Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Butter Frosting.

   It's now the beginning of October here is Wisconsin. There is a cool breeze starting to blow and the trees leaves are turning some beautiful shades of lime green, dark green, bright red, pale yellow and orange. I love this time of year it reminds me of growing up on our Early 1900's hobby farm. My Mom owned her own business called the "Corn Crib" and us three Girls and younger Brother helped my Mom and Dad every year create a blast from the past Fall experience for the community. My Father planted every spring, Indian corn, miniature Indian corn, miniature pumpkins, big pumpkins, and gourds of all types. My Mom and Dad purchased a team of Percheron horses. "John" and "Gene." They were the main attraction. Head Start, 4-H Groups and Families from the community would come out to enjoy the horse drawn hay rides through the fields of pumpkin patches and corn fields. Our old Barn was lovely clean and decorated with scenes of pumpkin people dressed in vintage clothing on antique props. The people's favorite pumpkin person was the old grandma on a go-cart. We also had a old Milk house that served as the store. We served pumpkin pie, caramel apples and apple cider. It was a lot of hard work, but we didn't mind we loved what we did and our family was made stronger from it. Time has gone by and us girls grew up and went to college and started families of our own. Mom and Dad sold the horses which was a very sad day for all of us. The "Corn Crib" was no more. But I can look back now and think of what a beautiful experience God had blessed us with...the love of family and our community.
 I'm older now and have children of my own to create our memories. It may not be what I experienced but I do love baking and the kids love to enjoy the fall treats I make them.
So here is my favorite pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting that have brought back such wonderful memories. ♥

Pumpkin Bars
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
1 can pumpkin
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups flour

Instructions:
Beat eggs, add sugar, oil and pumpkin and mix well. Mix in dry ingredients.
Pour into greased baking dish. Bake at 350° for 35 min.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
4 oz. cream cheese - room temp.
6 Tbs. butter - room temp.
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Tbs. milk
2 cups powdered sugar.

Mix a spread on cooled Bars.


Enjoy!

~ Strawberry Coconut Magic Bars ~

The Strawberry Patch is overflowing this year with Beautiful Plump Strawberries. I didn't want to do the traditional strawberry shortcake, so I went online to find a recipe for some kind of bars I could cook. As I was looking I did find the yummy Coconut Magic Bars. I thought how can I change this recipe up to incorporate strawberries into it. And I think I whipped together the perfect little strawberry bars you and your family would find interestingly different and pleasing to the taste buds! We loved them. ♥

~Strawberry Coconut Magic Bars with Almonds~

Ingredients:

1 2/3 cup Graham Cracker Crumbs

1 Stick butter - melted

2 Tbs. Sugar

3 Cups Coconut Flakes

1 14oz. Sweetened Condensed Milk

Fresh Strawberries

1/2 Sliced Almonds

1/2 Cup milk Chocolate Chips

1/2 Cup White Baking Chips

Shortening to grease 9x13 Pan.

~Instructions~

Preheat Oven 350°

Combine Graham Cracker, Butter, and Sugar in Bowl.

Press into bottom of greased 9x13 Baking Dish

Sprinkle Coconut over Crust and Drizzle Condensed Milk over Top.

Bake for 20-25 Min. until Coconut is lightly browned.

Let Cool Completely.

Spread Sliced Strawberries over Crust.

Sprinkle with Almonds and drizzle Melted Chocolate

 and White Chocolate over top of Strawberries.

Enjoy!

 

Chicken Quesadilla with (Sun dried Tomato Chicken / Applewood Smoked Flavor Chicken)

  My Husband recently had a couple teeth pulled and has been on a soft diet. I had to come up with a meal that he could eat that wouldn't irritate his sutures in his gums. So I thought about making a chicken quesadilla with canned chicken meat instead of using the whole chicken breast which tends to be a little more tougher when fried on the stove top.
   So I went through the pantry to see what I had for canned chicken and I found a Great Value -
Walmart Brand Sun Dried Tomato and an Applewood Smoked flavor chicken. The kids and I ate the ones with the green and red peppers but I had to take them out for my husband because they were a little crisp yet for him.

Chicken Quesadilla

1- Green Bell Pepper
1- Red Bell Pepper
1 Stalk Green Onion
1- 10 oz. Can White Chicken Chunk (Applewood smoke flavor)
1- 10 oz.Can White Chicken Chunk (Sun dried Tomato and Herb Sauce)
1/2 Package Fajita seasoning mix
Flour Tortillas
Mexican Shredded Cheese

Get your Vegetables ready, cut your green and red peppers into chunks and chop your green onion up. Heat frying pan on medium heat add a couple of table spoons of olive oil to bottom of pan.
Add your vegetables to pan and add your 2 cans of Chicken. Add 1/2 package of fajita mix and stir.
Cook until heated. Take another nonstick frying pan and warm it to medium/high temp.
Take your tortillas and warm them up on each side. Then leaving the tortilla in frying pan add chicken mixture to one half of tortilla. Place the Mexican cheese over the chicken mixture and flip it in half and turn it over in frying pan, with a spatula press firmly down on each side to melt cheese and brown each side and serve.

Here was the mixture that I added to tortillas.

The Chicken Quesadillas turned into an amazing flavorful meal with the two chicken flavors and the fajita seasoning mix. 

Enjoy! ~ Kelli

Super Easy Chicken Enchiladas and Taco Rice! Yum!

  I'm Just an everyday Wife and Mom that loves to whip up some good last minute fab dinner. I'm not the type that plans everything out, I usually don't have time.  Our dinners consist of "what's in the pantry?" kind of meal. So what ever I have on hand, is what my little mind has to imagine up to bring into reality for the night. Most of the meals I cook up I'm sure most of you will have the ingredients and if you don't they will be cheap and reasonable enough for you to afford and won't be to exotic that will not know what to look for. :)  Enjoy!

 Tonight I made Chicken Enchiladas and Taco Rice.

Chicken Enchiladas
You will Need:    
2 Cans Chicken chunks (drained)
1 Can Old El Paso Enchilada sauce.
1- 8 pkg. Flour Tortillas (for burritos)
1 Can sliced black olives
Mexican/Taco Blend Cheese- (If you don't have it use cheddar and mozzarella mix)
1 Bag Knorr Taco rice.
1 spoonful sour cream
Salsa


1. Preheat your Oven 375° F.
2. Drain the Chicken chunks and heat it in medium size frying pan. (Use fork to break up chunks)
3. Pour 3/4 of Enchilada sauce into pan with chicken.
4. Add half of your Taco cheese mix in with Chicken and sauce.
5. Next get out your glass 6X9 Baking dish.
6. Take your round flour Tortillas and scoop the mixture and place it into your tortillas make a burrito with it but, place it down wards so the crease is on the bottom of the glass dish.
7. Pour left over Enchilada sauce over the top, with your cheese and black olives and what ever else you have on hand.( chives, diced tomatoes etc.)
8. Cook for 15 to 20 Minutes.
9. Top with Salsa and sour cream.
I made 6 Enchiladas total I packed them full!

For the side: Taco Rice
I used a bag of Taco Rice from Knorr I had on hand.
Bring 2 cups water and table spoon of butter to boil.
Add the rice and reduce heat and simmer for 7 min.
Let stand 2 min.


I should of took a picture before I cooked it. It looked a lot prettier, but I guess this will do. I took it out of the oven and tried it. It was so moist and delicious!  So that's what we had for dinner tonight hope you enjoy! ~ Kelli