In the Kitchen: Pumpkin Cake Roll

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My pumpkin extravaganza continues with what I consider a fall dessert staple, Pumpkin Roll! Last Christmas I asked for jelly roll pans just so I could make this very spiral of deliciousness. With the right tools, this recipe is fairly quick and easy and the results are nothing less than impressive. You will find a printable recipe card at the end of this post.

Prep time: 40 min | Bake Time: 15 min | Serves 8 – 10
Ingredients:
3 eggs
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsps ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup sugar (I use Splenda and up it to 1 and 1/4 cups)
2/3 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp lemon juice
1 cup finely chopped walnuts (optional, I left out)
sifted powder sugar
Cream Cheese Filling:
6 oz softened cream cheese
1/4 cup softened butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar
Allow eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, grease a 15x10x1 baking/jelly roll pan. Line the bottom with waxed paper or parchment paper, grease the paper. Set aside.
In a small bowl combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder, ginger, salt and nutmeg. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 375°. In a large bowl beat eggs on high speed about 5 minutes or until thick and lemon colored.

The volume of the eggs will significantly increase (shown left).
Next, gradually beat in the granulated sugar. Stir in pumpkin and lemon juice. Fold flour mixture into pumpkin mixture and mix well.

Spread evenly in prepared pan. If desired, top with chopped walnuts.
Prepare a towel for rolling the cake by sifting powdered sugar over it.

Bake for 15 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly touched. Do not overbake or it will get spongy.
Immediately loosen edges of cake from pan and turn out onto the prepared towel. Remove the wax paper. Position a short side of the cake at the end of the towel.

Begin rolling into a spiral, cool on a wire rack.

Meanwhile, prepare the cream cheese filling. In a small bowl beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until smooth each time.
Spread filling onto cake to within 1″ of edges.

Re-roll the cake. I find it helps to kind of lift a bit as you roll, otherwise you just push all the yummy filling right out the end. Once rolled, trim the ends clean. Cover and chill for 2 – 48 hours. Store in refrigerator.
Sift a little powdered sugar over the top before serving and enjoy!
Between you and me, the real reason I love making this so much is because of how cute it looks on my favorite vintage serving tray 😉

You can find more easy and delicious recipes here.

In the Kitchen: Pumpkin Cream Cheese Truffles

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I have to say, I impressed myself with this one. Words can hardly describe the deliciousness of these heavenly bites, though I was reluctant to eat them because they just looked so darn cute on the plate. Make them as a special dessert, take them to a party or package them as gifts – trust me, your friends will be impressed, too. The recipe is surprisingly easy (though you can pretend you slaved for hours) and you’ll find a link to a printable recipe card at the end of this post.

Prep time: 30 min | Makes 30 truffles
Ingredients:
1/2 cup white chocolate chunks, wafers or chips
2 cups white and/or milk chocolate chunks, wafers or chips
1/3 cup gingersnap cookie crumbs, plus more for garnish
1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup canned pumpkin
1 tablespoon confectioners sugar
1/2 teaspoon orange zest
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
2 ounces cream cheese, softened
This recipe calls for 1/2 teaspoon of orange zest which is simply shavings from the skin of an orange. You can use a zester or the smallest part of your grater and scrape the outside of the orange against it. Do not go too deep, as you only want the orange skin, not the white layer underneath.

Now onto the recipe! In a large bowl add the pumpkin, softened cream cheese and orange zest.
Melt 1/2 cup white chocolate in a double boiler over medium heat or in a small bowl in the microwave as instructed on the package and add to the pumpkin mixture.

In a small bowl mix the gingersnap crumbs, graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Add to the pumpkin mixture and beat with an electric mixer until smooth.
Cover and chill until solid enough to roll into balls, about 2 hours.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop 1 teaspoon pumpkin mixture at a time and roll into balls. Set them on one of the baking sheets. It seems like there is not much filling in the bowl but don’t make the balls too big, a little bit goes a long way when you eat them. I used a melon ball scoop to size mine and it worked great.
Set some gingersnap crumbs nearby to sprinkle on top.

Melt the remaining chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave, transfer to a small, deep bowl. Drop one pumpkin ball into the chocolate at a time, gently spoon chocolate over to coat. Using a small spoon or fork, lift the truffle out of the chocolate, let any excess drip off and transfer to the other baking sheet. Sprinkle a few crumbs on top. Once finished, chill truffles until chocolate is completely set, about one hour.
This recipe originally called for only white chocolate but I decided to try some with milk chocolate and they were equally delicious! I was amazed at how different the two tasted. I’d love to hear if you give this one a try, enjoy!

Find more easy and delicious recipes here.

In the Kitchen: Chicken Stroganoff

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This recipe is one of the most complicated I make, but only because it strays from my usual ‘throw everything in one pan and let it cook’ method of making dinner, though the little extra time spent is well worth it. This dish is nice and hearty for the fall weather ahead and can be made a little healthier by using margarine or olive oil, low sodium broth and fat free sour cream, all of which I use. You will find a printable recipe card at the end of this post.

Cook time: 30 min | Serves about 4 – 6
Ingredients:
8 ounces egg noodles
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 – 1 1/2 pounds chicken tenderloins
4 tablespoons butter, divided
mushrooms, cut into quarters
1 chopped onion (optional)
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 can chicken broth
1 cup sour cream

Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces. Mix 4 tablespoons flour with the salt and pepper in a small bowl. Add the chicken and toss to coat.

Heat two tablespoons of butter in large skillet over medium heat until melted. Cook the chicken, stirring often, until browned.

Cut the mushrooms into quarters (I like to use a lot!). If you are using onion, also add it now. I use a bit of onion powder instead. Heat until mushrooms are cooked through then remove the mixture from the pan and set aside.

In the meantime, cook the noodles according to package directions.
Add remaining two tablespoons butter to the skillet along with remaining two tablespoons flour and the dry mustard, mix well.

Gradually stir in broth, then sour cream and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until smooth. Return chicken and mushrooms back to pan and cook until heated through.

Serve over noodles with a side of veggies and some crescent rolls – yum!


You can find more easy and delicious recipes here.

In the Kitchen: Zucchini Bread

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It’s that time of year again when we’re all harvesting our gardens, scratching our heads wondering what to do with all those tomatoes and all that zucchini, wondering why we grew so much again. Am I right? Chances are most of you will make some bread with it and out of all the recipes I’ve tried, this one is my favorite. It’s basic, simple and easy – just the way I like it! You will find a printable recipe card toward the end of this post.

Prep Time: 15 min | Bake Time: 50 min | Serves 16
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (also good with whole wheat flour!)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 egg, beaten
1 cup sugar (I use Splenda, and a little less than 1 cup)
1 cup finely shredded, unpeeled zucchini
1/4 cup cooking oil
1/2 chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Since I’ve been so busy this week, I do not have step by step photos for you today, but here are the directions:
Preheat oven to 350°. Grease the bottom and 1/2″ up the sides of an 8″ loaf pan, set aside.
In a medium bowl combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, baking powder and nutmeg. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, set aside.
In another medium bowl combine egg, sugar, zucchini and oil. Add this mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just moistened (batter should be lumpy). Fold in nuts. Spoon into pan and bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 10 minutes, remove from pan and cool completely. Wrap and store overnight before slicing.


This recipe also works for apple bread, substitute 1 1/2 cups shredded, peeled apple for the zucchini. Great for using those apples from fall apple picking! (Ill be sharing a delicious apple cake recipe soon, too).

If you still have plenty of zucchini left even after making 5 loafs of bread, try this salad for another yummy way to use it up!

You can find more easy and delicious recipes here.

In the Kitchen: Spicy Corn Dip

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Today’s recipe is so easy I don’t even need how-to photos, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t delicious! This cool and refreshing dip is perfect for a summer party or just to have on hand for snacking. Jalapenos and green onions give it a little kick but you can easily customize it to your own tastes. You will find a printable recipe card at the end of this post.

Prep Time: 10 min | Serves about 32
Ingredients:
8 oz sour cream (I use fat free)
1 cup mayonnaise (I use low fat)
2 cans (11-15 oz) mexican style corn (drained)
4 green onions, finely chopped
3 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
6 oz can diced green chilies
1 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl and chill for about 30 minutes before serving. Garnish with extra shredded cheddar, green onions or even some fresh cilantro and serve with tortilla chips – enjoy!

You can find more easy and delicious recipes here.

In the Kitchen: Sausage Gravy

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I have a guest chef in the kitchen today as my fiance, Tyler, exposes his roots and shares his hand-me-down Sausage Gravy recipe with us! There are no fancy ingredients and it’s not hard to make, but the key to its deliciousness lies in the technique and, most importantly, the pan you use. Put away the non stick teflon, pull out the stainless steel and get ready to clog a few arteries! You will find a link to a printable recipe card at the end of this post.

Prep Time: 5 min | Cook time: 20 – 30 min | Serves about 4 – 6
Ingredients:
1 lb pork sausage (we use the kind that comes in a tube)
3 cups of milk
heaping 1/2 cup of flour
salt and pepper to taste

Cut the sausage into 1″ slices and begin cooking over medium heat in a stainless steel skillet. A NON STICK SKILLET WILL NOT WORK! You want the meat to stick to the bottom of the pan so just let it sit.
In the meantime, pour the milk into a mixing bowl and add the flour.

Mix with a whisk until well blended. We use a glass bowl so it’s easy to check for lumps that may be hiding on the bottom!

Now back to the sausage… continue cooking over medium high heat without stirring or moving the sausage until a thin layer sticks to the bottom of the pan. You will then begin to break up and brown the sausage, leaving a thin layer stuck to the bottom of the pan.

As the rest of the sausage is cooking, move it to one side of the pan, letting exposed grease simmer and brown onto the surface of the skillet. Move the sausage again and repeat until most of the skillet surface is covered with browned grease. This is where you get most of your flavor and the grease will not simmer down while under the sausage, it needs to be exposed in the pan.
Once the sausage is cooked, add the milk and flour mixture along with salt and pepper to taste. Cooking over medium heat, scrape the burnt sausage and grease off the bottom of the pan as it softens up. Continue cooking and stirring until gravy thickens to your liking.
If it is too thick or you would like more gravy, you can add more milk.

Serve over biscuits or toast with a side of Hashbrown Casserole and cinnamon rolls and you have a stick-to-your-ribs breakfast that is sure to please! It’s also delicious over scrambled eggs, omelets and potatoes.


You can find more easy and delicious recipes here.

In the Kitchen: Zebra Brownies

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We’re back to the best part of any meal this week, dessert! An easy, delicious twist on the classic brownie, cream cheese lovers get your aprons on because you are going to love this one. You will find a link to a printable recipe card at the end of this post.
Prep Time: 20 min | Bake time: 30 min | Serves 24
Filling Ingredients:
2 pkgs cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
Brownie Ingredients:
22.5 oz pkg fudge brownie mix
1/3 cup very hot water
1/3 cup oil
1 egg
Heat oven to 350°. Generously grease the bottom only of a 13×19 pan.

In a small bowl, blend all filling ingredients.

Beat at medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Set aside. But I first recommend a little taste test 🙂

In a large bowl, combine all brownie ingredients, beat 50 strokes with a spoon.

Spread half of the brownie batter in prepared pan. Spoon cream cheese mixture over batter, speading to cover.

Place spoonfuls of remaining batter on top of cream cheese and marble with a butter knife.
Bake at 350° for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool and refrigerate for about one hour before serving.

If you have even the tiniest lack of self control, I recommend you turn your eyes away from the brownies and forget you ever saw them, because I dare you to eat just one! Otherwise, eat up and enjoy! I’d love to hear what you think if you give this yummy treat a try.

You can find more easy and delicious recipes here.

In the Kitchen: Cheesy Shell Lasagna

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I’ve mentioned this recipe a few times and finally, here it is! I thought 
it was a little odd the first time I was cooking it but the results were surprisingly delicious and now I crave it. I’m not a fan of traditional lasagna, ricotta cheese kinda freaks me out, plus it’s such a pain cooking those noodles, so this easy variation was perfect for me. You can modify the ingredients to suit your tastes (or make it meatless) and will find a link to a printable recipe card at the end of this post.
Prep Time: 30 min | Cook time: 40 min |  Serves 12
Ingredients:
1lb ground meat (beef or turkey, meat optional)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced (I used minced garlic from a jar)
1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes
1 jar (14 oz) meatless spaghetti sauce
1 cup sliced mushrooms
8 ounces small shell pasta
16 oz sour cream
10 slices provolone cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

In a large/deep skillet, brown the meat (I use half turkey and half beef), onions and garlic until cooked through. Drain well.
Stir in the diced tomatoes, spaghetti sauce and mushrooms. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes. 
Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions, drain.
Place half the pasta in an ungreased 13×9 deep baking dish and top with half the sauce mixture. 
Next spread half the sour cream on top of the sauce and then 5 slices of provolone.
Repeat the layers of pasta, sauce, sour cream and provolone and add the mozzarella last on top. 
Cover with foil and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese begins to brown. Let stand about 10 minutes before serving.
Add a side salad and some garlic bread and you’d be hard pressed to find someone who wouldn’t gobble this right up. If you’re a fan of pasta and cheese, I definitely recommend you give this one a try. I’d love to hear what you think!


You can find more easy and delicious recipes here.

Crafting: Ruffle Necklaces

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I’ve been swooning over the Candace Ang ruffle necklaces I’ve seen in magazines, but since I don’t have $200 to drop (and you probably don’t either), today’s project is an easy way to make one for yourself! It’s fast, you don’t need much and the results are just beautiful.
I used silk fabrics for this project but you could use any fabric that is thin enough to ruffle easily. Once you choose a fabric, you’ll need to pick a chain. You can use a chain you already have, deconstruct a piece of vintage jewelry or you can buy lengths of chain from your local craft store, in which case you will also need a clasp and some jump rings.

You will start by cutting a strip of fabric and the size will be dependent on the chain you are using, how many ruffles you want and how big you want them. For the pink necklace, I used a smaller chain and wanted shorter ‘tails’, so I cut the fabric to 2″. For the patterned silk shown above, I chose a chunkier chain so cut that piece to 2.5″. The fabric was in half yard pieces so I left the length as it was at about 18″.
Once cut, you can seal the edges of the fabric with Fray Block, Fray Check or another similar product, or heat seal them, if desired. I left the pink edges untreated because I don’t mind a little fray!
Fold the fabric strip in half and pin in place.
Next you will sew a sleeve for the chain. Be sure to make it large enough for the chain to fit through will a little extra room. When sewing, leave about 6″ of thread at the beginning and end and do not backstitch.
To create the ruffles, pull on the back thread (the bobbin thread) while scrunching up the fabric. It takes a little work to get the entire length ruffled but it will happen! I scrunched the fabric down to about a 7″ length. Knot the ends of the strings and trim them flush.
Next you will feed your chain through the pocket. You can use a safety pin or bend a paper clip to help feed the chain and it works best to have a rounded edge at the front so it slips through the fabric easier. If you are using a vintage or existing chain, you may need to remove the clasp or closure from one end to fit it through.
Once the chain is through you can attach (or reattach) your clasp. You can find clasps and jump rings in different metal finishes at most craft stores and you just need one or two pairs of needle nose pliers. You then have your finished necklace! 
You can easily modify this design by using different sized fabric strips and different styles and sizes of chains, the possibilities are endless! Use luxurious silks and satins for a fancier look or try springy lightweight cotton prints for a more casual piece. You can also sew on embellishments such as pearls, bead, rhinestones or fabric flowers.

You could wear this necklace with a cocktail dress for a special occasion or with your favorite tshirt and jeans. It looks great worn as a choker like in the very top photo and also looks nice worn longer with a scoop neck shirt or off the shoulder top.
I have a couple more of these in different styles and sizes started that I did not have time to finish, but I will post some photos as soon as they are done. Maybe I’ll even give one or two away! I’d love to hear if you try your hand at this project, I hope you enjoy it!

Crafting: Button Bracelets

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Love buttons? Who doesn’t?! Chances are, whether you are crafty or not, you have a stash of them laying around, or maybe an addiction to collecting vintage ones. Well today I have a simple project that will put them to good use, button bracelets! You can also use new buttons for this project, and these days there are so many cool ones available at your local fabric store, the design possibilities are endless.
What you’ll need:
Elastic, 1/4″ or 3/8″ thick
Buttons
Needle and Thread
I decided on a yellow and seafoam green color palette for my bracelet, using a mix of some chunkier vintage buttons I have collected and a few new ones I purchased to match. You can use a repeating pattern or all one-of-a-kinds and I think it adds interest to stack some of them, so keep that in mind when choosing your buttons. I also chose a gold thread that I thought would be a nice pop, but you can match your thread to each button or even use clear nylon thread.
Start by wrapping the elastic loosely around your wrist where you would like the bracelet to sit. Cut it to size with about 3/4″ or so of overlap. Make a small mark on the elastic right past the overlap. I also find it helpful to mark the middle.
With the elastic laid flat as a guide, make a rough layout of your button placement to determine the design and how many buttons you will need. Do not include the end past your mark, see photo above for reference. You want the buttons to overlap each other a little so account for this when setting them out.
Once your layout is ready, you can sew the elastic together securely, forming the bracelet. I did this by hand but you can use a sewing machine if you choose.
Next, begin sewing the buttons in place, one at a time, starting at your marked center of the bracelet. Be sure to securely knot the thread after each button is attached. Above I show a method I find to be really easy and secure. Thread the needle up under the stitches, pulling the string through, then thread the needle through the resulting loop, under the thread closest to you and pull tight. Repeat this a few times.
As I mentioned, you want the buttons to overlap each other a bit so you do not see the elastic when you are wearing it. I find it helpful to just put one stitch through the button and try it on to make sure you like the way it is laying, then finish stitching it in place. As you go, you may also decide to change your button layout.
Continue adding buttons until you cover the bracelet and you’re done! It may take a bit of adjusting to get them to fit properly toward the end, but just be flexible with your design. You can always move or replace a button pretty easily if needed since they are all sewn on separately.
I love this project because it’s easy, inexpensive and a lot of fun. I also think these bracelets would make really sweet gifts, so if you’re on my christmas list, you’ll be getting one of these and some teabags! 
If you try your hand at this project, I’d love to hear about it! I’ll also be starting a flickr group soon for sharing your own craft project photos, so I’ll keep you posted on that. In the meantime, have fun crafting your own button bracelets!