Gingerbread-Pumpkin Triffle

I want to just keep this idea for later use--I will come back and put in more specifics when I actually make it.

layer gingerbread, then a pumpkin/vanilla pudding mixture, then whipped cream....top with crushed ginger snaps.

Oven-Roasted Chicken

Original source of this Recipe

Description:

Juicy and tender roasted whole chicken

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

1 whole frying chicken
garlic salt
seasoned salt
lemon pepper

Instructions:

1. Rinse chicken with cold water and remove giblets from inside. Lay chicken, breast side up, in sink.

2. Sprinkle seasonings generously over chicken (still in sink; this makes less mess!). Lift chicken and place, breast-side down, in baking dish (one that had a lid). Season the back side. Cover with lid.

3. Bake chicken for about 30 minutes per pound at 325 degrees.

4. Test chicken with thermometer and remove when tender (and, of course, at least up to temp!). Remove chicken and place, breast side up, on a plate to serve.

Additional Notes:

I use a deep glass baking dish that's just big enough to hold the chicken. I like to season the chicken ahead of time and keep in the fridge until it's time to start baking it.

Preparation Time: 7 minutes

Cooking Time: 2-3 hours

Lemon Bars

1 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups flour
4 eggs, beaten lightly
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup lemon juice
Rind of one lemon, grated

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x13 pan.

For crust, cream together butter and powdered sugar. Add salt and 2 cups flour, and mix well. Pat gently into greased pan. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

For filling, combine remaining ingredients. Mix well (the more you beat and the frothier it gets, the crispier the top - yummy!) and pour over hot crust.

Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes. When done sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cut when cool.

Source for this recipe: http://baskersfunfoods.blogspot.com/2009/02/jeffs-favorite-lemon-bars.html

Apple-Craisin French Toast

1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoons corn syrup
2 baking apples, peeled and sliced (Granny Smith are good)
1/2 cup craisins (dried cranberries)
5 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 loaf French bread, cut in 1” slices
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Cook the brown sugar, butter and syrup in a small pan on top of the stove until smooth. Pour into a 9x13-baking pan. Spread apples slices and craisins over the syrup. Place the bread on top of the apples and craisins. Beat together eggs, milk and vanilla. Pour over the bread. Dust top with cinnamon. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes at 350. Cut in squares and serve on platter topped with apples, craisins and syrup from pan.

Makes 6-8 servings.
Recipe Source

Sloppy Joe's

2 pounds hamburger
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1/4 chopped bell pepper
1 2/3 cups canned crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup BBQ Sauce (or ketchup)
2 tbs brown sugar
1 tbs vinegar
1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 tbs steak sauce
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp ground mustard
1/4 tsp paprika
salt and pepper to taste

Cook, beef, onion, celery and green pepper untilmeat is no longer pink and veggies are tender. Drain off fat. Return to pan. Add rest of the ingredients, mix well and simmer uncovered 35-40 mins.

Thanksgiving Turkeys

These turkeys come from this website.

What you need (for each turkey):

7 Candy Corn
2 Double Stuffed Oreo Cookies
1 Whopper
1 Reese's Peanut Butter Cup
1 Tube of black piping gel
1 tube of white icing
1 Yellow and red food coloring
1 Yellow and red food coloring
1 plastic Ziplock bag
1 sharp knife
1 pair of scissors
1 bowl

Prep:
Put your Peanut Butter Cups in the fridge to cool. If you have cold hard chocolate to work with it makes it a lot easier.

Squeeze some of the white icing into a bowl. This will be your orange. Mix red and yellow food coloring with the icing to create your desired orange. Then put that into a plastic bag and set it aside for later.

Creating:
First you will be creating the tail using 1 Oreo cookie and 6 Candy Corns. Gently, with one candy corn pull apart just one side of the Oreo. Don't don't break about the entire thing. Put a good amount of icing in between the two sides. This will help the Candy Corn stay. Place 6 Candy Corn (white side down) in between the cookie. See picture.

Take your white icing and squeeze a generous amount onto the top back of an Oreo cookie. Take the other Oreo and put the bottom into the icing to have it stand up. If it doesn't stand, add more icing! Once you have it stand put it up against something so it doesn't fall until the icing is dry. I use a thick book.


Remove your Peanut Butter Cup from the fridge. Take your knife and cut off the very bottem so you have a flat surface. Put icing on the bottom of it the bigger flat. Bump it up against the bottom and back of your Oreo cookies. See picture.

Next take your Whopper and squeeze more icing on it on one side. Place the whopper on top of the Peanut Butter Cup to make your head.

Find a piece of Candy Corn that has a nice big white end. Using your sharp knife cut the color off leaving you with the white end. Place some icing on it and stick it on your whopper as the beak to your Oreo Turkey. Hold for a moment.

Take your icing and place two white dots as eyes. Get your tube of black piping gel and place a black dot on each eye to make them come alive.

Grab your bag of already created orange. Cut a very small hold in the corner of the bag. Now, pipe feet.

Now you are done! It is that simple!!

Mixed Roasted Vegetables and Pasta

*This is one of our favorite recipes ever--we found it when we were first married and made it almost every week!

1 medium green, red, or yellow bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium onion, cut into 8 wedges and separated
2 medium zucchini, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 pound whole mushrooms
1/3 cup chopped fresh or 2 TBSP dried basil leaves
3 TBSP olive or vegetable oil
2 TBSP red wine vinegar
2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 Cups uncooked cavatappi or gemelli pasta
2 medium tomatoes, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 package (8oz) shredded Italian-style four-cheese blend (2 cups)

Heat oven to 350. Place bell peppers, onion, zucchini and mushrooms in rectangular pan, 13x9, or shallow 3 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle evenly with basil.

Mix oil, vinegar, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper; drizzle evenly over vegetables. Bake uncovered 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook and drain pasta as directed on package. Add tomatoes and pasta to vegetable mixture; toss to coat. Sprinkle with cheese.

Bake uncovered about 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender and cheese is melted.