Why have I never thought of this? My family loves deviled eggs. This year I am going to dye the eggs to make this festive platter. Just boil the eggs like normal, then peel and scoop out the yoke, like normal. Then add different food coloring to cups, and dip the half egg into the food coloring and wah-lah! You’ve got colored deviled eggs! Maybe I should start doing this for all holidays?

Complete step-by-step instructions can be found at foodjimoto.com.

Also, I watched Tricia Yearwood’s cooking show on the food network a few months ago and she said the trick to perfect hard boiled egg shapes is to center the yolk by inverting the eggs in the carton the night before you boil them! Let me know if you try it!

Happy Easter!

Chocolate-Pecan Pie (we call it “Chococan Pie”)

• 1/2 (15-ounce) package refrigerated piecrusts
• 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
• 1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate morsels
• 1 cup dark corn syrup
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup bourbon or water
• 4 large eggs
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 2 teaspoons cornmeal
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Remember when I gave you Paula Deen’s recipe for Double Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake? Feel free to make that for Thanksgiving.  You can also be seasonal and make the Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake.  Same premise: two sticks of butter, a box of confectioner’s sugar, and a slab of cream cheese.  What’s not to love?

Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To make the cake, combine all of the ingredients and mix well.  Pat the mixture into a lightly greased 13×9-inch baking pan. 

 

Prepare filling:
In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth.  Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter and beat together. 

 

Next, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mix well. 

Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes.  Make sure not to over bake as the center should be a little gooey.

Serve with fresh whipped cream.

 

 

Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle

Speaking of Paula, this is another great recipe of hers.

• 2 (14-ounce) packages gingerbread mix
• 1 (5.1-ounce) box cook-and-serve vanilla pudding mix
• 1 (30-ounce) can pumpkin pie filling
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 teaspoon ground cardamom or cinnamon
• 1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping
• 1/2 cup gingersnaps, optional

Bake the gingerbread according to the package directions; cool completely. Meanwhile, prepare the pudding and set aside to cool. Stir the pumpkin pie filling, sugar, and cardamom into the pudding. Crumble 1 batch of gingerbread into the bottom of a large, pretty bowl. Pour 1/2 of the pudding mixture over the gingerbread, then add a layer of whipped topping. Repeat with the remaining gingerbread, pudding, and whipped topping. Sprinkle of the top with crushed gingersnaps, if desired. Refrigerate overnight. Trifle can be layered in a punch bowl.

 

Pioneer Woman’s “Pie That Will Make You Cry” Pecan Pie

• 1 whole Unbaked Pie Crust 
• 1 cup White Sugar
• 3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• 1 cup Corn Syrup
• ¾ teaspoons Vanilla
• ⅓ cups Melted Butter (salted)
• 3 whole Eggs Beaten
• 1 cup (heaping) Chopped Pecans

Best pie crust recipe is “Sylvia’s Perfect Pie Crust” found on tasty kitchen.com

Next, mix sugar, brown sugar, salt, corn syrup, butter, eggs, and vanilla together in a bowl.

Pour chopped pecans in the bottom of the unbaked pie shell.

Pour syrup mixture over the top. Cover top and crust lightly/gently with foil. Bake pie at 350º for 30 minutes. Remove foil, then continue baking for 20 minutes, being careful not to burn the crust or pecans.

NOTE: PIE SHOULD NOT BE OVERLY JIGGLY WHEN YOU REMOVE IT FROM THE OVEN. If it shakes a lot, cover with foil and bake for an additional 20 minute or until set. Required baking time seems to vary widely with this recipe. Sometimes it takes 50 minutes; sometimes it takes 75!

Allow to cool for several hours or overnight. Serve in thin slivers.

 

Rhonda’s Pecan Glazed Pumpkin Pie

• 2 eggs
• 1 can pumpkin
• 1 can evaporated milk
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1 deep dish pie crust
• 1 cup pecan pieces
• 2 tablespoons melted butter

Preheat over to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, pumpkin, milk, 3/4 cups sugar and pumpkin pie spice.  Place frozen pie crust on preheated baking sheet. Pour filling into crust. Bake 30 minutes. In small bowl, combine melted butter, remaining sugar and pecans. Crumble over top. Bake additional 20-30 minutes.

 

Pilgrim Hat Cookies

• 16 chocolate wafer cookies 
• 1 tube orange frosting with piping tips
• 16 small peanut butter cups

1. Place cookies on work surface; squeeze a dime-size dot of frosting in center of each
2. Unwrap and invert peanut butter cups on frosting, pressing down gently
3. Using the round piping tip, pipe a “hat-band” with frosting around peanut butter cup and a square “buckle.” Let frosting set before storing. 

Patti’s Give Thanks Cornucopia

• 8 ice cream waffles or sugar cones
• 3 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted
• Assorted fall candies (like candy corn, candy pumpkins, fall colored M&Ms, etc.)

Dip edges of the cones into the melted chocolate – let stand on wire racks or waxed paper until chocolate is firm – Place each cone on it’s side and fill with candy.

You can also use these for place cards.   To make the place cards, write names on pieces of cardboard and attach the cards to cones with melted chocolate.

Nancy’s Corn dip recipe (we call it CRON)

2 cans of Mexicorn, drained
1 small can of chopped green chiles
1 cup of mayonaise
1 cup of sour cream
2 cups of cheddar cheese
1-2 tbsp of sugar

chill before serving. enjoy with fritos!

Unroll crescent roll dough.  Place in lightly greased 15x10x1 jelly roll pan*, pressing edges and perforations together to line bottom of pan.  Bake at 350° for 7 to 8 minutes or until brown.  Cool.

Combine cream cheese, mayo, and Ranch mix, beat at medium speed with mixer for 1 minute or until smooth.  Spread over crust in pan. 

Combine peppers, and remaining ingredients; sprinkle over cream cheese mixture

Cover and chill 8 hours.  Cut into 1 ¼ inch squares

Yield = 8 dozen

(*I just use a 13x9x2 pan)

Years ago, I tried teeth whitening strips, and liked them, but was unhappy with how hard it was to keep them adhered to my teeth during treatment. I started using the whitening gel with trays, and was also happy with the results, but let’s face it, that was sort of a hassle. So, I decided to give the strips a try again, and was very pleased with the results I got from the Crest 3D White Intensive Professional Effects Whitestrips in just a few weeks. Very, very pleased. So much so, I’m willing to share with you my before and after photos. The before is my coffee stained icky teeth, and after is my pearly photo-ready whites!

Quite a difference for about $35, wouldn’t you say? Don’t judge me. Just look at the toofers!

I purchased mine through drugstore.com, but naturally, as with all things I love, it’s no longer available. I checked with crest.com, and they still make these, but I will not be giving you a link to Amazon, because they are from third party sellers there and WAY overpriced. You can find them at Walmart, or any other drugstore or superstore.

I was very pleased with the way the strips adhered to my teeth and stayed on. I was also pleased with the thirty-minute treatment, while still being able to speak (without trays in my mouth) and go on with my daily function. Also, I didn’t get that sensitivity that I had before after using a whitening strip.  I call them zingers! They are a little shooting pain that lasts for half a second.  Not with these.

My packet also came with two 1-hour express treatments, which I gave to my son to use before his engagement photos. I’ll let you know if he ever gives me any feedback or actually uses them!