Pumpkin Squares

Pumpkin Squares

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Dry Ingredients: Sift dry ingredients together and set aside

2 Cups Flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

2 cups sugar

In a separate bowl beat together the following ingredients

4 eggs

2 cups pumpkin (1 can)

1 cup oil

Once combined, add dry ingredients and mix well.

Grease and flour 11X17 cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes and let cool

Frosting – mix together

3oz Cream Cheese

1 tbs milk

6 tbs butter

1tsp vanilla

2 cups powdered sugar

Creamy Chicken Soup

My friend was telling me about this recipe and it came from HERE. It has become one of my go to recipes. We eat it all the time. But usually I just follow the recipe and use carrots and potatoes but leave out the chicken and noodles. It's fast, and so easy.

3 carrots, peeled and diced
3 potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
6 C. water
6 chicken bouillon cubes (I only use 3 and I only use 1 if I don't add chicken)
1/2-1 C. shredded chicken
1 stick butter
1/2 C. flour
4 oz. Cheez Whiz
1 C. egg noodles, cooked

Over medium heat in large pan, bring water and bouillon to boil. Add vegetables and partially cook them. In separate pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour to melted butter and cook for one minute until mixture is bubbly. When butter/flour mixture is smooth, add to vegetables. Turn heat to medium-low. Add Cheez Whiz and chicken. Simmer 30 minutes, or until vegetables are cooked. Add egg noodles and serve.

***CROCK POT WAY***
I've only made this in the crock pot. Just because I like to throw everything in. I just throw everything in the crock pot, except for the noodles and the Cheez Whiz, and cook on low. I add the Cheez Whiz about a half hour before serving. If I add noodles, I just cook them and add them in right before serving. But, I've made this a few times, following the same directions, but have left out the chicken and noodles. Then it's just like a potato soup. I love it either way.

Chicken Enchiladas

I saw this on Pinterest and found it HERE I have several chicken enchilada recipes. I like them all for different reasons. This one is really good.

Chicken enchiladas with green chili sour cream sauce
10 soft taco shells (I use the tortillas that you have to cook)
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
1 (4 oz) can diced green chillies

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 pan
2. Mix chicken and 1 cup cheese. Roll up in tortillas and place in pan.
3. In a sauce pan, melt butter, stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Add broth and whisk until smooth. Heat over medium heat until thick and bubbly.
 4. Stir in sour cream and chilies. Do not bring to boil, you don't want curdled sour cream.
5. Pour over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.
6. Bake 22 min and then under high broil for 3 min to brown the cheese.

Reese's Peanut Butter Bars

I love peanut butter bars. I'm not sure why I don't make them more often. I found this recipe on Pinterest and it came from HERE. They were super easy and fast.

Reese’s Peanut Butter Bars
(from Let’s Dish)

Ingredients
1 cup butter melted
2 cups graham cracker crumbs (use the boxed kind, or grind them in a food processor. Tiny granules.) 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 cup + 4 tablespoons peanut butter
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions In a medium bowl, mix together the melted butter, graham cracker crumbs, confectioners’ sugar, and 1 cup peanut butter until well blended. Press evenly into the bottom of an ungreased 9×13 inch pan. In a metal bowl over simmering water, or in the microwave, melt the chocolate chips with the peanut butter, stirring occasionally until smooth. Spread over the peanut butter layer. Refrigerate for at least one hour before cutting into squares.

Bisquick Cookies

I saw this recipe on Pinterest. It came from www.plainchicken.blogspot.com. These were so good, and easy. Faster than regular chocolate chip cookies. I loved them. Made them two weeks in a row.

Bisquick Chocolate Chip Cookies
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 egg
2 3/4 cups Bisquick baking mix
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used 1/2 Cup Peanut Butter chips and 1/2 Cup Chocolate chips. I wanted to try 1/2 Cup Chocolate Chips and 1/2 Butterscotch chips too but I was out)
 (6 oz) 1/2 cup nuts, chopped, if desired (optional) I left these out

 Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, mix butter, sugar, vanilla and egg. Stir in Bisquick mix, chocolate chips and nuts. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet, d about 2 inches apart; flatten slightly. Bake 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack.

Banana Cookies

I first saw this on Pinterest but the link didn't work, so I just googled it and found THIS recipe. It's from a blog called therecipecritic.com. These were SO yummy. They tasted very similar to my frosted banana bars that I make all the time.

Ingredients:

(Recipe cut in half to make about 3 dozen)
1 cup shortening (I used butter flavored shortening)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup mashed bananas
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups Flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup nuts (opt)

Cream the shortening, sugar, and eggs.  Stir in the banana.  Add the buttermilk and vanilla.  Measure the flour, baking soda, and salt.  Blend together and then add to the creamed mixture.  Add nuts if desired.  Drop by rounded tablespoon 2 inches apart on baking sheet.  Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.  Frost with cream cheese frosting

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 4 ounces unsalted butter softened
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

In a large bowl, beat together the butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer. With the mixer on low speed, add the powdered sugar a cup at a time until smooth and creamy. Beat in the vanilla.

Zupa's Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup

I love Zupa's. And every time I go there, I get the exact same thing. A turkey, avocado panini and a bowl of Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup. I crave it all the time. In fact I just met my friend there for lunch a few days ago because I'd been craving it. So I was so excited to come across this recipe on Pinterest, that came from HERE.  I don't know that it actually tasted like Zupa's, but it was yummy so I will make this again. Although I thought the Pepper Jack cheese made it to spicy hot. My husband didn't think so. Maybe next time I will leave it out or just put in less. Either way, this will be a regular meal at my house throughout the winter. It wasn't that hard, but it seemed kind of time consuming. And I may have never bought a head of cauliflower in my life before making this soup. :)

Zupa's Wisconsin Cauliflower Soup
2 tablespoons margarine or butter (1/4 stick)
1 medium onion, chopped (left out of course)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 spoon salt
2 cups milk
1 can (13 3/4 to 14 1/2 ounces) chicken broth
1 head (2 1/2 pounds) cauliflower, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 cup Sharp Cheddar cheese
1 cup Pepper Jack cheese

 In 4-quart saucepan, melt margarine or butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook until golden, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in flour and salt; cook 2minutes, stirring frequently. Gradually stir in milk, chicken broth, and 1 1/2 cups water; add cauliflower and heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until cauliflower is tender, about 10 minutes. In blender (with center part of blender cover removed to allow steam to escape), blend cauliflower mixture at low speed in small batches until very smooth. Return cauliflower mixture to saucepan; heat over medium heat until hot, stirring occasionally. Remove saucepan from heat; stir in mustard and 1 1/2 cups cheese until melted and smooth. Garnish soup with remaining cheese to serve.

Chicken Enchilada Puffs or Taco Puffs

I came across this recipe on Pinterest also, but it came from HERE. They were easy, and yummy. Also similar to my chicken roll up recipe. After I made them I was thinking they would be good using taco meat as well and I think I am going to try that soon.

Ingredients
1 package jumbo crescent rolls
3 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup Mexican blend shredded cheese
3/4 cup cooked chicken (diced or shredded)
1/3 cup enchilada or taco sauce
2 teaspoons enchilada or taco seasoning mix
1/4 cup Mexican shredded cheese for sprinkling

Instructions Preheat oven to 375° and line cookie sheet with foil and spray with no-stick spray Place cream cheese and 1/2 cup Mexican cheese in small bowl and microwave for about 30-40 seconds, to soften. Add seasoning mix, sauce and chicken to cheese mixture and stir until combined. Unroll crescent rolls on prepared pan. Scoop 1 large heaping tablespoon of chicken mixture into the center of the two short ends of the crescent roll. Pull outer corners of the crescent roll over the chicken mixture, and then pull the long end over, completely enclosing filling. Sprinkle tops of puffs with additional shredded Mexican cheese. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

I enjoy food blogs with pictures so much more than without but I never remember to take them. Someday I am going to have to add them. This is a recipe I found on Pinterest, but that came from HERE. It was SO yummy. I'm not a huge lover of left overs but I ate it the night after I made it and then couldn't wait to eat it the next night but when I got home from work it was gone. So I'll be making it again soon. 

Ingredients:
1 lb chicken breast, trimmed
15 oz can sweet whole corn kernels, drained
15 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
5 C chicken stock
3/4 C onion, chopped (left out)
3/4 C green pepper, chopped (left out)
1 serrano pepper, minced (left out)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp salt, divided
1 tsp ground pepper,
divided Monterey Jack cheese, shredded Seasoned tortilla strips I also added sliced avocado

To your slow cooker add first 9 ingredients plus 1 tsp salt and 3/4 tsp ground pepper. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. Prior to serving, remove chicken breasts. Transfer chicken to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment for easy shredding. Alternately you may shred chicken by hand. Season chicken with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Return shredded seasoned chicken to slow cooker bowl. Stir gently. If serving immediately, divide among bowls. Top off with a generous helping of shredded cheese and seasoned tortilla strips. Soup may be stored in the fridge for up to several days. If freezing, label containers well with soup name and date.

Slacking....

I have so many recipes I need to post. I hope someday I find some time. I hope I can remember those I want to share...I have been making a ton of recipes that I've found on Pinterest. I'm in the process of moving the ones I've tried from my Food board to my 'Recipes I've Tried Board.' If you follow me on Pinterest, you can click on the Recipes I've tried. I will only post the ones I will make again. And maybe someday transfer them here. I've been making at least one new recipe a week so I have tried a lot of new things lately. 

Avocado Egg Salad Sandwich

I'm not sure why I never thought of this before. I love avocados and hard boiled eggs. I saw this on Pinterest and the recipe came from HERE (neverhomemaker.com) We ate them on toasted flat bread, but they would be yummy as a wrap too. I loved these so much.

Ingredients
4 hard-boiled eggs (I place the eggs in the water immediately  Once it starts to boil I remove heat and cover for 12 minutes. Then I place in a strainer and run cold water over them and peel immediately.)
1 large avocado cubed
2 tablespoons mayonnaise (I don't measure, I just use what it looks like it needs)
1 teaspoon curry or fenugreek powder (I left this out because I didn't have it)
Pinch of salt and pepper

I mixed the eggs with the mayo before adding the avocado. Then I just lightly mixed in the avocado.  After I toasted the flat bread I spread a little more mayo on it before adding the egg/avocado salad.

Cheesy Chicken Ranch Pasta

I saw this on Pinterest and it came from HERE (mommyimhungry.blogspot.com) It was really yummy. I posted the entire recipe, the same as she has it, but I used bow tie pasta instead of lasagna noodles.

Cheesy Chicken Ranch Lasagna
Adapted from Real Mom Kitchen
2 (12 oz) cans evaporated milk
1 (1 oz) pkg. Hidden Valley dry Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix (not the dip blend)
3 C. cubed, cooked, chicken
1/8 tsp pepper
1 (16oz) lasagna noodles, cooked (I used 9 noodles)
1 1/2 to 2 C cheddar cheese, grated
1 1/2 to 2 C mozzarella cheese, grated

 Combine evaporated milk and Ranch dressing and pepper in a 3 quart heavy saucepan. Heat over low heat, stirring frequently until dry ingredients are dissolved. Simmer, uncovered, 25 minutes, stirring frequently. Sauce will thicken slightly. Layer half of lasagna noodles, chicken, sauce, and cheese in well-greased 9×13 pan. Repeat layers again. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Let rest 10 minutes before serving. This sauce may curdle on you when heating it, it's OK. Mine did not, because I kept it at a low heat after I let it come to just a boil, and stirred, stirred, stirred. You may not need the full 25 minutes, so when you can tell it's starting to thicken, it's OK to add to the dish. It may curdle after it's baked, but again, it's OK.

 FOR A GLUTEN FREE CASSEROLE STYLE: (for non GF, use regular pasta)
 2 (12 oz) cans evaporated milk
 1 (1 oz) pkg. Any Gluten Free Dry Ranch Salad Dressing (not the dip blend)
 3 C. cubed, cooked, chicken (about 2 large chicken breasts)
1/8 tsp pepper
2-3 C. uncooked gluten free penne pasta
1 C cheddar cheese, grated
1 C mozzarella cheese, grated

 Spray a 9x13 baking dish. Cook pasta until about 2 minutes under regular cook time (probably about 5-6 minutes). Drain, add to prepared dish. Combine evaporated milk and Ranch dressing and pepper in a 3 quart heavy saucepan. Heat just to a boil then lower heat, stirring frequently until dry ingredients are dissolved. Simmer, uncovered, 25 minutes, stirring frequently. Sauce will thicken slightly. Layer pasta, chicken, sauce, and cheese into dish. Bake uncovered at 350' for 25 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Chicken Enchiladas With Green Chili & Sour Cream Sauce

I really do make a lot of recipes I find on Pinterest. Hopefully I will find time to start posting some of my favorite ones. This one was really good. It came from HERE (joyful-mommas-kitchen.blogspot.com)

Chicken enchiladas with green chili sour cream sauce
10 soft taco shells
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
1 (4 oz) can diced green chillies 1.

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 pan 2. Mix chicken and 1 cup cheese. Roll up in tortillas and place in pan. 3. In a sauce pan, melt butter, stir in flour and cook 1 minute. Add broth and whisk until smooth. Heat over medium heat until thick and bubbly. 4. Stir in sour cream and chilies. Do not bring to boil, you don't want curdled sour cream. 5. Pour over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese. 6. Bake 22 min and then under high broil for 3 min to brown the cheese.

Zucchini Crescent Pie

Now that zucchini season is over, I might actually post all my new recipes. I've been way to busy to blog. But, we had so much zucchini this year. My sweet neighbor brought me hers, and I grew my own. For the first time ever I grew a garden. I was pretty proud of myself. I never thought I'd get sick of zucchini, but I did. I hated to see it go to waste so I would cook it in some form every single day. I tried a ton of new recipes, but still have some of my old favorites. This was one that I made multiple times. I loved it. It came from Taste of Home.

Ingredients
1 package (8 ounces) refrigerated crescent rolls
2 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise and quartered (my zucchini were HUGE, so I just guessed on this one. I don't really know how much I used. And I cut the pieces very small.)
1/2 cup chopped onion (I left this out)
1/4 cup butter, cubed
2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
3/4 cup cubed fully cooked ham
1 medium Roma tomato, thinly sliced

Directions Separate crescent dough into eight triangles; place in a greased 9-in. pie plate with points toward the center. Press onto the bottom and up the sides to form a crust; seal seams and perforations. Bake at 375° for 5-8 minutes or until lightly browned. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute zucchini and onion in butter until tender; stir in seasonings. Spoon into crust. Combine the eggs, cheese and ham; pour over zucchini mixture. Top with tomato slices. Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

I made these a long time ago, but they were delicious. I've seen this recipe on several blogs and on Pinterest, but the recipe I am posting came from HERE. (life-as-a-lofthouse.blogspot.com)

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas
 3 Tablespoons honey
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded 10 flour tortillas (soft taco size)
16 ounces monterey jack cheese, shredded
2 cans (10 oz each) green enchilada sauce
1/4 cup heavy cream

 Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the honey, lime juice, chili powder and garlic powder together and then mix with the shredded chicken. Let marinate for 30 minutes. Spray a 9x13 pan and a 8x8 pan with cooking spray. Pour a little bit of the green enchilada sauce on the bottom of each pan. Take one tortilla and fill with chicken and a few tablespoons of cheese. (Make sure to save atleast 1-1/2 cups cheese to sprinkle over top of enchiladas) Roll up tortillas and place in prepared pans. Repeat with all tortillas, chicken and cheese. Mix together the remaining enchilada sauce and cream. Pour sauce over the tops of enchiladas (depending on how saucey you like your enchiladas, you may not need to use all of the sauce. Eyeball it) Sprinkle the reserved cheese evenly over the tops. Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Serve with sour cream, salsa, guacamole or any toppings you love. Enjoy! Recipe adapted from: The Sisters Cafe

Crock Pot Mac N Cheese

I am not sure how I came across this blog. It could have been Pinterest or another blog. But, I found it HERE. (tipgarden.blogspot.com) I loved it because it was super easy. 

Cooking oil spray

2 cups skim milk

1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk

1 egg

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (I didn't have sharp cheddar so I just used mild)

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni

Spray the pot of the slow cooker.  In a mixing bowl whisk together milk, evaporated milk, egg, salt and pepper. Pour milk mixture into the crockpot.  Add cheese and uncooked macaroni. Stir gently to mix.  

Turn slow cooker on low and cook 3-4 hours, or until the custard is set and the macaroni is tender.  (Do not cook more than 4 hours, or the sides will begin to dry out).  Serve at once.  I think this was completely done after cooking on low for 3 hours. The edges were crispy. 

Peanut Butter Bars

I've seen this recipe all over Pinterest, but the one I followed came from HERE (mybakerlady.com)

 Reese’s Peanut Butter Bars
(from Let’s Dish)

Ingredients
1 cup butter melted
2 cups graham cracker crumbs (use the boxed kind)
 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 cup + 4 tablespoons peanut butter (4 tablespoons is for the frosting)
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

 Directions
In a medium bowl, mix together the melted butter, graham cracker crumbs, confectioners’ sugar, and 1 cup peanut butter until well blended. Press evenly into the bottom of an ungreased 9×13 inch pan. In a metal bowl over simmering water, or in the microwave, melt the chocolate chips with the peanut butter, stirring occasionally until smooth. Spread over the peanut butter layer. Refrigerate for at least one hour before cutting into squares.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

My friend at work gave me this recipe. It was yummy!

Ingredients:
1/2 C softened butter
1/2 C vegetable oil
1 3/4 C sugar
2 eggs
2 C grated zucchini
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 C flour
4 Tbsp cocoa
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder

1/2 C sour milk (add 1-2 tsp vinegar to make milk sour)

Topping:
1 C brown sugar (I used about 3/4 C)
1 C chopped nuts (I used almonds)
1 C chocolate chips
Combine and sprinkle over top before baking

Cream butter, oil, sugar & eggs. Then mix in zucchini and vanilla. Sift together dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture. Last add sour milk. Pour in greased cake pan. Sprinkle with topping and bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes. (Baking time varies - just check with toothpick and it's done when it comes out clean.)

Black Bean & Zucchini Quesadillas

I found this recipe on health.com and I love it. We have an abundance of Zucchini, which I am grateful for, but I was tired of making the same stuff over and over so I was looking for something different. This was so easy and so good. I'll post the actual recipe, but I changed the measurements (or didn't measure)

Ingredients

1/2 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained

2 tbsp salsa

1/2 cup finely chopped zucchini

corn tortillas

4 tbsp shredded cheese

Directions

1. Combine beans and salsa in small bowl, mash with a fork. Stir in zucchini

2. Layer 1 tortilla with half the bean mixture, sprinkle with 2 tbsp cheese, top with another tortilla

3. Repeat with remaining tortillas

4. In broiler or toaster oven, cook quesadillas 1 minute on each side until cheese is melted and bubbly.

***I used a whole can of black beans and approx 4 tbsp salsa. I probably used about 1 cup or more of zucchini and I didn't measure the cheese. I was also lazy and didn't mash the ingredients. I used flour tortillas instead of corn.*** 

Taco Melts

I saw a recipe for cheeseburger melts on Life as a Lofthouse and I decided to change them to taco melts. They were SO yummy! I forgot to take a picture but my kids and their friend loved them and so did we. I don't really need to put a recipe down but I need to post this so I remember it when looking for a dinner idea.

Hamburger

Taco seasoning

Pillsbury pizza crust

cheese

sour cream

tomatoes

lettuce

Brown hamburger, drain, add taco seasoning. While the hamburger is cooking roll out the pizza crust and cut it into eight squares (or however many you want) This was the hardest part. I tried to shape them into the best circles that I could. It wasn't easy so they didn't look great. Fry them in a frying pan until browned on each side. Once they are all cooked put the meat and cheese in the center and cook them on warm in the oven for just a few minutes to melt the cheese. Add additional toppings and fold like a taco.