Sugar and Spice and Pumpkin is Nice!

This is one of my favorite fall recipes ~ Pumpkin Cake.  Easy to make and lightly spiced, topped with just a dusting of powdered sugar.  Originally a Pampered Chef muffin recipe, I prefer to make it in a Bundt pan and serve it for dessert.

Pumpkin Bundt Cake

1 pkg Yellow Cake Mix

2 tsp Cinnamon

1 tsp Baking Soda

1 can (15oz) Pumpkin

3 Eggs

1/2 c Oil

Preheat oven to 350.  Blend together all ingredients.  Pour into greased and floured Bundt pan.  Bake 45-50 min or until done.  When cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar.  You can top with cream cheese frosting, but we prefer it plain and simple.  

Best of GFS - part 2 of 3

Old way to make Spaetzle - boiling hot water, messy dough covered grater thing to clean up....

New way to make Spaetzle.... Marzetti's Frozen Spaetzle Dumplings from GFS Marketplace!  

I am so excited to find this item.  My family's favorite recipe is Chicken Paprikash - served over Spaetzle.  But honestly, as much as I like Chicken Paprikash, I limited making it to just a few times a year.  The Paprikash is easy, and actually making the Spaetzle is easy, it's just a big mess to clean up.  Now, I am happy and my family is happy as I have found these frozen Spaetzle, just cook in boiling water for a few minutes, drain and you are done!  Ta-Da! 

PS  My spell checker is having a hard time with this post!  Heehee!

PSS  Don't tell me you've never had Chicken Paprikash?!  It's delicious, and I would be happy to share the recipe.  Spaetzle are also a delicious side dish to many other dishes, too.  Try them sometime!

Ina Garten = Barefoot Contessa

The Barefoot Contessa cookbooks are far and above my favorite cookbooks.  Beautiful pictures, delicious recipes, simple directions.  The recipes turn out consistently good.  Ina uses minimal basic ingredients in her recipes, with an emphasis on fresh, quality ingredients.  I have discovered at least one recipe in each book that I felt justified the cost of the book.  Some of our favorites are the Carmelized Butternut Squash, Tequila Lime Chicken and the Sun-Dried Tomato Dip.  Pictured above are the original Barefoot Contessa Cookbook and the latest release, Barefoot Contessa, How Easy is That?  Mmmmmm......

Belle of the Ball

This dessert is too good and too easy not to share with you.  Blueberry Belle Crunch - a simple but delicious dessert bursting with tart and juicy blueberries with an crunchy topping that tastes like an oatmeal cookie.  Yum!

Blueberry Belle Crunch

Combine:

2 cups blueberries

2 T lemon juice

2 T flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup sugar.  

Spread in a greased 9x9 pan.  

Mix:

1 c flour

1 cup oatmeal

1/2 c brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp vanilla

Cut in:

1/2 cup butter 

until mixture resembles course meal.

Sprinkle over blueberry mixture.

Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.

2 for 1 - Le Creuset & Italian Sausage Soup

I've got two special gals to thank for this post - my mom and my sister-in-law. Last Christmas my mom gave me a Le Creuset Dutch Oven for a gift. I love it! It looks great, cooks great, and cleans up easily. I love the deep red color and the heavy cast iron is perfect for simmering a big pot of soup. Speaking of soup, this recipe from my S-I-L, Amy, is one of our family favorites. I'm so glad she shared it with me. It's delicious, and perfect for the windy, wintery weather we are having today.

Italian Sausage Soup

1 lb Italian sausage (Bob Evans)

1 large onion, chopped

1/2 c carrots, chopped (make it easy - use the shredded carrots you toss on salads)

1/2 c celery, chopped

10-12 c chicken broth

1 x 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes

1 x 8oz tomato sauce

1/2 c orzo pasta

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp basil

1 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp rosemary, chopped (optional)

1/2 tsp thyme (optional)

Cook sausage, onions, carrots & celery over medium heat until done. Drain off fat. Add everything but the Orzo and bring to boil. Reduce heat and cook for 30min - 1 hr. Add pasta, return to boiling and cook for 15-30 min, checking pasta for doneness. Serve - but don't forget to throw out the bay leaf.

A Fall Favorite - Pumpkin Cake

This recipe is a family favorite - and quite easy to make, too.

Pumpkin Cake

1 x 18oz yellow cake mix

1 tsps cinnamon

1 tsp baking soda

1 x 15oz can pumpkin

3 eggs

1/2 c oil

Preheat oven to 350. Blend all ingredients together. Pour into greased Bundt pan. Bake approximately 45-50.

You could frost it with a creme cheese icing, but it is so good and moist, I usually just dust it with a little powdered sugar.

Enjoy!