It all happened one Thanksgiving Eve…day

Last year I shared the craziness of hosting my first Thanksgiving here. It was a very interesting experience and opened my eyes to the reality of what goes into preparing for the big day. This year I was let off the Thanksgiving hook because we are hosting Christmas instead. I have a feeling just as much prep will be in store for me but it's a month away so I am not going to worry about it yet.

The real reason that I am telling you about this is because last year I made two of my favorite deserts of all time. I am not sure if they tasted so good because they took so much effort, or if they were really that delicious, but I thought I would post a link to the recipes in case you were faced with hosting Thanksgiving, or bringing a desert to someone's house and wanted to try something new. 

The first is the Pecan-Pie Cheesecake. 

This pecan pie and cheesecake combo is absolutely delicious! 

Here is the recipe from Taste of the South. I would link it for you, but the link is gone. AHHH! Good thing I write things down.

Vanilla wafer crust

1 3/4 cups vanilla wafer crumbs

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/3 cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients and press into the sides of a 9" springform pan. Bake for 6 minutes and let cool. Reduce oven to 325 degrees for the final step.

Pecan filling

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup dark corn syrup

1/3 cup melted butter

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce and simmer until thickened, about 8/10 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour into crust and set aside. 

Cheesecake Filling

3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened

1 1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 eggs

2/3 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

Beat cream cheese at medium speed until creamy. Add brown sugar and flour and combine. Add eggs one at a time. Make sure they are completely mixed in. Beat until fluffy. Stir in cream and vanilla and pour over pecan filling. Bake for one hour at 325 degrees. Turn off oven and leave cheesecake in oven for 1 hour to set. (Side note: it is okay if it cracks.) Remove from the oven. Use a knife to loosen the cheesecake from the sides of the pan. 

Let cool. Store in refrigerator (at least 4 hours) until the big presentation. 

Like I said, I made this the day before and it was fantastic! I also used extra vanilla wafer cookies, put them in muffin tins with cupcake liners and then drizzled some extra spoonfuls of pecan pie mix and cheesecake batter to make mini-single servings of the pie/cake (not really sure what to call it). They were fun and yummy. Although none of them made it to Thanksgiving day. 

The other yummy desert that I made was this Chocolate Fudge Pie from Real Simple. It also was delicious.

Photo from Real Simple (Mine wasn't that pretty)

The only downfall was that it took four hours to make. Yes, four hours…that's devotion. 

I hope you all have a fantastic Thanksgiving and are able to get some of the prep work done the day before so that you can relax and enjoy the time with your family and friends.

My first Thanksgiving 2012

Pinterest Fails: Pumpkin Edition

I LOVE pumpkin! It may be because it is such a seasonal thing and I only get it for a few months a year. Maybe if it was so available year-round I would get sick of it. (No, not maybe. Definitely) As it is I stock pile pumpkin spice coffee from Dunkin Donuts and pin every pumpkin recipe I can find on Pinterest. I have jars and jars of pumpkin puree stacked in my pantry. It takes more willpower than I have to avoid the pumpkin bandwagon

So today I am going to share some pumpkin fails from Pinterest. In school we celebrate the failures because it means that the kids are at least trying something, making an attempt, taking a risk. We tell them that some of the best things come from failures. They can be blessings in disguise and they often teach us valuable lessons. These Pinterest fails simultaneously remind me that I am not as good as many other people at many things (like crafts, and DIY, and cooking, and party planning, etc.) and that just because you see it in Pinterest doesn't mean it is necessarily true or will work as depicted. (Has anyone tried the cookies on the upside muffin tin? What a mess!) They also remind me that it is okay to fail because at least I tried. I know, it sounds silly when talking about pumpkin recipes but, I could have found my all time favorite pumpkin yumminess by trying these.

The first fail was pumpkin frozen yogurt. I pinned this:

which brought me to this recipe. 

I mean not only is it labeled one of the BEST recipes, it is also only four ingredients. How could I go wrong? I followed the recipe exactly. The frozen yogurt looked pretty...

... and tasted bad enough that neither of my kids nor the hubs would eat it. Even with whipped cream and chocolate syrup. FAIL! (How could I fail this? I am pathetic!)

The second was this recipe for pumpkin chai latte. When this one failed, I actually tried to tweak it, and tweak it, and tweak it to make it work because I thought that I must have done something wrong (See? I am practicing persistence!). I mean, the recipe looks SO yummy - and EASY. How could I screw it up?  But, ultimately, I did. (Not really surprised) It either barely tasted like pumpkin, or was way too strong depending on which way I tried to tweak it. So sad!

So there you have it. Two pumpkin fails via Pinterest. I know I have mentioned before how bad I am at cooking. But I have also made some yummy pumpkin recipes this fall that I have managed to get right. Does that make me a partial failure overall in the "use of pumpkin while cooking" category? Does anyone have any other recipes I should try and, hopefully, not mess up? Is anyone else making glorious failures that we should be celebrating?

Chocolate Almond Popcorn

Happy Friday! Here is another delicious simple popcorn recipe. I have to say, I'm not sure why I have  published so many food related posts lately. I really don't like to cook...most of the time. It must have something to do with fall and the cold temperatures that have finally made their way to the northeast. I am pretty sure that this will be the most food posts you will see from me.

Anyway, all you need for this easy "recipe" (I'm not sure it is even a recipe) is two extra large Hershey bars (with almonds or not) and popcorn.

Step 1: Pop the popcorn
Step 2: Spread the popcorn in a single layer (I used wax paper just like with the caramel popcorn recipe)
Step 3: Break the chocolate bars up in a bowl and put the bowl in the microwave for a few minutes. Take it out every 30 seconds or so and stir it.
Step 4: When the chocolate is fully melted drizzle it over the popcorn.
Step 5: Let it cool

See? Easy!

For a variation on this, put the caramel and the almond chocolate together!

What to do with a Plethora of Apples: Post Two

A few days ago I told you all about our apple picking trip and the fact that my family and I are now drowning in apples. Here are a few other recipes that I have tried to use up our apples.

Apple chips:
Slice as many apples as you would like very thinly
Lay them out in a single layer on a cookie sheet
Sprinkle them with apple pie spice
Put them in a 200 degree oven for 1 1/2 to 2 hours turning them once after about an hour

**My 6 year old devoured these. They are crispy and pretty yummy. Although, I have a feeling that the fact that they are "chips" has a little to do with it.


Apple Pancakes:
Dice up one or two apples depending on how many pancakes you are making. I used one apple for 6 pancakes.
Put the apples in a bowl with a splash of water and a teaspoon of cinnamon
Microwave the apples for 2 minutes to get them soft
Prepare your favorite pancake mix (that's right, no pancakes made from scratch for me)
Dump the apple mixture into your pancake mix
Make your pancakes as you normally would, or if you have never made them, follow the directions on the box.
**Once again, my kids loved these!

Apple Muffins and Bread
I found this recipe here on food.com. According to the website it is the bread recipe from the Puffin Inn in Ogunquit, Maine (Love Maine!).

I only have one bread loaf pan so I made one loaf of bread and used the rest of the mix to make muffins. Once again, the boys gobbled them up! Maybe they just eat everything??

Sorry for the lack of pictures. The kids literally ate the food before I remembered to take any. I promise to do better next time!

Easy caramel Popcorn

Okay guys, here is an easy fall snack that feels like a special treat.

You will need:
Microwave popcorn
Werther's baking caramels
Milk
Wax paper

Directions:
Step 1: pop a bag of microwave popcorn
Step 2: lay the popcorn in a single layer on a sheet of wax paper
Step 3: microwave the Werther's with a little bit of milk for two minutes or so. Stir the caramel every thirty to forty-five seconds
Step 4: drizzle the melted caramel over the popcorn
Step 5: eat the delicious fall snack

This treat is best eaten right away because of the caramel that is used. It is the yummy kind that stays gooey.
Yum!

Fall Outings - Apple Picking

Who goes apple picking when they already have two full bags of apples in their fridge? I do! I do! Maybe I'm crazy but for our family, apple picking is a fall tradition. Every year we travel to a local orchard that also sells donuts, cider, and other yummy food and handmade crafts. I know it sounds silly, but I really need to go to an orchard that also does the whole baked goods thing to feel like I've gotten my full annual apple picking experience.

Last year, Max wanted nothing to do with the actual act of picking the apples. In fact, when we tried to make him pick an apple he screamed. See?

I guess it just goes to show that you can't make that child do anything!

This year was a different story. He couldn't get into the trees fast enough!

When we got home I was faced with three bags of apples. Ben suggested applesauce so I got out my trusty crock pot and made the easiest version of apple sauce I have ever tried. I used the recipe from food.com ( thanks Lovebakedin) and then took some lazy shortcuts.

Instead of  measuring out apples I just cut them up until they filled the crock pot.

As you can see, I wasn't too careful with fully peeling the apples. The skin is extra fiber, right? Instead of just cinnamon I used apple pie spice, and I left out the lemon juice because we didn't have any. It turned out great. The boys are loving it with a side of pumpkin bread for their afternoon snack. Unfortunately it only used four or so apples, which means that I have a ton more apples to use up. No worries, I will come up with something! Stay tuned!

For Lunch Today: Easy Autumn Salad

I am obsessed with this salad for a few reasons.
1. I can make it while holding the baby.
2. It has goat cheese in it, which is something I don't eat while I am pregnant and missed terribly. (Although you could use cheddar cheese, which would make it more fall-ish)
3. The addition oft he nuts, seeds, and dried fruit from the trail mix makes me feel like it is one of those fancy salads that you get at restaurants.

Here's what you need:
Goat cheese
Archer Farms Sunny Cranberry Trail Mix, from Target

Kraft Creamy Balsamic Anything Dressing

Baby spinach
Baby carrots
Grape tomatoes
Cucumbers

You can really use any veggies that you want. I just use the ones that are easy to grab a handful of and throw into the salad. The only one that doesn't come in convenient grab and go form is the cucumbers, but I usually peel and cut up a cucumber or two every few weeks for my son's lunches, so I can just grab a handful of those too.

If you wanted to beef it up a little and make it a dinner, add some sliced chicken. On the days when I am really hungry I may add a handful of Wheat Thins to the side.

It is a yummy and simple salad that I have been eating almost every day for the last two weeks.

P.S. Sorry for the terrible pictures. I am working on it...

Welcome to the Cookie Factory

Every year I decide to make cookies for the holidays. Seems like a simple decision, right? Let's just say that every year, after the cookies are done, I COMPLETELY regret this "simple decision." I am not sure why, but the cookie making turns into a day-long (sometimes weekend long) event. Unfortunately, I usually end up getting mad annoyed frustrated with my son and sometimes even my husband. Luckily, the goodies are usually delicious so it makes it worth it enough so that I forget the frustrating parts, and only remember the lovely holiday memories by the next December (and stupidly repeat the entire thing again).

In years past my go-to recipe has been simple and ABSOLUTELY delicious Rolo caramel yumminess. (I don't think yuminess is a word, yet we use it constantly in my house.) Here is a recipe - if you can even call it that because it is SO simple - Pretzel Turtle Recipe. Really! All it is is window pane pretzels, Rolos, and pecans. Heat the pretzels with the Rolos on top until they are shiny, take them out of the oven and put the pecans on top. Let them cook and enjoy the amazing sweet, salty goodness. SIMPLE! They are a hit and I recommends them to EVERYONE.

This year, I attempted to be a little bit more adventurous. The first new recipe that I tried was Nutella fudge. This recipe was also simple (are you sensing a trend here?) and also delicious. All it is is sweetened condensed milk, butter, chocolate,  Nutella, and a sprinkle of sea salt at the end. Here is the recipe that I used: Incredible Nutella Fudge
Thanks, "Not Your Mommas Cookie!"

The next "cookie" that I made was a no bake Oreo Chocolate Balls. Once again, absolutely simple. There were all of three ingredients: Oreos, cream cheese, and chocolate. And, since it was no bake, the most time consuming step was melting the chocolate to cover the Oreo balls with. (Yes, I am tee-heeing at the whole balls thing too. It is actually a running joke at my job. Oh, and if it didn't make you giggle, I apologize. That is about where my maturity level it right now.) My son helped make the balls (after washing his hands of course) which was a great and easy way for him to help.

Finally, I made good ole' sugar cookies. This is my son's favorite, so he helped throughout the entire process. Here is where the stress came in, I always decide to go for that second batch, which inevitable takes more than double the time of the first batch, and leads to squabbles among my family. Here are some pics of our process. Sadly, I have not yet decorated the cookies because I needed a break. Something to look forward to tomorrow. :)

 

Those strange looking cookies are actually Winnie the Pooh, Eeyore, Tigger, and Piglet. I know, strange, but I only have so many cookie cutters. In fact, the circles are actually made out of the rim of a glass. I figured they could look like ornaments, or be a good background for pictures of Christmas trees or snowflakes.

Here is batch #1. At this point I still had six more to go. I think it may be time to invest in a second cookie sheet. Oh, and I was trying to be a little creative by taking out the middles of the circles. I figured that I could always fill the cookies with something (maybe some more Nutella?) and then use the cut out circles for the tops. It may be pretty...

Did anyone try to capture the Christmas spirit this weekend? I know that I did my best to be in the moment and create as many happy memories as I could with my kids. Even when I am completely frustrated, I realize just how lucky I am and am thankful every day.

:) A