Lori's Pumpkin Roll

                                                                      
This is my take on pumpkin roll. This is a basic recipe, but with the addition of cloves and ginger, just like one would add to a pumpkin pie. I think it gives the recipe more pizzazz as it has more flavor than those made with only cinnamon. My husband likes this, too, as it is one of his favorite desserts. I've gotten many compliments for this pumpkin roll over the last few years and hope you will like it also.

Lori's Pumpkin Roll                                            
                                                                  Preheat oven to 350 degrees
1/4 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup unbleached flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp. real sea salt (pink kind)
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup pumpkin (canned or fresh)
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 cup nuts, chopped (optional)
Additional powdered sugar (optional)

Filling:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
4 Tbls. real butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan; line with wax paper. Grease and flour paper. Sprinkle a thin, cotton kitchen towel with powdered sugar.
Blend together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt in small bowl. Beat eggs and granulated sugar in large mixer bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin and lemon juice. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle with nuts.
Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. (If using a dark-colored pan, begin checking for doneness at 11 minutes.) Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off paper. Roll up cake and towel together, starting with narrow end. Cool on wire rack.
Filling: With electric mixer, beat cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, butter and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until smooth. Carefully unroll cake. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Reroll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.

Tips: Make sure you use enough powdered sugar on towel that the cake will not stick when you unroll.
You can make up several pumpkin rolls, cool completely, wrap well and freeze for up to 2 months in the freezer. Make sure the rolls do not touch sides of freezer or they will become freezer-burned.

Baked Cheesy Pinto Bean Casserole

                                                                              
Oh my gosh! Is this good! If you like pinto beans you will like this for a change of pace. This makes an excellent side dish or a great casserole to take to pot lucks. It is one of those recipes that can be modified to fit your own likes and dislikes. It is simple and delicious. I got this from another site and modified it to make it my own. I hope you enjoy these.

In summer when it is too hot to cook, you can put these on the grill to bake while you are grilling burgers and steaks. I believe you will get raves for these.

Baked Cheesy Pinto Bean Casserole

                                                                                               Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. cumin
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbls. butter or bacon grease
2-4 pieces bacon, fried, drained, and crumbled (optional)
2-15 ounce cans pinto beans (or equivalent of freshly made), drained, but not rinsed
1/2 cup chunky salsa (mild, medium, or hot, your choice!)
1 cup  Cheddar cheese, divided*

Saute' onion, green peppers, chili powder, cumin, and garlic in butter in a small skillet till onions are opaque, being careful not to burn the garlic.
Combine cooked vegetable mixture with bacon, if used,  beans and salsa. Pour into a 1 1/2 quart casserole dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes; stir in half cup of cheese, bake another 15 minutes, sprinkle top with remainder of cheese and bake another 5 minutes to melt. Makes 4-6 servings.

*If you don't like this much cheese, do not add cheese halfway through baking and just add 1/2 cup of cheese to top during last 5 minutes of baking.
* You can use any kind of cheese you'd like such as Co-Jack or Blanco Queso, but my favorite is Cheddar.

7up Pound Cake

                                                                                   
YUM!!!This is a delicious and moist pound cake that is so easy to make!!! I've made several of these this past winter as they will last for days, staying moist, and add a nice refreshing dessert following dinner. Bob realy likes this cake, and I love anything lemon!

I know the 8 minute beating of butter and sugar sounds extreme, but I got lazy and did not do this one time (years ago!) and ended up with a flatter cake that did not rise as much, and a more dense cake. It was not as good as when I beat it for the desired amount of time. Take that extra time; it is worth it.

I used to use 7Up in my recipe, but no more. 7Up is made with high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), which is not used in our home for all of its dangerous health issues pertaining to the pancreas, heart, liver, and blood. I know sugar is a poison to most people, too, but sugar is much better for you than HFCS. Sierra Mist works just as well with tasty results and it is made with table sugar.

I try to use farm eggs whenever I can, which may give you a more yellow cake. The picture above was made with store-bought eggs as I was unable to get farm eggs when I made this cake.

This is so delicious and easy to make!!! If you like lemon, you will like this cake. It is so refreshing. As a pound cake, it is a heavy cake, but this one, though dense, is very moist and appealing.

7up Pound Cake
1lb unsalted butter(4 sticks)
2 cups sugar
3 cups cake flour*
6 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract (I use 2 tsps extract for a more pronounced lemon flavor)
3/4 cup 7up soda (I use Sierra Mist)*

Icing:

1 cup powdered sugat
enough soda to make an icing
1 drop lemon extract

Preheat Oven to 325 degrees
Cream butter and sugar together and allow to beat for 8 minutes. If you have a stand alone mixer, all the better. This aerates the butter and makes sure the sugar is well combined.
Add one egg at a time; beat well.
Add vanilla and lemon extracts
Add one cup cake flour at a time (Important: see note below if using regular flour)*
Pour in soda, blend well.*
Pour into greased nonstick Bundt pan and even the top.
Bake at 325 degrees for 60-70 minutes or until knife comes out clean.
Allow to cool in pan for 20 minutes, invert onto cooling rack or serving plate.
Cool completely, then ice. Cover well and store.

To make Icing~ Add powdered sugar to a bowl, add a bit of soda and blend well. Add in 1 drop of lemon extract. If too thin, add more sugar to get desired consistency. If too thick, add small amount of soda till you get desired consistency. With a regular tablespoon pour on and drizzle icing over top of cake, allowing it to flow down sides.

*I do not buy cake flour because of the price. Cake flour will give you a more delicate cake, but I've always used unbleached flour with great results.
Important: Cake flour and regular flour are NOT interchangeable! If using regular flour, remove 2 Tbls of flour from each measured cup, otherwise your cake will be too dense.

*I do not use 7UP, but you can, if so desired.

Homemade Jalapeno Poppers

                                                                           
I made 132 of these last summer, and trust me, that was no easy task!If you've ever worked with hot peppers, you know how these can burn even through rubber gloves! Whatever you do, do NOT try to cut up jalapeno peppers (or ANY hot pepper!!) without rubber gloves!!! The picture above shows them already made, individually frozen, in a freezer bag, and ready to cook or go back into the freezer.

We happened to have a bumper crop of all peppers last year~ cayenne, jalapeno, serrano, and various shades of bell peppers. I cut, chopped, froze, pickled, and stuffed my way through a myriad of peppers last summer and fall. With one large bucket of jalapenos staring me in the face, I decided to make Jalapeno Poppers for Bob as he loves them. It turns out that my grandson Steven also loves them!

These are not for the faint of heart. These are time-consuming as they took me 5 hours to make. There are multiple steps involved, but if you want to customize your own poppers, want to eat organic on the cheap (we try to grow all our foods organically), and want to know the quality of the foods you are eating, then homemade is the way to go. These are well worth the effort.

I went to several sites to compare recipes so I could customize my own poppers. The 'favorite' recipe I came across used unseasoned bread crumbs, but I used Italian seasoned for more flavor. All used Bacon Bits (yuck!), I used real fried and crumbled bacon. I wanted some onion flavor so I chopped some chives from my yard. I added way more Cheddar than most recipes called for, and I made these the way I wanted them. I am going to give a basic recipe, with some modifications, and then you can go on your own gastronomic trip with your own modifications to fit your own tastes. I did use the 12 ounces of cream cheese as a base, but then I dumped some of this and some of that as I wanted to add it to the pot. These are just basic measurements from modified recipes so don't be afraid to go a bit wild and add your own touch to these.
Remember~USE RUBBER GLOVES when seeding peppers!!!!!!!

Jalapeno Poppers
                                                                                                                        Makes 32
12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
8 ounces grated Cheddar cheese (you can use mild, medium, or sharp)
1 Tbls Bacon Bits (No! No!No! fry your own bacon, crumble it and add waaaaayyy more!!!)
12 ounces (about 16) jalapenos, seeded and cut in half
1 cup milk (Whole milk works best, and raw best of all)
1 cup unbleached flour
1 cup dry bread crumbs (Italian seasoned are best, and you can make your own!)
1-2 Tbls. chopped fresh chives (optional, my own addition)
2 quarts oil for frying (I used organic palm oil for best results, or you can use high quality tallow or lard)

Combine cheeses, bacon, and chives. Parsley can be added, too, if desired.
Spoon into pepper halves.
Place milk in a bowl.
Place flour in a bowl.
Place bread crumbs in a bowl.
Dip each pepper in milk, then flour. Let dry for about 10 minutes.
Dip in milk then bread crumbs. Allow to dry for 10 minutes.
Repeat process and make sure all pepper is coated.
If eating right away proceed to how to fry. If storing for later use, then place each pepper on a waxed paper-lined cookie sheet and place in freezer for about 1 hour. Then place peppers in a freezer bag and then in a container to help keep them fresh for up to 1 year. Keep frozen till ready to use.
For frying: heat oil to 365 degrees. Deep fry a few at a time for 2-3 minutes each till golden brown. Place on paper towels to drain before serving.

Tips:Use high quality ingredients for best taste.
        Use a good smoky bacon, cook well and crumble before assembling peppers.
        If you don't make your own bread crumbs, then use a brand that has no high fructose corn syrup
        in them. Giant Eagle makes their own Market brand that is okay.
        Grate your own Cheddar if you want better taste.
        Parsley and chives are good in this recipe.
        Don't be afraid to experiment!

Lori's White Chicken Chili

                                                                            
I have to admit I am not a fan of this chili as I do not care for hominy, but Bob loves this soup as it is his favorite chili. I took an existing recipe I'd made from Taste of Home magazine and modified it to the way I wanted to make it. Bob liked it the way the original version was, but he loved the modifications I'd made. It is easy to put together, so don't let the list of ingredients scare you off. And you can have chili made within an hour or less with this recipe. Many people have had this and like it a lot. I hope you enjoy it, too. There are many variations you can make with this recipe to make it your own just by modifying this to fit your family's tastes. I have added one modification below that I sometimes make. This is a very thick and hearty soup. Enjoy!

Lori's White Chicken Chili

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 medium onion, chopped

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 can (14-1/2 ounces) chicken broth

1 can (15-1/2 ounces) white hominy, rinsed and drained

1 can (15 ounces) white kidney (cannellini beans), rinsed and drained

1 can (4 ounces each) chopped green chilies

1-4 Tbls. jalapeno peppers, minced (depending on how hot you want it)

1 Tbls. real butter

1 tsp. real sea salt (pink kind)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 tsp. ground chili powder

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon white or black pepper

1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 cup (4 ounces) Co-Jack cheese, grated

1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream

1/3 cup half-and-half cream or milk

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

1 Tbls. dried parsley

In pot place olive oil , onion, and chicken; cook until chicken is no longer pink. Stir occasionally to get all sides of chicken cooked. Add garlic and cook about two minutes. Add chicken broth, hominy, beans, green chilies, jalapenos, and spices. Bring soup to a boil, then turn down heat and simmer for about 30 minutes. Add cheese, stir to blend and melt. Stir in sour cream; blend well. Stir in cream or milk. Stir in herbs and serve. You can garnish with a dollop of sour cream and cheese.

Variation: Cut up in small pieces and fry 1/2 pound smoky peppered bacon. With slotted spoon, remove bacon to paper towels to drain. Add onions and chicken to bacon grease in pan and cook as above. Add half the bacon to the soup as it is cooking. Add some chopped scallions to the soup (1-2 onions, chopped) five minutes before it is done. Garnish with dollop of sour cream, cheese, bacon, and scallions. This soup will have a smoky flavor from the bacon.

Macaroni and Cheese

                                                                       

There is nothing that says 'comfort' quite like homemade mac and cheese. I've been making this for at least 28 years and my kids always loved it. This is the basic recipe I was given, but I add extra cheese and milk to make it rich and creamy. I never measure this out so I cannot give you the exact recipe I make as I add as I want to as I am making it. This is delicious. Enjoy!

Macaroni and Cheese

8 ounces elbow macaroni*
2 1/2 cups milk
5 Tbls. unbleached flour
3 Tbls. butter
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 1/4 cups grated American cheese
1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar cheese
3/4 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce (optional)*

Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain.
In 2 quart sauce pan, melt the butter and blend in the flour; cook 1-2 minutes. Stir in milk and heat to almost boiling. Add salt and pepper. Cook milk till thickened, then add cheeses to melt.Stir till smooth. Add Worcestershire Sauce, if used. Pour over macaroni. Pour into a large baking dish and bake at 350F degrees for 20-25 minutes. If you like, you can add extra grated cheese to the top and put in oven till cheese is melted.
*I sometimes use Rotini noodles in place of the elbow macaroni.
*I do not use the Worcestershire Sauce as I don't like it, but many do.

Sandy's Texas Sheet Cake

                                                                                     
Who does not like Texas Sheet Cake? It is rich and delicious. This recipe came from a step-aunt of mine, Sandy Buery, who used to bring this to family gatherings. I am so glad I was able to get this recipe from her as she died earlier this year from Cancer. Sandy made some very tasty foods that our entire family enjoyed. Her recipe has now become mine as I've made it several times over the past few years.

Sandy's Texas Sheet Cake

Cake:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 sticks butter (half pound)*
4 Tbls. baking cocoa
1 cup water
1/2 cup buttermilk*
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla

Icing:
1 stick butter
1 Tbls. baking cocoa
6 Tbls. milk 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts

Cake:
Sift together the flour and sugar; set aside.
In saucepan, add 2 sticks butter, cocoa, and water; bring to a rapid boil, then pour over the sugar mixture; mix well. Add buttermilk, eggs, baking soda and vanilla. Blend well. Pour into a greased 17" x 11 3/4" cookie sheet (1" lip). Bake at 400F degrees for 20 minutes. About 5 minutes before done make icing.

Icing:
In a 2 qart sauce pan, melt the butter. Add the cocoa and milk and bring to a boil.. Remove from heat. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla; mix well. Stir in chopped nuts. Spread over hot cake. Allow to set up.

*Use only real butter.
*Either walnuts or pecans can be used.