Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake with Apple Cider Glaze

I am trying to clear some things out of my cupboards and the spice cake mix had to go! So did the can of pumpkin.  It sounded like a good marriage so a cake was born.

(1) Duncan Hines Spice Cake Mix
(1) 15 ounce can of pumpkin puree
(3) eggs
(3) tablespoons of brown sugar
(3) good shakes of cinnamon

Mix the above ingredients well and pour into a greased bundt pan and bake for approximately 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Let rest 10 minutes before flipping out onto a plate.

For the glaze, mix two packets of instant Alpine Hot Apple Cider Mix with approximately 1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar and enough hot water until it gets to a good pouring consistency, not to thin and not to thick.  Poke a few holes in the cake with a fork to let some of the glaze seep into the cake.

The cake is very moist and the apple cider glaze compliments the pumpkin very well. In hindsight I would have only used (1) packet of the cider mix as the glaze is very sweet. It will definitely require a little bit of playing around next time if I decide to make it again.  For what it was, a cabinet emptier, it is yummy and fun!

Bacon-wrapped Stuffed Chicken with Spinach & Cream Cheese with Sauteed Brussel sprouts and rice

I finally felt creative in the kitchen again after about two months of hitting a brick wall.  Yesterday's grocery shopping trip netted quite a lot of things on sale, one of the most exciting items was the bacon!  I decided I needed use it for dinner. I poked around the kitchen to see what I could add to it.  This is what I came up with:

(6) thin sliced chicken breasts
(1) block of cream cheese, softened
(1) pound of bacon
(1) thawed package of spinach

Spread the cream cheese on the chicken breast and press some spinach into the cream cheese. Make sure you squeeze any water out of the thawed spinach before you add to the cream cheese.  Roll the chicken up and the wrap with a piece of bacon.  Place in a baking dish that has been sprayed with non-stick spray.  I wanted to secure these with a toothpick but I could not find them! Fortunately they ended up not needing the toothpicks.  I baked them in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes and then switched to broil for approximately five minutes just to further crisp the bacon on top.

While the chicken was baking in the oven, I took the last two leftover pieces of bacon and put in a saute pan to fry with half a small yellow onion chopped small.  I let the bacon get crisp and then drained a small portion of the bacon fat off, but not all.  I then added three servings of frozen brussel sprouts and 1 tablespoon of butter to the saute pan, put a lid on and let gently saute for about 10 minutes while the chicken finished baking.  I do not think I will EVER eat brussel sprouts any other way again! They were the best I have ever had!

Here is how the finished dinner looked:

The cream cheese and spinach were warm and oozing inside the chicken. The chicken was moist because of the bacon.  The brussel sprouts were smoky and tender.  It was a wonderful dinner.  Even my pickest eater came back for seconds!  Mission accomplished for dinner!

Long potatoes, cheddar and ham

I had a lot of potatoes to use up from Thanksgiving. I think I kept forgetting how many I had and kept buying them. With how chilly it is outside plus needing to use leftover ham, it seemed like a good night to make a nice potato dish.

I peeled approximately three pounds of russet potatoes and cut them long-ways.  They were placed in a 9" x 13" dish, dotted with chunks of smoked ham and hunks of extra sharp cheddar cheese.  I combined one large can of cream of mushroom soup with almost 2 cans of  evaporated milk and poured over the top. Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for one hour.  That's it!  It is super easy!

It was a big hit with the family tonight! A very good belly warmer!

Fresh Cranberry Sauce

I have never been a fan of the cranberry sauce that comes in a can.  This Thanksgiving I decided to make my own. Here is my quick and easy recipe for a delicious cranberry compote that requires almost no maintenance at all!

(1) 12 ounce bag of fresh cranberries, rinsed well
(1) half cup of water
(1) cup of sugar
The zest of one orange and the juice (at least 3 tablespoons)
Dash of nutmeg

Bring all the above to a boil over medium high heat in a saucepan on the stove and then lower heat to a simmer until cranberries pop and soften, about 15 to 20 minutes.  Taste for sweetness. Depending on cranberries will depend on if you need to add sugar. It's up to you! Sometimes I add more sugar if they are too tart, sometimes they are just right! Yesterday I ended up adding 1/2 cup more sugar as they were extra tart.  As the sauce cools, it will thicken and "jell" up all by itself.  It makes a wonderful addition to any dinner, Thanksgiving or not!

Snowflake Truffles

Tonight I am making a special treat for a friend.  She likes sweet things, which is appropriate since she is such a sweet and beautiful lady!  It is a recipe that I adapted from one I saw floating around the internet.  I had to modify the one I found as it contained nuts.  I try not to use nuts as I have friends with nut allergies. Here is my take on a fun, no-bake, quick truffle that is easy to make and tastes wonderful.

(2) 8 ounce packages of cream cheese softened
(1) 20 ounce can of crushed pineapple, drained
(4) tablespoons of powdered sugar
(1) bag of sweetened shredded coconut

Drain the pineapple very, very well.  Mix 3/4 of the can of pineapple with the softened cream cheese until well mixed.  Add the powdered sugar one tablespoon at a time until well blended, scraping the bowl often.  Put in the refrigerator for at least two hours until well chilled.

Remove from fridge.  Scoop into balls and roll in coconut.  Place on waxed paper and put back in the fridge until firm.

These are a sweet tropical treat!

Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball

I thought I had put this recipe on here but I looked and I had not. I cannot take the credit for this. A wonderful site called Momzone is where I first discovered this recipe.  The website seems to have closed now so I cannot link to it to give proper credit but I will share this wonderful recipe with you now.

Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball

1 - 8 ounce package of cream cheese, softened
1- stick or equal to 1/2 cup of butter (MUST be real butter, margarine will not work)
1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract
3/4 cup of powdered sugar
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
3/4 cup finely chopped pecans
Graham crackers

Directions:
In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla until fluffy. Gradually add sugar, beat until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Place onto plastic wrap; shape into a ball. Refrigerate at least 1 more hour. Just before serving, roll cheese ball in pecans. Serve with graham crackers.

Side note:  I do not use the pecans.  I just don't. I know too many people with nut allergies so I leave them out.  The above recipe is for one "ball".  It won't last.  I never make enough for "one".  I always double in not triple the recipe.  The cheeseball is better if you make it the night before.  Under no circumstances should you ever leave out the brown sugar.  It will not taste right.

Enjoy!! I hope it becomes a part of your family tradition as it has become a part of mine!!

The Kitchen Sink

I have not been grocery shopping nor do I feel like grocery shopping.  I stood in the kitchen wondering what to do.  I needed to feed the troops so I started poking around the cabinets, what to do?  This is what I came up with:

2 cups of long grain, white rice
Green peas, frozen
Carrots, frozen
Brussel sprouts, frozen
1 onion, chopped
1 turkey sausage, chopped
butter (duh!)

While the rice is cooking, throw the peas, carrots and brussel sprouts into a pan with some water and butter to heat through and get warm.  Slice the turkey sausage into rounds and then in half.  Put into a saute pan with the chopped onion and cook until the onion is wilted and the sausage is hot.

When the rice is done, dump the sausage and onions in the rice and stir. Next drain the vegetables from their water and add them to the rice and sausage mixture. Stir well and serve.  I did not pull this out of any cookbook or show.  It came out of my brain (scary, I know!) and since it was just a conglomeration of whatever I could find, I named it "The Kitchen Sink".