Friday Favorite Finds #134

Hi Friends – I don’t actually have a post for today … too many things took place this week for me to pull together finds (in fact, I’ve hardly been looking at blogs this week) – so please, tell me what I missed!

What did you find this week?

Please link up to a post containing your list of recipes to try -- do not link up individual recipes, or recipes that you’ve already made, your links will be deleted.   Be sure to leave a link back here to Finding Joy in My Kitchen.

Also – don’t forget to say hello when you stop to visit one another’s finds.  Everyone always appreciates a comment.

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Stove Top Pumpkin Mac & Cheese

I believe I can use the words healthy and mac and cheese in the same sentence when describing this recipe. 

I could also use the word easy. {read: 1 pot!} 

Or creamy.

Or all together delicious. 

For a quick lunch or lazy Sunday night dinner, you can’t go wrong with this recipe.

Stove Top Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

Ingredients

• 2 C milk
• 2 C whole wheat pasta
• up to 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 medium sweet potato, steamed and pureed (~1 C puree)
• 4 oz. sharp cheddar cheese,shredded
• 2 T Parmesan cheese
• additional salt & pepper, to taste
• Peas or a green veggie!

Directions

In a large saucepan, combine 2 C milk with 2 C whole wheat pasta (we used shells) and up to 1/2 tsp. salt.  Stir well. 

Meanwhile, grab 1 C sweet potato puree and add that to the pasta.  You could use pumpkin puree here as well. 

Then, shred the cheese and steam the peas. 

Place the saucepan with the pasta in it on the stove, and turn on the heat to medium-high.  Stir the pasta nearly constantly until the mixture begins to bubble. 

Reduce the heat to low at this point, and continue stirring often for 5-7 minutes while the pasta cooks. 

When the pasta is done, remove the pan from the heat. 

Add in 2 T Parmesan cheese and stir. 

Then, toss in 4 oz. extra sharp cheddar cheese, and allow the heat from the pasta to melt the cheese. 

If desired, mix in peas – otherwise, serve these alongside the mac and cheese. 

Season with additional salt and pepper, if desired, as well as parsley for garnish. 

Enjoy!

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Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal with Craisins

Over the past few weeks, I’ve shared with you a handful of Pumpkin recipes – Overnight Pumpkin Pie French Toast Bake, Apple Pumpkin Muffins, Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, Easy Pumpkin Bars with Spiced Whipped Cream, Roasted Vegetable Pumpkin Mac and Cheese, and 25 more pumpkin recipes.  

I hope you are not sick of pumpkin sweet potato recipes yet – there are more to come! 

This recipe is so simple to prepare and really a tasty way to start off your morning. 

I would imagine that you could add graham cracker crumbs to the top of this bowl of oatmeal and it would really taste like pumpkin pie! Or, with sautéed apples.  Yum-o.

Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal with Craisins – Adapted from Angel’s Homestead

Ingredients

• 1/2 C milk*
• 1/2 C water
• 1/2 C Old Fashioned Oats
• 2 tsp. maple syrup
• 2 T sweet potato (or pumpkin) puree
• 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
• Pinch of ginger
• 2 T dried cranberries (we used craisins)

Directions

In a medium saucepan, combine 1/2 C milk, 1/2 C water, 1/2 C oats, 2 tsp. maple syrup, 2 T sweet potato puree, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, 1/8 tsp. nutmeg and a pinch of ginger. 

Turn the burner on to medium-high, and stir the oat mixture constantly until the mixture boils.  Reduce heat and simmer for 3-5 minutes until oats are cooked.  Continue stirring throughout the entire cooking process. 

Pour the oatmeal into a large bowl, and top with 2 T dried craisins. 

Serve immediately. 

Serves 1.

*To make dairy free – simply use an additional 1/2 C water in place of 1/2 C milk.

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Kitchen Tip: Milk

With food prices on the rise, it can sometimes be tough to be able to afford high quality foods.  For example, organic milk is costs between $6 and $8 a gallon here.

  

Then, there’s the whole debate on whether you should buy and consume skim milk or whole milk, or land somewhere in the middle. 

While I’m not going to touch on our personal milk choices today (or health benefits one way or another), I do want to share a tip with you that can possibly help you think about your own milk choices. 

Think about this:

• Skim milk is watered down milk with powdered milk added to it. 
• 1 % milk has less water than skim milk, but still contains added water. 

Why pay for water?

If I can purchase a gallon or half gallon of 2% or whole milk for the same price as an equivalent volume of skim or 1% milk, I’m paying for water!  

In an effort to save money where we can, and buy healthy products for my family, we’ve started purchasing smaller quantities of higher quality milk and then adding our own water to achieve the desired milk-fat percentage. 

So far, we’re loving it.  This means Frog Prince can have his desired percentage of milk fat, and I can have mine too.

For cooking, this method has worked out wonderfully.  Adding water to the milk stretches it a bit further in dinner dishes, allowing us to enjoy a higher milk-fat serving with granola or baked oatmeal, or even in ice cream! 

Have you ever thought about this before?  Or, added water to your higher-fat milk? 

This post is linked to: Kitchen Tip Tuesday

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Menu Plan–November 4

Is anyone else thankful for the extra hour of sleep?  What a blessing at this time of the year – and given the last couple of weeks, I more than needed it.  With the weather turning cooler, last week we made one of our favorite soups – St. Margaret’s Charity Meatball Tortellini Soup.

This soup is amazing.  I don’t know what it is about the combination of these ingredients {they are really simple}, but they create an amazing taste. 

We also enjoyed another fall favorite – Whole Wheat Pumpkin Sweet Potato Gingersnaps.   These are delightfully moist and packed full of flavor. 

As we move toward Thanksgiving, I’ve decided to slow down the frequency of posts here on Finding Joy in My Kitchen.  At this point, I’m planning for 3 recipe posts a week, and of course, Friday Favorite Finds. 

This will give me the time I need to enjoy this holiday season with my family and continue with my responsibilities teaching 80 college kiddos biology this semester. 

This week, we’re planning to eat:

Sunday
Buttercup Squash Baked Oatmeal {new}, craisins
Roasted Red Pepper Soup & Whole Wheat Pretzels

To Do: Thaw spaghetti sauce

Monday
Leftover Baked Oatmeal
Leftover Soup & Pretzels
Crockpot Ziti, Olive Garden Bread Sticks, Green Beans

To Do: Prep crockpot ziti in the morning, thaw bread sticks, thaw chicken

Tuesday
Waffles of Insane Greatness {freezer}, raspberry sauce
Leftover Chicken Pot Pie
Chicken Stew with Brown Rice

To Do: Make apple sauté

Wednesday
Oatmeal with Maple Apple Sauté
Leftover Chicken Stew
Leftovers

To Do: Thaw muffins, thaw Italian sausage, chop veggies

Thursday
Pumpkin Apple Muffins, applesauce
Leftovers
Cheese-Crusted Lasagna Soup

To Do: Prep potatoes for crockpot

Friday
Scramble Melt
Leftover soup, whole wheat crackers
Pizza-Stuffed {new} Crockpot Baked Potatoes

Saturday
TBD
Gilled Cheese, roasted tomato soup
Parmesan Chicken Bake {new} with squash & broccoli

Snacks
Spiced Country Applesauce
Popcorn
Apple Chips

If you have leftover Halloween Candy – this Candy Shop Pizza is one of our favorite ways to use it up – makes for a great treat to share with others. 

Find more great menus at OrgJunkie’s Menu Plan Monday!

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Friday Favorite Finds #133

Happy Friday!  This week was so much better than last week – even though it’s been busy.  I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to see all your yummy finds. 

Thanks so much for making Friday Favorite Finds a part of your week. 

{All images are from the original recipe source, and linked through Pinterest}

Apple Bacon Sweet Potatoes
{Jessica always has amazing recipes – but this one with the apples & bacon
is over the top.  Might have to consider this for Thanksgiving.}

Source: howsweeteats.com via Finding Joy In My Kitchen on Pinterest

 

Homemade Tootsie Rolls
{What a fun idea from A Cozy Kitchen. Might have to give this a go next Halloween!}

Source: acozykitchen.com via Finding Joy In My Kitchen on Pinterest

 

Raisin Applesauce Bars with Caramel Frosting
{From our very own Friday Favorite Finds participant – Kelly!
These have me drooling.}

Source: semihomemademom.com via Finding Joy In My Kitchen on Pinterest

 

Sweet Potato & Banana Cake
{Rebekah's desserts are so amazing, I wish she lived closer!!}

Source: rebekahsfamilyfoodandfun.blogspot.com via Finding Joy In My Kitchen on Pinterest

Crockpot Apple Butter Yeast Rolls
{Yummy!  These may have just surpassed my sweet potato dinner rolls}

 

Source: aspicyperspective.com via Finding Joy In My Kitchen on Pinterest

Just a reminder: Please pin the source, not the images here on my blog.
The talented chefs that came up with these recipes deserve the credit and traffic,
so, please, please pin the source!

What did you find this week?

Please link up to a post containing your list of recipes to try -- do not link up individual recipes, or recipes that you’ve already made, your links will be deleted.   Be sure to leave a link back here to Finding Joy in My Kitchen.

Also – don’t forget to say hello when you stop to visit one another’s finds.  Everyone always appreciates a comment.

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Honey Butter Popcorn

This recipe comes from a reader – who suggested this amazing honey butter popcorn on Finding Joy in My Kitchen’s Facebook page.  

It’s a fantastic treat – either for a movie night, or after school. 

Honey Butter Popcorn – From Rebecca C. 

Ingredients

• 6 C popped popcorn
• 2 T butter, melted
• 1/4 C honey
• sea salt

Directions

Place 6 C popcorn in a large oven safe bowl or baking dish.

Combine 2 T butter, melted, and 1/4 C honey together. 

Drizzle the butter and honey mixture over 6 C popped popcorn.

Stir to coat. 

Bake the popcorn at 350 for 5 minutes. 

Remove from the oven and sprinkle with sea salt. 

Serve warm, or at room temperature. 

Enjoy!

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