Cabbage Potato Onion and Bacon Side Dish

A friend of mine shared a cabbage and bacon side dish photo on her Facebook page and I thought it looked delicious. My husband likes cabbage and loves bacon and I thought he would really enjoy the side dish.  

A recipe wasn’t shared so I thought I would throw it together and serve the side dish with pork chops for a weeknight dinner.

To make this dish you will need the following

Fresh cabbage chopped. I used half of a cabbage and it was enough for 4 servings.

A pound of diced bacon (I used farmland Hickory Smoked)

Dice 2 medium-sized white potatoes

Dice a half of a white onion

black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons of bacon drippings (from the frying pan)

2 cup water

Recipe directions:

Cook the bacon in a large-size saute pan, drain off all of the drippings except for the 2 tablespoons. Add the diced onions and saute with the bacon, turn often to make sure the onion is cooked on all sides, then add the 1/2 cup of water, followed by the cabbage and the potatoes saute on medium heat, turning the ingredients often so that it cooks thoroughly and doesn’t burn. Turn the heat down to simmer and cover the saute pan with a lid, cook for another 5 minutes. Before serving season with black pepper to taste.

This side dish was enjoyed by my family. It really tastes good and was comforting on a chilly fall day.

Here are some photos.

Chicken with Arugula and Portabello Mushroom Recipe

 

When I cook I tend to not use recipes except when I am baking. Then last night I made chicken with arugula, baby spinach, Amish noodles, and portabello mushrooms and this one-pot dinner entree was so delicious and the recipe was certainly a keeper. My husband took a third helping of this chicken entree and he never does that. In fact, he usually does all of the cooking and I never attempt to cook for a chef.  

This is a rich entree that is prepared in one pan. I served with croissants that I picked up at the bakery and a glass of white wind. Best to make this dish during the cold season; autumn through winter as it might be too rich for the warm season.

Here’s how I made chicken with arugula and portabello mushroom entree

You will need the following

Chicken strips or boneless breast enough to serve 4

Chicken stock

Cream of Mushroom soup 10 ½ ounces

Black pepper

1 large Fresh portabello mushroom separate the mushroom stem from the cap and discard the stems. Slice the caps 1/4-inch thick.

3 sprigs of fresh rosemary herb (remove the leaves from the stem)

Juice of one medium fresh lemon

Garlic minced 2 cloves

Extra virgin olive oil

Fresh Organic girl baby spinach & arugula

Essenhaus Amish egg noodles wide (used ½ of 1 pound bag)

¼ cup grated parmesan and Romano cheese

Large non-stick saute pan with glass lid

Heat a saute pan at medium add 3 tablespoons of olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan add sliced portabello mushrooms and cook until they are soft, then add baby spinach and arugula, saute in the olive oil with the greens, garlic, black pepper, and salt to taste. When spinach and arugula are cooked turn off the heat and remove greens and mushrooms from the pan. In the same pan add more olive oil to saute your chicken. Cook chicken with the juice of 1 lemon and season with black pepper.

When chicken is cooked add to the greens and mushrooms to the saute  pan also add rosemary herb season, and to your taste black pepper and salt (optional)

Add 2 1/4 cup chicken stock mixed with cream of mushroom soup to saute pan

Bring to a boil then add your egg noodles.

Turn the heat down to simmer

Cover the saute pan and cook until noodles are done. (stir to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan)

Serve topped with the grated parmesan and Romano cheese.

Favorite Pumpkin Spice Latte Recipe

One of my favorite beverages in the autumn season is pumpkin spice latte. Normally I buy a cup of this delicious pumpkin brew at Starbucks to enjoy but the costs for this drink does add up. So this year I found a recipe that is quick and easy to make at home. The pumpkin spice latte tastes so good that it became a fall favorite recipe.

I searched online and found several recipes at Allrecipes. What I like is that the recipes shared on this website by people that really enjoy cooking and all recipes are tested by their readers. This recipe got many rave reviews and one taste will tell you why everyone loves the autumn season drink.

For the pumpkin spice latte, you will need the following ingredients

Almond milk

Pumpkin puree

Vanilla extract

Sugar

Pumpkin pie spice

Black pepper (this is a taste preference)

A whisk

A saucepan

2 coffee mugs

Here is a latte recipe from Allrecipes enjoy! View another latte recipe in the video below.

Jot down the recipe on this card. Keep the recipe for yourself and give one to a friend. I think this card is very cute and would make a thoughtful gift for some who loves to cook.

Cooking Is An Art Recipe Insert

by HeritageMatters

Here are some cute pumpkin spice coffee mugs that you may like

Pumpkin spice & everything nice coffee mug

by Kymberli_Designs

Pumpkin Spice Season Coffee Latte Autumn Fall Coffee Mug Set

by rebeccaheartsny

Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice Fall Mug

by beckynimoy

Hearty Chicken and Vegetable Casserole

A hearty casserole with nutritious ingredients is a great way to fuel your family with energy.  Plus this casserole tastes great on a cool autumn day.

When it comes to preparing dinner for my family I like to make casseroles because they will provide my family with a balanced meal and the preparation is in on pan, less mess, easy cleanup. Tonight I am making a chicken casserole that is hearty, filling and tastes great.

Ingredients needed for casserole

• 3 eight ounce chicken breast filets (pre-cooked)
• ½ pound egg noodles (pre-cooked)
• Sea salt, fresh cracked pepper
• 12-ounce jar of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
• 9 ounce frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained and excess liquid removed.
• 2 garlic cloves diced
• 1 cup fresh Italian cheese, I use Kraft natural cheese, five cheese blend; mozzarella, Parmesan, provolone, Asiago and Romano
• 3 tablespoons fresh parsley minced
• 1/4 cup Mayonnaise ( I use Kraft olive oil Mayonnaise)
• ¼ cup low-fat sour cream
• ½ cup low-fat milk

*** you can substitute chicken with turkey.

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 then lightly grease a 2-quart casserole dish
2. Dice the chicken breast and put in small mixing bowl
3. Add the chopped artichoke hearts, spinach, and egg-noodle to the chicken, then mix all ingredients.
4. Next add the garlic, parsley and ½ cup of the Italian cheeses, salt, and pepper and mix into the chicken and vegetables.
5. Using a whisk mix mayonnaise, sour cream and milk together in a small bowl. Whisk until smooth. Then add cream sauce to the pasta, chicken, and vegetables and blend all ingredients.
6. Add the casserole ingredients to the baking dish. Smooth out the top so that the surface is flat. Garnish the casserole remaining Italian cheese.
7. Put in the oven and bake for 18 minutes.
8. Remove and let the casserole rest before cutting. I serve this casserole with a side salad and dinner rolls.

Here is another chicken casserole recipe that you may like.

Favorite Cheesecake Recipe

Some people like chocolate, others like pie, I eat cheesecake and I am happy. I don't eat store bought cheesecake, granted I have eaten grocer and bakery bought cheesecake in my time, BUT the best cheesecake that I ever had was made by my mom. 

Growing up mom made cheesecake all year round. The basic recipe allows you to top it with a variety of fruits, and in the fall and winter months, mom would make caramel and chocolate sauce and drizzle the sauces over the cake then top with roasted slivers of almonds or sugar coated pecans. Then add a dollop of freshly whipped cream and oh my gosh it was like biting into a slice of heaven

When my mom passed away it seemed that her recipes went with her. Then the other day I was going through a storage box and found my mother's recipe book. I was delighted to find her cheesecake recipe. 

The recipe that I share with you is one I found in my mother's recipe cards. The date on the card is 1968 and this is the same delicious dessert that my mother made when I was growing up.  On the bottom of her recipe card there is a special instruction; make the cheesecake the day before for best results and garnish with any fruit before serving.

Know that cheesecake is a wonderfully delicious sweet treat and the perfect ending to the evening meal.



Here is what you will need to make this recipe:

2 8-ounce packages of cream cheese
1 cup of granulated sugar
2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract
1 package lemon jello
1 cup hot water
1 can carnation evaporated milk

1. With your mixer cream the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla ingredients together until all are blended
2. Mix the jello and water together and then let set until it thickens.  Add jello to cream cheese batter and use a beat until all ingredients are blended.
3. Chill another large mixing bowl along with your beater in the freezer for 10 minutes. Remove when chilled and then add 1 can carnation evaporated milk / approximately 1 2/3 cups to the bowl and whip. Continue to beat the milk until it is thick like whipped cream.
4. Fold the whipped cream into the cheese batter.
5. Pour the cheesecake batter into 2 ready-made graham pie crusts.
6. Refrigerate a day before serving.

So there you have it an easy and delicious cheesecake dessert for your family.

Here is an easy recipe for caramel sauce.

Learn how to make sugar coated pecans for your autumn or winter cheesecake

Favorite Peanut Butter Chocolate Cookies

When it comes to baking I like to make homemade cookies. Many of my made from scratch cookies start out with a basic recipe and then I add a little of this and a little of that. 

Baking cookies apron by Sgolis

 A few years ago my brother gave me the recipe for my mother's peanut butter cookie recipe and it was a good recipe but I did change it by adding the chocolate covered peanut butter morsels.  Oh, my gosh these cookies are delicious and are now my families favorite peanut butter cookie.

Use the back side of the fork to make an indent in peanut butter cookies

This cookie tastes good any time of the year. Peanut butter and chocolate are delicious comfort foods. I hope that you enjoy the recipe

For this recipe you will need the following:

• 1 cup granulated sugar
  1 cup brown sugar
  1 cup shortening Crisco vegetable shortening or 1 cup of softened salt-free butter
• 1 cup Smuckers Natural creamy or chunky peanut butter
  2 eggs
  A pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
  2 cups Hodgson Mill Organic unbleached organic all purpose flour
  2 teaspoons baking soda
• ½ cup of Nestle Toll House Delightfulls Milk chocolate morsels with peanut butter filling

1. With a mixer cream the sugar, with shortening or the butter then add the peanut butter, vanilla followed by the eggs.
2. Continue to beat on medium speed until the batter is smooth.
3. Add flour salt and baking soda and mix all ingredients well.
4. Mix in the chocolate peanut butter morsels with a spoon
5. Line the cookie sheet with parchment paper.
6. Drop the cookie dough by teaspoonful onto the parchment paper; space cookies two inches apart.
7. Use the back side of the fork to press down on the center of the cookies and to make the traditional indentation in the cookie tops.
8. Bake the peanut butter cookies at 375 for 10 minutes. Know the cookies are done by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cookie and pull out. If no batter is on the toothpick then cookies are done.
9. Let the cookies cool 10 minutes before serving.

Here is a gluten-free recipe for peanut butter cookies.  Enjoy!

Apple Pear Chutney with Cranberries

In the autumn my family harvests the pears and the apples and my job is to come up with recipes for the bushes of fruit.  I make the traditional things like apple-pear pie, apple-pear sauce, apple-pear muffins but this year we also made apple pear and cranberry chutney. 

My husband helped me to get the fruit ready for the chutney and the day before we peeled and cored a bushel of apples and pears. When the peeling was done husband chopped all of the fruit and then slow cooked the fruit; apples, pears with granulated sugar, cinnamon, apple cider vinegar, apple juice and water.

The fruit cooked on the stove for several hours.  Then when the fruit was almost done my husband added the dried cranberries.  When chutney was done the sauce had thicken around the chopped fruit. We never made apple pear cranberry chutney before and thought the blending of the fruit was delicious. 

Easy Pumpkin Chocolate Muffin Recipe

It is definitely pumpkin recipe season and if you like pumpkin as much as I do then you will really like this easy pumpkin walnut muffin recipe because I add a secret ingredient that is so delicious.

Last year I made the cake mix pumpkin muffins that had 3 ingredients and muffins were moist but I thought a little bland,  So this year I did some experimenting with the flavor and came up with a recipe that I love.

This pumpkin muffin recipe is easy but oh so delicious because I am adding walnuts and secret ingredient is white chocolate.  When the chocolate bakes it melts into the texture of the muffin and when you bite into the muffin they melt in your mouth.

I made a batch of these muffins a few weeks ago and served at my women's group and the girls said they were delicious and suggested that I serve them as a cupcake with white chocolate frosting and garnished with chopped walnuts.  They are perfect for a Halloween open house or served for brunch or afternoon snack throughout the autumn season

See how nice the pumpkin muffins look of Halloween buffet table.

Halloween Theme Greeting Cards 

All I can say is that pumpkin walnut with chocolate muffins or cupcakes sure are good.  Here is my recipe for pumpkin white chocolate muffins.

For this recipe you will need the following:

18.25 ounce yellow cake mix

1 can 15-ounce pumpkin puree

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup white chocolate morsels

Recipe steps:
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Spray the 12 cup muffin pan cups with Pam for baking with flour or use paper liners.
• Combine the cake mix with the pumpkin puree and spices in a large mixing bowl.
• With an electric mixer set at medium blend all ingredients until batter is smooth.
• With spoon fold nuts and white chocolate morsels into the batter.
• Fill the muffin cups 2/3 of the way to the top with the batter.
• Bake for 20 minutes.
• Check to see if muffins are done by inserting a toothpick into the center. If the toothpick comes out clean then this is an indication that the muffins are cooked and need to come out of the oven.
• Cool for 20 minutes on a wire rack.
This is your basic pumpkin muffin cake mix recipe, with less spice and the addition of walnuts and white chocolate.

My family enjoys these muffins and I hope your family will also.