Soups to nuts and Bread

It's been just about two years since I posted. Way too long! Time sneaks away from you and the days and weeks just seem to fly right out the window. I've found and been given some great recipes and hope to share them in the coming days and weeks.
I see one of my all time favorite pumpkin recipes here. In my garden I have zucchini, tomatoes, eggplant, sweet banana peppers, Anaheim peppers, multi-color bell peppers, spinach, strawberries and savoy cabbage.
There's a ham and corn soup recipe I clipped from a magazine and tried recently. It's a keeper that I'll share.
Stay tuned!

Mom's Eye of the Round Roast

A roast goes a long way and this one is fast and easy!

Preheat oven to 450 degrees
1 - 2-3 lb Eye of the Round
your favorite seasoning - I use a mixture of garlic powder, salt and fresh ground pepper
Seasoning your roast all around patting the seasoning into the meat.

Bake at 450 degrees for 1/2 hr. Then turn down oven to 400 degrees and continue baking for 20-30 minutes. 20 minutes will give you a medium rare (more pink than rare).
Let your roast sit for at least 5-10 minutes and slice and serve!

As you can see, I served mine with asparagus bundles wrapped in bacon.

Ruth Nolan's Pumpkin Bread

Finally, one of my all time favorites, Pumpkin Bread!

I've had this recipe for about 15 years. Ruthie was a co-worker of mine and she made this delicious bread and we all just loved it. I wouldn't change a single thing in this recipe.

All we need is a nice cool day. It must have been 90 degrees today here in So. California. The nights are nice and cool and I am thankful for that.

1 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 c. plain canned pumpkin
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 c. water
1 c. chopped walnuts (optional)

Grease and lightly flour a large loaf pan or two small loaf pans. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder and spices. In a large bowl mix sugar, eggs, oil, pumpkin, and water. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and stir just until blended and smooth. Stir in chopped nuts, if desired. Bake approximately one-hour for large loaf and 35-40 minutes for smaller loaves (depending on your oven).

Mandarin Orange Cake

This recipe came to me from a friend and co-worker many years ago. I made it and took it to work today for a birthday. It's still a hit! When possible I try to cut down on eggs and oil in a recipe and for the most part it works. I used a 9 x 13 pan and then removed the cake from pan and put it on a platter. It was difficult to frost. My suggestion is keep it in the pan and only frost the top of the cake.

1 box yellow cake mix
½ cup oil (1/4 cup will do)
4 eggs (I used 3 eggs)
1 small can mandarin orange & juice

Frosting
Cool Whip (8 oz)
Small box vanilla instant pudding
1 – 8 oz crushed pineapple

Drain mandarin orange and reserve juice. Mix cake mix, oil, eggs and mandarin orange juice until well blended. Fold oranges into mixture. Pour into 9 x 13 well greased pan. Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Frosting
Drain crushed pineapple and reserve juice. Mix vanilla instant pudding and pineapple juice by hand. Fold in Cool Whip. Frost and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

Nana's Banana Bread

Some of my favorite recipes are breads. This one is my Mom's!




1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
1 cup mashed banana (1 banana)
2 cups flour (1 cup white and 1 cup wheat flour)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs ( 2 will do)
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup coarsely chopped nuts

Cream butter and eggs. Add mashed banana, sugar, milk and vanilla and blend.
Measure and sift flour and other dry ingredients.
Add dry ingredients alternately to liquid ingredients and mix.
Fold in nuts last. Grease loaf pan with butter, margarine or vegetable spray.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Test with a tooth pick to check to see if done.