[donotprint] I vaguely remember the first time I made my first pumpkin pie. My father, a diabetic, commissioned me to bake him a sugar-free version so he wouldn’t be tempted by all the sugary desserts during Thanksgiving dinner. I was 11 years old without a mixer, pie plate, or a cookbook to guide me. What I decided to do was follow the pie recipe on the back of a Libby’s pumpkin can and use a frozen pre-made pie shell. I followed the instructions exactly as written and was excited when I saw there no were cracks on the baked custard surface and that my pumpkin pie actually looked just as I hoped it would. My excitement only lasted a brief moment and turned to disgust rather quickly. I took a bite and had to spit it out into a napkin. Pumpkin pie without any sweetener is so bland tasting I thought I was eating store-bought baby food in a jar -yuck!
Over the years I’ve experimented with different recipes and sweeteners in search of the perfect pumpkin pie. I know people have different qualifiers in what makes a good pie. For me, I like homemade pies to be dense with a tad bit more spices than the Costco pie variety. I also like my pumpkin pies not to be too sweet, otherwise I can only eat a sliver of a slice because the pie is so sweet it distracts the flavor of the spiced pumpkin custard. [click to continue…]
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Fall is in full swing and I have a fabulous pumpkin bread recipe with streusel topping for you over at Tasty Kitchen. The pumpkin bread itself is not too sweet and perfect with a cup of tea or coffee. The crunchy streusel topping is a unique and creative twist which I found perfect in flavor and texture. If you’re looking for a great pumpkin bread recipe with or without the topping, this is a solid recipe your whole family will love. [click to continue…]
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Who can resist a freshly baked apple crisp? If you can see from the picture above, my 17 month old son Eli sure couldn’t. As I was arranging the food on the table to take pictures of one of my favorite Fall desserts, I briefly walked to a different room to grab my camera. When I returned, guess who I found picking away at my cranberry apple crisp!?! BUSTED! Honestly it was the funniest and sweetest Kodak moment. I started laughing and started taking pictures of the whole thing. Who could blame the little guy because what is Fall without a great recipe for apple crisp?
Earlier this week my friend Jen had tweeted about making a cranberry apple crisp with dried cranberries. I mentioned to her that I’ve used canned cranberries with great success. Twelve years ago a friend taught me how to make a cranberry apple crisp using a can of cranberry sauce and since then it has become one of my “Go-To” desserts. Every time I make one it’s always a hit at family gatherings. Now days instead of a can of cranberries, I use fresh cranberries which have been reduced with orange juice and sugar. [click to continue…]
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Before Gourmet magazine ever reprinted one of my favorite recipes, I just want you to know I discovered it first and had the privilege of eating it at its source. Before there was Whole Foods, there use to be my favorite grocery store called Larry’s Market. This store was the first of its kind in the Seattle area. Everything was gourmet and expensive. I usually only shopped there to find specialty ingredients and to eat in their deli. But sadly Larry’s Market is gone but their Black Bean Pumpkin soup lives on forever in our home. I was happy when I saw Gourmet magazine re-printed their recipe years ago so everyone could now enjoy one of my favorite Fall soups. I’ve been making this for years and have changed it so much I call it my own. [click to continue…]
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Today is the second day of the month and you can definitely tell its Fall in Seattle. Leaves in hues of red, yellow, orange, green, and purple blanket the streets and sidewalks like a patchwork quilt straight from heaven. The cold crisp air is a beautiful reminder Fall has arrived and all of its glory.
So yesterday I couldn’t help myself but prepare an acorn squash with its own brown sugar butter sauce. What I like about this recipe is how simple it is. All though it is slightly sweet, the sugar doesn’t over power the squash but just adds enough sweetness to make it so good. [click to continue…]
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