Spiced Pumpkin Parfaits

I have a confession. A true confession. A truly horrifying Thanksgiving-day confession. You see, the truth is, I don't really care for ... pumpkin pie. Or most fruit pies in general. I mean, I love fruit, and I can certainly eat just about any pie you put in front of me (major exception being coconut - I cannot handle coconut). But let's just all be straight-up at this point: we eat pie for the crust. Or at least I do. Some of my earliest memories involve my mother slapping my hands because I was once again picking off pieces of pie crust (from an as-yet-uneaten-pie). And to me, the true mark of adulthood comes when you can make your own pie and pick off crust pieces with no consequences.

So getting back to the point, I don't like pumpkin pie. But last fall, I had the first-time privilege of hosting my in-laws (famous for

This is my very first turkey.
I just thought you should all see it.
I slaved over him.

gargantuan Thanksgiving feasts) for Thanksgiving. At our house. Where I wasn't planning on making a pumpkin pie ...

The answer (in my opinion at least) was to try to create the mirage of a pumpkin pie without actually having to make and eat a pumpkin pie. So when I saw these charming little Spiced Pumpkin Parfaits over at The Cozy Apron, I knew where Thanksgiving Day dessert was headed. To Parfait of Pumpkin Bliss.

These turned out so well and were such a hit that I made them again at Christmas last year (when MY parents came to visit). However, that's where my other confession comes in: I was 7 months pregnant then, and by the time I got done cooking our meal and prepping that dessert, I was so wiped, I couldn't even finish my meal - or dessert. Both times. But I know the parfaits are amazing because, well, I sort of picked at stuff while I was making them. Snitching is my game. :-)

I hope if you are looking for something fun and pumpkin-y for the holidays, you can try these out. They really are amazing, and I thought a much better finish after a big meal than a heavy piece of pie.
(NOTE: I did make a blueberry pie later in the week so we could say we DID PIE.)  

Below is a link to the original recipe with a few notes: 

Spiced Pumpkin Parfaits 

with Chantilly Whipped Cream and Honey-Graham Crumble

a few notes

• You can substitute vanilla extract for the dark rum.
• I used just regular granulated sugar in the whipped cream and pumpkin cream. 
• If you're wondering where the mascarpone cheese is in the grocery store, check the deli section (wisdom learned after 40 minutes wandering all over Target's grocery section). 
• I would advise removing any rings before making the crumble. 
• Also, this recipe makes a lot of extra crumble. You could almost cut the crumble part in half. Or refrigerate leftovers and use them for something else (or just give kids a fun bowl of crumbles). 

The four finished parfaits.

Megan for The Sisterhood

Fall Baking ... Pumpkin Cookies and Scones

Things have been a tad crazy over the last few months. My husband graduated from dental school, we moved to another state, he started a new job, and we found out another Dow is on the way! Lots of changes, to say the least. And we are now entering my favorite time of year - fall, with its crisp air and changing colors.

With fall comes pumpkin season, and with pumpkin season comes baking. For us at least, two pumpkin treats are an essential part of fall baking: cookies and scones. Although the temperature is still in the 70s around here, the official start of fall this week had me wanting those pumpkin staples.

A while ago, Joanne shared a family favorite and go to pumpkin cookie recipe here on The Sisterhood - didn't want to reinvent the wheel on this one (since they're so yummy). 

However, I started searching Pinterest for a pumpkin scone recipe that was simple and that I already had ingredients for. I came across this Starbucks Pumpkin Scone knock-off recipe and am in love with it. Check it out and let us know if you love it too! 

Jill for The Sisterhood

Menu Planning Made Easy

It's almost time for school to start, and this year I'm beginning a new adventure: my oldest is starting school (insert  *gasp* emoticon). I'm actually really excited about this new phase, and it's given me an adrenaline burst to get certain facets of our lives a little more organized - or at least, more functionable (that's a word, right?). So, when I saw this idea posted on facebook a few weeks I ago, I immediately took a screen shot of it and quite literally burst out "That's it!" It's the menu planning option I've been looking for for years. Believe me, I have done them ALL: the notebooks, the day planners, the special meal planners you can download, writing out the week's meals on a chalkboard, writing out the week's meals on an old picture frame and glass with a dry erase marker. Nothing has really ended up working that well. But THIS. This is genius. And right up front I'm not taking any credit for it, since some person-whose-name-I-forget posted it originally. I'm simply sharing what I did, so that if this helps you, you can do the same. 

Here's my Easy Menu Planner: 

OVERALL CONCEPT: Compile a list of meals that you use regularly and write them on cards so that you can pin them up and rotate them as needed.

SUPPLIES NEEDED: 

• Scrapbook paper
• Adhesive of some kind (tape, glue, etc.)
• Various decorative stickers
• Sticky Letters (or really awesome handwriting)
• Notecards
• Magnetic Clips (like these)
• Sticky note pad
• Magnetic cup/container (like this)

INSTRUCTIONS: 

First, I started out by compiling all my recipe cards that I regularly use for meals and writing out each meal name on my menu-planning cards, with just the ingredients needed on that back. That way, as I'm making a shopping list, I can just flip the card over to see what's needed. 

Then, I created a little "board" out of scrapbook paper and used my awesome sticky letters from the Target dollar bins to label everything (including the magnetic clips for each day). 

After that, I simply clipped a few menu cards onto each day's spot and put the rest into the magnetic cup (along with my writing pen and a pad of sticky notes for making shopping lists each week). 

For breakfasts and lunches, I didn't really need "meal cards," since we sort of rotate the same few things. So I just pinned them up as a reference point. 

And that's it! Each week (typically on Sunday afternoons), I'll just go through my cards and clip up the ones I want to use for the week. And if I know we won't be there a certain night I can just leave it blank (e.g picture below). Then I can make my shopping list off of the ingredients (before shopping Monday or Tuesday). 

Hope this helps some others of you who have also been looking for news ways to menu plan. Feel free to let us know if you have other suggestions or additions to this as well! (Or simply awesome recipes that I should add to my own stash. Good food ideas are always welcome :-) ). Here are some of our favorites. 

Megan for The Sisterhood

Freezer Meals for the New (or recurring) Mom

Welcome back to the Sisterhood! If you're wondering where we've been, well, it's been that kind of winter. I, personally, just recently had our third child, so I've been a little busy. But thanks to my dear sister and an idea we're going to share with you today, I'm actually finding myself with more free time than I imagined. So if you know someone who is about to have a baby (maybe someone in your church, a good friend, a sister, a daughter, etc.), I'm going to strongly recommend that you consider being a HUGE blessing in their soon-to-be crazy lives by providing them with a freezer full of make-ahead-and-dump-in-the-crockpot meals. 

Tonight's dinner

As I type this, I'm currently enjoying the aroma of "Italian chicken with potatoes and green beans" that's cooking in my crockpot. My sister (bless her heart) came to visit us a few weeks after my delivery. And besides caring for my high-maintenance 4 & 2 year-olds, she spent the entire week preparing almost 30 bags of meals and snacks (like this peanut butter granola and these yogurt freezie pops for the kids) that store in my freezer. My favorite part is that these aren't just meals for supper. She also put together some snacks, 3 bags of "breakfast muffins" (think omelets in the shape of a muffin that you can warm up in 30 seconds), 2 bags of french toast sticks, and 2 bags of pre-made, non-processed breakfast sandwiches. These have been awesome to have since most mornings I am really dragging (after middle-of-the-night feedings) and can barely feed myself let alone my other kids.

We have available now a PDF copy of all of the recipes she used. So if you are interested in getting a copy, just send us an email at albright.sisterhood@gmail.com and we'll send it right back to you to use in whatever way you want (you can certainly make these for yourself as well if you are needing to "stock up"). And again, as a new-again mom, I can't encourage you enough, if you have the time and means, to do this for someone. It has been a wonderful gift that has blessed our whole family the past few weeks. Thanks for reading, and enjoy! 

Tomorrow night's dinner, thawing in the
refrigerator - can't wait! 

Megan for the Sisterhood

Sugar Cookies (Sisterhood Christmas Treats)

Sugar Cookies - the iconic Christmas cookie, and yet everybody's idea of that perfect sugar cookie varies drastically - Thin and crisp, or think and soft? Royal icing, or buttercream frosting?  Dough and frosting from a tube? Buy them from the grocery store?

The original Albright Sisterhood grew up with a multi-generational sugar cookie recipe that we continue to make every year - one which makes a soft sugar cookie and requires mixing the dough in advance and chilling it in the fridge for a few hours.  Yes, it requires the mess of rolling, cutting, re-rolling, cutting, and baking along with the extra work to make the frosting.  And it will probably also result in a kitchen full of colored sugar crystals and sprinkles. But the sentiment, memories, flavor, and tradition wrapped up in these cookies is, to us, worth each step of the process.

Sugar Cookie Recipe 

(from the kitchen of Leora Potter, our great-grandmother)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup margarine (margarine keeps the cookies soft; butter makes them crispy)
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 2 tsp. cream of tartar
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cream together margarine, vanilla, and sugar. Add eggs. Then mix in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. 
2. Refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour - but overnight works beautifully.
3. Set out dough to bring to room temperature. Roll out dough on a floured surface about 1/4 inch thick (may require kneading in a little more flour to keep dough from sticking on surface). Cut out cookies using desired cookie cutters.
4. Bake 8-12 minutes at 375 degrees (until cookies look dry throughout the middles - if cookies turn brown, they are over-cooked)
5. Let cookies cool.
6. Freeze, store, or frost cookies (frosting recipe below).

 

Buttercream Cookie Frosting Recipe 

(modified from the Wilton buttercream frosting recipe)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup butter (real, unsalted butter)
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2-4 Tbsp. water
• 1 lb. (4 cups) powdered sugar
• pinch of salt
• food dye/color as desired

INSTRUCTIONS: 

1. Cream together butter, shortening, vanilla, and 2 Tbsp. water. Mix in powdered sugar and pinch of salt.
2. Add little bits of water to bring frosting to desired consistency. Mix in food dye to create desired color (Americolor brand is wonderful).

HELPFUL HINT: To get red frosting, first make frosting pink, then add Americolor red color, next let set for about 15 minutes (because color darkens over time), adding a little more red at a time until the right color

Royal Icing Option 

(for beautiful, stackable cookies)

The tutorial found here, is fabulous!  I recommend following these directions for royal icing sugar cookies.  I used these directions last year for some gift cookies.  However, we prefer the flavor of the buttercream frosting.

One More Sugar Cookie Tip:
Because it can be difficult to display and transport decorated sugar cookies efficiently, I sometimes bring a platter of unfrosted cookies with a dish of frosting for guests to frost their own sugar cookies.

Joanne for the Sisterhood

Chocolate Peanut Pretzel Bark (Sisterhood Christmas Treats)

Today we're featuring a guest post from a sister of a sister in the 'hood (Megan's sis, Melissa), who is going to share a favorite Christmas treat recipe from their grandmother. 

I don’t know about you, but this Christmas season has been rather stressful and busy for me. We live near lots of family members, and making sure we get time with all of them is a blessing as well as tricky. So when I need a quick and easy treat, I resort to my family’s Chocolate Peanut Pretzel Bark (NOTE: You may need an extra dose of self-control to keep from licking the bowl as you prepare this recipe). 

INGREDIENTS: 

• 1 12-oz. bag of semisweet chocolate chips (or dark chocolate, if you prefer - just not milk chocolate)
• 1 12-oz. bag of peanut butter chips
• 1 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter
• 2 c. pretzel pieces
• 2 c. unsalted peanuts (seasoned or dry-roasted peanuts taste weird – trust me)

INSTRUCTIONS: 

Combine the chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, and peanut butter into a large microwave-safe bowl and begin melting process.  TIP: Don’t heat the chips for more than 20-30 seconds at a time before stirring. Burning chocolate is the WORST. I have a small, weak microwave, so I did three sets of 30-second melts, stirring in between each one. You will probably need less.

Crush up some pretzels until you have two cups of bits (HINT: this is a great phase for your little "helpers"). The easiest thing is to just dump a bunch of pretzels in a gallon ziplock bag and whack away with a wooden spoon.

Add the pretzel pieces and peanuts into the bowl with melted chocolate. Mix thoroughly until everything is coated.

Pour the mixture on a 9x12 or other large baking sheet covered in wax paper, and spread it out as thinly as possible – once the chocolate hardens it gets pretty thick. Place baking sheet in the refrigerator (or outside if cool enough) for about an hour until chilled and hardened thoroughly.

Once chilled, break your "bark" into small pieces and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator (or out on the deck, as my grandmother used to do – saves room in the fridge). Enjoy! 


Melissa for the Sisterhood

Praline Pecans (Sisterhood Christmas Treats)

I love the varied traditions and specialties that Christmastime brings out. And even though I'm a great lover of the vast assortment of Christmas cookies produced by everyone, my very favorite treat this time of year is my mom's praline pecans. She found the recipe for these in one of those cheap little paperback cookbooks years ago (you know, the kind that you can pick up in the grocery store check-out lanes - back before Google and Pinterest). And I think we just decided to try them out one year as gifts for our friends and coworkers. They were a smashing success with every recipient - and so my family's tradition of giving "Christmas Nuts" each year was born. So here, for the many friends and family who have asked for this over the years, is our "secret" (not really) Praline Pecan recipe. 

My "elves" getting ready to help me make a batch of Christmas Nuts

Praline Pecans (aka. "Christmas Nuts")

INGREDIENTS: 
(all can be gotten very affordably at Aldi - esp. the nuts, which are rather expensive everywhere else)

• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3 cups (or 2 6oz. bags) of pecan halves
• 1 bag of craisins (dried cranberries) - OPTIONAL

INSTRUCTIONS: 

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees (may need to raise temp in electric ovens, depending on how high your heat gets - I use 250 in a gas oven, my sister uses up to 300 in her electric). Spray a 9x13 baking pan (I highly recommend a non-stick pan) with cooking spray, and lay out the pecans in the pan. At this time, I also usually get my "cooling pan" ready as well - typically a baking sheet/jelly roll pan covered in foil (lip or edge around it recommended). 

Next, put the brown sugar, corn syrup and butter into a small saucepan, and heat for 1 minute on medium. After 1 minute, stir the ingredients and heat for another minute. The mixture should be starting to boil at this point - and once it is, you can quickly add the baking soda and vanilla, continuing to stir. Mixture will get really "foamy" at this point. One it reaches the Foam-Stage, turn the heat off, keep stirring it, and pour it over the pecans. Using a spatula, stir the pecans, covering as many as possible in the glaze. 

Put the pecans in the oven and bake in 3 20-minute cycles, stirring between each cycle (60 minutes total bake time). This is the time when I try to get little projects/cleaning tasks done. So I set the timer for the first 20 minutes, and get one bathroom done. Stir pecans. Set the timer for another 20 minutes, and vacuum the upstairs. Stir pecans. Set the timer for the last 20 minutes, and get the other bathroom done ... well, that's my ideal anyway. Most of the time, I set the timer and then spend 20 minutes settling disputes over Legos, changing diapers, cleaning up unrolled toilet paper, etc. You know how life goes. :-) 

When the pecans are done, IMMEDIATELY dump and spread them out on the foil-covered jelly roll pan to cool. If you need them to cool quickly, feel free to throw them outside (if winter), etc. Once they've cooled, you can break any clusters apart and store them or package them up in your gifting containers. 

For gifts, I usually get 2-3 cellophane bags worth out of a "batch" of pecans. We've also gifted them in those little put-together boxes at times. And if you want to just do one bigger gift to someone, you can give them the whole batch (I certainly wouldn't complain about a whole batch all to myself. :-) NOTE: If you want to add some color & texture to your Christmas Nuts, you can throw in a handful of craisins (dried cranberries). Lots of people like these, but since I'm not a fan myself, I usually just skip the craisins. 


Feel free to let me know if you have any questions about these. They're actually fairly easy and fast to make (beyond the waiting 60 minutes to cook). Hope you enjoy!

Megan for the Sisterhood