Chicken Fricassee with Mashed Potatoes

This is a meal my mom would make a lot when I was a kid.  It is great for those leftovers you may be getting sick of or if you want a good comfort meal.  My mom calls it chicken fricassee, but I don't know what the real name of it may be, all I know is it is delish!

Chicken Fricassee
from: my mom

Ingredients:

• 1/2 an onion, diced
• 1/3 cup of butter
• 1/3 cup of flour
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup milk
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup or more of peas and corn (or whatever your preference may be)
• 2 cups chicken (or turkey) torn up into bite size pieces (precooked!)

Directions:

1. Melt butter over medium heat.  When butter is melted, add onions and saute until translucent.
2. Sprinkle flour over this mixture once onions are ready.  Whisk until all of the flour is absorbed.  Cook this mixture and stir very often for about 3-5 minutes.  You want to make sure that you cook it long enough to get all of the raw flour flavor out.
3. Whisk in milk and broth.  You will want to whisk it good, or there might be lumps! 
4. Stir often over medium heat until the mixture starts to bubble.  You will also notice that the gravy will begin to thicken at this point, like magic!
5. When it gets pretty thick (like it would coat the back of a spoon), turn the heat to low. Now, add the peas and corn (frozen still is fine, that's why the heat is still on!) and chicken.
6. Finally, add salt and pepper to taste.  Don't add too much salt without tasting it because broth can be kind of salty!
7. Pour over your favorite mashed potatoes on each individual plate (homemade or boxed, I won't tell!), but don't combine it all until you are ready to eat, it might get a little soupy.
8. Leftovers are super good :)

Thanks Mom!

Pumpkin Cream Pie

I love this time of year and all of the pumpkin goodies.  Me and my friend Hope cooked almost all of Thanksgiving dinner on our own (Max put some butter on the turkey).  Instead of the traditional pumpkin pie, I made this pumpkin cream pie that I found on the Pioneer Woman's website.  I love her and her food always looks amazing!  I missed her when she came and visited OU :(

Ree's recipe called for a homemade graham cracker crust, but I already had so much today that I used a shortbread crust that I got at Target.  They had run out of graham cracker crusts already!  I probably shouldn't have done my shopping the day before Thanksgiving!  Also, I didn't use the whiskey that is optional.

Pumpkin Cream Pie
from: The Pioneer Woman 

Ingredients

• FOR THE CRUST:
• 1-½ package Graham Crackers (about 15 Cookie Sheets)
• ½ cups Powdered Sugar
• 1 stick Butter, Melted
• FOR THE FILLING:
• 1 box (3 Oz. Box) Vanilla Pudding (Cook And Serve Variety)
• 1 cup Half-and-half
• ½ cups Heavy Cream
• Pinch Of Cinnamon
• Pinch Of Nutmeg
• Pinch Of Ground Cloves
• 2 Tablespoons Whiskey (optional)
• ½ cups (plus 3 Tablespoons) Pumpkin Puree
• ½ cups (additional) Heavy Cream
• 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
• Extra Graham Cracker Crumbs, For Garnish

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Grind graham crackers in a food processor (or, if you don’t have a food processor, place them in a large ziploc and pound ‘em with a rolling pin.) Add powdered sugar and melted butter and process until totally combined. Press into the bottom and sides of a pie pan until nice and firm. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until warm and “set.” Remove from oven and allow crust to cool completely.
In a medium saucepan, mix dry pudding mix with half-and-half and cream. Add spices. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is bubbly and thick. Remove from heat and stir in whiskey, if using. Add pumpkin and stir to combine. Place lid on pot and set aside to cool. When cool enough, place pot in the fridge to cool completely.
When mixture is cool, remove from the fridge. In a mixing bowl, add 1/2 cup heavy cream and brown sugar. Beat until very light and fluffy. Fold in pumpkin cream mixture until combined. Pour into cooled crust.
Cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours or overnight. Serve with graham crackers crumbled on top.

Pumpkin Bars

Hello again.  I know its been a while.  I'm more than halfway through my student teaching and I have really been enjoying it.  I had a little time last weekend and was hanging out with Brittani, so I made some pumpkin bars in honor of Fall!!  I love pumpkin and all things pumpkin related. These bars are very yummy and have the perfect balance of frosting and cake.  I hope you get to try these and enjoy them!

Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
from: How to Simplify

Ingredients:
Bars

• 4 eggs
• 1 2/3 cups sugar
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

Frosting

• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• 3-4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13 baking dish.
2. Mix the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin with a mixer until light and fluffy.
3. Pour flour, powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda into another bowl and mix.
4. Pour flour mixture into pumpkin mixture and mix until incorporated and smooth.
5. Pour the batter into the baking dish and level out the batter.
6. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before removing from the dish or frosting.
8. Frost the bars when they have cooled -- To make the frosting: Combine cream cheese and butter in a bowl and mix until smooth. Add the sugar slowly until you reach the desired consistency. Stir in the vanilla.