Pumpkin Oatmeal

After a long, beautiful fall and temperate early winter, cold temperatures have made their way to the midwest. I remember as a kid, my mom always pushed a warm breakfast on cold mornings. This recipe comes from my friend, Mags at The Other Side of 50. She tells the best stories and shares fabulous recipes.

A few Sunday's ago, I opened the egg carton to find I had only one egg. Okay what to make for breakfast? I remembered Mags recipe and had a cup of leftover pumpkin. I substituted honey for the maple syrup and used cinnamon, nutmeg and a dash of cloves in place of the pumpkin pie spice. If you're like me and don't love plain oatmeal, give this recipe a try. It makes a delicious, warm your tummy breakfast that would make my mom proud.



Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal
Courtesy of The Other Side of 50

1 3/4 cups old-fashioned oats
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup raisins (optional)
1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 TBSP butter, melted
1 1/2 cups milk (I used skim)
2 large eggs
1/4 cup pecans, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place 8 (1/2 cup) ramekins on a baking sheet. Spray lightly with cooking spray,

In a large bowl, combine the oats, pumpkin pie spice, salt, baking powder and raisins (if using.)

In another bowl whisk together the pumpkin, maple syrup, butter, milk and eggs.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and combine well. Pour into prepared ramekins and top each with 1/2 TBSP of chopped pecans.

Bake for 25-28 minutes. Alternately, you could bake this in a one quart baking dish and adjust baking time accordingly.

I am linking this to Tasty Tuesday's and Tuesday's at the Table.

Favorite Holiday Movie - Pink Saturday

What's your favorite holiday movie? Mine is White Christmas. I love the music and of course the story!

I am linking this to Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound.

Haricots Verts with Browned Garlic

Haricots verts, French for "green beans," refer to a longer, thinner type of green bean than the typical, American green bean. I've eaten them in a restaurant but never prepared them at home. When I saw them at Costco, I decided to give them a try.

This recipe combines them with a good amount of browned garlic. Once it's cooked, garlic's flavor mellows considerably. I love the beautiful bright green color of these tender green beans.

Haricots Verts with Browned Garlic
Recipe courtesy of Cooking Light

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)
Ingredients
2 quarts water
2 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
1 1/2 pounds haricots verts
4 teaspoons butter
1/3 cup thinly sliced garlic (about 1 head)
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
Bring 2 quarts water and 2 teaspoons salt to a boil in a large saucepan. Add beans; cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain.

Melt butter in pan over medium heat. Add garlic and shallots; cook 4 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, beans, rosemary, and pepper; cook 4 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring occasionally.

I am linking this to Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum.

Dorothy Mackey's Apple Dapple Cake

This fall we had buckets of apples from the tree in the backyard. I wanted to make something instead of a crisp or cobbler.This recipe came from my mom's recipe file. I am so glad I have her recipes.

Dorothy Mackey was one of my mom's co-workers. I remember my mom making this cake but couldn't remember if it was any good or not. Thanks Dorothy! This is the best apple cake I've ever eaten. It's very moist. The carmel glaze makes the cake even more moist and delicious!! If you're looking for a beautiful dessert for a dinner party, give this one a try. Just add a dollop of whipped cream and you're good to go!

Dorothy Mackey's Apple Dapple Cake

Cream together: 3 eggs, 2 cups sugar and 1 1/2 cups oil
Sift together: 3 cups flour, 1 teaspoon soda, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 scant teaspoon salt
Stir into the egg, oil and sugar mixture.
Add:
1 cup coconut, 1 cup nuts, 3 cups diced apples, 2 teaspoons vanilla.

Bake in a loaf or tube pan at 350 degrees for 45 - 60 minutes. (I baked mine in a springform for 60 - 75 minutes)

Glaze: 1 cup brown sugar, 4 tbsp butter, 1/4 cup milk. Combine and cook 4 minutes. Brush onto cake while glaze and cake are still warm.

I am linking this to Tasty Tuesday's, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and Tuesday's at the Table.

Pink Saturday

On our recent trip to Las Vegas we saw this tree in the lobby of the Renaissance Hotel. It's part of a collection of trees for a charity raffle. I really want a pink tree!! I already decorate three trees, not sure where this one would go. How many trees do you have?

One of my favorite holiday recipes is Peanut Butter Balls. They're a holiday tradition at my house. You can find the recipe here.

I am linking this to Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound.

Acorn Squash with Brown Sugar and Rosemary

We love acorn squash. My go to recipe is roasted . The squash is so sweet and delicious cooked this way. I guess I've never thought of cooking it sliced. When I saw this recipe over at Tomatoes on the Vine, I thought the flavors sounded amazing and couldn't wait to give it a try. I am so glad I did. The brown sugar gives the squash a wonderful carmelized glaze, it's so beautiful!!




Acorn Squash with Rosemary and Brown Sugar
Serves 4
Recipe from Fine Cooking (Courtesy of Tomatoes on the Vine)
Ingredients:
1-2 pound acorn squash (unpeeled), halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut into 8 wedges
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions:
Using a paring knife, score each wedge of squash lengthwise down the middle of the flesh. heat the butter and oil in an 11 to 12-inch straight-sided saute pan over medium-high heat. Arrange the squash in the pan in a single layer and cook, flipping occasionally, until deep golden-brown on all cut sides, about 10 minutes (note: if your pan is not large enough to brown all the squash at once, brown it in batches, and then return to the pan to simmer.
Carefully pour the wine into the pan, then quickly scatter the brown sugar, rosemary, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper over the squash. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the squash is almost tender, about 10 minutes more.
Uncover the pan and increase the heat to medium. Flip the squash and cook until the liquid is thick and the squash is tender, about 5 minutes more. Transfer the squash to platter, season with salt and pepper to taste, drizzle any remaining liquid over the top, and serve.

I am linking this to Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum.

Coconut Rochers - Chocolate With Francois

Many of the recipes in Francois Payard's recipes aren't for the faint of heart. The require multiple bowls, baking over multiple days and complicated processes. Fortunately, this month's recipe wasn't one of the complicated ones!

This month's recipe, Chocolate Coconut Rochers was chosen by Joanne at Apple Crumbles. These would make an interesting holiday cookie. Check out the recipe over at Joanne's site. I was curious. What's a rocher? Rocher means boulder in French. You can find the other CWF bakers rochers here.

As the egg whites were whipping, I went to the pantry to grab the mini chips. Guess what? Yes, you guessed it, no mini chips. I ended up using dark chocolate regular size chips. Payard suggests using a small ice cream scoop to shape the cookies. I used a regular size cookie scoop. The recipe says to take them out when the outsides are crisp. Mine never did get what I would call crisp. If you like coconut and chocolate and want an easy yet delicious cookie, give these a try.





I am linking this to Tasty Tuesday's, Tuesdays at the Table and Tempt My Tummy Tuesday.