Easy Pork Loin and Stuffing

Ingredients

1 (3 to 4 lb.) pork loin
1/3 c. olive oil
1 Tbs. sage or 2 Tbs. fresh sage, chopped
1 Tbs. thyme or 2 Tbs. fresh thyme chopped
4 cloves, minced
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 (6 Oz.) package stuffing mix

 Directions

Preheat oven to 350°.  Spray a roasting pan with cooking spray.

Prepare stuffing mix according to package directions. Set aside.

Place the pork loin in the roasting pan.  With a sharp knife, cut a slit lengthwise, down the center of the pork loin, about 3/4 of the way through. Be careful so you don't cut all the way through. You want the meat still attached as one piece.

In a small bowl, combine the oil, sage, thyme, garlic, onion powder, salt and pepper. Mix until the ingredients are fully combined. Rub this mixture all over the pork loin. 

Spoon the stuffing down the open slit of the pork loin.

Bake for 1 hour or until the internal temperature of the pork reaches 145°.  Let stand for 5 minutes.  

Slice and serve. 

**If you have the time and want to make this really fancy. Butterfly the pork loin. An easy way to do this, without all the cutting is to lay the pork loin out on a cutting board. Cut a slit lengthwise, down the center of the pork loin, about 3/4 of the way through. Be careful so you do not cut all the way through. You want the meat still attached. Pound the meat until it is 1 1/2 inches thick.  Then brush the seasoned oil all over the pork loin.  Place the stuffing on top of the pork loin. Tightly roll up the pork loin around the stuffing. Secure the roll with kitchen string or toothpicks to keep it closed.

 

 

 Old Fashioned Gingerbread Cake

Gingerbread always tastes better when served warm, fresh out of the oven.  It is even better when you spoon Vanilla Cream Sauce over the top. We often use the Nutmeg sauce we put on bread pudding.

Ingredients

1/2 c.butter
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 c. molasses
1 egg
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 1/2 c. flour
1 c. hot water

Vanilla Cream Sauce 

1 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter
1 c. heavy cream
2 tsp. vanilla

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch pan.

In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy.

Pour in the molasses, mixing until thoroughly combined.  Add the egg and mix well. 

Turn the mixer to low to stir in the cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Then, stir in the flour.

Slowly pour the hot water into the batter, stirring until smooth. The batter will be thin, so don't worry.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until done, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Make the Vanilla Cream Sauce

In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, butter and heavy cream. Stirring constantly, cook until the mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Stir in the vanilla. 

Serve warm over a slice of gingerbread cake.

 Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies

Snickerdoodles are one of our favorite cookies to make. We also like the taste of pumpkin. Combining these two great tastes together gave us a delicious tasting cookie.  Flavorful spices and each cookies is rolled in sugar cinnamon.

Ingredients

1 c. butter, room temperature
1 c. sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 egg
3/4 c. pumpkin
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/4 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
3 1/2 tsp. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
3 1/4 c. flour

Cinnamon sugar Coating

1/2 c. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

 In a large bowl, cream the butter, sugar and brown sugar together until light and fluffy.

Mix in the egg, pumpkin and vanilla until well combined.

Turn the mixer to low and mix in the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, cream of tartar, baking powder, baking soda, cornstarch and salt.

Stir in the flour until combined. 

Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. You can also remove the dough and place it in a plastic bag.  Chill for about 30 minutes

In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and sugar mixture together. Set aside.

Remove the cookie dough from the refrigerator. Spoon out about two tablespoons of dough. Roll the dough between the palms of your hand into a ball. Place the ball in the cinnamon sugar mixture, coating all sides of the ball.

Place the sugar cinnamon coated balls on the cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Space 2 inches apart.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the bottoms just begin to turn brown. 

Leave the cookies on the parchment paper for about 5 minutes, then remove the cookies and place on wire rack to cool.  

Store the cookies in an airtight container or place them in the freezer for later.

 

Easy Glazed Eggnog Doughnut Muffins

 Glazed Eggnog Doughnut Muffins

If you love the taste of eggnog, then you will really like these muffins. They have great flavor and will remind you of glazed doughnuts.  Eggnog is a seasonal item, unless you make your own. You can find it in grocery stores around the time of Halloween, and then it disappears after New Years. 

Ingredients

1/4 c. butter, softened
1/4 c. oil
1/2 c. sugar
1/3 c. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla or rum extract
2 2/3 c. flour
1 c. eggnog

Glaze

3 Tbs. butter, melted
1 c. powdered sugar
3/4 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbs. hot water

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°.  Line muffin tins with liners. If you don't have any liners, spray or grease the bottoms of the muffin tins for easier removal.

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter, oil, sugar and brown sugar together until smooth. 

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. 

Turn the mixer to low and add the baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt and vanilla or rum extract. 

Beginning and ending with the flour, add some of the flour into the batter and mix until combined. Pour some of the eggnog into the batter, mixing until combined. Keep alternating the flour and eggnog additions, ending with the flour.

Fill the prepared muffin tins with batter. The tins should be filled 3/4 full of batter.

Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. 

While the muffins are baking, it is time to make the glaze

In a medium bowl, combine the melted butter, confectioner's sugar, vanilla and water. Whisk or beat until smooth.

Dip the slightly cooled muffin tops into the glaze. Set the muffins on a plate and allow the glaze to harden. Dip the tops again into the glaze mixture for a second coating and allow the glaze to harden.

You can keep the muffins at room temperature for about a day. You can store the muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 5 days, or in the freezer. If you have leftovers after a day, place the muffins in the refrigerator.  

Muffins stored in the refrigerator will taste dryer than they did when fresh baked. 

 Chicken, Tomato and Orzo Soup

Tomato soup is comfort food. Add some chicken, orzo, herbs and spices to it, and you have a fantastic meal. This soup tastes great on its own, or with grilled cheese sandwiches.

Ingredients

4 chicken thighs or drumsticks
6 c. chicken broth
1 onion, chopped fine
3 cloves garlic, minced fine
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 (15 oz.) cans diced or crushed tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1 tsp. tomato paste
1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. rosemary
Pinch of red pepper flakes
2 bay leaves
1/4 c. parsley
3/4 c. orzo
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 c. heavy cream (Optional)
1/4 to 1/2 grated Parmesan cheese (Optional)

Directions

Simmer the chicken thighs or drumsticks in the chicken broth until the meat is falling off the bone. Remove from heat. When the chicken meat is cool enough to handle, remove the bones, gristle and the skin. Shred the chicken meat and set aside.

In a large heavy pot, sauté the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery in olive oil for about 6 minutes. 

Stir in chicken broth, tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, basil, oregano, rosemary, red pepper flakes, bay leaves and parsley. Bring to a boil.

Add the Orzo, and shredded chicken meat. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the Orzo is done. Stir occasionally to keep the orzo from sticking to the bottom of the pot. 

Stir in the heavy cream. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Add the Parmesan cheese if desired.

Serve and enjoy.

**If you want a smoother soup, use an immersion blender before adding the orzo and chicken. Remove the bay leaves before blending, then blend the soup until smooth.

 Apple Cake

We were given several bags of apples. We made applesauce, apple pie and apple butter. However, this is one of our favorite ways to use apples.  We love this apple cake!  It is so delicious and very easy to make. 

Ingredients

 2 eggs
1 1.2 c. oil
2 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 c. milk
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
3 c. flour
3 c. apples, peeled and chopped
1 c. pecans, chopped
Powdered sugar (optional)

 Directions

Preheat oven to 325°. Grease and flour a 9 x 13 cake pan. 

 In a large bowl, beat eggs, oil and sugar together until combined. Add the vanilla and milk. Mix until it is thoroughly incorporated. Scrape bottom and sides of the bowl occasionally.

With the mixer on low, add the cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and baking soda.

Add the flour and blend the mixture together. 

By hand, stir in the apples and pecans. 

Bake for 70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and cool.

When the cake is completely cool, dust with powdered sugar if desired. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

 

 Gooey Snickerdoodle Bars

If you like Snickerdoodle cookies, you'll love Snickerdoodle bars. They have the same great taste without having to form each cookie.  The bars are soft and gooey with a layer of cinnamon sugar in the center and icing over the top.

Bars

1 c. butter, room temperature
1 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 1/2 c. flour

Cinnamon Sugar

2 Tbs. sugar
1 1/2 Tbs. cinnamon

Glaze

1 1/4 c. powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
2 Tbs. melted butter
2 to 3 Tbs. milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease or spray the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch pan. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter, sugar and brown sugar until it is light and fluffy. Scrape the bowl down to make sure that everything is thoroughly mixed in. 

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Pour in the vanilla.

With the mixer on low, add the baking powder and then the flour. The batter will be thick.

Spread half of the batter on the bottom of prepared pan. 

In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon together.  Sprinkle the mixture over the top of the bar layer. 

Using a small spoon, place the remaining bar batter over the top of the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly. Try to cover the top as much as you can without mixing it into the cinnamon sugar layer.

Bake for 25 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow the cake to cool completely. 

When the Snickerdoodle bars are cool, it is time to make the glaze.  

In a medium bowl, combine the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla.  You'll want it to be the consistency of a runny glaze. Not too runny and not so stiff that it is like icing.  When you get the consistency of paint, that will be about right. 

Drizzle the glaze over the top of the bars.  The glaze is what makes these bars become  gooey bites of deliciousness.