The pumpkin spice movement is in full swing. It is absolutely everywhere. I love a great pumpkin spiced drink but there are some things that just have no business in the pumpkin world. Pumpkin spice cereal, pop tarts, yogurt, protein powder, salsa, oreos, jello, applesauce, kale chips, popcorn, butter, marshmallows, peeps and almonds. I'm not kidding - I've seen pumpkin spice varieties of every one of these foods in the grocery store. (Do people really eat pumpkin spice peeps?)😝 I think we've taken this Pumpkin Spice Movement too far. It seems like we heave ourselves into pumpkin season at the first sign of color on a maple leaf. Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts started selling Pumpkin Spice Lattes on August 21st this year! 😳 Personally, I like to wait until October before I indulge in a Pumpkin Spice latte. If you're NOT a fan of pumpkin spice, I've got just the recipe for you. (Holly) It's packed with the fresh Fall flavors that you crave without even a hint of pumpkin. Apple Cider Doughnuts!!! I feel like the poor little apple has been pushed aside by the bright orange gourd as the featured fruit of the season. 🍎 I don't want to abrogate the pumpkin lovers. I love pumpkin as much as I love apples but I do feel like the pumpkin craze has overshadowed the appeal of a freshly picked, crispy Fall apple. Apple cider doughnuts are just about the best thing about Fall. You can even make this dough ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator until you're ready to fry your doughnuts to save valuable time in the morning. They're perfect for breakfast, they make a great for a late night snack and they're a delicious addition to any brunch buffet. Apple Cider Doughnuts Coating 1/2 cup sugar 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon pinch of salt Doughnuts 2 1/2 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup thawed apple juice concentrate 1/3 cup sugar 1/4 cup buttermilk 4 Tablespoons butter, melted 1 egg 2 quarts canola oil for frying
Dip warm doughnuts in coating and place on rack to cool. I'll bet that you can NOT stare at these pictures without craving a warm, apple cider doughnut. This recipes is definitely getting added to my "fall favorites" category on the blog? If you haven't checked out this category on the right side of the blog - you need to. Lots of yummy apple, pumpkin and cinnamon inspired recipes.
Ciao!
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Anyone else feeling a little freaked out by all of the food recalls lately? It seems like every day a new food is being recalled. Flour with salmonella, salmon with listeria, Romaine lettuce with e.coli and chicken with plastic contamination! And that was all in one week! It has me wondering what foods are actually SAFE to eat. All of the recalls have inspired me to take more of a proactive role in my food safety. I wash ALL fruits and vegetables that I bring into my home now and I'm using my thermometer to ensure that meat, chicken and fish are cooked to proper temperatures, far more often than usual. I also quit eating raw cookie dough. Tragic - I know. 😂 It's hard to admit but the research shows that the uncooked flour in raw cookie dough is potentially more harmful than the raw eggs!! That's possibly the most disappointing news of 2019. I've always taken food safety seriously but I've definitely stepped up my food safety game this year because of all of the food recalls. I know I look like a crazy lady when I dawn my rubber gloves and frantically start wiping down my kitchen sinks, counters, cabinet and drawer handles and light switches with bleach, but it's all in the name of avoiding cross contamination. It's probably overkill but it makes me feel better about the food that I prepare and serve to my family. I learned a lot about food safety when I did my personal chef training and one of the things that they really emphasized was marinade safety. I wasn't aware that it isn't common knowledge that cooks shouldn't be marinating raw meat and then reusing that same marinade on cooked meat - UNLESS it's cooked in between to kill bacteria. As a general rule - if you use a marinade - "toss it out or cook it out" before you eat it. This Greek Chicken recipe uses a delicious blend of oil, fresh herbs and spices and a hint of lemon in a marinade to infuse the chicken with scrumptious Greek flavor. Once the chicken is removed, be sure and bring the marinade to a rolling boil and a minimum of 165 degrees. Just trying to keep all of you safe from food born illnesses. 😅 Greek Chicken 1/4 cup olive oil 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh thyme 4 cloves garlic, chopped 1 Tablespoon lemon zest 1 Tablespoon salt 1 1/2 teaspoons oregano 1 teaspoon coriander 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1/2 teaspoon pepper 3 pounds bone in, skin on chicken breasts juice from 1 lemon
If you follow my blog at all, you know that I'm a big fan of grilled chicken. I made a double batch of this deliciously marinated chicken and turned the leftovers into some very tasty chicken noodle soup. Grilled chicken leftovers are the best!
Ciao! "Each year, the Great Pumpkin rises out of the pumpkin patch that he thinks is the most sincere. He's gotta pick this one. He's got to. I don't see how a pumpkin patch can be more sincere than this one. You can look around and there's not a sign of hypocrisy. Nothing but sincerity as far as the eye can see." I'm so inspired by Charlie Brown that I planted a pumpkin patch of my own this summer. 🎃 I faithfully watered, weeded and cared for my growing pumpkin plants for weeks while I eagerly anticipated the giant gourds that would grow. And then ... we had our roof replaced. 😬 Unfortunately, my precious pumpkin patch fell victim to the collateral damage from our new roof installation. It was pretty much demolished by the pile of shingles that landed in its path during the removal of our old roof. 😞 My hopes of having the most sincere pumpkin patch in the neighborhood were lost. But if I'm being honest, a roof without leaks was far more important than having my own pumpkin patch. Lucky for me, I can't go into a grocery store, a gas station or a hardware store in my town this month without passing by an overflowing bin of giant orange pumpkins just outside their doors. Pumpkins are definitely not hard to come by here. I'm also lucky enough to live near a couple of pick your own pumpkin patches so I really shouldn't be too disappointed by the fact that my pumpkin patch had failed. I still have access to great pumpkins. We set another record high temperature today so there won't be any pumpkin spice lattes for me for a while. I'm still enjoying the flavors of this beautiful season though. A simple unfrosted pumpkin spiced cake with a handful of chocolate chips is the perfect thing for this girl who craves the taste of pumpkin but can't handle a hot latte right now. Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Snack Cake 1 cup flour 1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup pumpkin puree 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup canola oil 2 eggs 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Allow to cool. Cut into squares and serve. Hey Dad - this recipe is lactose free! No dairy, no butter. Just thought you would like to know. Love you.
Ciao! |
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