spooktacular halloween treat plate

You'll have to agree with me that this is the cutest Halloween treat plate you've ever seen!  My friend Joyce brought it over with a container of fresh apple cider that she and her family pressed themselves.  My kids and I sat and stared at these cookies for quite a while and studied them closely. We even waited for my husband to come home and see them before everyone got to choose one thing to eat.  I almost couldn't let anyone eat the spider because he was soooo cute.  Take a look at the photos below so you can recreate them yourself!  Happy Halloween!

 

crockpot chicken noodle soup

This soup tasted just right on a cold, drizzly day and I loved how I could throw everything into the crockpot then walk away.  I made a double batch so I could enjoy leftovers the next day.

crockpot chicken noodle soup (adapted from blog: Creatively Domestic) 
5 cups  chicken broth
1/2 cup onions, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup carrots, chopped
1/2 cup green onions, sliced
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups whole wheat egg noodles
1 large semi-frozen chicken breast and 2 semi-frozens chicken thighs (you could use one or the other)

Put everything except the noodles into the crock pot.  Cook on high for 5 hours.  Remove the chicken and cut it into small pieces then put back into the crock pot.  Add the egg noodles and cook for another hour.

homemade pumpkin ice cream

Last week we went to Yogurt Extreme and they had wonderful flavors like Cinnamon Roll and Pumpkin.  Hence my determination to find a pumpkin ice cream recipe to make at home.  It's delicious!  My kids drizzled a little bit of caramel cinnamon topping on top but it's perfect alone or with a cranberry oatmeal dunker drizzled with white chocolate icing from Trader Joe's.

homemade pumpkin ice cream  (Better Homes and Gardens, November 2012)
3 cups half and half
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
5 egg yolks
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup canned pumpkin

In a medium saucepan combine the half-and-half and brown sugar.  Cook over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar, about 4 minutes until bubbles form around the edges of the pan.
In a small bowl whisk together the egg yolks, pumpkin pie spice and salt.  Gradually whisk about 1/2 cup of the half-and-half mixture into the egg mixture and continue to whisk until smooth.  Pour the egg mixture into the half-and-half mixture in the pa.  Cook and stir over medium heat until the mixture coats the back of a large metal spoon, about 4 minutes.  Do not boil.  Strain mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a large bowl.  Stir in vanilla.  Whisk the pumpkin into the mixture until thoroughly combined.  Cover surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate until well chilled at least 3 hours or overnight.
Pour the pumpkin custard into a 1 1/2 or 2-quart ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's directions.  Pack the ice cream into a freezer-safe container.  Cover and freeze until firm at least 3 hours or up to 3 days, before serving.  Makes 10 (1/2 cup) servings.

rainbow sugar cookie dough

My youngest two are learning their colors at "Spanish" preschool and got to make these awesome sugar cookies today at school.  I knew they'd be making sugar cookies but rainbow?  So fun!  I love having brilliant friends because I end up feeling a little bit brilliant myself, just by association.

rainbow sugar cookie dough (my friend Joyce)
After years of making sugar cookies with 3-year olds she learned to make the dough in advance, color it then give each child a rainbow they can roll out themselves then cut into shapes.  Brilliant?!  She takes her sugar cookie dough and divides it into 6 parts.  She makes one part red, another orange and another yellow.  You get the idea.  Then she puts a piece of wax paper inside a loaf pan then layers the colors, one by one, pressing them firmly into the loaf pan.  She refrigerates the loaf of sugar cookie dough.  When she's ready, she lifts the wax paper out of the loaf pan and slices the loaf.  She lets the cookie dough sit for a bit on the counter so it's easy for the kids to roll into shapes.  The kids had a very fun time.  When the kids scooped up leftover dough and rolled it out again the result was: TIE DYE!  Perfect for Berkeley or for my little Oregon town.

rich chocolate chip toffee bars

Hershey's doesn't kid around when it comes to recipes.  My husband doesn't kid around when it comes to chocolate.  After his first bite he said, "These are really good."  I said, "How good?"  His response: "Really, really good.  Hall of Fame good."  I knew it!

rich chocolate chip toffee bars  (Hershey's)
2 1/3 cups flour
2/3 cups packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup butter
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 cups dark chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
1 cup coarsely chopped nuts (I used 1 cup oatmeal)
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1 1/3 cups (8 ounce package) Heath Bits 'O Brickle Toffee Bits, divided

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease 13x9x2-inch baking pan.
Combine flour and brown sugar in a large bowl.  Cut in butter until mixture resenbles coarse crumbs.  Add egg; mix well.  Stir in 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips and nuts (or oatmeal); set aside 1 1/2 cups mixture.
Press remaining crumb mixture onto bottom of prepared pan.  Bake 10 minutes.  Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over hot crust; set aside 1/4 cup toffee bits.  Sprinkle remaining toffee bits over sweetened condensed milk.  Sprinkle reserved crumb mixture and remaining 1/2 cup chips over top.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown.  Top with reserved toffee bits.  Cool completely in pan on wire rack.  Cut into bars.  About 48 bars.

rustic stuffed cabbage rolls with tomato sauce

I love Italian food and this was no exception.  I gave my good friend a little pan of them to cook at home and she texted me, "Wow! Those cabbage rolls are crazy good!!!"  She's just the kind of gal I like to cook for! : )  These rolls reminded my husband of the little pigeons he was served in Russia.

rustic stuffed cabbage rolls with tomato sauce (adapted from Food Network Magazine, November 2012)
2 slices whole wheat bread, torn into small pieces
1/2 cup milk
1 pound ground pork
1 pound ground beef
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
2 cloves garlic, minced
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 head Savoy cabbage

sauce
4 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
pinch of red pepper flakes
1 (28 ounce) can crushed San Marzano tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
kosher salt
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 

Make the cabbage rolls.  Combine the bread and milk in a small bowl and soak 5 minutes.  Squeeze the excess milk from the bread adn transfer to a large bowl.  Add the pork, beef, parmesan, eggs, parsley, oregano, garlic, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; mix with your hands until combined.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to one day.
Meanwhile bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil and fill a large bowl with ice water.  Carefully separate the cabbage leaves (you will need 12 large leaves).  Working in batches, blanch the leaves until pliable, about 45 seconds, then remove with tongs and transfer to the ice water.  Remove from teh ice water, shake dry then layer between paper towels to soak up the excess moisture.
Shape the meat mixture into twelve 4-inch long sausages.  Lay out a cbbage leaf, then put a sausage on top lengthwise.  Fold in the short ends of the leaf then tightly roll up the leaf like a burrito.  Repeat wtih the remaining cabbage leaves and sausages.  Refrigerate until ready to cook.
To make the sauce, heat butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion, garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring occasionally until the onion is soft.  Add the tomatoes, 1 1/2 cups water, the oregano and 3/4 teaspoons salt.  Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened, 30 minutes.  Season with salt.
Arrange the cabbage rolls in a casserole dish then cover with tomato sauce.  Sprinkle with parmesan and parsley.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

What I have to say- next I will make them with 1 pound ground beef and 1 pound Italian seasoned sausage or else increase the spices a bit.  Since I was doubtful my kids would try the cabbage rolls, I cooked some giant meatballs in the casserole covered with the tomato sauce.  Two of my kids had the cabbage rolls and two ate meatballs!

pumpkin chocolate chip bread

Whenever I make this pumpkin chocolate chip bread I always get requests for the recipe.    It's super moist and you just can't go wrong with the combination of chocolate and pumpkin.  This is my mom's pumpkin bread recipe with chocolate chips thrown in.

pumpkin chocolate chip bread (my mom)
makes 2 loaves
3 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup nuts, optional
4 eggs
3 cups sugar
2 cups canned pumpkin puree
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
1 cup or more chocolate chips

Combine flour, soda, salt and cinnamon.  Mix with chopped nuts.  Set aside.  Thoroughly beat eggs, sugar, pumpkin, oil and water.  Fold in flour mixture.  Pour into 2 greased 4 1/2 x 8 1/2-inch loaf pans.  Bake at 350 degrees for 60 to 70 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.