More pumpkin (it won't stop here, I promise).

I made a fantastic chocolate chip-pecan pumpkin bread the other day. Sounds delicious, right? Well...it was. Kind of. I made two loaves to send in care packages to my cousin Jackson stationed in Germany and our friend Josh in Afghanistan. So with the leftover batter, I made a few mini cupcakes so that I could try it. And they tasted like shellfish.

Yeah.

It was a little offputting, to say the least. My dad and Dustin thought they were delicious, though, so I went ahead and sent one of the loaves to my cousin. I hope he doesn't think it tastes like fish, but I care less about what he thinks than our friend, since Josh is actually getting shot at, and Jackson's just drinking Löwenbräu. (Although Dustin said not to send one to him in Afghanistan because it would probably be all gross by the time it reached him and therefore we should keep it here and eat it, so he doesn't get one anyway.)




Chocolate Chip Pecan Pumpkin Bread
1-1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup pumpkin puree/canned packed pumpkin
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 cup chocolate chips

• Sift together flour, salt and baking soda.
• In a large bowl, combine sugar, eggs, and oil.
• Stir in pumpkin puree.
• Add water, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, and allspice, mixing well.
• Gradually add flour mixture to pumpkin batter, mixing until blended.
• Stir in pecans and chocolate chips.
• Pour into a well-buttered/greased 9x5x3 inch loaf pan.
• Bake at 350 degrees for about one hour (60 minutes), or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.

And on a completely unrelated note...

I found this photo of me earlier while going through my pictures to try to find the one of the pumpkin bread. It's from roughly my junior year of highschool...and is actually my real hair colour!!! Haha. That's so fantastic. Unfortunately, it's black and white. I have plenty of others with my real hair colour in it, but this is one that probably was taken within a few months of me dying my hair for the first time (ridiculous move).

Anyway. Just thought I'd share.

Happy Halloween!

It's good to be back. :)

I've been so stupid-busy with going back to school and working and dealing with family dramas, that I just had to take a break from here for a (long) while. Something had to give. But I'm back now, and though the posting will be a little sporadic for the next couple months (strange baking habits, midterms/finals, travelling for holidays, etc), I'm hoping to be writing things up at least a few times a month.

First things first, though:

Happy Halloween!

Yeah, yeah, yeah- I'm a day late. We didn't do much for the holiday this year, but I made two pumpkin baked goods and carved a pumpkin, so that counts as a celebratory measure to me. My pumpkin (if you can't tell) has two stars, and says "on til morning." Ten points if you know what that's from.



Now on to the food.

First up, Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins! (I'll save the other pumpkin dessert for another post.)

These are pumpkin spice muffins with a sweet cream cheese filling and a cream cheese swirl on top. A very delicious autumnal treat. I love fall. Seriously. I've said before that I could write love poems to October, and it's 5million% true. These pumpkins remind me of fall, and of working at Starbucks (we had something similar at that time). I actually started working there ON Halloween about 5 years ago, and got to meet my bosses and coworkers in costume. I highly recommend that practice.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

1-1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup pumpkin puree/canned packed pumpkin

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

1/4 cup water

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon allspice

cream cheese filling*

• Sift together flour, salt and baking soda.
• In a large bowl, combine sugar, eggs, and oil.
• Stir in pumpkin puree.
• Add water, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, and allspice, mixing well.
• Gradually add flour mixture to pumpkin batter, mixing until blended.
• Pour batter into prepared muffin tins, about 1/4 full.
• Add a dollop of cream cheese mixture in the middle of each cup.
• Cover the cream cheese with more pumpkin batter, til the cups are 3/4 of the way filled.
• Drop a small amount of the cream cheese mixture on the top of the cups and gently swirl it with the batter.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees.
• Allow to cool before serving, as the cream cheese center needs to set.

Sweet Cream Cheese Filling

8 ounces of plan cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons milk
1 egg
1/4 cup sugar

• Combine all ingredients, beating until smooth.
• Refrigerate until use.

I'll be back soon.

Promise. And I'll bring recipes with me. :)

More gluten free!

Eeeep! It's been a loooong time since I posted on here! Our computers were down for a while, then just the main floor one, which meant that I couldn't load pictures (since my laptop is too old and doesn't have a port thingy to stick a picture card into). But it's all better now! See?


A beautiful and delicious gluten-free, free-form strawberry tart. I used the same gluten-free pie crust recipe that I posted about before, then just added strawberries to it. It's pretty simple, really. Oh, except that I marinated the strawberries overnight in a combination of cherry juice and sugar. And then made lemon-cherry jello out of the juice I drained from said strawberries. I give 110%.

Oh, and remember how, eons ago, I'd mentioned that we had homemade potato chips for dinner? No? That's okay. It was a long time ago. Anyway, we did...and here's how we made them:


Cut up potatoes into very thin slices. Use as many potatoes as you want. I don't care how many you use. We might have used 5. Whatever.

Then, in a pan, fry those potatoes in oil until they're crispy.


Once crispy, place potatoes in a bowl lined with a bunch of paper towels, so that the oil drains off.

Season the chips as you wish.

We used a sea salt and cracked peppercorn blend for one bowl, and a parmesan blend for the other.

(salt-n-pepa)

(parmy)

My favourite was the parmesan one. We ate them in, like, 10 seconds flat.

Alright...this post is done for now. I'm typing it on our main computer, and the keyboard is one of those stupid split ones, for people who didn't fail typing class. It'd be great, except that I type with one hand, and keep hitting the wrong keys because they're not in the same spots I'm used to, and instead of accomplishing a magnificent return-post, all the typs are just really pissing me off.

Vote for me!

Hey- it's time!!!

Time to vote (for me!) in the Ile de France contest! Remember the honey roasted peach ice cream I made a while back? Well, you can follow this link to rate my recipe as you see fit (five stars would be nice, lol).

Aaaand there's my shameless self-promotion. I think voting is up til the end of the month, but don't quote me on that.

Thanks, guys!

Gluten-free Strawberry Pie

See this here?


That's an impressive pie.

Why, you may ask, is it impressive? It certainly doesn't look impressive. And it certainly isn't an impressive picture, especially since it's only one, small photograph.

Nope. This pie is impressive because it is completely and utterly gluten- and dairy-free. AND delicious.

It's a simple, cooked strawberry pie- the filling is just sliced sugared and corn starched strawberries- but what's so amazing about it is that it's from scratch, and gluten-free! Anyone who doesn't live with a gluten allergy is probably thinking at this point, Okay, big deal- it's just a pie. WRONG, you ignorant fools! The very simple fact that it is a pie with a crust at ALL is exciting, not to mention even doubly so that it actually TASTES good!

Dustin and my dad both ate big pieces of this, and Dad didn't even know it was gluten-free until we told him. I had a small piece, too, but didn't get to eat all my crust because I was the unfortunate one sitting next to my mother, who kept spearing my pie with her fork (even though she had a huge piece of her own!). I had to convince my mom to take a piece of this pie to her co-worker (who is also gluten-free) tomorrow, because she doesn't want to give it away. lol.


Gluten-free Pie Crust
(as taken from the fabulous Gluten Free Girl)
1 cup white rice flour
1/2 sorghum flour
1/2 cup potato starch
3 tablespoons sweet rice flour
3 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespooons (or, one stick) cold butter
1 large egg
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup ice-cold water, or enough to make the dough stick together

• Mix together all the dry ingredients.
• Cut the butter into little pieces, about 1/2-inch thick and drop the pieces into the dry ingredients.
• Using a pastry cutter or fork, meld the butter into the dry ingredients until the butter has crumbled into pea-sized pieces.
• Make a well in the dry ingredients.
• Drop the egg and apple cider vinegar in, then stir them in, gently, with a fork, stirring from the center out.
• Once they are incorporated into the dry ingredients, slowly drizzle the ice-cold water into the mixture, a little at a time, then stirring to see if it has become dough yet. You do not want this dough to be too wet. Add water only it all coheres together.
• At this point, drop the ball of dough onto a large piece of parchment paper. (Prepare this ahead, unless you want to wipe dough off the box of parchment paper later!)
• Place another piece of parchment paper, the same size, on top of the dough.
• Gently, smoosh the dough outward, equally in all directions, until it is a thick, round cake of dough, about the size of a pie plate.
• Refrigerate the ball of dough, for as long as you can stand. Ideally, you would prepare the dough in the evening and refrigerate overnight.
• Take the dough out of the refrigerator at least twenty minutes before you want to work with it.
• Leave the dough in the parchment-paper sandwich and roll it out. By rolling it, gently, between the pieces of parchment paper, you will not need to add more flour to the mix.
• Roll it out as thin as you can, then strip the top piece of parchment paper off the dough.
• Gently, lay your favorite pie plate on top of the dough, then flip the whole thing over. The dough should sag into the pie plate. You can crimp the edges at this point. If some of the dough falls off the sides, don't worry. Simply re-attach the pieces to the crust-to-be by pressing in with your fingers.
• You can pre-bake the dough (try 350 to 375 degrees for about 30 minutes), or pour the filling into the crust and bake all together.

Banana Pudding and Ice Cream Cake

My dog keeps farting.

LOUD.

It'd be really funny if we didn't have to smell it.

That said...

Here are a couple desserts I made for Easter! Yeah, I know, it's a few weeks late. Whatever. I've been busy.

First up- an unfortunate attempt at a vanilla jelly roll cake frosted with sweetened whipped cream and filled with the honey-peach ice cream I made for that contest a while ago. It's kind of a sad-looking cake, but it tasted very good, so that's what matters (right?).



Next is our every-holiday staple- banana pudding. Now, Dustin informed me that I make it wrong. He said it's not good, and that it's not true banana pudding because I didn't make EVERY SINGLE PART OF IT FROM SCRATCH LIKE REAL SOUTHERN WOMEN DO.

Well excuse me.

I don't have the time nor the desire to stay in the kitchen all day making desserts so that the men can eat well on Easter.



Gross, Un-Southern Banana Pudding
1 packet of instant vanilla pudding mix
1 small tub of Cool Whip
2 cups milk
3 large bananas, sliced
1 box of vanilla wafers

• Whisk pudding mix and milk together, as per the instructions on the box.
• Gently mix together the Cool Whip and the vanilla pudding.
• Line the sides and bottom of a small casserole dish (or bowl) with vanilla wafers.
• On top of the wafers, layer pudding, bananas, and vanilla wafers; repeat, ending with vanilla wafers.
• Cover and refrigerate until serving.

Omelette/Tortilla/Frittata?

I've been practicing my omelette-making skills for Nuria's upcoming "Blog Your Omelet" contest, and I've got to say that it's really hard coming up with unique ingredients. I'm just not familiar enough with omelettes to know what to put in them! Besides, I'm not even sure what this is- is it an omelette? A tortilla? A fritatta? I have no idea. I think this one is a little plain to enter in a competition with so many amazing cooks, but it's definately delicious enough to share with you guys!


See all that delicious, golden, eggy-ness with cheese and potatoes and onions and bacon??

Mmmmm.



Southwestern Omelette

3 tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

1 potato, diced

handful of cilantro, chopped
3 pieces crumbled bacon

2 green onions, diced

1/3 cup shredded pepper jack cheese

2 eggs

• In a small skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat.
• Toss the diced potatoes with salt, garlic powder, pepper and Italian seasoning and add to skillet to fry.
• When the potatoes are tender, stir in the cilantro, onions, bacon, and cheese.
• In a small bowl, whisk the eggs.
• Pour eggs evenly over potato mixture in skillet.
• Allow omelette to cook for several minutes, then carefully flip the omelette in the pan.
• Cook for another couple minutes, then slide omelette onto plate.
• Serve warm, with salsa.

Dinners and Dessert

So, there are two pregnant ladies at my new place of work. Well, only one now, since the other had her baby Saturday (it's a girl!). But at the time that I baked these chocolate chip cookies and brought them in to work, there were two. On the same shift.

That shouldn't be allowed. lol.

Anyway.

Like I said, I made chocolate chip cookies last week to take in to work, and my new coworkers were quite appreciative. In fact, my boss, the last pregnant lady there, told me through two cookies in her mouth and crumbs falling around her, that the cookies were so good that if she lived with me, she'd be fat. If keeping her in cookies will placate the Pregnant Crazies, I'll bake them all bloody day.


But that's not what this post is about.

It's about the dinners that my husband has been cooking. They are AMAZING. I've pulled two nights' photos to show you guys.

First up is an asparagus, cheese and pepper stuffed chicken, with asparagus and roasted potatoes:

And next is a fantastic homemade gnocchi with broccoli in a butter sauce:

Tonight, we had homemade parmesan-garlic potato chips with our burgers. Ohhh, delicious.

YAY!

OH.

MY.

GOD.

You guys!!! Guess WHAT?!?!?!?!?!

I FINALLY got a JOB!

And you will NEVER guess where.

Seriously.

It's hilarious.

Ready for it?

I got a job...

AT A GYM.

Hahahahahaha! ME! At a place where you WORK OUT TO GET FIT! Isn't that one of the most ridiculous things ever?? God. But, I need a job so badly. I told them that I could be their "before and after" project. lol. My little sister works there, too, so it's not that bad. The only problem is that it's part-time only, and we need benefits. With Dustin not having found a job yet, that means I may have to try to find another part-time job that offers benefits and work both of them. Oh well. The other bad thing is that I'm seriously, incredibly, grotesquely out of shape, and this is a GYM. lol. I'm a little worried I'll see people I used to know in there, and since I'd be working, I can't run and hide like I normally would. Looks like this is the kind of food I get to eat from now on:

(I don't remember where I found this picture- some crafting blog. If anyone knows, let me know so I can credit it. Because...that's awesome.)

I made The Pioneer Woman's "Marlboro Man's Favourite Sandwich" a while back for dinner and took some crappy pictures that I figure won't hurt to show you:

(Dustin hates when I stop him from eating to photograph his food. Not that he loves to eat so much that he doesn't like the interruption. I just annoy him.)

It was a delicious sammich, and I would highly, highly recommend you go to her site and make it. I added mushrooms to it, and it was even better. Go eat!