Peanut Butter Pie Recipe

Peanut Butter Pie

• Graham Cracker Pie Crust (store bought or homemade)
• 2/3 cup Peanut Butter (crunchy or creamy, whatever you prefer)
• 1 cup Powdered Sugar
• 1/4 cup Milk
• 8oz. Extra Creamy Cool Whip
• 8oz, Cream Cheese

Beat all ingredients together until smooth (about 1 minute). Spoon into crust. Chill for at least 6 hours before serving. This pie can also be frozen. Thaw at least 15 minutes prior to serving.

Pumpkin Cookies/ Bread/ Muffins

 . This recipe is more cake-like, so the cookies are lighter and moist.

 Pumpkin Cookies

 

 

1/2 C butter, softened
1 egg
3/4 C honey, liquid or softened
1 C pumpkin (homemade, well-mashed or blended or from a can)
2 1/4 C flour (I use whole white wheat flour)
2 tsp baking powder (non-aluminum)
1 tsp ground allspice
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/3 C semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 C walnuts, chopped (optional)
1/3 C raisins

Cream the first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix the first 5 dry ingredients in a separate bowl and then combine with the wet stuff to make a thick dough. Gently stir in chips, nuts and raisins.

Drop by teaspoons onto a non-aluminum cookie sheet an inch or 2  apart.

Bake at 350 for 11-13 minutes.If they squish when you squeeze them then you know they’re not done.

Let cool for 5 minutes before eating or moving them. I usually triple this batch so I can use a 24 oz can of pumpkin. This makes enough cookies to share with the neighbors.

 Pumpkin Cookies Triple Batch

1 1/2 C butter, softened
3 eggs
2 1/4 C honey, liquid or softened
3 C pumpkin (homemade, well-mashed or blended or from a 24 oz can)
6 3/4 C flour (I use whole white wheat flour)
2 TB baking powder (non-aluminum)
1 TB ground allspice
2 TB ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp sea salt
1 C semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 C walnuts, chopped (optional)
1 C raisins

Perfect Pumpkin Bread and Muffins

5 C white wheat flour (hard white or whole wheat pastry works great)
3 C sugar (I use evaporated cane juice, which is a whole food)
1 TB baking soda
1 ½ tsp baking powder (no aluminum)
2 ½ TB pumpkin pie spice
¾ tsp salt
6 eggs
3 C pumpkin (a large can or home cooked & pureed)
2 cubes butter, melted (1 cup)
½ C applesauce
9 oz chocolate Chips
2 C walnuts, chopped (Optional)

Mix dry ingredients. Mix eggs, pumpkin, butter and applesauce. Combine all. Fold in chips and nuts. Pour into greased pans or muffin papers. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. They may seem a bit undercooked when they come out of the oven. The bread needs to stay in for 40-45 min (it depends on how much batter you have left from the muffins).

Some in stones, and some in tins with paper cups

I

Day Out with Thomas: Mystery on the Rails Tour 2012 @TrueBlueEngine

Day Out with Thomas: Mystery on the Rails Tour 2012 @TrueBlueEngine

 

The Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad will soon be playing host to Thomas the Train as it stops there as part of the Mystery on the Rails Tour 2012! 

 

Pulling out of the station for its 17th consecutive ride on the rails, the Day Out With Thomas: Mystery on the Rails Tour 2012 will visit more than 45 cities in the United States and Canada. Day Out With Thomas is the only place for families to take a ride with a 15-ton replica of everybody’s favorite No. 1 engine, Thomas the Tank Engine, and enjoy Thomas-themed activities at the Imagination Station, including stamps, temporary tattoos and hands-on arts and crafts. 

 

My family is excited to attend the event this upcoming weekend in Boone, Iowa. We had a fun time last year and the kids are looking forward to all of the activities again. 

Thomas will be in Boone September 15 & 16 and September 21-23.  Check out the Day Out with Thomas Schedule to find an event near you and to purchase tickets.  And be sure to follow @TrueBlueEngine on Twitter to learn all the latest engine news and to follow the 2012 railroad tour.
 

Cheesy Potato Soup

Cheesy Potato Soup

3 cups potatoes, diced

1/2 whole onion, diced

3 cups chicken broth

1 brick cream cheese

1 can cream of chicken soup

pepper to taste