Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe From: Joy the Baker

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips

Position a rack in the middle of the oven . Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and butter the paper.

Stir the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices together in a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the eggs and sugar until smooth and lightened in color, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing. On low speed, mix the oil, pumpkin, and vanilla until blended. Mix in the flour mixture to incorporate it. Mix in the chips.

Using an ice cream scoop with a 1/4-cup capacity, scoop mounds of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies at least 2 1/2-inches apart. You could also simply use a 1/4-cup measuring cup if you don’t have a scoop. Use a thin metal spatula to smooth and flatten the rounds.

Bake the cookies one sheet at a time until the tops feel firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry, about 16 minutes. Cool them on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then use a wide metal spatula to transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Dust the cooled cookies lightly with powdered sugar, if desired. Will keep up to 4 days in air tight container.

Sugar Cookies & Frosting

Recipe From: Kristi Johnson
Yummy!

Frosting Recipe:
4 cups powdered sugar
1 stick butter
5 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
Food coloring

In large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Slowly add in milk and vanilla extract using an electric mixer. Mix until stiff and smooth, takes 4-5 minutes. Stir in food coloring until you get the desired color.

Sugar Cookie Recipe:

Cream together:
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 eggs
1 stick butter or margarine
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract

Add to creamed mixture:
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3-4 cups flour
1/2 cup milk

Chill dough until firm. Roll dough out into a large circle.Cut into shapes using festive cookie cutters. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes
(until set around the edges, but not browned). Frost and decorate and enjoy!

Ginger Beef

Recipe From: Blog Chef
I used the fryer and thought it was too heavy. Next time, I'll just stir fry.

Ingredients:
1lb sirloin steak (sliced into thin strips)
¾ cup cornstarch
½ cup water
2 eggs
1 large carrot (julienned)
3 green onions (chopped)
¼ cup fresh ginger (minced)
5 garlic cloves (minced)
Canola oil (for frying)
3 tbsp soy sauce
4 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp sesame oil
½ cup sugar
3 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

In a bowl add cornstarch, gradually add water while whisking. Beat eggs into cornstarch/water mixture. Add sliced steak strips and toss to coat. Pour 1 inch of oil into a wok, heat oil to 375 degrees or until oil is hot enough to fry the steak strips. Add a quarter of the steak strips at a time to the wok. Separate with a fork and cook stirring frequently until crispy. Drain on paper towels. Repeat until all the steak is gone (*you can also use a deep fryer for this).

Drain all oil out of the wok except for 1 tablespoon. Add green onion, carrots, ginger and garlic. Stir fry for 30 seconds-1 minute. In a small bowl combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sugar and red pepper flakes. Add to the wok and bring the mixture to a boil. Add beef, heat thorough and serve.

Chicken & Sausage Gumbo

Recipe From: Delicious Dishes Blog

Start by making a roux:
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour

On medium high heat, melt them together, whisking the whole time. You want to whisk it until it becomes a light brown color. After it turns a light brown color I add the following:

1 tsp. Dijon mustard
3 Roma tomatoes (blended in the blender with a little water to make them smooth)
2 tsp chili garlic sauce
1 tbsp molasses
1 tsp salt
1 can chicken broth
1 small onion (chopped)
1 green pepper (chopped)
1/4 tsp pepper
2 bay leaves
1 chicken breast (cooked and shredded)
1 turkey sausage (sliced)

Cover and let it simmer for at least 30 minutes to let flavors blend. Serve over cooked rice.

Challah Bread

Recipe From: The Sister's Cafe
Makes 3 small loaves.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp yeast
1 cup warm water
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tbsp salt
1/4 cup canola oil
3-4 cups flour
2 large eggs

Add water to mixing bowl. Sprinkle yeast over water. Then sprinkle sugar, then salt. Let proof. Add oil and 1 1/2 cups of flour. Mix together. Add eggs. Mix well. Then add 2 cups of flour. Mix. Add more flour as needed – usually 3/4 to 1 ½ cups more. Hand knead if mixer didn’t knead enough. Let rise at least 1 hour. Separate into 3 large pieces. Divide each piece into three more pieces. Roll into snakes and braid together. Let rise for about 1-2 hours or until almost double in size. Then brush with egg wash (1 egg mixed with 1 Tb water) over bread. Sprinkle with poppy seeds or sesame seeds if you want. Bake at 350° until done (16-18 minutes)

Crock Pot Beef Stew

Recipe From: The Sister's Cafe
I loved this!

Ingredients:
1 can minestrone soup
1 can tomato soup
1 can water
1 - 1 1/2 lb stew meat
bag of carrots
1 large onion (chopped)
3-4 potatoes (peeled and cut into large chunks)

Combine all ingredients in a crockpot. Cook on low 8-10 hours or high 4-5 hours. Salt and pepper to taste.

Crock Pot Lemon Chicken

Recipe From: Melissa's Bargain Blog
I either cooked my chicken too long or not long enough...it was really tough. The rice was great and was really good the next day as leftovers for another meal.

Ingredients:
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1 onion (finely chopped)
2 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
2-4 boneless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
4 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 cups long-grain rice
1/4 cup fresh parsley (finely chopped)

Melt 2 Tbsp. butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and cook until softened, stirring occasionally, 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute longer. Scrape into slow cooker. Sprinkle chicken with salt. Melt remaining 2 Tbsp. butter in skillet over medium high heat until foaming. Add chicken breast halves and cook until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to slow cooker. Add 1 cup broth and lemon juice to skillet and bring to a boil, scraping browned bits from bottom of pan. Add to the slow cooker, along with remaining broth, rice and 1 tsp. salt. Stir, cover and cook on low until chicken is cooked through and rice is tender, 2 to 3 hours. Remove chicken, stir parsley into rice and season with salt and pepper.

Spicy Chicken Tacos

Recipe From: My Kitchen Cafe
I didn't take a picture because we don't eat pretty tacos. It is meat and tortillas...that's it. Blake really liked the flavor.

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter
4 garlic cloves (minced)
2 tsp chipotle chilies in adobo sauce (chopped)
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup fresh cilantro (chopped)
4 chicken breasts
1 tsp yellow mustard
Salt and pepper
flour tortillas

Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and chipotle chilies and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the orange juice, Worcestershire sauce and 1/2 cup chopped cilantro and bring the mixture to a boil. Add the chicken and simmer, covered, over medium-low heat for 12-13 minutes, flipping the chicken halfway through cooking. When the chicken is done cooking, transfer to a plate and tent with foil.

Increase the heat to medium-high and cook the mixture left in the skillet until the liquid is reduced to about 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Off the heat, whisk in the yellow mustard. Using 2 forks, shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces and return to the skillet. Add the remaining cilantro to the skillet and toss until well combined. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm with tortillas topped with lettuce, cheese, tomato, sour cream and avocado.

General Tso's Chicken

Recipe From: Favorite Family Recipes Blog
I made this once before as a stirfry and it was yuck. Second time around I used a fryer...SO GREAT!

Ingredients:
1 lb chicken breasts (cut into 1" pieces)
vegetable oil (for frying)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup white distilled vinegar
2 cloves garlic (crushed)
1 tsp fresh ginger (finely grated)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp cornstarch (mixed with 3 tbsp water)
4 green onions (sliced)

Dredge chicken in flour and fry in oil until golden brown and crispy. Drain excess oil. Sprinkle cayenne over the chicken and keep warm on low heat. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine sauce ingredients (sugar, soy sauce, pineapple juice, vinegar, garlic, and ginger) and heat gently. When sauce is smooth and sugar has dissolved, SLOWLY add cornstarch mixture and stir constantly until sauce has thickened to desired thickness. Pour sauce in the wok and stir to coat chicken. Stir in green onion and hot red pepper flakes (optional). Remove from heat and serve with fried rice.

Ham & Swiss Sliders

Recipe From: The Recipe Club
The key to these is great rolls.

Ingredients:
24 good white rolls
24 pieces good honey ham
24 small slices swiss cheese
1/3 mayo
1/3 cup miracle whip

Poppy seed sauce:
1 1/2 tbsp poppy seeds
1 1/2 tbsp yellow mustard
1 stick butter (melted)
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

In a small bowl, mix together mayo & miracle whip. Spread into both sides of the center of each roll. Place a slice of ham & a slice of swiss inside of each roll. Close rolls & place into a large baking dish or heavy cookie sheet. place very close together. In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the poppy seed sauce ingredients. Pour evenly over all of the sandwiches. Let sit 10 minutes, or until butter sets slightly. Cover with foil & bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes or until cheese is melted. Uncover & cook for 2 additional minutes. serve warm. Sandwiches can me assembled a day ahead & kept in the fridge ready to bake.

Red Velvet Cake & Cream Cheese Frosting

Recipe From: Amy Griffeth

For Sam's birthday, she asked for a red cake. Amy sent me this recipe. I made it for the family party. It was good. A few days later, for her friend party, I made cupcakes (using Moist Deluxe cake mix) and it was better! As long as you are making homemade frosting, I say use the box mix!

Cake Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups cake flour
4 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp white vinegar
8 drops red food coloring (I used the whole bottle)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 stick unsalted butter (room temperature)
2 large eggs (room temperature)

Sift together the cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt into a bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, vanilla, vinegar and red food coloring. In your KitchenAid bowl, beat the sugar and butter together until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Alternate adding the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture (one cup at a time) on low speed until combined. Scrape down the sides as needed.

Divide the batter evenly among 2 round cake pans (cooked with flour spray). Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes (or until a toothpick inserted intot he center comes out clean). Let cool in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack for 1 hour prior to frosting.Cream Cheese Frosting Ingredients:
1 pkg cream cheese (room temperature)
2 sticks unsalted butter (room temperature)
4 tsp vanilla
5 cups powdered sugar
milk (as needed)

For the frosting: In the KitchenAid bowl, beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Gradually beat in the sugar and mix until thoroughly combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add milk as needed.

Beef & Broccoli Lo Mein

Recipe From: Favorite Family Recipes
This took only minutes to make and was really tasty.

Ingredients:
1 pkg pasta (cooked to al dente)
1 tsp sesame oil (I hate, so didn't use)
1 tbsp peanut oil (I used vegetable oil)
1 tbsp fresh ginger (minced)
4 cloves garlic (minced)
3 cups broccoli (chopped)
1 onion (sliced thin)
1 lb steak (cut into strips)
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp chili paste
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

Cook pasta according to package directions (don't add salt), drain. Combine pasta and sesame oil, tossing well to coat. While pasta cooks, heat peanut oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ginger and garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Add broccoli and onion; sauté 3 minutes. Add steak, and sauté 5 minutes or until done. Add pasta mixture, soy sauce, and remaining ingredients; cook 1 minute or until lo mein is thoroughly heated, stirring constantly.

Winger's Sticky Fingers & Amazing Sauce

Recipe From: Favorite Family Recipes
This is just like Winger's! I used a fryer and we just had these as an appetizer.

For the sauce:
3 Tbsp. Franks Hot Sauce
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. water

Heat up hot sauce, brown sugar and water in a saucepot until all the sugar dissolves (we actually doubled the recipe and it was the perfect amount for the chicken and for dipping). Covers about 8 sticky fingers. I used frozen breaded chicken fingers and fried them (frozen) for about 4-5 minutes, until crispy and warm. Pour sauce over (or put them in a Tupperware with some of the sauce and shake it up until the chicken is completely covered in sauce).

Green Chili Curry

Recipe From: My Kitchen Cafe

Ingredients:
2-3 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (sliced into 1/2" strips)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk
1 (4-ounce) can diced green chilies
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp Garam masala
1 tsp ground cumin
1 cup couscous (cooked according to package directions)
2 tbsp cilantro leaves (chopped)

Season both sides of chicken with salt and black pepper. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook 2 minutes per side until golden brown. In a medium bowl, whisk together coconut milk, green chilies, curry powder, garam masala, and cumin. Add mixture to chicken and bring to a simmer. Simmer 5 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and sauce reduces slightly. The sauce will be quite runny. To thicken it up a bit, I mixed one teaspoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoons cold water and added it to the sauce and let it simmer for a few minutes to thicken. Serve chicken and green curry sauce over couscous and garnish with cilantro.

Substitute for Garam Masala
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp crumbled bay leaves
1/8 tsp ground cloves

Naan

Recipe From: My Kitchen Cafe
I can't believe I actually made this and the taste and texture was perfect!

Ingredients:
2 3/4 cups) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp instant yeast
1 egg
1/2 cup plain yogurt (I used fat-free)
1/2 cup milk

In a bowl, stir together the flour, salt, baking powder, sugar, and yeast. In a small bowl, mix together the egg, yogurt, and milk. Pour the egg mixture into the dry ingredients and stir for about 1 minute, until the dry ingredients are completely incorporated into the wet ingredients. Increase machine speed to 2 knead (with dough hook) until it is smooth and shiny. Remove the bowl from the mixer and cover with a towel. Leave in a warm place to rise until the dough doubles in size, about an hour.

Put a heavy baking sheet on the lowest rack of your oven. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees for at least 30 minutes prior to baking. Divide the dough into eight pieces and form into teardrop (mine were more like oval) shapes with your hands, about 6 to 8 inches across.

Cook two or three pieces at a time. Drop the dough onto the hot stone and shut the oven door, watching until they are just starting to turn brown in places, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the naan and lay on a board. Serve warm with a nice curry. (The original recipe says to butter the naan with garlic butter after it comes out of the oven but I did this with the first batch and found it made the bread too greasy for my taste - we much preferred the bread soft and tender without the butter. Follow your tastes and do what you prefer!)

Black and White Bean Dip

Recipe From: The Sister's Cafe

Ingredients:
1 can of black beans (drained and rinsed)

1 can of Great Northern beans (drained and rinsed)

1 can of shoepeg corn (drained)

1 7oz can of Herdez salsa verde

2 cups of shredded Colby Jack cheese

4-6 roma tomatoes (squeeze out juice, chop)

garlic salt to taste

Avocado (diced)

Preheat oven to 400. Put everything (except for the avocado) in a bowl and mix together. Spray a shallow baking dish with nonstick spray before spooning in the bean mixture. Sprinkle a little cheese on top and pop into the oven. Bake for 10-20 minutes until the cheese is melted and it is all warm and bubbly. Remove from oven and sprinkle with diced avocado and serve with tortilla chips.

Lemon Salmon Linguini

Recipe From: The Recipe Club Blog

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic (minced)
1 1/2 cup chicken broth
1 Tbsp fresh basil (chopped)
1 tsp grated lemon zest
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
salt & pepper to taste
12 oz. linguine (cooked & drained)
1 lb salmon fillets
1/2 cup half & half or heavy cream

Preheat broiler. Spray broiler pan with non-stick cooking spray. Warm butter & oil in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add garlic & cook for 2 minutes. Stir in chicken broth, basil, lemon zest & 2 TBSP lemon juice. Season with salt & pepper. Reduce heat to low & simmer for 5 minutes. Place salmon on the prepared broiling pan. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 TBSP lemon juice. Broil, 4 inches away from heat, for 5 minutes per side, or until frish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Slowly stir half & half into the butter & lemon mix in the sauce pan. Pour half of the sauce over cooked linguine & toss lightly. Place salmon over the pasta & pour the remaining sauce over the top. Serve immediately.

Corn and Avocado Salsa

Recipe From: The Pioneer Woman
Made this with fajitas for Sam's bday dinner.

Ingredients:
4 ears of sweet corn
1/2 red onion (diced)
2 very firm avocados (diced)
1/2 jalapeno (seeded and finely diced)
1/2 hot chili pepper (seeded and finely diced)
Bunch of cilantro (chopped)
1 lime (juiced)
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar (optional)

Slice kernels off the corn, and combine it with all remaining ingredients in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate before serving.

Sausage, Broccoli & Brown Rice

Recipe From: Picky Palate
Blake loved this. We used turkey sausage.

3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 red bell pepper (diced)
1 clove garlic (minced)
1 lb cheese filled chicken sausages (thinly sliced)
4 Cups broccoli florets (steamed)
4 Cups cooked brown rice
1/4 Cup parmesan cheese (grated)
salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil into a large skillet over medium heat. Saute bell pepper for 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in garlic; cook for 1 minutes then add chicken slices. Cook for 5 minutes or until chicken is browned on both sides. Add broccoli, rice and parmesan cheese. Cook for 2 minutes or so, then season with salt and pepper.