Spicy Pumpkin Bars

Fall is one of my favorite seasons. I always look forward to the leaves changing colors, the crispness of the air and the smell of fall. Also I always have to get my Spicy Pumpkin Bar fix. My mind always craves these every Fall. So I will share this decades old recipe with you so you too may get your pumpkin fix. Happy Fall to you.

Spicy Pumpkin Bars

• 1/2 cup Crisco
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 4 tsp. baking powder
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 tsp. ginger
• 1 tsp. allspice
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 15 oz can pumpkin

You will need 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 1 1/8 inch a jelly roll pan for this recipe. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With a electric mixer blend sugars and Crisco together well, then add the eggs. Sift together dry ingredients then slowly add to sugar and Crisco mixture, blend well. Add pumpkin and mix until all is blended. Grease the jelly roll pan and spread the stiff batter evenly into pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

Cream Cheese Icing

• 4 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
• 1 stick of unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

With a electric mixer cream together cream cheese and butter, then add vanilla extract and slowly add powdered sugar. Once sugar has been mixed in well blend well at a high speed. Frost cake once it has cooled completely. Refrigerate until serving time.

Norma's Brownies

When I was a little girl living in Oklahoma City my Mom made these brownies for me and they bring back such great childhood memories. I have never tasted a better recipe than this one. A light thin crispy layer on top hides away the dense fudgy center. With the kids back in school this is a perfect time to bake some brownies for their lunchbox or after school snack. Hey who says there has to be kids around, adults love them too. I remember thinking I did not like the idea of Crisco in the recipe so I tried it with margarine and butter, but it does not work. This brownie recipe will blow away any box mix. Enjoy a little bite of heaven.

Norma's Brownie's

• 1 1/2 cups cake flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 10 Tbsp. powdered Hershey's cocoa
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 cup Crisco
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 cup nuts (optional) pecans, walnuts or macadamia nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With a electric mixer cream Crisco, sugar and eggs together. Then add vanilla, flour, salt and cocoa. Mix well until well blended. Spray a 13' x 9" x 2" Pyrex dish with Pam Spray, evenly spread the batter into dish and bake for 30 minutes or until pick in center come out clean.

Asian Noodles with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Your taste buds are in for a pleasant surprise when you taste these delicious noodles. Don't be a wimpy cry baby about the spice, it really is not that spicy. The creaminess of the peanut butter smooths out the heat of the pepper for just the right amount of heat. One thing for sure about this recipe is that it will keep calling you back to the refrigerator for leftovers, That is if you manage to have some. Enjoy!!!


Asian Noodles w/ Spicy Peanut Sauce

• 2 (8 oz.) pkg. of Wide Lo Mein noodles or Fettucini Style brown rice pasta (14 oz.)
• 2/3 cup Smucker's natural creamy peanut butter
• 2/3 cup hot water
• 4 Tbsp. soy sauce
• ¼ cup rice vinegar
• 2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. freshly grated ginger root
• ¼ - ½  tsp. ground cayenne pepper
• 2 tsp. sugar or Splenda
• 6 green onions sliced thin (green tops too) about 1 ¼ cup
• ¾- 1  cup grated carrot

Cook noodles according to package directions. Meanwhile whisk the next 8 ingredients together in a large bowl. Set aside. 

Clean onions and trim root ends off and slice thin, grate carrot. When noodles are finished cooking add to peanut butter mixture with onion and carrot, toss to coat well. Serve immediately or chill in refrigerator and serve cold. I love to serve this with the Teriyaki Chicken or Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin. Enjoy!

I use ½ tsp. cayenne, I like it spicy. You will be surprised, the peanut butter helps cool down the spice, it is just the right amount. After noodles have been chilled they will stick together and not look as smooth and creamy, do not be fooled they are still delicious.

Before serving chilled noodles let them sit on counter for 15 - 30 minutes to let peanut butter soften. I buy my noodles in the ethnic section of the grocery store. They are much cheaper in an Asian market. This recipe has been made with natural peanut butter, do not use processed. I like Smucker's (natural) brand peanut butter. Ginger root is easier to grate when frozen. For my gluten free fans use the brown rice pasta. Enjoy!

Chicken Corn Soup

I live in a quaint small town called Jefferson. We have a beautiful view of the mountains and we are blessed to have a little over 4 acres with lots of wildlife. It was a perfect house to raise our two sons in. Our boys used to play in the creek that runs through our backyard. They would bring home crayfish and minnows from the creek and of course they would always want to keep them as pets. Bless their hearts they tried so many times, but I would send them packing to return them so that they would not die. The only prize catch that really shook me was when they brought the snake inside the house. They had the encyclopedia opened and were trying to figure out what type of snake it was. Snake-e-poo got the bums's rush rather quickly!  Another great thing about Jefferson is the local corn stand where people come from all around to buy the sweet white corn. That my Feasty Fans is what inspired me to post my Chicken Corn Soup this week. The sweet white corn with the little dumplings are simply delicious in this soup. Enjoy!

Chicken Corn Soup

• ½ cup chicken base
• 18 cups or 4½ qts water
• 1 Rotisserie chicken
• 1½ cup diced celery hearts
• 1½ cup diced sweet onion
• ¾  tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 8 ears fresh sweet white corn or a 16 oz. bag frozen white corn
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup flour, all purpose
• ½  cup milk

In a large 8 qt soup pot add water and base. Mix well with a wire whisk breaking up base paste. Add chicken and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer covered for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile dice celery and onion, set aside. 

Remove chicken from pot and place on platter to cool. Strain broth through a wire mesh and return back to cleaned soup pot. Add celery, onion, and black pepper to broth in pot. Bring to a boil and cover and reduce heat to a simmer.

When chicken is cool enough to touch remove skin and discard. Pull chicken from bones and cut into bite size pieces. Add chicken to soup pot. Then cut away corn from cob and add to soup pot as well. 

In a medium bowl beat eggs until light in color. Beat in flour and milk until smooth. Drop batter into hot broth  (you may need to turn up heat) to make small ¼ to ½ inch round dumplings. Cook, stirring constantly for 2 to 5 minutes, until dumplings hold their shape and float to the surface. This soup is delicious, it is so much better with fresh corn. You may use 4 ½ qts. chicken broth instead of water and chicken base.

I keep a few rotisserie chicken in my freezer so I can make soup at a moments notice.

Lemon Lust Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Glaze

 I have a confession to make. As much as I love chocolate desserts, I love lemon desserts even more. Lemon lovers will unite for this sweet treaty and your sweet tooth will be singing up a sweet happy song. The sweetness of the cake and glaze compliments the tartness of the lemon curd. Once you try these you will be craving them. Addicted to Lemon Lust Cupcakes, now how cool is that?


Lemon Lust Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Glaze

• 1 box Duncan Hines White cake mix
• 3 egg whites
• 2 lemons
• 2 jars Lemon Curd, 12 oz.
• paper cupcake liners

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Meanwhile zest and juice both lemons into a clear 2 cup measuring cup. It is much easier to juice the lemon if it is room temp. It is also helpful to place a small wire mesh over measuring cup to catch the seeds and pulp while juicing. Then add enough water to zest and juice mixture to make 1 1/3 cups. Set aside.

Follow cake mix directions only substituting water with prepared juice, zest and water mixture. Line cupcake pans with paper cupcake liners and fill about halfway with cake batter until it is evenly divided among the 24 liners.

Open jar of lemon curd and place about 1 Tbsp of lemon curd in the center of the cupcake batter. Place them immediately into preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for 15 minutes, then remove from cupcake pans. Let cupcakes cool completely before glazing.


Lemon Cream Glaze

• 4 oz. unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup lemon curd
• 4 oz, Cream Cheese (1/3 less fat), softened
• 1 1/4 cup 10x sugar

In a electric mixer add butter, cream cheese and lemon curd mix on medium speed until well blended. Lower mixer to low and slowly add 10x sugar. Once it is mixed turn mixer to high and beat for 5 minutes. Immediately spoon enough glaze over top of cupcake being careful not to add too much glaze since it is runny. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Asian Meatballs

 I love Asian flavors and this one has a perfect balance of sweet and spicy. You may need to double or triple this recipe if you are having a large crowd. If you are a cry baby about spice then you can delete the hot chile sauce. I love spice myself but it's not for everyone. Also I thought these would taste good over some Asian noodles. Yummy appetizer or a dinner, it's your choice.


Asian Meatballs

• 20.8 oz. pkg. Shady Brook Farms ground turkey, 93% lean
• 2 tsp. minced garlic from jar
• 2 tsp. freshly grated ginger root
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 green onions sliced thin, green tops too
• 1/8 cup  cilantro freshly chopped 
• 3 Tbsp. Kikoman teriyaki sauce
• 2 Tbsp. Tuong ot Sriracha hot chili sauce
• 1 8 oz. can crushed pineapple, undrained
• 2/3 cup hoisen sauce
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp. soy sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Then mix together the first seven ingredients. Roll into mini, about 1 1/4 inch, meatballs. Place meatballs on an oil sprayed cookie sheet with sides. when all meatballs are done place in oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until no longer pink in center.

While meatballs are baking mix together the remaining six ingredients in a large saucepan over low heat and cook on low stirring occasionally until meatballs are cooked, do not boil. When meatballs are cooked toss into the sauce making sure they are coated well and serve immediately. You may transfer them to a crockpot on low or a chafing dish. 

You may make this in advance if you wish. It will make about 3 dozen meatballs. Also I like to store my ginger root in the freezer, it makes it easier to grate and it lasts longer.

Amish Macaroni Salad

This recipe is by far one of the best out there for mac salad. It was a favorite of my Mom's and she used to ask me to make this for her.  RIP Mom. My Mom was a great cook so whenever she asked me to make her something, it was an honor. I also credit my Mom for my love of cooking. Every time I make this someone always asks me for the recipe. You know why, it's because it is so darn good. The sweetness of the dressing and the perfect blend of crunchy veggies will draw you in, big time. It's like a song for your taste buds, sweet and smooth. So let those taste buds start to sing.

Amish Macaroni Salad

Cooked Salad Dressing:

• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 1/2 cup sugar or Splenda*
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 Tbsp. prepared yellow mustard
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 4 Tbsp butter

In a medium size saucepan over medium heat melt the butter. Add mustard, vinegar, salt, sugar OR Splenda and eggs. You will need a small wire whisk to mix well and stir constantly. If you cook over too high of heat you will get golden brown chips in there. I've done that before and rescued it by lowering the heat and then strained through a wire mesh to remove caramelized chips.  Boil until it thickens, remove from heat and cool. Chill covered in fridge for now

• 1 box Ronzoni Smart taste elbow macaroni, 14.5 oz.*
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1/2 cup diced sweet onion
• 1 small green bell pepper, diced
• 1 large carrot, shredded
• 2 cups Hellman's light or Fit & Active light mayonnaise (Aldi brand)*

Follow cooking directions on box, except cook the  macaroni for 12 minutes, I like to overcook the noodles to make them tender. 

Mix the Mayonnaise together with the cooked salad dressing until mixed well.  In a large bowl mix together Macaroni, onion, celery, pepper now add the mayonnaise mixture. Chill overnight in a large sealed container.

*I have cut back on calories and fat by using low fat mayo, high fiber pasta and Splenda instead of sugar. It still gets rave reviews every time.