Pumpkin Pie Cake

This is my mom's recipe-its a family favorite and popular whenever I serve it! I have been getting lots of requests for this recipe so here it is.

Ingredients:

1-29 oz. pumpkin
1 can evaporated milk
2-3 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
3 eggs
1 C sugar (I only use about 2/3 C)

1 Dry Yellow Cake Mix

1/2-1/3 Cup Butter-frozen

Combine pumpkin, milk, spice, eggs and sugar, mix well then pour into well greased 9X13 pan. Sprinkle cake mix over pumpkin mixture. Grate butter over top. Bake uncovered at 350 about 1 hour or until cake pulls away from pan. Don't over cook. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

Linda's Clam Chowder (or Potato Soup)

4- 6 1/2 oz cans of Clams, drained*

2 Cup diced Celery

2 Cups Chopped Onions

4 Cups Diced Potatoes

1 1/2 Cup Butter

1 1/2 Cup Flour

2 Quarts Half and Half+

Salt and Pepper

In a large pot, combine clams, celery, onions and potatoes. Add enough water to cover the veggies, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender.

In a separate large saucepan, melt butter and whisk in flour. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly, then slowly whisk in half and half. Continue cooking and stirring until mixture is smooth and thick then pour into veggies and clams. Mix soup to combine then add salt and pepper to taste.

I have been known to add extra veggies to this soup; I am famous for sneaking veggies in wherever I can :) Some of my favorites are carrots and corn, but use your imagination.

*We prefer to omit the clams and make Potato Soup, instead of Clam Chowder, either way, this soup is delicious!

+If you prefer not to use half and half, us can use any kind of milk you prefer, half and half just makes the soup creamier. When I don't have half and half on hand, I use whatever kind of milk is in the refrigerator and it always turns out fine, just a little thinner.

Basil and Walnut Pesto

I've had some requests for my favorite pesto recipe. I grow sweet basil and purple basil, this time of year it is growing out of control, so I'm thinking of every way possible to use it all up. Pesto is the perfect thing to make when you find yourself with excess amounts of fresh basil. Some of my favorite uses for pesto are: tossed with pasta and fresh tomatoes and as a spread on my turkey and tomato sandwich, but there are a million uses for it! Traditionally pesto is made with pine nuts, however, I never have pine nuts on hand, I keep walnuts around for their exceptional health properties (walnuts have 5.5 g of Omega 3's and 28 grams of Omega 6's per 100 grams).

Pesto:
2 Cups Packed Basil Leaves
1/3 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 Cup Walnuts
3+ cloves Garlic
1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese
1/2 tsp Salt
3 Tbsp Boiling Water (optional)

I put all the ingredients in my food processor and blend away. If I have pasta on the stove, I use a few spoonfuls of the hot water from the pot to add to my pesto, if not, I microwave a dish of water and add it in. Adding boiling water to your pesto thins it out (which I like) and also releases more of the flavorful oils from the basil leaves and garlic. mmmmm!

Garlic Cheddar Chicken

This chicken is super moist and very yummy! It is sure to be a crowd pleaser.

Garlic Cheddar Chicken:
1/2 cup softened butter
2-3 Tbsp minced Garlic
2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
3/4 Cup Dry Breadcrumbs
1/2 Cup grated Cheddar Cheese
1/4 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I use the tenders because they're smaller, then my kids don't have to whine about splitting their chicken)
1/2-2/3 Cup Cheddar Cheese

Preheat oven to 350. Use about 2 tbsp butter to spread all over the inside of a shallow baking dish. In a bowl, melt butter, then add minced garlic, garlic powder and seasoned salt then mix to combine. In a separate bowl, combine bread crumbs, 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese and black pepper. Dip chicken in butter mixture then dredge in bread crumb mixture, repeat with each piece of chicken. Place chicken in a single layer in the bottom of the baking dish. Bake for 25 to 50 minutes (depending on the size of your chicken pieces). Sprinkle remaining cheddar cheese on top and cook for an additional 10 minutes.