Dinner in a Pumpkin

1 small to medium pumpkin
1-2 lbs ground meat
1-2 c cooked rice
1/2 onion
1 green pepper
1 can water chestnuts (8 oz)
1 Can cream of mushroom
2 T soy sauce
2 T brown sugar
*You could try it will celery & carrots too, I'm sure it'd be great.

Cut off the top of pumpkin, clean out & draw on a face
Saute onions & peppers until tender then add meat until brown
Add soy sauce, sugar & soup - simmer 10 minutes
Add rice & water chestnuts
Put all into pumpkin
Cook 1 hour at 350' with lid on

Serve from the pumpkin. Scrape the sides of the pumpkin as you serve it so you have an extra veggi. Delicious & very festive!

Thank you Andersons!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies:
15 oz can of pumpkin
1 box of spice cake mix

1 cup small chocolate chips (the small chips make the chocolate go farther without more fat/calories

bake at 350* We've always found it takes longer than the standard 10 minutes. Just watch until it seems done. The inside stays really moist so, unlike most cookies, I let these cookies get light brown underneath and on the sides.

**The only 3 things in this recipe are the mix, pumpkin and chocolate---don't follow the box directions like I did the first time...they really are as easy as they seem...yum yum!

Props to Zub for These!

Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits:
2 cups bisquick
1/2 cup cold water
3/4 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp parsley flakes
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp italian seasoning

mix together bisquick, cold water and cheese. mix according to directions on bisquick box. cut biscuits with cutter. melt butter and seasonings together. dip biscuits into butter mixture and place in pan. cook 8-10 mins at 450.

Taco Soup:
1 lb hamburger
1 package taco seasoning
1 can flavored tomatoes
1 can pinto beans
1 can corn

brown hamburger with taco seasoning. drain off excess grease. add tomatoes, beans and corn (do not drain cans) allow it to simmer for about 20-30 mins and serve with chips and other goodies

Scotcheroos:
1 cup karo syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup peanut butter
6 cups rice krispies
chocolate and butterscotch chips

bring sugar and karo to a boil. remove from heat and add peanut butter. and rice krispies and press into a greased 9 x 13 pan. allow to cool then top with melted chocolate chip and buttersotch chips (i prefer mostly chocolate chips)

Chicken Enchiladas

This is a little variation I made up from mom's base recipe. It might sound like it will be spicy, but it is actually very mild and creamy. They're not really enchiladas, but I didn't have a better name for them...let me know if you do.

Keep each set of ingredients separate until you're putting the enchiladas together

Boil Chicken with a bullion cube
shred chicken

1 can black beans
1 can corn
1 can chopped green chilies (4.5oz)
1/2 T Tabasco sauce
Mix together

1 can cream of chicken soup
1 carton sour cream (no more than 16 oz)
1/4 c broth from boiled chicken
1/2 T lemon juice
Lemon pepper
Garlic Salt
Mix together

Compile it all like enchiladas. Bake them covered for about 40 minutes at 375' (uncover for the last 10 min).

Lentil Stew

1 cup lentils
1 quart water
1 cube bouillon

1 can diced tomatoes (I used the ones that are flavored in basil & garlic)
1 glove garlic
1/4 c bbq sauce
2 t cumin
1 t chili powder
1 large onion
carrots
peas
celery

Boil lentils in bouillon & water then simmer for about 15minutes.
Add everything and simmer for another 20 minutes.
S&P and serve.

**Add as many veggies as you want I put in carrots, frozen peas, and celery and at least a cup of each and it was fabulous.
**It's not the prettiest dish since the lentils get all mushy so you can't really tell what you're eating, but it's delicious!

Mom's 6-week bran muffins

2 cups All Bran Cereal
2 cups boiling water
*soak these together
2 cups sugar
1 cup shortening
*cream together
add 2 eggs
*mix
blend in 1 quart buttermilk
add 4 cups Bran Buds
then add the All Bran mixture

stir together: 5 cups flour, 4 tsp baking soda & 1 tsp salt
add to mixture

fill muffin tins and bake at 7375' for about 20 minutes

Unused batter may be saved in a closed container for up to six weeks.

Calzones

This recipe is from the recipe book Emily made for Christmas like 10 years ago & it says it's Marion Wells' recipe. Anyway, I made it the other night and it was delicious! We decided you could use this "crust" and put whatever you wanted in it & it would be great. Tom called it a fancy hot pocket...he assured me that was a good thing.

It's basically just Rhodes rolls that you let rise and roll out to cover the "pizza" toppings

Pre-heat oven to 375 & cook for 20 minutes
Her recipe calls for: Italian Sausage, hamburger, olives, mushrooms, green & red bell peppers
After cooking them all you add them to: 6 oz. tomato past, 1 lb mozzarella cheese, 1 lb cheddar cheese, 1 T Italian spices, and 1 T garlic salt
Cover the calzones in butter before & after baking to make them shiny & crisp