I’m kind of hit or miss on pumpkin flavored things.  I’ve never jumped on the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte bandwagon and I never make pumpkin pie or order pumpkin milkshakes.  I appreciate the fall spice profile but only enjoy it in reasonable amounts.  So, I saved this Sweet as Pie recipe for Pumpkin Whoopie Pies for Phillip’s camping trip.  That way, we could get a taste of the pumpkin spice bounty and still take the opportunity to share it with others.  Here’s how they came together:

First, I mixed together the dry ingredients – flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves.In my mixer bowl, I combined brown sugar, oil, pumpkin puree, eggs, and vanilla.  Once I mixed in the dry ingredients, the cookies were ready to scoop! A standard scoop is definitely the easiest way to make uniform portions.  These cake-like cookies baked for a few minutes until just starting to crack on the top.  While the cookies cooled, I made the filling by combining butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla. I used my scoop again to divide the filling among half the cookies and then assembled the sandwiches.These were a big hit.  The boys on the camping trip loved them and the balance between the pumpkin spice and the cream cheese was just right for me.  They were really good alongside a hot cup of cider or coffee.  I’d love to see if I could do something similar with apple instead of pumpkin since Phillip and I both love cider and other apple things in the fall.  If you love fall flavors and/or all things pumpkin, definitely give these a try!

The last selection for the October Sweet as Pie menu was this Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup.  I’d actually made this one before, so I knew it would be a hit at our house.  Easy enough to make on a weeknight, this is a great fall/winter soup option.  Here’s how it came together:

First, I sauteed some minced garlic in olive oil, then added tomato soup, sun-dried tomatoes, half and half, chicken stock, onion powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.  

Once this came to a simmer, I dropped in cheese tortellini (the kind you get in the refrigerated case).  

Once the tortellini is cooked through, the soup is ready!  Serve with Parmesan cheese on top.

This was quick, easy, and we both enjoyed it.  The only thing I would do differently next time is cut back on the Italian seasoning – maybe just add a 1/2 tablespoon instead of an entire tablespoon.  Perfect for a quick meal you could serve to break up heavy holiday dining (or to your vegetarian friends and family)!

For the September dessert selection on Sweet as Pie, we got to try these Strawberry Cupcakes.  They were a little different (especially the icing/glaze), but pretty tasty.  Here’s how they came together:

First, I mixed together cake mix, strawberry jello, oil, strawberries, water, and eggs in my mixer.

I used one of my trusty scoops to portion out the batter into cupcake tins.

While the baked cupcakes cooled, I made the icing/glaze.  I blended butter, sugar, and more strawberries.  I poked the cupcakes with a toothpick before glazing, but I’m not sure how effective this step really was.

We enjoyed these for several days and even shared some with some friends who had recently welcomed their son to the world.  If I make them again, I’ll go with a traditional icing or frosting I think.  I just wasn’t a fan of the runny glaze – maybe I didn’t get it quite right, but it wasn’t the cupcake topping for me.  The cake part, however, was scrumptious!

Hooray for one-pot meals!  This Skillet Rosemary Chicken recipe from Food Network was convenient, different, and tasty (especially the mushrooms).  And of course, how could I resist a recipe that incorporated two of my favorite ingredients – lemon and rosemary?  Here’s how it came together:

First, I boiled some red potatoes until tender.  Meanwhile, I used my super-cool mortar and pestle to blend together some rosemary, garlic, salt, and red pepper.

I mixed the paste with lemon and olive oil before coating some chicken in the mixture.

I browned the chicken and then added the mushrooms, potatoes, and the juice of another lemon back into the pot.

The dish was topped off with the juiced lemon halves and some sprigs of fresh rosemary before going into the oven for about 20 minutes.

I enjoyed this one – the flavors were good, I appreciated the ease of having an entire meal in one pot, and it did well leftover.  Plus, with those sprigs of fresh rosemary, it looked kind of fancy – probably fancy enough for guests.  Delicious (and less than 500 calories according to the recipe)!

For my pick for the September Sweet as Pie menu, I chose this recipe for JoJo Potatoes from an old issue of Cook’s Country magazine.  I’m always happy to try out new options for weeknight side dishes.  This one was fairly easy, and didn’t stay very long on Phillip’s plate.  Here’s how it came together:

First, I microwaved some potato wedges to speed up the cooking time. 

After coating the potatoes in oil, I dredged them in a mixture of panko crumbs, Parmesan cheese (use grated if you have it), paprika, ground mustard, salt, garlic powder, thyme, and cayenne. 

I let these sit for a few minutes before popping them in the oven to finish cooking through and to crisp.  Voila!  Weeknight potatoes!  The recipe is below for anyone else who would like to try these out.

3 medium russet potatoes (about 8 ounces each), scrubbed
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
2/3 cup panko bread crumbs
2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1.  Adjust oven rack to middle position, place rimmed baking sheet on rack, and heat oven to 400 degrees.  Cut each potato lengthwise into 6 wedges.  Place potatoes in large bowl and wrap tightly with plastic wrap.  Microwave until edges of potatoes are translucent but centers remain slightly firm, 6 to 8 minutes, shaking bowl (without removing plastic) to redistribute potatoes halfway through cooking.  Carefully remove plastic and drain potatoes well.  Return potatoes to bowl, add 3 tablespoons oil, and stir until potatoes are coated with starchy film, about 1 minute.

2.  Combine panko, Parmesan, paprika, dry mustard, salt, garlic powder, thyme, and cayenne in shallow dish.  Dredge one-quarter of potatoes in panko mixture, pressing gently to adhere.  Transfer to platter and repeat with remaining potatoes.  Let sit 15 minutes.

3.  Remove hot baking sheet from oven and brush with remaining oil.  Arrange potatoes, cut side down, in single layer.  Bake, flipping halfway through cooking, until crisp and golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.  Serve.

Admittedly, I was a bit skeptical about this Sweet as Pie recipe for Brunswick Stew.  I’d only had Brunswick Stew once before and I didn’t care for it at all.  And check out the picture on the official recipe – doesn’t it resemble a by-product of a stomach virus?  Anyway.  Phillip really likes Brunswick Stew and I’m a committed cooking club participant, so I made plans to whip this up one weekend (it requires some time, so a weekend is best).  Here’s how it came together:

First, I boiled some chicken and pork and reserved the stock.  I used leftover beef roast for the beef component so I saved myself some time on that one.  Meanwhile, I boiled some potatoes.  I took a detour from the recipe at this point.  It instructed me to ground all of the meat, but I just saw this as a pathway to paste.  I hate paste.  So, I decided to ground/puree only half of each ingredient to get the best of both worlds.  Best decision.  So, for the meat, I shredded half and ground half to leave it a little chunkier.  I added the meat, some stock, and a mixture of black pepper, cayenne, and water to my dutch oven. I added in onion, tomato, and potatoes (again, only pureeing half), ketchup, Worcestershire, and salt.  After a 30-minute simmer, I added the corn (only half pureed).

Another hour’s worth of simmering and the stew was done.

This was totally edible!  I liked it much better than I expected and Phillip, of course, enjoyed it.  It actually reminded me of chicken stew, one of my favorites.  I think the decision not to puree the whole thing really made the difference.  The recipe made quite a bit so I put a few servings in the freezer for us to enjoy later.  If you’re a fan of Brunswick Stew (or your husband is), this one’s not bad.

With the summer’s produce in full swing, we were looking forward to this Sweet as Pie pick from Ina Garten’s cookbook, Foolproof – Provencal Cherry Tomato Gratin.  I’m generally wary of Ina Garten recipes since I find her to be a bit intimidating and slightly pretentious (sorry, Ina, I don’t have any “good” $60 Mexican vanilla extract), but this recipe seemed so simple and so season-appropriate that I was sure it would work.  Here’s how it came together:

First I halved 3 pints of grape tomatoes.  Well, it would have been 3 full pints, but half of one of the pints fell into the garbage disposal during rinsing.  Sorry, Ina – don’t judge me too harshly.  I seasoned the tomatoes with olive oil, dried thyme, salt, and pepper. 

Next I mixed some pre-minced garlic (sorry, Ina), salt, dried parsley (sorry, Ina), olive oil, and some sourdough bread cubes (sorry, Ina, I did not have any country bread and I chose not to waste the crusts) in my mini-chopper and processed until I had seasoned crumbs.

I sprinkled the crumbs over the tomatoes and put the dish into the oven to bake for about 45 minutes.

We really enjoyed this.  It makes a lot, but we had no trouble knocking out the leftovers within a couple of days.  It’s easy, delicious, and pretty enough for company.  I’m already thinking of occasions I could made it for and people I could recommend it to.  If you like tomatoes, definitely check this one out.  And now I want to add this cookbook to my ever-growing collection – but only if no one tells Ina about all my ingredient substitutions!