Pumkin Pie Cake and Chicken Noodle Soup

This is also known as "Pumpkin Dump Cake" but that name just kills it for me so I refuse to call it that! Anyway, here's the link:

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,176,129181-252197,00.html

 

Also, here's the Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe that I made for Super Saturday:

 

I have to admit that this is one of the unhealthiest recipes I make -- but sometimes it's sooo worth it! :) I think the velveeta and the italian seasoning and the yummy noodles make it.

 

3 sticks celery

3 carrots

12 chicken tenders

1 handful of dried minced onion

2 cans or 1 box of chicken broth (about 4 cups)

2 chicken bouillon cubes

I tbls Italian seasoning

1 bag extra wide amish or country style egg noodles, cooked separately (I couldn't find these at Wegman's, but Wal-Mart has them on the pasta aisle, bottom shelf)

1 small velveeta cheese

 

1-Chop celery and carrots and soften in  chicken broth with onions and bouillon cubes. Add one soup can of water.

 

2-Boil or bake and chop chicken tenders and add to soup

 

3-Boil noodles and add right before serving

 

4-Chop cheese into small pieces and add last. Stir slowly and let it melt. Add Italian seasoning and more water if needed

Pistachio Cookies

Pistachio Chocolate Chip Cookies:
adapted from Betty Crocker via The Girl Who Ate Everything

1 pouch (17.5 ounces) Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix
1 box (3.4ounces) pistachio instant pudding and pie filling mix
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
1 cup dry roasted salted pistachio nuts, roughly chopped
1/2 cup Semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl stir cookie mix, pudding, and flour. Add melted butter and eggs and stir until incorporated. (You really do want to add the ingredients in the order stated here, if not, the dough kind of comes out weird! Also, I lazily cut the melted butter into the dry ingredients - like with a pie crust - before adding the eggs)

Add pistachios and chocolate chips and mix well.

Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto a parchment lined cookie sheet.

Bake for 8-10 minutes. Don't overbake them! If you bake them too long you will lose the soft texture and they won't be as green. They will not look done but take them out and let them sit on the pan for about 2 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

http://gonnawantseconds.blogspot.com/2011/03/pistachio-chocolate-chip-cookies.html

Pumpkin Bars

This is the recipe that I used for the pumpkin bars I brought to Super Saturday.  Several people asked me to post the recipe, so here we go:

**Note**
I don't follow the recipe exactly, so I've noted the changes that I make

Bars:
4 eggs
1 C cooking oil (to reduce fat intake, I use a cup of applesauce and 2 Tbsp. of oil)
2 C flour
2 tsp baking power
1 tsp baking soda
1 ⅔ C sugar
1 (16-once) can pumpkin (2 heaping cups full)
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon (I reduced the cinnamon to 1 tsp. and added some pumpkin pie spice)
1 C nuts (I omitted this)

Beat eggs, sugar, oil, and pumpkin until light and fluffy. Sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda.  Add to pumpkin mixture and stir thoroughly.  Add nuts.  Spread in a cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.  Cool and frost with cream cheese icing.

Icing:
I use the cream cheese frosting from OurBestBites:

2 8-oz. packages cream cheese at almost room temperature
1/2 cup salted butter at almost room temperature
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract

Whip together the cream cheese, butter, and extract until light and fluffy. Add in the powdered sugar and whip until smooth and fully incorporated. Refrigerate any leftovers (or anything you’ve frosted that doesn’t get eaten immediately).

-Katie

Our Best Bites

I love ourbestbites.com  Here are some of my favorite recipes from this website:

Minestrone Soup
I have made this with kielbasa instead of sausage and it is good too.

Crispy Coconut Chicken Fingers
These are good with sweet and sour sauce.  Also great paired with Brazilian Lemonade (see below).

Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies (careful, you can't eat just one...)
These are fine without the filling but I prefer them with.  I also think their tip about the cookies being softer the second day is true...if they last that long!

Candy Cane Kiss Cookies
These are what I brought to the RS Christmas activity last year.

Brazilian Lemonade
Yummy!  Reminds me of Tucanos Brazilian Grill.

Meatloaf

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup ketchup
1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef, uncooked
3/4 cup milk
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
3/4 cup finely crushed saltine cracker crumbs OR bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease a 5x9 inch loaf pan.

Press the brown sugar in the bottom of the prepared loaf pan and spread the ketchup over the sugar.

In a mixing bowl, mix thoroughly all remaining ingredients and shape into a loaf.  Place on top of the ketchup.  Sprinkle with brown sugar and a little ketchup.

Bake in preheated oven for 1+ hours (I usually do 1 hr 15 min) or until juices are clear.