Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins

Sorry for not posting a recipe in quite some time. I made these for my family and friends around Halloween. These are perfect for anytime during the fall. The best part they are very easy to make.





What you will need:





Bowl for mixing





Muffin pan





Muffin paper cups








Ingredients:





1 15 oz can of Pumpkin





1 box of Devil's Food Cake mix





1 bad of Chocolate Chips Semi-sweet (optional)








Preheat oven to 350'F, then poor Devil's Food Cake mix into a bowl, open the can of pumpkin and add into the bowl with the cake mix. Stir for about two minutes until everything is mixed very well together. If you wish to add chocolate chips add them while folding them into the mixture.





Add mixture into muffin cups in your muffin pan and fill at least half way. Bake for 18-22 minutes, then let cool. Enjoy!

NEB

Neb's version of Mostaccioli (Mostacholi)

The other day a coworker at my school brought in some garden fresh vegetables and told us we can take whatever we like. The day was almost over and I decided to stop by and see what was left. After going through the selection I returned to my desk with two green bell peppers and two ripe tomatoes. My first thought was PASTA TIME! So I quickly started thinking of ways to make this pasta dish come alive. I remembered a dish that my Aunt Linda had made once before at one of our huge family get togethers. It was Mostaccioli, I remember there being penne pasta, sausage, green pepper, and tomato sauce, with mozzarella cheese. I thought this was going to be PERFECT!

My mother taught me that you should never try to rush whatever you are cooking, and it's true, the more time you take to prepare your food the better it will taste and turnout. So this recipe is by no means a quick 30 minutes meal recipe. I'm sure there are quicker ways to throw these ingredients together but I decided to take my time and not rush the final product.

Here are the ingredients to my version of Mostaccioli:

4 or 5 Italian Sausages (the kind you can put on the grill)

1 Green bell Pepper

1 Tomato

1 Box Penne Pasta

1 can (26.5 oz) of Hunt's Traditional Pasta Sauce

Shredded Mozzarella

Olive Oil

Red Pepper Flakes (optional)

Where to start 1st:

I like to prepare my vegetables first so that when I'm ready to use them they are ready to go. Chop up your pepper and tomato into small pieces, combine in a bowl, and put in the fridge to keep cold until you're ready for them again.

I decided to grill my Italian sausages because I wanted that flavor and texture that you get from grilled sausage. They recommend 8 to 10 minutes on each side of the sausage with a total cooking time of approximately 30-40 minutes. (Once you have cooked these on the grill for the recommended time, slice the sausages into appropriate bite sizes. Even if there is some pink in the middle it will be ok.)

Begin the water for your Penne pasta & follow the directions provided on the box. While that is getting ready you'll want to get a seperate pan/pot and add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan/pot. Put the pan/pot with olive oil on medium heat (becareful not to burn the oil). Once the oil has heated you can then add your tomato/green bell pepper into the oil and sauté for about 2-3 minutes on it's own. (After about 3 minutes I then added my Italian Sausage into the pot and covered until all of the Italian Sausage was thouroughly cooked.)

When the Italian Sausage, tomato, & green bell pepper pan/pot is finished drain in a colander, set aside in a large bowl for mixing, and cover to keep hot.

Begin heating up your Hunt's Traditional Pasta Sauce in a pan over low-medium heat (not looking for it to bubble up on you, just to get warm).

When the Penne pasta is ready, drain in a clean colander and then mix into the large bowl with the italian sausage, tomato, & green bell pepper mixture.

Grab an oblong baking dish, use some of your olive oil to coat all sides of the dish to prevent sticking. Add the penne, italian sausage, tomato, & green bell pepper mixture into the oblong dish. (You may have some extra & that's ok.)

Once your pasta sauce is warmed add sauce over the mixture in the oblong dish. Then top with shredded mozzarella. I added crushed red pepper flakes over my mozzarella to add some spice.

Finally put your Mostaccioli into the oven to melt the cheese at 350 F for approximately 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted or golden brown (really up to how you like your cheese).

When you pull it out of the oven, let it cool down a little, and then you can serve it with a nice bottle of red wine if you'd like.

Enjoy! Leave back any feedback if you have made this dish. Let me know what you think of it.

THE PIE DREAMS ARE MADE OF...

Ever since I was a little girl, I've been obsessed with the kitchen. When I was four and asked my mom for an easy bake oven, she said no. Mothers, don't gasp and clutch your hearts, she went on to explain, with her supervision of course, I could use the real oven. Our first endeavor? Apple Pie. Not just any apple pie, my grandmother's streusel crumb apple pie. This pie has gotten me marriage proposals, bear hugs, and done wonders for my baking pride.

This pie is also my grandfather's favorite pie. This last Christmas I surprised him with two of these pies. I've never seen such a happy expression on any one's face.

So go ahead, make this pie, get some ice cream, and sit back and watch people fight over the crumbs.

The magic of this pie starts with the crust. Found in a 1946 issue of Good Housekeeping, this crust has ruined me for all other crusts. Achingly simple, you might never use a frozen crust again.

No-Fail Crust*

2 cups of flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup plus 1 tbs of cooking oil
1/3 cup milk

combine using a fork, should be moist but not wet. roll out to fit pie pan.
* yields top and bottom crust.

Apple Goodness Filling

4-5 Large Granny Smith apples peeled, cored, and sliced
1tsp ground cinnamon
1tsp ground ginger
1tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 cup sugar

combine spices and sugar. layer apples artfully, making sure to sprinkle sugar/spice mixture between apple layers.

Streusel Crumb Topping

1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tbs cinnamon
1/3 stick plus 2 tbs butter

combine all ingredients in a food processor, when a light crumb consistency. Spoon on top of pie
Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes.

THE SHEPERD'S COTTAGE PIE by: Chad Farmer

Originally, the Shepherd’s Pie was commonly known as The Cottage Pie and is referenced back as early as 1791 when potatoes were being pushed as the affordable crop to the poor and working class in Ireland. Folklore suggest that the reasoning behind the creation of the Shepherd’s Pie was that shepherds were more concerned with Sheep and lambs rather than cattle and the common practice for Shepherd’s Pie was to use mutton or lamb meat. Over the course of centuries the two meals blended together and the popular practice of today does include beef which ironically is a contradiction of the original Shepherd’s Pie.


I chose to create my own personal version of the Shepherd’s Pie because I love to experiment with food even if it does end in disaster; thankfully on this occasion, the meal was enjoyed by all in The Cheese Shoppe Trio. I have a personal connection with this recipe because it was the first real meal that I fixed my significant other Marleo and I, when we moved to Cincinnati, Ohio and every time I make my Shepherd’s Cottage Pie I think of my connection with him. I also decided to use Mrs. Quicke’s English Cheddar for the Shepherd’s Pie in honor of my Cheese Shoppe Trio partner, Jillian, who has a major crush on a cheese guru from New York City. His favorite cheese happens to be Mrs. Quicke’s English Cheddar! It’s very important to have connections with the food you eat because it gives it so much more value and appreciation and in return that value and appreciation nourishes your heart and soul.

Ingredients:

20 Organic Red Potatoes
2 Cups of Natural Cornbread Mix
2 Organic Eggs
1 Cup of Roasted Corn Salad
1 Cup of Roasted Red Tomatoes
2 Packages of 15/85 Organic Beef
2 Cups of shredded Mrs. Quicke’s English Cheddar
½ Cup of Organic green onions
1 Cup of Organic Milk
½ Stick of Natural Butter

What to do:

Start off by boiling the 20 Organic Red Potatoes for about 45 minutes. While the potatoes are boiling, take the time to dice up the roasted tomatoes into smaller pieces. Afterwards take the 2 packages of Organic Beef and begin cooking the meat in a skillet. After about 15 minutes, the beef should be a solid brown color as you continue to break it up with a spatula. Add the 1 cup of roasted red tomatoes and the 1 cup of the roasted corn salad to the beef and stir for another five minutes. Turn off oven and set to the side.

The potatoes should be ready around this time. Take a 11 x 8 inch glass pan and butter the bottom and sides with the natural butter. After draining the water out of the pot, place the 20 organic red potatoes in the pan and smashed down using a fork. Take the mixed Tomato/Corn/Beef from the skillet and pour it on top of the red potatoes. In a separate bowl, pour in the 2 cups of Cornbread Mix adding 1 cup of organic milk and 2 organic eggs and stir till batter is smooth. You may also add another cup of milk or water if batter is too thick.

Pour the Cornbread Mix on top of the tomato/corn/beef mix in the pan and place in the oven at 350 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes. Finally, open the oven and add the shredded Mrs. Quicke’s Cheddar to the top of The Sheppard’s Cottage Pie and bake for another 10 minutes or until cheese is a light golden brown.

Let cool for about 15 minutes and serve to your family and friends with enjoyment. Bon Appetite!!

A Son's Request by: Neb Yellit

First let me start off by saying that this is my first attempt at blogging. I appreciate any feedback visitors to the blog have. I hope you enjoy!

My friend Chad gave Jillian and myself the task of thinking of a recipe we've had that held some importance to us. My very first thought was my mother's macaroni & cheese. She makes this dish per my request every Easter, Thanksgiving, & Christmas. The reason this holds alot of importance to me has to do with the fact that rarely can I go anywhere else and say that the mac-&-cheese in question is anywhere near my mother's recipe. That is how much I love my mother's recipe for macaroni & cheese. No one else's comes close! So for three times out of the year I want my mac-&-cheese!!!!!!

Here is my mother's recipe which I'm pretty sure was passed on to her from her side of the family.

Ingredients:
16 0z Elbow Macaroni
10 3/4 oz Cream of Chicken soup
15 oz Cheese Wiz
Milk (optional)

What to do:

Boil your elbow macaroni according to the directions on the box. Once it is al dente, then drain the water and place back into the pot (avoid placing the pot back on the burner it was boiling on). Next add the Cream of Chicken & Cheese Wiz. Stir until well mixed. I like to add milk (just a little) to make the mac-&-cheese creamier. If you decide to add milk I wouldn't surpass 1/3 of a cup.

Here is the secret (or at least my mom thinks so), next you will want to lightly oil the bottom and sides of a casserole dish, then you'll want to pour the contents of the pot into the casserole dish. Turn on the oven to 350F and bake in the oven for approximately 30-45 minutes. I like to keep it in the oven until the very top of the mac-&-cheese is nice and browned on top. Once it is nicely browned, take it out and let cool down for approximately 10-15 minutes before serving.

If you make this recipe, then please share and let me know what you think!

Thanks for stopping by and reading my very first blog ever!

Neb Yellit