Pumpkin Pancakes

Oh boy.  These were the fluffiest, most pie-like pancakes I have ever eaten.  Yum-o!  I saw these on Pinterest one night and wanted to try them, so the very next morning I did!  They were quite easy, very "autumn", and so delicious.  Topped with butter and maple syrup and they were pretty much divine.

2-minute Teriyaki Sauce

I feel guilty that I haven't shared this recipe yet.  It is so super easy and tasty it's ridiculous!  I got this from my mom and it's great for a quick week night meal and tasty enough that you could make it for guests too!  It only has 5 ingredients - all of which I always have on hand.  I usually pour it over some chicken breasts and pop them in the oven for an hour while I cook some rice and veggies.  My mom would usually do something more exciting like spareribs or something, but it's so versatile you could do whatever you want!  Throw in a wok with your stirfry veggies or let it simmer in the oven with some meat.  Give it a try!  It's a gem.

Teriyaki Sauce

1/2 c. white sugar
1/2 c. ketchup
1/2 c. soy sauce
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. ground ginger

Mix all ingredients together until smooth.  Pour over desired dish.  Recommendations: pour over chicken breasts, pork spareribs, etc, and bake at 350 for about an hour.  Or add to your stovetop stirfry during the last few minutes of cooking.  Enjoy!

Source: My Mom

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

It's pumpkin season!  Yum, yum.  I'm a big fan of pumpkin.  I tried this recipe for the first time last week and it was a hit!  The cookies were very moist, but not overly cakey like a lot of pumpkin cookies.  The spices were spot on and the chocolate chips were perfectly delicious.  We couldn't stop eating them!  Okay, so maybe that's not such a good thing. Anyway, give these a try.  They are "Fall" in a cookie.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes about 4 dozen

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup  brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
2 cups chocolate chips

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray cookies sheets with nonstick spray or line with parchment paper (my nonstick pans worked fine without anything).

Using a mixer, beat the butter until smooth.  Beat in the white and brown sugars, a little at a time, until the mixture is light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the vanilla and pumpkin puree.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.  Slowly beat the flour mixture into the batter in thirds.  Stir in the chocolate chips.  Scoop the cookie dough by heaping tablespoons onto the prepared cookie sheets and bake for 13-17 minutes, or until the cookies are browned around the edges.  Remove from the oven, take off the sheets and let cool on a wire rack.

Store layers of cookies separated by parchment or wax paper to prevent cookies from sticking together.

Source: Food Network George Duran

Cinnamon Baked French Toast

Oh mama.  This is no low-cal breakfast, let me tell you that.  But it is delicious!  This comes from the Pioneer Woman (so obviously it's not low-cal!) and that woman sure knows how to make food.  I made this a year or so ago for the first time, forgot about it, then recently remembered and tried it again.  Basically you take old french bread, pour an egg/cream mixture over the top, let it sit in the fridge overnight, top it with a yummy brown sugar topping, and pop it in the oven.  It's too easy!