Pumpkin Fluff Dip

 This is SO good. For the pumpkin pie lovers. We had it with honey crisp apples, biscoff cookies, graham crackers, shortbread cookies, all the yummy things. My sister in law (Lauren) gave this one to me. yummmm

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/24740/pumpkin-fluff-dip/

• 1 (15 ounce) can solid pack pumpkin

• 1 (5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix

• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

• 1 (16 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

  
  

  Mix pumpkin, pudding mix, and pumpkin pie spice together in a large bowl.

  Fold in whipped topping.

  Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Healthier Apple Crisp

 Ambitious Kitchen does it again. Love this apple crisp. Like a warm fall hug. I'm loving apple crisp with greek yoghurt for a fun fall breakfast. The pecans on top are a do not miss. They are delicious!

https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/healthy-apple-crisp/

• For the topping:
• ⅓ cup (38g) whole wheat pastry flour (or regular flour or gluten free oat flour or almond flour)
• ½ cup (48g) old fashioned rolled oats, gluten free if desired
• ⅓ cup (71g) dark brown sugar (can also sub coconut sugar but brown sugar is best)
• ½ cup (56g) raw chopped pecans
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup (57g) cold butter or vegan buttery stick, cut into very small cubes (can also use coconut oil)
• For the crisp:
• 5-6 medium Honeycrisp or Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and very thinly sliced
• ⅓ cup (104g) pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• pinch of nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon bourbon (or pure vanilla extract)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease an 8x8 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
• To make the topping: Combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and pecans in a large bowl until well-combined. Add in the pieces of butter and use your hands to squeeze and combine until the mixture becomes crumbly and resembles wet sand. (Alternatively, you can cut in the butter with a pastry cutter, or place all of the topping ingredients in a food processor and pulse until just blended. My favorite method is to use my hands, as I believe you get the best crumbly topping that way.)
• Once finished, place topping in the fridge and begin making the apple filling.
• To make the filling: Place apples, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg and bourbon (or vanilla) in a large bowl and toss to combine. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes.
• Take 1/3 cup of the topping mixture and toss with the apple mixture. Place the apple mixture in prepared pan and sprinkle evenly with topping.
• Bake the crisp on a baking sheet (just in case the filling bubbles over!) for 45-55 minutes, or until topping is golden brown and filling is bubbling. Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes on wire rack. Serve warm with your favorite vanilla ice cream. Makes 9 servings.

Buttermilk Waffles

Ok these are stinking delicious! and not egg whites so very simple. 

https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/classic_buttermilk_waffles/ 

• 2 cups (280g) all-purpose flour

• 2 tablespoons sugar

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 2 cups buttermilk, well-shaken

• 2 large eggs

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

• 1/4 cup melted butter for the waffle iron, optional
  
  

  Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

  In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and eggs.

  Stir the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture. Continue gently stirring just until you see no more streaks of dry flour. Fold in the melted butter.

  Cover the batter with a clean kitchen towel and let it rest for at least five minutes while you warm the waffle iron. The waffle iron is ready when a drop of water sizzles on contact with the griddle.

  Brush the waffle iron with melted butter, if you like. This helps give your waffles a golden color and prevents sticking, but isn't crucial for the recipe. Scoop 1/3 to 1/2 cup of batter into each grid of the waffle iron and cook until golden, according to your waffle iron's instructions.

Hillary's Turkey

 My sister literally makes the perfect turkey. I used her recipes for this year and the gravy was "The best turkey gravy I've ever had." via my Mother in law! It was super flavorful but still not quite as tender as Hillary's. Would definitely make it this way again! I would also make the compound butter a few days ahead to have that ready day of if I have time.

Turkey Brine: I need to brine longer next time 

https://www.munchkintime.com/super-easy-turkey-brine-recipe/

• ▢ 1 gallon water 
• ▢ 3 cups apple juice
• ▢ 2-3 stems fresh rosemary 
• ▢ 5 stems fresh thyme & bay leaves
• ▢ 1 whole garlic sliced
• ▢ 1 cup Kosher salt or to taste
• ▢ 5 bay leaves
• ▢ 1 ½ cup brown sugar
• ▢ 3 tablespoon peppercorns
• ▢ 2 tablespoons Montreal Steak spice
• ▢ 1 gallon ice
• ▢ 2 onions sliced

INSTRUCTIONS

 

• Place all ingredients into a big pot except the onions. 
• Bring it to a boil, then turn off the heat. Add 1 gallon of ice and sliced onions. Let the turkey brine cool, then add turkey and soak for over night inside the fridge or if you live in cold place, place the pot in the garage. 
• After, remove turkey from the brine and pat dry with paper towels.
  Cooking the turkey:

  Ingredients

  • ▢ 1 (14-16) pound turkey, giblets and neck removed
  • ▢ 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • ▢ 2 tablespoons fresh sage, plus more for stuffing the bird
  • ▢ 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, plus more for stuffing the bird
  • ▢ 3 tablespoons fresh parsley
  • ▢ zest of 1 lemon
  • ▢ 3 teaspoons kosher salt
  • ▢ 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
  • ▢ 1 piece large of double lined cheesecloth
  • ▢ 2 lemons, halved
  • ▢ 1 garlic head, tips sliced off
  • ▢ 1 onion, halved
  • ▢ 7-8 cups low sodium chicken or turkey broth
  • 
    

  https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/herb-and-butter-roasted-turkey-with-white-wine-pan-gravy/
  1. Remove the turkey from the fridge one hour before roasting. Remove the giblets + neck and allow to come to room temperature.

  2. Make the butter. In a medium bowl, combine the 1 stick butter, the sage, thyme, parsley, lemon zest, salt and pepper. 

  3. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan.

  4. Season the cavity of the turkey with salt and pepper and fill the cavity with the, lemons, garlic and onion. Gently lift the skin of the turkey by using your fingers and going in between the skin and body of the bird. Rub the herb butter under the skin of the bird, spreading some of the butter on top of the skin as well. Take the remaining 1 stick butter and melt it over the low heat on the stove or in the microwave. Dampen your cheesecloth with warm water and squeeze dry. Submerge the cheesecloth in the melted butter, making sure all the cheese cloth has soaked up the butter. Lay the cheesecloth over the bird, covering most of the bird. Drizzle any remaining butter over the turkey.

  5. Pour 4 cups of chicken broth into the bottom of the roasting plan. Place the roasting pan in the oven and roast for 45 minutes at 450 degrees F. After 45 minutes reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. and continue cooking for another 2 hours (until the turkey registers 160 F. on a meat thermometer), adding 1-2 cup of broth half way through roasting. I like to baste the turkey with the drippings 2 times throughout cooking and when doing so rotate the roasting pan.

  6. Remove the turkey from the oven and remove the cheesecloth, transfer the turkey to a cutting board, tent loosely with foil and let rest 20-30 minutes before slicing.
  Gravy: I don't make the white wine one. I just mix butter with about 1/2 cup flour or make a corn starch slurry to add to the pan drippings that have the fat taken off. Add salt/ pepper as needed though the drippings were just about perfect on their own.
  

Drop cornbread biscuits

 These are so easy and have turned out 2 different ways for me. I tried grating the cold butter this last time and forgot to cut that in so we got this deliciously crispy bottom. These are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Carter's favorite

https://smittenkitchen.com/2018/11/drop-cornbread-biscuits/

• 1 3/4 cups (230 grams) all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup (90 grams) cornmeal
• 1 to 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (use 1 for a more savory biscuit)
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea or table salt
• 1/2 cup (115 grams) cold butter, in cubes
• 1 cup (235 ml) cold buttermilk 

Heat oven to 450°F. I covered my baking sheet with a silicone mat

Stir flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in the bottom of a large bowl with a fork or whisk. Add butter and toss to coat cubes in dry mixture. Use your finger or a pastry blender to break the butter into smaller and smaller bits, until the largest is pea-sized. Add buttermilk and stir once or twice, until a dough comes together.

I use a large cookie scoop to fill a baking tray and get about 12/13 biscuits.

Bake for 12 to 14 or 15 minutes; smaller ones should be done at 12, larger ones at 14 or 15. Remove from oven and serve warm. 

Tender Pumpkin Cookies with Maple Glaze

 https://cakebycourtney.com/pumpkin-cookies-with-maple-glaze/comment-page-1/#comment-33934

My only changes are about 1/4 cup more flour in the batter and a splash of maple flavoring in the icing. Complete perfection. Super tender and fluffy and cozy. 

Revive Smoothie

 Tessa Romero is a life coach I found on instagram and I absolutely love her! She has this super tasty smoothie recipe that I come back to when I want a load of lots of goodness. 

3 handful frozen spinach 

1 banana

4 celery stalks rough chopped

1 apple

1 lemon rind cut off or big splash of lemon juice

lots of ginger root (peels removed) maybe like 2 inches or so

1 cup frozen mangos

1 cup frozen pinneapple

2 TBSP hemp hearts

I will also do a scoop of collagen powder if I need the extra boost. 

Best BLT

 This method is AH-MAZING! Doesn't tear up your mouth. We found a new squeeze mayo by Best Foods that's Italian and it's super delicious in this. I liked the rough chop of the bacon too. and the marinated tomatoes which I marinated in my red onion marination mixture. Perfection! Arugula and sourdough were super fun 

https://ourbestbites.com/the-best-blt-sandwich/ 

Summer Corn Salad with Hot Honey Vinaigrette

 https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/grilled-corn-salad/

Pasta Pomodoro (fresh tomato pasta)

 https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/pasta-pomodoro/

No bake lime cheesecake

 As much as I love the baked version I’ve posted I needed a quick no hot oven recipe. Definitely has to set overnight but it stayed for quite a few days and just got better and better. Canned lime juice is totally fine. 

https://www.thereciperebel.com/easy-key-lime-cheesecake/

• ▢ 3 packages full fat cream cheeseroom temperature (24oz/750g)
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (200 grams)
• ▢ 1/4 cup key lime or lime juice (2 limes)
• ▢ 1-2 tablespoon key lime or lime zest (2 regular limes) Depending on your tastes
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ▢ 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream, cold 
• ▢ sweetened whipped cream for garnish