Twice Baked Butternut Squash

It's Halloween - and figured I would make up a festive meal while I wait to hand out candy to like the 2 people that came tonight :)  I thought this was pretty good, but Ross had like 2 bites and said the cheese was too strong....so it was a bust.

If you are going to make it - to save some time, bake the squash the night before and it will save a lot of time!

Ingredients:
1 large butternut squash1 tablespoon olive oil2 medium shallots1/2 cup quinoa1 cup water1/2 cup gorgonzola cheese, plus extra for toppingpinch of salt

Preheat oven to 400˚. Slice butternut squash in half and scoop out seeds. Place each half cut side down in a 9×13 pan and pour 1/2″ of water in the bottom. Place in oven and bake until tender, about 45-60 minutes. Once done, remove and set aside.

Rinse quinoa and set aside. In a medium pan heat olive oil over medium low heat. Dice shallots, add to oil, and saute until shallots are fragrant. Stir in quinoa and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer at let cook until water is absorbed, 12-15 minutes.

While quinoa cooks, scoop out butternut squash, leaving a 1/4″-1/2″ on the sides and bottom. Drain water from pan and return butternut squash to the pan, cut side up.

Mash butternut squash and stir in gorgonzola cheese. Once quinoa is done, add it to the butternut squash. Taste and add salt if need be.

Scoop filling evenly into butternut squash halves. Sprinkle with gorgonzola cheese and return to oven. Let bake for 10-15 minutes or until cheese has melted and the tops begin to brown. Remove from oven, cut eat half in half, and serve.

Evenly spread filling back into butternut squash.

Prego halloween costumes

When I was prego I searched and searched for pregnant Halloween costumes and found nothing...so I thought I would share :)

1. Gum Ball Machine and her nickle

2. Bumpy Road with her Truck Driver

Apple Sauce

We went to an apple orchard a couple weeks back, and I got motivated to make my own applesauce.  This couldn't be easier!!  I don't know why I thought it would be hard.....We made up a couple batches - and it took a total of 30 minutes!  Now we have breakfast for a month :)

Ingredients:
Apples
Cinnamon
optional: Sugar

Core and slice apples.  Put into a big pot (no need to peel).

Add 1/2 cup water (yes, only 1/2-1 cup water....for real....I had to call my mom 2x to make sure!) - and bring to a boil, then turn low.

Stir occasionally so that none of the apples start to burn, and wait till apples begin to get mushy.

Then run apples through sieve (this fancy apple making tool!)

Once in container - add some cinnamon to taste.  If sauce is super bitter, add a bit of sugar.

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Turkey Chili

AMAZING!!!!  I'm really tempted to only write that, because it was that good!!  Don't be scared of this recipe....I kinda was cause it had a lot of really random stuff in it, but it was SO GOOD!!  I can't wait to eat more of this for lunch today too!!

It makes a lot, so you can either cut it in half - or freeze it like us!  Now we'll be eating like champs when Baby S is here :)  It also was really easy to make - I just prepared everything the night before, and then threw the crock pot in the fridge...woke up this am - and turned it on, and came home to the best dinner ever!!

Makes 16 cups: OBB Cookbook

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
1 medium onion, diced (any color)
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 bell pepper, diced
1-2 jalapenos, minced
20 oz ground turkey breast
8 oz mushrooms, minced (about 2 heaping cups)
2 teaspoons cumin
2  teaspoons kosher salt
½  teaspoons pepper
1  teaspoon oregano
1  teaspoon chili powder
1 1/2  teaspoons smoked paprika
1 1/2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch cubes
28 oz can tomatoes (not drained)
2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
32 oz beef broth (one box/carton)
15 oz can pumpkin puree (make sure you’re not using pumpkin pie filling :)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
optional: sour cream, sliced avocado, chopped cilantro or green onion, and fresh lime juice for serving

Heat a large skillet to medium-high heat.  Add 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil and add onion, garlic, bell pepper, and jalapenos.  Saute for about 5 minutes, until veggies are tender and fragrant.  Add to slow cooker.

In same skillet, heat remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil.  Add turkey and mushrooms and stir to combine.  Sprinkle in cumin, salt, pepper, oregano, chili powder and smoked paprika.  (note: the meat will taste very seasoned when done.  Keep in mind these seasonings are not to flavor just the meat, they will season the entire pot of chili, so they are intentionally strong!)  Add turkey mixture to slow cooker.

Add sweet potatoes, tomatoes, beans, broth, pumpkin, cinnamon, and cocoa powder to slow cooker and stir til combine.  Place lid on pot and cook for  4-6 hours on high, or 8-10 on low.   Slow-cookers vary greatly in temperature and cooking times, but really, the important thing to note is if the sweet potatoes are tender.

When done, turn off heat and let chili sit with lid off for 10-15 minutes to thicken.  Season with additional salt to taste before serving.  If desired, serve with sour cream, sliced avocados, and a small squirt of fresh lime juice, and any other toppings desired.

Apple Crack Dessert

So someone at cookbook tonight said their "favorite thing to eat was apples...." - really?!  :)  We had someone else say "dessert" - so I figured I would team them up.  This was so good we ate most of it BEFORE we ate dinner!!  Perfect treat for FALL too!!

Ingredients:
1 block cream cheese, (room temperature)
4 Tablespoons confectioners sugar
Caramel sundae sauce
Mini chocolate chips
Crushed heath bar
Granny Smith Apples, (sliced & soaking in lemon juice/water until ready to serve)

Beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar until slightly fluffy.

Spread the cream cheese mixture onto a serving platter.

Top with caramel sauce, mini chocolate chips & crushed heath bar - and EAT!!

Real Taco Pie

Lots of peeps at cookbook have a "thing" for taco's - so I tried to find a new way to prepare their favorite treat!  This was pretty good....it was a twist on your typical taco.  We had some good ideas of making the crust out of crushed doritos the next time...

Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
2/3 cup milk
1 package taco seasoning mix (1 1/4 oz)
2 1/2 cups mashed potato flakes
1lb ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
1 cup shredded lettuce
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar (4oz)
Sour cream

Preheat oven to 350.

In a medium sauce pan, melt butter.  Add milk and 2 tablespoons taco seasoning mix.  Remove from heat and stir in potato flakes until incorporated.  Press mixture over bottom and sides of 10" pan.

In a medium skillet, cook beef and onions until beef is browned and onions are tender.  Drain off fat - and stir in remaining taco seasoning mix and BBQ sauce.  Cook while stirring until bubbly, then pour into prepared potato crust.

Bake uncovered in oven for 30-35 minutes.  Let cool for 5 minutes, and top with cheddar cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes.  Cut into squares and serve with sour cream.

Jalapeno Popper Dip

Cookbook Clubs theme tonight was "Favorite Eats" - so did a combo of someone saying "appetizers" and "anything with jalapenos" to come up with this yummy treat!  Let's just say it was so good, we ran out of bread....you are going to need double the amount of bread they have listed below...but this tasted equally amazing with Ripple potato chips :)

Ingredients:

2 (8-oz) packages cream cheese, softened (light works great)

1 cup mayonnaise (light also works here, but DON’T use Miracle Whip!)

1 cup Parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced

4oz can fire roasted green chilies

4oz can diced jalapeno peppers, drained
8oz bacon, cooked and crumbled

1-2 sourdough baguettes, sliced, and/or crackers

Preheat oven to 350.

If using bacon, reserve 2-3 Tbs and sprinkle on top of dip before baking.  (We just baked the bacon in the oven - throw it on a cookie sheet, lined with foil - and put at 400 for about 15 minutes....DONE!)

Combine cream cheese, mayo, parmesan, and garlic and stir until smooth.  Add jalapenos and green chilies.  If using bacon, stir in remaining bacon.

Spread dip into a 9″ pie plate or a small baking dish.  Sprinkle with remaining bacon if using.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until dip is bubbly and golden brown.