With Thanksgiving soon upon us, I thought a recipe on what to do with the turkey carcass might be appropriate—Turkey Carcass Soup!

Ingredients

1 turkey carcass, from roasted turkey, extra meat removed 

2 carrots, peeled, finely chopped

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

2 cups cooked turkey meat, shredded 

3 sprigs fresh thyme

1 dried bay leaf

8 oz. egg noodles 

Kosher salt 

Freshly ground black pepper 

2 Tbsp. fresh dill, chopped 

Directions

Place turkey carcass in a large pot. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 2 hours.

Strain and reserve stock (and excess turkey meat, if desired). Return stock to pot and bring to a simmer (you should have about 6 c. stock).

Add carrots, celery, turkey meat, thyme, and bay leaf. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are just tender, about 12 minutes.

Add egg noodles and cook until al dente according to package directions; season with salt and pepper. Top with dill.

Enjoy!

My husband loves Kentucky Fried Chicken bowls and I found a copycat recipe I wanted to share! The bowls contain popcorn chicken, mashed potatoes, corn, gravy and cheese.  (I can do without the cheese personally.) 

Ingredients

24-ounce bag of frozen popcorn chicken

homemade mashed potatoes kept warm

chicken gravy

1 cup frozen corn

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions 

Cook popcorn chicken according to package directions.

Heat gravy.

Place the corn in a microwave safe bowl with a tablespoon of water and cover with plastic wrap or a microwave safe lid. Microwave for 1 – 1 ½ minutes, or until heated through, stirring once during cooking. Toss with a pinch of salt.*

To serve: spoon about 1 cup of mashed potatoes into the bottom of a bowl. Top with 6 oz of the chicken, a few tablespoons of shredded cheese, ¼ cup of corn and drizzle with gravy. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley if desired.

(*Pat’s note: if you prefer canned corn can be used.  Simply heat as you normally would.)

Enjoy!

I found this recipe quite by accident, but it looks so cute, I had to share.  Owl Cookies!

Ingredients

2/3 cup butter, softened

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 large egg, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup quick-cooking oats

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1-ounce unsweetened chocolate, melted

12 whole cashews

24 striped chocolate kisses, unwrapped

24 semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

In a large bowl, beat butter, peanut butter and brown sugar until blended. Beat in egg and vanilla. In another bowl, mix flour, oats, baking powder and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture.

If necessary, cover and refrigerate dough 1 hour or until firm enough to shape. Divide dough in half; shape 1 portion into an 8-in.-long roll. Mix melted chocolate into remaining dough. Roll chocolate dough between 2 sheets of waxed paper into an 8-in. square. Place plain roll on top of chocolate dough. Wrap chocolate dough around plain dough, pinching together at the seam to seal. Wrap and refrigerate 3 hours or until firm.

Preheat oven to 350°. Unwrap and cut dough crosswise into 24 slices 3/8 in. thick. To make owls, place two slices side by side on an ungreased baking sheet; pinch the top of each slice for ears. Place a cashew between slices for a beak. Repeat with remaining dough.

Bake 12-15 minutes or until set. Cool on pans 5 minutes before removing to wire racks. While cookies are warm, place 2 kisses on each cookie, pointed side down, for eyes. (Kisses will melt slightly.) Top each kiss with a chocolate chip. Cool completely.

ENJOY!

I love to see what new recipes or treats are out there for Halloween parties.  Not that I have them anymore, but I do love to eat!

Acorn Treats

This is a super simple recipe that’s adorable too!  There’s only three ingredients: miniature chocolate chips, Hershey Kisses and Nutter Butter Bites!  You need one Hershey Kiss, one Nutter Butter Cookie and one miniature chocolate chip per treat.  Simply melt chocolate chips to use as the “glue” between the pieces!

Meringue Bones

This is another simple to make recipe with minimal ingredients!  You need 2 large egg whites at room temperature, 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar and ½ cup sugar. In a small bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar on medium speed till soft peaks form.  Gradually add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time until stiff peaks form.  Place in a heavy-duty resealable plastic bag and cut a small hole in the corner of the bag.  On parchment lined cookies, pipe a 3-inch log. Pipe 2 balls on each end to create the bone shape. Bake at 225* for 1 ½ hours or until firm.

Brownie Spiders

These brownies are cute and so easy to make. Bake up your favorite brownies (from a mix if you like) and after they bake and cool, turn the brownies out onto a cutting board. Using a glass, “cut” circles from the brownies. (The leftover scraps are fair game to munch on!) Use pretzel pieces for legs and purchased eyes from the baking aisle.

ENJOY!

Continuing our pumpkin theme, today’s offering is Crunchy Ranch Pumpkin Seeds!

Ingredients

3 cups fresh pumpkin or squash seeds, washed and drained

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 to 1/3 cup ranch salad dressing mix

Directions

In a large skillet, saute seeds in oil for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Using a slotted spoon, transfer seeds to an ungreased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Sprinkle with salad dressing mix; stir to coat. Spread in a single layer. Bake at 325° for 10-15 minutes or until crisp. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.

ENJOY!

Today continues the pumpkin theme with Pumpkin Dessert Cake!

Ingredients

2-1/2 cups finely crushed gingersnaps (about 40 cookies)

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

2 tablespoons milk

TOPPING:

3 cups cold milk

2 packages (3.4 ounces each) instant vanilla pudding mix

1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin

2-1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

2 cups whipped topping

Additional whipped topping, optional

Directions

In a large bowl, combine gingersnap crumbs and butter; press into an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Bake at 325° for 10 minutes. Cool.

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar and milk until smooth. Spread over the crust. In another large bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix for 1 minute. Add pumpkin and pie spice; whisk until well blended.

Fold in whipped topping. Spread over the cream cheese layer. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Cut into squares; garnish with whipped topping if desired.

ENJOY!

October is PUMPKIN month!  Let’s start off with my favorite Pumpkin Bread!

Ingredients

2/3 cup shortening

2 2/3 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 can (1 pound) pumpkin

2/3 cup water

3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

2/3 cup chopped walnuts

2/3 cup raisins

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until fluffy. Stir in the eggs and pumpkin and water. Blend in flour, soda, powder, salt, cinnamon, and cloves. Stir in the nuts and plumped * raisins.

Pour into 2 greased 9×5-in. loaf pans or 3 8×4 loaf pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 65-70 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

• To plump raisins to make them soft measure raisins in a bowl and cover with very hot water.  Allow to sit for 10 minutes.  Squeeze excess water from them before adding to mixture.

ENJOY!

Continuing with “apple month”, today’s offering is a simple Apple Bread!

Apple Bread

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 large eggs, room temperature

1 cup canola oil

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups chopped peeled apples (about 2 medium)

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. Line 2 greased 8×4-in. loaf pans with parchment; grease paper.

Whisk together first 6 ingredients. In another bowl, whisk together eggs, oil and vanilla; add to flour mixture, stirring just until moistened (batter will be thick). Fold in apples and walnuts.

Transfer to prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in each center comes out clean, 50-55 minutes. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool.

Apple Bread Variations

Add dried fruits: Ingredients like regular or golden raisins, dried apricots, or dried dates would be wonderful additions to any apple bread recipes. Just know, you may want to cut back on the sugar to compensate for the extra sweetness.

Use a different kind of sugar: Different types of sugar provide distinct flavors and textures that you may enjoy. For example, you can substitute brown sugar for the granulated cane sugar, using a 1-to-1 ratio.

ENJOY!

I found this article on inthekitchenwithmatt.com!

Where does the Cherimoya come from and where does it grow?

The cherimoya (Annona cherimola) also spelled, chirimoya, chirimuya also goes by the name custard apple although the custard apple is a different fruit belonging to the same family (Annona reticulata.) It is closely related to the sweetsop and soursop fruits which all belong to the family Annonaceae.

It is native to Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Chile, and Bolivia. However, it is cultivated all around the world in Central America, South America, Southern California, Florida, Hawaii, South Asia, Australia, North Africa, Portugal, Southern Spain, in the Mediterranean, Cuba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, India, Thailand, to name several of them. There are other places and countries that grow it as well. Cherimoya trees thrive in the tropics at higher elevations, between 4000 and 8000 feet but do not like frost and snow. It is believed that it originated first in Central and South America, then it spread to other countries. As explorers returned back to their homelands with this amazing fruit.

It doesn’t grow very well in the Phoenix desert where I live, after a few years of struggling in a pot, my sapling died on me. The Atemoya, which is a hybrid between the Cherimoya and the sugar apple is a little better suited to growing where I live.

What are the nutritional benefits of the Cherimoya?

The cherimoya is loaded with nutritional benefits. Below are a few of them:

Rich in vitamin C

High in fiber

Moderate amount of lutein

May reduce inflammation

Support the immune system

Moderate amounts of potassium and magnesium

How to eat the Cherimoya?

The cherimoya is a fairly good-sized fruit that is green with hints of brown and black. The shape is very similar to a heart. The outside skin is somewhat smooth and has a scaly look to it. It kind of reminds me of a dragon’s egg.

How do you know when it is ripe?

You will know when it is ripe when you gently squeeze it with your palms it should give to the pressure, similar to avocado and pear. There should not be too much black or brown coloring on the skin. They are normally picked before being fully ripe so they can last longer before they are sold. Most likely when you buy it at the supermarket you will want to let it sit at room temperature for a few days to soften up and ripen more. To eat it, just cut it in half with a knife.

Then you will seed smooth black or dark seeds. Use a knife or spoon and scoop those out. They are not edible, do not eat them. They may be poisonous. The skin is not edible either. Inside you will see a beautiful white custard-looking flesh. It should be soft, if it is too hard the fruit is not ripe yet. Cover it with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for a few more days to soften more. You can cut it into chunks and eat it that way. Or a lot of people will just dig the flesh out with a spoon and eat it. The Cherimoya or custard apple is commonly eaten fresh/raw or put in smoothies, ice cream, and yogurt.

What does Cherimoya or Custard Apple taste like?

When ripe the flesh will be soft and custard-like. The texture will be similar to custard as well with a little bit of stringiness to it. To me, the texture is extremely pleasant. Taste is very subjective, but it has been described by others as tasting like a mix between a pineapple, banana, strawberry, papaya, and peach. I am inclined to agree with them. The Cherimoya tastes very similar to that to me. And since those are some of my favorite fruits, that puts this fruit in my top favorite fruits category right up there with the mangosteen. The strawberry has long since been my favorite fruit of all time, but the mangosteen, pineapple, mango, are a very close second place.

SOURCE: INTHEKITCHENWITHMATT.COM