Maria's Cranberry Salsa

1 15 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained (keep juice)
1 T. ginger, grated
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp. orange peel, grated
1 tsp. all spice
1/4 tsp. dried red pepper flakes
1 8 oz. can whole berry cranberry sauce, or frozen
1/3 c. green onion, sliced

Heat above ingredients (using juice only from pineapple=save pineapple) for 8 minutes on med-high heat. Remove and add the following ingredients:

crushed pineapple

2 tsp. fresh lime juice

2 cans mandarin oranges (same texture as pineapple)

Serve warm, or at room temperature

Note: This is wonderful for Thanksgiving! Spread over turkey or anything else, instead of using normal cranberry sauce. It makes a lot so you can 1/2 the recipe. You can add more cranberries if you desire.

An alternate recipe:

2 lg. oranges, peeled & chopped

fresh, or canned whole cranberry sauce

1 T. fresh grated ginger

1/2 tsp. ground all spice

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 c. green onions, chopped

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

heat above ingredients, then add:

1/2 tsp. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. lime juice

Note: If you use fresh cranberries add 3/4 cup sugar(cook&heat), and 1/4 c. water

Gingersnap Cream Cheese Pumpkin Pie

1 1/2 c. finely crushed gingersnaps (about 32 cookies)
1/4 c. butter, melted
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 T. sugar
1 1/2 c. whipped topping
1 c. cold milk
2 packages (3.4 oz. each) instant butterscotch pudding mix
1/2 c. canned pumpkin
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
Additional whipped topping, optional

Crust:
In a small bowl, combine cookie crumbs and butter. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 9 inch pie plate. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.

Filling:
In a small mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Spread over crust.

In a small bowl, whisk milk and pudding mixes for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Stir in the pumpkin, pie spice, vanilla and cinnamon. Spread over cream cheese layer. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Garnish with additional whipped topping if desired. Yields 6-8 servings.

Helpful Hints: When I made this, I doubled the recipe. I used 1 box of gingersnaps for 2 crusts and it was plenty, so I'm not sure you need 32 cookies for just 1 crust. I'd measure it as you go, don't just crush 32 cookies. The gingersnaps were hard to crush "finely". We found the best thing was to use "the chopper".

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Note: I usually double this recipe

1 2/3 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. baking powder
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. nutmeg
1/4 t. cloves
3/4 t. mace
1/2 t. salt
1 c. canned pumpkin
2 eggs
1 stick butter or margarine, melted
6 oz. chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix well. Combine all wet ingredients in a bowl. Add wet to dry and partially mix. Add chocolate chips and mix until lightly combined. Bake in 12 cup muffin tin for 20-25 minutes. Be careful not to overbake.

Stuffed Pumpkin

1 - 1/2 c. chopped celery
1 can drained mushrooms
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 c. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp butter
1 lb cooked ground beef
1 c. rice (pre-cooked)



Brown hamburger. Add all other ingredients. Cut a circle around the stem of the pumpkin to make a "lid ". Remove the lid, clean out the inside of the pumpkin. Stuff the pumpkin with the hamburger mixture. Replace the lid. Bake 350 for 1 - 1/2 hours or until a toothpick will insert easily into the side of the pumpkin. You can scoop out the cooked meal after removing the lid, or I slice the pumpkin all around and get the middle stuff out, and then I add brown sugar, butter and salt and pepper to the pumpkin strip and eat the squash.

Pumpkin Roll

INGREDIENTS
3 eggs
1 cup white sugar
2/3 cup canned pumpkin
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
confectioners' sugar for dusting

1 cup confectioners' sugar
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 15x10x1 inch baking pan and line with parchment paper. Grease and flour the paper.
In a large bowl, beat eggs on high for five minutes. Gradually add white sugar and pumpkin. Add flour, cinnamon, and baking soda. Spread batter evenly in pan. Sprinkle walnuts evenly on top.
Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 15 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Immediately turn out onto a linen towel dusted with confectioners sugar. Peel off paper and roll cake up in the towel, starting with the short end. Cool.
To Make Filling: Mix confectioners sugar, vanilla, butter or margarine, and cream cheese together till smooth.
Carefully unroll the cake. Spread filling over cake to within 1 inch of edges. Roll up again. Cover and chill until serving. Dust with additional confectioners' sugar, if desired

Pumpkin Bars

2 c. flour
1 ½ c. sugar
2 t. baking powder
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. baking soda
¼ t. ground cloves
¼ t. salt
1 c. oil
1 15 oz. can pumpkin
4 beaten eggs
1 c. chopped walnuts (optional)

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, soda, salt, and cloves. Stir in oil, pumpkin, and eggs. Thoroughly combine. Spread into ungreased 15x10x1 (cookie sheet) Bake at 350° for 25 min. (or till toothpick comes out clean) Cool in pan.


Cream Cheese Frosting:
3 oz. cream cheese
¼ c. margarine or butter
1 t. vanilla
2 ¼ c. powdered sugar

Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until fluffy. Add 1 cup of sugar until well stirred. Add rest of sugar and mix till combined. Spread on cake.

Recipe from: Missy T.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 Spice cake mix
1 can 15 oz. pumpkin
dark chocolate mini morsels

Mix together, drop on cookie sheet & bake @ 350 for 20 minutes.

This is very easy to keep on hand as food storage. I'm told this cookie is worth 1 point @ weight watchers if you only use 3/4 c. chocolate morsals. I use the whole bag!

Pumpkin Cake

Step #1: 1 pkg. Yellow cake mix, ¾ cup soft butter and 1 egg. Combine the ingredients and press into the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan.

Step #2: 2 cups pumpkin puree, ¾ cup brown sugar, 1 tsp. salt, 2 eggs, ¾ cup condensed milk, 1 tsp. vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon or nutmeg to taste. Combine these ingredients and pour over the top of Step #1. I use ½ to 1 tsp of all three spices.

Step #3: 2 cups yellow cake mix, ½ cup sugar, 2 tsp. cinnamon, ½ cup soft butter. Combine and drop in small pieces over Step #2. Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

The cake mix on the bottom creates a sweet crust for the pumpkin pie like filling and step three makes a stuesel topping over it all. This is a sweet and tasty alternative to a traditional pumpkin pie.

Heather Holt's recipe.

Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

1 envelope unflavored gelatin
2/3 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ginger
1 1/4 c. canned pumpkin
3 egg yolks (save whites)
1/2 c. milk

Blend gelatin, brown sugar, salt, spices, pumpkin, and egg yolks, milk in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until boils. Then let mixture cool until it mounds slightly when dropped from spoon.

Add:
Chiffon
3 egg whites
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 c. sugar

Whip egg whites until peaked, add tartar and sugar. Then gently fold in meringue into pumpkin mixture. Pour filling into pre-cooled pie crust and chill at least 2 hours or until set. Garnish with whipping cream.

Butter Crunch Crust Bake 400 for 13-15 min. or until golden brown (watch)

1/2 c. butter
1/4 c. brown sugar
1 c. flour
1/2 c. chopped pecans or coconut (I use both 1/4 c. of both)

Measure flour to be exact. Mix all ingredients by hand or with pastry cutter. Spread mixture out and bake on cookie sheet for about 15 min. Cool slightly and press crumbled mixture into 9 in. pie dish. Let cool and fill with pumpkin chiffon filling. Refrigerate until firm enough to cut.

Halloween black cat cookies

3/4 C crunchy peanut butter

1/3 C. water

2 eggs

1 chocolate cake mix

plain m&ms

red hots

Beat together peanut butter, eggs and water.  Gradually add cake mix.  Mix well.  From dough into 1- inch balls  Place on lightly greased cookie sheet.  Flatten balls with bottom of a glass dipped in sugar.  Pinch out 2 ears at top of cookie.  Add m&m's as eyes and a red hot as a nose. Press fork into the sides of the cat face to form whiskers.  Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Grandma Davis' pumpkin pie

Use recipe on Libby's pumpkin can except for the spices use 1 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice.  

Festive Mixed Greens

1 C pecan halves

1/2 C sugar

8 C mixed greens

1/2 C dried cranberries

1 C crumbled blue cheese

2 pears, cored and thinly sliced

1 pomegranate, seeded

Dressing:

5 Tb raspberry flavored vinegar

1 Tb dijon mustard

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 C vegetable or canola oil

Place pecans and sugar in a small saute pan and heat on low for 2-3 minutes until the pecans are coated and the sugar starts to dissolve.  Let cool.  Chop.

Toss mixed greens, cranberries, blue cheese, pears and pomegranate.  

Whisk dressing ingredients and pour over salad.

Orchard Salad

1 head of green leaf lettuce, chopped

1 head of red leaf lettuce, chopped

lemon juice

1-2 crisp red apples-(such as gala or fuji), chopped into triangles or matchsticks

8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, cut in matchsticks

Mix lettuce and top with cheese and apples. Squeeze lemon juice over the apples to keep them fresh.

Dressing:

2 Tb apple cider vinegar

2 TB apple cider or apple juice

1 tsp sugar

1/3 C olive oil

Whisk dressing together and pour over salad.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Toss.

Autumn Salad

6-8 C mixed greens

2 pears, cored and thinly sliced

1/2 c craisin

1/2 C crumbled blue cheese

1/4 c toasted pine nuts

Dressing:

1/4 C red wine vinegar

1/2 olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 tsp minced garlic (opt)

Whisk dressing and add to the above ingredients.

Autumn Pasta and Bean soup

1/2 lb ditalini pasta cooked, drained and set aside

2 TB olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 yellow or orange pepper, diced

15 oz can garbanzo beans 

15 oz can chopped tomatoes

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

pinch of cayenne pepper

1 tsp dried Italian seasoning

2 C chicken broth

1 C spinach

In a medium saucepan heat oil and add garlic and yellow pepper.  Saute 2 minutes

Add garbanzo beans, tomatoes, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.  Cover; simmer for 10 minutes.  

Add broth, pasta and spinach.  Heat for 3 minutes.

Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Note:  You can use any pasta you want.

Apple dip

1 (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

3/4 C. Brown sugar

1/4 sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Mix ingredients well then add 1/2 C. chopped pecans.

Kaylene Smith's recipe

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

INGREDIENTS:
½ cup butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 ¼ cup canned pumpkin
2 cups flour
1 tsp.baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg
½ tsp. pumpkin pie spice
¼ tsp. cloves
¼ tsp. ginger
¼ cup chocolate chips
¼ cups chopped walnuts

GLAZE:
1 Tbls. Heavy cream
½ cup powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS:
In a large bow., cream butter and gradually add the sugar, eggs and pumpkin. Mix well. Combine the dry ingredients and stir into the cream mixture, blending well. Stir in chips and nuts. Pour in a greased and floured 9x5 loaf pan. Bake in a preheated 350 F oven for 45-50 minutes until it tests done. Cool on a rack. Stir together cream and powdered sugar and spread over bread.

Notes: I usually use 1-2 cups of chocolate chips and no nuts (for the kids). I also rarely make the glaze the bread is good enough to stand alone!

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

INGREDIENTS
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons brown sugar

4 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons white sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons chopped pecans

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 1/3 cups canned pumpkin
1/3 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease and flour 18 muffin cups, or use paper liners.
To make the filling: In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until soft. Add egg, vanilla and brown sugar. Beat until smooth, then set aside.
For the streusel topping: In a medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, cinnamon and pecans. Add butter and cut it in with a fork until crumbly. Set aside.
For the muffin batter: In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Make a well in the center of flour mixture and add eggs, pumpkin, olive oil and vanilla. Beat together until smooth.
Place pumpkin mixture in muffin cups about 1/2 full. Then add one tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture right in the middle of the batter. Try to keep cream cheese from touching the paper cup. Sprinkle on the streusel topping.
Bake at 375 degrees F (195 degrees C) for 20 to 25 minutes.

from: Allrecipes.com

Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal

1 ½ cups skim milk
1 ½ cups water
1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups quick cooking oatmeal
1 cup canned pumpkin
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar
½ cup raisins

Combine the milk, water, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in the oatmeal; return to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium; cook, stirring frequently for 1 to 2 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed. Remove from the heat; immediately stir in the pumpkin and brown sugar and mix well. Let stand until the oatmeal reaches desired consistency, about 3 to 5 minutes. Fold in the raisins. Serve with additional cinnamon, if desired.

Nutrition per serving: Calories 230, Fat 2.1g, Carbohydrates 48g, Protein 7g, Cholesterol 1mg, Dietary fiber 3g, Sodium 40mg

Notes: I adapt this recipe for a single bowl of microwaveable oatmeal by following the directions for preparing the oatmeal using half skim milk and half water and adding the pumpkin pie spice. When I take the oatmeal out of the microwave I add 1 to 2 Tbls. of pumpkin and the brown sugar and raisins to taste.