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Gingerbread Vampires

Who says gingerbread men are just for Christmas? Not these guys. These gingerbread men cookies have put on their vampire costumes for Halloween!

I wish I could take credit for this clever idea ... but alas, I cannot.

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Who says gingerbread men are just for Christmas? Not these guys. These gingerbread men cookies have put on their vampire costumes for Halloween!

I wish I could take credit for this clever idea ... but alas, I cannot.

Continue Reading >>
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Pineapple Peach Cobbler


I know this is kind of a summery post, but I found this recipe to use up some cans of fruit that were about to expire, & boy oh boy was it a tasty dish!  So tasty that I had to share it.  I always take pictures of my food just in case, & then I post the ones that work out wonderfully, hence how I have the step-by-step photos.  

Anyway, if you want something to warm your belly, this dessert will do the trick.  It might scream tropical, but it is tangy & wonderful!  I absolutely LOVE the lemon cake on top of these fruits.  And using the juices from the cans to cover the cake, gave it an extra oomph of flavor!  If you have the canned fruit in your cupboard, buy the lemon cake & make this.  You will be surprised how lovely this zesty, citrusy cobbler tastes!

Pineapple Peach Cobbler
Recipe from GroupRecipes & approved by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)
  • 1 (20oz) can pineapple tidbits in juice
  • 1 (29oz) can peach slices in juice
  • 1 box Lemon Cake Mix
  • 4 Tbsp butter
  1. Drain both fruit cans & reserve juices.  Cut up peach slices into smaller chunks.  Lightly spray a 9x13 baking dish.  Pour fruit inside.
  2. Top with dry cake mix, crumbling any large chunks as you go.  Top cake mix with 4 Tbsp of butter cut up into pieces.  
  3. Pour reserved juices evenly over the top of the cake & butter.  Cook at 350*F for 30-40 minutes or until bubbly & cake is cooked (gooey, but not runny; closer to 40 minutes.)  Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

I know this is kind of a summery post, but I found this recipe to use up some cans of fruit that were about to expire, & boy oh boy was it a tasty dish!  So tasty that I had to share it.  I always take pictures of my food just in case, & then I post the ones that work out wonderfully, hence how I have the step-by-step photos.  

Anyway, if you want something to warm your belly, this dessert will do the trick.  It might scream tropical, but it is tangy & wonderful!  I absolutely LOVE the lemon cake on top of these fruits.  And using the juices from the cans to cover the cake, gave it an extra oomph of flavor!  If you have the canned fruit in your cupboard, buy the lemon cake & make this.  You will be surprised how lovely this zesty, citrusy cobbler tastes!

Pineapple Peach Cobbler
Recipe from GroupRecipes & approved by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)
  • 1 (20oz) can pineapple tidbits in juice
  • 1 (29oz) can peach slices in juice
  • 1 box Lemon Cake Mix
  • 4 Tbsp butter
  1. Drain both fruit cans & reserve juices.  Cut up peach slices into smaller chunks.  Lightly spray a 9x13 baking dish.  Pour fruit inside.
  2. Top with dry cake mix, crumbling any large chunks as you go.  Top cake mix with 4 Tbsp of butter cut up into pieces.  
  3. Pour reserved juices evenly over the top of the cake & butter.  Cook at 350*F for 30-40 minutes or until bubbly & cake is cooked (gooey, but not runny; closer to 40 minutes.)  Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.
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Vermont Maple No-Bake Cookies {Thanks, Tonewood Maple!}


I am a huge fan of maple syrup! Pure Vermont maple syrup, to be exact. As many of you already know, I grew up in Vermont. Since moving to North Carolina (eighteen years ago after finishing college), I still have Vermont maple syrup shipped to me. For me, there's no substitute.

So when I had the opportunity to try Tonewood Maple's syrup, ...

Continue Reading >>

I am a huge fan of maple syrup! Pure Vermont maple syrup, to be exact. As many of you already know, I grew up in Vermont. Since moving to North Carolina (eighteen years ago after finishing college), I still have Vermont maple syrup shipped to me. For me, there's no substitute.

So when I had the opportunity to try Tonewood Maple's syrup, ...

Continue Reading >>
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Spiced Pumpkin Loaf with Cinnamon Brown Sugar Glaze

Sometimes you have leftover pumpkin sitting in your fridge from all those fall pumpkin recipes.  No pumpkin must be wasted!  This is a quick bread that is simple & fast to throw together & bake in the oven warming your house & creating a yummy spiced aroma to fill your kitchen.  It uses only 1 cup of pumpkin so if you need a recipe that doesn't call for 1 can of pumpkin, this will help you out.  I also really like the glaze atop this pumpkin loaf.  It really brings together the pumpkin with the spices.  I totally eat this like it's a slice of cake using my fork & savor every bite.  It's so yummy!

Spiced Pumpkin Loaf with Cinnamon Brown Sugar Glaze
Recipe altered from Epicurious by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

Loaf:
  • 1 3/4 cup flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 Tbsp Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice (or McCormick brand)
  • 4 Tbsp butter (NOT margarine)
  • 1/4 cup canola oil
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 2 eggs
  • 2/3 cup water
Cinnamon Brown Sugar Glaze:
  • 1 Tbsp butter
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 Tbsp milk
  • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • Dash(es) Cinnamon

  1. Combine flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, & pumpkin pie spice in a bowl.
  2. In a stand mixer, beat butter, oil, & sugar until light & fluffy.  Scrape bowl  Add pumpkin puree & 2 eggs.  Blend until combined.  
  3. Slowly add flour mixture.  Scrape bowl.  Add 2/3 cup water until just incorporated.
  4. Grease a 9-inch bread pan lined with parchment on the bottom, & pour mixture inside.  Bake at 350*F for roughly 1 hour until done in the center. Allow to cool in pan on a rack.
  5. Prepare glaze by melting butter, brown sugar & milk in a bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds (cover bowl, in case it splatters.)  Once butter is melted, whisk until sugar dissolves.  Add 1/2 cup powered sugar & cinnamon to taste & allow to cool to room temperature.  Pour glaze over pumpkin loaf once it has cooled down a bit.  
  6. Remove bread from pan once the glaze has solidified & the bread is completely cool.  Peel off parchment paper from the bottom.  Slice & serve.  Makes 12-14 slices.  
    Sometimes you have leftover pumpkin sitting in your fridge from all those fall pumpkin recipes.  No pumpkin must be wasted!  This is a quick bread that is simple & fast to throw together & bake in the oven warming your house & creating a yummy spiced aroma to fill your kitchen.  It uses only 1 cup of pumpkin so if you need a recipe that doesn't call for 1 can of pumpkin, this will help you out.  I also really like the glaze atop this pumpkin loaf.  It really brings together the pumpkin with the spices.  I totally eat this like it's a slice of cake using my fork & savor every bite.  It's so yummy!

    Spiced Pumpkin Loaf with Cinnamon Brown Sugar Glaze
    Recipe altered from Epicurious by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)

    Loaf:
    • 1 3/4 cup flour
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1 tsp baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp baking powder
    • 1 Tbsp Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice (or McCormick brand)
    • 4 Tbsp butter (NOT margarine)
    • 1/4 cup canola oil
    • 1 cup sugar
    • 1 cup pumpkin puree
    • 2 eggs
    • 2/3 cup water
    Cinnamon Brown Sugar Glaze:
    • 1 Tbsp butter
    • 1/4 cup brown sugar
    • 2 Tbsp milk
    • 1/2 cup powdered sugar
    • Dash(es) Cinnamon

    1. Combine flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, & pumpkin pie spice in a bowl.
    2. In a stand mixer, beat butter, oil, & sugar until light & fluffy.  Scrape bowl  Add pumpkin puree & 2 eggs.  Blend until combined.  
    3. Slowly add flour mixture.  Scrape bowl.  Add 2/3 cup water until just incorporated.
    4. Grease a 9-inch bread pan lined with parchment on the bottom, & pour mixture inside.  Bake at 350*F for roughly 1 hour until done in the center. Allow to cool in pan on a rack.
    5. Prepare glaze by melting butter, brown sugar & milk in a bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds (cover bowl, in case it splatters.)  Once butter is melted, whisk until sugar dissolves.  Add 1/2 cup powered sugar & cinnamon to taste & allow to cool to room temperature.  Pour glaze over pumpkin loaf once it has cooled down a bit.  
    6. Remove bread from pan once the glaze has solidified & the bread is completely cool.  Peel off parchment paper from the bottom.  Slice & serve.  Makes 12-14 slices.  
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      Dried Cherry Bagels - SRC


      It's Secret Recipe Club time again!

      This month I was assigned to Veggie Converter, where Kristi enjoys blogging about food she makes for herself, a vegetarian, her husband, a meat eater, and their two undecided kids.  In 2011, Kristi completed a challenge to create a different family-friendly vegetarian meal for each of the 365 days in the year. I think that is truly impressive! 

      Since I am trying to make more meatless meals for our family, I found her blog to be a great resource and inspiration. Knowing me, though, I was most drawn to the baked goods, like Carrot Spice Muffins, Crockpot Cheesecake with Cookie Crust, and Chocolate Chip Quinoa Muffins.  

      I finally decided on making bagels.  Hers were made with dried blueberries - but since I couldn't bear to pay $3 for a 3 oz package of those, I substituted dried cherries instead.

      I have made bagels once before - and while they turned out okay, I hadn't been particularly inspired to make them again.  These, however, were so scrumptious and wildly popular with my children, I'm sure I'll make them many times.  They were really good fresh on the first day.  But truth be told - I liked them even better lightly toasted on the second day.  With just a smear of butter, maybe a dab of jam.....yum.  

      The recipe may look long and involved, but it's really not.  You do have to plan ahead, but I thought it was great to have bagels ready to boil and bake first thing in the morning.  I'll admit, it took longer than I was anticipating because I could only boil 3 at a time, so at 2 minutes per batch, that took me 8 minutes, plus the time to get them in and out of the water.  Then after they bake, you're supposed to let them sit for 15 minutes before eating.....we didn't quite make it that long. The children were gnawing on their fingers begging for breakfast like they hadn't eaten in days.  Nothing like the smell of fresh bagels to make you hungry in the morning!

      Dried Cherry Bagels (adapted from Veggie Converter)
      Yield: 12 large bagels

      Sponge:
      1 tsp. instant yeast
      4 cups bread flour
      2-1/2 cups water, room temperature

      Dough:
      1 tsp. instant yeast
      3-3/4 cups white whole wheat flour
      2-3/4 tsp. salt
      1 T. brown sugar or sucanat
      1 cup dried cherries, chopped

      For cooking:
      1 T. baking soda

      Directions:
      To make the sponge, in your stand-mixer bowl, stir the yeast into the flour.  Add the water and whisk well.  Cover the bowl and leave at room temperature for 2 hours. It should double in size and fall when the bowl is tapped against the counter.
      To make the dough, add the yeast to the sponge and stir. Add 3 cups of the flour, the salt and brown sugar. Stir slowly with the dough hook until the dough turns into a ball. Slowly add the remaining flour to stiffen the dough. 
      Add cherries gradually while kneading 6 minutes by machine (or 10 minutes by hand on a lightly floured surface).  If you try to add the cherries all at once, it's likely that they won't incorporate into the dough very well and you'll end up with a pile of cherry bits at the bottom of the bowl.
      Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and form into balls. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes. Spray two large sheet pans with oil or cooking spray. Shape the bagels by poking a hole in the center with your thumb and spinning the dough around your thumb to form about a 2 1/2-inch hole. Set the bagels on the sheet pans at least 2 inches apart.
      Cover and let rest for 20 minutes. At this point you do a “float test” to see if the bagel dough is ready for retardation in the fridge. Drop one bagel in a bowl of water. If it floats within 10 seconds (mine floated immediately), you’re good to go and you just pat that one off and set it back on the pan. If not, return it to the pan and check every 10-20 minutes with the float test.
      Once your bagels are ready, cover them with plastic wrap or foil and place them in the refrigerator overnight (or up to 2 days).
      When you’re ready to boil and bake your bagels, preheat your oven to 500°. Bring a large pot of water to boil with 1 tablespoon of baking soda. Boil as many bagels at a time that fit comfortably in your pot (mine fits 3) for 1 minute per side (2 minutes per side for chewier bagels). Remove with a slotted spatula to a drying rack and repeat with remaining bagels.
      Respray baking sheets and divide bagels among sheets. Bake at 500° for 5 minutes. Switch the pans to the opposite shelves and rotate each pan 180 degrees. After rotation, turn oven down to 450°. Bake an additional 8-10 minutes, depending on desired golden-brownness. Cool on a rack for at least 15 minutes before cutting and serving.


      It's Secret Recipe Club time again!

      This month I was assigned to Veggie Converter, where Kristi enjoys blogging about food she makes for herself, a vegetarian, her husband, a meat eater, and their two undecided kids.  In 2011, Kristi completed a challenge to create a different family-friendly vegetarian meal for each of the 365 days in the year. I think that is truly impressive! 

      Since I am trying to make more meatless meals for our family, I found her blog to be a great resource and inspiration. Knowing me, though, I was most drawn to the baked goods, like Carrot Spice Muffins, Crockpot Cheesecake with Cookie Crust, and Chocolate Chip Quinoa Muffins.  

      I finally decided on making bagels.  Hers were made with dried blueberries - but since I couldn't bear to pay $3 for a 3 oz package of those, I substituted dried cherries instead.

      I have made bagels once before - and while they turned out okay, I hadn't been particularly inspired to make them again.  These, however, were so scrumptious and wildly popular with my children, I'm sure I'll make them many times.  They were really good fresh on the first day.  But truth be told - I liked them even better lightly toasted on the second day.  With just a smear of butter, maybe a dab of jam.....yum.  

      The recipe may look long and involved, but it's really not.  You do have to plan ahead, but I thought it was great to have bagels ready to boil and bake first thing in the morning.  I'll admit, it took longer than I was anticipating because I could only boil 3 at a time, so at 2 minutes per batch, that took me 8 minutes, plus the time to get them in and out of the water.  Then after they bake, you're supposed to let them sit for 15 minutes before eating.....we didn't quite make it that long. The children were gnawing on their fingers begging for breakfast like they hadn't eaten in days.  Nothing like the smell of fresh bagels to make you hungry in the morning!

      Dried Cherry Bagels (adapted from Veggie Converter)
      Yield: 12 large bagels

      Sponge:
      1 tsp. instant yeast
      4 cups bread flour
      2-1/2 cups water, room temperature

      Dough:
      1 tsp. instant yeast
      3-3/4 cups white whole wheat flour
      2-3/4 tsp. salt
      1 T. brown sugar or sucanat
      1 cup dried cherries, chopped

      For cooking:
      1 T. baking soda

      Directions:
      To make the sponge, in your stand-mixer bowl, stir the yeast into the flour.  Add the water and whisk well.  Cover the bowl and leave at room temperature for 2 hours. It should double in size and fall when the bowl is tapped against the counter.
      To make the dough, add the yeast to the sponge and stir. Add 3 cups of the flour, the salt and brown sugar. Stir slowly with the dough hook until the dough turns into a ball. Slowly add the remaining flour to stiffen the dough. 
      Add cherries gradually while kneading 6 minutes by machine (or 10 minutes by hand on a lightly floured surface).  If you try to add the cherries all at once, it's likely that they won't incorporate into the dough very well and you'll end up with a pile of cherry bits at the bottom of the bowl.
      Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and form into balls. Cover and let rest for 20 minutes. Spray two large sheet pans with oil or cooking spray. Shape the bagels by poking a hole in the center with your thumb and spinning the dough around your thumb to form about a 2 1/2-inch hole. Set the bagels on the sheet pans at least 2 inches apart.
      Cover and let rest for 20 minutes. At this point you do a “float test” to see if the bagel dough is ready for retardation in the fridge. Drop one bagel in a bowl of water. If it floats within 10 seconds (mine floated immediately), you’re good to go and you just pat that one off and set it back on the pan. If not, return it to the pan and check every 10-20 minutes with the float test.
      Once your bagels are ready, cover them with plastic wrap or foil and place them in the refrigerator overnight (or up to 2 days).
      When you’re ready to boil and bake your bagels, preheat your oven to 500°. Bring a large pot of water to boil with 1 tablespoon of baking soda. Boil as many bagels at a time that fit comfortably in your pot (mine fits 3) for 1 minute per side (2 minutes per side for chewier bagels). Remove with a slotted spatula to a drying rack and repeat with remaining bagels.
      Respray baking sheets and divide bagels among sheets. Bake at 500° for 5 minutes. Switch the pans to the opposite shelves and rotate each pan 180 degrees. After rotation, turn oven down to 450°. Bake an additional 8-10 minutes, depending on desired golden-brownness. Cool on a rack for at least 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

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      Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes {Eating the Alphabet - Letters S or T}



      You know, when I was mixing up the filling for these Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes, I was completely underwhelmed. But when I baked them up for their second baking time, something A-MAZING happened! Yum! I swear, that second baking time ... when all the flavors got time to meld together ...
      Continue Reading >>


      You know, when I was mixing up the filling for these Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes, I was completely underwhelmed. But when I baked them up for their second baking time, something A-MAZING happened! Yum! I swear, that second baking time ... when all the flavors got time to meld together ...
      Continue Reading >>
      reade more... Résuméabuiyad

      Zuppa Toscana


      There is something about soup in the fall that really warms my belly.  The air has turned cold & crisp & so I am in a soup making mood.  I love Olive Garden!  Unfortunately we rarely eat there, but when we do I never get the salad, I always stick with the Zuppa Toscana.  My husband has his salad all to himself & I enjoy my bowl of delicious soup.  I am so glad I made this at-home version because it shares a lot of characteristics of the real deal: creamy broth, tender potatoes, spicy sausage, & hearty kale.  My husband has never tried this soup from Olive Garden, but he said, "If it tastes like what you just made, then it must be good!"  This makes a lot for our little family of four so great leftovers for the lunch the next day!
       
      Zuppa Toscana
      Recipe altered from Studio5 by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)
      • 1 lb HOT sausage
      • 1 onion, diced
      • 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
      • 6-7 medium red potatoes, scrubbed, halved, & sliced 
      • 4 cups chicken broth
      • 1 1/2 cups skim milk
      • 2 cups water
      • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (If you can't handle a lot of heat, either do the spicy sausage OR the red pepper flakes, we did both & it was pretty spicy.)
      • 1/2 tsp thyme (If you use mild Italian sausage, you won't need this.)
      • 1 cup heavy cream
      • 2 cups kale, de-veined & chopped
      • Salt & Pepper
      1. In a stock-pot, over medium-high heat, brown sausage, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks.  Drain fat & set aside.
      2. In the same stock-pot add onion & minced garlic.  Cook for 3-5 minutes or until translucent.  (It should cook just fine in the little bit of grease left in the pot from the sausage, but if you need to, add a drop of olive oil.)
      3. Add  potatoes, chicken broth, skim milk, water, red pepper flakes, & thyme.  Simmer over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10-15 minutes.  
      4. Return sausage back to pot, & add heavy cream & kale to the soup.  Heat through about 2-3 minutes.  Remove from heat & season with salt & pepper.  Serve topped with freshly grated parmesan cheese.
      Serves 8-10

      There is something about soup in the fall that really warms my belly.  The air has turned cold & crisp & so I am in a soup making mood.  I love Olive Garden!  Unfortunately we rarely eat there, but when we do I never get the salad, I always stick with the Zuppa Toscana.  My husband has his salad all to himself & I enjoy my bowl of delicious soup.  I am so glad I made this at-home version because it shares a lot of characteristics of the real deal: creamy broth, tender potatoes, spicy sausage, & hearty kale.  My husband has never tried this soup from Olive Garden, but he said, "If it tastes like what you just made, then it must be good!"  This makes a lot for our little family of four so great leftovers for the lunch the next day!
       
      Zuppa Toscana
      Recipe altered from Studio5 by: Amber (Dessert Now, Dinner Later!)
      • 1 lb HOT sausage
      • 1 onion, diced
      • 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
      • 6-7 medium red potatoes, scrubbed, halved, & sliced 
      • 4 cups chicken broth
      • 1 1/2 cups skim milk
      • 2 cups water
      • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (If you can't handle a lot of heat, either do the spicy sausage OR the red pepper flakes, we did both & it was pretty spicy.)
      • 1/2 tsp thyme (If you use mild Italian sausage, you won't need this.)
      • 1 cup heavy cream
      • 2 cups kale, de-veined & chopped
      • Salt & Pepper
      1. In a stock-pot, over medium-high heat, brown sausage, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks.  Drain fat & set aside.
      2. In the same stock-pot add onion & minced garlic.  Cook for 3-5 minutes or until translucent.  (It should cook just fine in the little bit of grease left in the pot from the sausage, but if you need to, add a drop of olive oil.)
      3. Add  potatoes, chicken broth, skim milk, water, red pepper flakes, & thyme.  Simmer over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10-15 minutes.  
      4. Return sausage back to pot, & add heavy cream & kale to the soup.  Heat through about 2-3 minutes.  Remove from heat & season with salt & pepper.  Serve topped with freshly grated parmesan cheese.
      Serves 8-10
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