Pumpkin Crisp

This.Is.So.Good.

1 can of pumpkin
1 can evaporated milk
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 package of yellow cake mix
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup chopped pecans, optional

Mix together the first five ingredients and pour into a greased 9 x 13 casserole. Sprinkle cake mix evenly over the top, then drizzle butter evenly over that, then pecans if you are using them.
Bake at 350 for about an hour, until golden brown. Let it cool about 10 minutes or so before serving. Great with whipped cream.

Chicken and Vegetable Soup

This soup is easy and a great way to use leftovers. Amounts can be easily adjusted. Turkey will work great in the soup too!

About 2 cups cooked chicken, chopped roughly
3 carrots, peeled and sliced thin
5 - 6 stalks celery, sliced thin with leaves on
1/2 cup chopped onion*
1 carton chicken stock
2 tbsp flour
1/4 cup butter
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a large pot over med-high heat melt butter and add olive oil. Add carrots, celery and onions and saute, add salt and pepper to taste. After about 10 minutes, onions will be translucent, add the flour and stir well. You can turn the heat down to medium. Then begin to add the chicken stock, about 1 cup or so at a time, stirring constantly to incorporate the flour into the stock. You can add the last 1/2 of the carton all at once.  Once all chicken stock has been added, the soup should be thicker from the flour, add the chicken. Stir together and bring to a low boil. Turn down the heat and simmer about 15- 20 minutes. Serves 4 - 6.

*Tip: when chopping part of an onion for one dish, go ahead and chop the entire onion. Freeze in about 1/2 cup portions in ziploc bags. They will keep about a month. No need to thaw.

Delightful Chicken

How many chicken recipes do you need? About a million. This one is easy and can be served to the fam or at a dinner party. P.S. Your house will smell delightful!

4 - 6 Boneless/Skinless Chicken breasts
Olive oil, 3 - 4 TBSP
Kosher Salt
Freshly ground pepper
3 - 4 carrots, cut in large pieces
1 lemon, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced (medium slice)
3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1- 2 TBSP white wine (like the Barefoot Contessa says, "if you won't drink it, don't cook with it")
Water (equal to amount of wine you used)

In a large baking dish arrange chicken breasts. Pour olive oil over chicken and season with salt and pepper. Throw in vegetables and lemon slices. Toss to coat everything and make sure veggies and lemons are distributed evenly around the chicken breasts. Pour in wine and water in spaces between the chicken breasts, tilt dish to distribute the liquid. Cover with foil if dish does not have a cover. Bake in 350 - 375 oven for 30 minutes. Test doneness of chicken. Bake uncovered for remaining time, about 10 minutes.

You can serve the vegetables with the chicken, or not. The pan juices should be spooned over the chicken to serve. Rice is great with this, also with a good dosing of pan juices. Any root vegetables will do, celery, parsnips, fennel. Experiment and enjoy!

Evil Peanut Butter Cookies

These little devils are what Paula Deen calls "Magical Peanut Butter Cookies". They are pure evil. They melt in your mouth therefore fooling you into believing you can eat as many as you like. The Champions have been known to eat an entire batch in one day.

1 cup peanut butter (either creamy or crunchy, I like creamy)
1 1/3 cup of sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350. Mix all ingredients together. Roll into little balls and place on a cookie sheet. You can leave them in the ball form and the cookies will bake to the "one-bite" size, or, press criss-cross with a fork for a more traditional peanut butter cookie. Bake 11-12 minutes. Watch carefully because the peanut butter will burn and be bitter. Cool on a wire wrack.

For perfectly sinful cookies, place an unwrapped Hershey kiss in the center of each warm, bite-size cookie and let the melty goodness begin.