Oreo Nutella Cream Pie

This pie is ridiculous good (much better than the lame photo makes it look) and it is the simplest pie to make. Chunks of oreos, nutella and a frozen ice cream like pie make this one of my new favorite go to recipes. It does require a little preplanning because it requires freeze time but other that that it is so simple to make.

The new Oreo cookies n' cream pudding is delicious (I swear they did not pay me to say this) I frequently stock up on pudding for my pantry and I was really excited when I saw the oreo pudding calling to me from the grocery shelf. I made some slight changes to their ice cream shoppe pie recipe.OK so I just added some Nutella but
I thought it was genius.

Ingredients
1 Oreo premade pie shell (or make your own)
2 4.2 oz cartons of Oreo instant pudding
1/4 cup of Nutella
1- 8 oz tub of whipped topping
1 1/4 Cup cold milk

Carefully spread half the Nutella on the bottom of the Oreo pie crust.
Top with 1/2 the cool whip.
Freeze 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, beat milk and pudding mixes for 2 minutes. Stir in remaining whipped topping.
Spread filling over pie that has been freezing.
Return pie to freezer for 4 hours or until firm.
Remove pie from freezer 15 minutes before serving. Randomly spread remaining Nutella on top.

Retro Saucy Pork Chops

I feel so retro everytime I make these pork chops. I almost feel as if June Cleaver from "Leave it to Beaver" is going to walk into my kitchen.  I imagine her and every June Cleaverish or "Blast from the Past" mom cooking these pork chops for her family. But that does not stop me from baking these moist saucy chops up for Sunday dinner. They are easy and I promise you have these ingredients on hand. So despite the fact that I feel extremely old fashioned when I make these tasty chops they are in my big black book of recipes because we all clean our plates on saucy pork chop night, especially the picky 5-year-old.

Don't miss the $40 CSN Stores giveaway http://pantryeats.blogspot.com/2010/08/get-in-kitchen-40-csn-giveaway.html

SAUCY PORK CHOPS
5 to 6 pork chops. I have used both bone-in and boneless.
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 yellow onion sliced thinly
3 Tb catsup
2 tsp of worchestire sauce
olive oil
salt and pepper.

Heat 1 TB olive oil in saute or fry pan.  Season chops with salt and pepper and brown both sides in heated pan.

Mix soup, onion, catsup and worchestire.

Place pork chops in casserole dish and top with sauce.

Bake for 45 minutes.

Nutella Challenge: Raspberry Nutella Quesadillas

Chocolate and raspberry, hands down or hands to mouth, one of my favorite flavor combos. These decadent, sticky and completely easy dessert quesadillas are my entry into the Nutella challenge for August. I had to join the Nutella challenge hosted by one of my fave bloggers bell'allimento. So every month I will be posting a Nutella recipe/creation.

Now you may be wondering, what does Nutella have to do with a blog dedicated to pantry and food storage cooking. What?! you don't ALWAYS have Nutella in your pantry. As my sister would point out I have a few weird food storage staples and they are marinated artichoke hearts and Nutella. We buy it in bulk at Costco. It comes in a two pack with bigger containers and it costs a lot less. So, for me Nutella is a food food storage staple and it is one of the best ways to store one of the important food groups: chocolate. So without further ado I bring you one of the easiest desserts ever.

Now I made my quesadillas with a quesadilla grill. It was a gift and I have discovered it is one of my favorite kitchen appliances, thank you to my SIL. You can make these quesadillas in a warm nonstick pan on the stove also.

The Recipe:
Each quesadilla will make about 6 wedges.

2 flour tortillas per quesadilla. I used the smaller flour tortillas.
1 TB Nutella per quesadilla.
1/2 pint raspberries per quesadilla. ( You can also use sliced strawberries)

Spread tortilla with Nutella within 1 inch of edges. ( It will bubble out).
Place halved raspberries on top of Nutella. Top with second tortilla and place on heated quesadilla grill or in heated pan. If you use a pan make sure you press down on the tortilla.

Toast until golden on each side and juices bubble from edges.

Remove from pan. Allow to cool a couple of minutes and slice into wedges.

HEAVEN!

Baked Bunuelos A.K.A Cheese Puffs

RECIPE UPDATE: Flour added to recipe. Everything is correct now.
I loved these little Spanish cheese puffs. They make a tangy dinner bread that is very simple to make. However, it was a split vote in my house. Two of my kids did not love them. I think it was the undertone of Dijon mustard. However, I like the recipe because it is very pantry friendly. Plus they are pretty cute, those little buneulos.

This recipe comes from Spanish Food and Cooking by Pepita Aris

1/4 Cup butter diced
1/4 tsp salt
1 Cup water
1 Cup flour
2 whole eggs plus 1 yolk
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 Cup grated manchego or cheddar cheese.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees farenheit. Place butter and salt in a pan and add the water. Bring to a boil.

Add flour quickly to boiling liquid and stir immediately.

Beat mixture vigorously with a wooden spoon until it forms a  thick paste that binds together and leaves the sides of the pan. Remove from the heat.

Gradually beat in the eggs and yolk into the mixture, then add the mustard, cayenne pepper and cheese. Place teaspoonfuls onto a nonstick or parchment lined baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes.

Reduce temperature to 350 and cook for a further 15 minutes until golden brown.

Banana Split Homemade Ice Cream

I have been neglecting this blog. But that is only because I was busy making ice cream for my Alive! Utah Taste section this month. If I had time I would make ice cream every day with my new ice cream maker. It is so much fun. The banana split ice cream I came up with for this article seriously tastes just like a banana split, which just happens to be my favorite way to eat ice cream. This recipe is so simple to make. Check out that recipe and nutella ice cream and Grandma's homemade vanilla at this link this month. http://aliveutah.com/taste

Yes I realize I am still cheating but I have some awesome posts for you later this week.

Magic Cookies

Featured Food Storage/Pantry Item: Sweetened condensed milk I just recently discovered that sweetened condensed milk is a vital pantry storage item. It is now on my list of pantry staples.

I am usually skeptical when things are titled "magical." But these cookies truly do have magical powers. Not the deliciously tasty but diet friendly kind of magical or even the low in sugar but still yummy kind of magical but they do have a magical quality. They are neither lowfat or low sugar. Let's just say you are slammed with stuff to do when you suddenly remember you have to come up with treats for 13 hungry 8 to 10-year-old girls and you have no time to cook or run to the store. In such a quandary, this is a magical recipe. It literally takes 5 minutes to prep and 30 minutes to bake. There is no mixing at all. It requires the complicated skill to layer ingredients in a pan. Magically done and magically yummy.

1/4 cup of butter, melted

1 cup of crushed graham crackers, vanilla wafers or in my case those chocolate filled wafers

1 cup of coconut

1 cup of milk chocolate or semi sweet chocolate chips

1 cup of peanut butter or butterscotch chips

1 can of sweetened condensed milk

I suggest spraying the sides of a 9x13 pan with cooking spray or you will have sticking problems.

Heat oven to 350 degrees

Layer ingredients in pan in order listed. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool and cut into squares.

Veggie Loaded Chili

I have said it before, I love chili. I collect chili recipes and once the weather grows chronically cold I crave the stuff. This chili recipe is actually a little different than my standard chili. It comes from the recipe box of my SIL, Jessica. I like it because it is food storage friendly (I used dried veggies) and it has veggie power mixed in with ground beef and beans. I also love it because I can throw it in my crockpot.

JESS's CHILI

1 Cup chopped onion

1 Cup diced carrots ( I actually used rehydrated dried carrots)

1 Cup diced green peppers (I used rehydrated dried green peppers)

1 pound ground beef or turkey (seasoned to your liking)

3/4 Cup chicken broth

3/4 cup orange juice

1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed

4 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp salt (plus more for seasoning)

1 minced garlic clove

Seasoning

garlic powder

salt

pepper

dash of hot pepper sauce (optional)

Brown your ground turkey or hamburger. I browned my hamburger up with a little dried minced onion and Montreal steak seasoning.

Add all ingredients to crockpot. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or high for 4 hours.

Season to taste with salt, pepper, garlic powder and if you like it spicy some good hot pepper sauce. I throw a few dashes in my bowl to give my chili some heat. Cause this mama likes it hot even if her kiddos prefer it mild.

Top with sour cream and shredded cheese

Puffy Chocolate Peanut Butter Pizza and My New Online Magazine

I have every intention of doing a little self promo because I have a really exciting new project. But first I am going to give you another dessert recipe. I know you must be thinking that I am secretly trying to sabotage your New Year's resolution to lose weight. I am not. I just keep making desserts. I am, however, managing to sabotage my own efforts to lose weight but I can't resist chocolate. I try but when I saw a recipe for a chocolate pizza in my Giada Laurentiis cookbook, I knew I had to make my own version.

Chocolate + Pizza = yum. Add a puff pastry crust and some marshmallows and toasted coconut and it is so easy to be naughty. Of course, you can omit the marshmallows and coconut and add anything you like. You can also use a regular pizza crust. I changed the crust to a puff pastry sheet because it sounded decadent and it was.

The way too easy recipe adapted from Giada di Laurentiis.

1 puff pastry sheet, defrosted. (Don't forget it takes about 40 minutes to defrost)

Nutella

4 Tb peanut butter chips

1/2 cup milk chocolate pizza

mini marshmallows

1/4 Cup shredded coconut (optional)

1 egg

1 Tb water

Mix water and egg.

Place unfolded pastry sheet on a cookie sheet, and brush with egg glaze. Bake according to box directions or until golden and puffy.

Spread a thin layer of nutella on puff pastry while still warm.

Sprinkle with peanut butter or chocolate chips. Top with marshmallows and coconut if desired.

Place pizza back in the oven and cook an additional 2-5 minutes or until chips begin to melt and marshmallows begin to look golden.

Remove from oven and enjoy warm or chill and eat cold. It tastes like a candy bar cold but it has that melt in your mouth warm joy.

A LITTLE SELF-PROMOTION

I have recently launched my new online lifestyle magazine and community for Southern Utah, Aliveutah.com. Why am I telling you this? First many of my fellow foodies are from Utah. Second I have a great Taste section you should check out. This maiden issue actually features a fellow foodie blogger, Cookin Canuck, and some of her pine nut recipes. I am also looking for a Utah foodie blogger for February. So let me know if you want to be considered for the Featured Utah food blogger.

Go check out the Taste section. TASTE

"Jiffy" Lemon Cream Cheese Squares

Featured Food Storage/Pantry Item: Jiffy Cake Mix

Do you stock up on Jiffy cake mixes and muffin mixes for that "just in case" moment. Occasionally, I give in and buy them when they are one sale for a ridiculously low price. I also buy them because the lemon cake mix works for my daughter's E-Z Bake Oven. Just a little tip. It is much cheaper than the E-Z bake packs. Anyway, I have seen people stock up on these during case lot sales and so today, in honor of all you Jiffy mix people ( I know you are out there) I am going to give you a sweet little treat straight from the back of the Jiffy Lemon Cake mix box.

I often try out recipes that can be found on the boxes and bags of my food and I do believe this is a keeper. I couldn't seem to stop eating them, despite the fact that I need to lose a lot of weight before I show up to a week long vacation in Costa Rica in my bathing suit. Of course, I have a weakness for all things lemon, cream cheese and sugary.

Crust:

1 pkg Jiffy Lemon Cake mix

1 egg

3 Tb margarine or butter softened

Filling

4 oz cream cheese, softened

1 egg

1/4 Cup sugar

a small dash of vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Mix crust ingredients until moist. Batter will be stiff. Reserve 1/2 cup of crust mixture.

Press the rest of the crust into bottom of an ungreased 8" pan. I accidentally greased the pan and it was kind of difficult to press out the crust. Flour your hands or the back of a spoon to press out crust.

Bake crust for six minutes and remove from oven

Blend filling ingredients until creamy and pour over crust.

Drop the reserved crust mixture, by Tablespoon over the cheese layer. Bake for 25 minutes or until crust starts to get golden.

Puffy Artichoke Pockets

Featured Pantry Item/Food Storage: Artichoke Hearts and canned spaghetti sauce

When I was given my first opportunity to participate in Foodbuzz's tastemaker program, I was excited. Who doesn't love puff pastry? So, I have waited for genius to strike as my Pepperidge Farm puff pastry sheets waited in the freezer. I really wanted to find a way to stay true to the theme of this blog. And then I finally remembered how I have been wanting to feature artichoke hearts as a pantry staple. OK maybe you don't stock up on marinated artichoke hearts. But I really can't live without them. Perhaps you have a small jar stashed in your fridge or on a back shelf. But I have to buy the Costco size container. You see, artichoke hearts truly are a vital ingredient in my food storage. They bring a little zing and sophistication to any dish. In my world they are comfort food.

I am also a huge fan of pizza and spaghetti sauce. I can't help myself, I am part Italian. I consider it a personal affront to my ancestors when my daughters tell me they don't like spaghetti sauce. But they will learn. They will have to. And so I combined three of my Italian favorites with some puff pastry and the result was a keeper. I will make this again and again. These little artichoke puffs make a great side dish or an appetizer. You can also trade out the artichoke hearts with zucchini slices.

Puffy Artichoke Pockets

1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

9 marinated artichoke heart halves or zucchini slices

9 tsp of spaghetti sauce

freshly shredded Parmesan cheese

1 egg

1 tbsp water

Thaw and unfold one puff pastry sheet.

Cut at folds and then cut each section into 3 squares.

Beat egg and water. Brush onto puff pastry. Place 1 tsp of sauce on each square, add a pinch of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and top with 1 artichoke half. Fold opposite corners over each other to form a square envelope. Seal edges. Brush with more egg wash.

Place on a cookie sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until flaky, puffed and golden. Let cool at least 5 minutes.

Homemade Pomegranate Fudge Sauce

I have all this yummy Pom juice sitting in my refrigerator and I needed one more addition to my gift baskets of homemade gourmet preserves. Voila! Pomegranate fudge sauce. So decadent and delicious and so easy to make. Although I used Pom juice to add a hint of rich fruitiness to my fudge sauce, this recipe could easily be adapted to cherry, orange or other flavors. The flavoring is subtle and the chocolate is well, thick and rich and perfect for ice cream sundaes or maybe even pancakes. Once you make your own fudge sauce you may never go back to store bought again.

This recipe does need to be refrigerated, but it will last for a long time, at least long enough for you to use it all up. One recipe made approximately 30 oz of sauce.

4 squares of unsweetened chocolate

1/2 Cup butter

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/4 Cups of evaporated milk

1/4 cup plus 1 Tablespoon 100 percent pomegranate juice

3 Cups granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Fill a saucepan halfway with water. Place a glass or heat resistant bowl on top of saucepan (double boiler). Heat on medium heat. Add butter, salt and chocolate to bowl. Heat until melted, stirring occasionally.

Add milk and pomegranate juice. Mix well. Your chocolate will be kind of grainy and mottled looking at this point. The sugar will provide smoothness. Whisk and add 1/2 cup sugar at a time. Whisk constantly until sauce begins to thicken. You don't need it too thick just syrupy.

Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla. Spoon into containers. Sauce will continue to thicken as it cools.

Store in refrigerator. Reheat for 15 to 30 seconds at a time in microwave for hot fudge sauce.

Now don't you think that looks like a yummy holiday gift? Don't worry I saved a lot for myself.

Choo Choo All Aboard the Candy Express Gingerbread Train

I am not saying it's perfect but we are pretty proud of our creation.

Notice the little gingerbread person in the caboose and her luggage made by my eight year old

There it is in all its glory. Please note the big eyed gingerbread man or woman, made by the 3-year-old. I am also fond of the coal car stuffed full of marshmallows and candy. That is a serious haul of candy just in the coal car.

I know it's over the top. I know there is no real symmetry of design. I was there when it was created. This year I decided that I didn't need to spend money on a dinky little gingerbread kit. We are growing up in the gingerbread creations department. I could totally do this. We could have more for the same cost. And so I did it myself, from homemade gingerbread to completion. It was a long process that stretched itself out over the course of 3 days. Gingerbread needs some chill time and then it takes a while to cut and cook all the pieces. Of course, I had some helpers in the last phases. Their creativity with candy knows no bounds. Now I am going to share the link to both the recipes for the gingerbread (which turned out great) and the pattern (it turns out much bigger than you think). Both came from my favorite place for kid friendly crafts, Family Fun.

A few notes:

A key ingredient to gingerbread is Molasses. You will need a lot. Stock up, it keeps forever (almost)

However if you run short on molasses, you can substitute up to half the molasses with honey.

I actually used raw egg whites in my icing. There was no meringue powder to be found at my grocery store of choice today. I did however buy the pasteurized egg whites, for safety.

Royal icing recipes always do well with a little cream of tartar. I don't know why, they just do.

Shop for the cheapest candy. I didn't spend over a dollar per bag. And, as you can see, we had plenty. Plenty! Candy canes, skittles and gumdrops are an absolute must!

My grand total $12.00. I did have to borrow a little molasses from my neighbor but I had the rest of the gingerbread and icing ingredients in my pantry.

Uses for Leftover Cranberry Sauce

Nobody in my husband's family likes cranberry sauce. So, it is usually just me and my daughters eating it at Thanksgiving dinner. But I don't care. I make lots of it anyway because I know that I am going to be eating the leftovers all week. And I have lots of delicious uses for leftover cranberry sauce.

Here are three of my favorites:

Cranberry pomegranate tarts.

Crust

1/2 Cup butter or margarine, softened

1/2 Cup cream cheese, softened

1 Cup all-purpose flour

Beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add flour; and beat until a soft dough forms. Form into a ball and chill in plastic wrap for at least one hour.

Preheat oven to 425.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place a ball into mini muffin or tart pan. Dip a spoon or tart shaper into flour; press into dough to form tart shells.

Filling

cranberry sauce

pomegranate arils

canned peaches or fresh peach slices

Fill tarts with a spoonful of cranberry sauce. Top with pomegranates and a peach slice.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool in pan 5 minutes, carefully remove tart shells from pan.

Stir it into your oatmeal for a warm tangy breakfast treat on a cold morning.

BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS

OK I don't really know what the breakfast of champions is. But this breakfast makes me feel uber-healthy.

Plain yogurt for a little digestive health

a handful of uncooked oatmeal for cholesterol and heart health

and cranberry sauce for antioxidants.

A dash of cinnamon for blood sugar control.
Yep it is good stuff.

What is your favorite way to eat leftover cranberry sauce?

Coconut Thai Chicken Soup -- Cure For A Wintry Day

Featured Food Storage: Chicken Broth and Rice
Suggested Pantry Item: Canned Coconut Milk. This week's suggested pantry item is coconut milk. This tasty little pantry item brings a whole new international flavor to plain old rice or other Asian or Thai dishes. I always keep at least one can on hand for those days I need a little Thai flavor.

My family is seriously weird. They don't really enjoy Thai food or coconut milk flavored dishes. Seriously, I could drink coconut milk straight from the can or the coconut. Sometimes I crave a good Thai dish. This soup is my new favorite. Mostly because I can whip it up pretty quickly and freeze the leftovers just for me, just for those blah lunch days. This soup is not really hip friendly but it is the best cure for snowy day blues. This creamy white stuff is warm, bright, and comforting. As opposed to the other white stuff which is cold wet and sometimes a little dreary.

Whip some up for your family or take a day this week to make some for your lunch and then save the rest for yourself. Sometimes you need a little something exotic to keep you going.

TIP:My Thai cooking, loving expert Australian sister -in-law liked the soup as well but she did offer a few tips like adding a little lime juice, extra chili or lime kaffir leaves. She knows her Thai stuff and so next time I am going to add one of her suggestions

One of my favorite things about the library is the opportunity to check out cookbooks. This recipe comes from the cookbook Lunch Boxes and Snacks by Annabel Karmel. I may have to buy this book. It is only $6.15 at Amazon.com

RECIPE:
1 TB olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic crushed
1/2 to 1 red chili pepper (finely chopped)
1 small boneless, skinless chicken breast or 3 chicken tenders (cut into strips)
1 cup broccoli crowns
3 cups chicken broth
1 1/4 cups coconut milk (1 can)
1 cup rice (cooked)

Heat oil in large sauce pan and saute onion, garlic and chili for 2 minutes. Add strips of chicken and saute for 2 more minutes. Add broccoli, chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add coconut milk, reduce and simmer for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Tangy Crusty Onion Pork Chops

Sorry about the awful photo. No good lighting to be found that night.

Did you know that you can use those cans of French's Fried onions for more than just green bean casserole? Do you have a can sitting in your pantry right now waiting for Thanksgiving or green beans? Poor neglected onions. In a twist on crispy onion baked chicken I bring you these pork chops which were gobbled up by even the onion hater in our home. She never knew what hit her. She just gobbled.

First a word on pork chops. For some reason pork (all varieties) and I have a good relationship in the kitchen. We really get along. The same can not always be said for me and the other meats. However, I know that pork can have a bad rep if you cook it wrong. So let me say this: Those super thick boneless pork chops are almost always going to come out dry and tasteless. Unless, of course you brine those fatties up good. I don't buy pork chops more than an inch thick. EVER! I actually like the bone-in pork chops but I usually buy the variety pack because they are so cheap. This recipe will work for any type of pork chop and I guarantee yumminess.

The second secret to a good breaded, or in this case encrusted, pork chop is yogurt. Dip your pork chop in plain nonfat yogurt instead of egg and you will have a moist and tangy chop. This works for chicken also.

The Recipe

4 to 5 pork chops

1 6 oz can of fried onions

1 TB AP flour

1 1/2 cups of plain non fat yogurt

salt and pepper

Place onions in plastic bag with flour. Seal bag and crush with a rolling pin until coarse crumb.

Place onion crumbs in a dish for dipping.

Season your pork chops with salt and pepper. Coat chops in yougurt. Dip into onion crumbs.

Line a baking dish with parchment paper or grease well. Place chops in dish and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until no loger pink inside.

Hammy Hashbrowns Straight From the Pantry

Featured Food Storage: Canned Ham
Pantry Suggestion: Boxed dehydrated Golden Russet hash brown potatoes

I bought a case of canned smoked ham. Unfortunately, I have never used smoked canned ham. I have been trying to think of a way to use this new addition to my food storage when I caught sight of the dwindling supply of boxed hash browns. Oh Yes! This had to work. And it did and it was delicious and it was so pantry friendly. This is so ridiculously easy it is more like a tip on how to use that canned ham. It is also a review of one of my favorite pantry items. I love these hash brown boxes.

They store so beautifully, they cook up absolutely delicious with just a little oil and they are way better than the frozen variety. Yes, I know I could shred my own hash browns but frankly this is so much easier. Open box, pour water to fill line and let sit for 10 minutes. I buy mine in a multi-pack from Costco.

Here is my recipe for Hammy Hash browns.

One box of hash browns or 3 cups other hash browns

2 - 6 oz cans of smoked ham

Salt and pepper

2 Tb oil

1/2 Cup cheddar cheese (optional)

Prepare your hash browns according to directions. Heat grill pan. Heat oil. Add hash browns and ham. Stir with spatula and then let set until underside begins to brown. Season with salt and pepper. Continue to turn hash browns and ham until browned. Add cheese if using and stir until cheese starts to melt. Serve warm

TIP: These would be yummy with a little salsa from the pantry.

Asian Tuna Casserole

Featured Food Storage or Pantry Items: Tuna Fish, instant ramen noodle packs, Cream of Mushroom Soup

I know what you are thinking: Another Tuna Fish Casserole recipe. Yep. But this one has an Asian twist and since I am always looking for some variety for my canned tuna, I thought this would be a great addition, especially if you keep those instant ramen packs in your pantry. I don't actually stock up on these. But they are so ridiculously cheap that even if you just use the noodles without the seasoning packet you are saving a bundle.

The family verdict on this recipe: First, I really liked it. It was lower fat than my standard tuna casserole and it had some crunchiness from the cashews and celery that I appreciated. My husband didn't love it (but he still liked it) because he is not an Asian noodle fan or a nuts in his casserole fan. My daughters liked it but they ate around the mushrooms. So, if you like all those things you may find this tuna casserole version a tasty change of pace.

TUNA AND CASHEW BAKE

From the One Pot Meals cookbook (which is good cookbook stuff, by the way)

3 cans of tuna fish, drained (the original recipe called for 2 cans)

1/2 Cup sliced mushrooms

1 Cup unsalted cashews

3 scallions or green onions trimmed and sliced

3 stalks celery, sliced

4 packages ramen noodles, flavor packet discarded Cooked according to package directions and drained.

1 can cream of mushroom soup

4 Tb water

1 Tb soy sauce

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place tuna in a bowl and break apart. Add mushrooms, cashes, onions, celery and 2/3 of the cooked noodles. Stir gently until fillings are distributed evenly in the noodles. Spoon mixture into casserole dish.

Pour soup into a separate bowl and add water and soy sauce. Stir to combine. Pour soup mixture over casserole. Top with the remaining noodles, sprinkle with pepper. Bake for 45 minutes.

Swiss Cheese Popover

I am always looking for a simple bread side for dinner. I want easy and I want variety. My husband actually whipped these up for Tuesday soup night and I really liked them. The Swiss cheese and egg added to this simple batter was delicious. To be fair my children did not love them. But we are still in the process of trying to convert them to Swiss cheese. My hubby liked the toasted cheese crust the best and I liked the interesting texture of these popovers.

Swiss Cheese Popovers
1/2 Cup flour
1/8 tsp salt
1 egg, room temperature
1/2 Cup milk room temperature ( we actually used reconstituted Morning Moos powdered milk and these turned out fine)
1 TB melted butter
1.2 tsp Dijon-Style mustard
6 TB shredded Swiss cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Stir flour and salt in medium bowl. Beat egg, milk, melted butter, and mustard in a different bowl. Pour over flour and stir to form batter. Do not beat.

Grease 4muffin cups and fill each cup with 1 TB shredded cheese. Allow cheese to stick to sides of muffin tins. Divide batter between cheese coated cups. Top with remaining cheese. Fill empty cups half-full of water for even baking.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until popovers have risen and are golden brown. Remove from muffin tin and serve warm.

Pumpkin Bars With Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting.

I really meant for this post to be devoted to the entire pumpkin. I honestly believe the pumpkin is a near perfect food. Is there any part of the pumpkin we don't use. OK maybe that stringy stuff the seeds hide in. But seriously, I adore the pumpkin. So much so that I am enlarging my small garden area next year just so I can have some real estate for a little pumpkin patch. I know that we will carve at least a dozen jack-o-lanterns every year and my husband is seriously addicted to roasted pumpkin seeds (good thing they are so ridiculously good for you) and I can't get enough pumpkin food in October and November.

Well, now you understand why we are pumpkin people at this house. I am just going to apologize that this is not going to be the post I hoped it would be. I fully intended to give you directions on cooking your own pumpkins but there are so many other better sources out there. I also fully intended to give you my husband's pumpkin seeds roasting tips. But he is being cagey and I was too distracted to take notes and so I bring you my new favorite pumpkin recipe (I have so many) given to me by my friend Christy Florence. I am not sure why these completely basic and simple pumpkin bars are so addicting. They just are. And yet, the ingredients are not the least bit fancy. I dare you to eat only one. Pretty soon the bars are gone and your children are wondering why they only got one serving. In my defense, I did half the recipe.

My Changes:
I did change the frosting recipe to a chocolate cream cheese frosting. I just wasn't in the mood for butter cream frosting. But from the look on Christy's face when she first mentioned this recipe, butter cream would taste just as yummy!

Pumpkin Bars
2 C. Pumpkin,
1 C. oil
1 1/2 C. sugar
2 C. flour
4 eggs
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp soda.

Mix well and spread on to a greased cookie sheet. Bake @ 350 for 25-30 minutes. Frost with butter cream frosting or Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
2 3oz pkgs. of cream cheese
1/2 Cup softened margarine of butter
2 tsp vanilla
4 1/1 to 4 1/2 Cups powdered sugar
1/4 Cup unsweetened cocoa powder

Beat together cream cheese, margarine or butter, and vanilla till light and fluffy. Gradually add 2 cups of powdered sugar, beating well. Gradually add remaining powdered sugar until frosting is a spreading consistency. You will probably have some extra. Keep extra refrigerated.

6 Ways to Preserve Herbs

The cold nights are here but some of my herbs are hanging onto life. Soon enough, there will be no fresh herbs from the yard and so just in case you have a few extra herbs to put up for the winter here are six tips to "waste not and want not," at least in the herb department.

1. Dry Obviously you can dry your herbs and this is definitely cheaper than buying them. Rinse herbs and pat dry with a paper towel. Allow them to air dry before you continue. You can continue to dry your herbs on a screen. I actually bought a small cheap screen at Wal-Mart for this purpose. You can also bundle your herbs and tie with a string. Hang upside down and tie a paper bag around the stems and bundle to catch any dried herbs as they fall from the stem. Store in a clean, dry airtight container


2. Freeze your herbs. I freeze a lot of herbs because they maintain a lot of their original fresh flavor when frozen. Now when I need thyme or tarragon, or rosemary for a soup, I don't have to rush to the grocery store and pay an exorbitant amount . Basil leaves don't freeze as well as other herbs but there are other options for your basil. For instance, I grow at least one basil plant in a portable pot so I can bring it indoors once the weather gets frosty.

To freeze: Rinse, pat and allow to air dry. Flash freeze overnight on a cookie sheet and then place in labeled bags and return to freezer.

3. Create Herb Butters. Herbs love to be wrapped in butter and I love to use herb butter to season my steaks or meat or even my biscuits. There are so many different combos. I like to stock up on chive butter for my baked potatoes but I also like a good sage, rosemary and thyme butter.

To create butter. Soften a half stick of butter on a piece of plastic wrap. Chop a tablespoon of herbs and then knead herbs into butter. Reshape into a log, Wrap in plastic wrap, label and freeze. To use: Remove from freezer and slice off portions, or allow to come to room temperature.

4. Make Pesto Just about any herb can be made into a pesto, although I have yet to try thyme. I keep ice cube portions of sage, basil, oregano and spinach pesto in my freezer. Here is my recipe for OREGANO PESTO:

5. Herb Vinegars

Any herb can be added to vinegar. Gourmet flavored vinegars are pricey in the store. Make your own to liven up your recipes or make some for holiday gifts. This recipe for tarragon vinegar can be adapted for any herb or combination of herbs. TARRAGON VINEGAR.

6. Herb Infused Oils Although I have not used this technique for edible oils, I totally intend to try Giada de Laurentiis's ROSEMARY INFUSED OIL. You can also infuse your oil with lavendar buds to create your own lavendar oil. I use mine in my bath water. Place a few fresh sprigs of lavendar in a clean and dry glass container. Cover with olive or almond oil. Make sure your sprigs are completely covered. Place in a dark cool spot and allow to sit for several weeks. Strain oil to remove lavendar and place in a sealed container.