A new twist on an old snack

 

MOM’S PUMPKIN PIE SPICE CHEX MIX

Ingredients

1/2 c brown sugar, firmly packed

2 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 c butter

4 tsp pure vanilla extract

12 c cereal (cinnamon chex, rice chex, corn chex, crispix, etc.)

16 oz pecans (Suzie used peanuts)

8 drops each cinnamon and clove bud EO (EO stands for Essential Oil)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

In small bowl, mix brown sugar & pumpkin pie spice; set aside. In small microwave safe dish, microwave butter on High about 30 seconds or until melted. Stir in vanilla. In large microwavable bowl, mix all cereals & pecans. Pour butter mixture over cereal mixture, stirring until evenly distributed. Add sugar & spice mixture & stir until coated.

Bake in a large non-stick pan for 1 hour. Stir every 15 minutes. When done, spread on wax paper to cool. Store in an air-tight container.

Banana Bread

 

Sometimes it pays to try a new recipe.  I tend to think that all recipes are the same and get stuck in a rut…especially with banana bread, chocolate chips cookies, brownies, etc.  There are two recipes for banana bread generally followed in my kitchen.  This may be the new ONE.  For some reason, this has a better crisp to the crust and it’s lighter than either of my other recipes.  I’m always on the lookout for a 4-H project, and had asked Angelina to try this recipe last week.  She didn’t have time, and those brown bananas on the counter were just begging to be used in something.  Here’s a picture…and here’s the recipe.  Try it for yourself!

 

Banana Bread

Ingredients:

½ c Coconut Oil – melted

1 c Sugar

1 c Mashed Bananas

2 Tbs Greek Yogurt – plain or vanilla bean

¼ c Milk

1 tsp Lemon Juice

2 c Flour

1 ½ tsp Baking Powder

½ tsp Baking Soda

¼ tsp Salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream coconut oil and sugar together. Add eggs and beat. Add mashed bananas, milk, lemon juice and Greek Yogurt. Mix thoroughly. Mix in flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir until combined. Pour into a prepared bread pan (coated with oil or non-stick spray). Bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick, inserted in the center, comes out clean.

Versatile Blogger Award

Kimberly at   Kim’s Concoctions, gave me a blogging award.  This title for sure fits me … if versatile also can be translated as flexible and posting sporadically!  I humbly thank her and if you have time, check out her blog.  She has great home-style recipes with a southwestern or Asian flair – absolutely wonderful.

The award works like this:

• Thank the person who awarded you by linking back to their post
• Pass the award along to 15 other new or newly discovered blogs
• List 7 interesting things about yourself

7 THINGS ABOUT MYSELF

1. I am pregnant, but I wish I could skip right to the first day newborn.

2. My son Zeke’s 1st Communion/Confirmation is later today – 7pm at a town 70 miles away.  Yes, that is stressful, but exciting all wrapped up in one!  And, I haven’t hemmed his pants as of this moment, but I’m blogging anyway because this seems to be more fun.

3. I’m the chapter advisor for my college women’s fraternity (yes, it’s like a sorority, but we were founded as a women’s fraternity).

4. I get super frustrated when there are no clean areas (even one clean spot would be enough to keep me sane) in my house. 

5.  During Lent, I cut up the kids’ computer recharger cord and smiled while doing so.  Now, there’s no need to regulate computer time; what a relief! 

6. I enjoy reading Christian romance novels, but rarely take time to indulge.

7. If I could, I’d order groceries online and have them delivered to my home.  It’s worth my time.

I do not even regularly read 15 blogs, so I’m at a bit of a disadvantage.  However, of those I read, here are blogs deserving of an award. 

1. Lord, Make Me a Saint

2. A Place for Everything, And Everything in It’s Place

3. Praying For Grace

4. Minnesota Mom

5. The Accidental Pumpkin

An old favorite…

 

I’ve been a Cooking Light subscriber for years – since 1998, if I remember right.  This recipe was printed in their Jan/Feb 2001 issue and was one I tried almost right away and continued to use on homemade pizza (the Chicago-Style Pizza) for a number of years.  Then I put the magazine on a bookshelf, forgot about it, moved it to the farm, and just now found it again.  The page is still marked and it’s been on my shelf for over 10 years!  Time to take it off the shelf.

Atsa Spicy  Pizza Sausage

Yield: 5 cups

 

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. ground turkey

1 lb. ground pork

1/2 cup dry red wine

1/3 cup minced fresh parsley

2 Tbl. grated Parmesan cheese

1 Tbl. fennel seeds

1 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. dried thyme

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

4 garlic cloves, crushed

DIRECTIONS: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.  Cook sausage in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble.  Drain.

Note:  The sausage can be frozen in zip-top plastic bags for up to 3 months.

Just a little chocolate topping…

I used this Hot Fudge recipe as one layer in the Peppermint Torte I made today.  So, here’s the recipe.  It would be great over ice cream, too.

Hot Fudge

Yield: approx. 1.5 cups

INGREDIENTS

14 oz. Sweetened Condensed Milk

4 (1oz.) squares semi-sweet chocolate

2 Tbs. butter

1 tsp. vanilla

DIRECTIONS: Mix the first three ingredients together in a small saucepan.  Heat over medium heat until the chocolate is melted.  Remove from heat, add vanilla and stir until thoroughly blended.