Holiday Ideas

It's nearly December and gift-giving as well as holiday cooking is on my mind.  I updated a post I wrote a couple years ago with homemade holiday gifts from the kitchen.  I added a few new items to the list.
I also have a Pinterest Board with some additional ideas.

Holiday Homemade Gift Ideas

And don't forget- if you are local to me, I am available to do baking for you.
Holiday Pies and Cheesecakes

Have a wonderful holiday season!

Fall Flavors

I love fall!

I intend to post a collection of Thanksgiving recipes, but before I do that, I had this post of recipes the reflect fall with the use of seasonal ingredients or just food that makes me thing of cooler days and nights.  I also intended to do some reading on nutrition related to some fall ingredients, but that didn't happen.  Sorry.  Just trust me, especially since I've probably written or shared articles about leafy greens like kale and winter squash like butternut and pumpkin before.  They are nutrient dense and therefore good for you.
I've been busy doing a lot of work with Mama Bootcamp and it's been very rewarding.  I've facilitated Make Ahead Meal Nights, which has been a lot of fun.  I also got to come along for the fun and appear on TV.  The clip of the segment can be found here preserved for eternity.  We demonstrated making this great spaghetti squash lasagna, which is a fantastic low carb and low calorie meal.  It freezes well and makes quite a bit.  I also made my own Marinara Sauce to use in the lasagna and have taught quite a few of the Mama Bootcampers to make too.
OK, enough of that business, let's get to the Flavors of Fall.

Here's the Pinterest Board- Fall Flavors

Butternut Squash (or pumpkin) Chili- Packed with veggies, this chili is perfect for a cool fall evening.  You can make this on the stove or use your slow cooker.

Turkey Pumpkin Chili- A really unique twist on chili, but pumpkin pairs well with chili spices to create a sweet and smoky chili. 

Baked Rigatoni with Sausage, Butternut Squash and Kale- Make it healthier by looking for a nitrite-free sausage, but this is a complete meal with vitamin rich squash and kale.

Butternut Squash and Sage Lasagna- The combination of sage and butternut squash are so good!  Definitely use fresh or cooked store-bought noodles, don’t use the no-boil noodles.  Cut your prep time with using pre-cut squash.

Chicken Pot Pie- This is a rich and delicious comfort food recipe.  Not low calorie.  But very yummy. 

Turkey Meatball and Tortellini Soup-  I came up with this soup  just staring into my freezer.  I had ground turkey and a package of tortellini, some Trader Joe’s frozen green beans, a few other veggies and canned diced tomatoes.    My family loved it because it was actually a soup that was filling as a meal all on its own.  And every time I’ve made it, it’s been a little different just based on what vegetables I have.
 
Crock Pot Turkey, White Bean and Pumpkin Chili- Perfect for fall and so easy to make in the slow cooker.  It’s made with green chilies which goes so well with the pumpkin and turkey. This version has a different set of flavors than the other chili above.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchilada- Regular readers to this blog have seen me list this recipe more than once before.  Sweet potatoes and yams are plentiful and this recipe is such a great combination of flavors.  And the green sauce recipe included with this recipe really is easy to make.  But you can easily use a canned green sauce too.
 
Broccoli Crunch- Instead of a mayonnaise based dressing for the usual broccoli salad this one uses almond butter and the addition of apples and candied nuts make it the perfect fall weather salad.

Butternut Squash and Macaroni Casserole- Delicious meatless fall casserole that uses coconut milk instead of any heavy cream or cheese.

Quinoa Salad with Pears, Baby Spinach and Chick Peas with Maple Vinaigrette- A protein rich salad for the fall. 

Pumpkin Apple Streusel Muffin- The flavors of fall in a muffin.  YUM. 

Pumpkin Bread- This is the recipe I have used for years.  It’s very cake-like, but it’s a simple, moist pumpkin bread.  It makes A LOT.  I have the Pampered Chef stoneware loaf pan which is pretty big and then the rest of the batter goes into muffins.  You can split the sugar to be half white sugar, half brown sugar.  You can also reduce the oil to use applesauce if you want.  It’s also very easy to make for gifts using mini foil loaf pans. 

Crock Pot Apple Butter- I made this when I got a big box of Fuji apples.  It's delicious and so much easier than making it on the stove.
 
Kid Tested Pumpkin Muffins- These are vegan and healthy for you, but taste great!   They are packed with protein as well as iron.  Give them a try.  Easy to make on the weekend and then eat them all week for a quick but healthy breakfast. 

Pumpkin Pancakes- This recipe is perfect for if you purchased the large can of pumpkin and didn’t use it all as it only requires 6 tablespoons of pumpkin.  Or, just purchase a smaller 15oz can and then keep the extra in the fridge or freezer to make more another day.  Keep in mind with the pumpkin that if frozen or refrigerated a lot of moisture comes out and that’s ok, you should just squeeze the water out of it. 

Pumpkin Frozen Yogurt- If  you have an ice cream maker, this is so easy, just a couple of ingredients and low calorie; made with fat free Greek yogurt! 

Pumpkin Pie Wontons- Fun to make with kids, except for the frying part, you do that part, but let them assemble them.