Photos from our Soup and Comfort Food night

Taco Soup and Pumpkin Lentil Soup by Nicky and Lindsey 

Fantastic Cheese Bread by Tamra 

1 1/2 cup Mayo

1 cup parmesan cheese

1/2 Bunch Green Onions

Garlic salt to taste

Put on a sliced baguette and at 400 degrees until golden brown-about 5 to 7 minutes 

These might be the best pumpkin cookies ever. Recipe from Emmy below.

Pumpkin Curry Soup

This recipe came from my friend Jody Kyburz - IT'S FOR SURE A FALL FAVORITE!! I used Costco canned chicken in this and brown rice. I added quite a bit of nutmeg, I don't think you can ever use to much! I also cut way down on the half and half - I probably only put in 3/4 c.
=) ENJOY!

2 cups canned pumpkin

4 Tablespoons butter

½ cup chopped onion

2 cloves pressed garlic

4 cups water

6 chicken bouillon cubes

2 cups half and half

1 bay leaf

1 ½ teaspoons curry

1 pinch nutmeg

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 ½ teaspoons salt

2 cups cooked rice

It sounds a little unusual, but it’s tasty! Melt butter, saute' onion and garlic. Add everything but the half and half and rice. Reduce heat and simmer 3o minutes. Add rice and half and half at the end.

Curried Cider-Pork Stew

Prep: 35 minutes
Cook: 1 hour

Ingredients

• 2 lb. boneless pork shoulder
• 4 medium red and/or green crisp-tart cooking apples
• 1 Tbsp. cooking oil
• 1 large onion, cut into thin wedges
• 2 tsp. curry powder
• 1 14-oz. can chicken broth
• 2/3 cup apple cider or apple juice
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
• 12 oz. baby carrots with tops, trimmed, or packaged peeled baby carrots
• 2 stalks celery, sliced
• 1 1-1/2-lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed (2 cups)
• Sour cream, shredded orange peel, snipped fresh oregano and/or freshly ground pepper (optional)

Directions

1. Trim fat from pork; cut pork in 1-inch cubes. Peel, core, and chop two apples; set aside. In a 4-quart Dutch oven brown pork, half at a time, in hot oil; return all pork to pan. Add chopped apples, onion, and curry powder; cook and stir 2 minutes. Add broth, cider, salt, and pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Add carrots and celery to pork mixture; return to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cut remaining apples into 1/4-inch-thick wedges. Add apples and squash to pan. Cover; cook 10 to 12 minutes or until pork and vegetables are tender. Serve with sour cream, orange peel, oregano and pepper. Makes 6 servings.

I just used Costco's yummy canned chicken instead of pork - great option when you're in a hurry! ENJOY!

Cranberry/Almond Salad

2-3 Heads Romaine
1/2 Red Onion sliced thin
1/2 cup cranberries
1 cup carmelized slivered almonds. To carmelize almonds; put almonds in a saucepan over medium heat. Add about 6 T sugar, and stir constantly until well coated. Add a tsp of water to help sugar adhere.


Dressing:
1/2 cup Canola Oil ( I use a little bit less)
5 T Red Wine Vinegar (or Cider Vinegar)
6 T Sugar
2 T. Chopped fresh Parsley

Whisk together. I will sometimes add more or less of everything. I just tasted it as I go. :)

Pumkin Cookies with Brown Butter Icing

2 3/4 cups All purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp coarse salt
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/4 tsp ground ginger
3/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 c (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter,
room temperature
2 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups canned solid pack pumpkin
3/4 c evaporated milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 375. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg in a bowl. Put butter and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in eggs. Reduce speed to low. Add pumpkin, evaporated milk and vanilla; mix until well blended. Transfer batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 inch plain tip (such as Ateco #806) Pipe 1 1/2 inch rounds onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Bake cookies, rotating halfway through, until tops spring back about 12 minutes. Cool on sheets on wire racks 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks; let cool completely.

Brown Butter Icing

4 cups confectioners sugar
10 T unsalted butter
1/4 c plus 1 T evaporated milk
2 tsp vanilla exctract

Place sugar in bowl. Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Cook, swirling pan occasionally, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Immediatelty add butter to sugar. Add evaporated milk and vanilla until smooth.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

This makes 2 large loaves

3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
16 oz. & a little more pumpkin
3 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2/3 cups warm water
chocolate chips

Beat sugar, oil, eggs, pumpkin in a large bowl. Mix in flour, spices, and water. Stir in the amount of chocolate chips you desire!

Pour into bread pans that have been coated with a nonstick spray. Bake at 350 degree for 1 hour.