Refrigerator Pumpkin Bran Muffins

My boys love muffins- especially these pumpkin ones. I like to double the recipe and it's nice to just grab the batter out of the refrigerator and pop them into the oven real fast!

Ingredients:

2 c. whole bran cereal

1 1/2 c. buttermilk**

1 c. canned pumpkin

1/2 c. applesauce

2 tsp. orange zest; grated

2 eggs

2 1/2 c. flour

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 c. rasins or dried fruit or chocolate chips- I do not add this to the batter until I am ready to bake- I add 1/2 tsp. to each muffin well

** I make my own buttermilk**

Add 1 tbsp. of lemon juice to 1 c. milk and stir

Let sit for 5 minutes then add to bowl- to make 1 cup

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the cereal and buttermilk. Let stand for 5 minutes to soften cereal. Add pumpkin, applesauce, orange zest, and eggs; blend well. Stir in flour, sugar, and spices. Fold in dried fruit or chocolate chips if you would like to add it now. Batter may be baked immediately or stored up to two weeks in the refrigerator in a tightly covered container.

To bake in oven, preheat oven to 400 degrees. grease or line muffin pan with muffin papers. Fill each well 3/4 full. This is where I add my chocolate chips to each muffin well. Bake for 18-22 minutes of making regular size muffins; 16-20 minutes if making mini- muffins.

Serves: several dozen

Almond Cake

I hosted Bunco this month and wanted to have LOTS of SUGAR!!! I had my cousin, McKinna make her famous cupcakes and chocolate covered pretzels. I made some sugar cookies and my almond cake.

I threw this picture in- before pouring the batter into the cookie sheet- it needs to be greased with shortening and flour. I did the flour part outside to avoid the mess!

Almond cake out the oven!

Lots of frosting- I did orange for my autumn theme. It doesn't need to be frosted to the edges- I cut away from that so it's nice and even. (My boys get the edges!)

Cut into finger sized pieces.

Ingredients:

2 c. sugar

3/4 c. real butter

1/2 c. shortening

3/4 c. milk

4 eggs

2 1/4 c. flour

2 tsp. almond extract

In a mixer, cream the sugar, butter, and shortening. Add the eggs, milk, and almond extract and mix well. Slowly add the flour 1 cup at a time until well blended. Pour into greased and floured pan. Bake 20-30 minutes; until the edges are brown; at 350.

Cool completely.

Frosting:

3/4 c. real butter; softened

1-2 tbsp. milk

3 c. powder sugar- or more

1 tsp. almond extract

food coloring

In a mixer, add the butter, milk,and almond extract. Add the powder sugar 1/2 cup at a time until it is the consistency you want. Add food coloring for color and frost cake.

Serves: 20-25

Baked Acorn Squash with Apples and Brown Sugar

I did my first week of Bountiful Baskets and was so excited to try vegetables I would not usually buy. Like this. Acorn squash. I pulled up a couple of different recipes off the internet and combined 2 that I really liked. I do not like acorn squash- but I tried it! Brad really liked it- but he likes stuff like this.

Ingredients:

1 acorn squash; cut in 1/2

1 apple; cored and diced

2 tbsp. brown sugar

2 tbsp. butter; softened

2 tbsp. maple syrup

Directions:

Pre heat oven to 400.

Scoop the seeds and stringy pulp out of the squash and discard. Place them on a baking sheet, cut side up. Rub the inside with the butter- 1 tbsp. on each. Fill the squash with the apple. Drizzle 1 tbsp. of the syrup over each one- then sprinkle on the brown sugar.

Bake in the oven for 1 hour until the squash is tender when pierced with a fork.

Serves 2.

Chicken Enchiladas

I found a version of this years ago- I don't know where but then changed it to what I like- I can never follow a recipe....

Ingredients:

1-2 chicken breasts

garlic to season the chicken

6-8 flour tortillas; depending on how much filling you use

1 c. shredded cheese- I used cheddar and pepper jack

1 c. cottage cheese

1 (8oz) cream cheese; softened

1 ( 4oz) can green chile peppers

1 can (10 oz) enchilada sauce

Directions:

Cook the chicken with garlic until no longer pink- then cube the chicken into small pieces. In a separate bowl, blend the softened cream cheese and the cottage cheese. Add 1/2 c. of the shredded cheese, the green chile peppers, and the chicken. Mix with fork until ingredients are blended.

Spray a rectangle casserole dish with cooking spray.

Place some of the mixture on a tortilla and loosely roll. Place seam side down in casserole dish. Repeat until all the tortillas are filled. Spread the enchilada sauce evenly over the enchiladas. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 c. of cheese.

Bake for 45 minutes; covered; in oven at 350.

Serves 6

Bird Chili

One of the girls I worked with made this for a chili cook-off and I LOVED it! I asked for the recipe which I got today and had to make this immediately- luckily, I had all the ingredients on hand. I would have tried this in my crock pot- but I really really wanted to make it now- it was super spicy!

1 chicken breast

3 c. chicken broth

3 tbsp. ground cumin

2 tbsp. chili powder

1 tbsp. red pepper

lots of garlic!

2 (15.5 oz) cans great Northern beans; drained and rinsed

1 (4 oz) can chopped green chile peppers

2 1/2 c. water

1 1/2 c. long grain rice- not instant

1 c. sour cream

1 c. shredded Monterey cheese

Cook chicken breast in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add chicken broth, cumin, chili powder, red pepper, and garlic. I cube the chicken as it cooks.

When the chicken is no longer pink- add the beans, green chile peppers, water, and rice. Turn heat to high until it comes to a boil. Turn to low and cover. Simmer 20-25 minutes or until the rice is cooked. Add the sour cream and stir. Keep on low and simmer 5 minutes.

Serve with cheese sprinkled on top.

Serves 6