Creamy Pumpkin Tomato Soup

A yummy soup to bring in the fall season.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons coconut oil
1/2 an onion, finely diced
Salt & pepper
4 cups pumpkin puree
2 cups finely diced tomatoes
2 cups veggie broth
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 cup honey
1 cup coconut milk
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons butter

Heat the coconut oil in a soup pan and saute the onions with a little salt and pepper for about five minutes. Add the pumpkin, tomatoes, broth, thyme, cinnamon and honey. Reduce heat to medium-low and allow to simmer for 45 minutes.

Add coconut milk, whipping cream, and butter. Stir to mix. Add more salt, pepper, and/or cinnamon to taste. If you want your soup super-smooth, you can blend or puree it before serving. Garnish as desired.

Chocolate Pistachio Ice Cream Pie

Super easy to make, this is a great pie for the busy host!

 

Ingredients
 
Graham cracker pie crust
Chocolate or Rocky Road ice cream
Pistachio ice cream
2 graham crackers, crushed
1/4 cup chopped pistachios
About 40 whole pistachios
Chocolate syrup

Let the ice cream sit out for a few minutes until soft and somewhat melted. Fill the bottom half of the pie crust with chocolate ice cream, using a butter knife to spread it flat.  Cover with a pot lid and put it in the freezer for a few minutes while you're preparing the pistachios.

Sprinkle crushed graham crackers on top of the chocolate ice cream.  Then fill the rest of the pie crust with pistachio ice cream, again smoothing it flat.  If you don't want the toppings mixing in with the melted ice cream, put the covered pie back in the freezer for a few minutes.

Spread the chopped pistachios over the top of the pie and line the edges with whole pistachios.  Drizzle a little chocolate syrup over the top and freeze until ready to serve.

Marshmallow-Topped Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes were never so sweet as they are in this dish--it's so yummy, it's almost a dessert.

Ingredients

4 pounds sweet potatoes or yams
1 cup butter or margarine
1 cup packed brown sugar
3 cups miniature marshmallows
1 teaspoon cinnamon
A hearty sprinkle of nutmeg

Wash the sweet potatoes and boil them until soft. Drain, cool, and peel them, breaking them into small chunks.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

Combine the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and one cup of marshmallows over medium heat in a saucepan until melted. Mix in the sweet potatoes.

Put the mixture into a casserole baking dish and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and top the sweet potatoes with the remaining 2 cups of marshmallows. Continue baking until marshmallows are light golden brown.

Enjoy!

Cheesy Mashed Potatoes

A delicious version of mashed potatoes that everyone will love!

Ingredients

5 pounds potatoes
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons butter, plus additional slivers
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

Wash the potatoes and cut them in quarters. (For extra creamy potatoes, peel them before boiling. For vitamin-rich potatoes, leave the skin on.) Boil until soft and mashable. Drain and mash potatoes, mixing in the cream cheese and sour cream. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until light and fluffy.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and put the potato mixture into a casserole baking dish. Drop some small slivers of butter onto the potatoes and sprinkle cheddar cheese on top.

Bake with a glass lid for 20 minutes, then uncover and bake for about 10 more minutes.  Cool slightly and enjoy.