Pumpkin Pie Squares

I love these almost more than pumpkin pie! It's not healthy...but oh so good!

1 c. flour
1/2 c. quick oats
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
1/2 c. butter
16 oz. pumpkin
2 cans evaporated milk
4 eggs
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 c. chopped pecans or walnuts
1/2 c. brown sugar, packed
2 Tbl. butter

Combine flour, rolled oats, 1/2 c. brown sugar, and 1/2 c. butter in mixing bowl. Mix until crumbly, using electric mixer on low speed. Press into ungreased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Combine pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar, salt, and spices in a mixing bowl; beat well. pour into crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes. Combine pecans, 1/2 c. brown sugar, and 2 Tbl butter. Sprinkle over pumpkin filling. Return to oven and bake for 30 minutes or until filling is set. Cool in pan and cut into 2 inch squares. Serve with whipped cream or cool whip.

Chicken Rolls

I have fond memories of these growing up....

2 large pkg crescent rolls
1 large pkg cream cheese
1/4 c. butter (optional)*
2 medium green onions, chopped
2 c. cubed chicken or turkey
1 small can sliced mushrooms, drained (optional)
dash of pepepr

Cream cheese and butter until soft and well blended. Add chicken, pepper, mushrooms, and onions. Place 1/8 to 1/4 c. of mixture in center of each crescent roll. Wrap dough around the mixture and seal well. Bake at 350 degrees until brown, about 15 minutes.

Make a gravy from broth or chicken soup and serve over rolls.

If desired, melt 1/4 cube butter. Mix 1 c. dressing bread, and 1/4 c. chopped pecans. Dip each roll into butter, then roll in dressing/pecan mixture before baking.

*Can substitute a little plain yogurt, cream soup, or gravy for butter.

Lasagna

This is a recipe from Better Homes and Gardens. I have a lot of home canned tomatoes I need to use so I tried this recipe. It is the best lasagna we have ever had. YUM!!! Pair it with homemade breadsticks.

2 Tbl. Onion Flakes
1/8 tsp Garlic Powder
1 qt. tomatoes
2 6oz cans tomato paste
1/2 c. water
2 Tbl. Sugar
1 lb mozzarella cheese
1 lb. cottage cheese
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 lbs ground beef
12 lasagna noodles
Parmesan cheese

Blend tomatoes, tomato paste, onion flakes, garlic powder, salt, pepper, oregano, sugar and water. Brown ground beef, drain, and add to above blended ingredients in a large pot. Add bay leaf and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Boil 12 lasagna noodles in salted water (1 Tbl), also add a little vegetable oil to keep the noodles from sticking together. Boil for 10 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse well. Pat dry with paper towels. Fill 9x13 greased pan with alternate layers of noodles, grated mozzarella cheese, cottage cheese, sauce, and Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

This works great as a freezer meal too! Just like if  you were to buy a Stouffer's lasagna. Assemble the lasagna, then freeze. 

Healthified Chocolate Chip Cookies

I found this recipe in a magazine. Their photo looks much better than mine. I think I cooked mine a little too long. But they were delicious. I think I might cut back a little on the butter next time. It says this recipe has 21% fewer calories, 42% less saturated fat, & 14% less fat than original chocolate chip cookies.

3/4 c. granualted sugar
3/4 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. canola oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
2 c. whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 c. semisweet miniature chocolate chips

Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, beat sugars, butter, oil, vanilla, and egg with electric mixer on low speed unilt belnded. Beat in flour, baking soda, and salt until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips.

On ungreased cookie sheet, drop by rounded tablespoobnfuls about 2 inches apart.

Bake 7-9 minutes or until very light golden grown (centers will be soft). Cool 1 minute before removing from cookie sheet to cooling rack.

One cookie: 110 calories, 6 g fat (2g saturated, 0g trans), 10mg cholesterol, 65mg sodium, 13g carbs, 1g protein.

Apple Berry Salsa with Cinnamon Chips

Apple Berry Salsa with Cinnamon Chips
This fruit salsa makes a great appetizer or can be served as a fun side dish with a Mexican meal.

Posted by Chyrel

CINNAMON CHIPS

4 (7-inch) flour tortillas
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

SALSA

2 med Granny Smith apples
1 cup strawberries -- sliced
1 kiwi fruit -- peeled and chopped
1 small orange
2 tbsp packed brown sugar
2 tbsp apple jelly

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. For cinnamon chips, lightly spray tortillas with water. Combine sugar and cinnamon in flour/sugar shaker; sprinkle over tortillas. Cut each tortilla into 8 wedges; place in single layer on round baking stone. Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp. Remove to cooling rack; cool completely.

For salsa, peel, core, and slice apples. Cut apples into quarters; chop with food chopper. Slice strawberries and chop kiwi. Place fruit in 1 quart bowl. Zest orange and juice. Add orange zest, orange juice, brown sugar and apple jelly to fruit mixture, mix gently. Serve with cinnamon chips.

Reduced-Fat Crescent Veggie Pizza

INGREDIENTS
2
cans (8 oz each) Pillsbury® refrigerated reduced fat crescent dinner rolls or 2 cans (8 oz each) Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations™ refrigerated flaky dough sheet
3/4
cup reduced-fat cottage cheese
4
oz (half of 8-oz package) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese (Neufchâtel), softened
1
teaspoon dried dill weed
1/8
teaspoon garlic powder
20
EACH of fresh small broccoli, cucumber and tomato pieces

1.	Heat oven to 375°F.
2.	If using crescent rolls: Unroll both cans of dough into 4 long rectangles. Place crosswise in ungreased 15x10x1-inch pan; press over bottom and up sides to form crust. Firmly press perforations to seal. If using dough sheets: Unroll both cans of dough. Place crosswise in ungreased 15x10x1-inch pan; press over bottom and up sides to form crust.
3.	Bake 13 to 17 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
4.	In small bowl, mix cottage cheese, cream cheese, dill and garlic powder until smooth. Spread over cooled crust. Cover; refrigerate 1 to 2 hours.
5.	To serve, cut into 10 rows by 6 rows. Garnish with vegetables.

Homestyle Pot Roast

This is the easiest and tastiest pot roast I've had in a long time. Instead of buying beef chuck though, I used 2 lbs of beef stew meat I happened to have. I took the meat right from the freezer and put into the crock pot and it turned out really tender and the flavor - very yummy!

2 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into large chunks
1 can (14 1/2 oz) stewed tomatoes (I blend mine up in the blender)
1 packet (1 1/2 oz) beef stew seasoning

Combine beef, tomatoes and seasoning mix in Crock Pot. Cover and cook on LOW for 4-6 hours.

(My crock pot cooks fast on LOW for some reason so even with the meat being frozen, it only took 4 hours. Bigger chunks of meat would take longer of course. I read in a Crock Pot cook book once that if you start with frozen meat, it turns out tender and juicy most of the time. It's true for me!)