Pumpkin Crumb Cake

PUMPKIN CRUMB CAKE
4 eggs
1 c. sugar
1 lg. can pumpkin
½ tsp. salt
1 ½ tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
½ tsp. cloves(nutmeg opt.)
1 can evaporated milk
1 box yellow cake mix
1 c. butter
1/2 c. pecans, chopped

Combine all ingredients from eggs through nutmeg. Then add one can evaporated milk and stir. Pour into 9 x 13 pan. Sprinkle with one box yellow cake mix. Dot with 1 cup butter. Add pecans. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

I'm making this tomorrow but I thought I would post the recipe now so I can find it again and add the picture tomorrow after I make it, plus a recommend once I've eaten it all.

So Yummy! It was a hit at family dinner, even Ryan ate it and he rarely eats my desserts. My sister in law who doesn't like Pumpkin Pie even liked it.

Pumpkin Cookies

Easy Pumpkin Cookies!
15oz. can of pumpkin
1 spice cake mix
1 bag of chocolate chips
Mix ingredients together. Grease cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 10 min. until brown on edges.
And that's it. No egg or butter. One cookie is one point for you weight watcher fans.

These are seriously good ... I barely remembered to take a picture of them before they were all gone...

BBQ Meatballs

This sounds nasty but they were so good!

The sauce is simply equal parts grape jelly and ketchup. Pour over pre-made meatballs (Trader Joe's, Costco, etc) cook in slow cooker until hot.

That's it. Try it, really, it's very good. Really!

Beans and Chips

I asked Micah what we call this meal, just to make sure we didn't have some fancy name for it. Nope, its just beans and chips. I suppose if you knew how to cook you would add lettuce and other fancy things and call it taco salad. But for us, beans and chips is all it is.

Cook 1 lb of hamburger with taco seasoning.

Add one can each:

Pinto Beans, drained

Kidney Beans, drained

Tomatoes, undrained

Heat it all up, serve over tortilla chips and add some cheese.

That's it folks.

Tri-tip Dinner

In the olden days we used to slow cook tri-tip for several hours - now there is a faster way to do it.

Season an untrimmed tri-tip. I use a Santa Maria rub to season the meat. There is also a marinade with Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, lemon juice, and Lawry's seasoning salt. I also like to add ginger ale to the marinade to help tenderize the meat and help cover the meat.
Then you heat both sides of the grill. When it is hot enough turn off one side and place the meat on that side (Not on the direct fire), fat side up.
Cook for about 45-60 minutes. Don't turn over. You need a meat thermometer - 150 for medium rare, 160 for medium, 170 for well-done.
Take it off the grill and let sit for 5-15 minutes.
Slice thin slices...
Serve with green beans, rice & baked beans.

If you are not eating veggies for their healthful benefits this is a great way to cook them. Fry them up with bacon and almonds...

Tuna Burgers

AKA Tuna Melt

This is another Stevenson Classic.

It's your basic tuna fish, with cheese - no relish - then put it on a hamburger bun, wrap in tinfoil, put in the oven at about 350 for 10 min or until warm.

Sorry the picture isn't so great - there's really no way to make it look more appealing :)

Stevenson Breakfast Cake

Stevenson Family Breakfast Cake!

Cake:

1/2 cup of butter or margarine

1 cup granulated sugar

3 eggs

2 cups regular all purpose flour

1 tsp of baking powder

1 tsp of soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup sour cream or yogurt

Topping:

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 tbs flour

1 tsp cinnamon

2 tbs butter or margarine

• In a large bowl of your electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and sour cream or yogurt. Add flour with baking powder, soda, and salt.
  
• Spread mixture in a greased baking pan (13 by 9 by 2 inches).
• Sprinkle with topping made as follows;

Combine the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon; mix together; cut butter until the consistency of corn meal. Bake in moderate oven at 350 , about 30 minutes Cut in squares and serve either hot or cold. Makes 12 servings

• 
  

This is one of our favorite breakfasts! Avarie is a great help in the kitchen and Micah loves watching and cleaning

up in her own special way!

- The Hagers

Sweet Potato Casserole

Sweet Potato Casserole
3 cups sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch of salt
1/3 cup butter

Topping:
1/3 cup flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup butter, melted
Combine first seven ingredients and mix until smooth.
Pour into a 2 qt. casserole dish.
Mix all topping ingredients and spread over sweet potato mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes.
Cool for 10 minutes and serve warm.
It's fall food time and this has become a new favorite with Ryan's family. So much so it all got eaten up before I could get a picture of it. When I make it I usually use about twice the sweet potatoes and half the sugar because I tend to go a little overboard on the brown sugar topping. It got rave reviews last night even from people who usually don't like sweet potatoes. You have to try it, I promise you won't be sorry.

Chicken Croissants

Chicken Croissants

1 can crescent rolls

2 cups cubed chicken, cooked

4 oz cream cheese

1 Tbs butter or margarine

3 Tbs milk

_ Mix cream cheese, butter, and milk together. Add cubed chicken.

_ Place ½ cup (or less) of mixed chicken in center of two rolls. Fold diagonally (bring four corners together).

_ Pour melted butter on top. Sprinkle with bread crumbs.

_ Bake @ 350°F for 20-25 minutes (or until golden brown on top)

_ Serves about 4

This is a great meal that looks and tastes fancy but is fast and easy to put together (my roommates always made me make this for them when they were trying to impress a date-pretending they could cook :)

It's a great use of left over chicken...

I use crushed croutons on the top instead of bread crumbs to add a bit more flavor.

You can add any herbs or spices to the mix too - dill, garlic... go wild!

Ryan's favorite Steak

I forgot to take a pictures but this is the new way that we eat steak. It's Ryan's favorite and I know it sounds a little odd but trust me it's good.
Basically cook your steak however you prefer. Simple salt and pepper is the way I do it.
Then top it with...
equal parts
cut up pear
Blue Cheese or Gorganzola
toasted peacans
That's it. Scared? don't be. We've made it a couple times at Ryans family bbq's and everyone's been jeleous and stolen bites of our steak vs. their chicken. I'll add a pic next time I make it.

Snoopy No Bake Cookies

(photo from flickr)

INGREDIENTS
2 cups white sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch salt
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
3 cups quick cooking oats

DIRECTIONS
In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar, cocoa, milk and margarine. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Boil for 1 minute, then remove from heat and stir in the vanilla, salt, peanut butter and oats.
Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto waxed paper. Allow cookies to cool for at least 1 hour. Store in an airtight container.

Why did we call them Snoopy no bake cookies? I have no idea but it's better than the Spanglers name for them which was 'monkey poops'. Unfortunately I have all the ingredients to make these so they are going to temp me till I do. I'll let you know how long I hold out.

Paradise Bakery Sugar Cookie

(picture care of Noelle O, mine didn't turn out as cute as hers)

Warning: Do not make these cookies. They have everything in them your diet tells you not to eat and yet they are so melt in your mouth delicious you will eat them anyways and hate yourself in the morning. They should be called One night stand cookies. jk, sorry Mom.


Paradise Bakery sugar cookie

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
2 cups shortening
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg, beaten
4 1/3 cups cake flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Plain or colored sugar, for decorating

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl, cream together sugars and shortening using an electric mixer. Mix on slow speed 30 seconds, then scrape down the bowl with a spatula. Increase speed to medium and mix for 3 minutes.
Slowly add vanilla and beaten egg while mixing.
In a separate bowl, combine cake flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture, mixing on slow speed until just blended. Do not over mix.Scoop with an ice cream scoop and roll in sugar. Place on baking sheet. Flatten slightly with palm of hand.

Bake 9 to 10 minutes.

Cookies are done when small cracks appear and are pale golden. Ideally, do not let edges brown. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

My friend Noelle posted this recipe and I've been dying to make them ever since I bought some at the Beehive Bizaare that she made, that's right I spent good money for these babies, they are that good.

Seriously Don't Make them!

Morning Rice

For all the weird names we had for things I don't think this one ever did get a name...
This was made for breakfast
Left-over Cooked Rice (make sure that when you're dishing up dinner you don' t use the sauce spoon for the rice or it will taste funny)
Milk
Brown Sugar (we used to use enough to turn the milk brown... you might choose to use it a bit more sparingly)
Sugar
Cinnamon
Nutmeg (I like to use Pumpkin Pie Spice for a nice taste)
Butter
I think that's about it. Heat it in the microwave for a minute or so and enjoy a nice warm oatmeal alternative.

Texas Sheet Cake

Texas Sheet Cake

2 Cups Flour
2 Cups Sugar
2 Sticks Margarine
4 Tbs Cocoa
1 Cup Water
1/2 Cup Buttermilk
2 Eggs beaten
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 tsp Cinnamon
Sift flour and sugar together into a large bowl
In a saucepan, bring to boil the margarine, cocoa and water and pour over the sugar and flour, mixing well
Add the last 4 ingredients and mix well. (Batter will be thin)
Pour into greased very heavy cookie sheet, 18x12x1
Bake 20 minutes at 400 Degrees. While cake is baking prepared frosting.

Frosting:
1 Stick margarine
2 Tbs. Cocoa
6 Tbs. Milk
1 Tsp. Vanilla
1 Cup Nuts
1 lbs. Powder Sugar (3 1/2 - 4 cups)

Bring to boil all ingredients except powdered sugar and nuts.
Sift powdered sugar into boiled ingredients, beat, add nuts, and frost cake while hot.

Tomato Cucumber Feta Salad

This is one of my favorite salads, its quick, easy and D-liscious.

If you like balsamic vinegar this one is for you. The juice from the tomatoes mellows out the vinegar so it's not over powering. (I made a big mess with the vinegar all down my cabinets taking this picture)

Tomato Cucumber Feta Salad

3-4 Tomatoes

1 Italian cucumber (I prefer the Italian seedless, it's usually shrink wrapped and cost a little more but I like the flavor a lot more.)

One package of Feta (this time I just has the crumbled but it's better if you buy the solid and cut it up in cubes)

1/2 cup Balsamic Vinegar (I never measure)

Large dice all the veggies and put in a bowl. Add the Feta. Pour over Balsamic Vinegar and stir together carefully so you don't break up the feta too much.

Serve immediately or refrigerate to blend the flavors.