That time of year again...

I love harvest time.  Our garden is relatively small, but we never have a shortage of pumpkins!  Yesterday we picked a bunch of them and I've been busy roasting them and making pumpkin puree to put in the freezer.  I love being able to pull a bag of puree out to use in whatever I'm making for the kids.  Of course, there are also all the "treats" you can make using pumpkin.  I got busy making muffins for the kids snacks using a (slightly altered) recipe from 'Deceptively Delicious', but not until after Chris, Nicolas and I enjoyed a Pumpkin Milkshake:

Here's the recipe I used (this amount makes two approx. 20 oz. milkshakes):

1 cup fresh pumpkin puree (made from roasted pumpkins)

1/2 banana (for creamy texture)

1/2 cup skim milk, soy or almond milk

3/4 cup water

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

1/4 cup Splenda (or other sweetener)

2 tablespoons of Soy Protein Powder, vanilla flavor

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp allspice

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp ginger

1 1/2 cups ice

Place liquids in blender first, then add remainder of ingredients.  Pulse on low until it starts to get smooth and there are no ice chunks, then blend until desired consistency.  Garnish with light whipped cream.  Yum!

Here's the nutritional info for one 20 ounce serving:

120 calories

0 grams of Fat

9 grams of protein

23 carbs

If you don't have the vanilla soy protein powder, I would suggest substituting milk for the water.  For an even creamier, sweeter shake, try using light vanilla soy or almond milk!

Cobbler, with a Thanksgiving twist.

This is a fun alternative to the traditional pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving.  We made this cobbler in a dutch oven, but you could just as easily bake it in a dish in the oven.  And, it's very simple!

Ingredients:

1 box yellow cake mix

1 can pumpkin pie mix

1/4 cup melted butter

Directions:

1. Spray pan with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Sprinkle enough cake mix on the bottom to cover.

3. Drizzle about 1 tablespoon of butter evenly over cake mix.

4. Place spoonfuls of pumpkin pie mix on top of that.

5. Repeat above steps, layering until you've used all the ingredients.

Bake:

In a dutch oven, about 20 minutes.

In conventional oven, 25 minutes at 350 degrees.

(Check for a golden color on top.)

The Power of Juice.

Recently my husband and I have become more aware of the need for increased self-sufficiency, organics and including healthier foods in our lifestyle.  For those of you who may also have an interest in learning more about these issues, these are a few documentary movies I would recommend:

Food, Inc.

Food Matters

The Gerson Miracle

If you have Netflix, these titles are all available for instant streaming.



Among the ways we have put our understanding of these issues into practice, we raise our own chickens and use the fresh eggs they produce, we've been working on building a larger garden, we grind our own wheat for flour, avoiding the processed stuff.  After learning that meat stays in your gut for days because of the difficulty of digestion, we've cut way back on the meat we eat, using beans, soy and other sources for protein, and most recently we've started juicing fruits and vegetables.  We buy organic vegetables and fruits.  They are not sprayed with pesticides, which can inhibit the fruit and vegetables from producing, or absorbing, all possible minerals and macro-nutrients from the soil.  Inorganic produce still contains some vitamins and minerals, but at greatly reduced levels due to the composition changes caused by pesticides and herbicides.  Some of the benefits of extracting juice from fruits and vegetables and drinking it in that form are that the juice requires hardly any digestion, so all its nutritional goodness gets rapidly into your system.  When you juice, you use more fruits and vegetables than you could actually eat. As a result, you are drinking a densely packed amount of vitamins, minerals and other plant-based nutrients.  So ultimately the health benefits drinking the juice regularly include: increased cardiovascular health, rebuilding of red blood cells, increased energy levels, boost in immune system function, and healthier skin, hair, nails and eyes.  I'm sure there are other benefits as well.

So far I have had success getting a couple of my children to willingly drink the juice a couple of times a day.  They get excited about helping pick out which fruits and vegetables should go into the day's juice.  The other kids still have to be coaxed into drinking up, and I usually resort to "hiding" the juice in some way, like adding it to a smoothie that they like and are familiar with.  For the past few years, I have been keeping my freezer stocked with vegetable purees, using them in virtually all my baking and cooking, since my kids are so picky about what they eat, it's sometimes the only veggies they get.  But one of the problems with that being the only source for those nutrients and vitamins is that in order to puree them, I usually cook them in some way - roasting or steaming the vegetables first, to make them soft enough to puree thoroughly.  When they are heated, even just steamed for a short time, it changes the chemical composition of the food, and in some cases, depletes the food of it's nutrients.  With the juice, you get the fruit and vegetables in their rawest form.  The process of extracting the juice simply breaks open the pulp, allowing for easy absorption into the body, and all the minerals, nutrients and vitamins are retained in the juice, not the materials left over after the juicing process.

Pumpkin pie in a cup!

I made this pumpkin smoothie to go with my oatmeal this morning after my run.  It was so delicious, I had to share the recipe.  We have pumpkins (Sugar Pumpkins, also called Pie Pumpkins) coming out our ears; our garden was good to us in that way this year.  I've been experimenting and putting pumpkin puree in just about everything.  Sometimes I want the pumpkin to be the star of the show and bring out it's full flavor, like in the Pumpkin Spice Cake I made last night.  Other times I just want to sneak the pumpkin in the recipe to add to the health benefits, without any obvious pumpkin flavor, as it was with the Alfredo (pumpkin) sauce I made for our pasta for last night's dinner.  Well, if you enjoy the flavor of pumpkin, specifically pumpkin pie, you will love this "milkshake"!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup pumpkin puree (we use fresh, cooked pumpkin, but you could use canned pumpkin also)

1 cup skim milk (you could substitute 1 cup vanilla yogurt or vanilla soy milk)

2 tsps. brown sugar

1 tablespoon Splenda (depending on how sweet you prefer, you could add more or less, or use honey)

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

1/8 tsp. ginger

1/8 tsp. cloves

(For the above 3 ingredients, you could also substitute 1/2 tsp. Allspice or Pumpkin Pie Spice)

1/2 cup ice cubes

Add liquid to your blender first, then pumpkin puree, sweeteners and spices.  Then put a few of the ice cubes in and start the blender.  Gradually add the rest of the ice, until you reach the consistency you like best.  I like mine thick like a real milkshake, so I add a little more ice.

For a bonus, you could add a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of nutmeg or cinnamon to the top.  It's awesome!  And by the way, pumpkin is very healthy.  It is rich in potassium, vitamin A and fiber, and even has a bit of protein and vitamin C to add to the benefits.  I usually add protein powder to my morning smoothies, and since I'm all out of it right now, I ate oatmeal with my smoothie.  But I think some vanilla protein powder added to the above recipe would make it a very healthy, filling breakfast or snack.

Dutch Oven Pizza ~ Yum!

Oh, man...it's been a while since I've posted to this blog!  Anyway, several weeks ago we made this BBQ and Garlic Chicken Pizza in the dutch oven, and it turned out so delicious, I thought I'd share the idea.

First, I made the dough in my bread maker.  Here's the recipe:

Cornmeal Pizza Dough

1-1/2 cups warm water

1/4 cup olive oil

3-2/3 cups flour (I used whole wheat, but you can use unbleached all-purpose)

1/3 cup yellow cornmeal

1 tsp salt

2 tsps yeast

Follow the dough directions on your bread maker, or to make by hand:

1) Dissolve the yeast in the warm water.

2) Mix together dry ingredients.

3) Make well in dry ingredients, add oil and water/yeast mixture.  Combine, about 20 strokes.

4) Remove dough from bowl, knead until smooth in texture.  Place back in bowl, cover and let sit for about 20 minutes.

 (Makes enough for a 12" dutch oven, and then an additional 16" regular pizza pan.)

Pizza Sauce

Combine 1/4 cup store bought pizza sauce, 1/4 cup carrot puree, 1/4 cup butternut squash puree, 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce.

Chicken

Cut chicken breasts into small chunks.  Put a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a saute pan and heat the oil on low heat.  Add diced, fresh garlic to the oil stirring continuously until it starts to brown.  Add chicken to pan and cook until golden brown, adding salt and pepper to taste.

Spray dutch oven with non-stick cooking spray.  Spread dough in oven, going up the sides as far as you can stretch the dough.  Sprinkle a small amount of your favorite pizza cheese on the dough before you add the sauce.  (This will help keep the dough from getting soggy.)  Then add sauce, chicken and the rest of your favorite toppings.

As far as the other toppings I used, I added black olives, onions and mozzarella cheese, but you can be creative based on your personal taste.

Put your hot coals under the dutch oven and about 6-8 pieces of hot charcoal on the lid, and bake for about 30 minutes.  Enjoy!

I made this bunny cake just for fun. It's not perfect looking, but it made my kids giggle, so it was worth it!

Chili dinner.

I made some super easy, healthy chili for dinner tonight, and it was so yummy I thought I'd share the recipe:

1 pound of lean ground turkey
2 (8oz.) cans tomato sauce
1 pkg. chili seasoning mix
1/2 cup zucchini puree
1/2 cup cauliflower puree
1 cup carrot puree

Brown the ground turkey in a stock pot. Add all the other ingredients and stir until well blended. Simmer on low for at least 30 minutes. (The longer you simmer, the better the taste.) You're family will never guess there are all those veggies in there, I promise!

I served the chili with some delicious buttermilk cornbread:

1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions
1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8 inch square pan.
2.Melt butter in large skillet. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Quickly add eggs and beat until well blended. Combine buttermilk with baking soda and stir into mixture in pan. Stir in cornmeal, flour, and salt until well blended and few lumps remain. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
3.Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

I knew there was a reason!

One of my favorite things about summer is the delicious in-season produce. Granted, we're not quite to the warm and sunny days of summer, but I picked up these gorgeous strawberries at Costco and they became an instant mood booster! Just look at this beautiful desert I made for us to enjoy tonight while we're watching the Grey's Anatomy season finale...

3lp Couture

My friend's darling twin 5 year old girls recently modeled some super cute little girls clothes. You've got to check them out! One warning: it's going to make you wish you had twin girls to put the adorable clothes on. Have fun!

www.littlepeoplecouture.squarespace.com

Leading or following: seriously, what's happening?

Lately I have felt somewhat burdened and disheartened by some of the weaknesses of humankind I have had the misfortune of witnessing. I'm amazed at the number of people I know, by acquaintance and otherwise, that have so easily succumbed to caving on (what I believed and understood to be) their values and morals. I'm also just wondering if it's possible to take a stance about an issue based on a core belief system, without being considered small-minded, bigoted, uneducated, judgemental, etc.? I have become so frustrated by a society that accepts pretty much anything, and in some cases, even promotes and encourages any and all behavior, if it makes a person "happy".
Some of my readers may or may not know of my faith as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. As a member of the church, and a Christian, I personally look to the leaders of the church for guidance and instruction when it comes to modern issues. This is not to say that I am a mere lemming, as some perceive those who follow an organized religion, to be. Most of the time I rely on my heart and the whisperings of the Holy Spirit to guide me and help me remain on a path that I feel will bring me and my family the most joy, not only in this life, but in the one to come. During the past year, there has been so much debate about so many issues (because of the election and change of leadership in the country), and particularly issues that bring into question one's belief in something, anything, greater than ourselves.
The Mormon church, in particular, has taken a lot of heat because of it's stance opposing same-sex marriage. During an interview regarding this topic, one of the church's leaders, Elder Lance B. Wickman (of the Seventy), said this: "One of the great sophistries of our age, I think, is that merely because one has an inclination to do something, that therefore acting in accordance with that inclination is inevitable. That’s contrary to our very nature as the Lord has revealed to us. We do have the power to control our behavior."
I think he says so perfectly what we are meant to learn through having faith in God, or any other being: this life isn't meant to be easy, it's meant to be a test of our strength and endurance. If we give in to our carnal nature, on any level, we are allowing ourselves an excuse to behave a certain way, claiming we have no control over how we feel. The notion that something that "feels" so right, must be right, has become too mainstream.
In no way do I attempt to charge that I may be any more righteous than any of those of my acquaintances who are now finding themselves at these cross-roads in life. My sadness comes from a place deep inside me, where I feel the broken hearts of the children and loved ones left behind and pushed aside during these tragedies. It is so hard to watch as people put their own selfish needs before their children, with the rationalization that what they've chosen will make them happy, therefore they will be able to be a "better and happier" parent. The reality is that those children will suffer in ways that no one can know or understand now, or maybe ever. It will come for years as they struggle with their own confusion, identity and self-esteem issues.
So I'm just wondering, what ever happened to keeping a commitment, even when it gets boring, dull, monotonous or difficult? What happened to standing up for what you believe, even if it's the unpopular thing or may offend someone? Why does showing concern for a person and their family's long term emotional welfare somehow translate into a person being judgemental and hypercritical?
As my husband and I were discussing these issues recently, we concluded that we are encountering more of these situations because of our ages and stages in life. This, to me, goes on to beg the question, why have so many given up and given in, all for instant and self-gratification?

When I was a little girl, I loved playing with dolls; taking care of them, changing their clothes, brushing their hair. I seemed to have a strong, innate desire to nurture and care for others. I started babysitting for other's children when I was pretty young myself. I always just wanted to be a mother. Now that I am a thirty-something mother of four children, I've obviously learned that the vision I had in my mind as a young girl, was not a vision of reality. Being responsible for actual living, breathing, crying, laughing kids is not quite the same as playing with dolls.

My intent in writing this post is not to state the obvious, though. I've been mulling something over in my mind for quite some time and thought it might be therapeutic for me to put some of my thoughts and feelings into something concrete, and see what feedback I receive from all the other mothers out there.

Although a portion of my childhood memories are of good times, feeling loved, mostly, and going through what I would now consider to be the normal stuff of childhood, there were certain instances that in retrospect were the most poignant and prophetic moments. One of those moments being when I was in my mid-teens. I can't remember the exact circumstances, I just remember my mother saying to me "You must do something for yourself with your life. Being a mother will not fulfill you as a person. It's heartbreaking, hard and unsatisfying work. Only a career will fulfill you."

Now, putting aside what that made me feel at the time in terms of my relationship with her (I mean, what parent tells their child that their investment in them has been completely worthless?), I felt even more determined later in my life to prove her wrong. I knew in my heart that there was no way that could be true. A great author once said: "Say what you mean and act how you feel, because those who matter don't mind, and those who mind don't matter." Aahh, the insights of the awesome Dr. Seuss! So here I am, more than 15 years after those words spoken by my own mother burned in my ears, contemplating motherhood as a profession!

As I sit here, listening to my little boy giggle while playing with the dog, I wonder if I'm doing all that I can to create for him a memory and a relationship that will bring him joy and stability later in his life. Most of the time I feel like I don't say the right things at the right times, I don't always recognize those perfect "teaching moments" that I always hear other mothers speak about. In fact, I usually feel so mentally drained and emotionally wiped out, that I just have to hope that I'm not doing or saying anything that will be to my child's detriment. But the fact that I love my kids so much gives me the motivation to keep going day to day, being as strong as I possibly can be, doing the best that I can, giving all that I can give, and praying that it will be enough, without actually being too much!

I know one thing for certain, though, and that is that my mother was wrong, at least for me. I can only speak for myself in saying that being a mother to four of the most beautiful and precious children is fulfilling, satisfying work. It may be thankless, unending, draining, and just plain hard, but that to me is what makes it so satisfying. In the end, if I can see my kids through to their adulthood, and see that they feel loved by me and their father more than they can fathom, then I've succeeded. I may not do anything else right by them, but they will hopefully at least know that!

I know of so many other women, mothers, that show me everyday with their example that they are striving for the same thing. I'm curious, though, to know how others of you gauge your success in this arena. Sometimes the hardest moments for me are when my kids are fighting with each other, or they say or do something that I can't even believe. Did I teach them this or that? Where did I go wrong? There are times that I have said to my husband that I feel like I'm failing as a parent, if for example, I'm having one of those days (or weeks) when it seems like all the kids can do is misbehave, fight, argue, mope, whine, etc. He always says the same thing when I feel like that - "You're here with them, everyday. You take care of their every need. You're being a good mom. Don't expect perfection." Lucky for me I have such a great and supportive husband.

I just want to tell all you other moms whose blogs I read and enjoy, thanks for posting about your families, be it what you perceive as successes or not. I am so inspired and touched when I read about how righteous your desires are, and how you survive those tougher times. It's always nice to know that I'm not alone.

Very Vanilla Smoothie

My sister-in-law has requested that I post a recipe for a healthy alternative when that vanilla ice cream craving hits. This smoothie is perfect and yummy, but you can experiment with it and add other fruits, more sweetener, etc.

1 cup skim milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup vanilla low fat yogurt
1/2 of a banana
1/2 cup peaches, frozen
1/2 cup ice
1 tablespoon honey, or artificial sweetener, to taste

Put milk in blender, then add everything else, except the ice, and blend. Gradually add the ice until creamy.

Splurge on these: Susan's Peanut Butter Brownies

My step-mom made these for us when we visited her and my dad last summer, and they were so delicious I had to have the recipe. I'm sharing it with all of you, and if you like peanut butter, you have GOT to try making these!
Ingredients:
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup butter
2 cups white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups flour, sifted
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
Topping:
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon honey
1 cup chopped peanuts
Directions:
Cream peanut butter, butter and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla and blend well. Sift dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture with peanuts. Mix well.
Spread batter evenly in buttered 9x13x2" pan. Bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees.
For topping, combine sugar, butter, milk and honey in saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook slowly for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add peanuts. Let cool, then spread on warm brownies. Makes 48 small squares.

Lucky You!

My friend Annjilla has a really fun sort of giveaway/tag going on. So, I'm playing along. Check it out!
Lucky you!
The first five people to respond to this post will get something made by me! My choice. For you. This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:

1. I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!

2. What I create will be just for you.

3. It'll be done this year. {might be a little while}

4. You have no clue what it's going to be. It may be a story. It may be poetry or an article on properly cleaning your face before a masque. I may draw or paint something. I may bake you something and mail it to you. Who knows? Not you, that's for sure!

5. I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.
The catch? Oh, the catch is that you must repost this on your blog and offer the same to the first

5 people who do the same on your blog. The first 5 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did win a FAB-U-LOUS homemade gift by me!

*Oh, and be sure to post a picture of what you win when you get it!*

Everyone's favorite muffins.

I also like to call these "Meal in a Muffins", because they make a perfect healthy on the go breakfast or snack.
Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup applesauce
1 banana, mashed
1/2 cup skim milk
1 cup vegetable puree (these work well: pumpkin, zucchini, spinach, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower) Hint: if you use broccoli or cauliflower, reduce the amount to 3/4 cup, as they have a stronger flavor and may be more detectable to the kids!
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs (or substitute 1 tablespoon milled flax seed plus 3 tablespoons water for each egg)
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Sugar in the Raw, or natural (course)sugar for sprinkling on top
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift dry ingredients in medium bowl, set aside. In large bowl, mix wet ingredients, vegetable puree and sugar until well blended. Mix in dry ingredients, add chocolate chips. Pour into greased or paper-lined muffin tins, about 1/4 cup per muffin. Sprinkle tops with course sugar. Bake for 16-18 minutes. Insert toothpick after 16 minutes, if it comes out clean, remove muffins from oven. Do not over bake, as they will tend to dry out.
Another tip is to experiment with the vegetable purees for flavor and texture preferences. I have found that one of my family's favorite is when I use pumpkin (1/2 cup) and carrots (1/2 cup). Add a little dash of nutmeg to the dry mix - yummy! Also try adding 1/3 of a cup of cocoa powder to dry ingredients, and adding a couple of tablespoons of water, as needed, to wet mixture, when using spinach and/or zucchini. These are like brownie muffins - super moist and delicious, almost like a cupcake! Finally, if you're a fan of blueberry muffins, try substituting the chocolate chips with 1 cup of blueberries. Have fun!

Think Pink.

Valentine's Day is quickly approaching, so here's an idea: serve breakfast in bed to your special someone, and make it pink!

We call these "Pink Power Pancakes" at our house, because they're choc full of vitamins and protein.
You can use your favorite store-bought pancake mix (I like Krusteaze brand honey whole wheat), or your own pancake recipe for the dry mix ingredients.
3/4 cup water, or skim milk
1/2 ricotta or low-fat cottage cheese
1/2 can beets, or 1/4 cup beet puree
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup pancake mix
1/4 cup grated apple or unsweetened applesauce
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
In a blender or food processor, combine water, ricotta/cottage cheese, beets or beet puree, apple, vanilla and cinnamon; blend until smooth. Pour into large bowl, add dry mix and stir until combined. Spray a griddle with cooking spray, and set to med/high heat (about 300 deg.) Once the griddle is hot, put vegetable oil on and spread. Spoon the batter on, using about 1/4 for each pancake. Cook until bubbles start to form in batter, then flip and cook for about another minute. To make them extra special, use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the center, serve both parts with syrup, fresh berries, or powdered sugar, and of course, a big glass of milk!

Deceptively Delicious

One morning in 2007 I saw Jessica Seinfeld on the Today Show promoting her new book. I asked Chris to stop at the book store that very day and pick it up for me. I have used it a lot since then, and have varied several of the recipes to fit our family's tastes. Those of you who haven't yet gotten your copy of "Deceptively Delicious", I highly recommend it as an addition to your recipe book library, especially if you have finicky kids, or husbands!
Since many recipes that I share on this blog are from her book, or some variation of a recipe from the book, I just thought I'd give credit where credit is due!

Super Sugar Cookies!

I had a request for the sugar cookie recipe I use, so here it is. This recipe makes soft, delicious cookies. They taste like the kind you buy in the bakery dept. One tip, make sure you don't roll the dough out too thin, or they'll be more crispy. We like them thick and soft!
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups butter, softened (or you can use butter flavor Crisco, which also works great. Just add 6 tblspns. water for every 1 cup Crisco, if you do the substitution.)
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Directions:
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely before frosting.
Here's the frosting recipe I use. Just divide up the batch into small bowls and add food coloring, if you desire.
Ingredients:
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup shortening
5 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
food coloring
Directions:
In a large bowl, cream together the confectioners' sugar and shortening until smooth. Gradually mix in the milk and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth and stiff, about 5 minutes. If frosting is too thick, add more milk to desired consistency.

Egg Nog Pie: For serious Egg Nog lovers only!

In light of the fact that next week is Thanksgiving, or in other words, the official start of culinary indulgences excused until January, I thought I would share my recipe for Egg Nog Pie. This dessert is really delicious and great to take to family gatherings. Any egg nog fan will definitely love this pie.

Ingredients:

1 (4.6 ounce) package of vanilla non-instant pudding mix

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 cups of heavy cream

1 baked deep dish pie shell

1 1/2 cups egg nog

Directions:

In saucepan, combine pudding mix, nutmeg and egg nog. Mix well. Over medium heat, stir constantly until thick and bubbly. Transfer into large bowl, refrigerate until well chilled. In a medium bowl, whip heavy cream to soft peaks. Remove cold pudding from fridge and beat until smooth. Fold in whipped cream. Spoon into pie shell. Sprinkle top lightly with nutmeg. Refrigerate for about 4 hours. Enjoy!

Check this out!

Look at all the cute items and ideas on this fun blog:
www.purplepansyboutique.blogspot.com