Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Fall is here! Pumplin Bread....or Pumpkin Bread


Happy Fall! Fall is officially here and where I live there is no doubt that it is here and ready to stay. I really do enjoy the fall. It is one of the many reasons why I moved back from L.A to the Midwest. I do miss L.A at times though. I have a lot of great memories.

 So you might be wondering what I was doing in L.A. Well I lived, went to school and worked there for 6 months. It was for a program through my home school. My major is in communications with a film concentration. I worked on the Megan Mullally Show, interning first and then they hired me. If you are wondering who Megan Mullally is she is Karen from Will and Grace. I had a great time and met a lot of great people, but there is something about the Midwest that I love hence the reason I am back.

So back to fall and with fall brings pumpkins or pumplins in my book. Pumplins came about because I was texting a friend one day and instead of typing pumpkin I typed pumplin, so ever since than its been pumplins.

I am pumpkin obsessed at the moment. I get like this every fall. I want everything pumpkin. I have been searching for a pumpkin bread for a few weeks and a co-worker handed this one off to me. I tried it and loved it. It is moist, has a nice crumb, just simply perfect. So I hope you enjoy this one and what a great way to welcome in fall!

Enjoy







Pumpkin Bread

Makes one loaf

1 1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin
1 2/3 cups flour
¼ tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. nutmeg
¼ tsp. all spice
¼ tsp. ginger
¾ tsp salt
1/3 cup water
½ cup chopped nuts or lots of raisins (optional) I left these out

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Cream sugar and butter together. Add eggs and pumpkin and beat well. Add sifted dry ingredients alternately with the water. Stir in nuts or raisins if using. Bake 1 ½ hours* at 350. In a loaf pan (9x5x3).

My bread took way less than 1 ½ hours. Mine was more 1 hour and 15 minutes and even than I could have used a little less time.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream-Two Ingredients!

How is everyone doing this week?  Does this seem like a long week to anyone? I feel like it is dragging by. The leaves are changing colors so fast where I live. I can’t believe fall here! I have a lot of fall recipes I want to try so I cannot wait to share those with you. 

For now though I want to give you guys something easy, inexpensive and fun to make. It’s the perfect thing to make before the weather really starts turning cold. I paired this up with my Chocolate Bread I posted about earlier this week.  It’s so simple, seriously you guys should try it. My take on mint chocolate chip ice cream was throwing in real chocolate chip cookies. I also didn’t have greed food coloring hence the reason it is not green. I know traditionally mint chocolate chip cookie ice cream is green, but I am trying to save some cash.

It is really rich and creamy and I love the mint with the bite of the chocolate chip cookies.


For the Ice Cream you need only two ingredients:
1 pt of Heavy Cream
1 can of Sweetened Condensed Milk

Here is how you make it:

Two Ingredient Ice Cream adapted from Eagle Brand
  • 2 Cups (1 pts) Whipping Cream (original recipe uses Heavy Whipping Cream)
  • 1 (14 oz.) can Sweetened Condensed Milk
  • 1 tablespoons Mint extract
  • 2 Cups of chopped Chocolate chip Cookies (homemade or store bought)
Place your mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer for about an hour before making this. You want them nice and cold. Also make sure the Whipping Cream is also right out of the refrigerator. These ingredients have to be cold to ensure nice peaks.


Mix 1 can of Sweetened condensed milk with the mint extract and your chopped cookies. Set aside. Pour your whipping cream into your mixing bowl and slowly start mixing. Keep increasing the speed and mix until stiff peaks form. (This is your basic whipping cream. If you have never made homemade whipping cream do it! It is super simple and so much better than the canned or plastic container stuff)

When you have stiff peaks carefully add some of the whipped cream to the condensed milk mixture and fold in. Do not stir. Keep adding your whipping cream until it is all combined.  Pour into a tightly sealed container and freeze for 6 hours.  When ready take out and enjoy!

****You can whip heavy cream with normal handheld beaters.  Just make sure your bowl and beaters are very cold and follow the same directions.




Monday, September 19, 2011

Chocolate Bread


Hello all! Please excuse me for the lack of updates. My promise to you is that I am going to give you more food, more bang for your buck and much more (fingers crossed). What a weekend! I had a wedding, went to an orchard and a baby shower! I ate a ton, it was so good! The wedding had great food and really nice choices.  One of the meats served was sliced ham and it had this wonderful pineapple glaze and the ham melted in your mouth. At the baby shower there was unbelievable cupcakes. Wow is all I can say. I need to learn to bake cupcakes like the ones I had. I will try to get more information on them soon.

This recipe today is really good and what is better than chocolate? This is Paula Deens Chocolate Bread. It was very moist and very brownie like. It is very simple and easy to make and is a perfect gift to give.  It calls for chopped pecans, but I left those out but did add a few to the top. I did add the chocolate chips and I dusted them with flour so they wouldn’t sink.  I also had normal size chocolate chips, but I would advise getting mini chocolate chips because they won’t sink as much, plus the flour helps. I made four mini loaves and one large. The minis took a little less time than the large, just keep an eye on them.

I hope you guys try this, its super good!
Mix you dry

add the dry to the wet

chocolate Bread

Mini Loaf with pecans



Recipe adapted from Paula Deen

Ingredients

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter and flour 1 9 by 5-inch loaf pans and 4 mini loaf pans.
In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Beat in the milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla at medium-low speed with an electric mixer until combined. Beat in the chocolate morsels. Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared pans. Shield the bread with aluminum foil to prevent excess browning. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Remove the bread from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack.

Hope you guys enjoy!
Chocolate Bread with Ice Cream and Chocolate Sauce Yum-O!

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Bacon Cheeseburgers

Good morning, afternoon or evening, whichever it may be.  Are you enjoying your fall like weather? While I am not ready for the cold I do like fall.  I am already planning my fall baking and cooking. I have a few things in mind already.  

Today’s post is one I should have posted with my grilled potatoes. A Bacon CheeseBurger.  Yum! This is super simple and even though it might not be nice to grill outside you can make this on the stove top.  This burger has lots of flavor and is super moist.



Bacon Cheeseburgers


1 pound of ground beef, turkey or chicken (which ever you prefer)
¼ cup of crumbled bacon (either cook your own or buy premade, just make sure its real bacon)
¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 TBS of Worcestershire sauce


Take all ingredients and mix in a bowl.  Divide meat mixture into four.  Take one fourth and shape into a burger, making sure to put a dent in the middle (it will rise during cooking).

Grill to how you prefer your meat, cook all the way through for chicken and turkey.  

Add whatever toppings you like and enjoy!  Serve up with roasted or grilled veggies!

Enjoy!