I have to say, I never thought pumpkin and chocolate would go well together.I was wrong! Pumpkin and chocolate are a match made in heaven! They complimented each other so well, and I think that just MAYBE this may be a replacement for regular old pumpkin pie (at least for me – hardcore pumpkin pie lovers may disagree)!

Pumpkin Pie Layer

• 1 cup pumpkin
• 1 large egg
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ginger
• ¾ cup evaporated milk

 Chocolate Silk Layer

• ¾ cup evaporated milk
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate

Preheat oven to 425⁰F. Have your pie crust ready to go.

In a medium bowl, mix the pumpkin and the egg together. Add the sugar and spices. Mix until well blended. Slowly add the evaporated milk.

Pour into the pie shell, and bake for 10 minutes at 425⁰F. Turn down the oven to 350⁰F, and continue to bake for another 25 minutes or until a knife comes out clean. Allow to cool before making the second layer.

Chocolate Silk Layer

In a small saucepan heat the evaporated milk and egg yolk until it begins to thicken, over medium-low heat. About 5 minutes.

Add the chocolate chips and remove from heat. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted, and the mixture is silky.

Pour the chocolate mixture over the pumpkin layer and spread evenly.

Refrigerate for 3 hours before serving. Makes one 9″ pie.

When I came across this recipe for Chili Roasted Cauliflower on Pinterest, I was more than sold! Healthy, slightly spicy and oh so easy to make!

The only thing I would consider changing with this recipe is the amount of oil. Even after roasting for 1 hour, it was quite greasy, but delicious nonetheless!

Chili Roasted Cauliflower

Original recipe from remcooks.com

• 1 large head cauliflower
• 3-5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp crushed chili flakes
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• salt, to taste

Preheat oven to 325ºF.

Wash the cauliflower and separate into florets. Put in a large bowl.

In a small dish, mix together oil, garlic, chili powder, chili flakes and cumin powder. Add to cauliflower bowl, and toss until well coated.

Place the cauliflower in a large roasting pan. Cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. (Note: keep a close watch. I found after 45 minutes in my stupid hot oven, the cauliflower was about 10 minutes from done!)

Meanwhile, finely chop the cilantro, and juice the lime.

Remove the cauliflower from the oven, and sprinkle with the cilantro and lime juice.

Serve and enjoy! Makes about 4 servings (depending on the size of your cauliflower, as well).

I’ve been a busy (and lazy) beasty! Trying to get my crazy house in order (yeah, right) and now, planning mine and the future husband-sort’s wedding (September 7th, 2013, y’all)! Toddler wrangling (attempting potty training) and other odds and ends. Boy oh, boy. I’m spent by the end of the day!

But comfort food season here. It’s officially fall, and along with breaking out my animal print scarf collection, I can start abusing the oven and all the warm comfort food that comes along with it!

There’s nothing yummier than having a roast with roasted veg cooked along with it. Except for the time (you don’t wanna cook that roast too fast or you’ll have a tire – yuck). I had some Chorizo sausage I wanted to just fry up and have on the side, and I was stuck for just some simple veggies. So I thought: “Can I have the roast veggies without the roast?” So, I did. Nom!

Just simple root veggies (or veggies that won’t turn to mush) are the way to go. I used carrot, celery, potatoes and onions. Chopped them up into bits, seasoned them with salt, pepper, and olive oil, and cooked them away!

They turned out great! Next time I think I’ll throw some pieces of garlic and perhaps a turnip in along with it just to mix it up. But I think this is a great little thing when you want some tasty, comfort food inspired veggies!

Standalone Roast Veggies

•  1-2 small onions, quartered and separated
• 3-4 large red potatoes, cubed (skin on)
• 1-2 cups baby carrots
• 2-3 celery stalks, cut into 1″ pieces
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Chop your vegetables into mostly uniform sizes. If you don’t, you’ll have uncooked veggies, and some burnt veggies, too – ew!

Throw all the veg into a large bowl, and swirl around with the olive oil and salt and pepper. Be adventurous if you dare – experiment with different spices and seasonings!

Prep your roasting pan by either greasing it or lining it with parchment paper (did I mention: I LOVE PARCHMENT PAPER).

Spread the veggies in a single layer in your pan.

Roast the veggies, and turn every 10 minutes. You want them in there at least 30 minutes for a cooked, but still firm texture.

Serve them along side your meat of choice, and it can’t hurt to add a bit of gravy!

Makes about 4 servings.

It was glorious!

I made it for a lunch with our Guinea Pig friends, and for a cabin adventure (where it kept in the fridge for 5 days), and my mother-in-law made it for my daughter’s birthday party (she’s two now – time sure flies)! It must be a keeper if it’s been made so many times so far! It pairs well with all Summer barbecue food, and loves to be placed beside a grilled cob of corn!

Bacon and Egg Potato Salad

• 4 cups cooked potatoes, cubed
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 3 tbsp scallions, chopped
• 7 (or more!) bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
• 3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 6 eggs, hard-boiled and chopped
• 1 cup sour cream
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise (or baconnaise if you’re feeling crazy!)
• 1 tsp powdered Ranch dressing mix
• 2 tbsp mustard
• 2-3 dashes Tabasco sauce
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Cook potatoes ahead of time and cool.

In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, onion, celery, scallions eggs, and bacon. In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Pour over the potato mixture and toss to coat. Chill for 1 hour before serving, and it always tastes better the next day!

Makes approximately 8 servings.

Although the heat has dragged me through what feels like hell and back, I did manage to turn on the oven once in a while (avoiding the oven kind of put me off all sorts of cooking, hence the silence around here). I made pies, cookies, lasagna (what was I thinking – that was a sweaty ordeal), all kinds of salads and dips! Sadly, I only took photos of a fraction of them. But the months to come will remedy that!

On my Wednesday work nights, my coworkers and I have mini-potlucks! There is six of us that take part: we each bring a dish of either savory or sweet and share our dinners! It’s great! … except for the fact that 75% of the food that is shared is of the hip expanding sort. Such is life!

I brought cookies one week. They were so yum – oooh, chocolate lovers hold on to your pants! These aren’t your usual chocolate chip cookies. They’re light, airy and soft on the inside, with a wicked good crisp on the outside! They were winners!

Double Chocolate Cookies

• 1 cup margarine
• 1 3/4 cups packed light brown sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups whole wheat (or all-purpose) flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat the oven to 325ºF.

Beat margarine, sugar, vanilla and salt together until creamy. Add eggs; beat well.

Stir together flour, cocoa, and baking soda; gradually add to the wet mixture and beat until well blended.

Drop by teaspoons on to a parchment lined cookie sheet.

Bake for 9 minutes, or until set. DO NOT OVERBAKE! They will turn into chocolate hockey pucks. Cool slightly, then remove from sheet on to cooling racks.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

This is another one of those terrifying Pinterest finds. Pin it, and go out and buy the stuff to make it. It can’t get much simpler: bread, butter, cheese, bacon, seasoning… yeah, we is sold!

I’ve made this twice now. First time, it was delicious, but way too salty. I think an important thing to remember is to use unsalted butter. You get so much salt from the dressing mix, and salted butter just amps it up to a tongue burning experience. The second time I made it, I used half the amount of ranch dressing seasoning, and it was just right. Don’t use cheap cheese, either. Use the really good, ooey gooey when it’s melted type!

Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pulls (Crack Bread)

Recipe from Plain Chicken.

1 loaf sourdough bread, unsliced
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, thinly sliced
3/4 cup bacon bits
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 tbsp Ranch dressing mix

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Using a sharp bread knife cut the bread going both directions. Do not cut through the bottom crust. Place slices of cheese in between cuts. Sprinkle bacon bits on bread, making sure to get in between cuts. Mix together butter and Ranch dressing mix. Pour over bread.

Wrap the entire loaf in foil and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. Unwrap. Bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Serve, and try not to get too hooked!

That’s where these cookies come in. I’ve used different recipes in the past, but they weren’t always great. A bit too dry, especially after they had sat in a cookie jar for a couple of days.

Again, my cooking and baking travels took me to the Smitten Kitchen. Took a boo, dug through the pantry and baked along my little way!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Original recipe: Smitten Kitchen | Peanut Butter Cookies

• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup peanut butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar (plus more for rolling cookies)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 large egg
• 1 tbsp milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and the peanut butter together until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat until smooth. Add the egg and mix well. Add the milk and the vanilla extract.

Add the flour mixture to the wet bowl and beat thoroughly. Add the chocolate chips.

Pour your extra sugar into a small dish, and placed rolled balls of dough in it. Roll around until coated.

Put onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, leaving space for expansion.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden. Do not overbake! The cookies may appear raw, but they really aren’t. Cool on the sheet for a minute or two, then transfer to wire racks.

I’ve spent hundreds of dollars on these little indulgences, I’m sure (especially with almost $5+ a pop for a Starbucks venti)! It was the amount of money I’d spent that pushed me to find the perfect at home solution for this caffeine addicted habit!

Coffee ready for it’s journey to the library, and my other love: my newest bag! ♥

After trying iced coffee made from cooled drip coffee, and instant coffee, and what felt like everything under the sun, I came across Smitten Kitchen’s Cold-Brewed Iced Coffee, and my coffee-making life was forever changed.

Brewing the coffee at room temperature and for 12 or more hours made such a strong, flavourful coffee kick! I was thoroughly impressed, and since it was posted in 2008, this has been a regular staple in my kitchen all year round!

It keeps for up to a week (if you’re lucky it lasts that long), and same with the Vanilla syrup I’ve made to go with this week’s brew (of vanilla flavoured grounds).

The syrup is just a basic simple syrup, just with vanilla added (anything with vanilla in it has been my vice as of late). Click through to make your own iced coffee money savers!

Iced Coffee Concentrate

• 1/3 cup ground coffee
• 1 1/2 cups water

In a large container, stir together coffee and 1 1/2 cups water. Cover and let rest at room temperature overnight or 12 hours.

Strain through a coffee filter. (I use the coffee maker turned off, of course, and run it through that way. You can walk away and let it drip instead of babysitting it!) The coffee concentrate will keep up to a week in the fridge.

Mix concentrate equally with water or milk. Add a tablespoon of syrup, or more if you have a sweet tooth (recipe below)! Add ice (tip: freeze your leftover hot brew and have coffee cubes! It will stop your coffee from tasting watery as the cubes melt) and enjoy!

Simple Vanilla Syrup

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup of water to a boil. Once boiling add the sugar. Stir constantly until sugar is fully dissolved. Remove from heat and cool.

Once cooled, stir in the vanilla and refrigerate.

DIP! DIP, MOMMY! DIIIIIIIIIIIIP!

So I made dip! I wanted to make something I haven’t made before (my guinea pig eaters were coming over), and this fit the bill.

This is a recipe from Closet Cooking, and it was good. Cheeseburger in dip version good. Come on in, and make some dip!

Double Bacon Cheeseburger Dip

• 1/2 lb lean ground beef
• 6 strips bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp ketchup

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Cook the ground beef in a pan over medium heat, set it aside and drain the grease from the pan.

Cook the bacon in the pan until crispy, about 6-10 minutes, set aside and drain all but a tablespoon of the grease.

Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Mix the ground beef, bacon, onions and garlic, cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, mozzarella, cheddar, Worcestershire sauce and ketchup and pour it into a baking dish.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until the top starts turning a light golden brown with the sides bubbling.