Pumpkin Donuts

Hello, everyone! We recently got one of these handy tools at the store. It is a donut maker, and I have now discovered that I am very fond of it. It's saves so much time, and it makes the donuts the same as if you baked them in the oven. 

It makes donuts in minutes, which is extremely convenient if you are in a hurry. I hadn't tried it out yet, so I made these pumpkin donuts with it. They were so delicious! I am really excited about trying out new recipes with it. 

It makes small donuts, so you can eat more than one and not feel bad about it. (Not that I do, anyway!) I also managed to make it dairy free!! It is a great feeling, folks.

These are best warm, so if you heat them up for about 8 seconds in the microwave before eating them, they taste even better. 

Pumpkin Donuts

                                  

                           2 cups flour (I used white-whole wheat)

                           1/2 cup brown sugar  

                           1/8 cup white sugar

                           1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

                           1/4 tsp. baking soda

                           1 tsp. cinnamon 

                           1/4 tsp. ginger

                           1/4 tsp. nutmeg

                           1/8 tsp. cloves

                           1/2 tsp. salt

                           3/4 cup canned pumpkin

                           2 eggs

                           1/3 cup milk

                           1/4 cup shortening

                                                                           

                           1/2 cup shortening, melted

                           1/2 cup sugar

                           1 tsp. cinnamon

                                  

In a medium bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients. Set aside. 

In a separate large bowl, combine the pumpkin, eggs, milk, and shortening. 

Gradually mix in the dry ingredients. The batter will be thick. 

Preheat the donut maker. When it is hot, spoon the batter into the molds. Bake for about 2-3 minutes, or until browned. Place on a wire rack to cool. 

Mix the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. In a separate bowl, melt the shortening. Dip each of the donuts into the shortening, then into the cinnamon sugar. Repeat with the other side of the donut. Serve warm. So yummy!!  

Recipe adapted from: Buns in My Oven

Morel Steak

Hello Everyone!  Who went looking for morels this year?  I did!  To me it is like a treasure hunt.  Especially when none of the morels are growing together!  That happened to me this year.  I would find one, and the find another maybe 5-10 feet away.  I tried them for the first time this year, and was pleasantly surprised(I usually pick them for other people). If you still have any, this is a great recipe to use them on!

Morel Steak

any 2 steaks of your choice (I used ribeye)

garlic oil

pepper to taste

1 medium sized yellow onion

5 large morels

Directions

Put oven on broil HI.

Place steaks on pan, and brush garlic oil over both sides of the steaks.  Sprinkle desired amount of pepper on steaks.

Cut onion into desired sized pieces.  Slice morels into circles and set aside separate from the onions.

Broil steaks for 5 minutes each side (for a medium steak).

After steak is finished, pour drippings into a medium sized saucepan.  Add onions and half dollar sized amount of garlic oil.  Saute onions over medium heat until they start to brown, and then add morels.  Continue cooking until onions have caramelized.

Pour onions and morels over steak and enjoy!

This was really, really good.  I can't even think of it without drooling!  

Delicious Salmon and Rice

Hello, everyone! Salmon is one of my favorite kinds of fish, so I had to do a recipe with it. It is very simple to make, and does not take long either. This dish makes a really good lunch, but you could do it for any meal, really. I hope you try it and let us know how it turned out! 

                          Delicious Salmon and Rice

                           3/4 cup rice (I use brown)
                           1 pink salmon fillet
                           1/4 onion, chopped
                            soy sauce, to taste
                            frozen peas, optional
                            1 Tablespoon butter

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Fry the fish until it is cooked. Meanwhile, cook the onions and rice. Add the peas, then add as much soy sauce as you like. Serve with the salmon. So yummy! 

Cheesy Garlic Pull-Apart Rolls

Hi Everyone!  Remember when I won second place in the soup competition?  Today's recipe uses one of the seasoning packets I purchased with my winnings.  You could use a blend of garlic powder, salt, italian spices, and pepper instead of the seasoning packet.  You can always change the recipe!  Any favorite seasoning blend would do the trick.

Cheesy Garlic Pull-Apart Rolls

11 or 12 Rhodes Frozen White Dinner Rolls

garlic oil, or garlic butter

1/8 cup your favorite seasoning blend

1 cup mozzarella cheese

Directions

Grease 8x8 pan with garlic oil/butter.  Sprinkle bottom of pan with the seasoning blend of your choice.  Place frozen rolls in pan.  Let rise for 4 hours or until they have doubled in size. 

Preheat oven to 350*.

Brush tops of rolls with garlic oil/butter, and sprinkle the reat of the seasoning over the tops of the rolls.  Sprinkle cheese over the top, and bake for 20 minutes.  If not completely cooked, add another 3 minutes.  Enjoy!

My family DEVOURED these rolls.  They are wonderful!

Fried Pickles

Hello, everyone! I have a great fascination with pickles. Some may call it an obsession, but I think calling it a fascination sounds much better. At least, it makes me feel better about it...
If you have ever been to Texas Roadhouse, you may have tried their fried pickles. I personally was hooked as soon as I ate one. They are SO GOOD! Anyhow, I was talking with my brother today, and he said "we should try to fry some pickles." I was very fond of that idea, of course, so I pulled out the pickles, and got to work. What I made tastes almost exactly like the original. I must say, I was pretty impressed.
The recipe was actually quite simple. It only has four ingredients. You should definitely try it! Let us know what you think!

                        Texas Roadhouse Fried Pickles

                               2 eggs
                               3/4 cup flour
                               1 tsp. steak seasoning salt
                               lots of dill pickle chips
                               oil, for frying

Heat the oil in a pan on the stove. 
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the flour and the seasoning salt. In a separate small bowl, beat the eggs. 
Coat each pickle in the egg, then roll in the flour. Fry it in the hot oil until browned and crispy. You may want to fry a good many, as they disappear fast!! Enjoy!! 

New Blog Look!

Hey, everyone! It's Nutmeg here! I just wanted to drop a quick note about our new blog design! The pages are categorized with different recipes now, so it is alot easier to find what you need! Just click on a picture to view the recipe. I hope you like it, and give us feedback!  ~Nutmeg

Rhubarb Cake

We have so much rhubarb...what do I DO with it all???  I am extremely open to suggestions!  Do any of you have family recipes that you want to share?  My grandma said that she used to make this cake a lot when my mom was little, and wanted me to try it.  It is very yummy! 

Vermont Rhubarb Cake

2 cups chopped fresh rhubarb (I think it could have used more)

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 egg

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup raw sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350*.

Grease 9x13 pan and set aside.

Sprinkle rhubarb with 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 cup flour; set aside.

Cream butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar.  Stir in egg and beat well.

Sift twice 2 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, and salt.  Add to butter mixture.

Add milk and vanilla; mix well.  Stir in rhubarb mixture.  Pour batter into pan and sprinkle with half cup raw sugar.  Bake for 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Enjoy!

Dairy-Free Raspberry Chocolate Smoothies

Hello, everyone! The title of today's recipe may have made you suspicious...after all, this IS the first dairy-free recipe that we have posted. I just found out last week that I am lactose intolerant, so I am now exploring the world of dairy-free foods. I will still be posting recipes with dairy in them, but there will be a mix now. :) 

This smoothie was actually supposed to be ice cream, but it didn't freeze in time, so I just threw it in the blender and made a smoothie out of it. It tasted delicious. Even if you are not dairy free, you should try it. I'm sure you could substitute real milk for the coconut milk, too, and it would still be good! It is really rich because of the coconut milk, so you won't be able to drink a huge glass of it all at once. (That's actually probably a good thing!) I hope you try it out and enjoy it! 

           Dairy-Free Raspberry Chocolate Smoothies

                          2 cans coconut milk
                          3/4 cup sugar
                          1 tsp. vanilla
                          2 cups frozen raspberries
                          1/4 cup dark chocolate

Simply combine all of the ingredients in a blender, and blend them until it is the desired consistency. If you want it thinner, you can add some more coconut milk, or even almond milk would work too. It makes probably about four smoothies. Yum! 

Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies

Hello Everyone!  Today's recipe is pretty simple.  I have never made no bake-cookies before, and I have to admit I was mildly impressed.  Whenever I heard someone talk about how yummy their no-bake cookies were, I kinda just turned up my nose and looked the other way.  Well, I shouldn't have.  They are pretty darn good.  I still prefer oven baked cookies, but these have lived up to what people say about them. 

Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies

1 cup honey

1 cup sugar

pinch salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/3 cup peanut butter

1 cup chocolate chips

4 cups oatmeal

Directions

Line several baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium to large saucepan, combine honey, sugar, salt, and vanilla.  Bring to a rolling boil, stirring constantly.  Once boiling, lower heat and allow to simmer for two minutes.  Add peanut butter and chocolate chips, and stir until melted.  Take off heat and add oatmeal.  Combine thoroughly. 

Using a small ice cream scoop, scoop dough, while still warm, onto the lined baking sheets; flatten slightly.  Allow to cool.  Enjoy!

I hope you all try these!

Taco Rice Skillet

Hello, everyone! I have been so excited lately watching all of the flowers pushing their way up through the ground, and all the trees blooming. It is beautiful to see all of the new life every day. Summer is fast approaching! 

You wouldn't believe how hard it is to get an appetizing picture of a dish like this. In our house, we affectionately refer to it as "taco slop." Seeing as that would make the post even less attractive, I decided it was time to come up with a different name. So...here is my recipe for Taco Rice Skillet. It tastes very yummy, even though it may not be as visually appealing. Enjoy! :) 

Taco Rice Skillet

                 2 lbs. ground beef

                 1/2 onion, chopped

                 1 can (12 oz.) kidney beans

                 1 can (12 oz.) diced tomatoes

                 2 packages taco seasoning (with the water)

                 2 cups frozen corn

                 1/2 cup salsa

                 1/4 tsp. salt

In a large skillet, brown the ground beef. Add the onion and cook for about 3 minutes longer. Add the beans, tomatoes, taco seasoning, salsa and salt and cook until thoroughly heated. Add the corn and cook for a few minutes more until it is thawed. Serve with sour cream and cheese. Yum! 

Note from Nutmeg: I live in a large family, so a lot of my dinner recipes will call for a lot of each ingredient and will make quite a bit. You can adapt the recipe to make as many servings as you would like. :)