Streusel-Topped Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin pie (the original version) is a little weird...it's a thick custard-like pumpkin blob, mostly with a mushy pastry crust.  For our Thanksgiving celebration, I decided to try this pudding-pie version with a graham cracker crust.  Everyone really enjoyed it, even those who weren't completely opposed to pumpkin, but at the same time weren't pumpkin's biggest fans.

Streusel-Topped Pumpkin Pie
Adapted from Kraft Foods
1 graham cracker crust (store bought, or made in a springform pan)
2 packages sugar free jello cheesecake pudding
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cup skim milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Streusel Topping
1/2 cup coarsely crushed graham crackers
1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
3 Tbsp brown sugar
4 Tbsp butter, melted

For pudding, whisk together pumpkin and milk.  Whisk in pudding packets, vanilla and spice.  Beat 2 minutes (will be super thick).  Refrigerate to store, or pour into prepared graham cracker crust.

For streusel topping: Combine all ingredients.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, stirring once.  Crumble and let cool.  Sprinkle on top of pie.

Amy's Chili

Here's the thing about chili: everyone has a different way of making it...and by different, I mean different.  Meat or no meat?  Beans? Noodles?  Thick or frightfully runny?  Corn?  Red or white?  Crackers?  See what I mean...

Mine is nothing special, and to be honest, it's different almost every time I make it.  But here's how I did it this time, and it was pretty good, if I do say so myself.  

Cornbread rounds out the meal :)

Serve with a dollop of sour cream...or loaded with ungodly
amounts of cheese, chips, and sour cream.  Your choice

Amy's Chili

1 lb extra lean ground beef

1 onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1-28 oz can diced tomatoes

1-28 oz can crushed tomatoes

1-14 oz can beef broth

1-14oz can kidney beans

2 Tbsp chili powder

1 Tbsp dry mustard

2 Tbsp salt

Dash of red chili flakes 

2 cups small cut pasta (I used shells)

In a large stock pot, brown beef.  Drain and set aside.  Sauté onion, adding garlic as the onion softens.  Pour in beef broth, all tomatoes, kidney beans, and all seasonings.  Add beef back and stir.  Heat over medium until up to a simmer.  Add in pasta and continue to cook until the pasta is tender.  Serve with warm corn bread, crackers, or whatever you'd like.

Thanksgiving Adventures

This year, Peter, Lady and I spent Thanksgiving in Chicago.  We really missed celebrating with family, but didn't miss the 8 total hours in the car (if we're lucky) to have a meal and turn around to come home.  I'm no stranger to hosting meals, but I've never done one that's as "high stakes" as Thanksgiving, plus I was in charge of the turkey.  Nope, never cooked a turkey before.  Here are some pictures of what we served, and the process therein:

Golden!!  

Beautiful (If I do say so myself :).  It's amazing the difference
adding a little greenery makes!

We had some close friends come for a pot luck of sorts:  I was in charge of the turkey, cranberry jello, and desserts.  Recipes to come!  We also had beautiful decorations courtesy of the "Mancl Family Wedding Decorations, Inc."  It wasn't the usual large family gathering, but it was a nice change to celebrate with friends.

The pilgrims and Native Americans showed up, courtesy
of my Gamma Bonnie :)

Some important lessons I've learned
-Put your turkey in a bag when it's thawing in the fridge.  Yep, totally had to clean the refrigerator; twice.
-The gibblet and gizzard were NOT in a bag in the turkey cavity.  I was assured they would be in an easy-to-find bag.  I wasn't familiar with turkey anatomy, but Peter and I eventually figured it out...with the help of an optometry penlight and some general poking around.  (How many "doctors" does it take...)
-So, apparently I only found the gizzard...I found the gibblet bag while carving the turkey.  Thankfully the bag didn't blow up, and the breast meat seemed ok (it was actually delicious).  There should be explicit instructions on where to find said anatomical rejects.

Laura's green bean casserole and Megan's cornbread stuffing

Megan's fall salad and Laura's mashed potatoes

My mother-in-law's cranberry applesauce jello

Streusel-topped pumpkin pudding pie

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, wherever you celebrated.  As I sit here in a "turkey coma", (I can explain that medically, and it's not tryptophan, but that's another story), I'm just so grateful for everything, especially my husband, my dog, pediatrics :) , my family, wonderful friends, and a successful first Thanksgiving adventure.


-

Deck the Halls

Confession: I put my tree up on November 12.  It is one of the highlights of my year!  I respectfully wait until after Peter's birthday (November 10), but after that, game on.

Prelit trees are the best.  A few plugs and voila!  Christmas!

Twinkly lights, pretty ornaments, sparkles, tree skirts, slowly accumulating wrapped presents for family and friends.  What's not to like?  And really, anything that will make your day a little brighter is good in my book.

It's really much more magical in person.

This is obviously our first Christmas with Lady, and we weren't sure how she would be with the tree.  As it turns out, she just ignores it.  Score!  We did catch her laying by it, chewing on her bone.  I tell her it's Lady's Tree.  I hope she feels at home for the holidays :)

Stuffed Shells

So, I'm on my Family Medicine rotation now, which happens to be located about 40 miles north of my apartment.  That's a bummer.  I'm loving my attendings, who let me do sooo much (I have a good record with blood draws, give about 30 vaccinations a day, and (help) make diagnoses left and right, thank you very much)!  But by the time I get home, dinner is becoming an afterthought.  I knew this would happen during my M3 year!

I'm taking advantage of my 1 1/2 days off each week by trying to prepare meals I can freeze and use later in the week.  Stuffed shells are so tasty, but a little time intensive (not bad, but not for Tuesday at 630pm).  On the weekend, when you can do a little more, make a big batch of these and put them into smaller baking dishes, and freeze or refrigerate.  Stuffed pasta is notoriously calorically expensive, but I think I did an OK job here, using a whole package of spinach (yay vitamins) and fat free cream cheese (low calorie), and a moderate amount of cheese.

Poor picture quality!  But you get the hint

Speaking of food, it's finally Thanksgiving week!  I have many recipes that I'm making for my little gathering of friends in Chicago.  Stay tuned!  They may come too late for your Thanksgiving dinner, but they'd be tasty for your Christmas celebration :)

Our side dish was broccolini, a fun new vegetable I've discovered.
Steam it, if you can find it in your grocery store.

Stuffed Shells
1 box jumbo shells
1 8oz package fat free cream cheese
1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed out
1 package italian dressing mix (powder)
1 tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 links chicken sausage
1/2 jar marinara sauce
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Fresh basil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Cook shells according to package directions; drain.  In a bowl, combine fat free cream cheese, spinach, dressing mix, garlic powder, salt and pepper.   Stir in chopped chicken sausage.

In a large baking dish (or two baking dishes) spread some marinara sauce on the bottom.  Stuff each shell with a spoonful of the spinach filling mixture.  Line in baking dish.  Pour marinara sauce over the top, and top with cheese.  Bake for 25 minutes or until warmed through.  Top with freshly torn basil, if desired.

Kit Kat Bars

Oooh if you're looking for a sweet/salty/naughty treat, look no further.  I grew up eating these and let me tell you, they are addicting.

The "caramel" goo.  Keep stirring!

Reduced fat crackers:  kinda pointless after the two sticks of butter...

Admittedly, they're not super beautiful, but what they lack in beauty they more than make up for in taste.  There's not much more to say about them: give them a try!!

Kit Kat Bars
Club Crackers
1 cup butter
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup each semi sweet chocolate and butterscotch chips

In a medium saucepan, melt butter, sugar, graham cracker crumbs and milk together until it boil.  Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.  Turn off the heat, and stir in vanilla.

In a 9x13 pan, line the bottom with Club crackers.  Pour over half the caramel mixture, and add another layer of Club crackers.  Pour the rest of the caramel on top, and add a final layer of crackers.

In a microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate and butterscotch chips (together).  Spread chocolate over the top cracker layer, and allow to cool in the refrigerator or at room temperature.  Slice and serve!

Chicken Sausage and Lentil Soup

Yep, that's totally a tupperware

I've been dying to cook with lentils (ok well maybe not dying...but they seem interesting anyways), and I came across this recipe in Taste of Home Healthy Cooking.  It turned out great, and was really easy to make; just a little chopping, simmering and voila!  A lovely soup.  It made a lot, so I took it to "work" a few times that week.

These are lentils...like little dried peas, but not...

Chicken Sausage and Lentil Soup

3 carrots, peeled and sliced

1 onion, chopped

3 ribs of celery, sliced

1-14 oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes, undrained

48 oz box chicken stock 

1 package fully cooked chicken sausage, sliced (just about any flavor, use your common sense)

1 cup dry lentils

1 Tbsp italian seasoning

Salt and Pepper, to taste

In a large stock pot, saute carrots, onion and celery until just softened.  Then add all remaining ingredients except chicken sausage and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer and cook until lentils are tender, about 35 minutes).  Stir in chicken sausage and heat until warmed through.  Serve in big bowls with a side salad or whole grain roll.  

Thanksgiving Tablescape

Tablescape:  an annoying word for how you decorate a table.  If you think about it, you're going to so much trouble to cook a meal to share with people, so you might as well put some effort into WHERE you're going to be eating it.

My aunt Tammy (Tete) is an excellent decorator (my grandmas and mother aren't too shabby either).  She can take some mirrors, water, bows, and tulle make a wedding or anniversary party extra special.  Since we are spending Thanksgiving in Chicago this year, and we have 4 friends coming to celebrate with us, I wanted to do something festive.

I found these orange placemats at Walmart, along with the napkins.  The mirror, hurricane, and votives are borrowed from my aunt/grandma's endless supply of party decorations.  The pine cones are also from Walmart, and have a little bit of glitter on the tips, just for some sparkle.

What are you doing for Thanksgiving?

Peppermint Hot Chocolate

Tis the season.  I warned you I'm Christmas' biggest fan, and to start the holiday extravaganza off right, I thought we needed a cup of hot chocolate.  Peppermint hot chocolate, that is.

I love me a cup of sugary, rich hot chocolate, but that's obviously not calorically feasible on a daily basis (and I like to enjoy hot chocolate on a bi-daily basis), so I buy the "no sugar added" kind.  (Swiss Miss Sensible Sweets is a good one...gets nice and foamy).  You will also need some pure peppermint extract.

A word of warning:  For a mug of hot chocolate made to your liking, you need A DROP of peppermint extract.  Like, either get a science lab pipette, or a baby medicine dropper, or something, but you need a super small amount (I pour a drop on a clean spoon, and if it's too much, I can get some back in the bottle). There is a frightfully small volume difference between a lovely peppermint-y chocolate treat and chocolate-flavored toothpaste.  No kidding.

So make yourself a cup of hot chocolate, add a scant amount of peppermint extract, and savor the tree you put up waaaayyy too early.  Or am I the only one doing that?

Roasted Meatballs

Nope, this isn't a new take on meatballs.  Beef, egg, bread crumbs, seasoning, mix to combine, form into balls.  However, this might be a new way to MAKE meatballs...in the oven.

Yep, this means no more frying over an over-crowded pan, oil spattering everywhere, meatballs getting soggy, kitchen smelling like, well, meatballs.  Bake meatballs in the oven (375 should do) for about 10 minutes, and they are perfectly done, and not the least bit soggy.  Brilliant.

A word about actually making the mix:  don't over-combine.  Your meatballs will be tough, or just fall apart.  I like to beat the egg with the seasonings and bread crumbs before I even add in the ground beef (lean, please).  Then, just lightly toss together with a fork.

I like to make baby ones:  grab a little bit, toss and roll with your hands, and plop onto a greased cookie sheet.  Mine tend to get bigger as I go..whoops.  It doesn't really matter, but try to keep them about the same size so they cook evenly.  And "blah blah, lots of work to make meatballs...worked all day...supper soon, blah blah":  I timed myself and it took 4 minutes to make a tray full of meatballs.  4 minutes.

These would be fun for a (holiday) party:  serve with marinara sauce for dipping with little toothpicks.  Easy to assemble and kinda fun, plus a good protein break from the usual litany of cookies and other holiday crap (not that I have anything against "holiday crap"....I'm Christmas' biggest freak...just you wait).

Weekend Adventure: The Badger Game

I had my pediatric "Shelf" exam on Friday (like a final, when the rotation ends), which means that I basically had the weekend free from a moral obligation to study.  It just so happened that my family procured Badger tickets.  An adventure was in the making.

Peter had final exams last week, with his final-final exam on Saturday, so he couldn't come to the game.  No worries, enter my friend Laura.  It was great to have a driving buddy for the 2 1/2 hour trek up to Madison.  She's a Wisconsinite too, so it was only fitting that I ask her :)

It was SUCH a nice day...windy and a little chilly, but sunny and gorgeous.  We met up with Tyler, Sara, and my parents in the late morning and headed over to a parking lot to tailgate.  My mom planned a great lunch menu, and did all the cooking.  She deserves a round of applause...lunch was wonderful and super fun, complete with really hot cider (thanks to an awesome thermos), appetizers, hot turkey sandwiches, "buffalo wings", pasta salad, cookies, and cranberry bread.  There was even Captain Morgan in a pickle jar, just incase...

Rox and her great awesome tailgate

The actual game was super fun, though like usual I chatted with my neighbors more than I actually watched the game.  Someone usually needed to tell me how there were 14 extra points on the board...How does someone miss 2 touchdowns while in the stadium?  Only while chatting with my mom...

Creeper T!

At some point, I got to wear that silly hat.  Everyone had one!

We left in the middle of the third quarter because we were all pretty cold, and let's be honest, by that point, the Badgers had it in the bag.  We walked back to our car (instead of waiting for the shuttle buses)...it was great to get moving again!

On the shuttle bus!

It's always sad to leave my family, but med school calls, so Laura and I packed up ourselves and started the long-ish trek back to Chicago.  We were both soooo tired!  An entire day of fresh air is more than we've had in about 4 months (hospital air is NOT fresh air, that's for sure).

Badger band

See, told you I wore the silly hat

I hope you had a wonderful weekend!  I start my next rotation on Monday...family medicine.  I'll have a 44 mile commute each way :(, but I'll be one-on-one with 2 doctors, so that has potential.

Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd's Pie is a traditional English dish that's usually made with lamb and potatoes (things that a shepherd might have on hand, if you know what I mean).  I actually had the pleasure of eating this IN England, when Peter, Lisa and I went in 2008.  It was yummy and delicious then, and even more fun now that I get to relive those memories when I make it.

This recipe is warm and cozy, and really quite easy to put together, but does take a little time and several dishes.  Perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon (I'm not sure I've ever experienced one of these...mostly I have "frantic to catch up on stuff-study-make dinners that will last the week" Sundays.  I hope you have relaxing Sundays).  I digress.

In the past, I've made this with just sweet potato, but low and behold, I had some sad white potatoes begging to be used up.  I thought a marbled top would be kinda fun, and both Peter and I agreed it was more flavorful than with just the sweet potatoes.  You can use any potato you have on hand.

I make two loaf pans out of this one recipe (so 2 separate Shepherd's pies), and throw one in the freezer. Instant easy weeknight meal.  You know how much I love that.  You could make it in a larger casserole for company or a larger family though.  Whatever you'd like.

Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into pieces
1 large white potato, peeled and cut into pieces
4 Tbsp fat free cream cheese
1 lb extra lean ground beef, or lean ground turkey
1 container sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 cup carrot diced
2 Tbsp light balsamic dressing
4 tsp flour
1/2 cup water
1 cup frozen green beans
Salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste.

Preheat oven to 400.  Microwave potatoes in separate bowls on high 8 minutes or until tender (you can add a bit of water to help them soften).  Mash until smooth.  Add cream cheese to the sweet potato, season both potatoes with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and mix well.

Brown meat in pan, and drain.  Saute mushrooms, carrots and onions.  Add meat back into the pan.  Mix flour and water separately, then stir into meat mixture.  Add dressing, and cook until slightly thickened.  Stir in green beans, and spoon into baking dish.  Add alternating spoonfuls of white and sweet potato.  Spread evenly and swirl to create a marble effect.  Sprinkle on cut chives, if you have some on hand.  Bake 20 minutes or until heated through.

*I usually divide this recipe up into to baking dishes and freeze one.  Then, just bake from frozen or thawed state!

Trinidadian Chicken Stew

How does one expand one's palate to include foods of different cultures?  I'm sure there are a lot of ways to become more adventurous, but what I like to do is actually read a recipe for things I'm already familiar with, even if it has a funny name or seems way different than what I usually make.  Like this recipe:  I'm not sure what they make in Trinidad usually, but I know I like brown sugar, ginger, vegetables, and chicken.  They can't be all that bad together (and yes: brown sugar and chicken...I have a great recipe about that later that Peter actually found).

"Brown" the brown sugar in a pot... don't burn it!

Why be adventurous once in a while?  Why not?!  If you go through life making only what your mom made you (6 recipes in total, or whatever), that's not very exciting, now is it?  You can really jazz up a Thursday night by trying something totally new.  And "new" does not equate to "hard".   Just read the recipe all the way through the first time you make it, before you pick up a pan or turn on a burner.

Ok so on this adventure, we need fresh ginger.  It's the knobby brown-ish looking thing at the grocery store.  Break off a piece about 1.5-2 inches (yes, you can do that), and take it to the check out.  It will probably cost you all of $0.36.  New ingredient, check.  Then peel it with a vegetable peeler and grate on a very fine microplane.

Whole canned tomatoes:  you can find this in the canned foods aisle.  If it comes in a big can (and we only need 4...) you can use the rest of the can later in the week to make a homemade pasta sauce (whir it up in a blender, season, toss with pasta after heating).

That's about it!!  See, it's fun to be adventurous.  You can go back to your old stuff tomorrow :)

Trinidadian Chicken Stew
From Giada de Laurentis, Food Network

1/4 cup oil
2 Tbsp dark brown sugar
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 Tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
1/2 tsp pepper, plus more to taste
4 whole peeled canned tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
3 carrots, peeled, and cut into 2 inch pieces
8 baby Yukon gold potatoes, cut in half
1 cup water or chicken stock

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place carrots and potatoes on a foil-lined baking sheet and toss with a little oil and salt/pepper.  Roast for 20 minutes or until beginning to soften.

In a big pot, heat oil over medium-high heat.  Add brown sugar and cook, stirring occasionally until very dark (2 minutes).  Add the chicken pieces and turn to coat.  Add ginger, salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring frequently until chicken begins to brown (5 minutes).  Add tomatoes and break up with a spoon;  stir in parsley, roasted carrots and potatoes and water/chicken stock.  Cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender, 30-35 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper if needed.  Transfer to bowls and enjoy something new!