Pinning it down {1}…Pumpkin Pie Dip

Joining Sarah, Pam and friends today for my first "Pinning it down" post.

I admit to holding Pinterest off for quite awhile. I read about it all over blogdom, and I thought that it might be a near occasion of sin for me, the way Pottery Barn catalogs are. I put them right in the burn pile without even peaking. Though we have a lovely home, the images within the pages create in me a feeling of dissatisfaction. So I don't look. I was afraid pinterest would do the same thing. But then I heard from lovely readers who had "pinned" my recipes and I knew if there was food there, I needed to go.

I have had no feelings of dissatisfaction thusfar, but I am a beginner. I have, however, found lots of yummy foods to try, and I tried a recipe that's been on my list of recipes to try for several months. Just pinning the pic got me moving.

And by the way, if you are on Pinterest, leave me your moniker in the comm box so I can follow you. I'd love to see what you're pinning.

This Pumpkin Pie Dip was spotted at The Girl Who Ate Everything back in the fall. I think I get burned out quickly on pumpkin recipes in the fall, so it was nice to wait on this one until winter. We really enjoyed it. Standing in the grocery store, however, with recipe pulled up on my iPhone, I made a quick decision to not follow the recipe. I use Cool Whip for exactly two recipes in all my cookbooks. I don't like it, but for those two recipes Cool Whip is the thing. Standing in the dairy aisle, I decided to go with the real deal, whipping cream. Thus, modifications have been made. Because there is no sugar in whipping cream (vs Cool Whip) there is less sugar in the recipe "my way." I think it was plenty sweet from the sugar in the pudding mix. This dip would be crazy good with gingersnaps, or cinnamon graham crackers, but I love, love the salty sweet thing you get from serving this with my new fave pretzel -- Cinnamon Raisin Twists (PS the raisin comes from powder and

juice -- no actual raisins).

Pumpkin Pie Dip

1 1/2 cups whipping cream

small box instant vanilla pudding

1 cup pumpkin (pure pumpkin, not canned pie mix)

1 1/2 t. pumpkin pie spice (or 3/4 t. cinnamon, 1/4 t. ginger, 1/4 t. cloves, 1/4 t. nutmeg, 1/4 t. allspice)

Add spices and pudding mix to whipping cream in the bowl of your mixer. Whip on medium high until whipping cream is stiff and holds a peak. Stir in pumpkin and chill for an hour or so or until ready to use. Serve with apple slices, pretzels, or cookies.

Brandy Slushy

I made a batch of these yummy adult beverages at Christmas time, and I am thinking they would be a fun drink for the big football weekend coming up. I am not a fan of pro football (I enjoy college football) but my husband and sons will be watching and they have already created the menu (how kind of them). I will be happy to hang out alone or with my mom in the living room, away from the television, and knit quietly. Maybe sipping on a brandy slush. These are simple to put together, but you do need to allow time for them to freeze, so start at least one day in advance. They are not very strong (in alcohol) so feel free to enjoy as many as you like. {wink}

Brandy Slushes

4 cups water, boiling

1 cup sugar

4 tea bags (I prefer black, but really pick what you like. I would avoid any complex blends.)

2 cups brandy (I use apricot or blackberry)

1 can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

1 can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed (I use low acid)

1 bottle (2 liter) lemon-lime soda, like Sierra Mist or 7-up, chilled

Place tea bags in a large bowl and pour bowling water over them. Let sit for 5 minutes. Remove tea bags and stir in sugar until dissolved. Add brandy, and concentrates. Stir until all combined. Place in freezer containers and place in freezer for at least 24 hours.

When ready to serve, scoop out slush with an ice cream scoop or heavy duty spoon. Place in glass, filling about halfway. Fill the rest of the way with cold soda. Enjoy with a spoon or a straw.

My Superbowl Menu (as set by the menfolk)

Loaded Potato Skins

Kansas City Chicken Wings

Layered Taco Dip with tortilla chips

Roasted Garlic Bean Dip and homemade pita chips

Salted Caramel Chocolate Shortbread Bars

I have an uncle who is the quintessential chocoholic. There is no chocolate treat too chocolately for him. Each Christmas I make him a batch of fudge and he savors it for weeks. This year, however, I had these Salted Caramel Chocolate Shortbread Bars on my mind and wanted a reason to make them (like I need a reason). My uncle was most appreciative. They are very chocolatey and very rich. I packed my uncle a full tin and had some left to put out for dessert on New Year's Eve. The recipe makes a lot because you really need to cut them small.

I halved the ingredients for the caramel because I didn't want the chocolate to be over-powered. I think, however, the chocolate can hold its own (the recipe is listed below as Annie originally listed it). I spoke with a friend about her experience with this recipe. She said she never got her caramel to darken because she was afraid the caramel would get too chewy (she didn't have a candy thermometer). I put my candy thermometer in the pan to make certain the caramel didn't reach too high a temperature and I'll tell you it took almost 30 minutes to achieve the color I did. Mine still was not as dark as Annie's.

Salted Caramel Chocolate Shortbread Bars

For the shortbread layer:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

½ cup sugar

For the caramel layer:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 cup sugar

4 tbsp. light corn syrup

2 (14 oz.) cans sweetened condensed milk

For the chocolate layer::

8 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 tsp. light corn syrup

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces Fleur de sel or sea salt, for sprinkling

To make the shortbread layer, preheat the oven to 325° F. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper. In a small bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir with a fork to blend, and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until well blended, about 1-2 minutes. With the mixer on low speed blend in the dry ingredients just until incorporated. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking pan and press in an even layer over the bottom of the pan. Bake 15-18 minutes or until golden. (If the crust puffs up a bit while baking, just gently press it down while it is cooling.) Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely.

To make the caramel layer, combine the butter, sugar, corn syrup and condensed milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter is melted. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, stirring constantly. Continue simmering and stirring until the mixture turns an amber color and thickens slightly. Pour the mixture over the shortbread layer, smooth the top, and allow to cool completely and set. (I chilled at this stage to ensure that the caramel layer would not melt when the warm chocolate was added.)

To make the chocolate glaze, combine the chocolate, corn syrup, and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Pour evenly over the caramel layer and use an offset spatula to smooth the top. Allow to cool for a minute or two and then sprinkle with salt (I had to chill them for more than a few minutes before the chocolate set enough for the salt not to dissolve on contact). Chill, covered, until ready to slice and serve.

New favorite five-minute bread

I have blogged before about Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. I love it, and I resolved to try more recipes this year. So far I have tried three new ones -- just in January! The problem is, I found one I really love and I may never make another.

My new favorite is the Portuguese Corn Bread, called Broa. Mine is a little higher than the one pictured at the Artisan Bread website, but the taste and texture were perfect for me, so I'll not change anything. It was rather crunchy, but still soft on the inside, and made the best toast! Yum!

To make it, follow the same directions for the Master Bread, subbing 1-1/2 cups cornmeal for 1-1/2 cups of flour (as stated at the Artisan bread website). I did not use a cast iron skillet, just my same-old, same-old method for the other five-minute Artisan breads.

it works! II

I had every intention of posting this idea last week right after the last one. But these people, called my family, have these expectations that I should cook, clean, launder for them, shuttle them places, and, uh, school them, of all things. I tease because I don't really mind, but it really cuts into blogging time. I often head for the computer, but am sidetracked by someone or something. I feel like Batman and Robin, "Foiled again!"

I saw this idea at the Daily Buzz along with the strawberry idea below. I always knew you could pop popcorn without special gadgetry but didn't know that it was quite this simple. Popcorn and a brown paper bag. That's it. Easy peasy. Even the kids can do it, though there was one burned popcorn incident at 1 a.m. with a particular 19 yo boy (did you know the smell of something burning can wake you from a dead sleep?). Just don't recook the old kernels.

I used a jumbo size brown lunch bag and about 1/3 cup popcorn. As you can see below there was plenty of room left in the bag for more popcorn, but the kids each had their own bag, so 1/3 cup was plenty. We have a popcorn setting on our micro -- I think most do these days -- but if you don't just micro on high until the popping slows down.

We added a tablespoon of melted butter and salt after the popcorn was popped. Shake and serve.

it works!

Here's a question for you (unrelated to the post title): why is it that when I use my oven timer with the oven on, the timer doesn't shut off when I turn the oven off? Don't answer that. I know the answer. It's just a constant source of frustration for me.

Anyway...I saw this great suggestion yesterday on the the Daily Buzz. I just happened to have strawberries planned for dinner last night (to go with Eggs Benedict) and it works! So easy. And for fun you can put a strawberry on the straw for the kids to use in their juice or smoothie. Or even chocolate milk.

Iced fruity green tea

How odd that I should blog about iced tea in the middle of winter. I normally keep my cold hands wrapped around a mug of something super hot and toasty all day long. A few weeks ago, however, I drank my first iced green tea at Panera, with my lunch (it was my first iced green tea ever, not just first one at panera) and I can't get it out of my head. I have since tried two other brands and was disappointed with both -- too acidic for me.

I did a little online research and found out that Panera makes their tea from a mix produced by Republic of Teas and it's not available to purchase. Pft. Republic of Teas sells black tea with papaya and passion fruit, but not green. I like having green, if for no other reason than reduced caffeine.

I found and ordered some Tea Nation Green Tea with Papaya and Passion Fruit and it arrived today. I brewed a double strong cup, added 2 tablespoons of sugar, and poured it over a full glass of ice. It's pretty good. Not quite as good as Panera's but at $2.79 a pop (and NO refills), I think I'll find a way to make it good. It might need some honey, and maybe just a tiny bit of lemon.

Tell me, do you have a favorite item that you'd love to be able to make at home?

NOTE: After trying the Tea Nation a few times, I have decided I don't like it. It has an off taste. I am still on the hunt.

Budget soup

I don't like to use the word "budget" because I think it has negative connotations, but I am also one who calls a spade a spade. This is budget soup. The ingredients are inexpensive to buy, and when feeding a large family that's something.

Though it is far from haute cuisine, it is most edible, and, in fact, quite tasty, and I would definitely make it over and over. I found the recipe after a friend told me she had purchased a jar of soup ingredients at a holiday craft sale. She mentioned the name of the woman who put the soups together, and I remembered that I had seen this same person's recipe in a school cookbook. The recipe was originally created to assemble a jar of it and give it someone else. The only thing the jar needs in addition to the ingredients in the jar, is a pound of ground meat and a can of tomatoes. I never assembled it in a jar, just measured the ingredients as listed and dumped them in a pot.

The leftovers were great for lunch on the go.

The recipe gives the option of using chili powder for seasoning or Italian seasoning. I used my own combination of Italian herbs, shown below. I did not have barley or split peas when I made it so I subbed more lentils for the peas and more rice for the barley. I also used all star shaped pasta instead of the recommended ABC pasta and additional shaped pasta. I wouldn't mind using the other ingredients, but it's all grain and I think you would be fine with almost any combination.

I ate the leftovers for lunch several days later (as well as took two jars to my neighbors) and it was a little more like stew left over -- the grains swelled and absorbed the broth. You could add more broth or another can of tomatoes, but it was really very good like that.

Budget Soup

(aka Love Soup -- I guess for when you are giving it away)

1/3 cup beef boullion or soup base (see note)

1 T. chili powder OR 1 1/2 T. Italian seasoning (see note)

1/4 cup onion flakes (see note)

1/2 cup split peas

1/2 cup ABC macaroni

1/4 cup barley

1/2 cup lentils

1/2 cup rice

pasta (any shape)

1 pound ground meat (I used ground chuck)

1 can chopped tomatoes (see note) 

salt and pepper

To give away in a jar: Layer ingredients, in order listed, in a 1-quart jar. Use shaped pasta to fill the top. Close jar with a ring and cap. Add preparation instructions on a tag.

To prepare: brown 1 lb ground meat ; drain.

Reserve shaped pasta to add later. Add remaining ingredients to beef and add 12 cups water. Add can of tomatoes with juice. Simmer for 45 minutes. Taste and season. Add reserved pasta and cook until pasta is tender, 10 to 15 minutes, Serve.

Notes: 

If you prefer not to use soup base, you can use beef broth, but that will raise the cost. You'll also have to adjust seasoning. 

For Italian seasoning, use equal amounts of dried basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary and marjoram to equal 1 1/2 tablespoons.

I used 3 T. onion powder instead of onion flakes.

The recipe called for 28 oz. of tomatoes, however to reduce acid I used a 14 oz can with fine results. Use whatever suits your taste.

Meat can be left out for vegetarian soup.

Source: St. Paul School cookbook

Everyday simple food

This is one of my favorite lunches -- poached eggs on toast. Such a simple pleasure. Good bread is nice but not crucial. Salt and pepper are crucial. That's all -- bread, butter, eggs, salt and pepper. This dish gives me carbs and protein for a little staying power.

One of my favorite breakfasts is cream of wheat made with low fat milk, and topped with a bit of white sugar and cream. I often think I should have fruit and yogurt or a smoothie for breakfast, but when I get up in the morning I want grain. No matter how hard I try I can't talk myself into anything else. Even in the summer I prefer a hot bowl of grain to almost anything else.

What are your simple pleasures? Favorite breakfast and lunch?


PS I so appreciate your comments, but because the pharmaceutical spammers have been out in force I had to turn on moderation, so your comments will show after I release them.