This isn't a freezer recipe, but some of the ingredients can be frozen ahead of time so that prep time is quick and easy. It was a delicious addition to our Thanksgiving dessert menu!
Pumpkin Trifle
1 recipe spice cake (see recipe below)
2 pkgs. vanilla pudding, instant
8oz cream cheese, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 c. milk
1 1/2 c. pumpkin puree
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
dash cloves
8 oz container whipped topping
Cut the spice cake into 1" cubes. Layer 1/2 the cubes in the bottom of a trifle bowl.
In a medium bowl stir the cream cheese until smooth (or use a mixer). Slowly add the 1 1/2 c. milk, stirring well after each addition. Blend in both packages of vanilla pudding. Add the spices, vanilla, and pumpkin puree. Stir (or mix) until creamy and well-blended.
Evenly spread half of the pumpkin cream mixture over the spice cake cubes. Top with all the whipped topping, also spread evenly.
Add another spice cake cubes layer, and end with the remaining pumpkin cream mixture. You can garnish the top with a sprinkle of cinnamon and a whole cinnamon stick or whipped cream rosettes, etc. Be creative and make it pretty!
**Freezer ingredients: Pumpkin puree freezes very well (mine was even homemade from before the days of homework insanity). The spice cake would freeze really well: simply flash-freeze the cooled cubes on cookie sheets before placing them in a ziptop bag. Whipped topping is usually forzen when you buy it--just keep an extra container stashed in the freezer for this recipe.
Sour Cream Spice Cake
(Betty Crocker's New Cookbook, 1996)
2 c. flour
1 1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1 c. sour cream
1/4 c. softened stick butter or margarine
1/4 c. shortening
1/2 c. water
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 large eggs
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 pan with shortening. In a large bowl, beat all ingredients with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping the bowl constantly. Beat on high for 3 minutes, scraping the bowl constantly.
Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Gingerbread Waffles
I ate these for breakfast this morning--yum! A perfect breakfast for this time of year. I popped two into the toaster and topped them with whipped cream. The kids saw my plate and begged for some, too!
Gingerbread Waffles
Adapted from an unremembered website...
3 c. flour
4 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. ginger
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp. salt
4 large eggs
2/3 c. brown sugar
1 c. pumpkin puree
1 ¼ c. milk
½ c. molasses
¼ c. applesauce
¼ c. melted butter
Preheat a waffle iron. Combine the first six ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl mix the eggs and brown sugar until blended. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Pour the wet mix into the dry mix and stir until moistened.
Cook the batter on the waffle iron. Place cooked waffles on a cookie sheet to cool. Freeze the waffles in a single layer on a cookie sheet. When frozen solid, place the waffles in a labeled gallon ziptop bag.
On cooking day, heat the waffles in the toaster until hot and crisp. Delicious served with whipped cream!
Gingerbread Waffles
Adapted from an unremembered website...
3 c. flour
4 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. ginger
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp. salt
4 large eggs
2/3 c. brown sugar
1 c. pumpkin puree
1 ¼ c. milk
½ c. molasses
¼ c. applesauce
¼ c. melted butter
Preheat a waffle iron. Combine the first six ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl mix the eggs and brown sugar until blended. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Pour the wet mix into the dry mix and stir until moistened.
Cook the batter on the waffle iron. Place cooked waffles on a cookie sheet to cool. Freeze the waffles in a single layer on a cookie sheet. When frozen solid, place the waffles in a labeled gallon ziptop bag.
On cooking day, heat the waffles in the toaster until hot and crisp. Delicious served with whipped cream!
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Chicken Stew
**We ate this for dinner this week and enjoyed it! The BBQ sauce gives it a nice flavor.
Chicken Stew
Rival Crockpot Slow Cooker Recipes (board book), 2005
4-5 cups chopped, cooked chicken (about 5 breasts)
1 can (28oz) whole tomatoes, undrained
2 large potatoes, sliced in 1” pieces
½ lb okra, sliced
1 large onion, chopped
1 can (14 oz) cream-style corn
½ c. ketchup
½ c. BBQ sauce
Place the chicken, tomatoes, okra, and onion in a labeled gallon ziptop bag. Label the bag to add the potatoes, cream-style corn, ketchup, and BBQ sauce on cooking day.
On cooking day, add the chopped potatoes at the beginning of cooking. 30 minutes before serving, stir in the cream-style corn, ketchup, and BBQ sauce.
Chicken Stew
Rival Crockpot Slow Cooker Recipes (board book), 2005
4-5 cups chopped, cooked chicken (about 5 breasts)
1 can (28oz) whole tomatoes, undrained
2 large potatoes, sliced in 1” pieces
½ lb okra, sliced
1 large onion, chopped
1 can (14 oz) cream-style corn
½ c. ketchup
½ c. BBQ sauce
Place the chicken, tomatoes, okra, and onion in a labeled gallon ziptop bag. Label the bag to add the potatoes, cream-style corn, ketchup, and BBQ sauce on cooking day.
On cooking day, add the chopped potatoes at the beginning of cooking. 30 minutes before serving, stir in the cream-style corn, ketchup, and BBQ sauce.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
The Here and Now...
This week is midterms for me. My posts have slowly tapered off as my workload has increased, but someday, sometime, I will add more recipes.
I also hope to have time to sleep soon. For more than 5 hours.
My husband has rescued me from falling asleep with a highlighter in my hand more than once recently.
Sigh. This too shall pass.
My return to school has been a long journey, but I feel like I have learned and grown so much. I am surprised at how I can articulate information about my future job field with confidence and poise. I give reading lessons to 1st/2nd graders in the morning and a grammar lesson to 5th graders in the afternoon. The next day I grade math homework and assist 6th graders in multiplying and dividing fractions. I spend time reading with a very special kiddo.
Then I come home to my family. My loved ones. I love being home with them. And I am happy, content, and ready for another day doing the job I love: teaching.
I also hope to have time to sleep soon. For more than 5 hours.
My husband has rescued me from falling asleep with a highlighter in my hand more than once recently.
Sigh. This too shall pass.
My return to school has been a long journey, but I feel like I have learned and grown so much. I am surprised at how I can articulate information about my future job field with confidence and poise. I give reading lessons to 1st/2nd graders in the morning and a grammar lesson to 5th graders in the afternoon. The next day I grade math homework and assist 6th graders in multiplying and dividing fractions. I spend time reading with a very special kiddo.
Then I come home to my family. My loved ones. I love being home with them. And I am happy, content, and ready for another day doing the job I love: teaching.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Homemade Lunch Kits
When I go grocery shopping with the kids, they beg for the little lunch kits. You know, the little flat packages with 5 slices of American cheese, 5 slices of bologna, and 5 tiny round crackers. Oh, and a little candy bar to round out that delicious, healthy meal.
Please hear my sarcasm. I don't think there is anything healthy about those little kits at all. And I can't bear to spend $2.50 on something that I could prepare myself for about $.50.
I often send the same ingredients in individual plastic containers along with some fresh fruit and baby carrots. Same concept, healthier version.
Anyway, the last time I dragged the kids shopping with me, they saw PIZZA lunch kits. They really wanted those! Again, I couldn't stomach the price or the ingredients list.
But, right above the kits were packages of pepperoni. And bags of fresh pizza dough. Shredded mozzarella cheese was just down the aisle.
"What if I make homemade pizza lunches for you to take?"
The kids were very excited about this. We bought sliced pepperoni ($1.88) and shredded cheese ($2.00). I decided to make the pizza dough at home because I have all the ingredients on hand already, but it was only $2.50 at the store.
My dough recipe made 32 little bitty pizza crusts. If I combine this with a little container of spaghetti sauce, a container of shredded cheese, and another container of pepperoni, my kiddos can be cool and have pizza kits in their lunches.
And I spent less than $5, so I feel cool, too.
Please hear my sarcasm. I don't think there is anything healthy about those little kits at all. And I can't bear to spend $2.50 on something that I could prepare myself for about $.50.
I often send the same ingredients in individual plastic containers along with some fresh fruit and baby carrots. Same concept, healthier version.
Anyway, the last time I dragged the kids shopping with me, they saw PIZZA lunch kits. They really wanted those! Again, I couldn't stomach the price or the ingredients list.
But, right above the kits were packages of pepperoni. And bags of fresh pizza dough. Shredded mozzarella cheese was just down the aisle.
"What if I make homemade pizza lunches for you to take?"
The kids were very excited about this. We bought sliced pepperoni ($1.88) and shredded cheese ($2.00). I decided to make the pizza dough at home because I have all the ingredients on hand already, but it was only $2.50 at the store.
My dough recipe made 32 little bitty pizza crusts. If I combine this with a little container of spaghetti sauce, a container of shredded cheese, and another container of pepperoni, my kiddos can be cool and have pizza kits in their lunches.
And I spent less than $5, so I feel cool, too.
Indian Curry with Chicken
When I get tired of the same-old casseroles and soups and crave something with exotic flavors, this fits the bill! This recipe isn't a huge favorite with my family, but I enjoy the different flavors, and SOMETIMES Mom should win, right?
Indian Curry with Chicken
Slow Cooker Favorites Made Healthy, 2005
5 medium white potatoes, peeled (add on Cooking Day or they will turn BLACK!)
1 medium green sweet pepper, cut into 1” pieces
1 medium onion, sliced
1 pound boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, cut into 1” pieces
1 ½ c. chopped tomatoes
1 Tbs. ground coriander
1 ½ tsp. paprika
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger or ¼ tsp. ground dried ginger
¾ tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground turmeric
¼- ½ tsp. crushed red pepper
¼ tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1 c. chicken broth
2 Tbs. cold water
4 tsp. cornstarch
Hot rice
In a labeled gallon ziptop bag, place the green pepper, onion, and chicken. In a medium bowl combine the tomatoes and spices; stir in the 1 c. chicken broth. Pour into the ziptop bag. Place flat in the freezer.
On cooking day, dump the contents of the bag into the crockpot. Add the chopped potatoes. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. Before serving, combine the water and cornstarch in a small bowl or cup. Stir into the crockpot and cook on high for 15-20 minutes, until thickened and bubbly. Serve over rice.
Indian Curry with Chicken
Slow Cooker Favorites Made Healthy, 2005
5 medium white potatoes, peeled (add on Cooking Day or they will turn BLACK!)
1 medium green sweet pepper, cut into 1” pieces
1 medium onion, sliced
1 pound boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, cut into 1” pieces
1 ½ c. chopped tomatoes
1 Tbs. ground coriander
1 ½ tsp. paprika
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger or ¼ tsp. ground dried ginger
¾ tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground turmeric
¼- ½ tsp. crushed red pepper
¼ tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1 c. chicken broth
2 Tbs. cold water
4 tsp. cornstarch
Hot rice
In a labeled gallon ziptop bag, place the green pepper, onion, and chicken. In a medium bowl combine the tomatoes and spices; stir in the 1 c. chicken broth. Pour into the ziptop bag. Place flat in the freezer.
On cooking day, dump the contents of the bag into the crockpot. Add the chopped potatoes. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. Before serving, combine the water and cornstarch in a small bowl or cup. Stir into the crockpot and cook on high for 15-20 minutes, until thickened and bubbly. Serve over rice.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Chicken Pot Pie in the CROCKPOT!
The website below is a GREAT resource for crockpot meals. I wish I could end up with a cookbook deal out of my website venture, like the Crockpot Lady did, but I will settle for graduating from school with my sanity intact.
Anyway, I made chicken pot pie filling as a freezer meal and planned on serving it tonight. But now, I have two appointments before soccer practice (not to mention a dozen other obligations before I even pick the kids up from school). So I googled "crockpot chicken pot pie recipe" and came up with this post from one of my favorite sites!
http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/09/how-to-make-chicken-pot-pie-in-crockpot.html
Enjoy the variation on my recipe!
Anyway, I made chicken pot pie filling as a freezer meal and planned on serving it tonight. But now, I have two appointments before soccer practice (not to mention a dozen other obligations before I even pick the kids up from school). So I googled "crockpot chicken pot pie recipe" and came up with this post from one of my favorite sites!
http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/09/how-to-make-chicken-pot-pie-in-crockpot.html
Enjoy the variation on my recipe!
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