Cinnamon Apple Pie Cake

While Paul was in Brazil a few weeks back, a few of the employees at the plant in São Luís showed him such tremendous hospitality in ensuring that he always had company for meals, traveling between his hotel and the plant, and so on. He was a little nervous about being completely lost in Brazil, but his fears were completely quelled by the wonderful and friendly people down there. Last week, we were happy to host a couple of these very same Brazilian co-workers who happened to now be in the United States on business. They were so much fun and really enjoyed playing with our children. We served Roasted Pear Salad and Mushroom Risotto (which apparently is a very popular dish in Brazil) for dinner and concluded our meal with this apple pie cake.

This proved to be a very good dessert choice as our guests informed us that apples are such a rare treat in Brazil. Apples do not grow in Brazil and are usually imported from Argentina. However, Argentinian apples are far inferior to the ones grown in the United States. So, whenever they visit the United States, they try to eat as many apples as possible! Thus, an apple dessert was the perfect ending for our meal!

And this apple pie cake is chalk full of apples! Almost embarrassingly easy to make, this dessert is made by piling a springform pan high with sliced tart Granny Smith apples, pouring a simple batter over the top, and baking in the oven for approximately 80 minutes. It emerges from the oven looking very much like a cake. After allowing it to cool completely, it can be sliced easily to reveal the layers and layers of apples almost suspended in a custard-like filling. It's a weird cake/pie/thing...but it sure is delicious! We served generously large slices with a side of cinnamon ice cream and it was the perfect accompaniment.

Cinnamon Apple Pie Cake
adapted slightly from Recipe Girl

6 to 8 Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups superfine white sugar
1 1/2 cups vegetable or canola oil
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Additional cinnamon-sugar to sprinkle on top

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 10-inch springform pan with nonstick spray. Line the bottom with a round of parchment paper and then spray again.

Combine the granulated sugar and the cinnamon. In a large bowl, toss the apple slices with the cinnamon sugar. Layer the apple slices in the pan until they come about 2/3 of the way up the side.

Prepare the batter by beating the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the oil and the vanilla and beat well.  Stir in the flour. Pour the batter on top of the apples and sprinkle with additional cinnamon-sugar, if desired. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to allow the batter to sink down and around the apples.

Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool COMPLETELY in the pan (the cake will break apart into a volcanic mess if you attempt to remove the sides of the springform pan before it has cooled completely. I actually suggest sticking it in the fridge/freezer to help it cool faster. I had company coming and it was still warm after 90 minutes, so I chucked it in the freezer an hour before they arrived and it did the trick!). Dust with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.

If you would like to serve this pie/cake/thing warm, microwave individual slices for about 30 seconds on high power. Serve slices with cinnamon ice cream.

Pumpkin Cookies with Chocolate and Butterscotch

In the past, my car trips to and from the store, the gym, or church were an opportunity for me to collect my thoughts, make a phone call, or form a "to-do list" in my head. Time in the car was productive because the kids were normally pretty quiet (for once) and strapped in one place so I knew they weren't injuring themselves. However, those quiet moments have been obliterated because Matthew has insisted on checking out CDs full of children's music from our local library to play during our drives. The latest picks currently in our CD case are a compilation of songs from various Veggie Tale productions, The Complete Thomas Sing-Along CD, and a treasury of the 27 most obnoxious children's songs ever composed (I don't know the actual name of it...but there is a singing teapot featured on the CD case to illustrated the song that begins the 67 minutes of torture that is this gem of an album).

Matthew's favorite song is "The Wheels on the Bus" and lately he has been insisting on beginning our fun car rides with that song. He will sing the lyrics from the back seat as loud as he can (as if playing the CD wasn't loud enough) and actually get upset when I decline joining him (catchy though that little ditty may be). The other day, the temperature in the car was a bit warm, so I had all our windows cracked so as to allow the breeze to circulate around us. Of course, the obnoxious Wheel on the Bus song was playing at full volume. When we came to a stop at a busy intersection, I could see the heads of the drivers of the surrounding cars turn to try to determine which car was playing that annoying song. I felt the need to hide behind my steering wheel.

At the next intersection, we hit yet another red light and this time a young man pulled up beside us in his car. His windows were also rolled down, and he glanced over when he heard the music coming from my car and began to laugh: "You go, Mama!" He then proceeded to turn on some tribal music with lots of drums and foul language to drown out the happy playtime music emanating from our vehicle. I was relieved when that light finally turned green.

Yes, my life has certainly changed since I have had children. I cannot name a single song in the Top 40 right now, but I can sing every verse from "This Old Man" along with my 3-year-old.

The recipe I want to share with you today is a pumpkin cookie that is unlike any of the soft, almost cake-like cookies typically made with pumpkin. These are similar in texture to those "soft batch" chocolate chip cookies you can buy in the store, They are soft, chewy, lightly spiced, and packed full of chocolate and butterscotch chips. I was not super jazzed with these when I first pulled them out of the oven, but when they had cooled a bit and given the flavors a bit more time to mingle, they were fantastic. Paul declared these cookies "amazing" and insisted on taking them on his business trip as a snack for the long airplane ride. Matthew also ate about 6 in one sitting, which is unusual for him because he normally demonstrates so much fastidious restraint around baked goods. Personally, my favorite pumpkin cookies are still these, but I did really enjoy this recipe! If you are looking for a different way to use up some canned pumpkin, I highly recommend these!

Pumpkin Cookies with Chocolate and Butterscotch
adapted from Baked by Rachel

10 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
6 tablespoons pumpkin puree
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Pinch of ground cloves
3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup butterscotch chips

In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream together butter and sugars. Mix in pumpkin, vanilla and dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips. Cover and chill until dough is completely firm and cool.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a baking mat. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls, placing dough about 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 10-11 minutes. Keep an eye on the first batch to make sure they do not overbake. Allow cookies to rest on baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat process with remaining dough.

Pumpkin Pie Biscotti

I have been drinking a lot more coffee lately.

Matthew has really been giving me a parental run for my money. He has entered a new phase where he flat out refuses to do anything I say. This includes, but is not limited, to the following: eating, drinking, getting dressed, picking up his toys, playing with his toys, putting his shoes on, taking his shoes off, helping me bake a cake, trying a slice of said cake, etc. In addition, gone is my little buddy who loves to go grocery shopping with his mommy. Instead, I am the mother quickly pushing the shopping cart down the aisle as fast as she can while trying to ignore the incessant screams of her bratty child: "I WANT A COOKIE! I WANT CANDY!!" He has a perpetual scowl on his face when he looks at me and relishes making me mad. He has suddenly become what I have always dreaded he might become: a brat. Where did my sweet little boy go and who is this tiny little demon who has replaced him?

Despite the recent rebellious behavior, I love this precious little guy so much.
I only hope that he knows how much he means to me.

At the end of each day, after we have finally wrestled our little tyrant into bed for the night, I have been experiencing an emotional catharsis in which I over-analyze how I handled Matthew throughout the day. Basically, the end conclusion is that I blame myself for his suddenly horrible behavior. I certainly do not have enough patience with him when he does act out and could definitely be more calm, cool, and collected. I feel that he is channeling my horrible temper and stubborn behavior and perhaps imitating me in my less flattering moments. I have been questioning whether I spoil him, give him too much attention, not enough attention, too many privileges, inconsistent punishments, etc. in an attempt to determine the root cause of his behavior.

Matthew painted this tiny pumpkin and was so proud of it. He has been sleeping with

 it every night since creating it. With two monkeys, a raccoon, a cat, a dinosaur, and now a 

pumpkin, there is not a whole lot of room left in his bed!

My husband is the logical, emotionally detached member of our twosome. He thinks it is just a phase Matthew is going through. Forget the terrible twos, the terrible threes are the worst!

So each morning, I have been dreading the start of the day because they have been a real struggle. Starting day with a nice jolt of caffeine is probably not the most practical way to keep my nerves calm and my temper quelled, but it certainly is a jolt that I look forward to. Especially when my mug of coffee comes with a side of cookie. But not just any cookie. My favorite cookie in the world: a really good biscotti. Anise, almond, chocolate chip, or lemon - the flavor matters not - as long as the cookie sports an addictive crunch and is served alongside a steaming mug of coffee. Since pumpkin spice coffee creamers are all the rage right now, I thought a freshly baked batch of pumpkin pie biscotti would be the perfect addition to my morning cup of coffee.

These are easy to make and pretty forgiving. You can make them as crunchy as you want by varying the length of time these babies sit in the oven once they've been sliced. I personally like them really crunchy, so I let them bake a second time in the oven for about 45 minutes, and then I turn the oven off, crack the door, and let them cool completely. Of course, Matthew still prefers eating them straight without dunking. I'm so afraid he's going to crack a tooth!

Pumpkin Pie Biscotti
adapted from Shauna Sever

2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 dark brown sugar
1 large egg

1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree

Position an oven rack to the center of the oven and preheat it to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Into a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Using a stand mixer, beat the butter with the spices and vanilla on medium speed until creamy. Add the sugars and beat until well-blended. Add the egg and beat until incorporated. Beat in the pumpkin puree. Reduce the speed to low and stir in the dry ingredients.

Lightly flour a work surface and turn the dough out onto it. Divide the dough in half. Pat each portion of dough into a plank about 7 inches long and 2 inches wide. Carefully transfer the planks onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake until firm in the preheated oven, about 35 minutes. Remove the planks to a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 250 degrees.

Using a serrated bread knife, slice the planks on a slight diagonal into slices. I like to keep mine just over 1/4" thick, but you can slice them as thick as you'd like! Place the slices onto a wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet. This will allow the air to circulate around the cookies and dry them evenly. Make sure none of the cookies are touching! Repeat this process with the second cookie log. Bake for a second time until each biscotti is very firm and dry, anywhere from 70-90 minutes depending on how crispy you want them.

Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container to serve each morning with your coffee or tea!

Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake

In the weeks preceding Halloween, I asked Matthew what costume he would like to wear. He responded quickly and without hesitation: "I want to be a dinosaur, Mommy. A T-REX!"

Ok, easy enough. I was sure there would be a couple of dinosaur costumes at the discount clothing store nearby. I took Matthew shopping there a couple days later and much to my chagrin, there was not a single dinosaur costume in his size. I tried to see if he perhaps wanted to dress up as a fireman, Buzz Lightyear, or even Curious George since those costumes were readily available but he was adamant. He wanted to be a dinosaur. And by the end of our trip he had determined that Baby Emma should dress up as a "baby stegosaurus." However, we had already purchased an Eeyore costume for Emma, so that detail of Matthew's dinosaur vision was not happening.

Our little Eeyore. She was a little too good at acting all depressed and glum.

Matthew normally "pets" Baby Emma's head the exact same way he pets Riley.
I like how Emma is returning the gesture and patting his head in this picture!

While shopping for a pair of pants for Emma at a different store a couple days later, I spied what appeared to be a costume decorated with a reptilian-like pattern. Could it be the elusive dinosaur costume we had been seeking?

I pulled it out and Matthew squealed with delight: "A DINOSAUR! THANK YOU MOMMY!" He immediately tried it on and it fit perfectly. Matthew was in 7th heaven, prancing around and showing off his sharp claws and cute spiky tail. But something was not right.

Matthew didn't seem to notice...but a little pair of orange wings on his shoulders gave it away. Matthew was in fact dressed as a dragon...not a dinosaur.

I decided to just go with it and payed a whopping $3.00 for the costume and brought it home to show Paul. Matthew proudly dressed up in his outfit and came running into the room: "ROAR! I is the dinosaur! I a T-REX!" Paul took one look at him and remarked: "I think you're a dragon." I immediately punched him on the shoulder: "No he's not. He's a T-Rex (granted, an anatomically unusual one with wings). Let him be a T-Rex!"

We attended the Halloween event held every year at our local zoo. The kids get to dress up in costumes and then go trick-or-treating around the zoo while enjoying seeing the animals and all the Halloween decorations lit up at night. Our little "dinosaur" was the happiest little tyke, for this was an event he had been looking forward to since the last Zoo Boo. He was so proud of his dinosaur costume. Even though everyone else said he was a dragon.

Someone is so very excited to go trick-or-treating at the zoo!

The most highly anticipated train ride of the year. Lucky Paul was the chosen parent to accompany our
T-Rex on this spooky ride. Baby Emma and Mom enjoyed the warmth of the gift shop.

Baby Emma hates her Eeyore outfit. The little hood drives her crazy. She kept getting mad at
me for not letting her pull it off while we were outdoors - but it was so cold!

Halloween night came and we carved out our Jack-O-Lanterns before heading out for trick-or-treating. Matthew wanted to carve a cat face in the pumpkin this year. He was actually quite a bit of help with the carving process, especially when it came to scooping out the seeds. He was so meticulous - not a single seed was left inside that pumpkin!

Baby Emma seemed like she wanted to get in on the pumpkin carving action!

But when we brought her closer, she became a bit nervous. She was almost a little frightened of that pumpkin.

The master carver at work. Real men carve pumpkins shirtless. Notice Baby Emma has retreated to her
chair in the background. It's safer back there. Plus there are Cheerios.

"I doing it Mommy! I getting the seeds! We eat the pumpkin? It's very good? We like eat Pumpkin?"
Less chit-chat and more carving Matthew.

The final product all lit up! A vampire kitty!

Halloween was a monsoon this year. It rained all day long. Even with an umbrella, there was no avoiding getting drenched since there were some strong 30-mph wind gusts kicking up every couple minutes. However, the nasty weather did not stop us from enjoying some trick-or-treating. Matthew had been looking forward to going out begging for candy for weeks. A little rain certainly was not going to stop him. I actually think he actually was more excited about the prospect of stomping in puddles than the candy he was about to collect! We got him all suited up in his "dinosaur" costume and Spider-man rain boots and then headed out the door.

To each house we went, Matthew met neighbors who fawned over his costume: "Oh what a cute little dragon you are!"

Matthew was quite dismayed that nobody seemed to recognize him dressed up as the king of the dinosaurs: "NO! I a T-Rex! ROAR!" He was more than a little put out that he had to explain his outfit to each person. However, I'm pretty sure he got double the candy just for roaring at everyone. He came back with quite the spread. Too much for a little guy to eat. I have to figure out some creative ways to get rid of it. Or save it for his Christmas stocking (shhhh....).

We enjoyed hot bowls of Chicken Tortilla Soup, Cornbread, and Salsa/Chips after returning home from trick-or-treating. We were all absolutely drenched so the warm soup tasted so great! Of course, our Halloween festivities would be incomplete without a delicious pumpkin dessert to top off the evening.

It is a Halloween tradition in my family to make an Upside-Down Pumpkin Pie. It is my Dad's favorite dessert and everyone else in the family thinks it's the bomb so it makes an appearance more than once each year and definitely at dinner on Halloween night. I still crave this dessert from time to time. In fact, it was something my Mom made for me when I brought Emma home from the hospital because I had been craving it during the last few weeks of pregnancy. However, much to my chagrin, Paul is not a big fan of the dessert. I do not know if it is the fact that it includes walnuts, the texture, etc. but he has never really enjoyed it as much as I. So, for Halloween dessert, I decided to test out another similar pumpkin recipe that is just as easy and convenient as my Mom's Upside-Down Pumpkin Pie.

Enter this Paula Deen recipe. It comes together in minutes and can be made way ahead of time. Perfect for a busy holiday gathering! And it is absolutely delicious - kind of a cross between a pumpkin pie and a pumpkin cheesecake. Paul loved it - although he once again claimed it would be a perfect breakfast staple. He's slightly crazy...but I do indulge his insanity. Guess what he has been eating for breakfast the past couple of days?

Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake
from Paula Deen via Food Network

For the Cake:
1 box yellow cake mix
1 egg
8 tablespoons butter, melted

For the Filling:
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 tablespoons butter, melted
1 (16 ounce) box powdered sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 13x9-inch baking pan.

Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on medium speed until well blended. Pat the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan.

Wipe out the mixing bowl and then add the cream cheese and pumpkin. Beat on medium speed until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter, and beat together until well combined. Add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mix well. Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 40-50 minutes. Make sure not to overbake as the center should be a little gooey. I actually let mine go the full 50 minutes and it was still quite jiggly in the middle, but set up beautifully once cool.

Let cool to room temperature or chill in the fridge. Serve with freshly whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon!

**This post is linking up with all the other lovely bloggers for What's Cookin' Wednesday over at Buns in My Oven!**

Slow-Cooker Thai Chicken Soup

We have been enjoying such a beautiful fall with fairly mild temperatures and lots of sunlight - the perfect weather for enjoying all the harvest festivals that are held all over the place during this time of year. We made our annual family outing to some fall festivals and enjoyed the many crafters, farmers, and wineries that gathered to showcase their products. We enjoyed lots of sampling of various syrups, honeys, and cheese. The wineries provided endless tastings of their bottled wines. And we always enjoy perusing through the various quilts, hats, wood carvings, jewelry, paintings, and other products that the local craftsmen bring to sell at the festival.

Paul is teasing and tickling poor Matthew instead of taking a nice picture with his children. 

The kids enjoyed the petting zoo and a couple of little rides all offered free of charge. In addition, there is always a lot of hot apple cider to drink, freshly popped kettle corn to eat, and a pretty loud pumpkin gun sending some unfortunate gourds exploding into the mountainside every couple of minutes for entertainment. For some reason that pumpkin gun really unnerved Matthew this year. He wanted nothing to do with it.

Emma has been majorly into wrinkling her nose up at us.

Matthew was in seventh heaven riding the little train they had had set up for the kiddies.

We took our annual picture of Matthew in front of the pumpkin display. Only this year, he was not alone - as we now have two little pumpkins enjoying these changing seasons along with us! Taking these pictures reminded me of yet another way my life has changed since having kids: I have to take the same shot a zillion times in an attempt to get a single photo where both kiddos are looking at the camera AND actually smiling. After looking through these shots, I am definitely regretting our decision to let Matthew gulp down an entire bottle of fruit punch before being photographed.

And of course, taking a good picture with both of my kids will never ever happen! Emma kept trying to eat the hay and Matthew was a total space cadet. But we need to take these photos for posterity as proof that I am in fact their mother! I am usually the photographer and rarely appear in pictures with my kids!

Soups are the perfect meal to serve after a long day spent out in the countryside enjoying the Fall weather. Paul gets super excited for soup whenever the seasons transition from summer to fall. To him, there is nothing better than a warm bowl of soup served with a crusty baguette on the side for dunking. I like soups because they are generally super easy to make in large batches and then frozen for quick meals during the coming weeks.

This soup is probably one of the easiest I have ever made because it is made completely in the slow cooker. There is minimal prep involved - other than chopping a few veggies - and it hot and ready to be eaten when you return home at the end of a busy day. Paul was obsessed with this soup as we both are in love with Thai flavors. If you like a spicier soup, add more curry paste!

Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Soup
adapted from Foodiecrush

2 tablespoons curry paste (green or red)
2 12-ounce cans of coconut milk
2 cups chicken stock
3 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into 1/4 inch slices
1 large zucchini, sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 heaping tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
Freshly cooked hot white rice, for serving

Mix the curry paste, coconut milk, chicken stock, fish sauce, brown sugar in the bowl of your slow-cooker. Nestle the chicken breast, red bell pepper, zucchini, onion and ginger into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours.

Stir in lime juice and cilantro. Serve in large bowls over piping hot white rice.

Swedish Visiting Cake

Today is the birthday of my baking idol Dorie Greenspan. I simply adore her cookbooks. Her recipes are never too sweet and often consist of traditional treats with a modern twist. Her writing style makes you feel as if she is an old friend who has just happened to drop by to help you bake. I have loved just about everything I have made from one of her cookbooks and Paul is absolutely in love with her because she brought these cookies into our lives.

In honor of Dorie's birthday, I am sharing her recipe for Swedish Visiting Cake. This is one of the easiest cakes you can throw together on the fly - perfect when you need a sweet treat to pair with a warm cup of coffee or tea. For being so simple (the recipe only includes a handful of ingredients and is mixed together in a single bowl), the flavor is delicate and sophisticated. The crumb is simply lovely with a nice crunchy crust on the top and sides created by the caramelization of the sugar while baking. I love it. Then again, it is really hard for me to resist anything flavored with both lemon and almonds.

Happy Birthday, Dorie!

Swedish Visiting Cake
adapted slightly from Baking: From My Home to Yours

Note: I insist that you bake this in a cast iron skillet should you own one. It helps the cake develop an delightfully addictive crust and crumb.

1 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/4-1/3 cup sliced almonds

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Butter a seasoned 9-inch cast-iron skillet or other heavy ovenproof skillet. If you do not have a cast iron pan, you can use a 9-inch cake pan or pie plate.

In a medium bowl, blend the zest and sugar together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist and aromatic.  Whisk in the eggs one at a time until well blended.  Whisk in the salt and vanilla.  Switch to a rubber spatula and stir in the flour.  Finally, fold in the melted butter.

Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.  Scatter the sliced almonds over the top and sprinkle with a little sugar.  If you're using a cake or pie pan, place the pan on a baking sheet.


Bake the cake for 25-30 minutes, or until it is golden and a little crisp on the outside (the inside will remain moist).  Remove the pan from the oven and let the cake cool for 5 minutes, then run a thin knife around the sides and bottom of the cake to loosen it.  You can serve the cake warm or cooled, directly from the skillet or turned out onto a serving plate.

Pumpkin Lasagna with Swiss Chard and Parmesan

A lot of people ask me if Matthew is a picky eater. I would not necessarily describe him as being "picky" but rather a "stubborn eater." For a kid his age, he actually eats a wide variety of food and actually likes meals that are heavily spiced and have some heat (he is not one to shy away from jalapenos!). He also loves raw vegetables of all types and will never turn down fruit of any kind. I do not struggle so much with finding food that he will eat, but rather ensuring that he finishes his meal in a timely manner.

Zoning out instead of eating! He's the ultimate procrastinator!!

You see, Matthew loves to chat incessantly - especially during mealtime. Long after Paul and I have cleaned our plates, Matthew will still be leisurely picking at his meal while lecturing us on everything he knows about dinosaurs (or whatever the hot topic happens to be that day). I get so frustrated getting him to finish his dinner - because it is not that he does not want to eat it - he just views mealtime as an opportunity to reconnect and socialize. And it is - but neither Paul nor I really want to linger over each meal for hours listening to whatever train of thought happens to be traipsing through Matthew's little brain. I cannot even begin to count the number of times we sternly say during each meal: "STOP TALKING AND FINISH EATING, MATTHEW!"

So, that is our biggest challenge with Matthew: Getting him to eat faster. However, I will note that he is very picky when it comes to getting him to eat protein. He is adverse to the texture of most meat, preferring mainly chicken and sometimes sausage (if we slice it into little rounds and shamelessly lie by telling him it's a hot dog). He spits out ground beef and hates the chewiness of steak. However, he is a huge fan of bacon.

This of course means that my little guy is a big fan of the many meatless main dishes we prepare throughout the week. This pumpkin lasagna was no exception. Matthew polished off half of this pan by himself (splitting it up over dinner and a couple lunches)....he loved it! This dish is a unique way to use up pumpkin and the flavor is reminiscent of butternut squash ravioli. Instead of a traditional red sauce, a pumpkin alfredo sauce is spread between each layer of lasagna noodles along with a tasty, aromatic mixture of sauteed onions and swiss chard. The pumpkin adds an intriguing sweetness that pairs wonderfully with the chard and sage. Give this meal a try for a satisfying and different addition to a harvest-themed dinner menu.

Pumpkin Lasagna
adapted from Food and Wine Magazine, November 2010

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2 pounds Swiss chard, tough stems removed, leaves washed well and chopped
2 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried sage
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
3 cups canned pumpkin puree (one 28-ounce can)
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan
1/2 cup milk
12 no-boil lasagna noodles

In a large nonstick frying pan, heat the oil over moderately low heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Increase the heat to moderately high and add the chard, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon sage, and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg. Cook, stirring, until the chard is wilted and no liquid remains in the pan, about 5-10 minutes.

Heat the oven to 400°. In a medium bowl, mix together 2 cups of the pumpkin, 3/4 cup cream, 1/2 cup Parmesan, and the remaining 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon sage, and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg.

Pour the milk into an 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish. Top the milk with one third of the noodles, then spread half the pumpkin mixture over the noodles. Layer half the Swiss chard over the pumpkin and top with a second layer of noodles. Repeat with another layer of pumpkin, Swiss chard, and noodles. Combine the remaining 1 cup of pumpkin and 3/4 cup of cream. Spread the mixture evenly over the top of the lasagna and sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup of Parmesan. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until golden, about 15 additional minutes.