Pork Tenderloin with Pomegranate Glaze

Since the calendar says it is fall, I am making a new pork roast for dinner tonight. It sounds wonderful doesn't it?

1 small bottle of POM or 2 cups pomegranate juice
1/4 cup sugar
2 lbs pork loin roast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Combine juice and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat, and bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 8 to 10 minutes. Pour half of glaze into a small bowl and set aside.

Preheat oven to 325.

Sprinkle pork roast with salt and pepper and place into a baking dish. Brush roast with the glaze. Roast at 325 for 30 minutes. Baste pork with the rest of the glaze and continue roasting until a meat thermometer registers 155 degrees.

Remove roast from the oven and baste with the reserved glaze. Cover loosely with foil and let rest for 10 minutes.

Straw Hat Turkey

This week's craft at work, was a mini straw hat turkey!

Use feathers, craft foam, and make a turkey out of a straw hat.
You need:
Straw Hat
Craft Foam
Tacky Glue
Hemp
Feathers
Scissors

Instructions:
Cut out pieces of craft foam to resemble the turkey shown above. Glue on a loop of hemp for hanging.

Senator Russell's Sweet Potatoes

This is a repost from the Lucky Charms Cookbook, just for Stacey ;O)

SENATOR RUSSELL’S SWEET POTATOES
From: seancarkiki

3c. smashed Sweet Potatoes, drained well
1c. Sugar
2 beaten eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2c. Butter (melted)

Topping:
1 c. brown sugar
1/2c. Flour
1/3c. Melted butter
1c. chopped pecans

Directions

Mix all ingredients, except those for the topping together. Mix well. Pour into buttered 8"x12" baking dish. Add topping mixture atop of Sweet Potato Mixture. Bake uncovered @ 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

ENJOY!!!

Deep Dish Turkey Pie

I am making this for dinner tonight, the recipe came from a Pillsbury e-newsletter.

2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped onion (1/2 medium)
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 cups cubed cooked turkey or chicken
1 bag (1 lb) frozen broccoli, carrots and cauliflower, thawed, drained
1 Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crust (from 15-oz box), softened as directed on box

DIRECTIONS

Heat oven to 400°F. In 3-quart saucepan or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add celery and onion; cook and stir until tender. Stir in soup, milk, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. Cook until thoroughly heated.

Gently stir in turkey and thawed vegetables. Pour into ungreased 2-quart casserole or 10-inch quiche pan.

Remove pie crust from pouch; place flat over turkey mixture. Roll up edge of crust to fit top of casserole; flute edge. Cut slits in several places in crust.

Bake 40 to 50 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Whoa...score!

This morning I ran into Walmart for a few things. I saw that all the Halloween/Fall items were 50% off and I needed some leaf cookie cutters.

I bought two sets of the Wilton Autumn Cookie Cutters for $3.00 each! I also spotted an 18 piece metal Halloween cookie cutter set and that was only $4.50! I also picked up a 3 piece Havest set for $1.50!

I also picked up some Orange Sanding Sugar, they were $1.00 a piece and a couple bottles of Leaf sprinkles and Autumn Pumpkin Sprinkles.

I love getting a good deal on supplies!

Fall Leaves Sugar Cookies

A while ago I was searching for Fall recipes for my Thanksgiving Workshops. I came across this recipe on the Land O Lakes website. I thought it would be a fun and easy recipe for the kids to make. I will be making the dough some time Thursday during the day so that it is ready for Thursday night.

1 cup LAND O LAKES® Butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 LAND O LAKES® All-Natural Egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Red, orange and yellow gel food colors

Coarse white, orange and/or yellow decorator sugars.


Combine butter and sugar in large bowl; beat at medium speed until creamy. Add egg, milk and almond extract; continue beating until well mixed.


Reduce speed to low; add flour and baking powder. Beat until well mixed.Divide dough into thirds; place each portion into separate small bowl. Add very small amount of red gel food color to 1 portion; mix well. Add additional red gel for desired color, if necessary. Repeat with remaining dough portions and gel food colors.


Shape each dough into ball; flatten each ball to 1/2-inch thickness. Wrap each in plastic food wrap; refrigerate until firm (2 to 3 hours).


Heat oven to 400°F. Working with half of each dough color (keeping remaining dough refrigerated), drop tablespoon-size pieces of dough from each color onto a lightly floured surface in a random pattern with dough pieces touching. Roll out dough to 1/4- to 1/8-inch thickness, forming a marbled design. Cut with 3-inch leaf-shaped cookie cutters.


Place cookies, 1 inch apart, onto ungreased cookie sheets. Sprinkle with decorator sugar. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet; remove to wire cooling rack

Best Loved Cookies & Bars, OH MY!

I picked up Taste of Home Best Loved Cookies & Bars last week at Sweetbay. I absolutely love their special issues. I now have lots and lots of ideas for my holiday baking and can't wait to try some new recipes.

If you are a baker also, you must pick it up!!

November Fun Food Holidays

11/1 National Deep Fried Clams Day
11/1 National Vinegar Day
11/2: National Deviled Egg Day
11/3 National Sandwich Day
11/ 4: National Candy Day
11/ 5: National Doughnut Day
11/ 6: National Nachos Day
11/ 7: Bittersweet Chocolate with Almonds Day
11/ 8: National Cappuccino Day
11/ 8: National Harvey Wallbanger Day
11/ 9: National Scrapple Day
11/ 9: Cook Something Bold & Pungent Day
11/ 10: National Vanilla Cupcake Day
11/ 11: National Sundae Day
11/ 12: National Pizza With Everything Day (Except Anchovies)
11/ 13: National Indian Pudding Day
11/ 14: National Guacamole Day
11/ 14: National Pickle Day
11/ 15: National Raisin Bran Cereal Day
11/ 16: National Fast Food Day
11/ 17: National Baklava Day
11/ 17: Homemade Bread Day
11/18: National Vichyssoise Day
11/ 19: Carbonated Beverage with Caffeine Day
11/ 20: National Peanut Butter Fudge Day
11/ 20: Beaujolais Nouveau Day
11/ 21: Gingerbread Day
11/ 22: National Cashew Day
11/ 23: National Espresso Day
11/ 23: Eat a Cranberry Day
11/ 24: National Sardines Day
11/ 25: National Parfait Day
11/ 26: National Cake Day
11/ 27: National Bavarian Cream Pie Day
11/ 28: National French Toast Day
11/ 29: Chocolates Day
11/ 29: National Lemon Creme Pie Day
11/ 30: National Mousse Day

What days will you be celebrating this November, leave me a comment!

Spooky Halloween Trees (Part 2)

Ok so yesterday when I made the Spooky Halloween Tree cookies for my Tricks & Treats workshop, I was NOT happy with them. The cookies were very crumbly and I figured that if the kids went to frost them they would all fall apart and I didn't want that to happen. So I had a couple boxes of brownie mix. I used both boxes and baked them in a half sheet pan for about 30 minutes. I chilled them to make them easier to cut.

At work I cut them into 3x2 rectangles.

After all the kids got their brownies, frosting and decorations I decorated a couple for the parents waiting in the lobby.

I am so glad that I found chocolate twizzlers at Target. They tasted so much better than the black licorice.

I think they came out cute and the frosting was very good! Some of the decorations were from Wilton. Most of the kids picked the Hallow Pumpkin Mix. We also used the 6 mix assortment.

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

I know that the themometer says we are still in the high 80's, but my brain says it is fall. I just whipped up some Pumpkin Spice Muffins for breakfast and they smell incredibly yummy!

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fresh nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground clove
1/4 ginger
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup melted unsalted butter
1/3 cup buttermilk
2 eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray a 12 cup muffin pan with cooking spray or you can use paper liners. I prefer the spray.

In a large bowl sift all of the dry ingredients and set aside.

In another large bowl, mix together the wet ingredients; sugars, pumpkin, melted butter, buttermilk and the eggs.

Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined, but do not over mix.

Spoon batter into muffin pan; an ice cream scoop works the best.

Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Turn the muffin out onto a cooling rack and let cool for a few minutes. Enjoy them plain, with butter or even a little sweetened cream cheese.

Asiago Sun-dried Tomato Bread

Makes One (1 1/2-pound) Loaf

1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) water
2 tablespoons (7/8 ounce) extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons Baker's Special Dry Milk or instant powdered milk
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups (13 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached Special Bread Flour
2 tablespoons (1/4 ounce) chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated Asiago cheese
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons instant yeast

Place all of the ingredients into the pan of your bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer.

Program the machine for the Basic setting, and press Start.

Check the dough's consistency about 7 minutes after the kneading cycle begins, adding additional water or flour to form a soft, smooth ball of dough.

Allow the machine to complete its cycle.

Cool the bread completely before serving.

I am making this to go along with some Minestrone Soup.

Spooky Halloween Trees

We are going to be decorating these cookies in my Tricks & Treats Worshop later today. I am baking them at home so they will have time to cool.

Cookie:
1 ½ cup AP Flour
¼ cup cocoa powder
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

Frosting:
2 cups powdered sugar
¼ cup unsalted butter softened
1 tsp vanilla
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
3 or 4 tbs half and half

Decorations:
Black licorice twists (I found chocolate Twizzlers at Target), Halloween sprinkles and or colored sugar

Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.

Combine ½ cup butter and sugar in a large bowl; beat at medium speed until creamy. Add egg and vanilla; continue beating until well mixed. Reduce speed to low; add flour mixture. Beat until well mixed.

Divide dough in half. Shape each half into ball; flatten slightly. Wrap each in plastic food wrap; refrigerate until firm at least 2 hours or quick chill in the freezer.

Heat oven to 325. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface, one-half at a time, (keeping remaining dough refrigerated), to a 12x7 rectangle. Trim edges if necessary. Cut each rectangle in half lengthwise with a pizza cutter or sharp knife. Make 5 crosswise cuts in each half, 2 inches apart, creating 12 (3x2 inch) rectangles. Place rectangles 1 inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. (I like using parchment)

Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or just until set. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheet; remove to wire cooling rack. Cool completely.

Combine all the frosting ingredients in a medium bowl, adding enough half and half for desired spreading consistency. Beat at low speed until well mixed.

Cut licorice twist into 3 inch lengths. Cut slits on 1 end of the licorice using a sharp knife or kitchen shears to within 1 inch of the other end to form tree with 3 or 4 branches. Carefully bend or peel apart branches.

Work with 2 or 3 cookies at a time so frosting doesn’t harden. Frost cookies; place licorice tree onto frosting. Sprinkle with Halloween sprinkles or colored sugars, if desired.

Lemon-Lime Chili Chicken

2 tbs chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 to 3 1/2 lbs meaty chicken pieces (breast halves, thighs and drumsticks skin removed)
1 med zucchini or yellow summer squash, halved lengthwise and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 med onion cut into wedges
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced

In a small bowl, combine chili powder, salt and pepper. Using your fingers, rub spice mixture into all sides of chicken. Place chicken in a slow cooker. Add zucchini and onion. In a small bowl, combine stock, lime juice and lemon juice and garlic; pour over all the chicken.

Cover; cook on low-heat settings for 5 to 6 hours or on high for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

Transfer chicken and vegetables to a serving platter. Discard cooking liquid. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Cauldron Cups

I totally forgot to share what we made at my Tricks & Treats workshops last week.

12 foil cupcake liners

24 chocolate sandwich cookies (2 3/4 cups), crushed into crumbs
1/2 cup LAND O LAKES® Butter, melted
1 cup milk
3/4 cup whipping cream
1 (3.3-ounce) package white chocolate instant pudding and pie filling mix
10 drops green food color
1/2 cup real semi-sweet mini chocolate chips*
12 pretzel sticks

Line muffin cups with foil cupcake liners. Combine cookie crumbs and melted butter in medium bowl; mix well. Spoon 2 heaping tablespoons into each cupcake liner. Press onto bottom and up sides of liner to form cauldron cups.


Combine milk, whipping cream, pudding mix, and food color in medium bowl. Beat at high speed 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips. Spoon filling into muffin cups. Refrigerate until set (at least 1 hour).

At serving time, place 1 pretzel stick into each cauldron for stirring spoon.

*Substitute creme de menth baking chips.
Recipe Tip; For easy cleanup, use a large plastic resealable food bag to mix the cookie crumbs and butter. Seal tightly; toss until mixed.

Bride of Frankenstein cake

I made this cute cake for Victoria's Halloween party.  It came out ok, I wasn't to happy with the hair, but I was running out of time.  I found the recipe in a couple different places, one was on the Wilton site and the other was on the Pillsbury site.  I used bits of each recipe, but the long loaf pan from Wilton would have made it a bit easier.

Dracula Cupcakes

Victoria helped pick out what kind of cupcakes for her Halloween Party.  I found these cute Dracula cupcakes on the Wilton site.  I couldn't follow the directions completely since I am missing a couple tips and was running out of time.

Cheesy Sausage Bites

I am also making these for our Adult Halloween Party tonight.  This makes 36 small bites.

8 eggs
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
3 cups Mozzarella Cheese
1 1/2 cups Cottage Cheese
3/4 pound of spicy pork sausage cooked, crumbled and drained

Preaheat oven to 350.

In a large bowl beat eggs, add flour, baking powder and salt.  Blend thoroughly.  Fold in remaining ingredients.  Pour into a greased 9x9 baking dish.  Bake at 350 for 40 minutes.  Remove from oven; let stand 10 minutes.  Cut into small squares; serve warm or at room temp.

Ghiradelli Sinful Chocolate Truffles

1/4 cup heavy cream
16 oz Ghiradelli Bittersweet Chocolate (I used 1 1/2 bags of 60% cacao chips)
6 tbs unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1/3 cup Ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa

In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a simmer. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate and butter. In a medium sized skillet, bring 1/2 inch of water to a slow simmer. Set the saucepan in the skillet over low heat. Stir mixture just until chocolate has completely melted. Remove from heat. Pour the chocolate mixture into a shallow bowl. Cool, cover and refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.

(I found it much easier to melt the chocolate and butter over a double boiler, when completely melted add the cream.)

Pour the cocoa into a pie plate. Line an airtight container with waxed paper. Dip a melon baller or small spoon into a glass of warm water and quickly scrape across the surface of the chilled truffle mixture to form a rough 1-inch ball. Drop the ball into the cocoa. Repeat with the remaining truffle mixture. Gently shake the pie plate to coat truffles evenly. Transfer truffles to the prepared container, separating layers with additional waxed paper. Cover tightly and refrigerate up to 2 weeks, or freeze up to 3 months.

I am not rolling them in the cocoa powder, I am going to roll them in Wilton's Halloween Nonpareils.  These are going to be a little treat at our Adult Halloween Party later tonight.

Cheeseburger Biscuit Bake

Victoria picked this recipe out a Taste of Home Magazine.

1 pound ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
Dash pepper
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 tube (12 ounces) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits, separated into 10 biscuits


In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the tomato sauce, ketchup and pepper. Spoon half into a greased 8-in. square baking dish; sprinkle with half of the cheese. Repeat layers.

Place biscuits around edges of dish. Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 18-22 minutes or until the meat mixture is bubbly and biscuits are golden brown. Yield: 5 servings.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 each) equals 492 calories, 23 g fat (14 g saturated fat), 92 mg cholesterol, 1,264 mg sodium, 40 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 32 g protein.

Baked Ziti

Here is what I am making for dinner.

1 lb ziti pasta, cooked al dente
1 lb Italian sausage, cooked and chopped
1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
1 egg
2 tablespoons parsley
2 teaspoons italian seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 (28 ounce) jar pasta sauce, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.

Cook ziti according to package directions; drain; set aside.

Mix ricotta, egg, parsley, 1-1/2 cups of the mozarella cheese, and parmesan cheese and seasonings in a large bowl.

Mix cooked sausage and pasta in with ricotta mixture.

Mix in 3/4 jar of sauce.

Transfer mixture into a 2 quart casserole dish.

Top with the rest of the sauce and mozarella cheese.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.