Thai Pumpkin Spinach Curry Soup

Perfect for a bitter cold day.....
Half Can Pumpkin Pie Filling
One Can Coconut Milk
3 oz of Coconut Water
One Sliced Banana (soft room temp)
3 Tablespoons Peanut Butter ( creamy)
1 Tablespoon Yellow Curry
2 Tsp. Brown Sugar
1/4 Tsp. Ginger
Sprinkle of Nutmeg
One Handful of Baby Spinach with stems removed.
Mix all the ingredients together over low heat, adding the Spinach once it is heated and starts to bubble. Serve piping Hot and eat right away.

Ultimate Butter Cookies....

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1 cup LAND O LAKES® Butter, softened -2 Sticks Unsalted
1 cup sugar ( must be fine granulated- sugar cane sugar)
2 eggs
1 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon whole milk
1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract Bourbon Based ( NOT Imitation flavor)
2 teaspoons Almond Extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour ( flour can be Arrowroot, or Almond if you can find )
1 teaspoon baking powder
Parchment Paper if you can find, or PAM spray ( Light )

Sift All Dry ingredients in a bowl. Then in standing Mixer Bowl mix gently the Wet Ingredients, The Key to great Butter Cookies is the Unsalted Room Temperature Butter and mixing the ingredients slowly, and also to always sift the dry ingredients. Once the Wet Ingredients are smooth, slowing add the Dry Ingredients, One Forth at a time, and setting mixer on low as they are added and then increase speed as the mixture smooths.Once mixture is completely mixed set bowl in frig for 4 hours and let mixture, dough, set or settle or " Rest" ( as my grandmother used to say ) for the WHOLE 4 hours. Cover the top with saran wrap to Hold moisture.

When the Dough is ready there are two ways to make the Rounds. One is to roll the dough into a Log and cut into slices ( kind of like the Pillsbury dough in the dairy section ). Or you can roll out with on an oiled board or counter and cut cookies out with a Bourbon Shot glass- it is nice and round, and just dust lightly with flour or spray with PAM and the dough should not stick to the glass.They should be about One Third Inch thick.

Set on Trays, either with Parchment Paper or lightly sprayed with PAM and cook for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.They will still be light colored, and slightly brown on edges. they should come out soft and warm, if you cook longer they can be crisper or even hard.

Halloween Treats.... Pumpkin Squares, and BOO Cookies and more.....,

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Most Years I make Cookies or snacks while I carve pumpkins, my favorite pumkins to carve are puking pumpkins....It's a nurse thing....Here are the treats..enjoy...
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Pumpkin Squares ( Marshmallow rice cookies)
1/2 c Butter (salted)
10 cup Crispy rice cereal
1 bag Miniature marshmallows
2 c Mixture of candy corn and Indian candy corn
1 cup c Miniature chocolate chips
Candy pumpkins
Yellow and red food coloring ( to make orange)

Melt butter and marshmallows; stir until smooth. In a large bowl, mix rice cereal, candy corn and miniature chips together. To marshmallow mixture, blend in 2 drops yellow food coloring and 1 drop red food coloring, adding more coloring if necessary to make it orange. Add marshmallow mixture to cereal mixture; stir real quickly to combine. Spread on a large buttered pan; press with buttered hands. While warm, press on candy pumpkins spaced 1 to 1/2-2 inches apart. Refrigerate and cut into squares.
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BOO Cookies:
Sugar Cookies with white icing and raisens for eyes and the open mouth....I think it is easiest to buy the tube of dough..let the kids make them, and shape them. Cook as regular cookies- decorate when cool.
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Oatmeal Raisen Pumpkin Cookies:
Pop N Fresh Oatmeal Dough is really good, and it has raisens in it...makes great cookies, you can cut into round and bake at 350 degrees.
Pumpkin Filling:
Whip up in a small bowl, and then refrig for a few hours before you make the cookies.One small can of pumpkin pie filling, 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, cinnamon, 1 tsp of buttered rum flavoring, powdered sugar half cup, 1 tsp vanilla. Then just like making ice cream sandwiches, put filling in between the oatmeal cookies.
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Lovely Puking Pumpkins....

Zucchini Bread ( The Special One with Raisins)

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3 cups flour
3/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground Saigon cinnamon
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 cup mashed Zucchini's*
1/2 cup Special Raisens*
1 cup vegetable oil
2 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1/4 cup yogurt-vanilla
2 pats butter (for greasing pan)
Once in a pan, lightly sprinkle freshly zested lemon across the top.

Bake in a Bread Pan, well buttered or greased....Sometimes I like to use Light Virgin Olive Oil. ( there is also PAM Spray that works great). I prefer Glass pans, less stickiness for some reason. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

About the Zucchini, 2 or 3 zucchini's peeled and mashed and preheat in the microwave, with a bit of butter, and salt, slight.

About the Raisins, I soak them overnight in Hot Buttered Rum Flavoring ( or you could use real Rum just as well) and Orange Juice, and a bit of Blueberry Juice is nice too. In the Fall Apple Cider. Let them soak until they are good and Plump.

( If you ever want to try something different, shredded coconut is really nice too....instead of the lemon zest on the top...)
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If I am going to make Bread...any kind..I need the right music...Blues...or R&B...or Soul....So to accompany this I put the Neville Brothers with this receipe...just click the title.....( song is" Fearless."..really haunting song...I think it is about NOLA )......

Guilty Peasure : Brownies....

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Brownies Mix ( the kind with the Syrup pack)
Chocolate Pudding Mix
Kahlua or Coffee Liqueur
( if you don't drink Coca Cola)
2 eggs
Crushed Up MM's
Butterscotch Bits

Mix all like you normally would, but instead of water use the Kahlua or Coke. And add a third cup more liquid. Then cook in greased glass pan at 350 for about 40 minutes. Do Spread the mixture, and sprinkled the MM's and Bits across top and smooth in....Amaretto is also nice to try. Let cool for about 2 hours before eating. Brownies should be fudgey, not cake-like.
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Tonight is the Saddleback Event for the Election...I am dreading it...so this will really help.

Hmmmmm, Hot Steamy Buns ( homemade)

Cucumber Cheese Soup

Cheese Cucumber Soup
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( serve with Garlic Bread)

2 English Cucumbers Sliced
one small container Sour Cream
1 Cup Vanilla Flavored Creamer ( less fat, but still seems creamy)
I package KNORRS Leak Soup( powder)
Half stick butter
I cup water ( add more if needed till consistancy creamy)
1 teaspoon Worstshire Sauce
1 teaspoon Honey Mustard
Garlic Powder
Paprika
Dash of Nutmeg

Cheese: shredded, Havarti, Sharp Chedder, Monterey,Smoked Goulda totalling One Cup, mix in even amounts, some can be bought already shredded.