Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

This is by far my favorite pumpkin pie. It's a long standing tradition on my side of the family after Thanksgiving dinner.

1/3 c cold water
1 envelope no flavor gelatin
3 eggs, separate whites from yolks, save egg whites
4 oz can evaporated milk
10 oz canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1/3 tsp salt
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 t. cinnamon
1/6 t. cloves
1/3 t. ginger

In a double boiler beat 3 egg yolks and add the milk, pumpkin, salt, sugar, cinnamon, cloves and ginger. Cook until mix becomes very thick. About 20 min. When thick remove from heat, dissolve gelatin in cold water and add to pumpkin mix. Beat 3 egg whites with a little allspice 1/6 tsp salt and 1/3 tsp vanilla and 1/3 c sugar until stiff peaks form and fold into pumpkin mix. Pour into pre baked pie shells.


(original recipe makes 3 pies, so this was adjusted to make 1 pie…that’s why the amounts are kind of funny)

Apple Pie Jam

I think I found my Christmas gift for neighbors and friends this year.

6 cups peeled and diced granny smith apples (6-7 med size apples)
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp butter
3 cups sugar
2 cups brown sugar
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1 box powdered pectin

Cook apples, water and butter over low heat, stirring til apples are soft, but not mushy. Stir in pectin and bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Add sugars and cinnamon and bring back to a boil, stirring constantly, for one minute. Remove from heat and skim off foam (if there is any). If you feel the jam is not thick enough for your taste, add another small box of pectin. Start by adding half of the second box and then go from there.

Pour into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Process jars in a boiling water bath for 10 min. Makes 7 half-pints.

*I found that one box of pectin is fine.

Halloween Cake Pops

If you haven't dived into the fun world of cake pops, you should give it a try.
Click here for Bakerella's Halloween Cake Pops.

Orange Zucchini Bread

This is Kim Rolfe's recipe.

2 cups zucchini, grated
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
grated zest from 2 oranges
3 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
3 eggs
1/2 cups vegetable oil
1/2- 1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla

Sift flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in large bowl. In separate bowl, beat eggs just until mixed. Add zucchini, orange juice, sugar, oil and vanilla. Stir til combined. Add flour mixture and stir gently. Don't over mix. Bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes.

To get rid of excess moisture from the zucchini give it a good squeeze in paper towels before adding. Also, this recipe makes great muffins. They bake for around 20 min. To give them an extra shot of sweetness throw in chocolate chips.

When I get more zucchini that I can use before it spoils, I grate it and freeze it. The amount I use most often in recipes is how much I put into each bag. So I have it pre-measured into the freezer ready to go. I just have to thaw it in the microwave and squeeze out the extra water.

Corn and Squash Soup

I love this soup. My kids, not so much.... I need to keep trying it to see if I can get them to come around.
Click here for the recipe.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is one of my all time favorite cookies. I could eat them for breakfast.



2 1/2 c flour
1 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1 t ground cinnamon
1/2 t ground nutmeg
1/2 t salt
1/2 c butter, softened
1 1/2c sugar
1 c canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 egg
1 t vanilla extract
2 c chocolate chips

Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in medium bowl. Cream butter and sugar in large bowl. Add pumpkin, egg and vanilla. Beat til light and creamy. Mix in dry ingredients until well blended. Drop onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 11-15 min.

Organized Grocery Shopping

I use Splash Shopper software on my palm pilot to keep my grocery list organized. In it I can mark what items I want, the quantity, the price and also if I have a coupon/price match for that item. I can also show what grocery store different items are at. It keeps a running total for me while I shop and I can check off each item as I put it in the cart. I have used it enough now that almost all of the items I buy are in my master list. I can make a list before I go shopping and have a very good idea of how much I'll spend before I even get to the store. This has been a huge help in general, but especially since now I shop with only cash. Check it out.They have it available for lots of different phones and PDA's. You can also use it make multiple types of lists (packing for trips, birthdays, Christmas, clothing, etc. I mostly use it for grocery shopping.
Click here to learn more about splash shopper software.