Warm and Fuzzy

So let's start with a happy sunny picture from the beach taken over Christmas while we were visiting my fam in Cali.  This pictures makes me warm and fuzzy.  Particularly because it is currently 17* outside and I'm living in fleece pants, Ugg boots and unflattering poofy jackets.  

These cupcakes also make me warm and fuzzy.  I may have made these delish pumpkin cupcakes in October.  And I may have intended to post the recipe while it was still relevant.  And then I had a baby so the blog went out the window.  Seriously, will Elliott EVER sleep more than 20 minutes at a time??  I can't be too annoyed because he is so freaking cute!

But before we get to the recipe, I wanted to share a few more pics of our recent trip to California - particularly la playa!!  We got to go twice on play dates with my sister and her kiddos - is it still called a play date if you are family?

Who doesn't love a park on the beach??  Shortly after this pic was taken, Owen ate it and had some serious rug-burn to the face.  So maybe he doesn't love it?

The newest additions to the Yoss fam - Hannah is the spitting image of my sister at the same age!  Elliott is truly a Stephens and looks nothing like me...

Owen, on the other hand, is the spitting image of me!

The water was freezing but the boys were loving it - maybe not Jer though...

I'm so sad we don't get to play at the beach everyday with cousins!!!

I mean, really.  These babies are the cutest!

Okay, enough reminiscing of our great trip to California and on to the yummy recipe!  I got this yumminess from my friend Laura who is an avid cupcake baker!  She made these heaven-sent cupcakes for my surprise baby shower in the Little Apple!  (Sigh, I miss my Kansas family!)  I've never made buttercream frosting before as I am a huge fan of cream cheese frosting.  Well this, my friends, is the best of both worlds:  Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting.  WHAT?  So good!  And to make it even better: Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes.  Be still my heart, I am in heaven!  This frosting would be delish on anything.  Seriously, graham crackers, teddy grahams, cakes, your finger tips.  And my absolutely fave thing about this frosting: it pipes so easily!!!  I always have trouble trying to pipe cream cheese, but this stuff is like a dream!  TRY IT.

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

Ingredients
1 box yellow cake mix
3/4 can pumpkin pie mix (approximate 1 1/4 cup)
3 eggs
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup oil
Dash of cinnamon

Instructions
Mix all ingredients until batter is smooth and creamy.  Scoop with an ice cream scoop into lined muffin tins, filling them about 3/4 full.  Bake at 350* for 15 minutes or until top spring bake when gently pressed.

Cream Cheese Buttercream

Ingredients
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 tsp.  salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
3 - 4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 Tbsp.meringue powder (optional - I didn't use it, so I'm not sure how it would change the consistency as I am not a food scientist...)

Instructions
Combine shortening, butter, cream cheese, and salt for about 5 minutes.  Add the extracts and mix well.  Add 2 cups sugar and the meringue powdered (if using) and mix well.  Continue adding sugar 1/2 cup at a time until you reach the desire consistency.  

My sweet Kansas friends who threw a surprise baby shower for me!  Miss you ladies!!

Fall, FINALLY!

I've been WAITING for yoga pants and sweatshirt weather and it is finally here!  Oh wait, no it isn't.  This finicky flip-flop weather is making KA-RAZY.  Last week the high (according to my car) was 49*, the next day it was 70* and by Monday, 78* - WHAT?  At least I've not put away my flips and shorts.

Anyhow, when it was actually fall-like last week, I made pumpkin scones - so delish!  I added dark cherries (from TJ's) instead of white chocolate chips and pecans.  I honestly believe they are magic scones as it turned Owen's frown upside down the morning I made them.  He was being a bit of a pill and rejecting all food (except for bananas of course) until I offered a pumpkin scone.  Maybe it was the sugar, but I am going to believe it was the pumpkin that soothed his little spirit!

Pumpkin Scones

From my dear friend Angela

Ingredients

2 cups flour
1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold unsalted butter
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup solid packed pumpkin
1 tsp vanilla extract

Optional:
1/3 cup chopped white chocolate
1/4 cup chopped pecans
**I skipped these two and added 1/2 cup dried cherries.  For some bizzaro reason I just don't like chocolate for breakfast.  I know, crazy, right?

Instructions

Mix flour, sugar, spices, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.  Cut butter into small pieces and cut into flour.  Mixture should look like course crumbs.  In a separate bowl mix together the pumpkin, buttermilk and vanilla.  Add to flour mixture and mix until the dough comes together (don't over-mix).  Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead gently 3-4 times (until it comes together), and then shape/pat dough into a circle about 1 1/2 inches thick.  Slice in half and then cut each half into 3 equal pie-shaped wedges.  Alternatively, roll out and cut with a biscuit cutter.  Brush with egg glaze (1 egg beaten with 1 T mil), and sprinkle with sugar.  Bake on cookie sheet at #75* for 20 minutes.

On top of the delish pumpkin scones, we went to the most ghetto pumpkin patch! 

There was a crazy creepy petting zoo with piggies, chickens, turkeys, goats and calves.  The piggies were certainly aggressive.

The turkeys were just about as big as O - I invited them to dinner but they declined...

Owen was not fooled by the saddle sitting on a bale of hay instead of a horse...

"I think I'll take this one.  I can carry it all by myself!"

Jeremy was hesitant to put O on the tetanus tractor...

Little Man is about 2.5 feet! 

Flava Fave of 2010...

It has been quite some time...it was a very busy season! I have so much to post, but it is January 10, 2010 and my apartment is still littered with random Christmas decorations. It's positively shameful. Alas, my goal is tomorrow night!

Back to the food at hand. The above picture truly does not give this dish justice. First of all, we were so excited to try these Enchiladas with Pumpkin sauce that we just dug in. Second, our fancy camera was out of batteries so my slick doctoring of the picture was just not an option.

J Man agreed to make dinner if I agreed to put Christmas away. Someone followed through with his end of the bargain, and someone did not...J Man made the BEST enchiladas; I'm hoping for many repeats! What's not to like: pumpkin (one of my absolute fave ingredients) and cheese!!

Enchiladas with Pumpkin Sauce

Serves 4 - from Great Food Fast

Ingredients

1/2 rotisserie chicken, skin removed, meat shredded (J man is forever in charge of dismembering a chicken carcass - those bones were picked dry! And let me just tell you, a rotisserie chick is going to save you a TON of time!)

6 scallions, thinly sliced

Coarse salt and fresh ground pepper

1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree

4 garlic cloves, peeled

1 jalapeno chile, quartered (remove ribs and seeds for less heat, if desired)

1 tsp chili powder

8 corn tortillas (6-inch)

1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) grated sharp white Cheddar cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425*. In a medium bowl, combine the chicken and scallions. Season generously with salt and pepper; set aside.

2. In a blender, puree the pumpkin, garlic, jalapeno, chili powder, 2 1/2 cups water, 2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper until smooth (hold the top firmly as the blender will be quite full). Pour 1 cup of the sauce in the bottom of an 8-inch square (or other shallow 2-quarter) baking dish.

3. Lay the tortillas on a work surface; mound the chicken mixture on half of each tortilla, dividing evenly. Roll up each tortilla into a tight log; place seam side down over the sauce int eh baking dish.

4. Pour the remaining sauce on top; sprinkle (generously, goes without saying, right?) with the cheese. Place the dish on baking sheet; bake until the cheese is golden and the sauce is bubbling, 25-30 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Bon Appetit!

Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater

If there is one thing I could say that I like about snow, its the insatiable desire to cook yummy comfort food like Pumpkin Chili!! I know I posted a pumpkin recipe earlier this year - but this one is totally different despite the the common denominator of 100% solid pack pumpkin.

I will admit, I have become immune to the delights of regular old chili - I have been spoiled by this yummy, healthy, pumpkin filled option. My mom got this recipe from the people of Libby's Solid Pack Pumpkin. She called the 1-800 number one day and asked what else she could use pumpkin in and the fine people of Libby's sent her a whole cookbook of delightful recipes. Stay tuned for more to come!

Ingredients

2 tbsp veggie oil (I use EVOO)

1/2 c chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper (I always use one whole bell pepper)

1/2 cup diced green bell pepper (ditto - and sometimes I mix it up a bit and throw in an orange or yellow bell pepper)

1 pound ground turkey or lean ground beef

3 1/3 cups (2 14.5 oz cans) Recipe Ready diced tomatoes - undrained (I never use the same thing twice as far as the toms go - I've used Rotel to spice it up, or Italian recipe stewed toms, etc.)

1 3/4 cup (15 or 16 oz can) Libby's Solid Pack Pumpkin (be careful you don't get the pumpkin pie mix!!)

1 3/4 cup (15 oz can ) Tomato Sauce

1 1/2 cup (15 1/4 oz can) kidney beans, drained

1/2 cup (4 oz can) diced green chiles

1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn (I always use one can of sweet corn, drained)

1 tbsp chili powder

1tsp ground cumin

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Toppings (totally optional - I never use any toppings - it is so amazing on its own!)

Instructions

HEAT oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, and bell peppers; cook for 5-7 minutes or until tender. Add ground meat; cook until browned. Drain. (Note: if you are using turkey, entirely unlikely that you will have anything to drain...)

ADD tomatoes and juice, pumpkin, tomato sauce, kidney beans, chiles, corn, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low. Cover; cook gently for 30 minutes. Serve garnished with toppings, if desired.

Me and Ina

First things first, this is a picture of me and my new best friend Ina. We go way back, all the way to November. She called me and said, "Meg, I'm going to be in town - let me sign your cookbook!" So I did. And she signed 3 more for me :)

It has been a crazy couple of months and I've sadly forsaken my foodie blog. So get ready for some serious blogging sista's!

I have two little gems for you tonight: one is an oldie but goodie and its never disappointed. The second is a newby - I made it out of my new Back to Basics cookbook my dear friend Ina penned.

Pumpkin Chicken Chowder

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil

1-2 cloves garlic

1 cup each chopped onion and bell pepper (please do not be crazy specific on this one - go crazy)

8 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces

1 (15 oz) can solid pack pumpkin

1/4 cup long grain rice (I use brown rice - better for you but it takes a little bit longer to cook!)

1/2 frozen corn (or 1 can of corn)

1/2 tsp basil

1/4 tsp salt and pepper

2 (14 oz) cans fat free chicken broth

Instructions

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add chicken, onion, garlic, and bell pepper. Cook until chicken is no longer pink. Stir in broth, pumpkin, corn, rice, & seasons. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally until rice is tender. Serve warm. SO GOOD. We ate it tonight and it was amazing!!

Bay Scallops Gratins

Ingredients

3 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature

3 large garlic cloves, minced

1 medium shallot, minced

1 ounce thinly sliced prosciutto di Parma, minced

2 tbsp minced fresh parsley, plus extra for garnish

1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tbsp Pernod (really?? What the heck is that? According to my trusty "Food Lover's Companion" Pernod [pehr-NOH] is "a yellowish, licorice-flavored liqueur similar to absinthe. Pernod is very popular in France and is usually mixed with water, which turns it whitish and cloudy." I know, doesn't sound so appetizing - but let me say, this was a divine dish and I wouldn't change a thing!)

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

3 tbsp good olive oil

1/4 cup panko (Japanese dried bread flakes)

3 tbsp dry white wine

1 pound fresh bay scallops or bay scallops cut in quarters

Lemon, for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425*. Place 3 (6-inch round) gratin dishes on a sheet pan.

2. To make the topping, place the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (you can also use a hand mixer). With the mixer on low speed, add the garlic, shallot, prosciutto, parsley, lemon juice, Pernod, salt, and pepper and mix until combined. With the mixer on low, add olive oil slowly, until combined. Fold in panko with rubber spatula and set aside.

3. Preheat the broiler, if it's separate from oven.

4. Place 1 tbsp of the wine in the bottom of each gratin dish. With a small sharp knife remove the white muscle and membrane from the side of each scallop and discard. Pat scallops dry with paper towels and distribute them among the 3 dishes. Spoon the garlic butter evenly over the top of the scallops. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the topping is golden and sizzling and the scallops are barely done. If you want the top crustier, place the dishes under the broiler for 2 minutes, until browned. Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a sprinkling of chopped parsley and serve immediately with crusty French bread.

For serious?! It is SO GOOD. And super easy. If you don't already have this cookbook, get on it. Target has it for $24 and Costco has it for $18. Well worth the dough!!!