Taking the weekend off... see you on Monday!

Pumpkin Pie Bites

I made these tonight for a family to say 'thank you' but they almost didn't make it there, 'thank you' very much! They are delicious, the best part about a pumpkin pie is the crust, and there is such a good crust to filling ratio. Magnificent!



Pumpkin Pie Bites
2 refrigerated ready-to roll pie crusts
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter
Optional
1/2 cup chocolate morsels
vegetable oil
re-sealable plastic bags
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Use cookie cutter to cut 12 pumpkin shapes from each pie crust. You will need to roll the dough thinner than it comes out of the box.
Press dough shapes into a 24 cup mini muffin tray. (Make 12 at a time, alternating cups to make sure pie crusts don’t overlap each other.)
Apply egg whites from one egg to the top edges of each pie.
Mix cream cheese, sugar, canned pumpkin, remaining 2 eggs, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice together until thoroughly combined.
Spoon mixture into each pumpkin-shaped pie crust.
Bake for 12-15 minutes.
Remove pies to cool and repeat with second pie crust. Place the muffin tray in the freezer to cool it quickly for re-use.
Makes 24 pies. Keep refrigerated.
To decorate, melt chocolate in a heat-proof bowl in the microwave on medium. Heat in 30 second intervals, stirring in between until melted. Add a little vegetable oil to make the chocolate more fluid. Transfer to a re-sealable plastic bag and cut the corner off. Drizzle or draw faces on pies.
Note: The cutter I used was 3 3/4 inches wide, but if you don’t have one, don’t worry. Just use a round cutter around that size or slightly smaller to cut circle shapes out of the dough. Then make stems with the scraps. Press each stem over the edge and down the side of the dough before filling.


The dough cut out with the pumpkin cookie cutter



shove those little pumpkins into a miny cupcake tin :-)

Recipe from the one and only bakerella

IHOP French toast with Coconut syrup

I wasn't really expecting much when we made these tonight, but LET ME TELL YOU... The cocunut syrup, TO DIE FOR! This recipe will change the way you feel about breakfast. believe me. :-)


IHOP French Toast

2 eggs
½ c. milk
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
3 T. flour
6 slices of thick sliced French bread

First beat eggs, then add remaining ingredients with electric mixer. Dip both sides of bread and place in hot buttered pan. Flip over when browned. Serve with Coconut Syrup.

Coconut Syrup

7-8 T. butter
¾ c. buttermilk
1 c. sugar
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp coconut extract

Place butter, buttermilk and sugar in a pot. Then turn stove on medium and stir until butter melts and sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil and boil one minute. Remove from heat and add soda and flavoring. It will bubble up; just continue to stir and give it a few minutes for the 'fizz' to reduce before serving.

Recipe from Sisters cafe

Pineapple Pork Tacos

Keagan by far in our house is the pickiest eater, and let me just say... she had TWO. Yes folks, that's right... TWO!




Pineapple Pork Tacos
Estimated Cost: $5.00 for four servings
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, juice reserved
1/2 cup sour cream (If you use light, stir in 1 tablespoon olive oil)
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
juice of one fat lime
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 lb. pork chops, about 3/4 inch thick
1 (6 ounce) bag coleslaw mix
1/3 cup sliced radishes
12 corn tortillas
1 tablespoon butter
Preheat grill for medium hot cooking. In a medium bowl, combine the JUICE of the pineapple, sour cream, chili powder, cumin, lime juice, and cilantro. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove 1/4 cup of mixture and rub all over pork chops. Let stand for five minutes. Grill pork chops, about 4-5 minutes per side until only slightly pink in center. Let rest for five minutes, and slice into strips. Meanwhile, combine crushed pineapple with slaw and radishes and reserved sour cream mixture. (Grill tortillas about 1 minute per side and brush with butter and wrap tightly in tinfoil.) Assemble tacos with tortillas, slaw, and pork chops.

yes, this is Barb's version of grilling... too whimpy to light the outside BBQ



Grilling the tortillas. Yum.

This recipe came from Prudence Pennywise. Bless her heart!

Herb Cheese Pizza

You will LOVE this recipe!!!


The finished product...yum!



The dough before the toppings



With the toppings...before baking


another little helper!

This was the YUMMIEST pizza we have ever made. The dough was perfect, soft on the inside with a nice crunchy crust. Because I am new at this, I don't know if I should type a recipe from an actual magazine, so... go HERE for the recipe. There. That makes it easier.

Hope you enjoy!

This recipe is from Cooking light (obviously)

Chicken with Spicy Peanut Sauce

(I know right, Popstickers again... we just love them!)


Chicken with Spicy Peanut Sauce

1 lb chicken breasts
1 green onion, cut into several pieces
1 piece of ginger, cut into several pieces
1 Tb cooking sherry
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
a little water
Cook above ingredients together in shallow pan, covered, over medium-low heat for 20 minutes. Allow chicken to cool slightly, cut into strips. Make sauce while chicken is cooking.


Spicy Peanut Sauce:
1 Tb peanut butter
2 1/2 Tb canola oil
3 1/2 Tb soy sauce
2 T sugar
2 tsp vinegar
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 Tb green onion, minced
2 Tb cilantro, chopped
Whisk sauce ingredients together without cooking. Serve over chicken and steamed Jasmine rice.

Recipe from Sisters Cafe

White Chocolate Cinnamon Toast Crunchers

I was a little sceptical of making cookies with cereal, but they weren't 1/2 bad. The cereal was a little chewy, but I think it's because I stirred them too much. I would also crush them more than what it says. Good luck!



My little helper (cute!)


White Chocolate Cinnamon Toast Crunchers
2 sticks softened butter
1 Cup packed brown sugar
3/4 Cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 Tablespoon real vanilla extract
2 1/2 Cups all purpose flour
1 Cup Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal, slightly crushed up
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 bag white chocolate chips
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a stand or electric mixer beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Slowly beat in the eggs and vanilla until well combined. In a large bowl combine the flour, Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal, baking powder and salt. Slowly add to wet ingredients along with the white chips until just combined. With a medium cookie scoop, scoop dough and place onto a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake for 9-12 minutes or until edges just start to turn golden brown.
2. Let cool for 5 minutes on baking sheet then transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling. Enjoy with a tall glass of milk!