Pumpkin Patch Cupcakes, not only fun to make but yummy!!

I got this from My HELLO, CUPCAKE book. It's really fun and has lots of ideas with cupcakes. These are a pumpkin cake with the decoration on top and it's really easy.

Ingredients

1 box white or yellow cake mix

1 c. canned pumpkin puree

3/4 c. buttermilk

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/3 c. veg oil

4 eggs

Mix together and bake in cupcake pan according to cake mix directions. Let cool completely.

For pumpkins

Orange decorators sugar, I got two canisters

1 can vanilla frosting

orange food coloring or red and yellow will work but it's really light in color

3 strips of green rainbow twizzlers

orange writers icing. I used Betty Crocker, make sure it's the writers kind with a small round tip.

Once your cupcakes are cool enough to frost, color the vanilla frosting orange and frost a cupcake and pour out your orange sugar in a shallow pan or I used a pie tin. and holding the bottom of the cupcake roll the entire thing in the sugar so all of the frosting has a layer of the sugar. Using a toothpick create ridges from the middle out, also do it off center cause pumpkin ridges are off. Then pipe the orange writers icing along the indentations from toothpick. Then cut the green twizzlers into 1 inch strips diagonally and put into the top of the pumpkin where your ridges meet and thats your stem. Repeat with all cupcakes and you have an edible and delicious pumpkin patch!

Cuban Pork Chops

Cuban Porkchops with Mojo(moe-hoe) sauce
I made this today for my assignment and it was so good the pan sauce is amazing!

1 c. orange juice, plus 1/4 c, divided
1/2 c. lime juice, plus 1/4 c., divided
1/4 c. white vinegar
4 pork chops, no more than 1 inch thick
1 T. black pepper
2 T salt
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
1 T garlic powder
1T. onion powder
1 T dried oregano
3 T canola oil
1/4 c. red onion (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c. white wine or chicken broth

In a large ziplock bag add the 1 c. orange juice, 1/2 c. lime juice and the vinegar. Put the chops in the marinade and put in the fridge for at least 20 mins to an hour.

Meanwhile add all the spices together in small bowl. Once you pull your pork out, pull out of the bag and pat dry with a paper towel. Rub the spice mixture all over each side of the pork. In a large saute pan heat the oil on high heat and sear one side of the pork until golden brown, then flip and turn the heat to medium-low heat and add your onion(if using) and saute for about 2 min. Then add the minced garlic and saute til golden, do not burn the garlic. Then add the remaining orange, and lime juice. Then add the wine or chicken stock, and bring to simmer and let pork finish cooking through while sauce reduces. Temp your pork at 155 degrees. Then put on plate with a foil "tent'' to keep warm, meanwhile turn the heat up on your pan sauce and let reduce. Pour the sauce over your pork. You can also top with chopped fresh roma tomatoes.

to make it a fulloy cuban meal, make your own refried black beans, by sauting onion, bell pepper, and garlic until soft. Add whole canned black beans and heat through until they split. Add about 1 tsp red wine vinegar and stir. Serve with a lime wedge to squeeze on the beans. it's l really good. I also had grilled zucchini, and bell peppers that were seasoned with red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.

Cranberry Sauce

Only recently in the last few years that I found that I really like the cranberry and turkey combo, cause that jellied crap from a can always gave me the icks. But fresh is so good, and last year my uncle Bob had this with his Thanksgiving dinner, and I fell in love with it, I want to make it all the time and spred it on toast and just eat it, it's that good. I'm very excited to post this and have this cause it will be a regular staple on my turkey dinner menu.

Cranberry Sauce
1 c. sugar
1 c. water
1-16 oz bag fresh cranberries
1 c. apples, finely chopped or grated(irecommend grating)
1-2 oranges, juiced and pulp
splash of lemon juice
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 or dash of nutmeg

Put cranberries, sugar, water, and apples in pan over medium heat and cook until the cranberries "pop" and the apples are softened. Add in the remaining ingredients and stir until well cooked.

Spaghetti Carbonara

I made this today for my pasta dish and it was AMAZING! Two other people did carbonara and it's funny how different each one of ours was. But not to be bias or full of myself but this one is really yummy, and easy.

Creamy Spaghetti Carbonara
Serves 2 ( you can adjust if y ou want more)
1/2 lb angel hair spaghetti (you can use regular or any kind of long stands)
5 slices of bacon, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 T extra virgin olive oil
2 egg yolks
1/2 c. cream
1 c. reserved pasta water
1/2 c. parmasean cheese
1/4 tsp nutmeg
black pepper, TT (to taste)
Bring a pot of water up to boil and salt it fairly heavily, you want your pasta just under al dente, so have it done and ready by the time you are doing the sauce and have it in the strainer over your water. Then whisk egg yolks and cream togerther. Then in a skillet crisp your bacon up, then add the olive oil and garlic and saute for about 1 min, don't burn your garlic. Then add your pasta and using tongs turn to coat with bacon and garlic. Slowly add your pasta water and cream and yolks slowly turning the pasta around to prevent scrambling. Then add the parmasean, nutmeg and pepper. Let sit for about 1 min and serve.

What is also good with this are some veggies, I personally like to saute zuchinni with olive oil and garlic, salt and pepper, then add diced tomatoes until they warm through and put on top of your pasta. It's delicious!

Quinoa stuffed bell peppers

I have recently come across a great grain called Quinoa(keen-wah) and it's super versatile and ridiculously good for you. I made this today and it was really good. It is a good meatless meal that is filling.

1/3 c. quinoa
2/3 c. vegetable or chicken broth
1/3 c. carrot diced
2 T red onion(optional)
1/3 c. black or kidney beans (which ever you have)
2 T. olive oil
1/3 c. chopped frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 c. shredded mozzerella
2-3 bell peppers, doesn't matter which color just pick big ones that stand up straight.

Bring broth or stock to boil, then add quinoa cover and reduce heat for 15 mins, or until the broth is absorbed and the quinoa splits. Meanwhile bring a pot of water to boil. Then cut the tops off the pepper and take out the middle, ribs, and seeds. Place in the boiling water and boil for 5 mins. Remove and set aside. In a skillet heat up the oil, add the carrots and saute for about 3 mins, then add the onion and saute for anothe 5 mins. Add the beans and spinach. Then add the quinoa and chili powder. Mix all together. Spoon the quinoa mixture in the bell peppers and top with cheese. Place in a shallow baking dish and pour in enough water to cover the bottom, about 1-2 inches. And bake at 350 degrees for about 20 mins.

Potato Croquettes

These are perfect for using your leftover mashed potatoes, but you could use freshly mashed they just don't have a really good stablility but definately works too.

1 1/2 c. mashed potatoes (season with salt, pepper, and butter if not already seasoned)
1/4 c. finely diced ham
1 T green onion finely sliced (you could use fresh chives or none at all if you don't like onion)
1 1/2 tsp parsley
1 egg, beaten
Breading
1 c. breadcrumbs (i used panko which I like best)
if using non seasoned crumbs add:
2 T italian seasoning
1 1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 c parmesean cheese(add even if you have seasoned crumbs)
1 egg, beaten

In large bowl combine the potatoes, ham, green onion, parsley and about half to three quarters of the first egg. Add the rest to your other one. Stir until all combined. Then using a scoop or large spoon shape a ball out of the potato mixture. Then coat in the other egg and transfer to the breadcrumbs and cover and pat gently into it to stick. place them on a plate or sheet pan and freeze or refrigerate for 10 mins or so and then deep fry in 350 degree oil for about 3 to 5 mins until golden. They are soooo good!

Peach Cobbler

After having a dream about going out late at night trying to steal the nice old man's peaches (he lives around the corner) I decided I needed to buy my own peaches and make cobbler since his peaches have been taunting me for two weeks now. I made this yesterday, and yum!

4 c. peeled, sliced peaches
2 c. sugar
1/2 c. water
1 1/2 c. flour
3/4 tsp salt
1 3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2-3/4 c. milk
1/2 c. butter
cinnamon

In large saucepan put peaches, 1 cup sugar, and water together, stir and bring to boil. Once it's boiling reduce to a simmer and let simmer for 10 mins. While you wait on the peaches heat the oven to 350 degrees, then in your pan, it needs to be at least a 3 qt pan I used the 9X13 pan. Cube your butter into even pieces and place in pan and put in oven to let the butter melt. Pull it out once it's competely melted. In large bowl add the rest of the sugar, flour, salt and baking powder and sift and combine. Then add the milk add 1/2 c. first and if it isnt' completely mixed and still dry, add more milk to make it easier to use. It will be a thick paste but don't add more than 3/4 c. milk. Then carefully spread your flour/sugar paste over the butter, DO NOT MIX!! Spray your spatula with cooking oil to help spread. then carefully spoon the peaches over the top and gently pour the sugar syrup over the peaches. Then sprinkle as much cinnamon as you want over the top. Bake at 350 for 35-45 mins.