Brown Sugar Cookies

1 1/4 cups light brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 cup water
3 teaspoons honey
1 egg
1 cup coarsely ground pecans
2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon all spice

Pre-heat oven to 375*.

In a large mixing bowl combine sugar, water, honey, and egg. Beat with mixer on high speed until well combined.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, pecans, cinnamon, baking soda, and all spice; mix well. Add to sugar mixture and mix well.

Drop by teaspoons onto greased cookie sheet 1 1/2 inches apart.

Bake about 12 minutes, until cookies are lightly browned on edges.

Remove from oven at once.

Makes about 3 dozen.
Store in an airtight container.

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Texas Coleslaw

1 head of green cabbage, finely chopped
1 cup red cabbage, finely chopped
1 large carrot, shredded
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 1/2 cup whole kernel corn
1/2 cup chopped bell peppers
((OR instead of the corn & bell peppers 2 cans of Green Giant Mexican Corn, drained))
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 Tablespoons lime or lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt

Toss cabbages, carrots, peppers, cilantro, & corn in 4 quart bowl

Place oil, lime or lemon juice, cumin, & salt in tightly covered container, shake well. Pour over coleslaw mixture & toss.

Cover & refrigerate 1 to 2 hours to blend flavors.

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Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake

Crust :
1 1/2 cup crushed gingersnap cookies
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1/3 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350*.
In a medium bowl, mix together the crushed gingersnap cookies, pecans, and butter. Press into the bottom and about 1" up the sides of a 9" spring form pan, that has been lined with wax paper along the bottom.
Bake crust for 10 minutes in the pre-heated oven. Set aside to cool.

Filling:
2 - 8oz packages of cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup white sugar, divided
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 cup pumpkin mash (For directions on making fresh pumpkin mash look here.)
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

In a medium bowl mix together the cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar & vanilla, just until smooth.
Mix in eggs, one at a time, blending well after each addition.
Set aside one cup of the mixture.
Blend 1/4 cup of sugar, pumpkin, cinnamon, & nutmeg into the remaining mixture.
Spread the pumpkin flavored batter into the crust and drop the plain batter onto the top, by the tablespoon, sporadically over the pumpkin batter.
Swirl with a knife to create a marbled effect.
Bake 55 minutes in the pre-heated oven or until filling is set.
Run a knife around the edge of the pan.
Allow to cool before removing pan rim.

Chill for at least 4 hours before serving.

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Pumpkin Fudge

2 cups Sugar
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1/2 cup pumpkin mash
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/4 cup butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Check out this entry for making fresh pumpkin mash.

Cook sugar, pumpkin mash, cornstarch, evaporated milk, & pumpkin pie spice until it forms a soft ball when dropped in cold water or until it reaches 236*F (114*C)

Add the butter, vanilla, & nuts.

Beat until mixture is creamy

Pour into a buttered plate & allow to cool.

Cut into small chunks.

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Apple Crisp

Butter an 8" square baking pan
Preheat oven to 350*

5 cups peeled and sliced apples
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 stick of butter...or 1/2 cup ...or 1/4 pound

Put apples in the baking dish.
In a medium bowl mix together the sugar, flour, & cinnamon.
Cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.
Sprinkle the topping over the apples.
Bake for 30 minutes until the topping is crisp.
Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

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Chiney's Homemade Dressing

3 - 9"x13" pans of cornbread
4-5 diced boiled eggs
full stalk of chopped celery
whole diced onion
4 cans of chicken broth
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cans cream of celery
2 Tablespoons of sage
1/4 of a large block of velveta cheese, in small cubes
salt & pepper to taste

After the cornbread is cooled crumble in a large dish (I used a large stock pan)
Boil onion & celery in broth & water until tender, drain, save broth & water
Mix all ingredients except broth
Add broth until stuffing is the consistency of mashed potatoes
Bake at 400* until light brown on top

Add more broth & reheat if it dries out.


My baby brother, Duke & Mikeal mixing it up, before he left for Japan with the Marines last Thanksgiving.

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Fresh Pumpkin Spice Bread

I start off the pumpkin recipe making season with purchasing a large pumpkin.

The absolute easiest way to prepare a pumpkin for baking use is :
Cut it in half.
Lay each half on a baking sheet, cut side down so that it creates a seal.
Bake in a 350* pre-heated oven for 30 minutes, or until pulp is soft.
Take out of the oven and let cool before moving on, remember it will be HOT and can burn you.
I then scoop the steamed pumpkin meat out of the rind, putting it into my blender then puree it.

Two cups of pureed pumpkin is equal to one can of pumpkin bought at the store.

I measure it out into 2 cup increments, into labeled freezer bags, then freeze whatever I am not going to be using immediately.



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Pumpkin Spice Bread

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
2 cups (or 1 can) pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie mix)
1 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs

Grease & flour two 9x5x3 inch loaf pans. Pre-heat oven to 350*.

In large mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, & nutmeg.

In a separate bowl stir together the pumpkin & oil. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add the pumpkin mixture, stirring just until the dry ingredients are moistened.

Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake at 350* for 1 hour or until wooden pick or cake tester, inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Smoother with butter and enjoy!

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