Pumpkin Pound Cake

Pumpkin Pound Cake

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. All Purpose Flour
1/2 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/4 tsp. Ground Cloves
1/4 tsp. Ground Nutmeg
3/4 c. White Sugar
3/4 c. Brown sugar
1/2 c. Vanilla Yogurt(can sub sour cream)
3 Egg Whites
1 c. Canned or fresh Pumpkin Puree

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350º. Grease a loaf pan, set aside.
Sift the flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cloves, and nutmeg, into a mixing bowl. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugars, yogurt, and egg whites.
Whisk thoroughly until blended. Stir in the pumpkin. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture. Stir until completely incorporated.
Pour into pan and bake for 60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Let cool on a wire rack. Makes 8 serving.
Add a powdered sugar glaze or cream cheese frosting (optional)

Recipe Submitted by Jane

Banana Pudding Cake

Banana Pudding Cake

Ingredients:

2 sticks butter, softened
1 3/4 cups sugar
3 eggs + 2 egg whites
3 tsp vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 1/2 tsp baking powder
One 1.34oz box banana pudding mix
1 cup milk

Instructions:

Filling: Whisk together the following ingredients and refrigerate until assembling cake (~10minutes).

One 1.34oz box vanilla pudding mix
1 1/4 cups milk
1 cup Cool Whip (or whipped cream)

To brush on layers: Mix together the following:

1 Tbsp sweetened condensed milk
1 Tbsp milk

You’ll also need:

2-3 medium ripe bananas
3-4 cups Cool Whip for frosting

Step 1: Make the cake

Preheat oven to 350 F. Prep three 8″ round pans by lining the bottom only with parchment paper. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Slowly beat in eggs and egg whites, one at a time. Beat in vanilla until well combined.
In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and pudding mix. Add into wet ingredients in three separate additions, mixing until just combined. Don’t over mix!
Stir in milk until combined. Divide batter and pour into pans. Bake 22-25 minutes or until cake is golden and begins to pull away from sides of pans.
Allow cake to cool 15 minutes in pan. Loosen and remove from pan. Allow to cool another 1-2 hours on a wire rack.

Step 2: Begin layering

Level each cake. Place first layer on cake plate. Brush with a little milk mixture.

Line banana slices on top of cake. Spread 1/3-1/2 of the filling mix on top of bananas.

Place next cake layer on top of filling. Repeat with milk mix, filling, and final layer.

Step 3: Frost

This is the fun part. Frost with Cool Whip and decorate as you wish. I crushed some mini Nilla wafers and spread on top. Then used the wafers along the sides.

Whew! Sounds super complicated, but it was simple to make. You may also want to put some Nilla wafers in between the layers. You know, if you’re feeling extra fancy and decadent.

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Blueberry Bliss Bars

Blueberry Bliss Bars

I don’t know if you noticed, but I love recipes that use only a few ingredients.  These Blueberry Bliss Bars are just that.  All you need is 4 simple ingredients to make these blueberry bliss bars!  This no bake recipe is perfect for summer.  I know I don’t want to spend time in my kitchen with the oven on.  It’s hot down here in Dallas!

These blueberry bliss bars are vegan, gluten free and paleo.  This was my first time using coconut cream and I have to say that it was pretty much exactly like coconut butter.  The only difference I noticed, was that coconut cream seemed to soften faster out of the fridge.  Another great thing you could do with these no bake bars is drizzle a little of my 3 ingredient chocolate over the top.  Yum!  If you do that, then you will need to keep the bars in the freezer.

Ingredients:

2 cups coconut cream (you can probably also use coconut butter)
2 cups fresh organic blueberries (frozen, thawed might work too)
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 tsp ground vanilla beans

Blueberry-Bliss-Bars-Steps-ingredients-1

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients in a food processor until the mixture is smooth.
Line an 8×8 pan with parchment paper, leaving enough room for some paper to stick out the sides.
Dump the mixture into the pan and spread it out evenly. The mixture is very thick and you may need to wet a spatula to help spread it evenly.
Once the mixture is in the pan. Gently press down using the extra sides of parchment paper.
Stick the pan in the fridge to firm up. This should only take about 15-20 minutes.
Once the mixture is firm, lift the whole thing out by the edges of parchment paper.

I used a pizza cutter to cut mine into squares.

Please store these bars in the fridge.
I keep mine in an airtight container with a piece of parchment between each bar.
They should last at least a week in the fridge and you can also freeze them for longer storage.

Prep Time: 5 minutesTotal
Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 18 small squares

Enjoy!

Pasted Graphic

 

Oven Baked Zucchini Bites

Oven Baked Zucchini Bites

Ingredients:

3 medium zucchini
3/4 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs (any kind will do)
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano (or 1 tsp dried)
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt (sometimes use celery salt)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
horseradish cream, dip Creamy Horseradish Dip

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 F.
Spray large baking sheet with oil cooking spray.
Cut zucchini into slices, (about 1 1/2 inches by 3/4 inch).
Toss zucchini in a bowl with the olive oil.
Mix dry ingredients in a plastic bag.
Place zucchini, a handful at a time, in the plastic bag, and shake to coat.
Bake 20 minutes.
Turn zucchini, bake another 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden brown.
Serve with Creamy Horseradish Dip Creamy Horseradish Dip or your favorite dip.

Servings: 4

Recipe Submitted by Suzie

Oven Baked Zucchini Bites

Smokey Clam Chowder

Smokey Clam Chowder

Ingredients:

4 slices bacon, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 (48 fluid ounce) can chicken broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons garlic and herb seasoning blend
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 small head broccoli, cut into florets
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1 potato, cubed
2 (6.5 ounce) cans chopped clams
1/2 pound roasted chicken thigh meat, diced
1/4 cup butter, cubed

Instructions:
Cook the bacon and olive oil in a large pot over medium heat until the grease has rendered out, and the bacon has begun to brown. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon, and set aside. Stir the garlic, onion, carrots, and celery into the bacon drippings, and cook for 10 minutes until the onion softens and becomes translucent. Stir in the flour, and continue cooking and stirring 10 minutes more.

Pour in the chicken broth, and season with cumin, red pepper flakes, garlic and herb seasoning blend, bay leaf, thyme, salt, and poultry seasoning. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Meanwhile, place broccoli in a steamer over 1 inch of boiling water, and cover. Cook until tender, 2 to 4 minutes. Drain, and place into a blender. Puree until smooth, using some of the half-and-half as needed.

Add the broccoli puree, remaining half-and-half, potato, clams, and chicken to the simmering chowder. Return to a simmer, and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in the cubed butter until melted.

Recipe Submitted by Paul

Maple Walnut Cake

Maple Walnut Cake

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cup(s) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon(s) baking powder
2 teaspoon(s) baking soda
1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
1/2 teaspoon(s) cinnamon
1/2 cup(s) butter, softened
1/2 cup(s) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cup(s) pure maple syrup
2 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
1/2 cup(s) water
1 cup(s) finely chopped walnuts
6 walnut halves

Instructions:

Make the batter: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Using a small brush, lightly coat two 9-inch cake pans with softened butter or vegetable-oil cooking spray. Dust with flour and tap out any excess. Set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside. In a large bowl using a mixer set on high speed, beat the butter and sugar for 1 minute. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat for 1 minute after each addition. Add 1 cup maple syrup and vanilla. Reduce mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture by thirds, alternating with the water and ending with the dry ingredients. Gently stir in the walnuts.

Bake the cake: Divide the batter equally between the two prepared pans and spread evenly. Bake on the middle rack of the oven until a tester inserted into the center of each cake layer comes out clean — about 30 minutes. Cool in the cake pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Using a knife, loosen the cake layers from the sides of the pans and invert the layers onto the wire rack to cool completely.

Make the cake garnishes: Lightly coat a sheet pan with cooking spray and arrange the walnut halves about 3 to 4 inches apart. In a small saucepan, heat the remaining 1/2 cup maple syrup over medium-high heat. Cook the syrup until it reaches hard-crack stage (300 degrees F), or when a drop placed in a glass of cold water becomes hard and brittle. Remove from heat and carefully spoon boiled syrup over the walnuts, allowing it to run in streams around the sheet pan. Set aside to let cool completely.

Frost the cake: Use a serrated knife to level the mounded sides of the cake layers, if necessary. Line the edges of a cake plate with 3-inch-wide strips of waxed or parchment paper and place a cake layer, trimmed side down, on top. Place 1 cup of Maple-Sugar Frosting on top of the layer and spread evenly. Place the second layer, trimmed side down, on the first and cover the top and sides of the cake with the remaining icing. Decorate the top of the cake with candied walnuts and the hardened maple sugar. Remove paper strips and serve. Store at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Maple-Sugar Frosting

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cup(s) confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup(s) brown sugar
8 tablespoon(s) (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/8 teaspoon(s) salt
1/2 cup(s) maple syrup
1 teaspoon(s) vanilla
2 tablespoon(s) whole milk, can use up to four tablespoons

Instructions:

Make the frosting: In a medium bowl with a mixer set on medium speed, beat sugars, butter, and salt until combined. Continue beating and add the maple syrup in a slow stream. Add the vanilla. Increase speed to medium high and continue to beat until light and fluffy. If necessary, add up to 4 tablespoons of milk to achieve a smooth spreading consistency.

Maple Walnut Cake1

Recipe submitted by Jane

Garlic Rubbed Roasted Cabbage Steaks

Garlic Rubbed Roasted Cabbage Steaks

If you love cabbage, you are going to freak out about how good this is. Now, if you are on the fence about cabbage, you need to try this because this might be the recipe that converts you to a cabbage lover.

This is a simple side dish worthy of a dinner party and couldn’t be easier to make. Four ingredients, a couple of minutes to prepare and toss in the oven for an hour.

Ingredients:

1 (approx 2lb) head of organic green cabbage, cut into 1″ thick slices

1.5 tablespoons olive oil

2 to 3 large garlic cloves, smashed

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

spray olive oil OR non-stick cooking spray

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F and spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Pull outer leaf off cabbage (it’s usually dirty and nasty looking), cut cabbage from top to bottom (bottom being root) into 1″ thick slices.

2. Rub both sides of cabbage with smashed garlic.

3. Use a pastry brush to evenly spread the olive oil over both sides of the cabbage slices.

4. Finally, sprinkle each side with a bit of kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

5. Roast on the middle rack for 30 minutes. Carefully flip the cabbage steaks and roast for an additional 30 minutes until edges are brown and crispy. Serve hot and Enjoy!

Recipe Submitted by Stan

Whole Wheat Waffles

Whole Wheat Waffles

Ingredients
1 and 1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup milk
2 large eggs – separated
4 Tablespoons shortening – melted
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions
Beat the egg yolks well; add milk and shortening.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt. Add to first mixture. and beat until smooth.

Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold into the batter. Sift baking powder lightly over the mixture and fold in quickly.

Bake in a hot waffle iron

Recipe Submitted by Ben

37 Calories Brownie’s

37 Calories Brownie’s

Low CAL BROWNIES????? Tell the world!!!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt (I used vanilla)
1/4 cup skim milk
1/2 cup Cocoa powder
1/2 cup Old fashioned rolled oats (like Quaker)
1/2 cup Truvia (or any natural/stevia based sweetener that pours like sugar)
1 egg
1/3 cup applesauce
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 pinch salt

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Grease a square baking dish (I used 8″x8″).

Combine all ingredients into a food processor or a blender, and blend until smooth (about 1 minute).

Pour into the prepared dish and bake for about 15 minutes.

Allow to cool completely before cutting into 9 large squares.

Recipe Submitted by Julie

 

Lemony Lemon Brownies

Lemony Lemon Brownies

Ingredients:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour {King Arthur All-Purpose Flour}
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt {Sea Salt}
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice

For the tart lemon glaze:

4 tbsps lemon juice
8 tsps lemon zest
1 cup icing sugar

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Grease an 8×8 inch baking dish with butter and set aside.

3. Zest and juice two lemons and set aside.

4. In the bowl of an electric mixture fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the flour, sugar, salt, and softened butter until combined.

5. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, lemon zest, and lemon juice until combined.

6. Pour it into the flour mixture and beat for 2 mins at medium speed until smooth and creamy.

7. Pour into baking dish and bake for 23-25 mins, should turn golden around the edges.

8. Allow to cool completely before glazing. Do not overbake, or the bars will dry.

9. Filter the powdered sugar and whisk with lemon zest and juice.

10. Spread 1/2 the glaze over the brownies with a rubber spatula and let glaze set.

11. Spread 1/2 the glaze over the bars, and let it set (not harden like most).

12. Cut into bars and serve.

Lemony Lemon Brownies

Recipe Submitted by Margie