Pumpkin Ravioli

So, there's really no recipe for this. We picked up pumpkin ravioli's from our favorite Italian store Corrado's and added our own homemade tomato sauce and here we are.

The pumpkin with the tomato sauce was an interesting surprise, try it out!

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pie

As promised...

Ingredients:

1 & 1/2 cup of canned pumpkin

2 eggs well beaten

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 tsp. ginger

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

1 & 1/2 cup evaporated milk

Prep:

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees

Recipe:

Prepare your crust, whether you buy a pre-made crust or make your own. Then line a glass pie dish with your crust. Combine all ingredients in a mixer. Pour the batter into the crust and bake for 1 hour. When you take out your pie it may be a little "jiggle". Don't be alarmed, let the pie sit for about 30-35 minutes to set.

Top with some whipped cream or a scoop of fresh vanilla ice cream and as always...

Enjoy!

Sylvan Street

Every year at Christmas a man who lives in a big white house at the end of my block puts up tons of lights and decorations all over his house. My family always complains about it, says it's "tacky" and "over-the-top". Today I found out that he once had a son who died when he was very young, maybe 6 or 7 years old. Every year at Christmas, the man who lives in a big white house at the end of my block puts up tons of lights and decorations all over his house so his son can see the lights from heaven.

No matter how crazy my family is, stories like these remind me just how lucky I am to have them.

*I promise no more sappy stories! I just had to share this with you!! Pumpkin pie recipe up next!

Peppermint Bark

Should we pay $24.00 for a box of peppermint bark? Try this recipe instead! ;0)

Ingredients:

1 package (12 oz.s) of semi-sweet chocolate (we used Ghirardelli but Nestle works just as well)

1 package (12oz.s) of white chocolate

6 crushed candy canes

Prep:

Line 1/4 of cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Using a double boiler, melt semi-sweet chocolate. Pour semi-sweet onto prepared cookie sheet. Place sheet in refrigerator for 5 minutes to set. Using double boiler, melt white-chocolate. Pour white chocolate on top of the semi-sweet and spread it evenly. Then sprinkle crushed candy cane onto the mixture, gently press the candy cane into the mixture so it will set. Place tray in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Once completely chilled, break apart into chunks with your hands!

Enjoy!

*This is the perfect "nosh" to bring to a holiday party or to sprinkle on top of your coffee in the morning!

Not Your Mama's Mac n Cheese

Ok. So I have this thing with Mac & Cheese and my Mom HATES it about me. I can't stand homemade Mac & Cheese. Whenever she makes her homemade Mac & Cheese I always make a Kraft blue box on the side...

This recipe is really really tasty though!

Give it a whirl!

Ingredients:

Salt

1 pound elbow pasta

4 cups skim milk

2 sprigs fresh thyme

3 garlic cloves minced

3 tablespoons flour

4 ounces pepper jack cheese grated

4 ounces sharp cheddar grated

6 slices bacon

2 tablespoons butter

1 to 2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce

Prep:

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare one large baking dish with cooking spray. (or 4 small for individual servings)

Recipe:

In a large pot cook elbows until al dente about 5 minutes. Drain elbows and set aside. Bring pot back to burner on medium high and cook bacon until crisp. Drain bacon on paper towels and set aside. Add 2 tablespoon butter to bacon drippings and add thyme leaves and garlic, cook for 2 minutes. Add flour and stir for 2 minutes. Add 3 cups of milk and stir with whisk cook until thick and bubbly. Add remainder of milk 1/4 cup at the time if needed. Add cheese's and stir until combined. Stir in Tabasco sauce. One teaspoon for a kick, 2 teaspoons for a punch. Add elbows to cheese mixture and stir until combined. Place elbows in baking dish and top with crumbled bacon. Bake until sides bubble about 25 minutes.

Enjoy!

Crostini with Gorgonzola, Carmelized Onions, and Fig Jam

We adapted this recipe also from "The Best of Cooking Light". Great appetizer, if you're looking for something crunchy and flavorful!

Ingredients:

Fig Jam

2 Tbs. of Canola oil

2 cups of sliced yellow onions

1 tsp. of balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp. of fresh thyme

1/4 tsp. of salt

1/2 cup of water

4 oz.'s of Gorgonzola cheese

24 slices of french bread baguette lightly toasted

1 tsp. of fresh parsley

Recipe:

To prepare the onions, heat a large skillet and add your canola oil. Add onion, balsamic vinegar, thyme, 1/4 tsp of salt cover and cook for 5 minutes. Uncover and cook for 20 minutes or until the onion is a deep golden brown. While the onion is cooking, add 1/2 cup of water at 1/4 cup at a time into the frying pan where the onion is cooking-this is to keep the onion from sticking to the pan. Spread a small amount of Gorgonzola cheese over each baguette slice. Then top each slice with caramelized onions and top the onions with 1 tsp. of jam. Sprinkle the top with chopped parsley.

Enjoy!

Endives stuffed with goat cheese and walnuts

This recipe was adapted from "The Best of Cooking Light" cook book. We recently brought it to a party for an appetizer dish and it was a crowd favorite!

Ingredients:

1/3 cup of coarsely chopped walnuts

2 tbs. of honey

cooking spray

1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar

3 tbs. of orange juice

16 Belgian endive leaves (about two heads)

16 small orange sections (each segment of oranges, we used mandarin oranges)

1/3 cup of goat cheese

1 tbs. of minced chives

1/4 tsp. of black pepper

Prep:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Recipe:

Combine chopped walnuts and 1 tbs. of honey and spread on baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake for 10 minutes and stir after 5 minutes. In a small sauce pan, combine 1 tbs. of honey, balsamic vinegar and orange juice bring to a boil over a high heat and cook until reduced to 3 tablespoons. Fill each endive leave with 1 orange section and top each section with 1 tsp. of goat cheese and 1 tsp. of walnuts. Drizzle vinegar mixture over the leaves and sprinkle with chives and pepper.

Enjoy!