Light Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

24 muffins - Freeze for a quick breakfast or late night snack!

4 eggs
1/2 c oil
1 c unsweetened applesauce
1 1/2 c sugar
1 (16 oz) can pumpkin
3 c flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
12 oz semi-sweet mini chocolate chips

1- Mix first 5 ingredients together, mix dry ingredients
2- Blend two mixtures, fold in chips
3- Fill 24 greased or paper-lined muffin cups
4- Bake 400 for 16-20 min

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Scones with Cinnamon Icing

Makes 8 scones.

1 c whole wheat pastry flour
1 c all purpose flour (you can use 2 c of whole wheat pastry flour, the scones will be just a little heavier)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp ginger
1/8 tsp cloves
6 TBS butter, sliced and chilled
1/3 c pumpkin puree
1/3 c heavy whipping cream
6 TBS brown sugar
2 tsp vanilla

Cinnamon icing:
1 c powdered sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1-2 TBS milk

1- In a large bowl whisk together first 8 ingredients. Cut in butter until coarse crumbs form.
2- In a smaller mixing bowl, whisk together pumpkin, cream, sugar and vanilla
3- Add to dry mixture and stir until mixture forms thick dough. Use your (clean) hands to knead the dough once or twice. (DO NOT OVER-KNEAD.)
4- On a lightly floured surface, form dough into a circle. Use a knife or pizza cutter to cut circle into 8 wedges. Place wedges on an ungreased pan not touching.
5- Bake at 425 for 15 minutes until scones are browned on the bottom.

Make icing by whisking together icing ingredients adding just enough milk to make a drizzling consistency. Icing can be drizzled or brushed on.

Chicken Tetrazinni

Serves 4-6. Can be frozen. Make sure that you under cook the noodles if you are going to freeze.

2 c spaghetti, cooked & drained
2 c chicken, cooked & diced
1 can cream soup
1/2 c onion, chopped
1/4 c green pepper
1 c chicken broth
1 1/2 c cheddar cheese

Saute onion and pepper in oil. Mix with the rest of ingredients. Cool and put in freezer bag and freeze flat.

When ready to use, thaw and place in 9x13 pan and bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes.

If you double the recipe it will fit into 3 freezer bags and could be three dinners for a family of 4.

You could also add other vegetables to the mix!

Whole Wheat Waffles

Makes 6-8 waffles. Can be frozen after cooked for easy breakfasts. If you are going to freeze, triple or quadruple the recipe.

1 3/4 c whole wheat flour
2 TBS sugar
1 TBS baking powder
2 eggs
1 3/4 c milk (can use 1/2 milk & 1/2 water unless you have a lot of milk you need to use up)
1/2 c oil or melted butter (you can do 1/4 c. applesauce or other fruit puree and 1/4 c oil)
1 tsp vanilla (opt)

Mix dry ingredients in one bowl. Beat wet ingredients in another bowl. Add egg mixture to dry ingredients and stir until just moistened. Pour batter onto lightly oiled waffle iron and bake until done.

To freeze, let them cool and then put 5-6 in a freezer bag. To make in the mornings just put in toaster and instant breakfast!

Gourmet Pumpkin Seeds

John tasted these and said, "These are not the pumpkin seeds I grew up with. These are gourmet." My sons then chimed in and said, "It is because mom is such a good cook!" We did two pumpkins and got 2 cups of seeds combined. I don't think our pumpkins had that many seeds though.

2 c pumpkin seeds, rinsed & dried
4 Tablespoons sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pumpkin spice (or combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice...)
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

1- Preheat oven to 250. Spread pumpkin seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toast for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Larger seeds may take longer.
2- In a bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of sugar, salt and spices.
3- Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar to oil and stir until dissolved. Add the pumpkin seeds when they come out of oven. Stir with a wooden spoon until seeds look golden brown.
4- Pour spice mixture over seeds and stir until coated. Allow to cool before serving. Store in airtight container at room temperature.

Hermits

I choose these cookies for the State Fair this year because I know they will win. Not many people have heard of hermits or know how to make them!

If you don't want chunks of raisins in the cookies you can run them in a food processor for a few pulses to break them up.

1 c butter, softened

1 1/2 c sugar

1 tsp allspice

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp cloves

3 eggs

3 1/4 c flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 c raisins

1/2 c molasses

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 c walnuts

If you wanted to add a glaze for the top:

1 c powdered sugar

1 tbs butter (softened)

Milk to reach glaze consistency

Extra walnuts for topping

Preheat oven to 325 for bar cookies or 375 for drop cookies

In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar and spices. Beat in eggs one at a time. Sift the flour, baking soda and salt and stir until well blended. Stir in molasses and raisins.

To make into bar cookies: Spread mixture onto cookie sheet and bake for 25 minutes. Cut into bars while warm and let cool on wire rack.

To make drop cookies: Drop batter about 2 inches apart on greased cookie sheet and bake 12-15 minutes. Let cool on wire rack.

After cookies are cool you can add the glaze and extra nuts if desired.

Molasses Cookies

3/4 c butter softened
1 c brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 c molasses
2 c flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp ginger
1/2 sugar (to roll cookies in)

In a medium bowl, mix together the butter, sugar and egg until smooth (5 min). Stir in the molasses. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and ginger. Blend into the molasses mixture. Cover and chill for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375. Roll dough into walnut sized balls, and roll them in white sugar. Place cookies 2 inches apart onto baking sheets.

Bake for 7-10 minutes. WATCH the time. When the tops start to crack they are done.

Cool on wire racks.