Pumpkin Bread from Edna’s Kitchen

Because who doesn’t love pumpkin.

Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients
1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1 ⅔ cups sugar
⅔ cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs
3 cups all-purpose or whole wheat flour
½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts
½ cup raisins, optional
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon ground cloves

Steps

Move oven rack to low position so that tops of pans will be in center of oven. Heat oven to 350ºF.

Grease bottoms only of 2 loaf pans, 8 1/2×4 1/2×2 1/2 inches, or 1 loaf pan 9x5x3 inches, with shortening.

Stir together pumpkin, sugar, oil, vanilla and eggs in large bowl.

Stir in remaining ingredients.

Pour into pans.

Bake 8-inch loaves 50 to 60 minutes, 9-inch loaf 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool 10 minutes. Loosen sides of loaves from pans; remove from pans and place top side up on wire rack.

Cool completely, about 2 hours, before slicing.

Wrap tightly and store at room temperature up to 4 days, or refrigerate up to 10 days.

Enjoy and have fun in the kitchen. -Edna

Check out Edna’s other recipes on Amazon.

 

Cinnamon Sugar Cookies

 

Edna is getting ready for the holidays, testing out new and classic recipes. Today Edna made Cinnamon Sugar Cookies and they are so good.

Cinnamon Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 egg
2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
3 teaspoons cinnamon
2 Tablespoons sugar

Steps:

In large bowl, combine 1 cup sugar and butter, beat until light and fluffy. Add egg, blend well. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup, level off. Stir in flour and 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon, mix until well blended. Cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate 1 hour for easier handling.
Heat oven to 350°F. Grease cookie sheets. In small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons sugar and remaining 2 teaspoons cinnamon; mix well.
Shape dough into 1 1/2-inch balls, roll in sugar-cinnamon mixture. Place 2 inches apart on greased cookie sheets. With bottom of glass, flatten to 1/4-inch thickness.
Bake at 350°F. for 11 to 15 minutes or until firm to the touch. Immediately remove from cookie sheets.

Try new things in the kitchen and always have fun. -Edna

Italian Sausage Lasagna from Edna’s Kitchen

Something warm and filling from Edna’s kitchen.

Italian Sausage Lasagna

Ingredients
1 lb bulk Italian pork sausage
1 medium onion, chopped (½ cup)
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves or 1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1 teaspoon sugar
2 cups diced tomatoes (from 28-oz can), undrained
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
12 uncooked lasagna noodles (12 oz)
1 container (15 oz) ricotta cheese or small-curd cottage cheese (2 cups)
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves or 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano leaves
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 oz)
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Steps
1 In 10-inch skillet, cook sausage, onion and garlic over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sausage is no longer pink; drain.
2 Stir in 2 tablespoons of the parsley, the basil, sugar, tomatoes and tomato sauce. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low; simmer uncovered about 45 minutes or until slightly thickened.
3 Heat oven to 350ºF. Cook and drain noodles as directed on package.
4 In medium bowl, mix ricotta cheese, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, remaining 1 tablespoon parsley and the oregano.
5 Spread 1 cup of the sauce mixture in ungreased 13×9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish. Top with 4 noodles. Spread 1 cup of the cheese mixture over noodles; spread with 1 cup of the sauce mixture. Sprinkle with 2/3 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat with 4 noodles, the remaining cheese mixture, 1 cup of the sauce mixture and 2/3 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Top with remaining noodles and sauce mixture. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.
6 Cover; bake 30 minutes. Uncover; bake about 15 minutes longer or until hot and bubbly. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting.

Enjoy trying new things in the kitchen.- Edna

For more comfort food recipes from Edna’s kitchen check out her cookbooks on Amazon.

Apple Crisp from Edna’s Kitchen

A fun quick dessert for a cool Autumn day.

Apple Crisp

Ingredients

4 medium tart cooking apples, sliced (4 cups)

¾ cup packed brown sugar

½ cup all-purpose flour

½ cup quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats

⅓ cup butter or margarine, softened

¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Cream or Ice cream, if desired

Steps

1 Heat oven to 375ºF. Grease bottom and sides of 8-inch square pan with shortening.

2 Spread apples in pan. In medium bowl, stir remaining ingredients except cream until well mixed; sprinkle over apples.

3 Bake about 30 minutes or until topping is golden brown and apples are tender when pierced with a fork. Serve warm with cream.

Happy Baking- Edna

Check out Edna’s other recipes.

Edna’s Spooky Treats for Halloween

Edna’s treats for Halloween

Let’s start with a drink.

Fizzy Cranberry-Orange Punch

Ingredients:

1 bottle cranberry juice
1 cup orange juice
2 cups vodka
2 cups lemon lime soda (Sprite/7-up)
orange and lemon slices, for garnish

Steps:

Combine cranberry juice, orange juice and vodka in a punch bowl, then top with lemon lime soda.
Garnish with orange and lemon slices and serve chilled.

Now a crunchy snack.

Apple Nachos

Ingredients:

4 Granny Smith apples, cored and thinly sliced
1 cup white chocolate chips, melted
¾ cup caramel, warmed in microwave
1 cup chopped pretzels
2 Heath bars, broken into pieces

Steps:

On a large plate, arrange apple slices on top of one another.
Drizzle half the white chocolate and caramel, then top with pretzels and Heath bars.
Drizzle with remaining white chocolate and caramel.
Serve immediately.

Something warm and easy before heading out for Trick or Treat.

Smoked Sausage and Peppers

Ingredients:

1 (14 ounce) package of Smoked Sausage, diagonally cut into 1/4-inch slices

2 Tablespoons olive or vegetable oil

1 cup onion, cut into thin slices, or 1-inch pieces.

2 cups red and green peppers, cut into thin slices, or 1-inch pieces.

1 garlic clove, minced.

Steps:

Saute sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 3 minutes, turning occasionally.
Add oil, garlic, onion, and peppers.

Cooking until tender, about 3 minutes.

Something sweet for dessert.

Dirt Pie

Ingredients:
1 pkg. (3.9 oz.) Chocolate Flavor Instant Pudding
2 cups cold milk
1 tub (8 oz.) Whipped Topping, thawed
15 Oreo Cookies, finely crushed (about 1-1/4 cups), divided

Gummy Worms

Steps:

Beat pudding mix and milk in large bowl with whisk 2 min. Let stand 5 min.

Stir in Whipped Topping and 1/2 cup cookie crumbs.
Spoon into 10 (6- to 7-oz.) paper or plastic cups; top with remaining cookie crumbs.
Refrigerate 1 hour.

Top with Gummy Worms before serving.

Check out Edna’s other recipes. 

 

Thoughts on Cooking

Ok, I have been bitten by the inspiration bug. I tried not writing this blog for three hours, inspiration won out. 

So here it goes:

I am not sure when or why I started taking cooking seriously. Over the last two or three years something just clicked, throwing ingredients together made sense. I would like to think that some of the knowledge came from my year spent in Seattle, while there I participated in a Cooking Matters class, (twice) once in the fall and once in the spring. So the class was the same information wise but it was run by two different groups with different recipes and different techniques. 

I then took a position at the Greenwood Senior Center as a volunteer, as a prep-cook for their daily lunch program. I worked with a charming, wonderful older lady, she was short, spunky and loved to sing in Italian while she cooked. I listened and watched her create warm comforting meals for our guests everyday. She was an inspiration, she always made her dishes with love. I worked at the senior center for four months, given that the time flew by, it was the right place to be a the time. 

Moving on to more recent occurrences, I started writing a story called After the Glory. Within this story is a character named Rachel, she is a freelance writer that has a column in a small local paper. Citing recipes and gardening tips, I was inspired to create Recipes from Edna’s Kitchen and Edna’s Recipes for Autumn from her. She is partially modeled after my great grandmother.

All of this cooking and writing has led me to a favorite go to recipe that I would like to share with you all.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

Ingredients:

1 4-6 lbs Pork Shoulder Roast

2 oz Hickory flavored Liquid Smoke (about half the bottle)

3 teaspoons Himalayan Pink Salt (enough to cover the roast)

Steps:

Rinse and pat dry Pork Roast

Stab the Pork Roast with a fork repeatedly on all sides

Rub crushed Himalayan Pink Salt into the Pork Roast

Place the Pork Roast into a Slow Cooker (Crock-Pot)

Pour Liquid Smoke over the Pork Roast

Cook on high for 4-6 hour or on low for 8-10 hours

When finished cooking, meat should be tender, taking two forks shred up meat.

Now for the good stuff Katsu Sauce.

Katsu Sauce

Ingredients:

1\2 cup Sugar

1\2 cup Ketchup

4 Tablespoons Worchestire Sauce

4 Tablespoons Soy Sauce

1\4 teaspoon Garlic Powder

1\4 teaspoon Paprika

Steps:

Combine all ingredients whisk together add a splash of water to thin out sauce if desired.

A simple recipe and oh so good, I pour the Katsu sauce over the shredded pork and service on a roll with macaroni salad.

There you go my rambling thoughts, feel free to comment or suggest one of your go to recipes.