Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

From some random message board

• 1 box spice cake mix (I used yellow)
• 1 small can pumpkin
• 1 C chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix cake mix and pumpkin until well blended. Fold in chocolate chips. Drop spoonfuls of batter onto greased cookie sheet. Bake for 18 - 25 minutes. Makes 50 cookies.

My Review: These are my perfect cookie! They help beat my cravings for sweets but they're not good enough for me to devour the whole sheet. Plus, they're very low-cal, which is even better! Simon liked them a lot too - so boy-friendly.

Mock Mashed Potatoes

from www.aimeesadventures.com

3 Servings

• 1 lb. frozen cauliflower
• 2 T. light cream cheese
• 2 T. light mayonnaise
• 3 T. butter
• 4 T. skim milk
• 1/2 tsp. onion - I used onion powder
• 1 dash salt and pepper

Steam or microwave the cauliflower until very soft. Remove any excess water by placing it on 2 paper towels and covering with 2 more paper towels and pressing. Place cauliflower in food processor with cream cheese, mayo, margarine, and onions.

Process until smooth, adding 1 T. milk at a time until you reach the desired consistency of mashed potatoes. Add salt and pepper.

My Review: I've had the cauliflower/mashed potato fake-out twice before. One time it was nasty, one time it was delicious. The delicious time was when a professional chef cooked it. This was actually pretty good. I guess the addition of butter, mayo and cream cheese makes a difference! But, let's be honest...there was NEVER a point where I was eating these and was actually tricked into thinking these were mashed potatoes.

Bean and Bacon Soup

from For the Love of Cooking (click here to see the official recipe with pictures)

• 4 strips of lean bacon - I used turkey bacon
• 3 large carrot, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 15 1/2-ounce cans white beans, drained - I used two cans cannellini beans and one can great northern beans
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

In a large Dutch oven, fry the bacon until crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels. Let cool, chop, and set aside.

Over medium heat, add the carrot, celery and onion to the pan drippings in the Dutch oven and sauté for 7 minutes; add the garlic and sauté for an additional 60 seconds, stirring constantly. Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste.

Add 2 cans of beans, bay leaf and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low. Let simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the carrots and celery are soft.

Uncover and remove the bay leaf. Using a potato masher or an immersion blender, partially mash the bean mixture until it thickens slightly. Stir in the last can of beans, parsley and bacon. Taste and re-season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, if needed.

My Review: This was delicious! Pureeing the beans made the soup seem thicker and I loved the crumbly bacon. I squeezed a lime wedge over it before serving -- it added a little zing.

Pan-Fried Onion Dip

from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook

• 2 large yellow onions
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (I used 2 T)
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil (I used 2 T)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature (I used light)
• 1/2 cup sour cream (I used light)
• 1/2 cup good mayonnaise (I used light)

Cut the onions in half and then slice them into 1/8-inch thick half-rounds. (You will have about 3 cups of onions.) Heat the butter and oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions, cayenne, salt, and pepper and saute for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 more minutes until the onions are browned and caramelized. Allow the onions to cool.

Place the cream cheese, sour cream and mayonnaise in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until smooth. Add the onions and mix well. Taste for seasonings. Serve at room temperature.

My Review: From what I've read about this dip, I expected something close to the second coming. It was good, but I don't need to make it again. We didn't even come close to finishing it and we can power down some dip! It might be completely my fault for making it lighter. Still, I couldn't imagine eating something so fattening!

Bourbon Balls

From Coastal Living, SEPTEMBER 2008

3 cups crushed vanilla wafers

1 cup finely chopped pecans

1 cup powdered sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder

2 tablespoons corn syrup

1/2 cup bourbon

Powdered sugar

Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir in corn syrup and bourbon. Shape mixture into 1-inch balls; roll in powdered sugar. Store in an airtight container.

Yield: Makes 3 dozen

My Review: I cut this recipe in half -- no one needs three dozen bourbon balls. Yowza! These packed quite a punch! They're pretty boozy - way fun for New Year's Eve or a holiday party. You may not want to give them to your kids, though. They seem to mellow over time, so if you want milder bourbon balls, make them a few days ahead. I thought they were fun and Simon liked them a lot. They're super easy to make.

Spiced Mixed Nuts

from Real Simple

Makes 6 cups

• 2 large egg whites
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 6 cups mixed unsalted raw nuts (such as walnuts, pecans, cashews, and pistachios)
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan (about 1 ounces)

Heat oven to 300° F. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until foamy. Gradually add the sugar, beating until a loose meringue forms. Beat in the Old Bay Seasoning, chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne, and salt.

Mix in the nuts and butter, then mix in the Parmesan. Divide the nuts between 2 parchment-lined rimmed baking sheets, spreading them in a single layer. Bake, switching the baking sheets halfway through, until golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes.

Let cool and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

My Review: I cut this recipe in half because, let's face it, six cups of nuts is way too much! I used a can of random mixed nuts from the store. (It may or may not have been three cups.) Since the nuts were already lightly salted, I didn't include salt and I cut back on some of the other salty seasonings. (Worcestershire sauce, I'm looking at you!)

These were OK. They were kind of a pain to make -- I personally don't enjoy whipping egg whites and sugar. Plus, they tasted almost exactly like the honey-roasted nuts you get at the store.

I don't think I'd make these again.