Juice to Heal me!! "Fall Tonic" and Pumpkin Pie

I have been curled up in my snugglie blanket and sweatpants in my leather chair for over a week trying to get past a sore throat, earache, cough....well more like a whoop, and runny nose.  Not real appetizing right????

Yesterday after a week I got a prescription and I am juicing today in hopes a recovery.  My favorite cure all is 3 or 4 carrots, a handful of parsley, a couple of stalks of celery, a half of a fresh beet and an apple or two. Today I threw in a big shiny bright plum....just because!! This is a cure all I use for anything that comes up be it illness, a new diet, or the blues!!  It has always made me fell better.  For today it is my "Fall Tonic"plus I have everything fresh and on hand.  Also it really tastes G-r-e-a-t!!

God Bless my husband and children who didn't get the usual Sunday diner this past week.  Only a rain check.  My husband went ahead and grilled the chickens I had thawed for exactly that reason, they were thawed.  Today I am boning them and putting their meat in the freezer for another use at another time.

Then there was the pumpkin  pie.  I had thawed the pastry made up in the freezer from the last batch I had made and frozen.  I had planned the pumpkin pie for Emily my oldest granddaughter.  She comes and visits sometimes on Sunday and I had planned for her to stir it up.  I did it instead and Brian loved it.  I have to say it is quite good for you and was easy for me to enjoy also.

My recipe follows:
1 unbaked 9" pie pastry in a deep dish
1 regular can of pumpkin
2 large eggs
1 C. sugar
1-1 1/4 C. cream
1 1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. cloves
1 t. ginger
1 t. vanilla
1/4 t. salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.   Beat the pumpkin and eggs together well with a large whisk.  Combine all of the dry ingredients in a small bowl and stir them together.  Add the sugar and spices to the pumpkin egg mixture and beat together well.  Add the cream and continue whisking until well blended and add the vanilla and finish combining.  Pour into the prepared pastry and bake in the center of the oven for 15 minutes.  Reduce the heat to 350degrees F. and bake for 40-50 minutes longer until the filling is set.  Serve with ice cream or whipped topping.
Note:  Newer recipes ask for evaporated milk and you can use it as well.

Butterscotch Chocolate Brownies

My  big discovery last week was to bake the brownies in my mini loaf pan as everyone here loves the corners and edges.  So I am all about more brownies!! This is a really versatile and useful pan to me as I also buy rectangular liners and make mini loaf cakes and breads with it too.

Soooooo....anyway I came across a  Butterscotch Brownie recipe on the King Arthur website of which I am a loyal reader for many years.  I think they would be in addition to a great cookie a base for a Brownie Sunday with maybe chocolate or fudge ripple ice cream and Carmel or chocolate sauce for desert Sunday as back up if I don't get around to the apple pies I plan on backing.  Always good to have a plan "B" just in case!!

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and grease your pan.  Set aside.

2/3 C. chopped pecans
2 t. butter
1/8 t. salt
Place the butter in an oven proof dish and place it in the oven for 3-4 minutes until melted.  Add the pecan pieces and salt and stir well.  spread out over the bottom of the pan and return to the oven and roast for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool while you prepare batter.

1/2 C. butter

1/2 C. chocolate chips
Using a microwave proof bowl , melt the butter and chips together and stir until completely smooth.  It took 1 minute in my microwave. Set aside. 

1 t. espresso powder
1/2 t. salt
1 3/4 C. brown sugar packed well
1/2 t. soda
1 t. vanilla
2 lg. eggs
Put the espresso powder, salt, brown sugar, soda, and vanilla in a mixing bowl.  Add the chocolate/butter mixture and stir together until combined.  Add the eggs mixing until smooth.

1 1/2 C. flour ( I use King Arthur)
2/3 C. butterscotch chips
Stir in the flour, pecans, and chips.  Work quickly as if you stir too long the chips will melt.

Spoon the thick batter into the prepare pans and use your wet fingers to spread to the edges of the pan.  Bake 22-25 minutes and test with a pick in the center for doneness.  It should come out clean.  The edges will be taller than the center.  loosen around the out side and push them down a bit.  This will help them not to appear as sunken in the center.  Yield 2 dozen bars.

Adapted from King Arthur Flour recipes at: www.kingarthurflour.com

Spanish Sausage and Potato Casserole

Sausage is really a versatile and easy project if you are fortunate and have access to a a real live butcher.

Just request a quantity of ground pork belly and the difficulty has melted away and you have but to add the appropriate spices!!

Spanish flavored pork sausage with fennel and paprika layered with onions, garlic and potatoes will make a great one dish meal.  I put the sausage together this morning as to allow the flavors to meld.


Pork Fennel &  Paprika Sausages

1 lb. freshly ground pork belly
1/2 t. black peppercorns
1/2 t. dried fennel seed
2 t. kosher salt
3 t. paprika
freshly milled black pepper
1 egg
1/2 C. packed fresh bread crumbs

Using a mortar and pestle combine the peppercorn's, fennel seed, and salt.  Break up the spices and continue to work them adding the paprika until everything is well ground.  Add the spices, egg, and bread crumbs to the ground pork and mix well.  Add additional black pepper and wrap up and refrigerate until ready to use or it may be frozen for longer storage.



Sausage &  Potato Casserole

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Shape 1 pound of sausage into 6-8 patties and layer on the bottom of an ovenproof baking dish.

Top the sausages with 1 onion finely chopped.  Peel and thinly slice 1 1/2 pounds of potatoes (about 5-6 medium).  Spread the potatoes over the layer adding a clove of crushed garlic and salt and pepper.  Pour 1 1/4 C. stock over all and drizzle with 2 T. olive oil.  Cover and bake 1 hour.  Remove the cover and bake an additional 15 minutes.  Garnish  with diced red or green pepper and serve.

Yield 4 servings.
I adapted this recipe from several sausages made with family during butchering season as well as from a casserole a friend made using beef years ago.