Pumpkin Cream Cheese Dip

I'm posting this at the request of my Aunt Nancy. :)

I LOVE pumpkin and here lately it's been on sale for $1 a can at the grocery...and I may have a stockpile of 20 or so cans in the basement.  I can't help myself...it's a good deal and my boys can eat through pumpkin muffins like they are going out of style.

Today was the 2nd annual Shaw women Christmas Craft Extravaganza.  In a nutshell, we eat really yummy food, make crafts, laugh and have a great time.  I brought pumpkin dip, perfect for a fall afternoon.

I had been wanting to try a pumpkin dip with graham crackers to take.  My first attempt failed (sorry to everyone in our Life Group) but I quickly readjusted and won't make that mistake again.

So, here is what I did:

1 15 oz can of pureed pumpkin (NOT the pumpkin pie mix)
1 8 oz block of cream cheese, super soft
1 tsp of ginger
1 tsp of nutmeg
2 tsp of cinnamon
OR instead of those spices use 1 heaping tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice

This alone make for a very bland dip that people take one bite of and don't eat anymore...trust me, you will come home with an entire bowl of pumpkin dip. :)

The most crucial ingredient is....

1-2 cups of powdered sugar

Mix this in last and adjust depending on how sweet you want it.  I used about 1 1/2 cups and thought it was plenty sweet but you could make it more or less depending on your specific tastes.  Throw everything in the bowl and mix on high for a few minutes until all ingredients are blended and smooth.

Yummy with graham crackers, vanilla wafers or ginger cookies.  Enjoy!

Homemade Laundry Soap

I've had this on my to do list every time I run out of laundry soap.  I never got around to it though because it seemed like I could always get store bought on sale or even buy one get one free.  I usually buy generic because national brands are just way too expensive!  I've never really had a need for homemade until recently.

Josh has sensitive skin and so does Rory.  I always buy the "free and clear" and up until now that has worked really well.   The last couple weeks Rory has complained of being itchy and has little bumps on his trunk.  Don't worry though I've checked it out and it just skin irritiation.  When Rory was a baby I remember someone held him that had on too much perfume and his little face was all red and splotchy.  Recently, though I've been an itchy mess...my arms, scalp, shoulders, chin, neck and even my calves.  I've never had this problem before and always just bought whatever shampoo, body wash, etc for myself. 

Since we are all an itchy mess I'm having to back track and re-evaluate the products that we are using.  While my initial plan for making homemade detergent blossomed out of saving money it's now become more urgent.  This was so easy that I wished that I had made this long before now.

My initial inspiration came from various pinterest boards and blogs.  This is what I used:

-1 box of Borax

-1 box of Arm & Hammer Washing Soda

-1 box of baking soda (the big box)

-1 container of Oxy Clean (I used the free and clear)

-2 bars of Dove Sensitive Skin

Recipes that I have seen called for Fels Naptha or Pure Castille Soap, neither of which I could find so Dove it is!

The first step is to grate the soap--I used my cheese grater.



Then, find a cute little helper and a bucket to mix everything in!  I always have one of these on hand.

I poured half of everything in, then stirred and then poured in the rest and stirred again so everything would be nice and mixed up.  This was a perfect project for a busy yet helpful toddler!  He loved pouring and stirring.

From my research on Pinterest and the blogosphere it looks like each load of laundry only requires about 2 tablespoons of homemade detergent so that is what I'm sticking with.  The supplies cost about $20 total and I can't qutie tell how long this will last but I estimate it will either save a little money or be the same cost as store bought.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this will also be easier on our skin.

It may be weird to say but now I'm anxious to do some laundry with my new soap!  Clearly, it's the little things in life that please me.

Happy Purim: Hamantaschen

Our church has been going through the book The Story together...from the babies in the nursery to the adults.  It's been a fun, exciting and eye opening journey.  The book has put the Bible in chronological order and reads more like a novel.  Josh and I have a chapter book that we read and discuss with our small group and again on Sundays.  Rory also has a preschool book that we read every night and coordinates with the lesson at church on Sunday.  I've really enjoyed this journey and will be sad when it ends. 

OK-so a couple weeks ago the chapter we discussed was on Esther.  I love reading that account and is probably by go to reading if I can't find something else.  Esther is on my list of top 5 women I'd love to sit and have a chat with.

Here is a basic and super quick run down of her story.  Current Queen is ousted by King Xerxes and therefore he needs a new Queen.  Esther, who is Jewish, is also beautiful and is chosen as a replacement.  Mordecai, Esther's Uncle and caregiver, saves the King's life by learning of and reporting a plot of an assassination attempt.  King's right hand man, Haman, comes from a lineage of Jewish haters.  Haman despises Mordecai because he will not bow down to him.  King learns that Mordecai has never been properly thanked or recognized for saving his life.  The King does lavish things for him which only angers Haman more.  Haman devises a decree to have all the Jews killed and the King signs the decree, without realizing that he is signing his wife's death sentence.  Haman is blood thirsty and even raises a pole that he intends to kill Mordecai on.  Esther must go before the King to petition for her life.  This is risky business...she can only go to the King when summoned.  Any other time she risks being killed.  The King welcomes her and even promises half of his kingdom to her.  What a relief to Esther-she invites the King and Haman to a banquet.  After two dinners Esther requests that her life be spared.  The King, now realizing what had been happening, granted her wish, spared all her people and Haman was impaled on the pole meant for Mordecai.

This is really Hollywood ready material.  Anyway, Jewish people still celebrate Esther delivering the Jews from certain death.  It's called Purim and this year Purim is on February 23rd and 24th.  To celebrate we made Hamantaschen (Ha-man-tosh-en) or hoppin-toppin as Rory called them.  Hamantaschen translates to Haman's Ears.

Here is the recipe I used:

1 box yellow cake mix

1 cup flour

2 eggs

2 tablespoons of water *

fruit jam

*I used a total of 4 tablespoons of water to get the right dough consistency

Preheat the over to 375 and either grease a cookie sheet or use parchment paper.

In a large bow, mix together cake mix and flour. Stir in eggs and water to form stiff dough.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/8 inch thickness.

Use a cookie cutter or rim of a glass to cut 3" round circles and place on cookie sheets.

Place 1 teaspoon of jam in the center of each cookie.

Pinch the sides of circles to form thee corners so that only a little filling is visible.  (I need some work on my shaping...they aren't quite like I pictured!)

Bake Hamantaschen for 6-8 minutes in the oven until lightly browned.

Allow cookies to cool for 1 minute and then move to a wire rack to cool fully.

Rory was very happy with his snack and he gave it a thumbs up!

This recipe came from our church bulletin...if there are plagiarism issues or you want a link let me know.

Berry Gummy Hearts

Rory and I love doing crafts together and he LOVES to help me in the kitchen.  Whenever I cook he will run to to me and say, "I see too! I see too!"  He needs to know what I'm cooking and what his helping job will be. He has excellent stirring skills.

Although, we aren't huge on celebrating Valentine's Day I saw this recipe and I thought it would be a fun way to celebrate.  The original recipe is posted here.  I prepped all the ingredients the night before so Rory could do the work of "cutting" out the gummies the next day. 

You will need:

1 12 ounce bag of frozen raspberries, thawed

1 cup apple juice

5 envelopes of unflavored gelatin

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Puree the raspberries and run through a strainer to separate the seeds.  Throw the seeds away.  Mix apple juice and gelatin in a microwaveable bowl.  Stir in sugar and corn syrup.  I microwaved in 3-30 second intervals stirring well in between each set.  Let stand for about 5 minutes.  Then stir in raspberry puree and lemon juice.  Pour into a square baking pan lined with plastic wrap.  Cover with wax paper and chill.  I prepped mine the night before so it chilled all night.  It will look like this when you take it out of the refrigerator.

                                 

Flip out of the pan and onto a cutting board.

Since it's a V-day craft I was supposed to use small heart shaped cutters.  I had all intention of stopping at Hobby Lobby to pick up a couple but it started snowing a couple hours before rush hour so I skipped that step.  On this particular day I was happy to get us both home in one piece!  This did leave me in a bit of a pickle because I didn't have any small cookie cutters.  I was going to use the plastic medicine cups that come with children's liquid medicine but those still seemed big for a gummy.

We ended up using the big end of a cake decorating tip.  It was the perfect size for Rory to maneuver and created a gummy the perfect size for popping right in your mouth!

Rory took his work very seriously.  And of course he had to taste test as he went!

It ended up taking about 20 minutes to cut everything out.  We both had a lot of fun with this project!  I just love that precious face!

Boys love the messy part just as much as the fun, eating part!

Edit: The gummies should be stored in the refrigerator once you are done cutting them out...and if there is any leftover for you to store!

Homemade Bread Crumbs

If you are like me, I've bought countless canisters of bread crumbs at the grocery store.  Bread crumbs are great for so many things...meatloaf, homemade chicken nuggets, meatballs, hamburgers...the list could go on and on.  The last time I used store bought crumbs I realized that I've been using them but they didn't really taste like much and it seemed so odd to me that they lasted for months on end in the pantry.  Bread molds so shouldn't the crumbs?

Here begins my bread crumb endeavor.  I've used multiple types of bread to make crumbs, leftover stale bread or buns.  This is great way to use up the heels that no one wants to eat.  If you are like us we almost always bring home leftover rolls or bread loaves from restaurants.  I can't bear to waste.  This particular batch came from an Amish (maybe Mennonite restaurant) and I knew the bread was homemade and I couldn't let it go to waste.  Because it was homemade it went stale very quickly....the only downside to not using preservatives.  I'll show you how easy it is to make homemade bread crumbs!

If your bread isn't already stale let it sit out all day to get good and stale.

Once it's stale cut or tear in chunks and run it through your food processor.

Make sure the crumbs are pretty small otherwise you'll have chunks that are too big to be useful as "crumbs."

Spread out the bread on a baking sheet.

I bake mine at 350 for about 10 minutes or so.  You have to check often and flip the crumbs there is a fine line between toasted and burnt...it happens fast.

At this point you could be done but personally, I prefer the seasoned crumbs.  You could season either right before you use but I'd rather get it done since I am already working in the kitchen.  These are some of the spices that I like.  Parmesan cheese is also a yummy one but I didn't use that this time.

Once cooled divide the crumbs up in plastic baggies.  I put about a cup in each and toss in the freezer.

Really, it's that easy!  I have to tell you this will make your house smell like you are making homemade bread!  Not only does it smell great but I can tell a huge difference in dishes that I've used homemade crumbs rather than store bought.

I usually only make them when my oven is already fired up for dinner.  If you don't have enough bread to make a whole batch toss the bread in the freezer as you collect it and then make one big batch!

Happy Baking!

Homemade Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

In my effort to not waste anything that could be used, this is the first year I roasted the seeds harvested from carving pumpkins.  I have to admit this task was harder than I thought it would be. 

I started by sorting the pumpkin insides from the seeds.  I rinsed and laid flat to dry on a dish towel.  Originally, I tried a strainer to rinse the seeds but neither the seeds or the pumpkin would pass through the holes.  Then I found it hard to rinse the seeds without at least 1/2 cup of my precious harvest being washed down the drain.  I ended up doing this part my hand which took longer than I prefer.  If you have any tips on this step I'm all ears!

Then, I searched for recipes on what to do and really none of them sounded good.  I didn't want to do salty and the ones that were sweet had way too much sugar!  So, I did my own thing.  Here is what you need:

2 cups of pumpkin seeds
2 Tablespoons butter
1/8 cup sugar
1 tsp of cinnamon
1/2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice

I started by tossing about 2 cups of seeds in 2 tablespoons of melted butter.  Then I mixed the sugar and spices together.

Lay out the pumpkin seeds on a cookie sheet or bar pan.  I prefer the pans that have an edge for this kind of thing.  It keeps seeds from slipping off into the overn and burning.

Sprinkle about a 1/3 of the mixture on the seeds and put in the oven at 350 for 5 minutes.  Sprinkle another 1/3 of the sugar mixture on and bake for 5 more minutes.  It's ok to toss the seeds in between baking sets, just make sure they are laying flat when they go back in the even.  Then sprinkle the remaining sugar mixture on and cook for an addtional 10 minutes. 

Once they cool put into a bowl and serve!  Enjoy!

Homemade Cooking Spray

On my quest of being more "homemade" one of the first things I've discovered is homemade cooking spray.  I feel like I went though my last bottle of store bought spray within a very short time.  It costs almost $3 per bottle, it mists all over other things and I recently looked at the ingredients list and there are a few things I couldn't pronounce.

I got to thinking...it is just oil right?  Except it's put in a pressurized can for convenience.  Why can't I just put regular oil in a spray bottle and call it a day?  I began my research and found all sorts of "recipes" online and how you should and should not make homemade cooking spray. 

So far I've only tried one receipe but it's working great and I love it!  I only needed 3 things and they all were things that I already had on hand, which in my mind is the same as free.

Spray Bottle
Distilled Water (I just bought a few gallons for the humidifier)
Olive Oil

Important tip--I wanted to use tap water but after further investigation not such a great idea.  It can harbor and grow bacteria if not used quickly...so, it's best to use distilled water.

I started by washing the spray bottle using hot soapy water and took all the pieces apart to get it good and clean...BUT, then decided to go a step further and sterilize it.  I occasionally did this with Rory's bottles and pacifiers after he was sick....it's super easy!  Just boil water, throw in what you want to sterilize and let boil for 5 minutes. 

Remove the pieces from the water and once cool, reassemble the spray bottle. 

The next step is getting the oil to water ratio correct and I think this depends on how much/what you bake and how oily you want your surface.  My mix was 2 parts oil and 1 part water. 

Seriously, that is all you do.  Give the bottle a shake each time before you use it since naturally oil and water separate.

I've used this so far for everything I would have used store bought spray for and can not tell the difference...and I have to say I will not go back to store bought spray now that I know how easy this is.

Homemade Graham Cracker Crust

Josh's birthday is coming up and one of his favorite things is cheesecake.  This year I decided to make a cheesecake from scratch....but to start I needed a graham cracker crust.  You can buy these at the store for $3 or so but everytime I buy one it's always cracked by the time I get it home, very powdery and limited on taste.  I'm not sure when I started using this recipe from Betty Crocker but it's very easy and I bet you have all the ingredients that you need.

1 sleeve of graham crackers
3 tablespoons of sugar
3 tablespoons of butter

I like a thicker crust so I use more graham crackers and butter; but that it the beauty of it!  If you want a thinner crust just use less.  The recipe above will give you the same consistency as the store bought.

I love to get Rory helping in the kitchen any chance I get and this is a perfect recipe for little hands to help with.  We started by breaking down the crackers and putting them in a larger plastic bag.

Then we mash up those crackers!

...and mash and mash and mash!

Next scoop your sugar in.

Give the bag a good shake so the sugar is mixed in.

Then add in your butter and mix with a fork.  Once the all the grahams are coated in butter press down with wax paper or a spatula. 

Then bake at 350 degrees for at least 10 minutes. My crust was thick so I baked it about 20 minutes. You will know it's done with the graham starts to brown and your kitchen smells amazing!

I'm so thankful I have boys that don't mind the cleaning up process!

Go the Distance

One of the first things I've made instead of buying is power bars or protein bars.  See, my Dad and Brother, Seth, are avid cyclists.

In past years I've bought all sorts of protein products as birthday or Chrstimas presents but they can get quiet pricey, have weird ingredients and you don't get a whole lot of product for the money.  I recently found this recipe in my Taste of Home magazine for homemade snack bars that are chock full of healthy and wholesome ingredients.  I had to give them a try!  They are so delicious and perfect for an everyday healthy snack so I wanted to share. 

Go the Distance
3 1/4 cups of Kashie Heart to Heart honey cereal (Cheerios would also be an acceptable option)
2 3/4 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup unblanced almonds
1/2 cup sunflower kernels
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/4 cup flaxseed  (instead of using partial groud and whole, I used 1/2 cup of whole flaxseeds)
1/4 cup uncooked oat brand cereal
1/4 cup wheat bran
3 Tbsp sesame seeds
2 cups creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 cups honey
1 tsp vanilla

First, melt peanut butter and honey in a saucepan.  While it is melting work on combining all the dry ingredients.

Once it is melted add in the vanilla.

It never hurts to test along the way!!

Pour melted mixture over top the dry ingredients and mix well.  Pour and spread into a greased pan.  I let ours sit for a few hours before cutting up.  Enjoy!