Recently, I spent time in California raisin country learning all there is to know about raisins as apart of a blogger ambassador program with California Raisins. Posts are soon to come about my time there, tons of information that you probably didn’t know about raisins, why you don’t put lipstick on in front of a bear, and info on upcoming recipe contests with California Raisins and Relish Magazine. But for now I came home with pounds upon pounds of the glorious little dried fruits that I have nowhere to store them. So, today Mia (my soon to be 4 year-old) and I spent the day in the kitchen up to our ears in raisins.

These Pumpkin Oatmeal Raisin Bars with Ginger Icing are dense, moist, and incredibly delicious. Packed with whole and healthy ingredients such as whole wheat flour, raisins, and pumpkin seeds, these bars are a nutritious snack to keep you going through out the day or perfect for a special treat. The addition of pumpkin and spices make this a wonderful fall treat. Enjoy.

view photos of the California Raisin trip, visit the raisin album on Facebook.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Raisin Bars makes 8 rectangle bars or 16 square bars

• 1 cup rolled oats, old-fashioned not fast cooking
• 1 cup wheat flour
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup California raisins
• 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds, plus 1 tablespoon for garnish
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon dried or fresh grated nutmeg
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup coconut oil, warmed until just melted
• 3 tablespoons orange juice

Preheat oven to 325°F and grease an 8 inch square baking pan. In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients.

In a medium bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, coconut oil, and orange juice and stir well until incorporated.

Next, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth with a knife or spoon until evenly spread. Place in the oven and bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Remove the soon to be bars from the pan and place on a cooling rack. I like to do this by placing a large plate (face side down) on top of the baking pan and flipping the pan over while holding onto the plate. The “cake” will fall onto the plate. Then place the cooling rack on top of the “cake” and flip that over so the soon to be bars are on the cooling rack. Allow to cool completely.

While the bars are cooling, create the icing by combining the confectioners sugar, ginger, and water in a bowl. Stir well until combined.

Place the icing in a piping bag or a plastic bag with a corner cut off. Once the the bars have cooled completely, drizzle the icing over. Sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon of pumpkin seeds over the icing.

Allow the icing to set for 5 minutes.

Slice the bars into 8 large rectangles or 16 small squares and serve.

Makes one heck of an after school snack in the fall!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received California Raisins for free from California Raisins. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

First of all, lets all thank Julia Child and Dorie Greenspan for teaching us you can stuff practically anything in a pumpkin, cook it, and have an insanely delicious and impressive meal. Second of all, who is as obsessed with fall vegetables like butternut squash and pumpkin as I am? Love, love, love, me some pumpkins Charlie Brown.

Stuffed pumpkins are very simple to make. Serve in multiple small pie pumpkins or 1 large sugar or Cinderella pumpkin. Just takes a few minutes to prep and then throw it in the oven for about an hour. I love this recipe because it’s healthy, fun, and can be treated as a side or a main dish. And picture how beautiful a wild rice, apple, and cranberry large stuffed pumpkin (minus the ground turkey) would be as a side at your Thanksgiving table? Yeah, that would get you out of the dog house with the in-laws.

Sweet and savory, these Turkey, Wild Rice, Apple, and Cranberry Stuffed Pumpkins is the perfect fall meal for everyday, an upcoming holiday, or dinner party. I will warn you though, the resident 3 year-old was not as impressed with this particular pumpkin and opted for a bowl of peas instead. The Husband on the other hand ate almost 2 whole pumpkins.

Turkey, Wild Rice, Apple, and Cranberry Stuffed Pumpkins
makes 3 small pie pumpkins or 1 large 3 – 4 pound sugar pumpkin
serves 4 to 6 as a meal 

• 3 small pie pumpkins or 1 large sugar or cinderella pumpkin (3 to 4 pound)
• 1 yellow onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 large Granny Smith Apple (about 1 1/2 cups diced)
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries
• 3/4 cup walnut halves
• 3 cups cooked wild rice or wild rice/brown rice mix*
• 2 Tbs fresh sage, chopped or 1 Tbs dried sage
• 1 Tbs fresh oregano, chopped or 1/2 Tbs dried oregano
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken or turkey broth

The weather still hasn’t made quite enough of a change to call it fall here in Texas but that’s not stopping me from cooking that way. We’ve been incredibly busy around here, traveling form home, to the ranch, to Dallas and back and it seems like I haven’t seen my kitchen in weeks. A couple of days ago while in the big D, I stopped by one of my favorite stores, you guessed it Whole Foods, and picked up some fresh made chicken and apple sausages. The only thought in my mind was this fall dish that is one of our family’s favorite one pot meals.

With all the flavors of fall, this Chicken Sausage with Cabbage and Apples is a supper easy and simple one dish meal that always has me wanting more. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Chicken Sausage with Cabbage and Apples serves 4 

• 1/2 head green cabbage, shredded
• 2 granny smith apples, cored and thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup pecans
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1 Tbs fresh sage, chopped
• 1 Tbs fresh thyme, chopped
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 tsp Kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
• 4 to 6 chicken apple sausages*

Nothing goes better together than garlic and butternut squash and I’m jumping up and down because we are finally getting butternut squash down here in Texas! If you’ve been hanging around ISMS for awhile then you know when fall hits the butternut squash recipes are abundant and that’s no exception this year. But in those recipes and the various baby food purees I’ve never just shown you the most simple way of eating this fall candy. Here’s the most basic way to enjoy a butternut squash. And if you have any leftovers just pop them in a blender with some chicken stock for a delicious butternut squash soup.

Garlic Roasted Butternut Squash

• 1 butternut squash
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 tsp Kosher salt

Preheat oven to 400°F. With a sharp knife slice the ends off of the butternut squash. If you wish, cut the skin off the squash with a knife or vegetable peeler now. When I have time or when I want the squash cubed I do take the time to peel it but this blog would not be me if I didn’t represent my flaws and sometimes with a kid running at your feet and a dog chasing a cat you just got to do what you gotta do. Stand the squash on its bottom end and slice the squash in half. With a spoon, scoop out the seeds and discard.

Next, slice the squash in 1 inch thick slices and lay on a foil lined baking sheet.

Peel and chop the garlic cloves. Sprinkle the garlic on top of the butternut squash.

Drizzle olive oil over the squash and garlic.

Next, sprinkle the salt over the squash and toss to coat.

Place in the oven and roast for 30 to 40 minutes, flipping the slices over halfway through roasting.

Plate and serve. Simple and delicious, garlic butternut squash is an easy side dish perfect for any meal like this porcini roasted pork tenderloin (that will be posted soon). Tip: roasted cauliflower is made the exact same way and is a great pairing with the squash. Decrease the cooking time to 25 to 30 minutes.

Oh, praise baby Jesus I’m back at it in my sock monkey slippers again! After a week long of tissues, cold meds, and laying on the couch I’m finally feeling better and not seeing double. Although there was on brief moment where I went totally insane and got in the car with the husband and drove to Gruene, Texas for a Lyle Lovett show. It was an awesome awesome awesome (did I say awesome) show with his large band! The setting was Gruene Hall, a small venue and one of Texas’ oldest dance halls. The floors and walls shook and the small but sold out crowd brought the energy in the house to a full-on roar. This had to be up there for one of the best shows I’ve ever seen! Unfortunately, the mix of cold meds and a half of a beer made me make a fool out of myself as I yelled out from back stage to get the attention of Mr. Lovett for a photo. And then again little while later because no one stopped me to get a shot of the singers, which by the way totally topped off the show.

At least they all got a good kick out of my insanity and I got a good chance to embarrass the husband. But as you can tell by the unfocused shots I was a little shaky thanks to the decongestant I took before the show. All in all I looked like a crazy woman with wild hair, red eyes, a snotty nose armed with a camera phone. Lyle Lovett is on tour now and I beg you to see it! He is truly one of the best performers out there.

Anyway, back to the soup. With fall brings cold temps, falling leaves and one of my favorite fall crops, butternut squash. If you follow the blog often then you know I love to eat it any way I can. This butternut squash soup is so terribly simple it’s a joke. It’s creamy texture and sweet warm goodness is perfect for any fall day and is the cure all for a cold. Trust me!

Here’s a little cooking music for you. My favorite song from the show that closed out the night and nearly brought Gruene Hall crashing to the ground. Lyle Lovett – You Can’t Resist It {Live In Texas}

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup serves 4 to 6

• 1 large butternut squash
• 1 large yellow onion
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 2 1/2 tsp dried sage
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 3 cups chicken broth
• prosciutto (about 4 thin slices) and crumbled queso fresco for topping

Preheat oven to 400°. With a sharp knife slice both ends off the butternut squash. Then peel the skin off the squash. You can also use a vegetable peeler to do this.

Slice the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds of both halves.

Slice the squash in rows then cubes and place in a large bowl. Set aside.

After peeling and cutting the ends of the onion, slice in large cubes. Place the onion in the same bowl as the squash.

Peel the garlic cloves. I’m a garlic person. If you are not you can always use as many cloves as you please. Throw the garlic in with the onions and squash.

To the squash, onions, and garlic add the olive oil, sage, rosemary, salt and pepper. Mix to evenly coat the vegetables with the herbs.

Pour everything in a roasting pan or baking dish. Place in the oven for 50 minutes to an hour until the squash is very tender.

After the vegetables come out of the oven, place the prosciutto on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and put in the 400° oven for 15 minutes until crispy like bacon. Remove from oven and allow to cool. With your fingers crumble the crisp prosciutto. Set aside and reserve for the topping. This is where I have to restrain myself from eating an entire slice. It’s so hard.

Now, here is the easy part. Put everything in the blender. If you are adventurous and want to spice things up a bit add a chipotle pepper (the ones packed in adobo sauce) or two right now! Add 1 cup of the chicken broth, don’t forget to put the lid on (this is always my downfall) and blend on high until smooth, about one minute.

Pour mixture into a large soup pot over medium heat and add the remaining 2 cups of broth. Depending on the size of your squash you might need a little more broth to achieve your desired soup consistency. Stir until combined. Add more salt and pepper if needed and pour into soup bowls.

Top with the prosciutto and crumbled queso fresco.

Extreamly simple and so creamy that you don’t need heavy cream. Although I guess you are welcome to put it in if you are one of those insane marathon runners like the husband is but it’s so good that you really don’t need it.  I can’t stop making this in fall!

Recently, I was up in Dallas where there is salvation in the form of a Whole Foods. I had an amazing “salad” for lunch called Roasted Fall Harvest or something like that. I can’t really remember. But what I do remember was how simple and delicious it was. After talking to one of the Whole Foods chefs I found that it was supper easy to make and perfect for the kiddos to help out with. Mia helped by siring all of the veggies together and if we weren’t completely covered with olive oil by the end of her creation I would have snapped a pic. Try this slightly sweet side dish warm or cold and enjoy all that fall has to offer. Carrots can also be replaced with butternut squash.

Roasted Green Bean, Beets, and Carrots serves 4 to 6

• 1 large beet
• 5 carrots
• 2  large shallots
• 1 pound green beans
• 1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 3/4 tsp Kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp honey

Preheat oven to 400°. With a vegetable peeler, peel the skin off the beet.

With a sharp knife, slice the beet into quarter inch thick bite size slices and place in a large bowl.

Peel the carrots and slice into quarter inch slices. Place the slices in the bowl with the beets.

Peel the shallots, slice in bite size pieces and place in the bowl.

Snap the tough ends off the green beans and place in the bowl with the other veggies.

This is where I have to stop and tell you that when I was a kid I was forced into child labor. True story. I’ve mentioned her before, RoRo, my beloved nanny. I really don’t like to say she was me nanny because she was almost like a second grandmother. She took care of my great-grandparents when she was a teenager, helped raise my mom’s younger siblings and then, helped raise my brother and I. Whenever I think about her I smile and tear up a little. All of my fond memories have her included somehow and this is one of them. RoRo was an amazing cook! I learned almost everything from her since my mother was a hard working mom and hardly stepped foot in the kitchen. RoRo was known for her fried pies, collard greens, and fried catfish but what I truly loved was how she cooked green beans. Maybe one day I will share the recipe when I decide to forget my ever growing behind and cook a real southern RoRo style meal. but for now I’m keeping it to myself. It was her green beans I begged for everyday. So while blueberry muffins baked in the oven, RoRo and I would sit down in the living room with a big pile of beans and a large bowl. She would turn on her stories and say, “Squirt Tail (that was her nickname for me) if I’m gonna make beans for you again you’re gonna snap’em.” So in the midst of the daily dramas of The Young and Restless I would learn the ways of love, deception, how to style my hair 20 feet high (it was the early 80′s) and snap beans. There was nothing I’d rather do and still to this day every time I snap a bean I think of my RoRo, the smell of blueberry muffins and her stories.

Ok…back to it. Pour a tablespoon of olive oil over the vegetables in the bowl.

Add the salt and pepper and mix well.

On a foil or parchment lined sheet (you don’t have too, it’s just for easy clean up) spread the vegetables out and place in oven. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes until vegetables are tender. Once finished, drizzle honey over the vegetables and mix. Serve warm or cold. Hope you enjoy this as much as we did and if you actually live in a town with a Whole Foods and don’t want to cook stop by and try this today.

Linus van Pelt was right. There really is a great pumpkin. It might not be a in the form of a mysterious character that comes to the pumpkin patch on Halloween as the little guy wishes but pumpkins are certainly great. Loaded with cancer and heart disease preventing Vitamin A and Beta Carotene, pumpkins are one of the most nutritious vegetables you can give your family. A simple pumpkin puree can be used in almost anything from a pasta sauce, risotto, bread, oatmeal, cookies, pancakes, and even your kids favorite Rice Krispie treats (recipe coming soon). Take advantage of this pumpkin season and grab yourself a great pumpkin today!

Simple Pumpkin Puree for baby 6 months+ and everyone else
makes 2 cups

• 1 pumpkin, choose a pie or sugar pumpkin

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400°. With a very sharp knife, slice the pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds. A serrated grapefruit spoon works great for this.

I love how water seeps from pumpkin and squash after you cut it. It’s purrrdy.

Place both halves face down on a baking sheet. I cover my baking sheets with parchment paper or foil for easy clean up. Roast in the oven for 45 minutes.

Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Scoop out the meat of the pumpkin with a spoon and place the “meat” in a food processor or blender.

Puree for 1 to 2 minutes until smooth.

Serve plain or add a dash of cinnamon (spices are recommended for babies 8 months and older). For baby, also try adding a teaspoon of  rosemary or sage to a puree or try adding  3/4 cup of cold chicken while pureeing a whole pumpkin. Apples, peaches, pork, and ginger are also great pairings with pumpkin in a puree. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. For easy storage, freeze in an ice-cube tray and once frozen store cubes in freezer bags. Each cube is an ounce and is so easy to grab and throw in a bowl of oatmeal!

Other uses for pumpkin:

Pumpkin Wedges

Cut pumpkin in half and scoop out the seeds. Slice the pumpkin in wedges and sprinkle with a little cinnamon and brown sugar. Place in a 400° oven for 40 minutes. This is a great treat for the kiddos and if you forget to add the cinnamon and sugar before cooking, like I did pictured above, you can always add it after cooking. Hey, we’re not all perfect.

Ginger Pumpkin Bread, from Everyday Food, published October 2006

This is by far one of our family’s favorite fall recipes. When the whether changes it is the second thing that the husband hints at, the first being Chicken and Hatch Chile Stew. Thankfully, I found the recipe on-line so I don’t have to type it out for you and you can just print it off. Some changes that I’ve made to this over the years is adding fresh pureed pumpkin, which really does make a difference, and 1 tsp of fresh grated nutmeg. It’s seriously the best pumpkin bread recipe that I’ve ever had. Find the recipe here: Ginger Pumpkin Bread.

Getting back to normal around here very slowly. Forgive me. Between unpacking, my child’s Elmo and raisin obsession, laundry, and waiting for the insurance adjuster to come evaluate the damage from last weeks small tornado that passed through here, I’ve been a little busy. If you’ve been keeping up with us lately, you will know we just returned from Colorado and that means we drove through New Mexico just in time for Hatch Chilie season. I LOVE this time of year because this is when I can say, “Well butter my butt and call me a biscuit, it’s fall!” {Thank You Kinky Fiedman for burning that line in my head. Side story explanation: Years ago The Husband was playing a show in honor of Texas legend, Kinky Friedman. When I went to introduce myself after the show Kinky shook my hand and said, “Well butter my butt and call me a biscuit, you are a pretty one.” Needless to say a blushed a little but now that phrase has stuck with me and it just slips out of head sometimes. Now back to the chilies}

Not only is it a sign of fall in the southwest it is somewhat of a holy foodie season in my opinion. To honor the hatch and to please the request of my husband I’m bringing back a post from the past. So old in fact, it is actually the first recipe post to appear here! Hatch Chilie Chicken and White Bean Stew. This time I used freshly roasted chilies and nothing compares to it’s greatness! If you love Hatch season as much as I, try this one out. You will not regret it.

Hatch Chili Chicken and White Bean Stew

• 3 cups of cooked and shredded chicken, preferably white and dark meat
• 1 whole Medium Onion, Diced
• 4 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 cup Fresh Roasted Hatch Chilies or 2 cans Hatch Green Chilies, Chopped
• 1 pound Dried Great Northern Beans, Rinsed
• 9 cups Chicken Broth
• 1 whole Serrano pepper, chopped
• 1 cup Sweet Corn Kernels, Frozen or Fresh
• 2 Tablespoons Ground Cumin
• 1 Tablespoon Ancho Chili Powder, or any smoked chili powder
• Salt To Taste
• 1 cup warmed Whole Milk
• 2 Tablespoons Cornmeal or masa
• 1/4 cup Fresh Chopped Cilantro
• avocado, lime, sour cream, Monterrey jack cheese are all optional toppers

First of all, if you have fresh hatch chilies let’s talk about roasting. Ideally you want to roast these tasty green chilies over an open flame, blow torch, campfire, charcoal grill…you get the idea. Unfortunately, there is a hurricane of sorts outside I can not demonstrate this. So let’s just use the broiler.

For this recipe, take 8 to 9 fresh chilies and place on a baking sheet or roasting pan lined with foil, optional. Place in the oven on the top rack under the broiler. Set broiler on low.

Roast for 5 minutes or until the skin is blistered and practically burnt. Flip chilies and roast for another 5 to 10 minutes until once again the skin is blistered. Note: I’m using a gas oven. Roasting time will vary so keep an eye on the chilies. Turn off broiler and let cool down in the oven for an additional 10 minutes. Once cooled, remove the chilies from the pan and place on a cutting board. With the back of a knife, or using your fingers (just wear gloves), gently peel of the blistered skin and discard. Once you have peeled the skin off all of the chillies, chop and set aside.

Now for the stew, sorry no pics I think my back is broken from hiking so I needed a break. You can check the original post for step by step photos, just be ware they were taken a long time ago with a very tiny camera:

1. In a dutch oven or large pot saute onions and garlic until soft with a tablespoon of olive oil.
2. Add chopped chilies(again, a thousand times better if you use fresh roasted Hatch Chilies when in season), serrano, and rinsed beans.
3. Add chicken broth, cumin, and chili powder. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low.
4. Simmer for 2 hours or until beans are done. Halfway through cooking process, add 3 cups of shredded cooked chicken and corn.
5. After 2 hours of simmering away, mix the warm milk with cornmeal (flour or masa will work as well) and pour into stew.
6. Stir well and allow to simmer for an additional 10 minutes.
7. Add cilantro and stir.
8. serve

So good! I can smell football, golden leaves, halloween and 70° days now.