Spiced Pear Dumplings and Fall cooking!

Here are just some of the reasons I love fall....

Spiced Pear Dumplings..

 3 Tbs packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp grnd cardamom
1/4 tsp grnd cinnamon
1 Tbs butter or margarine softened
Dumpling pastry (see below)
2 large pears peeled and cut in half, cored
1 egg white
2 tsp sugar
1/2 cup caramel sauce or topping.

Pastry
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
3-4 Tbs water
Mix shortening and flour together until crumbly. Add salt, then add water 1 Tbs at a time until pastry almost cleans sides of bowl. Gather into a ball and roll out.

Mix br sugar, cardamom, cinnamon, and butter together. Tuck a bit of mixture into center of pear. Wrap pear in pastry and seal edges slightly with cool water. Place seam side down in 9x13 greased pan.
Bake at 375 x 40-45 minutes.
Top with caramel sauce.
I didn't have caramel sauce so I mixed brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter together on low heat then poured over the dumplings. It was a hit at our house!

I had some small pears that needed to be used up. I offered several recipes and dear hubby choose this one. I haven't made it in a while. It calls for cardamon (kinda like cinnamon). I had boughten this spices way back when I first made this. I have not used it since so I had to chuckle when I came across the recipe to use some more of this spice.....

I haven't made bread for a while. I found the cost of heating my house and thus using my AC more was just not worth the savings. We are out of bread and I was so glad to have the cooler temps so I could make some more bread.

And chili with cornbread. Fall soups and chilis! Yum! It's a great way to use up all those vegis in the fridge from the garden. Just add whatever is left.

For my chili I usually add hamburger, tomatoes, corn and several cans of various beans. I add a bit of ketchup and brown sugar like when I make baked beans. You can also add a can of jalepenos but my boys don't like the heat so I have started leaving that out.

I have to make a double batch of cornbread and today still ended up making more.
 They devoured it! 

I enjoy the BBQ but I LOVE fall cooking!

The best part was how my house smelled of yummy spices when I was done. 

Home Sweet Home!

Spider Plate....

I bought a purple charger a couple of weeks ago at Micheals. I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it but I loved it. It was perfect for Halloween.

I have had a couple of ideas come to mind but nothing really popped...

until I saw this at Crap I've Made....

I new right away what I wanted to do.

I didn't have the right puff paint so I just went with the elementary route..

Elmers glue and glitter.

 At 11:00 you will see Mr. Spider....waiting to catch his prey.

 I love it! 

I have fabric to make a runner to go on my piano for Halloween. I hope to finish it but my craft supplies are a shambles at the moment......Keep watching to see why.

Birds of a Feather Family Tree

My lovely mom-in-law sent this too me.

From Martha Stewart

I really like this idea. 

I may do this in my family room down stairs.  Although drawing it on the wall might be tricky I think I could figure something out. It's a great idea to strengthen family ties.

Thanking our Heros!

 The news is filled with rememberings of 9/11. 

I realized 3 of my 4 boys were not even born. Do they understand what all the fuss is about?

I had been to the Towers just after the first bombing in 1994. 

I remember visiting DC and driving past the Pentegon.

I remember sprawling fields of Pennsylvania all on a history tour in high school. 

How different that tour would be now.

I remember being in my living room in our first house. I was just barely pregnant with our second.

Dear hubby was at school and I was off work cleaning house.

I don't remember why I turned the tv on, if my mom called or I already had it on but I remember sitting in stunned amazement as the first tower burned. Then watching the next planes crash as well. Like so many others that day remains vivid in my mind. Someone was quoted as stating "this is our Pearl Harbor". I can relate to that. Few events in the history of America have etched their way permanently into our minds as these have. What a tragic day. My heart goes out to all those touched personally by these events. 

May God watch over you and yours. 

America is STILL great! 

We have heroes everyday touching lives and never asking for anything in return. 

It is this type of behavior upon which this Land of Liberty has been built.
You are not forgotten. 

I will remember.

My children will remember.

My family will remember.

Generations will remember 

the sacrifice of so many to secure the freedom that defines 

America- the Land of the Free and Home of the Brave.

Thank you! We love you!

Menu and new cooking blogs!

With the addition of 2 new blogs I am excited to try some new main dishes. Not to mention cooler weather means we and enjoy our favorite soups and chilis!

This week at our house....

Homemade Pizza

Turkey Roll Ups from Mommy's Kitchen

Roast, potatoes and garden carrots

Meatloaf from Country Cook

Chicken Rice Soup

Taco Casserole

For Desert I plan on trying a new Lemonade Pie from my dear friend. hmmm, maybe I will make that tonight! She promises it is refreshingly delightful! We will see and I will post pictures and the recipe.

Now I have to put a shout out for The Country Cook. I found her blog through Mommy's Kitchen Sunday Potluck link party. I love cooks that stick with basic ingredients in my pantry. They are even better when they remind me of growing up on the farm and in the country. It all comes down to comfort food for me but these are the biggest hits with my boys too. They haven't lived on a farm but they love to visit my uncles farm. Something about the dirt in your toes and the thrill of riding a tractor....

but I digress....

The Country Cook has lots of fun recipes that look great.

Shhh, please don't tell dear hubby she even has a recipe for "Magic Shell" ice cream topping.

He loves the stuff that will freeze on your ice cream. All my boys devour it (I know this is a common occurance) and I haven't boughten it in a while which means they could go through some withdrawls when I buy it again!

Or her Hamburger Steaks and gravy

Then for desert try her Shorcut Cheese Danish, I plan on trying it!

Ooh, Yummy!

These will be great recipes for my boys to learn to cook with too. At 11 and 9 they are wanting to learn to cook more. Love that! It helps that they have been watching food networks "Chopped" show with dad. It becomes a joke if your dish is chopped or not. Makes me smile and welcome them into the kitchen. I will have to have them pick a night to help cook and let them go at it while I supervise. Before long I will have them searching blogs for more great recipes to try! Who said having all boys was tough?!

Check out The Country Cook for your cook!