Pumpkin Cookies

This is one of my favorite cookie recipes. It was given to me by a friend several years ago and has become a family favorite. DO NOT double this recipe.....it makes a huge recipe that fills a kitchen aid mixer.

1 cup shortening
3 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla

cream the above ingredients and then add the following:

1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 large can pumpkin (29 oz can)
Mix together and then add 5 cups of flour and then 1-1 and half bags of chocolate chips.

Bake at 375 degrees for 10-13 minutes(varies depending on your oven) or until light brown.

pumpkin bread

We love fall & fall means pumpkin bread, pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, apple pie, & carmeled apples - at least to me!This recipe makes two loaves & this is all that's left.

I got this recipe from my sister. It's her mother-in-law's and it's fantastic!

3 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 can pumpkin 15oz.

1 cup oil

3 1/3 cup flour

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cloves

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease & flour two bread pans- set aside.

Cream together sugar & eggs. Add pumpkin & oil, mix. Add dry ingredients. Don't over or under mix- make sure all the spices are incorporated without beating it to death- you know what I mean.

Divide batter into pans & bake for 1 hour & 10 minutes. Insert toothpick; if clean your done- I usually need to bake another 10 minutes but that just may be my oven.

Hot Parmesan Artichoke Dip

I got this recipe from an e-mail from Kraft. I took it to a church activity and it was gone within a few minutes. Everyone loved it.......even the blogger moms!! Next time I make I am going to sub the mayo for a lower fat mayo and see how it tastes!!


Hot Parmesan Artichoke Dip


1 14 oz can artichoke hearts drained and chopped
1 c mayo
1 clove garlic minced
1 c grated parmesan cheese
2 T chopped tomatoes
2 T sliced green onions

Heat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients except tomatoes and onions. Spoon into shallow ovenproof dish and bake for 20-25 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Sprinkle with tomatoes and onions and serve with crackers. I keep mine warm in a small crock pot.

chocolate chip cookies

One of my favorite things is chocolate chip cookie dough- of course! Who doesn't love that?

I like to make a big batch, use a mini ice cream scoop to scoop it onto trays & freeze them. Baked cookies are good frozen -sure- but make fresh baked cookies, warm from the oven- FANTASTIC!I like to separate a dozen or two into freezer bags then give them away to neighbors or someone special as a gift- lovely. This isn't fancy- I was in a hurry- but they are really cute at Christmas or Valentines with patterned paper folded over & stapled to the top....

here is my favorite recipe:

2 sticks or 1 cup of butter

2 sticks or 1 cup of margarine- the real stuff

2 cups brown sugar

2 cups sugar

cream together then add

2 tsp. good vanilla

4 eggs

then add:

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. baking soda

4 cups flour

5 cups oats (blended into oat flour in the blender)

After mixing all the ingredients together add 24 ounces of chocolate chips & 3 cups of chopped nuts- if desired. (I only use one bag of milk chocolate chips because my idiot offspring don't like too many chocolate chips in cookies or nuts-I know their mad?)

Bake golf ball sized on a cookie sheet 2 inches apart at 350 degrees for 11 minutes-- 13 minutes if frozen. Or until just starting to brown. Enjoy!

Canning Tomatoes

This really is not a recipe but I wanted to post this for my kid's. So someday if they decide they want to can they will know how. My Mom taught me how to can when I first got married and I have been doing it just about every year since I got married. Since I am married to farmer Kelly we always have a big garden every year and we can't waste the food we grow so I either freeze it, can it or give it away.


Everyone has there own way but here is how I can tomatoes.First off you need a lot of yummy tomatoes from your garden or store. Clean and wash the tomatoes and then put them into boiling water on the stove for about 1-2 minutes(this helps so the skin peels off really easy).
Remove from boiling water and put them into cold water in the sink. Remove one tomato at time and peel the skin off and cut off the stem and any other parts and then cut tomatoes in half or in quarters so they fit into the bottles.
Put tomatoes into quart jars that have been cleaned and sterilized in the dishwasher. Fill jars until just about full (leaving about a1/2 inch or so at the top). Wipe off around the mouth of the jar. I do not add anything to my tomatoes...........this is just what works for my family. Some people add onions and other things but I prefer them plain and then I can add what I want when I use them. Put on lid.......I usually have a pan with my lids on the stove simmering and I pull them out of the hot water as I need them. Add ring to jar.

Put bottles in steamer or hot bath.......I used both ways today. I found out that the food people are saying we should use a hot bath instead of steamer. I steamed my tomatoes for 60 minutes and cooked them in a hot bath for 50 minutes(per the extension service). You start the time on the steamer when the steam comes out of the holes on the side and count the time on the hot bath when the water boils.When finished cooking/steaming I leave them out on the counter to cool. Make sure that they all seal...........if not put the ones that don't seal in the fridge. Mine usually all seal except for one here and there.Write the year on the top of the lid so you can eat the older ones first. Our tomatoes usually get used for taco soup or homemade salsa or whenever a recipe calls for stewed tomatoes. I hope makes sense!