Pumpkin Dip and Ginger Cookies

This is probably one of my favorite fall recipes.  Pumpkin Dip served with Green Apple Slices and Homemade Ginger Cookies.  You can always replace the Ginger Cookies with some store bought Gingersnaps. 

Pumpkin Dip

Ingredients

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 (15 ounce) can solid pack pumpkin
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon frozen orange juice concentrate

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, blend cream cheese and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Gradually mix in the pumpkin. Stir in the cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and orange juice until smooth and well blended. Chill until serving.

Ginger Cookies

Ingredients

• 2/3  cup  plus 3 tablespoons sugar, divided
• 1/4  cup  plus 2 tablespoons stick margarine, softened
• 1/4  cup  molasses
• 1  large egg
• 2  cups  all-purpose flour
• 2  teaspoons  baking soda
• 1  teaspoon  ground ginger
• 1  teaspoon  ground cinnamon
• 1/2  teaspoon  ground mace
• Cooking spray

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.
Beat 2/3 cup sugar and margarine at medium speed of a mixer until well-blended. Add molasses and egg; beat well.
Combine flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and mace; gradually add to sugar mixture. Stir until well-blended. Divide in half. Wrap each portion in plastic wrap; freeze for 30 minutes.
Shape each portion of dough into 26 (1-inch) balls; roll in 3 tablespoons sugar. Place, 2 inches apart, on baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from sheets; let cool on wire racks. Store in an airtight container.

Blizzard Party Mix

I normally make caramel corn for Halloween, but my family never eats it.  I end up being left to eat what I can and then toss the rest.  This year I decided to forgo the caramel corn and make this party mix instead and the family definately helped eat it!!

Blizzard Party Mix

2 cups Rice Chex cereal
2 cups small pretzel twists
1 cup dry roasted peanuts
1 cup (about 20) coarsely chopped caramels
2 cups (12-ounce package) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Premier White Morsels

1. Spray 13 x 9-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Combine cereal, pretzels, peanuts and caramels in large bowl.
3. Microwave morsels in medium, microwave-safe bowl on MEDIUM-HIGH (70%) power for 1 minute; stir. Microwave at additional 10- to 20-second intervals, stirring until smooth. Pour over cereal mixture; stir to coat evenly.
4. Spread mixture into prepared baking pan; let stand for 20 to 30 minutes or until firm. Break into bite-size pieces.

Makes 8 servings.

Seafood Pasta

Ok ... this is not "totally healthy" -- but it does have seafood (good for your right?) and I made a few changes to make it a little healthier than the recipe. The original recipe can be found HERE .

Here are my changes :

Instead of 1c heavy cream : 1/2 cup half&half + 1/2 cup skim milk w/ cornstartch
Instead of regular pene : I used Whole wheat "no-yolk" noddles
Instead of 1/4 c butter : I used 3 Tbs (one Tbs less)
Instead of white pepper : I used black (don't have white)
I skipped the parsley - didn't have it.

Chicken/Asparagus/Pesto Pasta

First off this is EASY!! And my whole family loves this!!

1lb of chicken cut into chunks (sometimes I use less chicken for the 3 of us)

1 bundle of asparagus cut into pieces

1/2-1 box whole wheat pasta

1/2 jar (or fresh) pesto

1/4 c fresh parm cheese

olive oil

basil

garlic (powder or fresh minced)

Cook your pasta according to directions. Take chicken chunks & put drizzle of oil & dash of salt/pepper/garlic & basil over & toss. Put on cookie sheet & broil for 10 minutes. Add asparagus & drizzle & add spices again (if needed). Broil about 10 more minutes. Drain pasta & add back to pan. Remove chicken & asparagus from oven & add to pasta. Add pesto & toss. Top with cheese & serve.

"Healthy" Bean & Mushroom Burrito

This recipe is a mix of one I found on the Internet searching for "organic recipes" and some changes I made on my own. It was good. (and YAY! I got to eat beans!! - Mike had to work until 11pm, so I treated myself - and Anne Marie - to a "healthy-Taco-Bell" option from home) Please realize there is NO EXACT MEASUREMENTS -- these are guesses & it depends on how many people you're serving!! It was just two of us!

whole wheat tortillas

organic re-fried beans (you can use w/ chili's, but we did not)

chopped peppers (you can use jalapeno, but we used red pepper to keep the "heat" down)

chopped onion

portabella mushrooms chopped

tomatoes chopped

avocado chopped

shredded cheese (we used white-sharp-cheddar)

sprouts (we used broccoli sprouts)
cumin

cheyenne powder or chili powder (I used cheyenne)

salt

olive oil

* In sauce pan put in olive oil & add onions - cook until tender. Add chopped pepper & chopped mushrooms. Cook a few more minutes until those are tender. Add re-fried beans (depending on how many people you're serving). Heat through. Add cumin, chili-powder (or cheyenne) & salt. Stir well. Add to whole wheat tortillas & top w/ cheese, tomatoes, sprouts & avocado. Wrap like burrito & serve!

Potato & Corn Chowder

Not my picture -- my mother came over for dinner & I did not have time to take a picture of ours, but I have to say it looks fairly close to this picture!!

3-4 slices apple-wood bacon (I used organic hickory smoke)

1 1/2 diced onion

1 tsp fresh thyme (I used dried)

3 garlic cloves minced

4 cups fresh corn (I used organic frozen & thawed it)

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup 2% milk (I used skim - so I added a little corn-starch to it)

1/2 cup 1/2 & 1/2 (I used the lighter version)

10 oz of fingerling potatoes sliced (I used golden organics & cut in slices in 1/2)

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Cook bacon in large dutch over or soup pot. Cook until well done & take out & crumble & set aside. Then cook diced onion in bacon "juice" until tender & caramelized. Add garlic, thyme and then corn to pan & cook for about 1 minute stirring regularly. Put in milks, broth & potatoes. Bring to a simmer & cook until potatoes are tender (not mushy --- about 10 minutes or so).

Then, take about 2 cups out - place in blender (make sure the lid has air hole & is not airtight or the heat will blow lid off blender!!!!!) Blend until mix is smooth. Return to soup pan & add salt & pepper. Let simmer on low for a bit longer to thicken.

Serve in bowls w/ crumbled bacon & extra fresh thyme on top.

"Ya'll" are yummy cooks!!

Ok -- I just had to say that I've now made :

1. Spaghetti squash
2. Chicken & Artichoke "open face sandwiches" (that's our new word for them)
3. Roasted Cauliflower

These were all Y-U-M-M-Y!!

Just in case anyone was wondering if these things are helping out w/ daily dinners -- they sure are in my house -- and now we have some new "fav's" to keep in our recipe book!!

Love,
Melissa

Honey Mustard Salmon

4 (4oz) salmon steaks (I used a full pound fillett)

1 TB lemon juice

Cooking spray

1/4 c Dijion mustard

3 TB honey

2 TB low-fat plain yogurt

Brush salmon w/ lemon juice. Spray grill w/ cooking spray & heat to medium heat. Place salmon on rack & grill uncovered for about 6 minutes on each side. (Until flaky w/ fork)

Combine dijion mustard, honey & yogurt in bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Spoon sauce over salmon when ready to eat.

***** NOTE : I used a WHOLE pound filet -- that is why my fish is so "ugly" -- it's been cut up, I should have asked for the seafood-man to cut it for me, but since it was just us it was easier to just leave it in a whole filet. ******

** This is a photo of a photo from the cook-book. I didn't take a picture before we ate & ALL of it was gone before I knew it. Anne Marie & Mike had 2nds - so I guess it was well liked**

Thai Chicken Barbecue

1/4 c firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 c low-sodium soy sauce

1 TB fresh lime-juice

3 cloves of garlic - minced

1/2 tsp dried crushed red pepper (and it did NOT make it too hot!!)

1/2 tsp curry powder (I used red becuase it's what I had - green would be good too)

2 lbs (about) chicken parts -- I used skinless-boneless thighs

Combine 1st 6 ingredients in a large zip-lock bag. Add chicken piecees - shake & marinate in the refrigerator at least 4 hours - turn bag occasionally if you can.

Remove hicken from marinade, reserving marinade - place into saucepan & bring to a "good boil". Remove from heat.

Coat grill rack w/ cooking apray. Turn gril to med. heat. Grill meat uncovered for about 20 - 25 minutes while cooking make sure you turn & baste w/ marinade.

**** Just a side note - the curry & pepper makes it sounds like it's hot, however it was NOT too hot for Anne Marie - so no worries!!! ****