gallo of course. I love this combination of fresh ingredients and whether I eat it on a taco or with baked tortilla chips, I can't seem to get enough. It's especially good with grilled carne asada tacos. You will want to make at least 2 batches of Pico de Gallo to go with these tacos - trust me. Carne Asada Tacos with Avocado Pico de Gallo Lime juice form 2 limes 3 Tablespoons cilantro, chopped 1 pound skirt steak 1 Tablespoon jalapeño, diced 1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon lime juice ½ teaspoon salt 1 garlic clove ½ teaspoon red pepper 1 medium avocado, diced 1 tomato, diced 8 corn tortillas Let stand 10 minutes. Slice into ½” pieces. Combine tomato, cilantro, jalapeño, lime juice, garlic and avocado. Warm each tortilla over gas flame and serve with steak and salsa. The meat looks really undercooked here but I know my mom will appreciate the rare beef. I ended up packing up this carne asada and taking it to a friend. I left him instructions to reheat the beef in a hot skillet which will give him the opportunity to cook it to his desired doneness.
Ciao! Our busy week continues. Did I mention how much I am loving having the kids home this week? I love these pictures of the kids enjoying their frozen yogurt during our marathon shopping trip. These two can definitely outshop me. Having the kids home is wonderful but they are absolutely wearing me out. By the time 5:00 rolls around, I don't have any energy left to fix dinner. I am so thankful that my menu was already planned so at least I didn't have to decide what to make for dinner while in this exhausted state. Thankfully, last weekend when I was planning menus for the week, I anticipated some long days with the kids so I planned super easy dinners. Stromboli was the perfect meal to fix when I have very little energy. It requires very little effort and everyone loves it. Stromboli 1 pizza dough 1 ounce Parmesan cheese 4 ounces salami 1 egg 4 ounces turkey 1 teaspoon sesame seeds 4 ounces provolone 4 ounces roasted red peppers Roll pizza dough into a 12x10 rectangle. Place meat and provolone over dough. Top with peppers that have been sliced and patted dry. Since the kids don't like roasted red peppers, I only put them on half of the stromboli. Sprinkle with cheese. Roll dough, starting with long side. Place seam side down on baking sheet and brush with egg wash Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Cover with foil that has been sprayed with Pam and bake 25 minutes at 400. Remove foil and bake another 25 minutes. Get creative with your stromboli and add different vegetables like mushrooms, olives and onions. Change out the meats and add your favorites to create a stromboli to suit your own tastes. This is also a great meal to fix when we're eating on the go. I slice the stromboli and wrap each portion in foil and then store it in an insulated cooler until we are ready to eat. It's a great little sandwich to eat while your watching your favorite game. Ciao! |
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