Pumpkin Pancakes with Cinnamon Syrup

Pumpkin Pancakes with Cinnamon Syrup
from Gina Gephart Adams, when my baby was getting born
Taken from my old baby blog 

*****

October 4, 2010
Last fall when we were in Texas meeting Jesse's birthmom, we stayed with my cousin and her family for about a week. She made us these delicious pumpkin pancakes a couple mornings while we were there, and I've been dreaming about them ever since. Come on cool mornings when pumpkiny pancakes warm you up!

Mmmm Pumpkiny Pancakes with Cinnamon Syrup

Pancakes:
2 c. flour (she used 1 c. all-purpose, 1 c. whole wheat)
1/4 c. brown sugar
2t baking powder
1t baking soda
2t pumpkin pie spice (or mix your own w/allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger)
1/4t salt
1 3/4 c. milk
1 T Mexican vanilla
1 c. pumpkin
1 egg
2 T oil
2 T vinegar

Mix all ingredients and cook on the griddle! serve with warm cinnamon syrup.

Syrup:
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. light karo syrup
1/4 c. water
3/4 t ground cinnamon
1/2 c. evaporated milk

Combine first four ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat; boil 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in evaporated milk.

Zuppa Toscana

Zuppa Toscana (copycat from Olive Garden)
from geniuskitchen, with edits

1 lb Italian sausage (I use Jimmy Dean)
1 large sweet onion, chopped
4 medium russet potatoes, washed, sliced in half, then cut in 1/4-inch slices
2 cloves garlic
salt, pepper, chicken bouillon to taste
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 cups (one box) chicken broth
2 cups water
4 cups kale, deveined and sliced into ribbons
4 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
1 1/4 c heavy whipping cream

Cook and crumble sausage in Dutch oven.  Remove from pot.  Add bacon drippings and saute onions until translucent over medium heat, about 5 minutes.  Add sliced potatoes, garlic, salt and pepper, red pepper; mix, then add broth and water, and return sausage to the pot.  Bring to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes, until potatoes are tender.  Reduce heat to low and give a few good smashes with a potato masher to thicken.  Add kale, allowing it to wilt slightly.  Add in crumbled bacon and then slowly mix in cream.  Serve hot with crusty bread.

Hammy Sammies

Hammy Sammies
  from Becky Higgins

24 rolls (I've used Sister Schubert's parbaked frozen rolls, Hawaiian rolls, and Costco's yeast rolls, and it doesn't matter they are all delicious.)
mayonnaise
12 thick slices deli ham (black forest)  
12 slices Swiss cheese
1/2 c. melted butter
1 1/2 Tbsp. mustard
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp. poppy seeds

Slice rolls in half so they open. Spread mayo on top and bottom of the inside of each roll. Assemble rolls with ½ slice of cheese and ½ slice of ham. Place all of these in a baking pan or stone. Mix together the melted butter, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Brush this mixture all over the tops of the rolls and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes until heated through.

This is one of my favorite things to make to take in to families who are sick or have a new baby because leftover sandwiches go well in lunchboxes the next day.  A bag of chips and a few grapes and you're ready to go.  In colder weather, serve with a nice brothy soup (visiting teacher soup, anyone?) as an indulgent roll, or with macaroni and cheese to make the kids happy.  It's also a good way to use up leftovers from an Easter or Christmas ham. (Save the ham hock for Bean and Ham Soup.)

See someone else's post, with photos, here: https://www.kerribradford.com/2011/09/21/ham-swiss-rolls/

Bean and Ham Soup

Bean and Ham Soup
from the delightful Tammy Adams

1 pound navy beans (2 1/2 cups)
5 cups water
1 clove garlic
1 ham hock
1 t salt

Soak beans in water at least 4 hours.  You'll want to add MUCH more water than beans because they expand.  Drain water.
Add garlic, ham hock, beans, and water to crock pot.  Cover and cook on low 7-8 hours of high for 4 hours.  Add salt during the last hour of cooking time.
Remove ham hock from cooker and allow to cool.  Cut ham off hock and stir back into bean mixture.

Note from the original recipe:  "The most important thing of this recipe is you MUST use a ham hock.  I will make a ham for Sunday dinner and then keep the blessed hock to use for this soup!  I will sometimes cook a ham just so that I can have the hock for this soup.  It is really that good.  Be careful for the occasional bone.  For added flavor or color, you can add onion, celery, carrots, or tomatoes."

Tammy brought me this when when I was sick with pneumonia and also had two newborns.  I ate it for days and then got the recipe and made my mom make me another batch.  Now it is one of my cold-weather favorites!

Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd's Pie
Adapted and simplifed from Alton Brown

2 T canola oil
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 lbs ground beef
salt/pepper
3 T flour
1 t garlic powder
2 t Worcestershire sauce
1 c chicken broth
1 c peas
1 c corn
3 cups mashed potatoes
2 cups shredded cheese

Saute onion and carrots in canola oil.  Add beef and salt/pepper/garlic and cook until browned.
Sprinkle meat with flour and toss to coat.  Add Worcestershire sauce and chicken broth and simmer 10 mins to allow to thicken.
Spread meat sauce in the bottom of a 9x11 pan.  Layer with peas/corn mixture.  Spread mashed potatoes over the vegetable layer.  Sprinkle shredded cheese over the top.
Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes, until heated through and cheese is melted and potatoes begin to brown.

Ham Chowder

A friend brought me this last fall when I was sick and I immediately demanded the recipe.  It was an immediate hit at Grandma Day when I finally made it this week.

Ham Chowder
from Emilie Sallee and her mother, Annette Tingey

2 c boiling water
2 c diced potatoes
1/2 c sliced carrots
1/2 c sliced celery
1/4 c chopped onion
1 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/4 c butter
1/4 c flour
2 c milk
2 1/2 c shredded cheese
1 (17 oz) can cream style corn
2 c cubed ham

Combine water, vegetables, salt and pepper.  Cover and simmer 10 minutes (or until veggies are done).  Do not drain!
In another saucepan, melt butter, add flour.  Add milk, stirring constantly with a wire whisk over medium heat until thickened.  Add cheese, stir until melted.  Add cheese sauce, corn, and ham to cooked veggies.  Heat until hot but not boiling.

Pumpkin Brownies

We first had these at a family gathering with RoRo's birth family.  They're now a fall family favorite, and they always remind me of the love I felt at that party.

Pumpkin Brownies
1 cup cooked pumpkin
1 cup butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 egg
2 cups flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp baking soda
12 oz package white chocolate chips
1/2 cup nuts (walnut, macadamia or favorite) - optional

Cream butter and sugars.  Add egg, vanilla, and pumpkin.  Combine flour, soda, and spices; add to creamed mixture.  Add 1 1/2 cups of chips, and add nuts.  Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes in 9x13 greased pan, then cool completely.  (They tend to be gooey in the middle, so keep baking.)

Put remaining chips in a ziploc bag and microwave to melt on medium for about 30 seconds.  Knead until all lumps are melted.  Snip small hole in corner of baggie and drizzle over cut bars.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies. Because October.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
3/4 cup shortening
2 1/3 cups sugar
2 eggs
15 oz. can pumpkin
3 1/2 cups flour
1/2 t. baking soda
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
1 t. salt
1 t. nutmeg
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. ginger
3/4 t. cloves
1/2 t. allspice
1 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts, i guess)
11.5 oz bag chocolate chips

Cream together shortening, sugar, eggs, and pumpkin.
Stir in remaining ingredients. (Dough will be sticky.)
bake at 400 for 10 to 15 minutes.

Mmm, fall.