Trick or Treat Blonde Brownies (with pumpkin), I also call them "Halloweener Brownies"

I have had a hard time getting to the blog lately, but I really wanted to post this one. Are you tired of your kids asking you for Halloween candy and wanting to get rid of it (we got 7 gallons of candy)? This is a great way to get rid of the candy fast, and you still get to enjoy some of it too. You also get to sneak pumpkin in, which adds some nutrition. If you don't add the pumpkin, then reduce the flour by about 1/2 cup. Make it for your family and then take left overs to your neighbors or send them to work. Then you are only left with the "Now and Later"s and other non-chocolate candy that does not tempt me one bit. I got this recipe from the little book that came with "The Perfect Brownie Pan" that my mom got for me. I tweaked it to make more and added the pumpkin.

1 1/2 cups butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
3/4 cups sugar
1 can pureed pumpkin
2 eggs
1 Tablespoon vanilla
4 1/4 cups flour
baking soda
salt
2 to 3 cups of unwrapped halloween chocolate candy (candy corns are okay too) cut up larger pieces so that they are about the size of chocolate chunks. Kids can help with this and love it.

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9 by 13 pan. Cream butter, sugars, add eggs, pumpkin, vanilla. Mix flour, baking soda and salt together. Mix two mixtures together, mix in candy. Spread mixture into pan. Bake for about 40 minutes (I think mine took more like 45), until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean (you may want to cover it with foil at the end if it is starting to brown too much on top.) I like to have mine right out of the oven, in a mug with milk over it. Yummy!!!!!!!!!!!

Mexican Shepherds Pie

Still have no idea why it is called Shepherds Pie, but... whatever. This took minutes to make and was really good. I am a HUGE fan of the cook once, serve 4 or 5 times theory. I had some taco meat that I had made and frozen, and instant potatoes I had gotten 4 for $1. Why did I only get 2 boxes, I guess there wasn't a ton of room in my cart or something. Anyway, this was a great alternative to tacos and if I would have had some pureed butternut squash or cauliflower I totally would have snuck it in.


Ingredients:

2 pouches (1 box) of instant potatoes made according to instructions.

1 1/2 pounds of taco meat

1 small can of tomato paste

salsa

nacho chips

cheese


Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put prepared instant potatoes in greased 9 by 13 pan. Heat up taco meat, add desired amount of salsa and can of tomato paste (I do this to make it a bit thicker and it adds more vitamins to the mix too). Spread taco meat over potatoes. Cook in oven for about 20 mintues. Add nacho chips and top with shredded cheese (I only had cheese slices) and heat in oven until cheese is melted.

Pumpkin Buttermilk Pancakes

I don't think I had ever purchased buttermilk until I decided to try to make real buttermilk pancakes. Oh, baby, it is in my cart each time I go to the store now. I LOVE making these pancakes and they are always inhaled. I found a recipe for buttermilk pancakes at www.allrecipes.com ("buttermilk pancakes II") and changed it a little bit and found breakfast for dinner perfection.
Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups buttermilk
1 cup milk
3 eggs
1/4 cup melted butter
1 cup pumpkin
chocolate chips (optional)

In mixing bowl combine dry ingredients (not including chocolate chips). In a seperate bowl, mix wet ingredients together. Heat griddle and shmear with butter. Add wet mixture to dry mixture and mix until it is just blended. Scoop onto hot griddle using 1/3 measuring cup. Add 4 or 5 chocolate chips to each pancake, flip them and finishing cooking them. Enjoy with some good syrup.

Pumpkin Cheesecake (AKA Halloween Cheesecake)

I had to call this Halloween Cheesecake because I knew if I called it "Pumpkin Cheesecake" that no one would eat it. In fact, the child who helped me make this and knew I put pumpkin in it picked the chocolate out and refused to eat the rest of the cheesecake. Punk. Anyway, this was an easy way to get a serving of veggie in the kiddos.

Ingredients for crust
1 cup oats
1 stick of butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup flour
water to add if needed

For Cheesecake:
1 can pureed pumpkin (I think it is a 15 oz can, whatever size can is closest to that)
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (more if you want)
1 8 oz block of cream cheese (I prefer the 1/3 less fast kind)
1 can condensed milk
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup chocolate chips
1 Tablespoon flour

For topping:
1/2 cup chocolate chips
2 Tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix ingredients for crust and press into a greased 8 by 8 pan (or 9 by 9 pan). Mix pumpkin and cream cheese together. Mix flour and chocolate chips and set in fridge (the flour makes it so the CC's don't melt into one big layer). Add condensed milk, eggs, powdered sugar (you need to taste it to make sure it is sweet enough), pumpkin pie spice (add more if you want). Mix in choc chips. Pour into pie crust and bake for 35 to 40 minutes until it is set in the middle. Let cake cool completely. Melts choc chips and butter together and spread or drizzle on top of cheesecake. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

This is what it looked like when my punk helper ate hers and just picked out the chocolate. Oh well, I tried.

Dear Lord...I Thank Thee...That Today Is Over

Need a laugh? Read the following. It's kind of long, but it will make you laugh, especially if you know my 4 year old, David.

Seriously, this was my prayer on Sunday. It was one of those Sundays. You know, the ones that happen where you think, "Is this seriously what I signed up for???" Every Sunday I get 6 kids and myself ready and on time to church because my husband has an early meeting (with the exception of the daylights saving Sunday when we forgot to set our clocks ahead, and I had to speak in church and was REALLY late.) Anyway, my Sunday started off like this...

Joe was upset because he still couldn't tie his tie right, he's 10. His Dad promised him $5 if he comes to church with his tie tied, and he does it himself. Mom has done it the past 3 weeks, at least I have learned how to tie a tie, while nursing a baby.

Joe showed us all that he had mad gas in the car, I couldn't wait until church.

After the music started David climbed over the bench to sit with the family in front of us, Sam crawled under the bench to sit with them.

During the sacrament (which is supposed to be THE most reverent part of the meeting) Joe passed an SBD, VERY DEADLY. Then the baby tooted so incredibly loud, filled her pants and Joe announced to everyone that it was definitely not him that did that.

Then it was time for the primary presentation - a meeting where all of the little children go up and get to say a part and sing the songs we have been learning in primary this year. I tried bribing David, told him I would pay him $1 if he says his part and sits nicely. He knew his part really well.

Well, apparently the dollar wasn't enough. He ran up and climbed under the sacrament table and refused to come out. When I got him out he started punching and kicking me. As I am carrying him out (in front of the whole congregation) he starts yelling, "No, mom, don't put soap in my mouth, don't spank me, don't buckle me in Abby's seat!!!" So, yes, my kids get punished when they misbehave, now it is out. As I carried him on my hip to the hallway he yells, "mom, your hurting my wiener." Apparently my hip is bigger than I though it was.

I wrestled him into the van, buckled him in Abby's car seat then closed and locked the door. I went back into the church for a minute to see if he had missed his part. All of a sudden I heard "BEEP!!! BEEP!!! BEEP!!!" Hmmm, wonder whose car that was? I got to the car and he is laughing because he some how managed to open the door, and set off the alarm. That is when the tears came... from me, we have a "discussion" (which included threats that Santa is going to give me any presents - I was DESPERATE) and David realized he needed to behave, and we went back into the chapel and he was really good for the rest of the program.

Then primary comes. Dad helped with him for awhile and then David went to class. I peaked into his room and he was wrestling on the floor with another kid, no shoes, so I took him out and went to put him back in the van again, planning on just sitting out there with him and cry. I turned my back and he was gone. He ran all the way to the other side of the building where the kids in nursery were blowing bubbles. At this point I picked him up and took him to his Dad............... where he gets popcorn. REALLY??? I guess it kept him quiet.

By the time I got out to the van after church, David not only had lost his shoes, but also had taken off his shirt and run around the parking lot.

That was just church, at home it wasn't much better. A big piece of "My Favorite Awesome Chocolate Cake - Ever" (click here for the recipe - sooooooo good) was in the fridge to comfort me, so that helped. At the end of the day I was thankful that I had not injured him, and that we were both alive. I gave thanks for the Savior, our home, the food we have to eat, and...THAT THE DAY WAS FINALLY OVER. I slept really well last night. And, we will be back next week.

Sneaky Veggie Loaded Leftovers Shepherd's Pie, Italian Style (I think)

Why is it called "Shepherd's Pie"? This picture does not do this dish justice. Anyway...this has been a "Whatever Is In My Fridge" week. I am trying to stay away from the store this week and just use what I have. This turned out really well and was SOOOOOOO easy to make because I used left over roast and instant potatoes. There was only a little bit left at the end of the night, ahhhhhh, success. (And there are a lot of veggies in it, shhhhhhhhhhh, don't tell my kids.)

Ingredients:
Left over roast (I had at least 1 pound of left over pork roast, maybe more like 2 pounds), shredded
1 red pepper (optional)
1 onion (optional)
1/2 bag spinach, chopped
1 14 oz can of Italian flavored tomatoes, pureed
1 small can of tomato paste
2 pouches of instant potatoes, made according to directions on box
mozzarella cheese, shredded parmesan cheese would be good too.

Preheat oven to 350. Make potatoes according to package directions. In a pot heat up roast, add pureed tomatoes and tomato paste. Chop and saute onion and red pepper (I drizzle the veggies with olive oil and roast them in the oven at 400 for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring once. I just really like the flavor it gives to the veggies.) Add to meat (I pureed the veggies so that they are not picked out of the meal). Add to meat, add spinach. Heat through. Add salt and pepper if needed. In 9 by 13 pan spread potatoes. Then top with meat mixture. Top with cheese. Heat in oven until heated through and cheese melts (I think mine was in for 25 to 30 minutes.) Enjoy this meal on a cold day, I love comfort food that is actually good for you too.

My Favorite Awesome Chocolate Cake - Ever.

So, I have to admit that this is a combo of 2 recipes, with a twist of Kristen thrown in. Because I want to try to make everything on "the Pioneer Woman Cooks" website, I made "The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake. Ever", and it was really, really good and gone in a number of minutes. But, I prefer a thicker cake, loaded with chocolate chips. Then I remembered a recipe that my friend, Leca gave me for "Awesome Chocolate Cake" - which lives up to it's name. So, wanting a taste of both of them and preferring butter cream icing to fudgy icing I came up with this combo for "My Favorite Awesome Chocolate Cake - Ever". The "my" not claiming the recipe - just that it is the chocolate cake that I LOVE!!! Just a warning DO NOT USE A BUNDT CAKE PAN FOR THIS CAKE. (I tried and it collapsed, but we ate it anyway). I made it this weekend (in a 9 by 13 pan, cake didn't collapse) for a family get together and it was a hit. It is now gone and I am trying to invent a reason to make this cake again really soon.

Ingredients for the cake:

• 2 cups Flour
• 2 cups Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon of baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 package of chocolate instant pudding
  
• ¼ teaspoons Salt
• 4 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa (I actually measured this out and it was about 3/4 cup cocoa last time I made it.)So, I would estimate it is really between 2/3 to 3/4 cup.
• 2 sticks Butter
• 1 cup Boiling Water
• 1 cup of vanilla yogurt or sour cream
  
• 2 whole Beaten Eggs
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 1 to 2 cups of chocolate chips (I prefer 2 cups semi sweet or milk choc.)
  

Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting:

• 2 sticks Butter, softened.
  
• 5 to 6 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa (about 1/2 to 3/4 cup, depending on how chocolaty you want it)
• 6 Tablespoons Milk
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 3 to 4 cups Powdered Sugar (I have to taste it after 3 cups, just to make sure it is sweet enough).
  

Preparation Instructions

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, pudding mix, and salt.

In a saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa. Stir together. Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds. Stir it so that it cools a little bit and won't fry the eggs when you add them.

In a measuring cup, measure yogurt and add beaten eggs, and vanilla. Stir egg mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into a greased 9 by 13 pan (DO NOT USE A BUNDT CAKE PAN, THE CAKE WILL COLLAPSE. IT WILL BE VERY TASTY AND YOUR FAMILY WILL LOVE YOUR MISTAKE, BUT IT WILL BE VERY UGLY.) Bake at 350-degrees for about 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

While cake is baking, make the icing. Whip butter with whipping attachment for mixer, or use regular paddle. If using whipping attachment it is fluffier. Whip in cocoa. Add the milk, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Whip until well mixed. Ice over cooled cake and make sure that all children are outside so that you can enjoy scraping the bowl yourself.

I put our cake in the fridge so that the icing would not melt. This was really awesome and I don't even have a picture for you because the cake is gone. Sorry.