Sweet and Salty Pumpkin Seeds

Kendall talked me into carving a pumpkin today. Isn't he cute?

Kendall likes carving pumpkins because she loves to stick her hand in the goo. Here she is, modeling pumpkin guts for you....

I enjoy pumpkin carving, especially since I found this recipe for a different kind of pumpkin seed seasoning. It's sweet and salty goodness at its best!

Ingredients:

seeds from one medium pumpkin (about a cup and a half)


5 T sugar, divided
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cumin (I insist on using seeds and grinding them myself; it's just better that way!)
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp coarse salt (Kosher salt)
1 pinch of cayenne pepper, to taste (I used pepper flakes and ground them, too.)
1 1/2 T peanut oil

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread seeds on the parchment paper, evenly.  Bake until dry, stirring occasionally; about one hour (though mine only took 45 minutes this time; maybe it was the parchment?)  Cool. (I poured them onto a clean, cool cookie sheet and set them on the deck for five minutes.

 Set two tablespoons of the sugar aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the remaining 3 tablespoons of the sugar, plus the salt, cumin, cinnamon, ginger, and cayenne; set aside.

Heat peanut oil in a medium, non-stick skillet over high heat.  Add the baked pumpkin seeds and the rest of the sugar.

Stir, cooking until the sugar melts and the seeds begin to carmelize (I cooked mine until the seed started whistling!), about a minute.  Transfer to bowl with spices and stir well to coat.

Cool.

These may be stored in an airtight container for up to one week (if they last that long!)

Pizza Casserole

Ever since I got a taste of my friend Pam's delicious Pizza Casserole last weekend at the Homecoming dinner at her house, I've been wanting to make it for dinner. So, even though I had 49 other things to do tonight, I happily put my needs aside and sacrificed for my loving family.

Note: Try to make this on a night everyone has other commitments so that you can have most of it for yourself. (Also, there will be fewer people around to watch you sneaking pepperoni.)

Ingredients:12-oz. egg noodles (I used only part of the bag pictured)
1 lb. ground beef
1 small onion
1 green pepper
1 8-oz pkg pepperoni
fresh mushrooms
pizza sauce
Campbell's cheddar cheese soup

First, put water on to boil for the noodles. If you have a 10-year-old Calphalon pot like mine, try not to grumble too loudly about the finish coming off. (I've already had it replaced once, and I'm too lazy to send it in again.)

Dice the green pepper and one small onion (or half of a large one)

The recipe actually called for canned mushrooms, but to me, that's like sprinkling mystery parmesan cheese from a can, instead of grating the real deal, so I decided to throw caution to the wind (I'm not an adventurous cook) and used fresh.

Brown the ground beef, along with the green pepper and onion. (Why, no, I'm not worried about heart disease. I may die, but I'll die happy.)

Add the pizza sauce and cheddar cheese soup,

and stir....
Simmer for about ten minutes (I added the mushrooms during this time.)

Remove from heat and stir in the pepperoni minus the 25 you ate while cooking.

Add the pasta. I made the whole 16 oz. bag and reserved about 1/4 of it for Kendall (who had the swine flu and wasn't interested in real food.)

Mix and place in greased casserole dish. I poured it into two dishes, so that I could freeze one.

At this point, remember the frozen block of mozzarella in your freezer. And if you have the patience of a first grader with severe ADHD and no meds when it comes to cooking, go ahead and try to grate it anyway. (It takes longer than thawing it first, but it it's a nice challenge.)

At this point, I want to show you the level of sacrifice I am willing to make for my family (yes, I really am a pacesetter when it comes to putting one's family first.) Just look at the cheese-grating injury I sustained in order to tend to my family's well-being...

It was worth it.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes (covered.) Remove cover and bake another ten minutes. (This also freezes very well.) Doesn't this look delicious?! Trust me; it is!!! [Of course, I only needed 30 minutes because it was already hot. Adjust heating times as needed.]

Now, I kid when I say I'm very dedicated to my family. If that were true, I'd have a tomato for this salad and some fresh, toasty garlic bread to accompany this meal, right?

My poor family had to tough it out...

...but I didn't hear any complaints.

Cheesy Salsa Mini Meatloaves

Creepy, of Tiptoeing Through the Tulips sent me to Rachel, at A Southern Fairytale, for this easy-yet-wonderful recipe for miniature Mexican meatloaves. They were a big hit at our house tonight. A fun way to serve meatloaf, these are sure to please adults and kids alike. (Kendall even liked hers a lot, in spite of the fact that there were onions in it!)

This recipe is so easy, I'll bet I can record it all here from memory, without even looking at the recipe. (Yeah, yeah, I'll need the pics, but I never said I was Carnack the Great!)

Ingredients:1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion (more, if you like)
12 saltine crackers
1 egg
1 1/2 cup shredded Mexican cheese (divided)
1 cup salsa

First, preheat the oven to 400 degrees and spray a muffin tin with cooking spray.
Mix the ground beef and onion...
crackers... (Who knew crackers could look so artistic?!)
and egg...Stir it up well. Then add 1 cup of the cheese and 1/2 cup of the salsa. I like ChiChi's, obviously, but you can be a rebel and use what you like.)
Mix well...
Now, if you know me well, you know that I'd sooner scoop my eyeballs out with a rusty spoon than touch raw hamburger, so I put a sandwich bag on my hand before dividing the mixture into the twelve "cups."
Next, use a teaspoon to make a little "well" in the center of each loaf.
Place on foil-lined baking sheet, but don't use this kind, because I HATE it! (I always forget that it's too wide for my oven until right as I'm trying to shove it in there!)
Rachel recommends just letting it "sit" for a while, to let the flavors meld. You could certainly put it in the fridge for a few hours, or you could leave it on the counter and take care of this...
And this....
And then remember how much you love this stuff and need to add it to your grocery list...(Seriously, I have never given two hoots about the scent of my dishwashing liquid, until I smelled Dawn botanicals Honeysuckle and Rain scent.)

Then, have a brainstorm about a future blog post about "Favorite Things."

Okay, when you're ready, pop them in the oven and bake "20-22" minutes. Rachel's oven only took 18 minutes. Mine took 22. (I used a meat thermometer to make sure they were at least 180 degrees, since I was making them for the first time and didn't want any trips to the ER for ecoli poisoning.)

Then, take them out, top with remaining salsa and cheese, and return to the oven for three minutes.
The recipe makes 12, but I ate three before I remembered to take this photo!
These would be great for individual meals in the freezer (if they last that long!) Everyone loved them!

Visit A Southern Fairytale for many, many other terrific recipes!

Theresa's Beans

I'm certain that my SIL, Theresa, is an excellent cook (my brother looks healthy, and we've shared a few recipes), but I never get to taste many of her other dishes, because this one is always requested at family gatherings. Super easy, and very delicious!

Ingredients:1/2 lb. bacon (there's no getting around this one--so yummy!)
1 lb ground beef (or for you health nuts, I suppose you could use something less fattening)
1/2 to 1 whole onion, chopped
1 cup Ketchup (or Catsup for you Yoopers out there)
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp dry mustard
2 tsp vinegar
3 cans (15-20 oz) baked beans (I just use whatever kinds I have on-hand)

First, cook the bacon and chop it into pieces.Reserve the grease if you have no regard for your health, and saute the onions in that next. Today, I just cooked the ground beef and onions together and left out the bacon grease. (Not because I felt like being "healthier," but simply because I forgot! Besides, beef grease or bacon grease-either way, you're gonna die of heart disease, right?)Add the ketchup, brown sugar, mustand, and vinegar to the drained ground beef and onions. Mix and simmer 15 minutes. I accidentally skipped this step today, and it turned out delicious anyway, but next time, I'll probably follow directions! (And yes, I was spacey today. What else is new?)

Add the beans and bacon. Mix and bake in 350-degree oven 45 minutes (covered) or cook in a crock pot for about 4 hours.I'm sorry I do not have a photo of our delicious meal of chicken, corn-on-the-cob, pistachio salad, Theresa's beans from dinner tonight, but we honestly ate every single bit of them, and I had nothing to take a photo of when it was all said and done and I remembered. That should be proof enough for you that making these beans will make you popular (but you might never be able to bring anything else to a family gathering, so beware!)

Company Egg Bake

Grandma 4444 is a great cook, and she's always generous with her recipes. (For proof, check out Best Ever Pasties and her Cherry Torte!) Today's recipe is a big breakfast hit when company comes. You put it together the night before and just bake it in the morning. Perfect for tailgate breakfasts, Sunday brunch, or the morning after the Halloween party, when the house is full of bleary-eyed, nauseous drunkards with headaches. It's easy peasy, too...

Ingredients (mostly stuff people often have on-hand)6 slices of bread
6-8 slices of Kraft American Singles
ham or sausage or bacon (cooked)
1/2 of a green pepper, diced
1/4 onion, diced (or more, if you like onion breath)
mushrooms, if you are not a big baby and can handle them
1 dozen eggs
1 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste

First, butter your 9 x 13 pan.
And no, that's not "dirt" on the pan. It's stonewear; the "dirtier" it is, the more "seasoned" the pan is, and a seasoned pan is a wonderful thing :) Next, remove the crusts from the bread...
Tear it up into pieces and place them in the pan, like so...
Unwrap the cheese slices. For some reason, these gave me a hard time tonight; each little flap tore off, rather than working with me to get the cheese out neatly. On the bright side, that was the most difficult part of this recipe--(See, I told you it's easy-peasy.)
Place cheese slices across the bread.
Top with your ham or other meat. I used 1/2 of the package this time.
Next, clean your mushrooms. Remember, you clean mushrooms with a towel, not by running them under the sink until they are slimey!!
Dice your onion and green pepper, too, and then sprinkle them over the meat.
Pretty as a picture, huh? (Of course, if you are serving picky eaters, you may leave any of these ingredients out.)
Crack the dozen eggs and add salt and pepper "to taste." For you newbie cooks out there, that means you have to guess. This is how much pepper I used. I also added about 1/4 tsp of salt (you can always salt your portion again later.)Add the milk to the eggs and whisk them til they're nice and frothy.
Pour the egg mixture over the yum in the pan.
Cover and place in the fridge overnight. In the morning, remove the cover and place in the oven set at 250 degrees for 45 minutes. Raise the heat to 350 degrees and bake another 15 minutes.

Serve with salsa, if you like (and a side of Ibuprofen, if necessary).

Festive Tossed Salad

Got so many requests for the recipe for this salad I made Mom's 80th birthday party that I thought I should put it up here. It's always a big hit. I didn't have time to take the blow-by-blow shots, but I've got the recipe and a few pics here for you....

Ingredients:10 cups Romaine lettuce, torn
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
onion, finely chopped
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2-3 teaspoons poppy seeds
1 Braeburn apple, cored and cubed
1 pear, cored and cubed
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/2 to 1 cup cashews
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

In a blender, blend sugar, vinegar, lemon juice, onion, and salt until well-blended. Gradually add oil while continuing to blend on low. Then, add the poppy seeds and blend a little more. Pour into dressing container.

Prepare lettuce. Just before serving the salad, mix lettuce with dressing and place in a BIG bowl. Top with apples, pears, cranberries, cheese, and cashews (I like to leave it all on top and let people dig in from there (because it is so pretty!)

Enjoy!

Taco Pie

Ever since she had Taco Pie at a friend's house, Kendall has been asking me to make if for supper. I'm very glad she kept badgering me, because it was delicious and easy. If you've ever made tacos, you can easily make Taco Pie. (Seriously, a monkey could do it.) Here's how....

Ingredients:1 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup water
1 pkg. taco seasoning (we like Ortega)
1 pkg. Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
1 1/2 cup Fritos Corn Chips, broken up
8 oz. cheddar cheese, grated
8 oz. sour cream
Lettuce and tomatoes for serving

First, prepare the meat per package directions (that's what the water is for).

While the meet is cooking, open the crescent rolls and arrange them like this in a pie pan...
Use your fingers to spread the pieces until you have formed a hole-free crust.
Next, take a tomato and place it in the middle of the crust.
Only kidding! (I was in a silly mood.) Take 3/4 of the Fritos and sprinkle them over the crust.
Top with the taco meat...
Then, the sour cream...
And the cheese....
Finally, top with the remaining Fritos...
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes. (I baked mine an extra five because you have to add time when baking with stoneware.)

Meanwhile, prepare the sides (the sour cream turned out to be unnecessary, but it's in the pic, so you'll just have to suck it up, sorry.)
Forgot to take pics of the finished product until it was half gone!
Voila!
Sorry about some of the blurry photos; I don't know what I did wrong. Fortunately, I did everything else right; this was a big hit!