Streusel-Topped Pumpkin Bread

I love Pumpkin and especially love the smell of it as it bakes! I found this recipe on the Pioneer Womans Tasty Kitchen blog and was really enticed by the streusel topping.

The streusel was super good! I wasn't sure if the pumpkin bread was pumpkiny enough the first day, but I really really liked it the second day! Maybe it just needed time to meld together!

Streusel-Topped Pumpkin Bread

(Tasty Kitchen blog)


•¾ cups Butter, Softened
•¾ cups Granulated Sugar
•¾ cups Dark Brown Sugar
•1 teaspoon Vanilla
•4 whole Eggs
•2-½ cups Pumpkin Puree
•3 cups All-purpose Flour
•3 teaspoons Baking Powder
•¾ teaspoons Baking Soda
•1 teaspoon Salt
•1-½ teaspoon Cinnamon
•¼ teaspoons Ground Ginger
•¼ teaspoons Allspice
•¼ teaspoons Grated Nutmeg
•⅛ teaspoons Cardamom
•½ cups Buttermilk
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•FOR THE STREUSEL TOPPING:
•¼ cups Butter, Softened
•½ cups Brown Sugar
•¼ cups Oatmeal
•¼ cups All-purpose Flour
•1 teaspoon Cinnamon
•3 Tablespoons Ground Flax Seed
•¼ cups Chopped Pecans (optional)
Preparation Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350º F. Grease and flour the bottom of two 8″ loaf pans. To make the topping, mix together all the topping ingredients using a fork or pastry cutter until combined thoroughly.

In a large bowl or mixer, cream together butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Add vanilla and eggs and mix until incorporated. Stir in pumpkin puree.

In a separate bowl, add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, allspice, nutmeg and cardamom. Whisk together until no lumps remain. Add half of the flour mix to the pumpkin mix, blending well. Beat in buttermilk. Add remaining flour mix and beat lightly until smooth.

Pour batter evenly into the two prepared 8″ pans. Cover each with half of the topping mix. Bake at 350º F for 70-80 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Slice and enjoy.

Black Cat Cookies

I found this on the Taste of Home site. I needed a quick treat for a RS mtg and these seemed to be a fun Halloween idea and they got the kids involved. The boys put the candy corns and M&M's on and had great fun doing it!

One thing, make sure not to over bake! Them need to firm up and not be doughy, but I would watch the time!

Great fun idea to give the kids at school!

Black Cat Cookies

(Taste of Home)

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3 tsp vanilla
• 3 cups flour
• 1 cup baking cocoa
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 24 wooden craft or Popsicle sticks
• candy corn
• red-hot candies (or I used M&M's)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a bowl cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine the dry ingredients and gradually add to the butter mixture.

Roll dough into 1 1/2 inch balls. Place about 3 inches apart on a lightly greased cookie sheet.

Insert the wooden stick into each ball. Flatten the ball with a glass dipped in sugar. Pinch the top of the cookie to form the ears. For whiskers, press a fork twice into each cookie.

Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until cookies are set. Remove from oven and immediately press the candy corn in for the eyes and a red hot or M&M in for the nose.

Remove to wire racks to cool!

Brunch Casserole

I found this recipe on Tracey B. blog and had to give it a try. It is one of those breakfast casseroles, but it uses potatoes instead of bread.

It was really good and Todd enjoyed it even more the next 2 days as left overs for breakfast. We ate it for Breakfast Wednesday dinner and super good! I will admit that I forgot about the whole make it the day before and cook it in the morning or it would probably work to make it in the morning and let it sit all day and make it at night. But it still was really good even if it only sat for an hour!

Brunch Casserole

(from Tracey B. Blog)

• 4-6 cups frozen shredded hashbrowns - 1 24oz bag (I didn't have any hashbrowns, so I cubed up some potatoes really small and then boiled them until tender and they worked great!)
• 2 cups shredded cheddar or colby-jack cheese
• 2 tbsp chopped onion or dry minced onion
• 1 lb mild sausage
• 4 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced (which I left out because of the kids!)
• 6 eggs
• 1 tsp salt (it seemed to need more salt, I may add more here or just know to add when eating!)
• 1 tsp pepper
• 2 cups milk
• 1 tsp dry mustard

Brown and drain sausage. Set aside. Thaw potatoes (or cut up and boil real ones) and place 1/2 of the potatoes in the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan (I sprayed my pan, but don't know if you have to do this). Add 1/2 cheese and 1/2 sausage and mushrooms and then repeat layers one more time.

Beat eggs, salt, pepper, onions, mustard and milk. Pour liquid over the top of potatoes and cheese mixture. Cover and leave in refrigerator overnight.

Bake, covered at 350 degrees (I didn't bake mine covered because I didn't read this very well and it turned out fine!) for 45 minutes. Let set for 10 minutes before serving and enjoy!

Caramel Apple Dip

Here is another great dip! I know there are now so many to choose from!! But the nice thing is, that if you don't have all the ingredients of one, you can try one of the others!

This one has ingredients that are simple and I seem to have on hand all the time! This recipe was brought to a RS mtg. and it was a hit!

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Caramel Apple Dip

• 1 pkg cream cheese (she said you could use the less fat version, but the real cream cheese is better!)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla

Soften the cream cheese slightly and blend together with brown sugar and vanilla. Refrigerate and serve with apple wedges! How simple is that!

Mint Chocolate Delights

I was grocery shopping last week and found a bag of Dark Chocolate and Mint chips (Nestle) and couldn't pass up buying some! I am a succor for dark chocolate and mint!

I finally made the cookies (using the recipe on the back of the package) and they were super good! They say on the package that these chips are limited edition, so go snag up some before they are all gone and try these!

Mint Chocolate Delights

(Nestle)

• 2 cups flour
• 2/3 cup baking cocoa
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 1 10 oz package dark chocolate and mint morsels

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Combine four, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a small bowl and set aside. Beat butter and both sugars until creamy. Add vanilla and mix. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels. Drop by tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake for 11-13 minutes or until cookies are puffed and centers are set. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Japanese Fried Rice w/ Pork medallions

this recipe is SOOOO easy and really good!!

2 cups pre-cooked rice (I used half brown rice half white rice)
2 eggs, fried and diced
1 - 2 cups frozen vegetables, cooked
1/2 cup diced onion
2 TBSP butter
2 TBSP soy sauce
pepper and salt

*cook rice and pour into large bowl to cool
*fry (or scramble) eggs, dice and add to bowl
*let vegetables cool, then add to rice, egg mixture and carefully toss together
*Melt the butter in a large frying skillet over med/high heat
*Dump rice mixture into pan, add soy sauce and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 10-20 minutes, depending on desired crispyness, stirring often.

ENJOY!!

I grilled pork chops, and cut them into chuncks to serve on top, but you could also do cubed ham, chicken or beef :)

Pizza Sauce

I did a little canning on Friday and made pizza sauce with some tomatoes I had!

I am taking it on good recommendation that this is great sauce, since I haven't yet tried it!

But I trust the advice and have made 12 pints already and may do a few more later!