Do you ever think....well darn, I just used a cup of pumpkin puree and now I don't know how to use the rest?

Then this fantastic recipe is the just the trick!

At this time of year, I will be the first to admit that I purchase everything flavored with pumpkin. But sadly, most of these beverages and treats don't have real pumpkin in them! Starbucks PSL's anyone?

Instead, I will be making these homemade pumpkin spice lattes with real pumpkin, spices, whole milk, a little sugar and vanilla, so that I know what I am actually drinking!

Total Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 2 large mugs full!

Ingredients: 

• 1/4 cup espresso **
• 3 1/2 Tablespoons sugar
• 2 1/2 Tablespoons pumpkin puree
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla
• heaping 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• heaping 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (plus more for on top)
• 2 1/4 cups milk (I used whole milk)
• Whipped cream (for on top)

For the espresso, I used instant espresso. I heated 1/4 cup of water until boiling and then added 1 teaspoon instant espresso--stirred and let sit until I needed to use it at the end. (I do love my coffee strong, so feel free to use less espresso!)

Directions:

1. Make espresso (however you would like!) and set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, pumpkin, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Whisk in the milk and espresso and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
3. Pour into two mugs and top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of nutmeg. Enjoy the taste of fall in the convenience of your own home!

Source: Food Network Magazine

I hope you are all recovering from sore feet, overly full tummies, and pruny dish-washing fingers! haha!

But really, I hope you were able to have a wonderful and relaxing day with your families! As we give thanks today, I hope that we can all remember to give thanks on every other day, as well. At this time every year, I love to listen to Josh Groban's "Thankful." It is so beautiful, and the words really stick with me. So of course, I thought I'd post it below :)

Today, I was blessed to spend the day with my husband, dad, parents and grandparents-in law, cousin Nick, and my dog Sugar! (Can't forget about the dog!) My mom and sister were in Lancaster with my mom's family, and because of the snow storm, my dad wasn't able to get to Lancaster this year! Luckily, we were staying at home :)

After a fantastic meal of turkey, wonderfully made by my mother-in-law, filling (it's not stuffing, it's filling!), sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and dinner rolls, it was time for dessert! I am very happy that we waited about an hour before digging in! Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to savor Grandma Freda's amazing pecan pie!

This pie is seriously good, and super easy to put together!

Total Time: approx. 1 hour
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50-55 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs, well beaten
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1 cup pecan halves
• 1 pie crust, homemade or store-bought!

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9 inch pie plate with crust. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, beat eggs well. Then add sugar, corn syrup, and melted butter. Mix well.
3. Add the pecans and stir until coated.
4. Pour pecan mixture into unbaked pie crust. Bake for 50-55 minutes until golden brown.** (The best way to tell if your pie is done is by gently moving the pie to see if the center wiggles. If it wiggles a lot, add another 5 or so minutes. If it does not move much, add another minute or 2 and remove from oven.)
5. Let cool completely before serving!

Note ** As you can see in my picture above, my crust started to get a little too dark. My pie was in the oven for the better end of 55 minutes. If you notice that it has reached its perfect golden brown color, place a pie shield on top of your pie like this one or shape aluminum foil around the edges of your pie like this. This will keep the crust from burning. Nothing worse than burnt crust!!

Pasta salad is pasta salad, right? 

Wrong!

You absolutely cannot go wrong with this delicious Asian-inspired take on the traditional pasta side dish. Serve it up with a steak or grilled chicken, and you are ready to go for a great, easy meal!

Over the summer, I took my mom and my husband's grandma to a local winery where you can pack a picnic lunch and sit by the pond, while enjoying a delicious glass of wine! I packed up this pasta salad, with some cheese and crackers, and some fantastic peach muffins! Mike's gram couldn't quit raving about the pasta salad! 

I guess what I'm trying to say is...make this. You won't regret it :)

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: about 8 servings

Ingredients: 

• 1 box Betty Crocker Suddenly Salad original pasta salad mix
• 1 (3 oz.) package Oriental Ramen
• 3 Tablespoons sugar
• 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 Tablespoons white vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons water
• 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
• 3 cups coleslaw mix
• 1 cup snow peas, strings removed, cut in half or in thirds
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted**
• 1 (15 oz.) can mandarin oranges, drained

**To toast the almonds, place them in a small skillet over medium heat. Shake occasionally until the almonds become slightly golden, about 5-7 minutes. Make sure to watch out! If almonds become burnt or too dark, they won't taste quite as good!

Directions: 

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. In the last 2 minutes that the pasta is cooking, add the snow peas to the boiling water. Drain and rinse with cold water.
2. While the pasta is cooking, make the sauce. In a medium measuring cup, combine the two seasoning mixes from the pasta and from the Ramen. Add the sugar, oil, vinegar, water, and soy sauce.
3. Add the drained mandarin oranges to the pasta, along with the coleslaw and almonds. Pour in the sauce. Mix well to combine. Serve immediately or refrigerate.
4. Just before serving, crush up the Ramen and sprinkle over the pasta. Enjoy!!

Source:  Betty Crocker

My mom, "Lynnie" is such a great cook! I can definitely thank her for all of her baking and cooking knowledge and for giving me a love of food! 

Every year on Christmas Eve, we have a lasagna feast with two different lasagnas that she makes. A cheese one for our non-meat-eaters (I say that because my husband loves chicken, but won't eat meat!) and an amazing meat lasagna with my mom's homemade meat sauce! I honestly look forward to Christmastime because of this lasagna! 

A great thing that she does is make both lasagnas ahead of time. She covers them both in plastic wrap and then foil, and freezes them for up to a couple of weeks. If you decide to do this, make sure you take off the plastic wrap before placing in the oven! Also, feel free to thaw in the fridge for a couple of days before cooking.

Total Time: 2 hours
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Yield: approx. 12-15 pieces

Ingredients: 

• 12 lasagna noodles
• 2 pounds ricotta cheese
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup parmesan (plus more for top)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 pound shredded mozzarella
• 2 jars spaghetti sauce**

**For the sauce you can choose 2 options:

• For a meatless option, I personally love the Bertolli Tomato & Basil sauce.
• For a meat lasagna, I use my mom's Homemade Meat Sauce recipe. However, I omit the green pepper from this recipe. The lasagna will use most of the sauce, with about 1 cup of sauce left over. A perfect dinner for 2 that evening!

Directions: 

1. Cook the lasagna noodles according to box directions. Once finished, drain and lay out flat on a piece of parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, eggs, parmesan, salt, and pepper.
3. In a large lasagna pan (Either a specified lasagna pan or one that is slightly larger than a 9x13 pan), pour 1/3 of a jar of sauce in the bottom (see note). Spread evenly. On top of the sauce, lay 4 noodles evenly across the bottom.
4. Spread half of the ricotta mixture on top, followed by half of the mozzarella. Then add half of a jar of sauce, spreading evenly with a spoon. Layer on 4 more noodles.
5. Again, add the rest of the ricotta mixture, the rest of the mozzarella, the other half jar of sauce, and 4 more noodles. Finish by spreading on the remaining 2/3 jar of sauce.
6. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove the foil and sprinkle extra parmesan on top of the lasagna. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Note:  If using the meat sauce, I pretty much eyeball how much sauce should go in each layer. Using a decent-sized ladle, I gently spread the sauce across the pan, without flooding the lasagna :)

Source:  Lynnie's Homemade!!

For easier directions, check out my lasagna stacking!

Top
Parmesan
2/3 jar sauce
4 noodles
1/2 jar sauce
1/2 mozzarella
1/2 Ricotta mixture
4 noodles
1/2 jar sauce
1/2 mozzarella
1/2 Ricotta mixture
4 noodles
1/3 jar sauce
Bottom

I'm having a really hard time trying to decide what I like more during the fall season...pumpkin or apple? And since baking two desserts a week may seem like a wonderful idea, I don't think my waist would agree! I will also have to admit that although pumpkin spice lattes are amazing, I was incredibly happy during my trip to Starbucks today to see that they have gingerbread lattes again :) Now if only they could create some kind of caramel apple lattes! 

This. Needs. To. Happen.

Wait...is this already a thing? Why have I not had one??? Please comment! 
Is this a thing??

Sorry...getting back to this fantastic cake. Super easy, super amazing. Why are you still sitting there? Go make this!

End rant.

Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Prep Time: 35 minutes
Bake Time: 40 minutes

Yield: 9 x 13 cake pan

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 1 stick unsalted* butter, softened (plus more for greasing pan)
• 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups apples, peeled and chopped (about 3 large apples)

Streusel:

• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Brown Sugar Glaze:

• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 Tablespoons water

* Here's what I have learned about unsalted butter. I notice a lot that I only need 1 stick of unsalted butter, and I don't feel like buying the whole box. Instead, if a recipe calls for additional salt, I will use a stick of regular salted butter and reduce the salt by 1/4 teaspoon (about how much is in each stick of salted butter).

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 x 13 glass baking dish with butter.
2. In the bowl of your stand mixer (or hand mixer), cream together the brown sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, blending well after each addition.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. In a another bowl, combine the sour cream and vanilla.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, while alternating with the sour cream, and ending with the dry ingredients. (Don't overmix! Only mix until everything is incorporated.)
5. Fold in the apples. Pour into the prepared baking dish, spreading out to the edges.
6. For the streusel, combine the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Add the butter and mix well, until it resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle evenly over the cake. 
7. Bake until the cake is done in the center, about 35-40 minutes. (Test with a toothpick in the center of the cake). Remove from the oven and let cool about 10 minutes.
8. For the glaze, combine all ingredients in a small measuring cup. Mix well with a small whisk, until smooth. Drizzle over the cake and serve warm!

Source: Emeril Lagasse