Pumpkin Pie

This recipe is soooooo delicious... I don't usually like pumpkin pie, but this is so yummy... I got the recipe from Hajira! :)

1 (15 oz) can of pure pumpkin puree (NOT the pumpkin for pumpkin pie)
1(14 oz) can of sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs
1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp all spice
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Mix the pumpkin, milk, egg YOLKS (hold onto the whites), and spices
and salt together. Whip the egg whites until they start to form soft
peaks, or at the very least begin to become very foamy - the more you
beat them, the fluffier it'll be. Fold the egg whites into the
pumpkin mixture.

Pour it into a pie shell (I usually make it w/ graham crackers and
butter or use a store bought graham cracker crust)- get the bigger size shell not the small one.

Bake for about 15 minutes at 425. During this time, make the topping:

2 tblspn all purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tblspns unsalted butter (cut into small pieces)
1 cup chopped walnuts

Mix the flour, sugar, cinnamon together and then add the small pieces
of butter and crumble it into the mixture w/ a fork or pastry
blender, or whatever you want. Then add the walnuts.

After those 15 minutes are up, take the pie out of the oven, and
reduce the temperature to 350 degrees (otherwise, the topping will
get a gross burned taste - trust me!) Sprinkle the topping all over
the pie evenly, and put it back in the oven and bake it for about 45
mins or so, or until you feel it's set... NOTE: the pie will be puffed up when you take out of the oven, don't worry it's normal just sprinkle the topping confidently hehe

Side note: In the pumpkin mixture, I said to add cinnamon, ginger,
nutmeg, etc... you can always get one of those little pumpkin pie
spice containers, they have cloves and some other things in it as
well. I usually add a little pinch of it just for a little extra
something. If you decide to use the pumpkin pie spice instead of the
ones I said to use, add some extra cinnamon separately, because they
add it to the spice, but it's not enough compared to the rest of the
spices.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

•	1/2 cup Shortening
•	1/2 cup Peanut Butter
•	1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
•	1/2 cup sugar
•	1 large egg
•	2 tablespoons milk
•	1 teaspoon non-alcoholic vanilla extract (or 1/4 teaspoon vanilla powder)
•	1 3/4 cups All Purpose Flour
•	1 teaspoon baking soda
•	1/2 teaspoon salt
•	Sugar
•	48 kisses chocolates

Directions:

1.	HEAT oven to 375° F.
2.	CREAM together shortening, peanut butter, brown sugar and 1/2 cup sugar. Add egg, milk and vanilla. Beat well.
3.	STIR together flour, baking soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture. Beat on low speed until stiff dough forms.
4.	SHAPE into 1-inch balls. Roll in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
5.	BAKE for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.
6.	TOP each cookie immediately with an unwrapped chocolate piece, pressing down firmly so that cookie cracks around edge. Remove from cookie sheets to cool.

Yield: 4 Dozen Cookies

Jam filled cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup butter, melted (that's two sticks)
3/4 cup confectioners sugar
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon vanilla powder (or 1 teaspoon non-alcoholic vanilla extract)
3 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
Strawberry jam (or any kind of jam you like)

-Preheat oven to 350
-Melt butter and while it cools off mix dry ingredients.
-Mix all ingredients together with a spoon until well blended.
-spread dough with rolling pin and cut into circles using a small cup.
-Place dough circles onto ungreased cookie sheet and bake for about 13 minutes or until light golden.
-Let cookies cool and then spread some jam on one cookie and place another one on top.
-Sprinkle with some confectioners sugar for decoration

If you'd like to make the cookies with a hole in the middle, cut out a smaller circle from the dough before you bake the cookies. From each pair of cookies cut out a smaller circle from one of them.

Chicken Alfredo

(dinner for two, and you may have an extra plate to pack for your husband's lunch the next day)

1/2 box of pasta (any kind you like, I prefer tri-colored pasta)
4 chicken breast cutlets
1/2 cup of zesty Italian dressing
fresh ground pepper
mushrooms, washed and sliced (small box)
1/2 stick of butter
2 tablespoons flour
milk
salt
Parmesan cheese

-Marinade chicken in dressing and some pepper, keep it in the fridge for half an hour before cooking time.
-grill chicken on non-stick grill pan. After chicken is cooked through slice it into strips.
-saute chopped mushrooms in non-stick pan with a tiny bit of oil or butter and some salt. Toss cooked mushrooms with chicken when done.
-Boil pasta until cooked, drain, don't wash it. Then toss with chicken and mushrooms.
-When you're ready to eat -or about a half hour before your husband comes home :) ... start to make the alfredo sauce.
-Melt butter in sauce pan, add flour, mix with wire whisk. Add milk gradually and continue to whisk over medium heat. Keep adding milk until sauce is nice and creamy yet not too thick.
-Add some Parmesan cheese if you like and add salt to taste... sometimes I add 1 or 2 tablespoons of sour cream for more flavor...
-Mix sauce with the pasta mixture and serve.
-Add some chopped parsley for garnish or some chopped sundried tomatoes.

Enjoy! :)

Pancakes

I tried this recipe this morning, I made the banana pancakes, they were so easy to make and everyone loved them. Enjoy! :)

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract (optional)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon sugar
2 heaping teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

-Beat egg and vanilla with whisk
-add remaining ingredients, mix well.

Grease heated griddle if necessary (I just used an ungreased non-stick pan). To test griddle/pan, sprinle with few drops of water. If bubbles skitter around, heat is just right.

-Pour batter onto pan from large pitcher or half cup measure. Cook pancakes until puffed and dry around edges. Turn and cook other side until golden brown. (To keep pancakes hot, stack on hot plate with paper towels in between)
-Makes about 6 4-inch pancakes.

Banana Pancakes: beat into mixture, 1 medium banana, cut into 1/4 inch pieces.

Whole Wheat Pancakes: subtitute whole wheat flour for the all-purpose flour and packed brown sugar for the granulated sugar. (I tried this but the whole wheat flour made my pancakes too dry, you might want to only substitute half a cup of flour with whole wheat and use white flour for the other half)

Yogurt Pancakes: substitute 1 1/4 cups plain yogurt for the milk. Decrease baking powder to 2 teaspoons and beat in 1/4 teaspoon baking soda.

Cornmeal Pancakes: Substitute 1/2 cup cornmeal for 1/2 cup of the flour. Subtitute dark molasses for the sugar if desired.

Nut Pancakes: Stir in 1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped nuts.

Blueberry Pancakes: Stir in 1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (thawed and well drained).

Buttermilk Pancakes: Substitute 1 cup buttermilk for the milk. Decrease baking powder to 1 teaspoon and beat in 1/2 teaspoon baking soda.

Ice cream cake

Taken from kraft's food & family magazine.

1/2 cup hot fudge ice cream topping, warmed

1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided

1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Chocolate Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling

8 OREO Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, chopped (about 1 cup)

12 vanilla ice cream sandwiches, unwrapped

POUR fudge topping into medium bowl. Add 1 cup of the whipped topping; stir with wire whisk until well blended. Add dry pudding mix; stir 2 min. or until well blended. Gently stir in chopped cookies; set aside.

ARRANGE 4 of the ice cream sandwiches, side-by-side, on 24-inch-long piece of foil; top with half of the whipped topping mixture. Repeat layers. Top with remaining 4 ice cream sandwiches. Frost top and sides of dessert with remaining whipped topping. Bring up foil sides. Double fold top and ends to loosely seal packet.

FREEZE at least 4 hours before serving. Store leftover dessert in freezer.

Peach dessert

Ingredients:
cake:
1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup confectioners sugar
1 egg
zest of half an orange
1 tsp. Baking powder
2 Tbs. butter

Syrup:
1 Large can of sliced Peaches in syrup
2 Tbs. confectioners sugar
2 Tbs. corn starch
Juice of 1 orange
2 drops of lemon juice

Preparation:
-Preheat oven to 350
-Mix cake ingredients together with a spoon, then spread in half cookie sheet pan. (it's going to spread really thin, this is really the crust for the dessert). (for a normal size cookie sheet just double up the ingredients).
-Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes or until light golden.
-Let is cool, then spread the peach slices on top.
-In sauce pan, combine: orange juice, lemon juice, peach juice, corn starch and sugar. Bring to boil, and let thicken.
-Remove from heat, pour over cake and peaches.
-Let cool and enjoy!