September Acres

I don't know about you but I love to try new recipes although I don't do it a much as I'd like to.  I think that's because on the average day it's all I can do to get something on the table and I just don't make the time to look for something new.  Even when I meal plan and add a couple of new recipes to the menu each month I usually end up scratching it and just cooking what I know (spaghetti, anyone?) Thanksgiving is a fun time to add something new because I usually have a little extra time with school being out and the excitement of the upcoming holiday season takes over.  So I thought this would be a perfect time to have a recipe exchange.  I'd love to see your tried and true recipes or even something new that you haven't tried but would like to.  I know there are many wonderful cooks out there with recipe boxes full of inspiration. Please share your recipes in the comments here or better yet, on the September Acres Facebook page . Fell free to...

Source I'm a firm believer that you can put buffalo sauce on anything and it will taste good.  Cauliflower is no exception.  I have had this recipe hanging on my fridge for months and finally made it tonight. And just as I suspected, it was delicious. I didn't make the cheese sauce but I'm sure it's yummy too. Ingredients Cheese Sauce: 1/3 cup nonfat sour cream 2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese 1 tablespoon skim milk 2 teaspoons mayonnaise Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper Buffalo Cauliflower: 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/4 cup hot sauce, such as Frank's 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice 2 tablespoons olive oil Kosher salt 8 cups cauliflower florets (from about 1 medium head) Directions Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. For the cheese sauce: Whisk together the sour cream, blue cheese, milk, mayonnaise, 1/8 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes For the Buffalo...

Soup weather is right around the corner.  Or so they tell me.  It's still well over 100 degrees here and probably will be all week. But in anticipation for the cooler weather I wanted to share (again) my corn chowder recipe. I cannot wait to make it this fall. Corn Chowder 2 c. chicken broth or water 2 c. chopped potatoes 1/2 c. carrots chopped 1/2 c. celery chopped 1/4 c onion chopped 1 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper Bacon (about 6-8 strips- or to taste) 1/4 c. margarine or butter 1/4 c. flour 2 c. milk 1 c.  Parmesan  cheese 17 oz can cream style corn 17 oz can corn (drained) Tabasco (to taste) Brown bacon and onion. Set aside. Add water/broth to veggies (minus corn). Add salt, pepper. Cover & simmer 10 min. Do not drain. Make white sauce w/ butter, flour & milk. Add  Parmesan cheese stirring until melted. Mix white sauce with veggies. Add corn and bacon/onion mixture to vegetables. Heat, do not boil.. Sp...

www.kraftrecipes.com When we were younger we made a  bunny cake  each year.  We started a tradition a few years ago after my husband and daughter reluctantly tried real coconut (as opposed to the flakes from the bag) and low and behold they liked it.  Yippee.  That means we make this cake each year!  I still leave the bow coconut free just in case we have a guest that doesn't like coconut. I also make these  sticky buns  for Easter morning.  It can't hurt to have another 'sweet' tradition! What are your Easter food traditions?

We try to eat healthy around here but still like a little snack every now and then.  I love chips and salsa and this homemade salsa is really quick and yummy (and makes me feel better about the chip part of the snack).  This is also a great way to use up excess tomatoes. Super Easy Salsa Recipe 3 Roma Tomatoes (or any ripe tomatoes you have on hand!), chopped 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped Banana peppers, chopped - to taste About 2 TBSP of juice from banana pepper jar Fresh cilantro, chopped -  to taste Salt to taste Mix all ingredients together.  Refrigerate for at least and hour. Enjoy!

Well, it's been a while.  We made it through Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas with lots of fun memories.  The 31 Day Challenge took it out of me, I must admit.  Challenging it was for sure.  Lots of debate in my head was going on about continuing to blog or not but I decided I don't really need to make a decision, I can just do it when the mood hits.  So here I am with my year-end re-cap.  I have a love/hate relationship with these re-caps - I love the idea of looking back on the year - seeing what was popular with readers, what was a dud, looking at the pictures I took, getting re-inspired, etc.  But I hate them because I think they're kind of a lazy way to create a new post. So, here goes, some of my most popular posts of 2013: The first day of any 31 Day Challenge is always a biggie and this year was no exception. The overview of 31 Days of Making your House your Home can be found here.  This is where all the other 31 Days posts ca...

I recently (finally) downloaded the pictures from my phone to my computer.  Over 600 of them.  I take a lot of pictures on that little phone and LOVE Instagram - all those filters!  I think the photos someone takes says a lot about a person.  Here's a little glimpse: Yummy Lemon Bars from the Food Network Magazine & Paula Deen.  Easy peasy and oh, so yummy! I take a lot of pictures of this guy.  And he's usually on the bed! The none to popular ham casserole.  VERY heavy with all those potatoes.  Good flavor but we'll save it for when we run the Iditarod next time. Morning quiet time with a book and some coffee. Why my purse was so heavy.  You just never know when you'll need it! You can find me on Instagram! @debbeckm   Hope to see you there!

Just in time for Cinco de Mayo: Super Easy Salsa Recipe 3 Roma Tomatoes (or any ripe tomatoes you have on hand!), chopped 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped Banana peppers, chopped - to taste About 2 TBSP of juice from banana pepper jar Fresh cilantro, chopped -  to taste Salt to taste Mix all ingredients together.  Refrigerate for at least and hour. Serve with chips, tacos, enchiladas or anything you like. This is a no fail, always delish, super easy recipe I always get compliments and it goes fast! Enjoy!

A few years ago we were visiting with some friends from Virginia who were in Park City on vacation. They invited us to dinner on their last night in town.  They were in a time share and had been cooking all week - we joined them on 'leftover' night.  In a small piece of foil was the tail end of something I couldn't really identify but looked good (I know that sounds odd).  That bit of food changed my life.  It was Pineapple Casserole and ever since my friend C sent me the recipe I've made it about once a month - sometimes more. It is super easy and yummy. Pineapple Casserole 2 cans pineapple chunks 1 cup sugar 5 tablespoons plain all purpose flour 1 1/2 cups grated mild cheddar cheese 1 1/2 cups Ritz cracker crumbs (one 'tube' of crackers, crushed) 1 stick butter, melted Grease casserole dish.  Drain pineapple and pour in dish.  Sprinkle sugar, flour and cheese over pineapple and stir all ingredients together.  Mix cracker crumbs with 1 st...

I have always loved St. Patrick's Day.  It's a fun holiday without the expectations of Christmas or Valentine's Day.  No gifts to be bought and wrapped.  Just a little fun.  And these days, a little fun means a little cooking or baking. I love this scone recipe from Alton Brown. Source 2 cups flour 4 teaspo ons baking powder 3/4 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup sugar 4 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons shortening 3/4 cup cream (I have used whole or 2% milk as well) 1 egg Handful dried currants or dried cranberries Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Mix well. Cut in butter and  shortening. In a separate bowl, combine cream with beaten egg then add to dry ingredients. Stir in  fruit. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Roll dough out and cut into biscuit size rounds. Bake for  15 minutes or until brown. The thought of scones always intimidated me but a few years ago I t...

Easter is less than three weeks away.  I know, how is that even possible?  I'm starting to get the Easter decorations out and will try to get everything in it's place by the weekend.  Luckily, I don't have a ton of St. Patrick's day decor so there won't be much competition. These little guys are out this year.  My mom took most of our Little People to her house so she brought the Easter ones over the other day.  I love the whimsy they provide when decorating for the holidays. It brings back an easier, slower time when LM was little.  Those days are behind us, but not the memories. Some of my past Easter posts have been fun to look back on so I wanted to share them in case you missed them the first time around: This Quick Easter Gift idea is great for teachers or caregivers.  It's also a sweet gift for the baker in your life. It's time to start thinking about Easter Baskets.  I love this twist on the traditional basket . I've also lis...

As the year comes to an end, I always like to look back to see what I worked on over the year and what themes or ideas were popular here at September Acres.  I love reading year in review type posts and there are a ton of them out there right now.  I hope you will enjoy reading (or re-reading) my most popular posts from this past year. 31 Days of Organization-Day 1 - This is where the series starts.  It has links to all of the posts for the month (a few of them are also on the top 12 list). Home Management Notebook - Also part of the 31 Days series.  The notebook has been such a useful tool for me. DVD/CD Storage - Even with MP3 players and the like DVD & CD storage can be a bear.  This solution really helped keep our home looking a bit neater.  This was also part of the 31 Days Series. Organizing Basics - Yet another in the organizing series.   Key Lime Bar Recipe - We spent a week organizing our kitchens and I loved taking a break t...

A few years ago, I saw Ina Garten on GMA doing her Easy Sticky Bun recipe.  Easy & Sticky Bun in the same sentence?  I'm in.  So I made them that year for Christmas.  And New Year's Day.  Then I realized that due to the amount of butter and the yumminess of them I would need to make them on special occasions only.  I added Easter to the list and usually just make them for those three holidays.  With Easter coming up, I figured it was a good time to share the recipe again.   Ingredients 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature 1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed 1/2 cup pecans, chopped in very large pieces 1 package (17.3 ounces/ 2 sheets) frozen puff pastry, defrosted (I use Pepperidge Farm) For the filling: 2 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and cooled 2/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/2 cup cranberries 1/2 cup white raisins Directions Preheat the oven to 400 ...

Image: Whole Foods Markets We spent February basically eating from the pantry.  I explained how we did it here.  I mentioned the Twitter chat I hosted on this very subject in my last post.  During that chat we talked about what we always kept in our pantries & described some of our most creative meals we've made only using items from out pantry. To me, the idea of a full pantry means that my family can make it through the lean times or a disaster for at least a week or so without worry.  I am sure it means different things to different people.  Like some many homemakers I stock up when staples are on sale which means at some point my pantry over flows.  That's when I try to spend a month using up what I have - or eating from the pantry. My dad is LDS and as far back as I know my grandma had a food storage room.  I remember it was fascinating when I was younger.  I was amazed at how much she had in there.  I would love to play gro...

Amanda asked for me to post the granola recipe so here it is: Lunch Box Granola vegetable oil cooking spray 1 c. rolled oats 1/3 c. wheatgerm 1/4 c. shredded coconut 1/2 c. sunflower seeds 1/4 c. powdered milk 1/4 cup raisins 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp nutmeg (we thought this made it a bit too nutmeg-y so next time I'll use less) 1/4 c. honey 2 tbsp vegetable oil 1 tsp vanilla extract Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F Spray the cookie sheet with vegetable oil cooking spray In a large bowl, mix together the rolled oats, wheat germ, shredded coconut, sunflower seeds, powdered milk, raisins, cinnamon, and nutmeg, using the wooden spoon. Add the honey, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract to the mixture.  Stir well until the honey covers all of the dry ingredients. Press the mixture flat on the sprayed cookie sheet. Bake the granola for 8-10 minutes until it is toasted, or light brown in color.  Use oven mitts to remove the cookie sheet from the oven. Let the granola cool o...

If you entertain alot (and even if you don't) it's fun to have a 'signature drink'.  I never had one until I was in a Bunco group and the hostess was to provide the drinks.  Most of my friends had fun things like margaritas & martinis when they hosted our group.  Since wine is really our signature drink I had to find something for Bunco that was a little more signature-y.  Once again, allrecipes.com came to the rescue.  That's where I found the Red Rooster . Red Rooster Makes 1 serving 1 cup ice cubes 2 fl oz vodka 4 fl oz cranberry juice 1/2 fl oz orange juice Fill a tall glass with ice, pour in vodka & cranberry juice.  Top with orange juice.  Stir. I have also quadrupled this and put it in a pitcher.  To share, not just for me! Emeril Lagasse also makes a slushy version of the Red Rooster.  I haven't made it but it looks yummy too. Do you have a signature drink? You can find my 31 Days posts here .

A few years, right before Christmas, I was watching Good Morning America when Ina Garten made her Sticky Buns.  I got the recipe from the GMA website and those sticky buns have been my 'go to' recipe for holiday breakfasts as well as when we have guests.  I usually make them 5-6 times a year-they're a special recipe here @ September Acres.  We could eat them every week but then they wouldn't be special.  You can find the recipe here .  You won't regret making them! Do you have a special recipe you make for your overnight guests? If you've missed any of my 31 Days of Hospitality posts you can find them here .  The rest of the 31 Dayers can be found here .

So much of hospitality revolves around food, doesn't it?  So I thought I should share this pumpkin cake recipe that I recently made.  It is delish and without frosting it can also be called pumpkin bread! I found the recipe at allrecipes.com .  I am a huge fan of this website.  I have made quite a few things from recipes I have found there and have yet to be disappointed. (just a note on this cake:I reduced the sugar from 2 1/2 cups (yikes, that's a lot of sugar!)of white sugar to about 3/4 cup of white & 3/4 cup of brown. Tastes great- and not too sweet.) This cake/bread is perfect to serve during coffee with friends, take to a potluck or new neighbor or even decorate like the above photo (from allrecipes.com) to take to a Halloween party.  It's really tasty! If you've missed any of my 31 Days posts you can find them here .  The other really cool 31 Days participants are found here .

We cooked out tonight and my sister made a yummy potato salad. Red, White & Blue Potato Salad Bag of small red, white and blue (purple) potatoes (about 2 lbs) 4 slices of crisp bacon, crumbled 1/2 red onion, sliced 2-3 Green onions, sliced Red Pepper, sliced 1/2 bottle of ranch dressing (add more or less depending on your taste) salt & pepper to taste Boil potatoes until soft, drain & cut potatoes into quarters. Leave peel on -so you can see the colors! In mixing bowl add potatoes, bacon, red onion, green onion & red pepper. Add ranch dressing and salt & pepper. Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate 2-3 hours. Linking up to Rook No. 17 4th of July Craft & Recipe Roundup , Metamorphosis Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch & the Red, White & Blue Linky party @ ItsyBitsyPaperBlog. Enjoy!

Today is Life as Mom's ultimate recipe swap. And the topic is Veggies. Most of us don't eat enough and I know I am always looking for new and exciting things to do with them. My family gets bored easily so a new twist on an old favorite is always welcome. One of our family favorites is this easy, easy sweet potato recipe. And they're not sick of it yet! Roasted Sweet Potatoes 1 sweet potato 1-2 tsp extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp brown sugar Cut the potato in wedges, toss with oil, sprinkle with brown sugar. Cook in 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes. When you take out of the oven toss them again and enjoy. Notes: You can double or triple (or more) this. I often put them in the microwave for about 3-4 min to cut down the actual roasting time and they still taste great. I have only ever made these in a Pampered Chef baking stone pan so the times are based on that. I am not really sure if another pan would cook differently or not. But it is a really easy recipe a...