Pumpkin Dip

Again, love pumpkin!  This is so quick and easy and a great thing to bring to a pumpkin carving party or a fall dinner party.

Pumpkin Dip
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1 8 oz block of cream cheese softened (I use light)
1 cup pumpkin (or if you are an over achiever pumpkin you have made yourself)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 TBS cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Use a mixer to whip the cream cheese.  Add the remaining ingredients and whip until blended.  Serve with apples, graham crackers or ginger snaps.  Yum!

Grape Freezer Jam

I "stole" these grapes from my Grandmothers house over Thanksgiving.  She grown so many and makes juice and jam that she was just going to let them go for the winter.  I got out there in a rain storm with her help to save these super sweet grapes and bring them home to MT.

Grape Freezer Jam
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1 normal size colander full of grapes (green or purple)
Sugar or sugar substitue
Instant pectin

Wash the grapes in the colander.  "Pop" the grapes (this takes a while) putting the seeded insides in a medium sauce pan and the skins in the blender or food processor.  Cook the grape guts on med heat for about 5 minutes covered.  Meanwhile blend the skins until smooth.  Pour the guts in a metal colander and using your hand, the back of a spoon or a potato masher work the guts for a while until you can get as much of the grapes through the strainer without the seeds.  Combine the skin mixture with the guts mixture.  Taste to determine amount of sugar (perhaps between 1/3 and 1 cup) for desired sweetness.  Use this web address to determine amount of pectin you need based on pints/cups of grape mixture you have.  http://www.freshpreserving.com/tools/reference/pectin.aspx Mix sugar with pectin, stir and then add grape mixture.  Stir for 3 minutes and then divide into jars or plastic containers leaving some room at the top when you freeze it.  Things I have read said it will keep for 3 weeks in the fridge.

Pumpkin Oatmeal

I love pumpkin, so whatever I can find to make with pumpkin I am all over it.  I had some pumpkin left over and decided to make something different for breakfast.

Pumpkin Oatmeal
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Oats (quick oats, standard oatmeal or specialty oatmeal)
water
milk
Salt
1 cup pumpkin
pumpkin pie spice (about 1 tsp)
nutmeg (about 1 tsp)
cinnamon (about 1 Tbs)
brown sugar


Follow the directions to make the oatmeal for 4 servings.  I use the Wheat Montana oatmeal with flax seed.  Just before the oatmeal is done but still on the burner add 1 Cup pumpkin (from a can or some you have prepared yourself), spices and brown sugar to your taste liking in the oatmeal.  Pull the Oatmeal off the burner and add enough milk to make it as creamy/thin as you want.

Veggie Lasagna

This is a good way to get your veggies but also have a good filling meal, and for 2 people you can have left-overs for a few days. You really could use any veggies you wanted, get creative!

Veggie Lasagna
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1 box No boil lasagna noodles
2 cans spag sauce
motz cheese
parm cheese
cottage cheese or ricotta
egg
herbs
zuchinini
yellow squash
mushrooms
red and green pepper
onion
acorn squash
garlic

Cut the squash in half and take the seeds out.  Put it meat side down in a glass baking dish with an inch of water and microwave about 12 minutes until really soft.  Set aside and let cool.  Dice the zucchini, squash, mushrooms, peppers and onion.  Cook in a saute pan until cooked but still semi crisp with the garlic.  Set aside.  Using the recipe on the box for a guide mix the cheeses and egg with the herbs.  Smash up the squash and add it to the cheese mixture.  Follow the recipe on the box for layering the sauce, cheese mix, and noodles and use the veggies where it calls for meat.  Bake as directed on the box, usually for most of the time with foil on and the last few minutes with it off.

Pina Colada Pops

These are yummy and good for a sweet tooth!

Pina Colada Pops
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1 package coconut pudding
1 cup milk
1/4 cup cream of coconut (get it in the drink making section)
1 small can crushed pineapple

Make the pudding with the 1 cup of milk (1/2 of what it calls for). Let it set up a few minutes.  Mix in the pineapple and cream of coconut.  Pour into pop molds and freeze.

Meat Loaf Burgers

Theses are fast and I know it might sound nuts but Jake and I really like meatloaf but some nights we don't have time to wait for it to bake for an hour or so.  Whip these up and grill them in no time!

Meat Loaf Burgers
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1 Ib groud beef or turkey
1/2 diced onion
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup bread crumbs
splashes of soy sauce
splashes of Worcestershire sauce
Ketchup
herbs (whatever you have on hand....maybe some basil and oragano)
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Pepper
Ketchup and Teriyaki sauce for the top

Mix all of the ingredients together except for some of the ketchup and teriyaki.  Mix well with your hands and form into 4 patties.  Grill them on both sides until cooked, just like a burger.  Serve with no bun but maybe some blue cheese and with a squirt of ketchup and teriyaki on top before and after grilling.

More Colorful Shepard's Pie

Usually Shepard's pie comes with mashed potatoes, I made it with others to make it more colorful and more healthy!

More Colorful Shepard's Pie
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1 Ib ground beef
onion
frozen peas
carrots (steamed until soft)
frozen corn
acorn squash
1 small or 1/2 large sweet potato
 3/4 beef broth
1 stout or porter beer
garlic

Dice onion, put a little olive oil in a saute pan with the beer, broth and garlic. Simmer on med-high heat while cooking the squash and sweet potato.  Poke a few knife holes in the sweet potato and cut the squash in half, remove the seeds.  Place the squash cut side down into a glass pan with 1/2 inch of water.  Cook both the squash and the sweet potato in the mic for about 10 minutes until both are soft.  Peel the skin off the potato and scrap the meat of the squash out.  Place them both in a bowl.  Mix with a mixer until blended and a "mashed potato" consistency, put in some salt and pepper.

Once the liquid in your pan is thickened add the ground beef and brown it.  Add the peas, carrots, corn.  Put the mixture in the bottom of a casserole dish.  Top with the potato/squash mixture.  Bake on 400 until warm.  Eat with some yummy bread!!