Journey Into Deliciousness

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Grade: A

Time it takes: 1 hour and 45 minutes (45 minutes prep, 1 hour bake)

Yield: 1 cheesecake

Source: Recipe courtesy of Paula Deen

I love this cheesecake! It is a softer cheesecake, but deliciously rich and pumpkin-y. Pumpkin pie had always been the norm for Thanksgiving. Last year I decided I wanted to try something new. I wasn't 100% sure of pumpkin cheesecake - to me it just sounded kind of odd. Cream cheese and pumpkin? I don't know. I eventually decided that if I didn't like it somebody would, it had someplace to go where people would eat it - one of the nice things about having family nearby, right? Turns out that wasn't an issue at all! Everybody thought it was scrumptious. I've made it 4 or 5 times since. So good, perfect for the holidays!

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Broccoli Cheese Casserole

Grade: A

Time it takes: 1 hour and 15 minutes (30 minutes prep, 45 minutes bake)

Yield: 13x9 casserole dish

Source: My grandma

My family always has this dish for Thanksgiving. If we weren't hosting then we would be asked to bring it as our contribution to the feast. My grandmother would be the one to make it until I moved out to Colorado where I realized I had to actually cook things. The first time I made this for Thanksgiving I read 2 tablespoons of grated onion as 2 cups of grated onion - it was a bit on the onion-y side that year. I've since gotten the recipe down pat.

It is a great side dish for your Thanksgiving spread. It has vegetables in there, but covered in cheese to fool the children - like me when I was a little one, I always hated vegetables but I loved this casserole. The prep isn't too involved, but if you don't feel like tackling it on Thanksgiving day you can make it the day before and stick it in the refrigerator. I pop mine in the oven right when the turkey gets out, and then I have 45 minutes to finish up everything else and get the table ready.

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Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cookies

Grade: A

Time it takes: Around 50 minutes (20-30 minutes prep, 8-10 minutes baking per baking sheet)

Yield: Makes about 2 dozen cookies

Source: Stephanie Cooks - a food blog (Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Cookies)

I made these the same day I made the Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies. These cookies are super different from each other, so I think I picked the best two recipes to try out together. The CPBC cookies were super soft and cake-like, these were crunchy and had a spicy bite to them. I loved the way the pumpkin spices tasted in the form of a cookie, perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe for the fall. Out of the two I favoured the CPBC cookies, but my husband Chris couldn't get enough of the pumpkin spice chocolate chip cookies.

I also doubled this recipe so I had enough to go around, and I ended up with around 50 cookies (maybe a few more but Chris kept stealing them right out of the oven before I could get a final count).

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Grade: A+

Time it takes: Around 50 minutes (20-30 minutes prep, 7-9 minutes baking per baking sheet)

Yield: Somewhere in the vicinity of 30 cookies, depending on how big or small you decide to make them

Source: The Curvy Carrot - a food blog (Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cookies)

I made these cookies for no particular reason, just because I got the urge to make cookies. Really, that is reason enough for me! I decided to make a batch of these and a batch of pumpkin spice chocolate chip cookies (recipe to follow). Oh my god! These were so good. They were super soft and chocolate-y and peanut butter-y and incredibly delicious. Mmmm I wish I still had some left now.

I doubled the recipe because I sent a good bit off to friends and family, and I got around 60 cookies. The only thing I would change would be to add more peanut butter cups, probably up 1 1/2 cups to 2 cups. I'd also recommend refrigerating the peanut butter cups before you chop them up to make it easier all around. I actually think these are my favourite cookies I've ever made, granted I haven't made a large variety, but these are seriously addictively yummy.

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Oven Bundles

Grade: A

Time it takes: 2 hours (30 minutes prep, 1 hour and 30 minutes bake time)

Yield: 1 bundle

Source: My grandmother would make these all the time, and I just follow her example.

This is my go to, make them all the time, super easy and tasty weeknight recipe. There isn't much prep, the ingredients are simple, and you can pop it in the oven and forget about it for a while

You can certainly tweak the recipe to whatever your tastes are and whatever you have on hand. Season your chicken and then add in some vegetables - onion, carrots and potatoes are pretty standard.

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Pumpkin Pie

Grade: A

Time it takes: 1 hour and 30 minutes (30 minutes prep, 1 hour baking)

Yield: 2 pies

Source: From the Libby's can!

I love pumpkin pie! It is seriously so good. I wait all year for October so I can make them again. Because pumpkin pie is only as good as the season you eat it in.... I wait all year for October anyway because it is my favourite month, and favourite season all rolled into one. It is too bad I live in Florida where October is not that exciting.

I made pumpkin pie and pumpkin cheesecake (recipe to follow) for Canadian Thanksgiving this year. Well, it went so fast I only got half of a piece of each. There is still 1 can of pumpkin left, so I am thinking another pumpkin dessert is called for sometime soon.

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Deviled Eggs

Grade: A

Time it takes: 1 hour and 20 minutes

Yield: 48 deviled eggs

Source: I cannot remember. I have had this recipe for a few years; if I had to guess I would say it probably came from somewhere on foodnetwork.com.

I really do not need much of an excuse to have a dinner party. So, when I found out there was such a thing as Thanksgiving-Canadian style I was definitely ready to pop a turkey in the oven. Canadian Thanksgiving was on October 10th this year, so Chris and I hosted a little get together and cooked up a storm all day.

I love deviled eggs on holidays. You need to make them ahead of time in order for the eggs to have time to get nice and cold, so they are perfect snacks in between peeling potatoes and brushing butter on the turkey. Desserts usually get made ahead of time too, but a forkful of pumpkin pie missing is definitely going to be noticed.

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Crispy Honey Ginger Chicken Tenders

Grade: A

Time it takes: 45 minutes plus 2 hours or overnight to marinade (25 minutes baking, 20 minutes prep)

Yield: Serves 2

Source: Stephanie Cooks - a food blog (Crispy Honey Ginger Chicken)

I love chicken. I love it so much. It is delicious. It is especially delicious when it is bite sized and dippable. So, breaded chicken tenders are right up my alley. Usually I just cut up my chicken and bread it in the normal boring way, which is fine. But, I decided I should jazz it up a bit when I found this recipe in my favourite folder. I love honey and ginger, so this seemed like a winner.

Guess what? It totally was. Nicely crispy, and full of flavour. Also I always have the ingredients on hand, minus the buttermilk. But, I can handle picking up buttermilk at the store. These are way better than what you can purchase at a fast food place or get from a bag in the freezer section. Definitely worth the little added effort.

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Mini Twice Baked Potatoes

Grade: A

Time it takes: 1 hour and 25 minutes (45 minutes prep, 40 minutes cooking)

Yield: About 35

Source: Pennies on a Platter - a food blog (Mini Twice Baked Potatoes)

I actually made these to go along with my BBQ pulled chicken sandwiches. They were seriously good! Whenever I ask what kind of potato side Chris wants for dinner, he usually says twice baked potatoes. And, I am pretty sure I've only made them a few times because I am a bad wife. Before I started this blog I didn't really research recipes, if I didn't know how to make it then it was a pretty good assumption that I wasn't going to make it. Twice baked potatoes were something I only sort of knew the idea behind, but I didn't really know how to make them super yummy. When I saw this recipe while I was reading through Pennies on a Platter's archives, I was like I better save this one for Chris! It didn't stay too long in the favourites folder either when I realized I usually have all the ingredients on hand.

When I read through the directions, I had absolutely no idea what a steam insert was. Actually I think the image in my head was a pasta strainer when I first read it. And, no it  is nothing like that. It is this little flowered metal thing on legs with holes in it! Put a little water in the bottom of a pot, plop the flowered metal thing in the bottom, get some boiling action, and then plop potatoes on top! Easy, no problems. I am so pro at this cooking thing now...

These were not at all hard to make. And, they have such a cute presentation you could bring them with you to a party for an appetizer or a fun side at a cook out. Also, delicious. They were a big hit around these parts. Hot, pototoe-y, cheesy, and bite-sized ... how could you go wrong?

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BBQ Pulled Chicken

Grade: A+

Time it takes: 40 - 55 minutes, plus 30 minutes or overnight to marinade (20 minutes prep, 20 - 35 minutes cooking)

Yield: Serves 4

Source: The Comfort of Cooking - a food blog (BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwiches)

I have had a hankering for BBQ pulled pork for months now, but cannot remember to put the ingredients (aka whatever pork parts you use for that - shoulder, butt...something like that) on the shopping list. So, I finally decided to make BBQ pulled chicken instead. I always have chicken. I had a recipe already saved in my 'recipes to try' folder, and had all the ingredients on hand. I love when that happens.

I decided to just use store bought BBQ sauce because I am so picky with how it tastes, and I knew I already liked that type. But, you could make your own or purchase your favourite premade type. I thought it was so delicious with KC Masterpiece. The chicken was juicy and full of flavour and the BBQ sauce kept it nice and savoury. It was perfectly messy and hit the spot. If you live where fall and cold aren't part of your weather, or it just hasn't gotten cold yet there are still plenty of BBQ days left. You could BBQ in Florida year round...wonderful isn't it? (sarcasm...oh the sarcasm)

It is also so easy and quick, you could prep the chicken and marinade it in the morning and then let it soak up the flavour all day while you work or run errands or in general have a life. When you are ready to make dinner that night you only need about 40 minutes, with most of that being hands off cooking time, especially if you use store bought sauce.

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