What I'm Cooking This Week

Tracy

The Great Pumpkin Rises Again-This Time in My Pancakes.

Confession time. I've gone a little crazy with pumpkin lately; in addition, I have to admit I've been a little sneaky with it too. I can't blame my strange behavior on having fall fever because it's been 80-plus degrees in these parts this week. Maybe it's all the lovely photos at Dawn's . . .or maybe it's because Dawn's birthday is totally coming up within the next seven days!! (sorry, D- xo)

Last week I mentioned breakfast-for-dinner as a way that we stretch our food budget around here. Thursday night was BFD night for us, and I needed a way to use up some pumpkin puree that I'd previously frozen.

Pancakes were on the menu anyway, so I went ahead and stirred about 1/2 cup puree into my usual Bisquick batter, along with 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice and a about a tbsp of sugar , and they were scrumptious! I didn't post the actual recipe because I think this would work with any pancake recipe, as long as you adjust the batter so it's still pourable, but keep in mind the puree will make it thicker than usual. Chopped pecans or even a little grated orange zest would also be yummy additions.

These flapjacks were a little more dense and moist than usual plain cakes, but dense and moist are sometimes a GOOD thing, and that's definitely the case here.

Now for the sneakiness factor. My youngest sauntered in (is five too young to saunter?) about the time I was getting ready to flip the first batch. He carefully raised his healthy-food radar and asked, "How come these are a different color?" But then he saw the jar of cinnamon on the counter , smiled huge and said "Oooh, Mama--did you make CINNAMON pancakes?" Remembering his leeriness of all things with nutritional value, I said, "Yes. Yes I did." He totally scarfed them down.

Do I feel guilty? Nah. It's about time that kid ingested something orange around here other than Goldfish crackers!

what i did this week

dawn

well, tracy....as you know i turned older yet again this weekend.  i really need to stop doing this.  it's starting to get really annoying.  and because i love halloween so much and it's exactly one week from my birthday, i had the pleasure of enjoying a rather um....festive birthday/halloween cake.  

it reminded me of "pinky and the brain" because the brain on top of the cake actually lit up and changed colors.  i have to hand it to the fam...they outdid themselves on this one.  oh and the things sticking out of the sides of the cake are plastic fingers with blood dripping down them.  appetizing, no?

the pretty stuff also came my way.  i love fresh flowers more than anything and these are gorgeous.  

a very nice birthday indeed.  even if i did turn a year older.

What I'm Cooking This Week
Tracy


What's your favorite cheap go-to meal?With all the grim reports coming from the TV news lately: "Doom! Despair! Run! Hide!"---- plunking down $25+ on take-out for my little family of four just doesn't seem right.
But since the kiddos and I don't hit the front door until around 5:45 p.m. each night, whatever dinner costs, it's gotta be fast.
One of the ways foodie internet sites and magazines tell us we can cut our meal budget is to have at least two or more meatless nights per week. Moving "brunch time" to 6:15 p.m. or so is one way to fit the bill.
One of my favorite ways to stretch our food buck and to appease my breakfast-loving son is to have pancakes and the like for dinner once in awhile. A luscious omlette with cheese and veggies is also comforting, quick and inexpensive.
But I've been doing the breakfast-for-dinner thing at least two or three times a month for awhile, so I've been looking for other ways to serve something meatless (or at least something with meat not as the main feature) and fast.
Various noodle dishes are usually a hit around here,too, and certainly cheap enough to make, but I get tired of the same ol' marinara and spaghetti.
I saw this lightened-up version of Alfredo sauce on Cooking Light's website. It's great on its own over whole grain fettucine or penne, but I also like to add mushrooms sauteed with a handful of baby spinach leaves, and even a bit of crispy bacon. And it comes together almost as quickly as nuking a jar of Newman's Sockarooni sauce (although that's what H and I lived on early in the marriage and still dearly love).

You'll need:

About 2-3 tablespoons reduced-fat cream cheese
1 tbsp butter
1tbsp all-purpose flour
1 and 1/3 cups lowfat milk
1 cup grated parmesan cheese (plus a little extra for the table)
2 minced garlic cloves (I use a couple teaspoons of the bottled, pre-minced stuff)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
About 8 oz hot cooked pasta (linguine, fettucine or penne work best)

Melt butter in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook about one minute, stirring constantly. Whisk in flour until blended, then gradually add milk, whisking constantly. Keep stirring and cooking for about 5-6 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken. Add cream cheese, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and whisk until cheese melts. Toss with the cooked pasta and serve w/extra parmesan.
*Yummy variation: At my house I typically cook a few slices of chopped bacon in a separate skillet , then remove it from pan, and drain all the drippings except about one tbsp. Then I cook about 1/2 chopped onion until soft, then throw in a couple handfuls (about a cup) baby spinach leaves and 8 oz sliced mushrooms, then stir until the mushrooms are cooked and the spinach is wilted. Then I toss the veggies and bacon in with the Alfredo sauce.

So, Dawn! What's your go-to meal when your wallet is screaming for mercy and time is tight?

what i did this week

dawn
well tracy, let's just say my wallet is always screaming for mercy! actually, i think it needs an absolution at this point . but for us, one of our favorites is butternut squash chili which i happened to cook this weekend. it's cheap, it's super yummy and it stretches to several meals. three things that are good. very, very good.

i also baked these cheese wafers to have with the chili. in fact tracy, you gave this to me. do you remember where you got it?

Hey Dawn---I picked these up in the freezer section of our beloved Fresh Market (the one off Providence). What a great idea to have them with your chili!

what i cooked this week

dawn

yes tracy, i made the dreaded swedish apple pie that our hips love so very much.

What I'm Cooking This Week

-Tracy

Shrieeeek! There's a little pumpkin in my oatmeal!

This morning while the kids dove into their Honey-Nut Cheerios with bananas, I decided to make something warm and comforting for me and H. There was finally a little nip in the air---yes, if the temperature is below 59 degrees in North Carolina , that's a verified nip---and so that warranted something hot and filling that takes more than a nano-second to wolf down.

I recently bought some canned pumpkin in preparation for making my friend Kelly's pumpkin cookies sometime this month, but then I searched my friends the innernets and saw a recipe for pumpkin-spice oatmeal. This is so fast and such a warm welcome after a loooong summer of cold cereal!

Pumpkin Oatmeal, adapted from allrecipes.com

*This makes two small servings or one huge one.

1 cup quick oats

3/4 cup milk (or more, for slightly thinner consistency)

dash of salt

1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree

1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp brown sugar ( I reduced the sugar a tad because I like mine drizzled with a little sugar-free maple syrup after it's done)

Toasted chopped pecans for garnish, if desired

Mix oats, milk and salt in a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for about 90 seconds. Take out bowl and stir in pumpkin, spices ,brown sugar and another splash of milk if necessary and cook for another 40-45 seconds or until everything's heated through, and then OMG you're eating a super-nutritious yellow vegetable for breakfast, people!!

However! You won't really know it, because it tastes like pie, another favorite food group of mine. Happy Rocktober, pumpkin lovers!

tracy, i am so trying this one.  :)