Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

(picture to come)

This is a definite favorite around my house. The entire family devours it. A few years back when my first child was only one, I went to work one day. When I came home 14 hours later, I asked my husband what the baby had eaten all day. He said pumpkin bread. I said, what else? He replied that the baby had eaten pumpkin bread all day because that is all that he asked to eat. I learned early on that all I need to worry about while I'm working is that the kids are happy and taken care of. I just let it go, but recommended that next time he could throw in some fruit & vegies.

I like to add applesauce in place of half of the oil and substitute whole wheat flour for the all purpose (use whatever quantity you like, I usually do at least half to three fourths whole wheat).

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

5 eggs, well beaten

3 cups sugar

2 1/2 cups canned pumpkin

2 cups oil

4 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

4 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 1/2 tsp cloves

1 tsp ground ginger

1 1/4 cups milk chocolate chips

Cream eggs and sugar. Add pumpkin and oil. Add dry ingredients slowly and combine thoroughly. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour into 4 greased and floured (9 x 5 inch) pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until knife inserted in center of loaf comes out clean.

Wild Rice and Chicken Casserole

I always love the idea of casseroles, but don't usually love the outcome. This, however, is a delicious casserole! I saw a recipe on another blog and made some modifications. I'm a big fan of wild rice (and so are my kids, as soon as they taste it and remember that "black rice" is good). I also love that you make your own sauce, instead of opening a can. Granted, I dirtied quite a few pots and pans to make this, but I think it was well worth it. I split the recipe in half, making one serving for tonight's dinner and putting the other half in the freezer for a meal in the future. Since it does use a few pans, I think next time I'll double it and make 4 meals! Hope you enjoy!

WILD RICE & CHICKEN CASSEROLE

3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
3 stalks celery, finely diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
4 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
1 cup brown rice
1 (6 ounce) box wild rice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

For the sauce:
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups grated cheddar cheese

extra cheese for topping


In a large pot, combine wild rice, brown rice, and 4 1/2 cups of water. Bring to a boil and let simmer about 45-50 minutes until rice is done. Cook chicken breasts if necessary (I cook mine in chicken broth with a little bit of dried onion added).

Heat oil in a large skillet or pot. Saute onion, celery, and carrots until softened. Stir in chicken, rice, and seasonings.

In a separate pot, melt butter. Whisk in flour, salt, and pepper (it will look like a thick paste). Cook for about 30 seconds, then slowly add chicken broth. Continue to stir until the mixture thickens and is almost boiling. Add cheese and stir until melted. Add to chicken & rice mixture then transfer to a 9x13 baking dish (I divided it into 2 8x8 pans). Top with a little extra grated cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

Zucchini Carrot Pineapple Bread

This is a recipe that I found at my Grandma's house when I was a teenager. I made it for her, and she loved it. It's the perfect zucchini bread....moist and delicious instead of dry and boring. I love the addition of the carrots and pineapple. I'll post the original recipe with the modifications I make in parenthesis. My son begs me to make this for him whenever he sees the word zucchini!


Zucchini Carrot Pineapple Bread

3 eggs
1 cup oil (I use 1/2 cup oil and 1/2 cup applesauce)
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups grated zucchini
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
3/4 cup grated carrot
3 cups flour (I use 2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour, 3/4 cups all purpose)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional - I leave them out)
1/2 cup raisins (optional - I usually leave them out too)

Beat together eggs, oil, sugar, and vanilla. Stir in grated zucchini, crushed pineapple, and grated carrot. Mix together flour, soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add to wet ingredients and stir until moistened. Gently fold in nuts and raisins, if desired. Pour into greased and floured loaf pans (filling 1/2 to 2/3 full) and bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Baked Brownies

Do not let the typical appearance of this brownie fool you. These are SERIOUSLY delicious brownies. With 11 ounces of melted chocolate, how could they not be? Now, I've never really met a brownie that I didn't like, but these ones are so good that I have to cut up and freeze half of the batch (after we devour the first half) so that I won't eat a half a pan of brownies by myself while the kids are at school!

Enjoy!


Baked Brownies (adapted from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking)

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons dark unsweetened cocoa powder
11 ounces dark chocolate (60 to 72% cacao), coarsely chopped
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder (I leave this out)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
5 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter the sides and bottom of a 9x13" baking pan (I use Pam spray). In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and cocoa powder.

Put the chocolate, butter, and instant espresso powder in a large bowl and set it over a saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth. Turn off the heat, but keep the bowl over the water and add the sugars. Whisk until completely combined, then remove the bowl from the pan. The mixture should be room temperature. (I just put the butter and chocolate in a glass bowl and microwave. Just be sure to not overdo it. It sometimes looks like it needs more time but when you stir it the rest of the chocolate will melt. As soon as the mixture is melted, I whisk in the sugars).

Add 3 eggs to the chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Add the remaining eggs and whisk until combined. Add the vanilla and stir until combined. Do not overbeat the batter at this stage or your brownies will be cakey.

Sprinkle the flour mixture over the chocolate mixture. Using a spatula (not a whisk), fold the flour mixture into the chocolate until just a bit of the flour mixture is visible. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth the top. Bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs sticking to it. Let the brownies cool completely, then cut them into squares and serve.

Will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days when tightly covered with plastic wrap. I like to individually wrap and then freeze (it helps my willpower and they're also great right from the freezer!).


PS - If you're looking for a good baking chocolate, this is what I like to use. The price and quality are both great. Merckens Bittersweet Chocolate

Cranberry Oatmeal Jumbles

These might be the perfect cookie. They have the perfect combination of ingredients. Everyone I've made them for loves them...and I'm sure you will too.

Cranberry Oatmeal Jumbles (adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine)

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 Tbs. light corn syrup
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cake flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1/2 cup rolled oats (old-fashioned, not quick-cooking)
1/2 cup pecan pieces (or coarsely chopped pecan halves), lightly toasted
1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes, lightly toasted
3-1/2 oz. good-quality white chocolate, coarsely chopped

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment or spray with nonstick cooking spray.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and both sugars until light and fluffly, about 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl. Add the egg, corn syrup, and vanilla; beat for 1 minute on medium speed. Mix in half the all-purpose flour on low speed until combined, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Scrape the bowl. Briefly mix in the remaining half of the all-purpose flour. Sprinkle the cake flour, baking soda, and salt into the bowl and beat on low speed until well blended. With a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, stir in cranberries, oats, pecans, coconut, and white chocolate.

Drop cookie dough onto baking sheets (make whatever size you prefer). Bake until the cookies edges and bottoms are golden and the centers feel dry on the surface but still soft inside (about 10-12 minutes).