Diane’s Easy & Scrumptious Pumpkin Pie

TMF Readers, with the holidays quickly approaching, I wanted to give you a few really quick recipes that will make your life in the kitchen so much easier. 

One of my great childhood memories is that of a good piece of pumpkin pie.  Needless to say, I have been indulging already by getting a jump start on my baking.  Below is my fool-proof pumpkin pie recipe.  It is lovely, quick and yummy.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 frozen pie shell (or you can make your own crust if you dare venture)
1 – 16 oz can of pureed pumpkin
1 – 14 oz can of sweet & condensed milk
(you can also use evaporated milk plus 1 cup of sugar if you don’t want to use sweet & condensed milk, but I like my pie more luscious)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice (or, you can substitute with 1/4 teaspoon of ground cloves, 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon of ginger and 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon).

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Beat eggs, add pumpkin, sweet & condensed milk and spices and beat until smooth.  Pour batter into pie shell and bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.  Reduce the heat down to 350 degrees and cook for an additional 35-40 minutes.  Allow to completely cool on a baking rack and serve with whipped cream. 

Happy Holidays!

Autumn – The Time for Harvest

“Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.” ~George Eliot

The above quote describes the way I feel about Autumn precisely.  If I could live in a perfect world it would be Autumn all year long.  During the time that Fall is marking the transition between summer into winter, my mind immediately takes me to the comfort of warm stews, crockpot slow cooking, crisp weather and walks in the park with crunchy leaves under my feet.  It takes me to the roads that travel the little country towns outside of my city and nestling in my own imagination what life was like in my grandparents generation during this time of year.  It’s about sitting at my son’s outdoor soccer games wrapped up in my blanket with my hot chocolate in one hand and cheering him on with the other.  Needless to say, Autumn is my favorite time of the year.  I am not sure why this season is so relevant for me to reminisce about my growing up, etc., but it really is a feel-good season for me.

As I mentioned above, a big part of my joy during this time of year is my love for cooking.  With that, in this post, I wanted to share with our readers one of my favorite Autumn/Fall recipes.  I hope you try it and enjoy!  Feel free to swing back to me and let me know how it worked for you.

Diane’s Smoked Sausage & Cabbage Stew

Ingredients:

1 head of green cabbage
6  potatoes peeled and quartered
1 small onion
2 packages smoked sausage
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon of margarine or butter
1-1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Dice or slice sausage in quarter inch pieces and place  in a pot.  Cover with water and add garlic, salt and pepper.  Simmer on medium heat until cooked through.  Remove sausage and set to side.  Keep water in the pot and set to the side.  Cut up cabbage and potatoes and add to water along with margarine or butter.  Place sausage back on top and cover until cabbage and potatoes are fork tender.  Serves 4.

Enjoy!

Easy Thin Crust Pepperoni Pizza

I don’t know about you, but for me, heading out of Spring and into Summer is reason alone to look for easy, quick-fix meals for busy families like mine.  I originally saw this recipe in one of my favorite magazines “All You” and I use it all the time so I had to pass it along to our readers.  It’s not only good for saving you time, but more importantly, money saving as well.  So, ditch the  expensive pizzas and delivery fees and throw one of these quick pizzas in the oven.  It’s sure to please!

Prep: 5 min.:  Bake: 12 min.
Cost per serving: $2.10
Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 10-inch flour tortillas
1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
40 slices turkey pepperoni
8 ounces shredded part-skim mozzarella
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 500ºF. Mist both sides of 2 tortillas with cooking spray. Place tortillas on a baking sheet, top with half of tomatoes, pepperoni and cheese; bake on top rack for 3 minutes. Move to bottom rack and bake until tortillas are puffed and browned around edges, about 3 minutes longer. Sprinkle with half of basil.

2. While first two pizzas are baking, assemble remaining two pizzas on another baking sheet. Bake as directed above, sprinkle with remaining basil, and serve immediately.

Creamy Chicken & Noodles

I can honestly say I associate this dish with my years as a single mother with  a little tiny budget and two hungry boys to feed.  This recipe goes a long way, feeds and satisfies hungry tummies.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1  10.75 ounce can of Cream of Chicken soup
1/2 cup of milk
a pinch or two of salt and pepper
1/3 cup grated cheese
2 cups cubed chicken or turkey (cooked)
3 cups cooked medium egg noddles.

Directions:

Mix soup, milk, black pepper, cheese, chicken and noodles in a saucepan or crock pot.  Heat through and garnish with parsley.

Bon Appetite,
Diane

Diane’s Shepherd’s Pie

TMF Readers, today, for some reason, I have been doing a lot of reflecting.  Reflecting on my childhood and my grandparents and for some odd reason, one thing I could not stop thinking about was the food that I remember being prepared in my mom’s kitchen.  My mom was a single mother from the time I was 10 until the time I was out of high school.  She worked long, hard hours and didn’t make much  money.  We lived on a strict budget but us kids never missed a meal.  She cooked the best she knew how and today, I want to share my “kicked up” version of her Shepherd’s Pie.   I changed it around a bit in order to spruce it up a bit and I actually prepared it tonight for my  mom.   By the way, she loved it and so did my children and husband.  I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

12 potatoes peeled and cut into quarters
3 large cloves of garlic
1-1/2 pounds of ground beef
2 Tbsp. flour
2 Tbsp. Ketchup
3/4 cup of beef broth
3 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed
1 cup of sour cream
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions:

Boil potatoes and garlic in boiling water until tender.  Brown ground beef, stir in flour and cook 1 minute.  Add mixed vegetables, broth and ketchup.  Cook 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Heat oven to 350 degrees; drain potatoes, return to pan.  Add sour cream; mash until potatoes are smooth and mixture is well blended. 

Put meat mixture into a 10×13 inch glass pan; cover with potatoes.  Bake for 15 minute sand then top with remaining cheese and bake until cheese is melted. 

Enjoy!

Romantic Stay At Home Meal

Who says you have to go out to have a romatic meal with your spouse?  Stay at home and make this Honey-Soy Skillet Chicken and I am promising you will get not just rave reviews, but a little something something on the side too.   Everyone who knows me knows I love to cook.  I have a wealth of my own recipes and some, like this one, that I store in my numerous, highly organized file boxes in my garage of different food magazines, etc.  This yummy recipe is an original from Woman’s Day’s March 8, 2005 issue.   Enjoy!

Using a whole chicken and pantry staples keeps the cost down, but when a dish is this delish—with its thick cinnamon, honey and ginger sauce—money will be the last thing on your mind!

Active Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Recipe Ingredients

1 quartered chicken (about 4 lb)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
1 Tbsp oil
1 cup chopped onion
1 Tbsp each chopped garlic and fresh ginger
2 cinnamon sticks (about 3 1/2 in. each)
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup each lite soy sauce and water

Garnish: scallions.  Serve with: short-grain white (sushi) rice, diced mango

Recipe Preparation

1. Grasp chicken skin with a paper towel and pull off. Remove visible fat with kitchen scissors or a sharp knife.

2. Mix flour, salt and pepper in a gallon-size plastic food bag. Add chicken a few pieces at a time, close bag and shake to coat chicken evenly.

3. Heat oil in a deep 12-in. nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and cook, turning once, 10 minutes or until golden. Remove chicken to a platter.

4. Add onion to skillet; sauté 3 minutes until golden. Add garlic, ginger and cinnamon sticks; sauté until fragrant. Add honey, soy sauce and water. Stir until honey dissolves. Add chicken, bring to a simmer, cover and cook, turning chicken occasionally, 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Garnish with scallions.  Serve with rice mixed with diced mango.

Valentine Krispy Kisses With The Kids

  Everyone knows that Valentine’s Day is for lovers but we here at Today’s Modern Family didn’t want to leave out the kids that mean so much to us on Valentine’s Day so I thought I would inject a little bit of fun that I often share with my two younger children.   It’s a fun little project and one that will create a special memory with your kids and plus…who in the world doesn’t like Krispy Treats?   Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 food or oil funnel (can be found at any dollar store or in the houseware section of your local store)
3 Tablespoons butter or margarine
1 package (10 oz., about 40) regular marshmallows
- OR -
4 cups miniature marshmallows
6 cups Krispy Rice cereal
Food coloring (optional)

Directions:

1. In large saucepan melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.

2. Add cereal. Stir until well coated.  Stir in food coloring (optional).

3. Use funnel and press krispies into the funnel and pull mold off. 

4.  Wrap in plastic wrap and then in tin foil and place a strip of tissue paper (cut thinly) with your favorite message written on the paper and  wrap foil around part of the paper to give the krispy that special Kiss look.

Have fun making memories!

Diane

9 Things Your Grocer Won’t Tell You

I read Women’s Day Magazine both in print monthly and on-line religiously.  Today, I saw this great article by Amanda Greene and I had to share it in its entirety with our readers.  In this article are some very helpful hints when grocery shopping and if you have a big family like I do, they will come in handy.  You can  find this article posted on November 19, 2010 at www.womansday.com   Enjoy!

Despite spending nearly an hour a week grocery shopping, most of us know surprisingly little about our local supermarket. But there’s plenty to learn about buying food. We spoke with experts to get the inside scoop on everything from smart saving strategies to spotting the freshest goods. Read on to discover all the things you probably didn’t know about your favorite food store.

1. There’s no one “best time” to find the freshest food.  “Supermarkets used to get food deliveries once or twice a week, but now most stores are getting shipments every day,” says Phil Lempert (a.k.a. the Supermarket Guru), a food trends, safety and consumer shopping expert. “The idea that certain items are going to be fresher on certain days doesn’t hold true anymore.” He does, however, note that no matter what day you shop, the morning is an ideal time to find the freshest produce and dairy products. Stock is replenished from the previous day first thing in the morning (besides, the milk case has only been covered in a refrigeration blanket overnight).

2. Be wary of a tiny fruit display. If you’re looking for the freshest fruit, head to a supermarket with a bountiful produce display. “The size of a display can tell you a lot about the store,” says Dan Glickberg, vice president of Fairway Market. “Fairway stores have massive produce displays, and we’re able to have them because we sell through our products quickly and are able to put more on display. If you see smaller setups, the store most likely doesn’t go through its produce as quickly”-which means, of course, that it’s been sitting on that display for longer.

3. Traditional low-cost superstores won’t always offer the best deals. Think you’ll always find lower prices at your Walmart Supercenter versus the more expensive Stop & Shop? Think again. According to Teri Gault, CEO and founder of The Grocery Game and author of Shop Smart, Save More, everyday low-pricing stores like Walmart, Winn-Dixie and Food Lion won’t necessarily serve up the best deals. “You won’t find me shopping at those stores when I’m on the hunt for the best deals,” she says. “Higher-end supermarkets often offer sale prices that, if you use coupons wisely, will dip lower than those at everyday low-pricing stores.”

4. Wash your hands after shopping. Supermarkets are a great place to pick up a whole lot of germs. According to Andy Kielbania, chief scientist at BioNeutral Group, Inc., the push handles on shopping carts are a prime area for bacteria. “People who are sick will almost certainly have illness-breeding germs on their hands from coughing, sneezing or wiping a runny nose,” he warns. “And the moisture and body oils on the shopping cart handle create an inviting place for germs to grow.” The lesson? Take advantage of in-store wipes if they’re offered, and be extra-sure to wash or sanitize your hands after a trip to the store and before handling food.

5. Give that exotic fruit you’re buying more than a once-over. According to Lempert, the average produce department now has almost 400 different items. “Obviously apples, oranges and bananas sell a lot faster than, say, a cherimoya,” he says. “Typically the standard fruits and veggies are going to move faster, which means they’ll be replenished more quickly.” So if you’re picking up a more unusual item, take the time to smell it, feel it and, when in doubt, ask the produce manager questions, because there’s a chance it’s been sitting out for longer than usual.

6. If you want a deal, don’t look at the price tag.  Instead, check out the cost-per-unit label on the shelf, which will reveal the true value of each product, advises Gault. This tactic is especially helpful when you’re deciding between a few different sizes of the same item, like toilet paper or cereal. “People always assume they’ll save the most if they buy the biggest size,” she says. “But if you look at the cost per unit, often the middle size will offer the best value.” However, if you’re using coupons, chances are the smallest version will actually score you more savings, so be sure to take a few extra minutes to do the math.

7. Take a second look at those fancy displays at the end of the aisle. Often those grand displays that appear as you round the corner to the next aisle are merely that: grand displays. “People believe that because the items are piled high and beautifully arranged, there’s a deal happening,” says Lempert. But there’s only a sale about half of the time, so be sure to read the signs carefully before you start loading the goods into your shopping cart.

8. We’re nice to friendly and loyal customers. “My dad always used to tease my mom that she was having an affair with the butcher because she always got such good deals on meat,” says Gault. “But she taught me that it really pays to make friends with him.” A good relationship with the people who work at your grocery store-especially the butcher or employees who work in the bakery-can score you deals. Gault says she’s had the bakery mark down pies with the next day’s sell-by date on them just by asking. But keep in mind that independent or independently owned stores are the most likely to cut you deals like this.

9. In some cases you may as well bypass the fishmonger for the freezer section. A lot of fish comes to the U.S. from overseas, so it’s already been frozen or stored on ice by the time it’s landed in your grocery store’s fish section, says Lempert. He recommends checking the display signs for the words “previously frozen,” and if you see that, you may as well purchase a version from the freezer section. “In the frozen department, that product was packed at the peak of freshness, plus you’re going to save about 40 percent.”

Delicious Nutella Recipes

Nutella is a hazelnut with a hint of cocoa spread that was made popular in Europe but has since made its way to the U.S. Now it seems as if people can’t get enough of Nutella and many have come up with all kinds of recipes using the spread. Below are a few that I plan to try really soon!

Nutella Wontons

These sound so yummy! Just place a dollup of nutella on a wonton wrapper along with a strawberry slice and fry it up. You can also add some powdered sugar for extra sweetness.

Nutella Croissants

Using Pilsbury crescent rolls and a little nutella you can make another tasty nutella treat! All you have to do is bake the nutella right in the center of the crescent roll and voila!

Nutella Crepes

Nutella Smores

We’ve all had that chocolatey graham cracker and marshmallow goodness called smores before. Next time you decide to indulge in this tasty treat, switch it up a bit and replace that Hersey’s chocolate bar with a bit of nutella and enjoy!

Nutella Stuffed French Toast

The next time you decide to have french toast for breakfast consider stuffing it with a little nutella to make it really unforgettable.

Tips for The Modern Kitchen

We have all been in need at one time or another for some good tips to help the age old problems like dripping ice cream cones or the smell fish leaves behind after cooking. The following are some great tips to help you navigate:

1.  Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugar cone  to prevent ice cream drips.

2.  Use a meat baster to “squeeze” your pancake batter onto the hot griddle for perfect shaped pancakes.

3.  To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes.

4.  To prevent egg shells from cracking, add a pinch of salt to the water before hard-boiling.

5.  When a cake recipe calls for flouring the baking pan, use a bit of the dry cake mix instead to prevent white mess on the outside of a chocolate cake (for example).

6.  Don’t throw out all that leftover wine:  Freeze it into ice cubes for future use in casseroles and sauces.

7.  To remove stuck on burnt food food from your pots and pans, add a drop or two of dish soap and enough water to cover the bottom of the pan.  Bring it to a boil on the stove and it will be much easier to clean.

8.  If you accidentally over-salt a dish while it’s still cooking, drop in a peeled-potato.  It absorbs the excess salt.

9.  Place a slice of an apple in hardened brown sugar to soften it back up.

10. Got a lemon that is hard to squeeze?  Zap it in the microwave for 10 seconds and roll on the counter to get the juices flowing before cutting.

11.  Just fried fish?  Place a bowl of vinegar on your stove-top after you’re done cleaning.  It will absorb the fish smell in the air.

12.  Need to get the grime out of your microwave?  Place a bowl of hot water and microwave it for 5 minutes.  The steamy water loosens up all the gunk and makes it easy to wipe out.

TMF Readers, do you have some great Modern Kitchen tips you would like to add?  Feel free to comment and pass along your helpful hints!

Blessings,
Di

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