Thursday, October 15, 2009

Pumpkin Pie Treat

I don't know what the real name of this is, but it is really quick and oh-so-tasty! You will want to eat it hot with vanilla ice cream on the top!

1 can solid pack pumpkin
1 can evap milk
3 eggs
1 C sugar
4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 pkg yellow cake mix
3/4 C butter melted
1 1/2 C chopped walnuts (optional)
vanilla ice cream

Combine first 5 ingredients, Transfer to greased cake pan. Sprinkle with dry cake mix and drizzle with butter. Top with nuts. Bake at 350 for 1hr. Serve with ice cream.

Friday, October 2, 2009

Creamy Tomato Soup

Ok, seriously, if you haven't looked at this website you need to go there NOW. Every recipe I have tried on there has turned out delicious, so be prepared to see a lot of those recipes posted on here. I really love tomato soup and so does everyone in my family, so instead of breaking out good ol' Campbells, I tried to make my own. It was surprisingly easy and it tasted like heaven. It doesn't taste a bit like Campbells, more like a grown up version.

1 T real butter
1 C chopped onion
¾ C shredded carrot
1 T minced garlic
1 tea sugar
¼ tea pepper
¼ tea salt
4 Fresh Basil leaves plus some for garnish (or substitute 1-2 t dried basil, see note below)
1/2 C sliced sun-dried tomatos, packed in oil with herbs
2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (14oz) can chicken broth
3 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese

1. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped onion, shredded carrot, and garlic, and cook for 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring frequently.


2. Add sugar, pepper, and salt and cook 2 more minutes. Then add sun-dried tomatoes, diced tomatoes, and 4 basil leaves.

If you're substituting dried basil, the rule of thumb is 1/3 part dried herb = 1 part fresh so for this recipe you can eyeball it, but I'm guessing you'd want to add about 1-2 t dried basil

3. Stir to combine and finally add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Cover, and reduce heat, and simmer 30-40 minutes.

4. Remove from heat. Place soup in blender (do this in 2 batches if necessary). Add cream cheese. Remove center piece of blender lid to allow steam to escape, but place a paper towel over opening in blender lid to avoid splatters. Process for a couple of minutes until very smooth.

5. Divide soup among bowls and garnish each serving with a sprinkle of shredded Parmesan cheese and a basil leaf.