Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I love fall. I love spring and summer, too, but I do love fall. I love the crisp air, the cooler weather, baseball playoff games, SEC football, and the delicious food.

(I would also add that I love how the leaves change colors, but sadly, they don't really change here in coastal Georgia. The marsh does change color, though, and it's beautiful, but I do miss seeing the leaves change.)

Now that it's officially fall (although it doesn't feel like it yet, at least not here), I am ready to start cooking and baking with some of my favorite fall foods. I can't wait to make butternut squash/sweet Italian sausage penne pasta (recipe coming soon), apple desserts and pumpkin treats.

So, in honor of the new season (and to satisfy my sweet tooth), I whipped up a batch of my favorite fall cookie. They were inspired by some that my mother-in-law found at her local Kroger a few years ago. I think we ate all of them in a day or two. I just knew that I had to find a way to make them myself.

These cookies are soft and cake-like, and are full of pumpkin and spice flavors, and chocolate chips. What's not to love about that combo?

My house smells delicious right now ...


Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies
I think I got this recipe from allrecipes.com
Bake at 375 degrees
1 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 (15 oz.) cans pumpkin
4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 pinch nutmeg
2 cups chocolate chips*

In a large bowl, cream together the shortening and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Stir in vanilla and pumpkin until well blended. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and nutmeg; stir into pumpkin mixture. Fold in chocolate chips.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheets. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Allow to cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Makes about 7 dozen cookies.

*I use dark chocolate chips because I love dark chocolate and love the contrast between the dark chocolate and the pumpkin.

Note: these cookies will bake pretty much exactly how you drop them on the cookie sheet. They don't really expand or rise too much, so if there are peaks in your cookie batter when they're on the sheet, you'll have crunchy little peaks in your baked cookies.

The World's Best Scrambled Eggs

Okay, I fully realize that you're probably reading this and saying, "using a recipe for scrambled eggs is kinda lame. I mean, who doesn't know how to make scrambled eggs, anyway?"

Well, even though I knew how to make decent scrambled eggs back in the day, I wanted to see what the "experts," a.k.a. the folks from America's Test Kitchen, had to say about them. Plus, I'm a recipe nazi. What can I say?

These are, hands down, the best scrambled eggs I have ever made (or tasted, frankly). From this recipe, I learned that using milk (or half-and-half, as the recipe calls for) instead of water makes a big difference. And the way you fold the eggs while they're cooking makes a huge difference. HUGE.

We eat these eggs frequently (like, once a week), and even Patrick agrees that they are the bomb. And, of course, they're easy.

(Sorry I don't have a photo ... maybe one day I'll take one, but then my eggs would get cold. Hot eggs are so much better than lukewarm eggs. Plus, y'all all know what scrambled eggs look like.)

Scrambled Eggs
Recipe courtesy America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook
8 large eggs
1/4 cup half-and-half*
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, salt, and pepper. Melt the butter in a 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, swirling to coat the pan. Add the eggs and cook while gently pushing, lifting, and folding them from one side of the pan to the other until they are nicely clumped, shiny, and wet, about 2 minutes. Remove the cooked eggs from the pan quickly.

We sometimes like to add shredded cheese to our eggs (while they're cooking) and then sprinkle some Tabasco sauce on them when they're on our plate. Yummy. They're also perfectly delicious a natural.

*Whole, lowfat or skim milk can be substituted for the half-and-half, but the eggs will not be as creamy. I usually use skim milk unless I happen to have half-and-half on hand, and they are still creamy. DO NOT USE WATER!!

The key to fluffy scrambled eggs:
Do not stir the eggs!! If you push the eggs with a spatula instead of stirring them, you will end up with large, airy, fluffy eggs. Gently push, lift and fold them from one side of the pan to the other, until large, airy curds have formed. This is critical, folks.

Easy Chicken Enchiladas

I love Mexican food. Burritos, enchiladas, nachos, tacos, queso dip ... pretty much all Mexican food is my friend (as long as it's the fresh Tex-Mex kind and not the kind from Orlando's ... I am not a fan of Orlando's-type food for some reason. Patrick, however, is a fan...). Plus, when you cover something in cheese, it's bound to be good!

My mom sent me this recipe from her Barbara Jean's cookbook. Now, Barbara Jean is known for her AMAZING crab cakes (the best I've ever tasted), but she has a cookbook chock full of seafood and non-seafood recipes alike. And come on, when it's from Barbara Jean, you know it's going to be tasty!

In addition to tasty, these enchiladas are so, so easy. They're the perfect weeknight meal. You can also easily cut the recipe in half, which is what I did for Patrick and me. This was definitely rated a "keeper" in our house.


Barbara Jean's Chicken Enchiladas
Recipe from Barbara Jean's cookbook
3 cups cooked, diced chicken
1 cup picante sauce (or salsa)
4 cups shredded cheese (I use the Mexican blend)
2 cups heavy cream*
8 flour tortillas
Chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

In a small bowl, mix together the chicken and picante sauce. Coat a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Warm tortillas briefly (I microwave them in wet paper towels for 30-40 seconds). Place 1/2 cup chicken mixture and 2 tablespoons of cheese down the center of each tortilla. Roll and place in pan seam side down. Pour the heavy cream on top and cover with the remaining cheese. Bake at 350 for 20 to 25 minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Serves 4 (8 enchiladas).

For an extra kick to your taste buds, sprinkle with chopped fresh cilantro before serving.

*I actually used half-and-half because it's what I had on hand, and it turned out great.

Spicy Black Bean Salad

This is, hands down, one of my favorite side dishes. Ever.

I will admit that all the chopping of veggies is a little time consuming, especially for someone as anal as I, but the end result is SO worth it. It's so fresh tasting, and is a wonderful accompaniment to burgers, BBQ, grilled chicken ... almost anything, really!

This dish is actually more a side dish than a salad, but it is chock full of veggies, so call it what you want. I call it delicious. It's a family favorite.

I made this Saturday to take to a church potluck/picnic on Sunday, and by the time I got through the line there was only about one spoonful left, so Patrick and I split it so we could each get a little tiny taste. I wish I had more...


Spicy Black Bean Salad
My mom's recipe
3 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 red onion, minced
2 large ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
3 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced (wear gloves!)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Rinse and drain beans. Combine all ingredients and refrigerate. Stir before serving. Enjoy! (We think this tastes best made the day prior to eating; it gives all of the flavors time to meld.)

Marinated pork chops, roasted corn & potatoes

A few weekends ago we had a smidge of sunshine in the forecast, so I asked Patrick to fire up the grill. We love to grill, but we've been getting such amazing amounts of rain lately that it seems almost impossible to find a dry time to grill. Thankfully, the rain held off until about five minutes after Patrick got done grilling our dinner that evening.

Sidenote: we have a charcoal grill, and while we love the flavor it imparts on food, we don't like how stinking long it takes to heat the coals. It makes weeknight grilling impossible. So, we're thinking about a future purchase of a gas grill. My family is partial to Weber grills. Anyone have suggestions?

I don't make pork too often for some reason, but when I do, this marinade is my go-to marinade of choice for tasty grilled pork chops. And, of course, it's easy. (That is, if you're not the one grilling. If I were grilling, we'd end up with undercooked meat or overdone meat. Thankfully Patrick likes to grill.)

Oh, and how can I forget -- the CORN. Oh my goodness gracious. The corn is so yummy!! I grew up eating boiled corn-on-the-cob, and man alive, this blows it out of the water (sorry, Mom). It's also healthy, with about 109 calories and 4 grams of fat per serving.

The potatoes are roasted rosemary-onion potatoes. I love roasted potatoes, and addition of rosemary and onion gives these nice flavor.



Pork Chop Marinade
My mom's recipe
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons corn or vegetable oil
4 garlic cloves, minced or crushed
2 green onions, chopped
1 tablespoon dry mustard (or regular yellow mustard, both work great)
1 teaspoon ground ginger
Dash of pepper

Combine all ingredients in a dish large enough to accommodate all of your meat. Score meat deeply and place in dish with marinade. Marinate for two hours in the fridge, turning frequently.

I'm not going to pretend that I know anything about grilling, but from what I've read, grill your pork chop until it registers 135 degrees in the center and then let it stand for 10-15 minutes. The heat will continue to cook the pork, but will leave it juicy instead of dry and overcooked.

Oven-Roasted Corn on the Cob
Weight Watchers recipe - 2 points per serving
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon water
4 ears of corn on the cob, shucked

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Tear off 4 (12-inch-square) sheets of heavy-duty foil.

In a shallow bowl (I use a glass pie plate), combine the cilantro, lime juice, oil and water. Roll the corn in the cilantro oil, then place on the foil; brush with any remaining cilantro oil. Wrap the foil around the corn securely, then place directly on an oven rack. Bake, turning occasionally, until tender, about 25 minutes.

Roasted Rosemary-Onion Potatoes
4 medium russet potatoes
1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons dried rosemary leaves
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Grease a jelly roll pan (15 1/2" x 10 1/2" x 1). Cut potatoes into 1-inch chunks. Mix onion, oil, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add potatoes; toss to coat. Spread potatoes in single layer on pan.

Bake, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes, turning occasionally, until potatoes are light brown and tender when pierced with a fork.

Note: Be careful not to do what I often do when making these. We like our potatoes darker and crunchier, but the onion does tend to burn when I leave these in for much longer than the 20-25 minutes, and then you're left with little black specs of burned onion instead of nicely browned onion. The potatoes are still good, but you miss out on the onion and have to pick through the burned bits to get to the potatoes. Not fun.

Chicken Pot Pie, the ultimate comfort food

Chicken pot pie is such a comfort food. I love the flaky crust and the hot chicken-y goodness. (Really, anything baked in a crust sounds good to me.)

If you have never made chicken pot pie before, or if you've been making it with a concoction of cream-of-something soups, this recipe will rock your world. (I can say that cause I didn't write the recipe.) Never again should you make chicken pot pie with soup! This recipe is way too easy not to make. It's become a staple at our house, and it's often what I make and give when taking dinner to a friend who has just had a baby.

Oh, and if you live here in Coastal Georgia and are looking for the best pie plate ever, look for a pottery pie plate made by local potter Debbie Craig. It makes the best pies, hands down. My mom and I swear by them (and they're beautiful, too, which is a nice bonus). If you want contact info for her, lemme know. She works out of the St. Simons pottery studio. Debbie's stuff is awesome (she makes lots of stuff - bowls, casserole dishes, cups, baskets, etc.); they also make great birthday and Christmas presents.


Kara's Chicken Pot Pie
Really, my mom's recipe, adapted from the red-checkered Better Homes & Gardens cookbook
1/4 cup butter
2 shakes of onion powder
1/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 cups water
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon instant chicken bouillon granules
3 cups cooked chicken, cubed*
1 cup vegetables or 1 can Veg-All (optional)
Pastry for double-crust pie

Place bottom pastry crust in bottom of 9-inch pie plate; trim edges as needed.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add two shakes of onion powder and stir. Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Add water, milk and chicken bouillon granules all at once. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes more. Stir in cooked chicken and heat until bubbly. Add vegetables, if desired, and heat until bubbly. Cool slightly and pour into pie plate. Place top pastry crust on top of chicken mixture, trim as needed, and flute edges. Cut slits in top for ventilation. Bake at 375 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

*Okay, so I feel sort of ... less of a real cook for divulging this bit of info, but if you want to make this an even easier and quicker recipe, use two large cans of chicken (the all-white meat chicken). It's totally what I do. (Cause y'all know how I feel about cooking chicken. And it's even worse when it comes to boiling it. I just haven't mastered that yet.)

Paula Deen's Baked Spaghetti

Patrick's grandmother is known for her baked spaghetti, and it's made at family reunions and other family get-togethers and was a staple in Patrick's life while he was growing up. Needless to say, my baked spaghetti will never measure up to his grandmother's (nor will I try to compete!), but since I know that it's right on up there on the list of "Patrick's favorite foods," I wanted to try to make it.

Thankfully, Paula Deen, southern cook extraordinaire, came to my rescue. I found her recipe for baked spaghetti and knew that if it's from Paula, it had to be good. I mean, how can you go wrong with two pounds of cheese? (Okay, maybe not quite two pounds, but there's a lot of cheese in this. And it's soooo good.)

Do make sure that you are cooking for a crowd when you make this. This is not a recipe for two (I made it for just the two of us one night and then took the 3/4 of the pan of leftovers to Suzanne and Carter's. Her parents were in town and I knew her dad loves baked spaghetti -- and wouldn't mind our leftovers -- so they were able to finish it. We like leftovers, but really didn't want to eat it for six days). I think the recipe says it serves 10. I'd say 8-10 depending on how hungry folks are, but it does feed quite a few people. (Okay, I just realized that this can easily be cut in half for those of us who don't have eight people to feed. So, next time, when I'm just cooking for the two of us, I will be halving this recipe.)

Oh, and according to Paula, "Fodor's Travel Guide" calls this "The best baked spaghetti in the South."

Try it and I think you'll agree.


Paula Deen's Baked Spaghetti
2 cups canned diced tomatoes
2 cups tomato sauce
1 cup water
1/2 cup diced onions
1/2 cup diced green bell peppers
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons The Lady's House Seasoning*
1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
2 small bay leaves
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
8 ounces uncooked angelhair pasta
1 cup grated Cheddar cheese
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese

To make the sauce, in a stockpot, combine the tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, onions, peppers, garlic, parsley, seasoning mixtures, sugar, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour. Crumble the ground beef into a saucepan. Cook until no pink remains, then drain off the fat. Aff the ground beef to the stockpot. Simmer for another 20 minutes. While the sauce simmers, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Cover the bottom of a 13x9x2-inch pan with sauce. Add a layer of pasta, then half the cheese; repeat the layers, ending with the sauce. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Top with the remaining cheese, return to the oven, and continue to cook until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Cut into squares before serving.

*To make 1 1/2 cups of The Lady's House Seasoning, stir together:
1 cup of salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder

This is a good, all-purpose seasoning to have on hand.