Pumpkin Pancakes

After making pumpkin cookies earlier this week, I was left with about a 1/2 cup of pumpkin. I wanted to use it up this weekend, but really didn't want to bake anything with it since I'm restarting my diet. I've lost count how many times I've restarted this diet. I did a quick search and found a recipe for pumpkin pancakes using the amount of pumpkin I had left and spelt flour. How perfect!! I have a bag of spelt flour that I've been trying to use up. If you don't have spelt flour, you can substitute all-purpose flour .

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup spelt flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 cup nonfat milk
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1 egg
1 1/2 Tbsp vegetable oil

In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients and whisk to combine.

In a small bowl whisk together the milk, pumpkin, eggs and oil.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined, being careful not to over-mix. The batter will be thick!

Ladle batter in desired portions over a hot nonstick pan or griddle and flip when bubbles begin to break on the tops. Cook another few couple of minutes and remove from griddle.

Recipe from Liv Life Blog

Spaghetti with Sweet Sausage and Cabbage

I was a little hesistant to make this for dinner tonight....I mean cabbage and sausage with spaghetti? I will warn you, this recipe makes a lot! My husband and I thought it was really good, but it didn't go over well with our little one. She picked out all the cabbage. Oh well, I guess it's ok that she doesn't like every vegetable.

Coarse salt and ground pepper
8 ounces spaghetti
1 tsp olive oil
1 pound sweet Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
1 large red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 head Savoy or green cabbage (about 2 pounds), halved, cored, and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water; drain pasta, and return to pot. Set aside.

While pasta is cooking, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add sausage; cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until browned and cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer sausage to a plate; set aside (reserve skillet with rendered fat).

To skillet, add onion, 2 tablespoons water, and as much cabbage as will fit; season with salt and pepper. Cover; cook until tender, tossing occasionally and adding more cabbage as space becomes available, 6 to 10 minutes.

To pasta, add cabbage mixture and sausage. Toss with enough pasta water to create a sauce. Season with salt and pepper, and stir in vinegar

Recipe from Everyday Food Magazine

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

I signed up to bring a baked good to my daughter's daycare halloween party tomorrow. I had planned to make some cute cupcakes, but was disappointed when I saw someone else was bringing in cupcakes. I guess it all worked out in the end since I have a very stressful week at work and brought work home every night this week..so not fun!

Anyways, I decided to make cookies earlier this week and wanted to go with some somewhat healthy. These are super easy to make and taste yummy! I had to sample a few before I packed the up to make sure they were ok! :) They are chewy like an oatmeal raisin cookie, but have an amazing pumpkin pie flavor and then to top of it off- chocolate chips! Seriously, these are really good and will be gone in no time if you make them!

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 packed cup brown sugar
1 cup pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie puree)
2 eggs
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 cups flour (I used 2 cups all purpose flour and 1 cup of oat flour)
1 cup quick oats
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, combine butter, sugars, pumpkin and eggs until smooth with a hand mixer. Add the baking soda, cinnamon, vanilla and flours. Mix until combined well. Stir in the oats and chocolate chips by hand.

Drop tablespoon sized dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 13 minutes and remove from oven. Let them sit on the cookie sheets for 1 minute before removing them. Place on a cooling rack to completely cool. ENJOY!

Recipe adapted from Tasty Kitchen

Homemade Apple Butter

I've been wanting to make my own apple butter for awhile since my husband eats it like crazy. We usually buy it from a local orchard and it gets to be a little expensive. I used up the apples from last weekend's picking trip. I'm not sure of the exact amount it made, but it was a lot! My husband had some today on his cottage cheese and he liked it, enough to eat a couple spoonfuls right out of the jar! Between this and the beef stew I made tonight, my crock pot got a good workout.


10 medium sized apples
2 cups of unsweetened apple juice
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
pinch of sea salt

Core and slice the apples; do not peel. Place into a large crockpot. Pour the apple juice over the sliced apples. Add the water, apple cider vinegar and spices. You can adjust the amount of nutmeg and add ground cloves (I didn't have a container, so I left it out.)

Stir all the ingredients together. Cover and cook on low for 15 hours. The liquid will reduce and the apples will be very soft, darken and your house will smell wonderful. Turn the crock pot off and let the mixture cool for approximately 30 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to a blender and process until completely smooth. Let cool completely and transfer to storage containers. The apple butter will last in the refrigerator for about 3 weeks or can be frozen.
Recipe slightly adapted from Eating Birdfood

Beef Stew

My friend Bonnie shared this recipe on our mom's board. I haven't made beef stew in forever (if you talk to the hubs, he'll say never) so it was definitely time! This was quick and easy and helped me use some of the stuff in my pantry that needed be used. The only items I needed to buy at the grocery store this week were the stew meat, mushrooms and cream of mushroom soup.

We all loved it and the meat fell apart. It was so good and only minor complaints from my daughter about the carrots...which she ended up eating anyway! I made crescent rolls to go along with it.

1.5 lbs cubed stew meat
1 can fat-free cream of mushroom soup
1 pkg onion soup mix
3 medium potatoes, cubed
baby carrots, halved and sliced
2 cups quartered mushrooms
2 cups beef broth
salt and pepper to taste

In a crock pot, mix the mushroom soup, soup mix and beef broth. Add the potatoes, carrots and meat. Cook on low for 8 hours. Halfway through cooking add the mushrooms.

Recipe adapted from e-mealz.com

Cheese Pops

I had these appetizers bookmarked since the first time I visited Tasty Kitchen and I had the perfect event to try them out. This weekend was our town's halloween parade - which everyone takes very seriously! People start saving spots on the sidewalk the night before (and earlier if they can get away with it!). It was a gorgeous night and the parade was so good this year. Lots of bands, floats and I think a crowd favorite - Ghostbusters and the StayPuff Marshmellow man! They stopped right in front of us and put on a little show. We went down to our friend Christy's hair salon and had a great time!

1 pkg crescent rolls
4 oz cheese, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (any type of cheese would work. I used a mild cheddar cheese)
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut crescent triangles into 3 equal pieces (24 total).

Wrap one piece of crescent dough around one cube of cheese. Try to press the crescent so that no cheese is showing. Some will still seep out of some of the pops, but this prevents too much from leaving the crescent shells.

Roll each crescent ball in the toasted sesame seeds.
Place each roll into a mini-muffin pan. Bake for about 10-12 minutes until golden brown.

Shrimp Scampi Linguine

This was a quick and easy recipe. The sauce is very flavorful and my husband thought it tasted great as leftovers the next day.

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (14 oz) low-sodium chicken broth, divided
3 Tbsp flour
1 lb peeled and deveined shrimp
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp chopped parsley
12 oz linguine, cooked according to package instructions
Red-pepper flakes (optional)

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, cover and cook until soft for about 6 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 additional minute.

Pour 1 cup of the chicken broth and the flour into a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake to blend well.

Add the remaining broth and the broth-flour mixture into the pan, bring to a boil whisking constantly. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in shrimp and cook for 3 minutes until shrimp are cooked. Stir in lemon juice, butter and parsley. Pour shrimp and sauce over cooked linguine.

Recipe from Parents.com

Cranberry Applesauce

My daughter and I went apple picking this weekend and we picked about 20 pounds of apples. She asked for me to make her applesauce and I suggested cranberry applesauce. She said it sound good, so here it is.

8-10 large apples, peeled and cut into chunks
1/2 bag fresh cranberries
1 cup water.

In a large pot, add all the ingredients. Cook on medium-low heat until apples are soft and the cranberries have burst. Let cool and then puree in a blender in batches.

Chicken Skewers with Peanut Sauce

Sorry, it's been a couple days since I've posted a new recipe. I made these last week, but then I had work events and didn't get a chance to blog about it. These are so easy to make and so tasty too! Perfect for a weeknight meal - just add some veggies and noodles.

1/4 cup catalina salad dressing
3 Tbsp creamy peanut butter
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into lengthwise slices

Mix dressing, peanut butter and soy sauce in a large bowl until well blended. Add chicken strips and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 10 minutes to marinate.

Preheat broiler. Remove chicken from marinade and discard. Thread chicken evenly onto soaked wooden or metal skewers. Place on rack in broiler pan,

Broil 4 to 6 inches from heat, 6 minutes on each side or until cooked through.

Recipe from Kraft Foods

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

I found this recipe while looking through one of my mom’s magazines and thought it was different. I’m used to making traditional stuffed peppers using rice and beef; but this was different and something I wanted to try. My husband was a little hesitant to try it, I think quinoa scares him, but he ate 2 halves and took leftovers for lunch today. It was really good and a nice change from rice and beef stuffed peppers. It's a lot of steps, but trust me, it's worth it!!!!

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained

1 cup water

½ cup quinoa, rinsed

4 large green peppers

¾ lb ground turkey

1 large onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 tsp dried parsley flakes

2 tsp paprika

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes

¼ tsp ground pepper

2 cans (8 oz each) no-salt-added tomato sauce, divided

¾ cup frozen corn, thawed

½ cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

Drain tomatoes reserving juice and set aside. In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup of water to a boil. Add the rinsed quinoa. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed.

Meanwhile, cut peppers in half lengthwise and remove seeds.

In a large skillet, cook the turkey, onions, garlic, parsley, paprika, salt, red pepper and pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Drain any excess juices and fat. Stir in one can of tomato sauce, corn and quinoa and tomatoes. Heat thoroughly over medium heat.

Spoon the stuffing mixture into the pepper halves. Place in a 13x9 in baking dish coated with cooking spray. Combine the reserved tomato juice and the remaining can of tomato sauce; pour over peppers.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 or until peppers are tender. Sprinkle with cheese and bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Recipe adapted from Taste of Home Healthy Cooking Magazine

Butternut Squash Soup

I love butternut squash soup but have never made it. I wanted to find a recipe that didn’t include cream, since I’m still trying to lose these last 5-10 pounds. This was perfect, especially on cold and rainy days! Roasting the squash creates a rich, caramelized flavor that adds depth to the soup. If you don’t have time for roasting, you can always cook the squash in the broth.

1 medium butternut squash (about 3 lbs), peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch cubes
2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
½ tsp ground fresh pepper
¼ tsp salt
1 large onion, chopped
3 celery ribs, chopped
32 oz box of reduced-sodium chicken broth

Place squash in a 15x10x1 in baking pan lightly coated with cooking spray. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Bake uncovered at 425 degrees for 30-35 minutes until tender, stirring every 15 minutes. Set aside.

In a Dutch oven or large stockpot, sauté the onion and celery in the remaining tablespoon of olive oil until tender. Stir in the broth and reserved squash. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Remove pot from heat and cool slightly.

In a blender, puree the soup in batches until smooth. Return to the pan and heat thoroughly. Season with additional salt and pepper as needed.

Recipe slightly adapted from Taste of Home Healthy Cooking Magazine

Apple Pie Cupcakes

Surprise... another apple recipe! This weekend was my husband's family reunion and all guests were asked to bring either a salad or dessert. Of course, I decided on a dessert and found this recipe on Tasty Kitchen. The reviews were all good and I had everything in my pantry except for frosting, so it was an easy choice. They are so easy to make and taste very good. I had super juicy apples and made more than cupcakes than the original recipe called for (24). I was able to get 24 regular sized cupcakes and 24 mini cupcakes.

2 granny smith apples, finely chopped
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp butter
1 box French Vanilla cake mix
1 1/3 cup water
3 eggs
1/2 cup applesauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread apple pieces in a single layer on a lined cookie sheet. Sprinkle sugars, nutmeg and cinnamon over apples. Bake for 20 minutes or until apples are cooked.

Remove pan from oven and immediately pour apples and sacue into a heat resistant bowl. Stir in butter until melted. Set aside to cool.

In a large mixing bowl, beat cake mix, water, eggs and applesauce until well blended. Mix apples into cake batter. Scoop batter into lined cupcake pans.

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

I used vanilla frosting and sprinkled cinnamon.

Recipe adapted from Tasty Kitchen