Curried Pumpkin Soup

The kids love this and ask for it often

Curried Pumpkin Soup

1 7-8 lb pumpkin

3  141/2 oz cans chicken broth

2 baking apples, peeled, cored and coarsely chopped

1 carrot, chopped

 2 tsp. grated gingerroot

1 tsp curry powder

 1/2 tsp ground cumin

6 slices bacon

 1/4 cup chopped onion

2 TBSP sugar

1 cup croutons

With a large sharp knife, slice off the top fourth of the pumpkin and set it aside. Scoop out the seeds and stringy pulp. Replace the top of the pumpkin.

Place the pumpkin in a 15x10x1 inch baking pan. Bake in a 375* oven for 50-60 minutes or until you can easily scoop out the pumpkin flesh. (The pumpkin will not be tender at this point.) Cool the pumpkin slightly for easier handling.

Scoop out and reserve the pumpkin flesh, leaving the pumpkin walls abaout 3/4 inch thick. Cut the flesh into chunks (you should have about 4 cups). Do not remove any flesh from the bottom of the shell. Discard the pumpking top.

In a large pot, combine the 4 cups of pumpkin flesh, broth, apples, carrot, gingerroot, curry powder, and cumin. Bring the pot to boiling' reduce heat. cover; simmer for 10-12 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

Cool slightly. Blend or process the mixture, one-third at a time, in a blender or food processor until smooth. Place the pumpkin shell in a 3-quart casserole. (If you'll remove the pumpkin from the casserole before serving, line the casserole with a double thickness of heavy foil to help lift the pumpkin out.) Ladle the soup into the shell. Bake, uncovered, in a 375* oven for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a skillet, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove and drain the bacon, reserving 1 TBSP of the drippings in the skillet.

Cook the onion and sugar in the drippings until the onion is tender. Finely crumble the bacon. Stir the bacon and croutons into the skillet. Sprinkle the bacon mixture over the soup in the pumpkin shell.

Ladle the soup into bowls to serve.

Makes 8-10 side-dish servings (about 8 cups)

I use honey instead of sugar

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Kicken Craisen Cookies

This recipe comes from culinary mystery series that I help out in the test kitchen. The series is written by Josi Kilpack and can be purchased here. This recipe comes from book 4, Key Lime Pie and is my favorite of all the recipies we have made so far.

Kicken Craisen Cookies

Preheat oven to 400* F

Ingredients:
1 cup butter                                        1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar                            2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla                                       2 cups flour
2 1/2 cups quick oats                       1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder                         1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cloves                                   1/2 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon                                 dash of cayenne pepper
1 1/2 cup craisens                            1 1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugars. Add eggs & vanilla till well combined. Add all dry ingredients and mix well. Add craisens, chocolate chips and nuts, using a wooden spoon to mix (dough will be too thick for most mixers.)

Roll into 1 inch balls, or drop using a cookie scoop, onto an ungreased cookie sheet about two inches apart. Bake 6 minutes or until barely browned- do not over bake.

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Yellow Pineapple Cake

Yellow cake mix

1 can sweet condensed milk

1 can crushed pineapple

Whipped cream or cool whip



Bake Yellolw cake in 9x13 pan



Cool for a couple of minutes



Poke holes with a fork



Pour sweet condensed milk over cake



cool



Put can of crushed pineapple on top- juice and all



Put whipped cream and coconut on top



Let sit overnight or at least 4 hours before serving



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Eat Well, Live Well

Tuna Cheese Spread

6 oz cream cheese

6 1/2 oz can tuna, drained

3-4 Tbps mayonnaise

1/2- 1 Tbsp lemon juice

3/4 tsp. curry powder

Dash salt

2 green onions, finely sliced



Let cream cheese soften at room temperature for about 1 hour.

In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, tuna and mayonnaise.



Add lemon juice, curry and salt. Mix to blend well.



Add onions and stir to blend.



Chill for 1 hour for flavors to blend.





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Eat Well, Live Well

Homemade Tortillas

Want to make your own flour tortillas?
Here you go:

4 Cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp shortening
1 1/4 Cup warm water (approximately)

Mix all dry ingredients. Cut shortening into flour mixture. Add water, a little at a time. Dough should be stiff. Knead untilo no longer sticky. Divide dough into small balls. Roll, turning 1/4 way each time until very thin. (Or use a tortilla press)
Brown on both sides on hot, ungreased griddle (12 tortillas)


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Eat Well, Live Well

Grandma Stephenson's Cinnamon Rolls

1 quart scalding milk

2 cup sugar

1 cup shortening

1 cup mashed potatoes

2 eggs

1 tsp soda

3 tsp baking powder

3 tsp salt

2- 3 1/4 oz pkgs yeast

1/4 cup water

1 tsp nutmeg



Mix as for bread.

Let rise 3 times

make into rolls and let raise to double

Bake at 350*F 15-20 minutes



Glaze





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Eat Well, Live Well

Vegetable Dip

1 Cup Sour Cream

1 Cup Mayonaise

2 Tbsp onion flakes

2 tsp beaumonde spice

2 tsp dill weed



Mix together. Let sit at 1 hour before serving.





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Eat Well, Live Well

Cinnamon Twist

1 Tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp yeast

3-3 1/2 Cup flour

1 cube butter, softened

1 1/4 Cup warm water

3 oz pkg egg custard pudding mix



Let yeast set in warm water and sugar for a few minutes. Add other ingredients and knead 12 times or until dough is no longer sticky. divide dough in to 3 equal parts.



Roll 3 layers.



Put sugar, cinnamon, nuts or raisins on each layer. Put layers on pizza pan. Set a glass in the middle. Starting at the glass, cut 16 slits- from glass through to the edge, twist.



Remove glass

Let rise 30 minutes.



Bake at 400* F 12-15 minutes. Glaze



Glaze



Powdered sugar 1/2 cube butter

Enough milk to make runny



Pour over twist while still hot.





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Eat Well, Live Well

Lemonade

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup Lemon juice

3 1/4 cup cold water



Mix and serve over ice



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Eat Well, Live Well

Chicken Biscuit Stew

1/4 cup margarine

1/3 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

Dash pepper

1- 10 3/4 oz can condensed chicken broth

3/4 cup milk

2 cups cubed cooked chicken

1/3 cup chopped onion

1 cup cooked peas drained

1 cup cooked whole baby casrrots drained

1 can (10 bisciuts) Buttermilk or country style biscuits



Heat oven to 375* F. In oven proof 10 inch skillet, melt margarine, blend in flour, salt and pepper. Add chicken broth and milk. cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Add chicken, onion, peas, and carrots. Simmer until hot and bubbly. Separate dough into 10 biscuits. Arrange biscuits over hot chicken mixture. Bake at 375* for 20-25 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown. 5-6 servings.





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Eat Well, Live Well

Taco Burgers

1 lb. ground beef

1 16 oz can tomatoes, cut up

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp worcestershire sauce

3/4 tsp garlic salt

1/2 tsp sugar

1/4 dry mustard

1/2 tsp oregano

taco sauce, such as El Pato sauce, Picante what ever you like best

8 hamburger buns, split and toasted

2 cups shredded lettuce

1 cup shredded cheese



In skillet, brown meat, drain. Add undrained tomatoes, chili powder, worcestershire sauce, garlic salt, sugar, mustard, oregano and taco sauce.



Stir well, breaking up large pieces of tomato. Bring ot boiling, reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes or till thickened.



Sprinkle each of the burgers with shredded lettuce and cheese.



Makes 8 sandwiches



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Eat Well, Live Well

Basic Cake

If you know some basic measurments and ratios, you can make a cake. Then just by adding different spices or flavorings you can get a different type of cake. So here is your basic cake recipe:

2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder for each cup of flour
pinch of salt

Sift dry ingredients together

1/2 as much sugar as flour (in this case it would be 1 cup)

1/2 as much shortening as sugar (in this case 1/2 cup)

Cream shortening and sugar together

1-2 eggs
add to shortening/sugar mixture and beat

Same amount of milk as sugar (this case 1 cup)
add to sugar eggs mix and beat

Slowly add dry ingredients and stir.

Add extract and or spices.*

Bake at 350* for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Baking time will depend on size and shape of pan used.
Be sure to grease and flour pan before pouring batter in.

*Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and vanilla make a great spice cake
*Shredded carrots, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg for a carrot cake. Ice with a cream cheese frosting
*Cocoa powder, vanilla for a chocolate cake
*Orange extract, almond extract, mint extract- use your imagination

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Eat Well, Live Well

For the sake of time

When I make something to share with you here, it takes me twice as long because I have to take a picture before each step, during each step and then after each step. Because I am not a food photographer I sometimes have to take 3 or 4 photos to get a good representation of what it should look like.

Then I started a Masters program and all my spare time got eaten up with projects, papers and reading and as a result I let my cooking go by the wayside.

I got a new microwave to go over my stove and needed to clean out my cook book cupboard. As I sat staring at my pile of books, I was sad that I had let this blog sit idle for so long. Then I had an idea.

Even though I don't have the time to make and photograph and post everything I would like, I can still post all my favorite recipes then come back and add photos later.

Deal?

And if you have any questions or requests, just let me know.



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Eat Well, Live Well