Sally’s Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread (and why I bake)

pumpkin bread sallys top down sliced 2

It’s pumpkin time!  Yippee-Skippee!

Here is another pumpkin recipe I found and tried this past week for a yummy, moist bread by one of my favorite baking bloggers:  Sally’s Baking Addiction.  Be sure to check it out!  Sally also recently published a cookbook, and this recipe is in it.  (and she is only 29 years old!)

pumpkin bread sallys cover

I’ve been following Sally’s blog long before lifeinbetween.me was even a twinkle in my eye (though I could be Sally’s mom).

She is such an inspiration – sharing a “sprinkle of fun and adventure” in every post.

pumpkin bread sallys slice 2Sally is getting married soon to a lucky guy named Kevin who “makes her happier than cupcakes.”

Thanks for a great blog, Sally, and best wishes on your upcoming wedding!

So we didn’t eat the entire loaf of bread ourselves at home, I sent half of it to work with Liz this past week to share with some of her work friends who follow my blog.

Look at these adorable smiles Liz got for sharing with them.

TSM Girls with pumpkin bread

That is why I bake!

So thank you for the smiles ladies!

You made my day. 🙂

TSM Girls with pumpkin bread 2

Here is Sally’s recipe, or go directly to her website here.

Sally’s Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Ingredients:

  • 1  3/4 cups  flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin puree (you could certainly use fresh if you want to work that hard!)
  • 1/2 cup  melted coconut oil  (you could substitute vegetable or canola oil if you desire)
  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (feel free to change it up with cinnamon chips, butterscotch chips, milk chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, nuts, raisins, or a combination)

Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat the oven to 350F degrees.  Spray or grease and flour a 9×5 inch loaf pan (baking stone) with non-stick spray. Set aside.

Whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together until combined in one bowl. In another, whisk the eggs and sugars together until combined. Whisk in pumpkin, oil, and orange juice. Combine wet and dry ingredients and gently mix together.  Do not overmix – lumps are allowed. Gently fold in chocolate chips (or your desired add-in).

Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for approximately 1 hour.  Loosely cover bread with foil halfway through baking to prevent top from getting too brown. Bread is done when a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean with only a few small moist crumbs.

Allow the bread to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before removing and slicing.  Makes 1 delicious loaf!

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

Pumpkin Nutella Swirled Cookies

pumpkin nutella cookies coverNothing says Fall like pumpkin.

At the first signs, I am perusing recipes and pins on Pinterest to find new and exciting pumpkin recipes.

I had a jar of Nutella that Nick wanted to try a while back that has just been sitting there begging to be used in some sweet form, so I decided on this recipe I found from Jenn @eatcakefordinner.

pumpkin nutella stack

The guys loved them, and I had fun using my new micro-planer (from our Trip to the Strip) to add freshly ground nutmeg to these tasty little puffs of pumpkiny goodness.  (what a difference fresh seasonings, herbs, and spices makes.  Oh – if you could only scratch ‘n sniff this photo – which I DO NOT recommend!)

We might also be able to trick ourselves into thinking these are a little bit healthy……… pumpkin is a vegetable with loads of vitamins – and this recipes uses Greek yogurt too.  Give them a try.  They are a perfect Fall treat.

pumpkin nutella nutmeg

Pumpkin Nutella-Swirled Cookies
From: Jenn@eatcakefordinner

3 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 c.  butter, room temperature
1 1/4 c. light brown sugar
1 c. non-fat plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
1 c. canned pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. Nutella

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon; set aside.  In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar.  Add the yogurt, pumpkin, egg and vanilla and mix until combined.  Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.  Drop spoonfuls of dough, about 1 1/2 – 2 Tablespoons each, onto a greased baking sheet.  Flatten cookies a bit.  They do not spread much while baking and they puff up quite a bit, so make sure to flatten them. 

Top each cookie with 1/2 teaspoon or so of Nutella, spreading out and swirling slightly.   Bake cookies for 12-15* minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Makes 36-43* cookies.     

*Jenn’s recipe said bake for 15 min, but I only needed 12 min in my convection oven.  Also, Jenn said her recipe made 43 cookies, and I got 36.

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

Homemade Chicken Soup

chicken soup cover

What do you do when someone you love is sick or grieving?

I make homemade chicken noodle soup.

chicken soup bowl side 2

I had a sick son in the house this week.  Does anything break a mama’s heart more than a sick “child?”

After every effort of soup and ginger ale, Aleve, and cold and sinus medicine, a trip to the doctor was in order for Nick.

It seems he has the flu.  Already!  First day of Fall and the flu is in our house!

And then there is a family I care deeply about that is suffering a loss….

chicken soup bowl 2

When there is nothing else you can do…….

Cook…..

Feed….

Warm the heart and soul.

When I make homemade chicken noodle soup, it is nostalgic for me in so many ways.

Grandma made chicken soup almost every week.

I can still smell it as vividly in my memory as if I were there.

All I need do is close my eyes and inhale slowly, but deeply through my nose, my mind, my heart…

The distinct aromatic union of leafy celery tops, pungent chopped onions, sweet and nutty carrot slivers and juicy chicken creating a steamy aroma that oozes comfort, warm hugs,  and healing goodness…

So when I make chicken soup, it is more than a recipe – more than a meal.    For me, it is a labor of love, a reminder of my greatest role model, a tribute to simple, loving gestures, a way to share warmth, and give a hug in every spoonful.

And I want to share that love.

——————————————————————-

Jodi’s Version of Grandma’s Homemade Chicken Soup

Place 1 3lb pkg frozen chicken breasts in a large stock pot filled with water to cover.  (You can certainly use a whole chicken or bone-in chicken parts – like Grandma did.  The skin and bones do add a lot of flavor.  But then it is fussy to pick apart, and we like plump white meat best, so I find this much easier.)

Add:
3 Tbsp Chicken Base
1 stalk chopped celery tops with leaves
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1 onion, quartered
1 leek, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp celery seed
3 cloves finely chopped garlic

Simmer all for 3-4 hours.
Drain, and chop chicken and vegetables into broth.

In separate pot, boil 1 lb of your favorite noodles in salted water to al dente.
Drain and rinse.

Add noodles to broth and serve.

Wishing you good health and peace.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

PS – Had so much fun with A Tale of Two Condiments yesterday, so wanted to share a couple current photos of those cute little condiments.  (Thanks for all the great comments and likes!)

Here is Handsome Mr. Ketchup on his wedding day last year with the love of his life and our darling daughter-in-law (who LOVES french fries!)

jake and colleen wedding day

Here is Handsome Mr. Mustard and his beautiful and sweet girlfriend.  (He is the one who had the flu 😦    )

Nick and Liz B&W

And here is the contrary, but equally handsome Mr. Mayonnaise (having things other than mayonnaise at Mr. Ketchup’s wedding last year!)

Marty at Jakes wedding

My guys!  ❤

Dilly Beans & Spicy Pickled Peppers

dilly beans

I’m on a little bit of a canning kick…

jalepeno peppers

Last weekend, I gathered all the banana peppers and jalapeno peppers I could harvest from my tiny little garden, sliced them up, and pickled them.

peppers

This weekend, I tried some Dilly Beans.   (As I type, the jars are cooling and “popping.”  Pure joy to anyone who has ever canned – right?)

dilly beans

If you are looking for something to do with all of those peppers or beans, here are a couple very easy recipes to try.  How yummy they will taste in the middle of winter to remind us of summer!

Dilly Bean Recipe (compliments of “Oh Rob” & Joyce Brugnoli)

2 pounds of green beans
1/2 cup of canning or Kosher salt
2 1/2 cups of vinegar
2 1/2 cups of water
4 cloves of garlic divided
4 heads of dill divided

Trim the ends of green beans,  Combine salt, vinegar, and water in a large sauce pan.  Bring to a boil.  Pack beans lengthwise into hot jars. Add one clove of garlic and one head of dill to each pint.  Ladle hot liquid over the beans. Add lids, and process for 10 minutes in a hot water bath. Yields approximately 4 pints.

 

Banana Pepper Rings (as found on The Virtuous Wife’s Blog)

15-20 banana peppers
2 cups white vinegar
2 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 clove of garlic (per pint jar)
1 tsp canning/pickling or Kosher salt (per pint jar)
1 tsp vegetable oil (per pint jar)
3-4 pint jars and lids, sterilized and prepared for canning

Wash the peppers. Slice, remove seeds, discard stem ends.  In each sterilized jar, add one garlic clove. Pack jars with pepper slices.  In each jar of packed peppers, add 1 tsp canning/pickling salt and 1 tsp vegetable oil.  In a sauce pan, combine the vinegar, water, sugar, and ground turmeric. Bring to a boil.  Ladle hot pickling liquid into jars, leaving 1/2 inch head-space. Remove any air bubbles and add more liquid as needed.  Apply lids and bands, screw down to fingertip tight. Process in hot water bath for 10 minutes. Cool and store.

It is recommended to let both “cure” for approximately 2 weeks before eating. I’ll have to let you know how they turn out!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Zesty Italian Roast Beef Sammies

italian roast beef sandwich

Ooooo Laaaa Laaaa – I’ve got another delish sandwich to share.

I’ve been hearing about this roast beef that goes in the crock pot with a jar of pickled banana peppers (even from one of the guys I work with), so I was anxious to give it a try.

Pair this tender, shredded zesty Italian roast beef with a nice thick slab of mozzarella and a generous shmear of basil mayo on a toasted potato roll – and O. M. G!  It had me at “Zesty!”

The recipes I found consisted of mainly three simple ingredients:  roast beef, a package of Italian dressing mix, and a jar of banana peppers.

So I threw a 3 lb hunk of chuck roast in the crockpot (and – B T W – since when did chuck roast cost almost as much as filet mignon!?!??! – I guess the grocery industry realized what a tender, delicious roast this is if cooked properly.  It used to be considered “scrap!”)

I dumped a 12 oz. jar of mild banana peppers on top.

And then – this is when I realized I did not have an envelope of Italian Dressing Seasoning Mix…..

But no problem – isn’t that what cooking is about – improvising, experimenting, making it your own?!…  (not to mention the virtues of Googling!)

So I made my own Italian Dressing Mix with guidance from AllRecipes.com:

1 Tbsp Garlic Salt
1 Tbsp Onion Powder
1 Tbsp Sugar
2 Tbsp Dried Oregano
1 tbsp. Black Pepper
1/4 tsp Dried Thyme
1 tsp Dried Basil
1 Tbsp Dried Parsley
1/4 tsp Celery Salt
2 Tbsp Salt

italian roast beef in crock pot

I  sprinkled about 6 oz. of this mix on top of the roast beef, and then added 1/4 cup of dried minced onions and about 1/4 cup of leftover sautéed fresh banana peppers from my garden that I had prepared for some grilled pizzas a few nights ago.  So either way will work – the homemade one or the package of Good Seasons or some other Italian Dressing Mix.

I turned the crockpot on high for about 4-5 hours, and then went and watched the Steelers game (thankfully we squeaked out a victory against the Cleveland Browns – oh yep we did Bub! 🙂 ), had a G&T, chatted with Marty and “Oh Rob,” and then enjoyed a delish dinner of a Zesty Roast Beef Sandwiches, Fresh Corn on the Cob, and a Spinach & Arugula Salad with Dried Cranberries and Walnuts – and guess what kind of dressing???  Homemade Italian Dressing made by using 2 Tbsp. of my new seasoning mixed with 1/4 cup vinegar, 2/3 cup oil, and 2 Tbsp. water.

A great Sunday dinner – with a couple great guys.

And BTW – if you didn’t want to have sandwiches (or didn’t have buns or bread!), I’m betting this roast beef would be great served with creamy mashed potatoes or wide egg noodles too.

italian roast beef sandwich

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

 

The Best Sandwich I Ever Made!

…or maybe I was just really hungry….

… but O. M. G. – I made the BEST tomato sandwich for lunch yesterday!

This was after staring at the overflowing bowl of tomatoes I picked the day before that is sitting on the counter with the abundance that is finally coming out of my tiny, little neglected 😦  garden.

(I AM going to do better next year – –  – she says every year!)

Oh  why do they have to come all at once!?!  Wouldn’t it be nice to have about five or six a week ripen throughout the whole year?  But NOOOOO – – – we get 30 at once for a couple weeks – then NOTHING!

And homegrown ones are so much sweeter than what we can get around here in Western PA the rest of the year at our local grocery stores.

tomato cut

So I plopped a couple slices of honey whole wheat bread in the toaster, smeared some mayo on them, then sliced (now this is a WHOLE new experience for me!!) some

SMOKED BUFFALO MOZARELLA cheese

I bought last weekend at Penn Mac in the Strip District.

Oh people – let me tell you….  actually – I can’t describe how YUMMY it is!!!

My favorite before this was smoked gouda, but WOWZERS, did this make for a good tomato sammie!!  (and I’m thinkin’ I must have a thing for smoked cheese…)

smoked buffalo mozarella

On top of the sliced cheese, I layered some fresh basil as if it were lettuce (oh how I love the anisey, licorice-like taste and smell of fresh basil!), then finally the tomatoes, a pinch of salt, and smooshed it down.

tomato sammie whole

And seriously – I’m sorry I did not get a very good photo, but I did not have the patience to check it before diving into it, and then it was too late for any retakes. 😐

tomato sammie

So I hope I described it well enough to get you to try.  A simple, but oh so delish sandwich for a hot summer lunch or dinner or snack!  Heck – – – I’d even eat this for breakfast!

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

Holy Guacamole!

guac cover

Our family LOVES Guacamole!

and it is so easy to whip up in just a few minutes if you have a couple of ripe avocados on hand.

quac ingred

Here is my super simple, but SUPER YUMMY recipe for Jodi’s Holy Guacamole!

INGREDIENTS:
4 ripe avocados
1 lime
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 large sweet Vidalia onion, chopped
1 ripe tomato, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Salt to taste (1/2 – 1 tsp)

Cut the avocados in half, pit, and scoop out flesh by using a tablespoon.  Place in bowl.

quac 2

Then coarsely chunk/smash using a pastry blender until it looks like this – takes less than a minute when the avocados are ripe.

quac 3

Squeeze the juice of the lime over avocados and mix well.

quac 4

Add remaining chopped ingredients:  garlic, onion, tomato, cilantro; and then salt to taste.

quac 5

Easy Peasy!  Serve with tortilla chips.

Jake and Colleen came over Sunday, and we ate it all!  First some before dinner, then polished it off after dinner with a couple drinks and a game of Scrabble (Which PS I won the first game!  Beat Jake by ONE Point! You cannot realize what a big deal this is – LOL!  Jake takes his Scrabble very seriously.  🙂  So he won the second game.  We will have to have a tiebreaker SOON – Game on Jake!)

scrabble
Enjoy the Guac!  It really is pretty killer!

quac last

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

 

Jack of Many Trades, Master of None

I wonder what those of you that happen upon my blog must think…..

Do you say – what the heck is this blog about?

One day this Jodi chick is baking and sharing recipes…

smore cookies

S’more Cookies Please!

Haluski

Homemade Haluski – Peasant Food Fit for a King

Another day stamping and gluing and cutting and sewing and card-marking…

child birthday card punch art birds on wire The paper players

Birthdays are for the Birds!

 

Friends Make the World a Better Place Mojo Monday

Ain’t it good to know you’ve got a Friend!

I also love to take photos and consider myself an amateur student of photography…

Hummingbird Photo

Hummin’ the Hummingbird Tune!

polar bear pittsburgh zoo & ppg aquarium

Sunday at the Pittsburgh Zoo

and writing and telling stories gives me such joy.

Remembering Grandma - Stella Star

Remembering Grandma – Stella Star

I thrive on encouraging people – it’s in my DNA (or at least my DISC profile – LOL!)….

Remembering moments

Remembering Moments

Always be the last to let go of a hug

Hugs

and if I just could find the time to make 1/1,000,000th of the DIY ideas I’ve pinned on my Pinterest boards for decorating or gift-giving…

Wedding Survival Kit

Wedding Survival Kit

I adore spending time with my family and friends…

Fishing

The Day We Almost Caught a Fish

Girlfriend Camp GFC2014 Mars, PA spaceship

Girlfriend Camp

I tinker with gardening…

gardening, tomatoes

The Great Tomato Caper

and I truly seek to discover and learn new things always – it keeps me (ahem) young and alive…

Alpacas  Four Points Alpacas

A Visit to Four Points Alpacas

I enjoy doing so many things (and am so fortunate to work a full-time job I love too!) that I just wish there were more hours in the day…

or at least wish that I was one of those people that only needed 3-4 hours of sleep a day (tried it for a while – didn’t work out – dangit!)

I sure am a jack of many hobbies and master of none.

But it is fun to be that way – eh?!?

And I love sharing the journey with you – my  supportive friends that have encouraged and continue to encourage me to write my blog – and those that have become new friends along this journey.

Global Mudder Tough Mudder

Tough Mudder

It is so exciting to see new friends subscribe, and comment, and “like” daily.

So on this Labor Day Holiday – I just thought I would share some of these faves from the 100+ posts I’ve shared so far from this labor of love blog I call LifeInBetween.me.

It was really hard to pick favorites, as I have LOVED writing and sharing every single one of them.

What is your favorite thing I write about?

I’d love to hear from you.

Happy Labor Day!  Make every thing you labor over a labor of love!

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

Homemade & Healthy Chewy Granola Bars

granola bar cover

Are you often looking for a quick, yet healthy and energy-packed breakfast or snack-on-the-go?  I felt like making something this weekend, but wanted to resist a sugar laden baked good (after making and sharing a hefty portion of “Crazy Addictive Caramel Corn” for a Pig Roast picnic we attended on Saturday) 🙂

granola breakfast

I searched a variety of recipes on line, and tried to find a tried and true one I had from a work friend to no avail (Tonya – if you are reading this, I need that recipe again 🙂 )

granola bar ingred

I ended up using the basics of a recipe I found at Five Heart at Home 

granola bar mix

and tweaked it up Jodi-style – adding some of our favorite things

granola bkfst

After preparing, I packaged them in individual bags and refrigerated for anyone to grab on the go or for a quick pick me up or breakfast on the fly.

granola bars wrapped

My taste testers (Marty, Nick and Liz) all gave them a thumbs up 🙂

granola bar cover

Here’s the recipe as I prepared it, but feel free to substitute your favorite ingredients:

1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup coconut oil (solid form)
2 1/2 cups oats
1 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
1/4 cup dried blueberries

Melt peanut butter, honey, and coconut oil in a saucepan.
Remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients.
Spread in a 13 x 9 pan.
Refrigerate approximately 2 hours.
Cut into bars and wrap or bag individually.
Return to refrigerator.

Feel free to substitute other dried fruits (golden raisins, dried cranberries or cherries) or nuts (walnuts, pecans, peanuts) or even chocolate chips (milk, semi-sweet, white, peanut butter, butterscotch)  if you like.  They would be great with sunflower or pumpkin seeds, too, but I didn’t have any on hand…

Then, I found this great site called Spark Recipes where you can enter the ingredients to a recipe you create, and it calculates the nutritional information, so I have provided that here also.

granola bar nutritional info

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoy!

granola bars

Cheers & Hugs,

Jodi

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh My Halupki! (Grandma-Style Stuffed Cabbage)

halupki cover

I think my Grandma made Halupki (stuffed cabbage to some) almost every week.

When Grandma cooked – even when it was just her towards the end of her life – she cooked for a small army…

Halupki pan 1

… and she ALWAYS made a care package for me.

I visited her at least once a week, and there was always a quart jar of some kind of homemade soup waiting for me in the fridge, usually a container of halupkis (or maybe stuffed peppers or something else that week), and then a bag full of goodies (cookies or cereal or candy or ALL three!) to treat the kids.

Grandma 80 birthday with Nick

Grandma’s 80th Birthday sharing her cake with Nick in our backyard

She kept an ongoing bag in the closet that she added to each time she shopped or made something so I always had a “Grandma Bag” to take home.  Sometimes she even picked up dish towels or other small kitchen tools.  She was always thinking of me, and always so giving.

I haven’t made halupkis in quite a while, so thought it would be fun to do.  (Funny how this blog has inspired me to stretch out of the normal chicken salad, pasta with meatballs, and other “usual” dinners to more creativity so I can blog about it…)  Definite bonus for Marty and family and friends that I share the “lovin’ from my oven” with 🙂 .

halupki 1

I hope Grandma would be proud of my halupkis – – – though hers were pure perfection – each sized the same in tight little cabbage packages – – – I’m not so fussy…

Halupki is a dish made of rice, beef, and pork encased in cabbage with a thin, sweet tomato sauce.  Every family has their own twist on this traditional “hunky” comfort food dish.

halupki pan closeup

One of Grandma’s tricks for her sauce was to mix tomato sauce, tomato soup and some of the water the cabbage was boiled in.

halupki 2

I hope you enjoy these with mashed potatoes – a must with Grandma’s halupkis.

halupki plated

Here is the recipe as I made it and as I recall from Grandma.

Makes: Enough for a small army (or approx. 60 halupkis)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

3 large heads of cabbage, cored
2 lbs ground beef
2 lbs pound ground pork
2 lbs ground veal
1  1/2 lbs thick sliced bacon
4 cups cooked white rice
3/4 cup chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 eggs
Salt and pepper to taste
2 28 oz can tomato sauce
4-5 Family size cans Campbell’s Tomato Soup

halupki pan closeup

Place cabbage in a deep pot and cover with water. Add salt to taste, and bring water to a boil.

Remove outer leaves as they begin to separate from cabbage head. Continue to pull leaves off while boiling for approximately 15 minutes. Trim thick center vein off cabbage leaves. Chop remaining core of cabbage and place in bottom of greased (I use Pam spray) roasting pan.

Reserve 4 cups of the cabbage water to mix with the tomato sauce and soup for sauce. Combine sauce ingredients and place 2 cupx over chopped cabbage in roasting pan.

Chop bacon into bite-sized pieces and fry. When cooked, drain off most of the grease, leaving enough in the pan to saute onions and garlic. Saute until translucent.

In a large bowl, combine ground beef, pork, veal, bacon, rice, onion, garlic, egg, salt and pepper.

Form oblong balls of meat mixture and place in center of cabbage leaves. Fold sides over filling and roll cabbage around meat.

Place in a roasting pan on top of chopped cabbage and sauce. When all are rolled and placed, pour remaining sauce over top of all.

Cover pan, and bake approximately 4 hours, basting every 30 minutes.
ENJOY!

71q-+ZrrnAL._SL1050_
Best Ever Blue Enamel Pot for Roasting Halupkis! You can get it HERE!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi