Sweet Pumpkin Cornbread

I am LOVING the fall weather!  There has been so many fun things to look forward to this month and going into the next...pumpkin picking, apple cider pressing, hot air balloon rallies, picking out Halloween costumes, getting ready for baby #3, the smell of the grapes in the vineyards, walks along the river, college football, warmer clothes, etc...

And along with all that, it is happening.  I am going crazy over all my pumpkin recipes!!  I hope you are ready for an overload of pumpkin goodness!  I made my first soup of the season last night, my super easy Taco Soup and decided to whip up a batch of this pumpkin cornbread to go along with it.  It turned out super yummy, and I LOVED it with a little drizzle of honey.  I also like the fact that it made a smaller batch...I feel like when I make a whole 9x13 pan for my family so much goes to waste!  

Serve this up alongside your favorite chili or soup this fall...you'll be glad you did!

Sweet Pumpkin Cornbread


¼ cup butter, melted
1/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp. honey
1 egg
¼ tsp. baking soda
¼ cup buttermilk
¼ cup pumpkin puree
¼ tsp. salt
½ cup yellow cornmeal
½ cups flour

Preheat oven to 350º. In a bowl, combine butter, sugar, and honey. Whisk in egg, baking soda, buttermilk, then pumpkin. Stir in remaining ingredients, making sure to mix minimally as to not create a tough cornbread. Grease an 8x8 baking pan and bake for 25 minutes. A toothpick should come out clean. Top with honey and serve.

Recipe Source:  Examiner. com

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread with Walnuts

I feel like I've over-done the zucchini breads this summer...between the pumpkin zucchini bread, the banana zucchini bread, and the lemon-glazed zucchini bread, I've made more than my share for one season!  Oh well, it's not a bad thing to have so many good recipes tucked away ;)  And if you are a traditionalist, this regular old recipe for zucchini bread with nuts is very tasty as well!  

This version is very tasty, and how could it not be when it is filled with chocolate and nuts?!  You won't be disappointed! 

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread with Walnuts

yield: 2 loaves or 24 muffins

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups white sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup chocolate chips
Directions

Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans; set aside for later use. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (165 degrees C).

Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, nutmeg and cinnamon together in a bowl.

Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined.  Fold in chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean (muffins took between 20-25 minutes, just keep checking them). Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.

Recipe Source:  Baker By Nature

Cilantro Jalapeno Dip

Football season is upon us, and forever I will be cheering on my Ohio State Buckeyes!  In searching for some uses for my BOUNTIFUL harvest of jalapenos and it being football season and all, I thought this would be perfect!  Nothing beats watching college football with lots of yummy snacks.  

We actually had this first on a burger (which was great!) and my husband also used it as a dip for his fries as well.  It is a very versatile recipe, and I'm sure you can think up other ways to use it as well :) 

Cilantro Jalapeno Dip

6 to 8 jalapenos
1 bunch cilantro (meaning a huge handful)
1 large packet of dry Ranch dressing mix (or 2 single pouches)
1 cup Sour Cream
1 cup Mayonnaise

Puree the jalapenos and cilantro in a food processor until it looks like a paste, be sure to scoop out the seeds of the jalapenos if you want a mild dip.

Mix together the cilantro and jalapeno puree mixture with 1 cup of mayonnaise and 1 cup of sour cream mix.  Chill for about an hour and serve.  Enjoy!

Tip: Try it on burgers, on a panini with grilled chicken, as a spread for a ham or turkey sandwich, or just eat with chips or pita chips....yummy!  

Recipe Source:  I Save A to Z

Pumpkin Cookies with Caramel Frosting

Happy Friday the 13th!

I have been having the itch to make more pumpkin recipes...and when I had to take some dessert to a woman in our ward last minute, I knew it was time!  These cookies turned out wonderful (as does most things with pumpkin in them in my opinion).  The flavors were great, and it was a great change up from the traditional cream cheese frosting that is paired with pumpkin (although I will never complain with cream cheese frosting either!).  

Pumpkin Cookies with Caramel Frosting

Cookies:

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour

Frosting:

3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Stir in pumpkin. In a medium bowl, sift together the baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, salt and flour. Add to pumpkin mixture and mix well.  Drop by heaping tablespoons onto a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

To make frosting: In a medium saucepan, combine butter, cream, and brown sugar over medium heat.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture just begins to boil; remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Cool then stir in confectioner’s sugar.  Spread frosting over cooled cookies.

Recipe Source: Lets Dish

Spicy Sausage Pasta

I love me a one-pot dinner.  I'm talking you throw the uncooked pasta in with everything else and DONE!  Less dishes, under 30 minutes, and still tastes great :)  

The hubs gave this 2 thumbs up, which is always a good indicator to me that I have found a winner.  It had just enough spice, meat, and a yummy sauce to round it all out.  

Spicy Sausage Pasta

1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb smoked sausage
1.5 cups diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 (10 oz) can Ro-Tel tomatoes, Mild (I like original)
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 oz penne pasta
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, each
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions

Add olive oil to an oven-safe skillet over medium high heat until just smoking. Add sausage and onions and cook until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add broth, tomatoes, cream, pasta, salt and pepper and stir. Bring to a boil, cover skillet, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until pasta is tender, about 15 minutes.

Remove skillet from heat and stir in 1/2 cup cheese. Top with remaining cheese and sprinkle with scallions. Broil until cheese is melted, spotty brown, and bubbly.

Recipe Source:  Kevin and Amanda

Cobb Salad

I take a very loose interpretation of Cobb salad.  I like to switch up a few ingredients every time I make it based on what I have in the refrigerator.  I love that this salad is definitely hearty enough for a dinner...especially when you pair it up with a fresh slice of French bread. Yum!

The "classic" Cobb is as follows: 

Classic Cobb Salad

bacon
chicken
blue cheese
tomato
avocado
bibb lettuce
hard boiled eggs
and from what I've seen, the classic has may variations on dressing choices.  

I like to switch it up with things like:

black beans
olives
cheddar cheese
mozzarella cheese
corn
romaine lettuce

The dressings I prefer are:

balsamic vinaigrette
honey mustard 
ranch
raspberry vinaigrette
poppy seed
creamy Caesar

Use your imagination and come up with your favorite combination :)  What do you put on yours?  I'm always looking for new variations!