Pumpkin Crunch

Here is a simple 'ono recipe for the holiday season... ENJOY!! -- especially posted for Cousin Aurora :)

PUMPKIN CRUNCH

2 blocks butter
1 large can pumpkin
1 13oz. can evaporated milk
1 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
3 eggs
1 box yellow cake mix
1 cup chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS:
Line 9x13 pan with wax/parchment paper. Melt butter and cool. Mix together in a big bowl with: pumpkin, evaporated milk, sugar, cinnamon, and eggs. Pour mixture into lined pan. Sprinkle dry yellow cake mix (right from the box) evenings over pumpkin mix. Sprinkle with chopped nuts. Pour cooled butter evenly over the entire pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. After baking wait 5-10 minutes and then turn cake over while still hot onto a serving tray. It hardens as it cools. Carefully pull wax/parchment paper away. Top with frosting.

FROSTING:
8 oz cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
2 cups Cool Whip
-- Mix together & top dessert.

Pumpkin Pie Pudding

Recipe taken from Recipezaar

Ingredients
1 (15 ounce) can solid pack pumpkin
1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup Bisquick
2 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons butter or margarine (melted)
2 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons vanilla
whipped topping (optional)

Directions
In a large bowl mix together the first eight ingredients.
Transfer to crock pot coated with Pam.
Cover and cook on low 6-7 hours.
Serve in bowls with whip cream, if desired.

Last Thanksgiving, I made this for my in-laws. They seemed to like it, I know my father-in-law LOVED it. Serve it with some vanilla ice cream - can't go wrong. May want to double the recipe too - didn't seem to be too much.

Cream Puff Cake

Here is the recipe for the infamous Cream Puff Cake :)

Crust:
1 cup water
1 block butter
1 cup flour
4 eggs

Boil water & butter. Add flour and stir until mixture pulls away from sides. Cool. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Spread on the bottom of a well-greased 9x13 pan. Beak at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Cool 15 min.

Filling:
2 small boxes Chocolate pudding
2 -1/2 cups milk
1 (8oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened

Beat cream cheese with 1/2 cup milk. Add remaining milk and pudding, beat well. Chill for 15 min. Layer filling over crust and chill.

Topping:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 cup evaporated milk
1 tsp. vanilla
3 egg yolks

Mix sugar, butter, milk, vanilla, and egg yolks in saucepan. Cook over med heat stirring occasionally, until thick, about 12 min. Beat until spreading consistency.

ENJOY!

strawberry cake w/ strawberry & cream cheese frosting

Strawberry Cake w/Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
(adapted from my g/f Sharice Cabral's Strawberry Coconut Pecan recipe)

Ingredients:
White cake mix
3 oz Strawberry Jell-o
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 c milk (I even use Soymilk)
4 eggs
1 cup mashed fresh strawberries with juice (I use frozen strawberries thawed)

Mix cake mix, jello, oil, milk, eggs, once incorporated, add in strawberries & juice. mix at low speed for 1 min, scape bowl, then mix 2 more min.

Lightly grease and flour (2) 9-in round pans. Divide batter and bake for about 30-45 min at 350 until brown and toothpick comes out clean. Run a knife along sides of pan, cool for about 15 min. Invert and cool for 30 min.

Frosting:
2 blocks cream cheese
1 box vanilla pudding
left over strawberries & juice (about 3/4 cup)
milk to get to desired consistency

blend cream cheese & pudding, a little milk at a time, add strawberries & juice - keep adding milk till you get to your desired consistency

Frost cake and let set in fridge.
ENJOY!!

aiea bowl

This was a place we have been meaning to go to for some time now! We finally made it there - AIEA BOWL!! Parking sucks (even though we scored with parking right up front) but the food is worth it! :) and the people there are so nice!




I had their infamous Oxtail soup!! ONO! A must try - and I am not even an oxtail fan!!

yummy-ness :)

Bri and I decided to start trying "new" restaurants - rather than sticking to our status-quos anymore... so here are two places we tried in the McCully Shopping Center...

Kyoto-Ramen/Yotteko-ya



Their specialty is Paitan - a broth made of pork & chicken, slow boiled for hours. It had a very buttery taste and claims to be good for your health :)



Then So Gong Dong - Korean here we come!


This restaurant is known for it's Soon DuBu (a soft tofu stew - comes with a variety of different cominations such as pork with seafood or plain seafood... etc)


Both restaurant were very yummy! We are definitely going back to both places again! :)

Baked Imitation Crab & Rice

3 C cooked rice
Put rice in 9 x 13 pan, sprinkle generously w/ furikake

Mix together:
1 package imitation crab, chopped
1 package shiitake mushroom pieces, soak in water about 30 minutes
and then squeeze out water and chop up
1 C sour cream
1 C mayonaise

Spread mixture over rice/furikake and broil in oven until brown.
Watch carefully as it will brown quickly. Serve with the korean nori.

Thank you Wendi Sasaki for this ono recipe! :)

recipe: sweet/sour spareribs

Ever ono for Sweet/Sour Spareribs? Well here's a recipe for you - courtesy of Bri.

You will need:
5 lbs spareribs
salt/pepper

Sauce:
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup vinegar
1/2 cup water
1-Tbs shoyu
1-Tbs ketchup
Piece of ginger
cornstarch/water

Season meat and broil until all sides are brown. While broiling meat, combine "sauce" ingredients into a pot and start to simmer. Once meat is finished browning - add to sauce. Continue to simmer all ingredients together for another 1hr to 1-1/2 hrs. Add cornstarch/water mixture to desired thickness.

ENJOY!!

beef stew

Okay for those who have repeatedly asked for this recipe... here it is!! :) ENJOY and be sure to share! LOL

Beef Stew (per my mommy's recipe)
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees...

• 3-4 lbs short ribs (or beef stew meat - whatever you prefer) - season a little with salt & pepper
• onions
• carrots
• potatoes
• celery (and whatever other vegetables you want)layer into at least a 9x13 pan

Layer into at least a 9x13 pan

Mix the following ingredients together in a bowl

• 3 cans Cream of Mushroom
• 1 can Stewed tomatoes
• 1 can Tomato SOUP
• 1 envelope Onion Soup Mix

-- stir together until all combined and pour over meat and veggies
Cover pan tightly with foil and place in oven at 375 degrees for about 3-4 hours. Check to make sure veggies and meat are cooked well. ENJOY!!

If you try this recipe, please let me know how you liked it, or if you modified it in anyway - always looking to improve :)