When I saw this recipe on Healthy Food For Living my mouth dropped, watered, and then dropped again. I’ll let Lauren’s pictures do the talking.

Pumpkin Mac & Cheese

serves 4

Ingredients:

• 8 oz uncooked macaroni or other pasta, preferably whole wheat or whole wheat blend pasta
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 cup 1% low-fat milk
• 2 oz (about 4 Tbsp) 1/3-less-fat neufchatel cream cheese
• 1 cup freshly grated 50% reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup freshly grated gruyere cheese (can sub in any good melting cheese, such as monterey jack)
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/8 – 1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper, or more depending on heat preference
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, whisk together and heat pumpkin puree and milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat until hot.
3. Reduce stove heat to low. Whisk in cheeses until fully melted.
4. Stir in nutmeg and cayenne. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Stir drained pasta into the pumpkin-cheese sauce and mix until thoroughly combined.
6. At this point, the mac & cheese might appear a bit soupy. If this is the case, let the mixture sit off of the heat for a few minutes. The cheese sauce will firm up as it slightly cools.
7. Serve with an extra dusting of nutmeg, if desired.

You’ll need:

All-Clad Stainless-Steel Measuring Cups

Microplane Coarse Grater Soft Touch

Cuisipro Frosted Egg Whisk

Have you ever seen something so ingenious you wonder why you’ve never come across it before?  I felt that way today when I was desperately trying to find a new napkin holder for my dining room table.  You’d think it would  be so simple to find an attractive, useful napkin holder, but we’ve been looking (casually) for over a year and have yet to find a napkin holder we really want.  Then, I saw this:

Napkin Holder With Salt And Pepper Shakers

Target.com

$19.99

I never knew I was looking for this until I saw it.  How ingenious!  This awesome napkin holder is made of simple brushed stainless steel, and what i find so incredible about it is the built in salt and pepper shakers.  There are two holes in the base of the the holder that easily fit the accompanying shakers.  I am always trying to find the most aesthetically pleasing place to put my salt and pepper shakers on my table so this solves that problem easily.   

Now if only I could find some new trivets that I like as much….

It’s fall and all my favorite TV shows are officially back in session! That means staying in and catching all my favorite shows. There’s no better food to nosh on than pizza, and this Caesar Salad Pizza from Annie’s Eats looks too good. Here are her directions:

For the crust:*
1½ cups warm water (105-115˚ F)
5 tsp. instant (rapid rise) yeast
2 tbsp. olive oil, plus extra for brushing
2 tsp. honey
4-5 cups all-purpose flour
3 tbsp. semolina flour (optional)
1 tsp. coarse salt
½ tsp. red pepper flakes
¼ cup coarse cornmeal
Freshly shredded Parmesan cheese

For the dressing:
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 anchovy fillet
2 large eggs, beaten (or ½ cup pasteurized egg product)
½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1½ cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper

For the salad:
1 large head romaine lettuce, washed and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
Garlic croutons
Parmesan shavings

Directions:
To make the crust, combine the water, yeast, olive oil, honey, and 3 cups of the flour in the bowl of a mixer (KitchenAid Professional 620 Stand Mixer, Satin Copper) fitted with a dough hook.

KitchenAid Professional 620 Stand Mixer, Satin Copper

Add the semolina flour, salt, and red pepper flakes; mix on low speed until combined.  Add in 1 more cup of the flour and mix until a soft dough comes together.  Mix on low speed about 5 minutes to knead.  Add additional flour, 1-2 tablespoons at a time as needed until the dough is smooth and tacky but not sticky.

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat.  Cover and let rise at room temperature for 30-45 minutes.

Coat 2 baking sheets with olive oil.  Sprinkle the sheets with cornmeal.  Preheat the oven to 450˚ F.  (You can also use a baking stone, preheating it with the oven – no need to oil.  Sprinkle with cornmeal just before adding the crusts.)  Divide the dough into four equal pieces, transfer to a work surface, cover with a damp towel and let rest 10-15 minutes.  Use immediately or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 3 hours.

With a rolling pin (OXO Plastic Rolling Pin) on a lightly floured surface, flatten each dough ball into an 8-inch circle.

OXO Plastic Rolling Pin

Brush (Cuisinart Basting Brush) each dough round lightly with olive oil.

Cuisinart Basting Brush

Sprinkle with shredded Parmesan.

Transfer to the prepared baking sheet or stone and bake until browned and crisp, about 10-15 minutes.

To make the dressing, combine the garlic, anchovy, eggs, lemon juice, Worcestershire, and mustard int he bowl of a food processor.  Process until smooth.  With the processor running, add the olive oil through the feed tube in a thin, steady stream.  Pour the dressing into a bowl, stir in the Parmesan and season with salt and pepper to taste.

To make the salad, combine the lettuce and cherry tomatoes in a large bowl.  Drizzle with some of the dressing and toss to coat; add more dressing as needed.  Place a generous amount of salad on top of each warm pizza crust.  Top with croutons and Parmesan shavings, and freshly ground pepper if desired.

*For thin crusts, halve the amount of dough but roll to the same diameter.  They will need less time to bake.

I was looking at some counter-top wine racks for my elegant two-buck Chuck, but when I queried “Wine Racks,” some really expansive ones came up. I am no wine aficionado, but wine racks like this Vintage View 234 Bottle Island Display Wine Rack is a full on commitment!

Vintage View 234 Bottle Island Display Wine Rack

What does one do with 234 bottles of wine? Drink them, of course!  Here are a couple of wine racks that are more my speed:

Umbra Grapevine Wine Rack Clear

Oggi 3 Tier Stainless Steel Wine Rack

Aimee Wimbush Borque from Simple Bites uploaded this amazing recipe along with images for Homemade Blueberry Syrup. Jams and preserves, yes, but I never thought to make syrup! Imagine pancakes and waffles on winter mornings and the familiar summer taste of blueberries to remind you of warm weather past!

Homemade Blueberry Syrup

Makes about 4 cups.

* 5 cups organic blueberries, washed
* 3 cups water
* 1 cup Turbinado sugar, firmly packed (or white sugar)
* 1 organic lemon, whole, washed

1. Using a sharp paring knife, peel three or four strips of lemon peel from the lemon. Skin should be about 1/2 inch wide and not have too much of the bitter pith or white part on it. Then juice the lemon, and set both zest and juice aside.
2. Place blueberries and 1 cup of the water in a medium pot. Don’t worry about stems or leaves; they will be strained out later. Using a potato masher, crush the berries.

3. Over medium-high heat, bring the berries and water to a boil, then lower the temperature to medium-low. Simmer berries for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. They will darken considerably.
4. Remove pot from heat and ladle berries into a fine sieve set over a heat-proof bowl or measuring cup. Using the back of a smaller ladle, press on the berry solids to extract as much juice as possible. Discard solids.

5. Wash out your pot, then add the remaining 2 cups of water, lemon peel (not juice yet), and the sugar. Bring to a boil and boil rapidly for about 15 minutes until the mixture thickens (or reaches 225°F).
6. Add blueberry juice and 2 tablespoons lemon juice and stir to combine. Boil another minute or two. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Remove lemon zest.
7. Using a funnel, pour syrup into clean jars. Top with lid and store in the refrigerator for up to six months.

Serve the syrup or honey table top with a really chic Honey and Syrup Dispenser.

WMF Kult Honey and Syrup Dispenser.

I found a recipe for yummy chocolate cake from Grace Langlois’  blog, La Mia Dolce Vita. One kitchen tool that is a must for this recipe is a silicone spatula–just look at all that frosting and all those layers!

Here are some that are well priced silicone spatulas ($27.50) that look great:

Williams-Sonoma Personalized Silicone Spatulas, Clear, Set of 3

And to maintain some semblance of dignity in an already messy kitchen, place any frosting covered spatula on the cutest Le Creuset Stoneware Spoon Rest.

Le Crueset Stoneware Spoon Rest in Kiwi

And without further ado:

Donna Hay’s Chocolate Buttermilk Layer Cake with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

From Donna Hay, serves 6-8

• 1 cup (250 ml) water
• 125 g unsalted butter, chopped
• 1/3 cup (35 g) cocoa, sifted
• 2 cups (300 g) plain (all-purpose) flour, sifted
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of (baking) soda, sifted
• 2 cups (440 g) caster (superfine) sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup (125 ml) buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 160° C (325° F).  Lightly grease 2, 18 cm round cake tins and line with parchment paper.
2. Place the water, butter and cocoa in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir until the butter has melted; set aside.
3. Using a fine-mesh sieve, sift the flour and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl.  Add sugar and whisk to combine well.
4. Add the cocoa mixture and whisk to combine.  Add the eggs, buttermilk and vanilla and whisk to combine.
5. Divide batter evenly between the 2 cake tins.  Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in centre of cake comes out clean.
6. Allow to cool in the tins on a wire rack for 10 minutes.  Turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

• 100 g unsalted butter, softened
• 500 g cream cheese
• 2 cups (320 g) icing (confectioner’s) sugar, sifted
• 1/2 cup (50 g) cocoa, sifted

1. Place butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium-high speed for 6 to 8 minutes or until pale and creamy.
2. Meanwhile, using a fine-mesh sieve, sift icing sugar and cocoa into a medium bowl. Repeat an additional 2 times.
3. Reduce stand mixer to low speed and gradually add the icing sugar, cocoa mixture.
4. Increase speed to medium-high and continue to beat for a further 6 to 8 minutes or until light and fluffy.

images and recipe via La Mia Dolce Vita

Cook for the Cure KitchenAid Measuring Cup Set

If you are looking for new set of measuring cups for your kitchen, your choices have evolved from the standard white plastic or metal sets of old.  KitchenAid has a whole line of pink kitchen appliances and tools called “Cook for the Cure“.  A portion of the sale of every item goes to Breast Cancer Research.

I think this idea is really cool.  Instead of having a boring measuring cup set and measuring spoon set, you can have a pink collection and support a cause!  This dishwasher safe set has holes in the handles to make it easy to hang, and comes with 5 measuring spoons and 5 measuring cups.  It retails for only $9.99 and 10% of that goes to Breast Cancer Research.

Hands down, my favorite thing from Mediterranean cuisine has got to be Tzatziki sauce; the cool yogurt, the crisp cucumber pieces and flavorful garlic all meld into one of the most versatile dips ever. I put it on my hamburgers, use it as dip for chips, and over course with lots and lots of warm pita bread.

I always end up paying some premium prices for it at organic stores or buying it at restaurants. With this super simple Tzatziki recipe, I may start making it from home!

• 1 pound of cucumbers, ends removed and sliced lengthwise (6 “baby” cucumbers)
• 2 cups of strained yogurt (Greek or otherwise)
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced fine
• 1 large handful of dill, minced
• Juice of one lemon

PROCEDURES

1. With a teaspoon, scoop out the seeds of the cucumbers. You should be left with a neat half-moon shape. Slice them thin, but not paper-thin—they should still have some crunch.
2. Add the cucumbers to a mixing bowl along with the rest of the ingredients. Taste for acid and seasoning, then either serve, or (preferably) cover and let it sit in the refrigerator for a few hours.

Recipe and image via Serious Eats

And here are a couple of items that will help you achieve a perfect tzatziki sauce, and my personal favorites for kitchen items:

A sharp knife is always necessary to prevent any accidents in the kitchen!

Global 2-Piece Knife Set, G-5838

Chef n’ Fresh Force Citrus Juicers from Sur la Table

Williams-Sonoma Garlic Press

When making cakes and bread, many recipes will tell you to sift the flour.  I’ve read a variety of comments on the subject as to whether the sifting actually does anything, and the jury is still out.  Yes, sifting the flour will make sure it is finer, and that there are no clumpy or stuck together bits, and it will aerate the flour, allowing it to become slightly more porous for your wet ingredients.  But there are those that say you can just stir the flour vigorously with a wooden spoon and achieve the same result. 

I am gluten-free (I don’t eat anything made with wheat, rye or barley flour – which is about 95% of bread products out there like cakes, cookies, pies, crackers, etc.), and so when I bake gluten-free I want to make sure whatever gluten-free flour blend I am using is as smooth and fine as possible.  So I do tend to use a flour sifter in those instances.  I don’t think there is any need to go with a fancy or expensive product for this though, something simple like the Amco 5 Cup Flour Sifter, which is only $12.95, will work just fine.

If you aren’t going to sift, then I recommend that you put your arm muscles to work for some vigorous stirring.  The actual spoon you use won’t make a ton of difference.  Some people like a slotted spoon because it feels a little like sifting as you stir.   Crate & Barrel  makes a great bamboo tool set that has two regular spoons, a slotted spoon and two turners, which would be perfect for this. 

Whatever way you plan on preparing your flour for your baking recipes, just make sure that everything looks nice and even before you start mixing in your other dry ingredients so that you end up with a creation you’ll be proud of.

My living room is decorated in part modern and in part art deco, so when I spotted these Mikasa Solitude Salt & Pepper shakers, I knew they were the perfect addition to my home!

I like that that Mikasa took a neutral item and made them interesting.  I’m sure my friends will see these and be unsure of what they are at first glance. I did some research and found that Mikasa Solitude is an entire line.  Here are the Mikasa Solitude cups and saucers.

Mikasa Solitude Demitasse Cup and Saucer Set

And of course the coffee pot to match!

Mikasa Solitude Coffee Pot