Spicy Pumpkin Cheesecake ~!

It feels (the past few days) like Fall is returning to our air.  I am not complaining the whole month of July in Minnesota was above 90 degrees and so humid - ISH - it sure didn't feel like the Minnesota weather I grew up in?  Kind of scary.  Enjoy the weather - sunshine and you need a sweatshirt every now and then - I love it :)

Spicy Pumpkin Cheesecake
about 38 Nabisco Ginger Snaps, finely crushed
1/4 c.  butter melted
4 pkgs. (8 oz.) Cream Cheese, softened
1 c. sugar
1 can (15 oz.) Pumpkin
1 tbsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs
Garnish with Cool Whip and Nutmeg

Heat your oven to 325.  Mix crumbs and butter.  Press onto bottom and partly up sides of your springform pan.  Beat cream cheese and sugar with mixer until blended.  Add pumpkin, spice, and vanilla, mix well.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each egg is added.  Pour into crust.  Bake 1 hour and 20 minutes up to 1 hour and 30 minutes, or until center is almost set.  Cool.  Refrigerate at least 4 hours before removing pan and serving!

White Bean & Ham Soup

Fall is not to far away and that is generally when I start thinking soup!  I tend to not make any during the summer months (much to the hubby's dismay) - he would love it year round.  To me its a warming comfort food for Fall & Winter!

White Bean & Ham Soup
1 pound dry cannellini beans (or northern)
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and sliced thin
2 tbsp. minced garlic
1 14.5 oz. can stewed tomatoes
1 1/2 tsp. italian seasoning
8 oz. ham, cubed
salt
pepper

Place beans in a large pot and cover with water.  Bring to a boil.  Cover and turn off the heat.  Allow to soak overnight.
Drain beans and then add them to your slow cooker.  Add 4 c. water, onion, carrots, garlic, tomatoes, seasonings and ham.  Stir.  Cover and cook on high for 6 hours.  Mash the beans slightly to thicken the soup (if desired).  Serve with a nice baguette or french bread!

Cinnamon Buttermilk Cornbread

Found this recipe in a Woman's Day magazine and just tweaked it a bit so that I would love it for sure!  I hope you find it delicious as well.

Cinnamon Buttermilk Cornbread
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. cornmeal
1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 c. butter, softened
3 eggs
1 c. buttermilk

Preheat your oven to 400.  Grease a 9" square baking pan or 12 cup muffin tin.  In a bowl whisk together the dry ingredients and set aside.  Melt 3/4 c. butter.  Whisk the eggs, buttermilk and melted butter together.  Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and stir.  Spread into the bank and bake. 

"OREO" cookies - from Food Network magazine!

OREO COOKIES
1 1/3 c. cocoa powder
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
2 sticks butter, softened
2 c. sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

FILLING:
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 c. crisco shortening
 3 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Prepare the dough by combining the dough ingredients.  Divide the dough into 2 pieces.  Take one piece of the dough and roll out to 1/4" thick.  Repeat with the other piece of dough.  Place on cookie sheets and refrigerate at least 1 hour.  Using a round cookie cutter cut the dough into circles.  Place them on baking sheets and chill for 20 minutes.  Preheat the oven to 325.  Bake until they are set and slighty darker around the edges.  About 20 minutes.  Meanwhile, prepare the filling.  Using a mixer cream the butter and shortening until fluffy.  Beat in the sugar and vanilla.  Make your Oreos!

TEQUILA bars

Tequila Bars
1 12 oz. box vanilla wafers
3/4 c. butter, melted
1/3 c. tequila
1/2 c. fresh lime juice
5 egg yolks plus 2 egg whites
1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 tbsp. sugar

Preheat your oven to 350.  Crush your waters and mix in the melted butter.  Set aside 1/3 c. of crumbs.  Press the rest into a 9 x 13 pan. Bake for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven.  In a bowl, whisk together the tequila, lime juice, egg yolks and condensed milk.  In another both beat the egg whites and sugar until they hold soft peaks.  Fold this into the tequila mixture  Spread the filling over the crust and bake for 25 minutes. Sprinkle the reserved crumbs on top.  Chill at least 2 hours before serving!

Beef & Green Bean Stir-Fry

Beef & Green Bean Stir-Fry
3 tbsp. soy sauce ( I use the low-sodium stuff)
1 tbsp. + 1 tsp. corn starch
1 tbsp. hoisin sauce
1 14 oz. can Chicken broth
2 tsp. olive oil, divided
1/4 c. chopped green onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound boneless sirloin steak cut inot thin strips
5 c. fresh cut green beans
1 c. red pepper strips
Hot cooked rice - You pick how much you want to make

Combine first 4 ingredients together in a bowl, stir well and set aside.  Heat 1 tsp. oil in a large non-stick skillet.  Add in the green onions and garlic.  Saute 30 seconds.  Add beef to pan and saute for 4 minutes or until browned.  Remove from pan.  Wipe your pan out with a paper towel.  Add remaining tsp. of oil to the pan, heat over med-high heat.  Add beans and peppers to the pan.  Cover and cook 3 minutes.  Uncover and cook 3 more minutes.  Stirring frequently.  Add Beef mixture to the pan.  Stir in the sauce, bring to a boil and cook 1 minutes.  Remove from heat and serve with rice!

PB Brownie Trifle~!

August, It's already August!  Wow has the summer gone by quickly.  The month of July was one of hte hottest on record here in Minnesota, I could not concur more - good grief.  Electric bills are running high because of non-stop running of air conditioning - which I am very thankful for (the air-conditioning)!  My hubby and I put an offer on a house today - then we got a counter offer back and now my hubby is wondering - is it a house we really want?  This house search of ours has been the most frustrating one we have ever endured.  Do we want a house in town this time with virtually no privacy or yard space?  That is the question he is wrestling with!
Here is a treat that we can all have to keep our minds off the heat, the electric bill and buying houses!

PB Brownie Trifle
1 Brownie Mix  that will make a 9 x 13 pan
2 pkg. (13 oz. each) of Miniature Peanut Butter Cups
4 c. cold milk
2 pkg. instant vanilla pudding mix (5.1 0z. each)
1 c. creamy peanut butter
4 tsp. vanilla
3 cartons (8 oz. size) Cool-Whip

Prepare the brownie batter according to the package.  Bake in a greased 13 x 9 pan at 350 for 20-25 minutes.  Cool.  Cut into 1/2 to 3/4" pieces.    Meanwhile cut the peanut butter cups in 1/2.  Set aside.  In a large bowl whisk together your milk and pudding mixes, keep whisking for 2 minutes.  Add peanut butter and vanilla and mix well.  Fold in 1 1/2 containers of the Cool-Whip.  Place 1/3 of the brownies into the bottom of your trifle bowl (or any glass bowl (about 5 quart size).  Top with 1/3 of the peanut butter cups and then 1/3 of the pudding mix.  Keep repeating layers.  Cover the top with your remaining whipped topping and a few pb cups.  Refrigerate until chilled.