Harvest Loaf

FOUND IT: This is a family recipe, from a book of them given to me as a wedding gift.

This is a good, relatively traditional pumpkin bread recipe. There's a glaze to add at the end if you want it to be more like a cake, but I skipped it.

Ingredients:

• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs*
• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree, canned or homemade
• 3/4 cup chocolate chips
  
• 3/4 cup walnuts, chopped (I skipped them)

* - About halfway through, the recipe calls for eggs. But it doesn't mention how many, and they don't appear on the ingredient list. I guessed 3, and everything worked out. Two would probably make the dough a little too dry, but four might add some needed moisture.

Spray a loaf pan. In a medium bowl, combine flour, soda, salt and spices. In another medium bowl, cream the butter, then gradually add the sugar, then the eggs. Beat well. At this point, I put the mixer away and do the rest by hand.

Add roughly half the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and stir them in. Repeat the process with the pumpkin, then the other half of the dry ingredients. Stir in the chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of the walnuts. Spread into your loaf pan, and sprinkle the remaining walnuts on top. Bake at 350 65-75 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

Once it's cool, you can add the spice glaze if so desired: stir together 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1/8 tsp nutmeg, 1/8 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tbsp cream, or enough to give it the desired consistency.

Pecan cranberry tart

FOUND IT: At Foodnetwork.com, where it was linked from a pecan pie recipe I've also mentioned recently.

I love pecan pie, and this is a great twist on it. The crust is a fair amount of work, but it's worth it as an alternative to a normal pie crust. You can also simplify a fair amount here. For example: The recipe calls for a tart pan, but I don't own one. A pie plate worked fine in its place.

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 3 tbsp water

Filling:

• 1 cup pecan halves, divided into two 1/2 cups
  
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg whites
• 1/3 cup light corn syrup
• 1 1/2 tbsp cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp butter, melted
• 2 tsp vanilla
• Pinch of salt
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
  

Coat a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom with nonstick spray.

To make crust: Spread oats in another pie pan and bake, stirring occasionally, until toasted, 6 to 12 minutes at 375. Let cool. (I didn't.) Place the oats in a food processor and process until coarsely ground. Leave the oven on and set at 375.

Stir together oats, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Drizzle oil onto dry ingredients and use a fork or your fingers to blend until crumbly. Using a fork, stir in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until dough just comes together.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead 7 to 8 times. Roll the dough out to an 11-inch circle, dusting with flour if necessary. Transfer the dough to prepared pan, pressing to fit. Trim edges. (If necessary, use scraps to patch any holes in crust.)

To make filling & bake: Spread 1/2 cup pecans on a baking sheet and bake until fragrant, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove and let cool.

Whisk brown sugar, eggs, egg whites, corn syrup, vinegar, butter, vanilla and salt in a medium bowl until smooth. By this point your pecans should be cool-ish, give them a coarse chop. Stir in dried cranberries and the chopped pecans. Spoon filling into crust. Arrange remaining 1/2 cup pecans on top of the filling.

Bake the tart until filling is set and crust is golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.

Cranberry Brie en Croute

FOUND IT: The cranberry part is from this recipe, and the en croute part is from this one.

I've tried my normal brie en croute recipe several ways now. This one is great for holiday gatherings when cranberries are in season. With that said, the cranberry sauce recipe below makes much more than you'll need for this, so cut it in half if you don't want extra.

This one must have been a hit: I made it for a holiday party at my house and had someone immediately request I make it again for a gathering at their house.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 of a 17.3 oz package of puff pastry sheets
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp water
• 1 13.2 ounce Brie cheese round

For the cranberry sauce:

• 1 cup orange juice
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 12 oz bag fresh or thawed frozen cranberries
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  

Leave a puff pastry sheet out around 40 minutes to defrost. If you can't wait that long, try putting it in the microwave on defrost, checking every 30 seconds.

In a medium saucepan, combine juice and sugar; bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves.

Add cranberries and continue simmering until cranberries pop and mixture has thickened; about 10-12 minutes. Stir in cinnamon. Transfer from the saucepan to a bowl, and let it cool and thicken for half an hour. Less time is probably ok, but it's easier to work with once it's cool.

Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface, and roll out to a 14 inch square (mine was about the right shape already). Spoon roughly half a cup of the cranberry sauce into the middle of the sheet, in a circle the size of your wheel of brie. Unwrap the brie and place it on top of that. Fold two sides of the pastry dough over the brie. Cut the remaining two sides to just fit over the cheese. Place the brie in a baking dish (I use a pie plate) seam side down.

Beat the egg and water together and brush this mixture onto the outside.

Bake 20-25 minutes at 400 until the pastry is "deep golden brown." Let it cool for 45 minutes before serving.

Tomato and Blue Cheese Soup

FOUND IT: My mother-in-law lent me The Soup Bible. I didn't end up making many recipes out of it, but this is a good one.

With that said, this is a somewhat thin soup when it's done. At the very least, you'll want to add some oyster crackers or something similar for texture. I went a step farther and added a 16 oz package of mini gnocchi.

Later, I also added a red bell pepper after seeing Sunny Anderson use it in a similar recipe on her show. I didn't notice a big difference, but my wife seemed to think it made the soup better.

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs ripe roma tomatoes, quartered and seeded (recipe calls for them to be peeled, but I don't.)
• 2 red bell peppers, cut into quarters or so with seeds removed
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil or butter
• 1 leek, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 5 cups of chicken stock
• 4 oz blue cheese, crumbled (I double this)
• 3 tbsp heavy cream (I skip this if I don't have it on hand)
• Several large fresh basil leaves (dried works too)
• 6 oz cooked, crumbled bacon for garnish (More bacon will never draw a complaint)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 16 oz package of mini gnocchi

Spread the tomatoes and bell peppers in a 9x13 pan, then sprinkle them with the garlic and some salt and pepper. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes.

After they've been in for about 20 minutes, heat the butter or oil in a soup pot (I use my dutch oven for half batches). Add the leek and carrot, and some more salt and pepper. Cook over low heat until they're tender or the tomatoes are done.

Add the tomatoes and peppers and stock to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the blue cheese, cream (if using), and basil. Once the cheese has melted, you can either transfer it to a blender/food processor to puree, or use an immersion blender to puree in the pot. If you have to remove it from the pot to puree, return it to the pot to reheat to serving temperature.

(If you're using the gnocchi, add them here and let simmer for roughly 5-8 minutes or until gnocchi are done.)

Garnish with bacon and/or a sprig of fresh herbs.

Pecan pie

FOUND IT: At FoodNetwork.com.

Pecan pie is one of my favorite foods. Last winter I had a recipe that I made over and over again until my wife complained so I put it away for a while. This winter I wanted to make one again, but the recipe was gone. This one is also pretty good, so I'm filing it away before I lose it again.

Ingredients:

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 2 cups chopped toasted pecans
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 pre-baked pie crust (follow the link above for a recipe for that)
  

In a medium saucepan combine the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat and, stirring constantly, continue to boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the nuts and the vanilla. Set the mixture aside to cool slightly, about 5 minutes. (If the crust has cooled, return it to the oven for 5 minutes to warm through.) Whisk the beaten eggs into the filling until smooth. Put the pie shell on a sheet pan and pour the filling into the hot crust.

Bake on the lower oven rack at 400 until the edges are set but the center is still slightly loose, about 40 to 45 minutes. If the edges get very dark, cover them with aluminum foil half way during baking, or use a silicon cover for the edges, like I do.

Easy Enchiladas

FOUND IT: Trenni Kusnierek of MLB Network was kind enough to share it with me.

This is a great, flexible enchilada recipe with a quick, easy list of ingredients. It calls for chicken, but I replaced it with half ground venison/half black beans, and that seemed to work out well.

I also used hot picante sauce (and a little too much of it), and the result was a meal that I thought was great but made smoke come out of my wife's ears. If you're not a fan of spicy food, stick to mild/medium.

Ingredients:

• 1 10 3/4 oz of cream of chicken soup, preferably the fat-free kind
• 1/2 cup of sour cream
• 1 cup picante sauce
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 cup Monterrey jack cheese (I used a mexican blend)
• Additional cheese for on top, if desired
  
• 6-8 flour tortillas, warmed
• 2 cups of shredded chicken (or 1 cup of ground beef/venison and 1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed)

Brown meat, if you haven't already.

In a bowl, combine the soup, sour cream, picante sauce and chili powder. Take one cup of this mixture, and combine it in another bowl with the cheese, meat and beans (if using).

Lightly grease a 9x9 baking dish (they'll fit tightly, but it should work). Spoon some filling into a tortilla, roll it up and place it seam-side-down in the dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Once all the tortillas are in the dish, pour the remaining soup mixture over the top.

Cover with foil and bake 40 minutes at 350. If you're adding cheese, remove the foil at this point, put the cheese on top and bake for another 5-7 minutes. Give them a few minutes to cool before serving.

Waffle Cookies...or "Wookies"

FOUND IT: I got the idea via Lifehacker, who directed me to a recipe at FineCooking.com.

This idea is genius. The cookies are easy, bake fast, have an interesting shape and pattern, and are delicious.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbs. firmly packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1-1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant)
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• Nonstick cooking spray

Heat the waffle iron according to the manufacturer's instructions.

In a large bowl, whisk the butter and brown sugar until smooth. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir in the oats and chocolate chips.

Coat the grids of the waffle iron with nonstick cooking spray. Use a spoon to place small spoonfuls of cookies on the grid. Close the iron and cook until set and beginning to brown, roughly a minute and a half (my waffle iron lights up when it's done). Use a fork to transfer the cooked cookies to a wire rack and repeat with the remaining dough, coating the grids with spray as necessary.

Double Decker Pumpkin Pudding

FOUND IT: At Thriftyfun.com

This is a great, easy, relatively simple recipe. Top it with some whipped cream or vanilla ice cream and you'll love it. It's also better the second day.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups pumpkin puree, or a 15 oz can
  
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 small can evaporated milk (5-1/3 oz.)
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp allspice
• 1 tsp ginger
  
• 1/2 cup finely chopped nuts (I skipped this)
  
• 1 package spice cake mix (1 layer size)
• Whipped cream, optional

Mix pumpkin, sugar, milk, eggs, butter and spices in a large bowl. Beat until well mixed. Fold in the nuts. Pour into a greased 13 x 9-inch baking pan.

Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Spread cake batter over pumpkin mixture. It might look like it's sinking in, but it'll rise to the top during baking. Bake at 325 until cake tests done with a toothpick, about 45 minutes.

If desired, top with whipped cream or Cool Whip.

Cheesy Wisconsin Chowder

FOUND IT: Via Wisconsin Cheese's Twitter Feed.

This is a nice, hearty soup. It could use a little more of something, either more cheese or maybe some meat to add some flavor to it. But, it's a pretty good soup this way too, filling and warming.

Ingredients:

3 cups carrots, diced
1 cup celery, thinly sliced
3/4 cup green onions, chopped
4 cups red potatoes, cut in 1/2-3/4" chunks (the recipe calls for them to be peeled, but I skipped that step)
1 1/2 cups chicken stock (recipe calls for 1 10 1/2 oz can)
1/3 cup flour
2 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon salt (I used much more of this, the pepper and the nutmeg)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup Sharp Cheddar (I used a whole cup, and would use more next time)

Coat a Dutch oven or soup pot with cooking spray. Heat over medium-high. Add carrots, celery and green onions. Saute, stirring often, about 8 minutes.

Add potatoes and chicken stock; bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Meanwhile, combine flour and milk in a bowl, whisking until smooth. Add milk mixture to pan and stir well. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg. Cook 2 minutes or until thickened.

Remove from heat. Stir in the cheese until melted. Serve hot (do not boil).

Laura's Salsa

FOUND IT: Laura gave it to me on a note card and said "Will you put this on your site please?"

I'm not a big homemade salsa fan, but Laura is and she asked me to put this recipe on the site for safekeeping.

Ingredients:

1 can yellow corn
1 can white shoe peg corn
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 can black eyes peas, drained and rinsed
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can rotella hot tomatoes
1 tbsp cilantro
1 small onion, chopped
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 small bottle of italian dressing
1 cup medium salsa

Easy Pasta with Sausage Ragu

FOUND IT: At the NY Times' Bitten blog.

I typically avoid making my own pasta sauce, because it's time consuming and you can get really good sauce in a jar. With that said, this is pretty quick, easy and good.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/2 pound Italian sausage, removed from casing if necessary
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• Salt and pepper
• 1 pound pasta
• At least 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Put the oil in a 10-inch skillet, and turn the heat to medium. Once it's hot, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it softens, about 5 minutes. Add the sausage in bits, and turn the heat to medium high; cook, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is nicely browned, 5 to 10 minutes.

Add milk, tomato paste, some salt and pepper; stir to blend, and simmer for about 5 minutes, or until thickened but not dry. Keep it warm if necessary, and if it becomes too thick, add a little more milk or water.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta, and drain it when it's done. Toss pasta with sauce and parmesan cheese and enjoy.

Peanut Butter Pumpkin Pie

FOUND IT: At Thriftyfun.com.

This is a nice variation on pumpkin pie. The little bit of peanut butter in it goes a long way.

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 1 can (16 oz.) pumpkin(or 2 cups pumpkin puree)
  
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 tsp each ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and allspice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup light cream, you may substitute half and half (I use skim milk)
  
• (9-inch) unbaked deep-dish pie crust

In large bowl, beat eggs, then add pumpkin, sugars, peanut butter, seasonings and salt. Gradually add light cream, beating until blended; pour into pie crust. Bake 65 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. On wire rack, let cool. Garnish, if desired, with whipped cream.

(Note: I used skim milk and that might be part of it, but this took much longer than 65 minutes. I didn't time it exactly, but it might have been closer to 90-100. It also produced nearly a cup more filling than I needed, so the "deep dish" part of the pie crust is important.)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

FOUND IT: On Allrecipes.com, with a reference from my friend Erin.

Yes, another pumpkin recipe. Maybe I should change the name of the blog. Give me ideas for something that'll alliterate with both pumpkins and mac and cheese.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pumpkin pureee
  
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup Splenda
  
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional, I skipped them)

Combine pumpkin, sugar, vegetable oil, and egg. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt. Dissolve the baking soda with the milk and stir in to wet ingredients. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and mix well.

Stir in vanilla, chocolate chips and nuts. Drop by spoonful on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for approximately 10 minutes or until lightly brown and firm. These are soft, fluffy cookies so they won't get really dark or firm.

Pumpkin Macaroni and Cheese

FOUND IT: Where else? Keyingredient.com

As I've mentioned previously, I cook pumpkins down from scratch in big batches every year, and as such I'm always looking for new ways to cook it. This isn't the kind of recipe I would ever try if "pumpkin" hadn't been in the title - with that said, it's not bad and much healthier than your average mac and cheese. Just make sure you're using good cheese, because a little bit of cheese has to go a long way here.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups pumpkin puree
• ½ cup milk
• ¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
• ½ cup grated (I just used 1 1/2 cups of sharp cheddar)
• ¼ tsp ground mustard
• ½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• ¼ tsp ground red pepper
• Salt and pepper
• 10 oz. small pasta

Boil pasta according to package directions to al dente. Heat pumpkin puree in a medium
saucepan over medium to high heat. Add milk and thoroughly combine. Turn heat down to low. Add ¼ cup parmesan cheese, ½ cup cheddar cheese, and the mozzarella cheese. Stir until melted into pumpkin mixture. Add mustard, worchestire sauce, red pepper, and salt & pepper. Mix pumpkin sauce with drained pasta until thoroughly combined. Mix in rest of cheddar cheese.

Sprinkle extra cheese (if you have any) on top and bake in a 9x9 baking dish at 350 for ten minutes. Allow to cool for 3-5 minutes before serving.

Sauteed Apples

FOUND IT: On Allrecipes.com

I have over 40 lbs of apples on hand and needed a side dish for pork chops, so this filled in nicely. With the amount of sugar in it, it's basically pie filling, but you could call it a serving of fruit.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 large tart apples - peeled, cored and sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  

In a large skillet or saucepan, melt butter over medium heat; add apples. Cook, stirring constantly, until apples are almost tender, about 6 to 7 minutes. Dissolve cornstarch in water; add to skillet. Stir in brown sugar and cinnamon. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and serve warm.

Crock Pot Mac and Cheese

FOUND IT: It's a Paula Dean recipe.

Until I made this one, I thought there was only two ways to make mac and cheese: on the stove or in the oven. This one creates a third option - in the crock pot. The volume of pasta would suggest a small recipe, but this filled my small crock pot, and easily serves 4.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (slightly more than half of a 1 lb box).
  
• 4 tablespoons butter, cut into small cubes.
• 10 ounces grated sharp Cheddar
• 3 eggs, beaten (less if you don't want them)
  
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 (10 3/4-ounce) can condensed Cheddar cheese soup
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup whole milk (I used skim)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Boil the macaroni in a 2 quart saucepan in plenty of water until tender, about 7 minutes. Drain. In a medium saucepan, mix butter and cheese. Stir until the cheese melts. In a slow cooker, combine cheese/butter mixture and add the eggs, sour cream, soup, salt, milk, mustard and pepper and stir well. Then add drained macaroni and stir again. Set the slow cooker on low setting and cook for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.

(The recipe calls for 3 hours, but make sure it doesn't get dry and add liquid if you need to. When I made it, it was really good at 2 hours, and not as good at 3.)

Foolproof Mac and Cheese

FOUND IT: My mother-in-law spotted it in a Cooks Illustrated publication.
MODIFIED IT: I removed the bread crumb topping, which I've never been a big fan of, and replaced it with some extra cheese on top. Other changes are noted below.

Ingredients:

1 lb elbow macaroni
Table salt
4 tbsp unsalted butter
5 tbsp flour
3 12-ounce cans evaporated milk (I use two and 1 1/2 cups skim milk)
2 tsp hot pepper sauce
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp dry mustard
8 ounces extra sharp cheddar, shredded
5 ounces American cheese, shredded (You can use mild cheddar, or just skip it and replace it with sharp cheddar)
2 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

(The recipe calls for you to save 1/2 cup of the pasta water. If you use the skim milk as I did above, you don't need it.)

Boil macaroni in a large pot with 1 tbsp of salt until al dente. Save 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

Melt butter in the now empty pot, cooking until it becomes foamy. Whisk in the flour until it starts to brown a little, then whisk in the milk, hot sauce, nutmeg, mustard, and 2 tsp of salt, stir and simmer until the mixture *starts to* thicken, roughly 4-5 minutes. Off heat, stir in cheeses and reserved cooking water (if you're using it). Stir in pasta and mix until coated.

Pour mixture into 13x9 baking dish, top with some extra shredded cheese (maybe some jack or mild cheddar), and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Let cool 5-10 minutes before serving.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

FOUND IT: It's a Martha.

Roasting pumpkin seeds is a nice bonus when cooking down dozens of pumpkins, as I plan on doing this year. I usually double the recipe, as I'm usually cooking at least two pumpkins at a time.

Ingredients:

• Seeds from one medium pumpkin (roughly 1 cup)
  
• 5 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• Pinch of cayenne pepper, to taste
• 1 1/2 tablespoons peanut oil (I use olive oil)
  

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread seeds on parchment in an even layer. Bake at 250 until dry, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Let cool. (Actually, I usually go straight from oven to pan.)

In a medium bowl combine 3 tablespoons sugar, salt, cumin, cinnamon, ginger, and cayenne. Heat peanut oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add pumpkin seeds and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Cook until sugar melts and pumpkin seeds begin to caramelize, about 45 to 60 seconds. Transfer to bowl with spices, and stir well to coat. Let cool. These may be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week. They'll never last that long.

Pumpkin Waffles

FOUND IT: At my friend Erin's blog about her adventures in Alaska.

I always love a good pumpkin recipe. This one makes a lot, so cut it in half if you're only feeding 2-4 people.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
4 large eggs, separated
2 cups well-shaken buttermilk (Skim milk works.)
1 cup pumpkin, canned or fresh
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted

Sift together flour, brown sugar, baking powder and soda, salt, and spices. Whisk egg yolks in a large bowl with buttermilk, pumpkin, and butter until smooth. Whisk in dry ingredients just until smooth. In a mixing bowl with a whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites until they hold soft peaks. Folk them gently into the waffle batter, until just combined. Brush waffle iron lightly with oil and spoon batter (about 2 cups for four 4-inch Belgian waffles) into waffle iron, spreading quickly. Cook according to manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer waffles to rack in oven to keep warm and crisp. Make more waffles in same manner.

Pumpkin Zucchini Bread

FOUND IT: At this site.

I love pumpkin, and cook a bunch of it down from scratch using the oven version of this recipe every year. As such, I've always got a bunch of it around this time of year. And, like everyone else in the Midwest, I've got a ton of zucchini around. This recipe uses a little of both, and it's delicious.

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs, slightly beaten
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla
• 2 cups pumpkin puree, from a can or fresh
• 1 cup shredded zucchini
• 1 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 3 cups flour
• 1 Teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon salt
• 1/2 Teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 Teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 Teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup chopped or ground walnuts (optional)
• (I added a cup of chocolate chips)

Spray two bread loaf pans, or a loaf pan and a round cake pan, as I did. Mix eggs, sugar and vanilla in a bowl. Stir in pumpkin puree and butter(or margarine). Mix flour, baking soda, and spices in a separate bowl. Stir dry ingredients into the first bowl containing the egg mixture. Stir in the shredded zucchini. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips, if you are using them. Divide the batter into the two pans. Bake at 350 for 45 to 50 minutes. Test bread with a knife or a toothpick to see if it is done. Remove the bread from the oven and let rest for ten minutes before cooling on a wire rack.