First Snow in October

White Chocolate Pumpkin Cookies

INGREDIENTS

* 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 cup unsalted butter
* 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
* 1 cup solid pack pumpkin puree
* 2 eggs
* 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
* 2 cups white chocolate chips
* 1 cup chopped pecans


DIRECTIONS

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice and baking soda.
2. In a medium bowl, with an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar. Beat in pumpkin pie puree. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture until just combined. Stir in the white chocolate and pecans.
3. Drop dough by rounded tablespoon 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) for 20-22 minutes until just set.

Beef Brisket with Ginger Gravy

2 pkgs dry onion soup mix
2 cups water
8 to 10 pounds of beef brisket
12 ounces chili sauce
10 ginger snap cookies

Pour dry onion soup mix into bottom of a large roasting pan. Pour in water and stir to combine. Place brisket into pan and cover meat with chili sauce. Break cookies into pieces and sprinkle around meat. Cover tightly and bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. Check occasionally and add more water if needed. Remove meat from pan and thinly slice. Return sliced meat to pan and spoon sauce over meat. Cover and cook another hour. Then turn heat down to 250 degrees and cook another 2 to 3 hours until meat is very tender. Serves 8 to 10.

Paper Crafting: Halloween die Cuts

What to Do will all those Green Tomatoes

Cooking green tomatoes

Because green tomatoes are not fully ripe, they can be a tad bitter and not nearly as sweet as red tomatoes. Green tomatoes won’t be your first choice for a salad or sandwich, but they will become something deliciously special if you cook them.

You can certainly fry green tomatoes, but they are equally pleasing when cooked into a soup, pickled, or transformed into sauce, jam, salsa or marmalade. You can also stew green tomatoes, include them in a tomato pie, or even stuff them with tasty ingredients.

Go out to your garden, pluck those green tomatoes off the vine and use them in the following green tomato recipes or a few of your own inventive green tomato dishes.
Green tomato recipes
Green Tomato and Squash Soup

Green Tomato and Squash Soup Makes 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients:
1 cup diced bacon
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1-1/2 cups thinly sliced green onions
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 bay leaf
2 pounds green tomatoes, chopped
1/2 pound yellow squash, diced
1 cup vegetable broth
2 cups water
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Creme fraiche

Directions:
1. Cook bacon in olive oil in a large pot over medium heat until crispy. Add green onions, garlic, and bay leaf, cooking until fragrant, about 5 to 6 minutes.

2. Add tomatoes, squash, broth, water, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes or until tomatoes are very tender.

3. Let soup cool and transfer half of it to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Pour blended soup back into pot with the rest of the soup and heat again to serve.

4. Top each bowl with a dollop of creme fraiche.
Green Tomato Salsa Verde

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:
2 tomatillos
2 fresh jalapenos, halved, seeded
4 green tomatoes
1 large red tomato
1 medium onion, diced
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Directions:
1. Preheat broiler and line a baking sheet with foil. Remove husks from tomatillos and rinse well.

2. Cut tomatillos in half and arrange, cut side down, on the baking sheet. Broil for 5 to 6 minutes or until skin is lightly charred. Remove from oven and set aside.

3. Meanwhile, combine tomatoes and jalapenos in a pot of boiling water. Cook 15 minutes or until tender. Drain vegetables.

4. Combine jalapenos, tomatoes, tomatillos, onion, lime juice, salt, pepper, and cilantro in a blender. Pulse until thick and chunky.

5. Serve with tortilla chips or over grilled chicken or steak.
Cheesy Green Tomato Casserole

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients:
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon butter, softened
1 pound green tomatoes, thickly sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 teaspoons fresh basil, minced
1 day old French baguette, cubed and toasted
4 tablespoons shredded fontina cheese

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and coat an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Saute onion and garlic in melted butter in a skillet over medium heat until translucent and tender.

3. Arrange half of the tomato slices on the bottom of the baking dish and season to taste with salt, pepper, and basil.

4. Spoon half of the onion mixture over top of the tomatoes then top with half of the toasted bread and half of the cheese. Repeat with remaining tomatoes, onion mixture, and cheese.

5. Bake casserole 45 to 50 minutes or until cheese is melted and tomatoes are softened. Serve warm.


Information from Sheknows.com

Caramel-Glazed Apple Cake

Cake
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
3 eggs
3 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
5 apples, cored, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 1/4 cups walnuts or pecans chopped
1 T vanilla

Caramel Glaze
4 T butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 cups heavy cream

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 325 , butter and flour a 9x13 inch pan
2. To prepare the cake, beat both sugars and oil in a mixing bowl until very well blended. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Gradually add to egg mixture, mixing just until blended. Stir in apples, nuts and vanilla; pour into pan.
3. Bake for 50 to 75 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan while preparing glaze.
4. To prepare the glaze, melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Stir in both sugars and salt; cook over low heat for 2 minutes. Add cream and boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
5. Poke holes in the cake with a skewer or toothpick. Pour on the glaze. Serve warm or at room temperature. Top with whipped cream or ice cream if desired. Makes 12 servings