Julia's Pumpkin Cake

I made this cake for my family last night and they loved it! It has a moist texture and just enough sweetness without being too sweet. I used fresh pumpkin puree (from my Perfect Baked Pumpkin recipe), but you can use canned if you need to. This is one of my favorite fall sweets and it's so easy!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup apple sauce
4 eggs
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups pumpkin puree

Mix brown sugar, oil, applesauce and eggs. Sift in the flour, soda, salt, and spices. Mix well with an electric mixer until there are no lumps (3-4 minutes on medium). Add pumpkin puree. Mix again for one minute. Bake in greased and floured 9x13 cake pan at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out completely clean. Cool completely and frost with Cream Cheese Frosting. (so yummy!)

Enjoy!

Crisp Apple Tuna Salad

This tuna salad has a bright, fresh flavor. It is easy on the waistline, too. Serve with fresh tomatoes or in a pita wrap for a delicious light lunch.

Ingredients:

12 oz. canned albacore tuna, drained
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup baby spinach leaves, packed
1 granny smith apple
1/2 tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp. dried ground coriander
salt & pepper to taste

Place well-drained tuna in a medium mixing bowl. Chop celery into 1/4 inch dice and add. Roll spinach leaves together and slice thinly into strips. Place in mixing bowl and toss with the tuna and celery. Core and dice apple into 1-inch pieces. In a separate mixing bowl, toss apple pieces with lemon juice. Add to tuna mixture. Sprinkle all with coriander, salt and pepper, and toss thoroughly.

Enjoy!

Homemade Hummus Spread

This is one of the most versatile, fantastic condiments around. It provides nutrition in a wonderfully flavorful way. We use it as a dip, a dressing, and a sandwich spread. It is great as an after-school snack with vegetables or in a pita with fresh tomatoes and lettuce. Hummus holds up great in hot weather, so it's a great alternative to mayonnaise-based dips for summer parties and picnics, too.

Ingredients:

1 can Ceci (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
1 clove garlic
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. tahini (sesame paste, available in the ethnic section or in the peanut butter aisle)
Water, as needed

In a blender or food processor, puree beans, garlic, lemon juice and salt, adding a tablespoon of water at a time to keep the blender from binding. Stop and stir frequently and keep blending until mixture is entirely smooth. Mix tahini if it has separated and drizzle in while blending. Finished hummus will have a nuttier flavor the more tahini you put in. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Hummus will keep for up to two weeks.

Robert's Stromboli

This easy recipe is made with store bought dough from the frozen food section at the grocery store. It is great for parties because it can be made with a variety of fillings. The first time I made it, my friend Robert hugged me and said, "Stromboli! My favorite! You are a wonderful woman!" You don't get higher praise than that -- especially from Robert.

Ingredients:

1 package frozen bread dough (4 loaves)

sliced pepperoni
1 cup tomato sauce
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 lb. shaved honey ham
8 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 tbs. honey Dijon mustard

1 tbs. horseradish sauce
1/2 lb. thinly sliced garlic roast beef
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced thinly

2 tbs. thousand island dressing
1/2 lb. corned beef
1/2 lb. sliced Swiss cheese
1/2 cup sauerkraut, drained

1 egg
2 tbs. water

Thaw bread dough until soft, but not risen. On a lightly floured board, roll each loaf into a 12x16 rectangle. Spread first Stromboli with tomato sauce, top with pepperoni and cheeses. Beginning with the long side, roll jelly-roll style and pinch end to seal. Spread next with mustard and top with ham and cheese. Third roll begins with horseradish sauce, topped with roast beef and fresh tomato. Finally, spread dressing on fourth roll, top with corned beef, cheese, and well-drained sauerkraut. Roll and seal each as you did the first and let rise in a warm place. Before baking, brush on egg wash (one egg beaten with 2 tbs. water) for a glossy crust. Bake on a foil-lined cookie sheet according to package directions, adding 10-15 minutes onto baking time. Watch carefully to prevent burning. Allow Stromboli to cool 10-15 minutes before slicing with a sharp serrated knife. Place slices on a platter for your guests.

Enjoy!

Nathaniel's Soccer Snack

Soccer season is on the way, and in our family, we make this high-energy snack only for soccer. It is easy and colorful and packed with energy. It is a great snack for after school or as a fun addition to the menu for children's parties. My kids love it.

Ingredients:

One box granola cereal
One jar lightly salted peanuts
1 half-pound bag M&M candies
1 1/2 cups raisins
1 cup dried cherries
1 cup toasted sunflower seeds

Get a big bowl. Have the kids dump the ingredients in and mix thoroughly (with clean hands). Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks. (Ours is eaten *way* before that!)

Enjoy!

Easy Chicken Tenders

My children love the taste of fast food chicken nuggets, but I just cannot bring myself to feed them something so, well, mysterious. This is my homemade version that they've admitted they like even better than the 'real' thing.

Ingredients:

1 lb. chicken tenders
2 tbs. mayonnaise (use light if you like)
1 tsp. yellow mustard
1 1/2 cups Italian breadcrumbs
olive oil

Begin by trimming the chicken tenders of any fat. In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise and mustard. Toss tenders in the mixture to coat, then bread them in a separate bowl with the breadcrumbs. Heat a small amount of olive oil in a heavy skillet and lightly brown the tenders, laying them in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Finish in a 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes.

Enjoy!

Julia's July 4th Trifle

This is an easy, festive dessert -- a perfect end to any holiday picnic. It's a great dessert to make with the kids and is best when freshly prepared with the freshest ingredients.

Ingredients:

1 homemade or store-bought angel food cake
2 boxes instant pudding
2 cups milk
2 cups whipping cream
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
1 cup water
1 pint fresh blueberries
1 pint fresh strawberries
fresh mint leaves, for garnish

Begin by cutting the cake into 1 inch cubes. Set aside. In small saucepan, combine one cup sugar and one cup water for simple syrup. Boil, stirring until all sugar has dissolved. Boil 2 minutes longer. Turn off heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Pour over fresh, washed blueberries and allow to steep while you prepare the other layers. In large mixing bowl, mix instant pudding, cold milk, and whipping cream. Whisk until soft set and chill. Wash strawberries and remove stems. Drain thoroughly and slice, tossing with remaining 1/2 cup sugar. Chill.

When you are ready to serve, layer ingredients in a glass trifle bowl. Layer in this order: 1/3 cake cubes, 1/2 blueberry mixture (I use a slotted spoon with this. Add as much liquid as you like.), 1/3 pudding, 1/3 cake cubes, 1/2 strawberry slices, 1/3 pudding, 1/3 cake cubes, 1/3 pudding. Arrange remaining blueberries and strawberries in a sunflower pattern on top of the final pudding layer. Blueberries in the middle and strawberry slices in a fan around the edge. Garnish with fresh mint, if desired. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Crispy Sugar Surprise Cookies

Here's another of our family's favorites. You'll never guess these cookies are eggless or that their secret ingredient is vinegar. They come out crispy and delicious every time and truly melt in your mouth. Make them -- they're sure to disappear!

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar, divided
1tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. white vinegar
1 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp. vanilla
Colored sugar sprinkles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large mixing bowl, combine butter and 3/4 cups sugar and beat until light and creamy. Add baking soda and mix until incorporated. Add vinegar. Gradually mix in flour and vanilla. Chill dough for 30 minutes.

Roll dough into 1 inch balls. Roll in remaining 1/4 cup sugar, mixed with your favorite colored sugar sprinkles -- this is a great job for the kids. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheet (cookie will spread quite a bit, so leave plenty of room). Flatten to 1/4 inch thickness with the bottom of a glass, dipped in sugar. Bake 12-15 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool 5 minutes on baking sheet before moving to cooling rack.

Enjoy!

Grandma's Deviled Eggs

I had such a hard time getting deviled eggs to turn out right until this recipe was shared with me. It's got a good kick and just a hint of dill. Be sure to refigerate the eggs right up until serving. If they are to be placed on a buffet, nest the egg plate in a shallow bowl filled with ice to keep them nice and cold.

Ingredients:

12 eggs
3 tbs. mayonnaise (light is fine, for fewer calories)

1 1/2 tbs. white vinegar

1 tsp. dry mustard

1/2 tsp. salt

up to 1/4 tsp. Lawry's seasoned salt, to taste

pepper to taste
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. fresh dill, finely chopped

Boil eggs in a saucepan of salted water. After 10 min. boiling, move pan to empty sink and run cold water into the pan to stop cooking and cool eggs. Once eggs are cool, peel them. Slice carefully in half, placing clean whites on a platter and yolks in a mixing bowl. Mash the yolks with a fork. Mix in vinegar, mustard, salt, seasoned salt, pepper, and a pinch of dill. Blend until smooth. Fill eggs with one tablespoon of yolk mixture per white (for a special look, pipe yolk mixture into eggs with a large star tip). Chill until ready to serve. Just before serving, sprinkle egg tops with remaining fresh dill for color and added flavor. You can even garnish the plate with a sprig of dill, if you like.

Enjoy!

NanaJane's Boursin Cheese Spread

When you are having a party, this recipe makes the most flavorful spread for crackers. I also use it as filling for celery sticks. It's more firm than dip, and stands up to warm temperatures without getting runny. Just be sure to make a large batch. Your guests will gobble it up!

Ingredients:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened (for lower fat, use Neufchatel cheese)
2 tbs. butter or margarine, softened
1 tbs. fresh chives, snipped
1 tbs. fresh parsley, chopped finely
1 tbs. garlic, minced and mashed with a pinch of salt
1 tbs. dill, chopped finely

With mixer or food processor, blend cream cheese and butter until smooth and uniform. Add herbs and garlic. Mix again until uniform throughout. Chill in airtight container until ready to serve.

I find it is best to make this an hour or two ahead of time to give the flavors a chance to blend.

Enjoy!

Summer Squash Salad

In the summer, the best dishes are the fresh ones. This salad is beautiful to look at and even better to taste. It works just as well with a steak from the grill or poached salmon. This salad is also great for outdoor parties, because it can be served at room temperature. In our family, it is a summer favorite!

Ingredients:

2-3 medium yellow summer squash
2 medium zucchini
15 cherry tomatoes, halved
3 tbs. snipped scallions
10-12 fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
2 tbs. olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1 clove of garlic, minced
pepper to taste

Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Slice summer squash and zucchini in 1/8 to 1/4 inch slices. In groups of 10-15, drop in water, boil for 45 seconds, remove, and transfer to a bowl of ice water. Once all are blanched and cooled, drain well. (I use a salad spinner.) In a large bowl, combine squash/zucchini slices, tomatoes, scallions, and fresh basil. In separate bowl, prepare dressing by whisking vinegar, oil, salt, garlic, and pepper. Pour dressing over vegetables and toss.

Enjoy!

Rhubarb Pie

I have a well-worn cookbook from decades ago with an hilarious introduction to the chapter on pies. "If you care about pleasing a man," it reads, "learn to make pie." It is sad to say, but in my household, it rings true. This was one of my father's day gifts to my husband, and it is a recipe worth sharing. It makes a 9 or 10 inch pie.

Ingredients:

For the Crust,

2 2/3 cups flour
3/4 tsp. salt
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon shortening
8 tablespoons water

For the Filling,

5 cups fresh rhubarb, cut into 1/2 inch dice
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup flour
3 tbs. butter

To make the crust, mix flour and salt in a large bowl. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender or two knives until the mixture resembles crumbs -- I leave pieces of shortening as large as a pencil eraser, to make the crust nice and flaky. Sprinkle the water over the mixture, 1-2 tbs. at a time, tossing with a fork to distribute the moisture. Once all 8 tbs. are in, divide it in two equal portions on pieces of plastic wrap. Wrap crust mixture and shape into disks. Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes while you prepare the filling.

To make the filling, place diced rhubarb into a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix flour and sugar. Sprinkle over the rhubarb as you mix, getting an even coating on all the pieces. There will be some dry ingredients that pool at the bottom of the bowl. Don't worry about that.

Remove crusts from fridge and roll out lower crust on floured board or pastry cloth. Rolled pastry should measure about 1 1/2 inches larger than your pie plate on all sides. Use rolling pin to pick pastry up and carefully transfer to pie plate. Place 1/2 filling into crust. Gather dry ingredients that have pooled at the bottom of your rhubarb bowl and sprinkle over filling. Top with remaining rhubarb mixture. Dot filling with butter. Roll out top crust and place on top of filling. Pinch edges of two crusts together to seal. Cut slits in top crust to allow steam to escape.

Bake at 425 degrees for 45 minutes. Use a strip of foil to cover the edge of the crust and prevent it from burning. Remove the foil for the last 15 minutes of baking. Pie is done when crust is golden brown and filling bubbles up through slits.

Enjoy!

World's Best Dad Brats

When we have a get-together, my husband always wants brats. The trouble is, I don't want him to have to spend the entire party standing over a grill. So, this is my solution. At our last outdoor party, I had one of the grandmothers say, "I love these! I can't believe I ate two!" Another friend, famous for buying only 'specialty' sausage from New York, asked me for the recipe. I was supremely complimented.

Ingredients:

6-20 Uncooked brats from the meat section of the grocery (I use Johnsonville)
1 Sam Adams Boston Lager
1 White onion

The morning of the party (or the night before), preheat oven to 350 degrees. Unwrap the brats and lay on cookie sheets in a single layer, making sure they are not touching each other. Bake 20 minutes, turn over and return to oven for another 15 minutes. Heat your slow cooker or crockpot on the low setting. Slice the onion into 1/4 inch rings. Scatter them on the bottom of insert. Pour in beer. I use half a bottle (the rest is good drinkin' for Dad!) Lay pre-cooked brats in slow cooker on top of onion layer. (For lots of brats, place them standing up-and-down -- I have fit as many as 36 in a standard crock pot.) Cover and cook on Low setting until the party. They are easy to transport and keep warm.

Enjoy! And Happy Father's Day!

Fresh Avocado Guacamole

I've developed this recipe over a period of years. My husband and I love guacamole that lets you really taste that beautiful avocado flavor. This is one of our absolute favorites.

Ingredients:

3 ripe avocados
1/3 small red onion, minced
1 clove of garlic, minced and mashed with a bit of salt
Juice of 1 lime
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded (if desired) and minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Halve and pit avocados. Scoop avocado flesh into a bowl and mash coarsely. Stir in onion, garlic, jalapeno and cilantro. Mix in lime juice and cover with plastic wrap, allowing the wrap to go down into the bowl, in complete contact with the guacamole. Refrigerate for up to 2 hours before serving.

Fresh Tomato-Basil bites

Every time I serve this appetizer at a get-together of family and friends, I get so many compliments. It is simple to prepare and serve. And as always, it is best with fresh ingredients!

Ingredients:

Cherry or Grape Tomatoes
Mozzarella Cheese
Fresh Basil leaves

Thoroughly wash the tomatoes and dry completely. Cut the mozzarella into 1/2 to 1 inch cubes. Wash, dry, and trim basil leaves into squares slightly larger than your cheese cubes. Using toothpicks, skewer ingredients with tomato on top, basil in the middle, and cheese on the bottom. Using the cheese as a base keeps the appetizers from shifting on the platter. Refrigerate until ready to serve.