Pumpkin Bars

I love a clean house!  Nothing feels better than when you are done giving everything a good scrub and it smells great and is all sparkly!

Fall is defiantly here in the North Country.  Cool sunny days and brisk nights.  I love fall.  It's is my favorite season.  The mums, pumpkins, apples, leaves, cider, and yummy comfort food.

Last night I made a pear and pork chop dish that was amazing.  I want to share the recipe once I tweak it a bit.  I also roasted a small sugar pumpkin and made pumpkin bars.  By small I mean small, I only got just over 2 cups of meat out of it.

Here is the recipe!

Pumpkin Pie Bars

(adapted from Eagle Brands Recipe)

3/4 cup All Purpose Flour
3/4 cup Rolled Oats

• 1 cup finely chopped pecans

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided

• 3/4 cup butter ( I thought this was WAY too much, next time I plan on using 1/2 cup

• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin or 2 cups fresh pumpkin

• 1 (14 ounce) can Sweetened Condensed Milk

• 2 eggs, beaten

• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon All Purpose Flour
• 
  

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In medium bowl, combine 3/4 cup flour,3/4 cup oats, nuts, sugars and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Add butter, mix until crumbly with a pastry cutter. Reserve 1 1/4 cups of the mixture. Pat remaining mixture on bottom of ungreased 13x9-inch baking pan.

Meanwhile, in large mixing bowl, combine pumpkin, sweetened condensed milk, eggs, remaining 1 teaspoon cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, allspice and salt; mix well. Pour evenly over crust. Mix reserved crumbs with 1 tablespoon flour. Sprinkle over pumpkin mixture.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until set. Cool 10 minutes. Serve warm, very good with vanila ice cream and/or cool whip. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

Sugar and Spice

I am so nearly done getting ready for Christmas.  This weekend my mom and I did all of our cookies.

Frosted Sugar Cookies

Butter Cookies, Apricot and Raspberry Linzor Tortes (my Oma's recipe)

Yes we have 2 coffee pots!

Yesterday and today I wanted to wrap up all the little last minute things I still needed. Ran to Hallmark, Target, and World Market.  My closest friend came over today for a visit.  We colored her hair and had lunch.  I made Potato Spinach Smoked Turkey Sausage Soup using a Bear Creek soup starter.  I also made a loaf of whole wheat beer bread.  She brought a delish salad.

I also managed to make 2 gallons of white chocolate chex mix and 4.5 gallons of savory chex mix.  And wrapped all my Christmas gifts.

Sorry for the blurry pic!

P will be her in 4 days and I don't want to have to worry about getting Christmas stuff done then, just be able to enjoy our time together.  I'll just have a few appetizers, bread, and a breakfast casserole to make, and I know he'll help.  

As for the rest of the week I have the house to myself. My mom and Steve are in Florida until Sunday.  I plan on my usual pre-P prep and finally doing laundry since we got the new washer today.

My head seems to always spin near the holidays.  But somehow it all gets done.

Violet resting after her "paw-i-cure"

Yummy Chili

I love chicken chili.  It's so simple to make and much healthier than regular chili.  I made a ton today and I wanted to share the yummy recipe and be able to link up for the Superfly Soupday link up on Jessica Lynn Writes.

I also added about a half a bag of frozen corn in at the end. You can really play with this recipe a lot. Freezes wonderfully!

Please forgive my crappy picture

White Chicken Chili

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 onion, chopped
40oz. chicken broth
3 (4 ounce) can diced green chilies
2 cloves garlic pressed, chopped or whatever you like
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 bunch cilantro chopped
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 (15 ounce) can cannelloni beans (don’t rinse, you can puree 1 of the cans)
2 green onions, chopped
2 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Tortilla chipsDirections
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook onion and garlic in oil 4 to 5 minutes, or until onion is tender.
Put everything else in the crock pot plus salt and pepper to taste. Cook on High about 4 hours. Pull out chicken breast and shred with 2 forks, put back into crock pot.
Stir and simmer for 5 more minutes. Garnish with green onions, shredded cheese, and crushed chips.

exhausted

I'm exhausted tonight!  I have been really busy at work and am working extra hours since I took off last weekend for my weekend with P.  The money is great and I never mind having to put in extra hours if the payoff is time with P :)! 

I felt bad because I left work early today.  My stomach has been crazy for the past 4 months.  I couldn't eat all day and was in so much pain.  I keep blaming it on some on going stress.  I tried to lay down and relax when I got home, but I am so bad at that.  So I made:  roasted pumpkin for soup and freezing, pumpkin soup, pumpkin spice cupcakes with cream cheese frosting, cranberry sauce, beer bread.  Lots of yummy food for the week.  Hopefully I get my appetite back and can eat some!

I am really excited to have my first ever Skye date tonight!  P got Internet and I have my new web cam.  I am a dork and am planning on fixing my make-up and hair before we start, hahaha!  I am really missing a lot this weekend.  I think because I keep thinking that a week ago we were together and it was so amazing!

Crazy Girl

Sundays always feel like Mondays to me.  I am sure it's because I work every Sunday and its usually my busiest day.  On the way to work today I heard the song by the Eli Young band called Crazy, listen to it here.  It really reminded me of me right now.

I'm so crazy about P but I wonder if I am cut out for the distance.  I can be doubt filled, needy, insecure...oh the list can go on and on.  If my unemotional mind had strength I know he loves me and this can work.  I am really looking forward to us both having Internet and being able to Skye.  Please excuse my insecurity tonight  I really miss him right now :)

OK on to more interesting stuff.  I have a ton of tomatoes from my two plants on my little balcony.  I was planning on making marinara sauce to freeze and use on homemade pizza tonight.  I ran to Wal-Mart across from work to get a food mill.  I usually avoid shopping at Wal-Mart for several reasons but it was so convenient and I really wanted to get home to start the sauce.  I couldn't believe they don't even sell food mills, although they have a huge canning section.  So now I need to hunt one of those down. 

I did get pizza crust made for tomorrow night.  My friend Melissa is coming for dinner.  She really wants to see my house since she's never been here....I have lived in my current home for over 1.5 years which makes it funny.  What's even funnier is it's for rent and I will more than likely moving before the end of the year.  Any who she's coming for dinner and I am making homemade pizza's for us.