I just love Family Fun magazine!  I saw this recipe in last month’s issue and decided to give it a try.  These are great for dunking, which my kids love.  After making them last night for dinner, the verdict is in.  WINNER!!!

2 cups cornmeal
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups buttermilk
2 Tbsp oil (1/4 cup)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.  Let well-greased iron skillet heat in oven while preparing batter.  Combine cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.  Add eggs, buttermilk, and oil.  Stir until moistened.  Pour into hot skillet and bake for 20-25 minutes, until brown on top.

I fixed this tonight with some pinto beans and macaroni and cheese.  The perfect meal for a rainy day!

Until next time,
Muncho Mom

I first noticed this recipe in our free Pillsbury 2011 calendar when I flipped over to the month of November.  It looked scrumptious!  So, I made it this evening for Thanksgiving.

Even better…as I was setting out the ingredients, my son wandered into the kitchen and asked if he could help!  So he helped me make the pie, which will make it infinitely better I’m sure!  It was nice having him in the kitchen with me – we probably haven’t done anything together like that since the summer.  I just have to remember to stand clear the next time he cracks eggs.  Or maybe I should say “whacks” the eggs, if you get the picture!

Maple-Walnut Pumpkin Pie
1 9-inch pie crust (see my pie crust recipe below)

Filling
1 15oz can pumpkin
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs
2 Tbsp real maple syrup
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Streusel
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp cold butter

Topping
1 cup whipping cream
2 Tbsp packed brown sugar
chopped walnuts, if desired

Crust (makes 2 9-inch crusts)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup canola oil
5-7 Tbsp cold water

For pie crust, combine flour and salt in a bowl.  Measure oil into measuring cup, then add water a tablespoon at a time to the oil.  The amount of water truly depends on what brand of flour you are using.  I have found that White Lily flour takes less (5 Tbsp), while store-brand flours typically take more.  Pour oil and water mixture all at once into dry ingredients.  Mix thoroughly.  If you find that your pastry is too dry, add water.  If it is too wet, add flour.  When your pastry is the desired consistency, divide it in half.  Roll out each half between two sheets of wax paper.

Heat oven to 425 degrees F.  Place pie crust in 9-inch glass pie plate.  In large bowl, beat filling ingredients with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.  Pour into crust-lined pan.  Bake 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in small bowl, mix 1/4 cup brown sugar, the chopped walnuts and flour; cut in butter until crumbly.  Set aside.

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.  Sprinkle streusel over pie.  Cover crust edge with 3-inch-wide strips of foil to prevent excessive browning.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes longer or until knife inserted 1 inch from edge comes out clean.  Cool completely, about 2 hours.  Serve or refrigerate until serving time.

To serve, in medium bowl, beat whipping cream and 2 Tbsp brown sugar with electric mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form.  Serve pie with whipped cream; garnish with chopped walnuts.  Store in refrigerator.

This is one of my all-time favorite fall desserts – you just can’t go wrong with it!  It’s the perfect dessert for Thanksgiving.  The recipe comes from my mother-in-law, who is a wonderful cook.

Pumpkin Spice Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup canola oil
1 15 oz can pumpkin

Cream Cheese Frosting
Mix together:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter

Add:
2 tsp vanilla
1 box confectioner’s sugar (1 lb)
1 cup finely chopped pecans

Combine ingredients in the order listed.  Mix well and bake in a tube pan at 350 degrees F for 1 hour.  Let cool in pan on rack for 15 minutes.  Remove from pan and cool completely before topping with cream cheese frosting.

This cake is so moist it practically melts in your mouth.  With the cream cheese frosting on top, it is irresistible!  Just make one yourself, and you will see what I mean!

Until next time,
Muncho Mom

Monday.  Again.  Got the kids up and ready, fed them breakfast, and dropped them off at school.  Felt like I was forgetting something.  Went home, did my workout.  Still felt like I was forgetting something.  Then, it hit me: dentist check-up for the kids at 3:30.  Ugh.  Time to put an easy dinner plan into motion!

I decided to do Cheesy Baked Ziti from an issue of Family Fun (love, love, love that magazine).  All I had to do was prep it and stick it in the fridge so I could just pop it in the oven when we got home.  An easy, no stress dinner.  Hooray!

Cheesy Baked Ziti
1/2 lb ziti
15 oz ricotta cheese
3 cups mozzarella cheese
3 cups tomato sauce
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Cook ziti according to directions; drain well.  Add ricotta and half of mozzarella to ziti and mix well.  Spread half of the tomato sauce in bottom of casserole dish.  Add ziti mixture and cover with remaining sauce.  Top with remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese.  Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.

My children loved this!  My son actually had two huge helpings of it!  It is so easy to make and such a crowd-pleaser.  One shortcut I would recommend: just drain your pasta using the lid to the pot, then add the ricotta cheese and mozzarella to the ziti in the pot you cooked it in.  This saves dirtying up an extra bowl.  :)

Thank goodness I had that ziti ready, because we didn’t get home from the dentist until nearly 5:30.  I put it in the oven, then proceeded to make some Pizza Puffs.  These are equally just as yummy!  The recipe comes from lickthebowlgood.blogspot.com.

Pizza Puffs
3/4 cup flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
pinch of salt
pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
3/4 cup milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 cup pepperoni (optional)

Grease mini muffin pan.  Whisk dry ingredients.  Whisk in milk and egg.  Stir in mozzarella, parmesan, and pepperoni.  Let stand for 10 minutes.  Bake in 375 degree oven for 20 minutes or until golden.  Serve with pizza sauce for dipping.

Boy, are these ever tasty!  They are just the perfect size to be perfectly addictive, too!  I leave out the red pepper flakes and pepperoni when making these for my kids, because they don’t like too much spice.  They sure did gobble these up tonight!

Aaaargh!  Once again, I forgot to take pictures.  I promise, promise, promise…pictures tomorrow!

Until next time,
Muncho Mom

Sunday nights at our house mean one thing: Mexican for dinner!  I’m not really sure when it started, but it did.  I suppose it could be because cooking Mexican food is relatively simple, and I like keeping it simple on Sundays!

So, tonight we had quesadillas.  Plain cheese (4 cheese Mexican blend thanks to our friends at Kraft) quesadilla for the boy.  Easy!  Chicken and corn quesadilla for the girl.  OK, a little bit more complicated, but I already had grilled chicken in the fridge from Thursday evening’s dinner.  Great!  And, my husband, who is the king of leftovers, ate the last of the leftover chili.  As for me, I had a plain chicken quesadilla.  Oh, and we did have corn on the side.  I also love taking tortilla chips, tossing them on a plate with some shredded Mexican cheese, and zapping them in the microwave for about 45 seconds.  Voila!  Homemade nachos!

Some of you may be wondering about the chicken and corn quesadillas.  Trust me, they are easy to make.  Here’s my recipe:

Chicken and Corn Quesadillas

2 10-inch flour tortillas (kid size)
1/2 cup Mexican cheese
1 Tbsp reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 -1/2 cup shredded chicken (more or less depending on your child)
canned corn

Heat skillet on medium.  Drizzle pan with olive oil.  Spread sour cream evenly on both tortillas.  Sprinkle cheese on bottom tortilla, then chicken, and top with corn – any amount will do.  Place other tortilla on top.   Put quesadilla in skillet and cook for approximately 3-5 minutes on each side.  The time may vary depending on how hot and fast your stove eye cooks.  Ours, sadly, is quite old and therefore not so reliable.  At any rate, the quesadilla is done when both sides are lightly browned.

I have experimented with the cheese in my quesadillas, and if any of you have noticed the new Kraft cheese with Philadelphia cream cheese in it, that definitely gets a big thumbs-up from my kids!  It is so creamy that the cheese just oozes goodness everywhere.  Need I say more?

On tomorrow’s menu: Cheesy Baked Ziti!

Until next time,
Muncho Mom

Today we enjoyed a family gathering for the holidays.   A bit early, but that’s OK!  When you have a family as large as my husband does, there’s sort of a lot to take into account with everyone’s schedules.  So…Christmas came early today!  And my children rejoiced!!!

Since I have been gone and not actually baking any food myself, I thought I would offer but a small glimpse into the scrumptious offerings that were readily available this weekend.  And did I mention that there was A LOT?!?

First, let’s begin with the soup bar.  My mother-in-law and her sister had prepared numerous soups to feed lots of hungry bellies.  There was potato soup, broccoli and cheese soup, vegetable beef soup, vegetable soup (no meat), and brown beans.  And not just one type of cornbread, but three!  Your traditional cornbread, jalapeno cornbread, AND broccoli cornbread!

Whew, I’m already tired and I haven’t even gotten to the dessert table yet.  Yes, I said TABLE.  There were so many desserts they needed their very own table!  Let’s start with the chocolate cake, which was my favorite.  YUM.  Then there was peanut butter cake, gingerbread cake with lemon sauce, blondies, bread pudding, and a pumpkin roll!  Even my children did not know where to begin!  Trust me, it was mind-boggling!

Of course, there was also the traditional turkey to munch on…but I’m not sure that many of us actually ate any of that!  Oh my goodness, and I’ve forgotten to mention the deviled eggs!  My daughter alone ate four of them!

After all that eating, there is only one thing for certain:  I see a major sweat-inducing workout coming up first thing Monday morning!

Until next time,
Muncho Mom

Question of the day: do you ever eat cauliflower?

I can tell you that for most of my life, the only time I ever ate cauliflower was when it came from a raw veggie tray, along with broccoli and carrots, and gobs of ranch dressing.

Recently, I have discovered another way to eat cauliflower that is quite tasty – roasting it!

Now, the first time I roasted cauliflower it wasn’t quite done and still came out a little crunchy.  But, if you get it just right, it will be tender and firm – which is what you’re going for.   So, today I’m sharing a recipe from the great Emeril Lagasse that I found on the Food Network website.

Oven-Roasted Cauliflower
5 to 6 cups cauliflower florets, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter (from 1 medium cauliflower)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sliced garlic
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
Chopped chives, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Place the cauliflower florets in a large saute pan or a roasting pan. Drizzle the olive oil over the cauliflower, and season with the garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Place the saute/roasting pan in the oven and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure even roasting. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the Parmesan. Garnish with chopped chives and serve immediately while still warm.

I must tell you, tonight was the first time I tried this recipe and it was truly delicious.  My husband gave it a great big thumbs up, and both of my children even ate it.  Definitely worth making again!

I also did a good standby to go along with dinner tonight – corn souffle.  This dish is pure comfort food at its best!  It comes from one of my many church cookbooks.

Corn Souffle
1 can corn, drained
1 can creamstyle corn
1 box Jiffy cornbread mix
1 cup sour cream
1 stick butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Mix all ingredients in large bowl and pour into buttered casserole dish.  Bake for one hour, or until cake tester comes out clean.

One note here about the butter – it does not hurt the dish to use less.  I also use reduced fat sour cream, which makes me feel less guilty after consuming all of that rich goodness!

Besides cauliflower and corn souffle, we also had snow peas with dinner.  And, my husband gleefully said that yes, he would grill some chicken, even though it was only 39 degrees outside.

Sadly, I have no pictures to share tonight.  It was late when I started fixing dinner; therefore, I was in such a tizzy trying to get it on the table fast that I completely forgot to take any.  I will do better next time, I promise!

Did I mention we had snow flurries this morning?

Until next time,
Muncho Mom

With the nasty weather we’re having, this was the perfect day to spend in the kitchen!  I finally made another batch of those tasty granola bites (http://www.anotherlunch.com/2010/05/recipe-chocolate-chip-granola-bites.html), since I didn’t get to last week when my daughter was sick.  Boy, have I missed them!  They are the perfect snack when you’re on the go.

I also tried a new recipe from The Martha Stewart Cookbook for Cranberry-Orange Muffins.  I’ve been wanting to make them for some time, but was waiting until the fresh cranberries went on sale.  And….this week they finally did!  So, here’s the recipe:

Cranberry-Orange Muffins
(makes 60 1 1/4-inch muffins)
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter
1 egg, beaten
Grated zest of 1 orange
3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Generously butter or spray with vegetable cooking spray the muffin cups or tins you will be using.

Sift the dry ingredients together into a large bowl.  Using a pastry blender, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is crumbly.  Add the egg, orange zest, and orange juice, and stir by hand just until evenly moistened.  Fold in the cranberries.

Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared muffin tins and bake until done, approximately 20 minutes.

I should say that although this is a muffin recipe, I actually poured all the batter into a loaf pan to make a loaf of Cranberry-Orange Bread!  The youth at our church are having a bake sale this Sunday, and I believe it will be much easier to take one simple loaf of bread as opposed to 60 mini-muffins.  I did, however, make several mini-muffins with some of the batter, just because I was dying to try one!  They are very good.  The muffins came out moist and flavorful.  Definitely worth making again!

Anyways, here’s a picture of the batter just before I put it in the oven:

And, a picture when it came out:

Since I spent quite a bit of time in the kitchen today, I kept it simple for dinner by making a pot of chili out of some leftover taco meat from Sunday.  Throw in a couple cans of beans and tomatoes, and you’re good to go!  It’s always nice to have a simple, easy meal when you need one.

Until next time,
Muncho Mom