Cranberry Salsa

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope this holiday finds you surrounded with friends, family, peace, and love. This is one of my most requested recipes because it is simple and absolutely delicious. I serve mine over a thin layer of cream cheese on wheat thins, or straight up with tortilla chips.

Ingredients

1 bag fresh cranberries
1 bunch cilantro
1 bunch green onions (white and green part)
1-3 jalapeno depending on heat tolerance
3/4 cup sugar
The juice of 2 limes
1/4 teaspoon salt


Add cranberries to a food processor and pulse until the cranberries are coarsely chopped. Add them to a large bowl. Then add the next three ingredients to the food processor and chop fine and add those to the cranberries. Add in the sugar, lime juice, and salt and stir until combined.

Cover and place in the refrigerator for a couple of hours so the flavors can meld together. Enjoy!!

Pecan Bars

This recipe is for those people who think they can't bake. It is rediculously easy and taste exactly like a delicious piece of pecan pie.


















Ingredients

Crust

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups flour
1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature


Topping

4 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups Karo syrup
2 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350° F. Cream together butter and sugar on medium speed. Add flour and saltto the butter and sugar and mix until it resembles fine crumbs.















Press into a 10X15 inch baking pan that has been sprayed with Pam. Make sure you use the right size pan to get the correct crust to topping ratio. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until light golden brown. While the crust is cooking, prepare the filling. Beat eggs, corn syrup, sugar, butter and vanilla until well blended. Stir in the chopped pecans. Pour over hot crust and bake for another 30 minutes. Top with whipped cream and enjoy!!

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Beware, these cupcakes are addicting!!! They are also a nice treat for those who don't like the traditional thanksgiving pies.
















Ingredients

1 box super moist yellow cake mix
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup pecans
8 oz unsalted butter at room temperature
8 oz cream cheese at room temperature
1 teaspoon good vanilla
4-5 cups powdered sugar (depending on desired sweetness)




Preheat oven to 325°F. Place paper baking cups in muffin tins.

In a large mixing bowl, beat cake mix, pumpkin, water, oil, eggs and pumpkin pie spice with electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, then on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl occasionally. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups about 2/3 of the way full. I can usually get about 18 cupcakes with this recipe.

Place in oven and bake 18-20 miunutes or until a toothpick inserted in center of cupcakes comes out clean. Do not over bake or they will become dry. Let cool in pan about 2 minutes and then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely.
















For Frosting, cream together butter and cream cheese on medium speed until well blended. Add in vanilla and powdered sugar a cup at a time mixing on low speed after each addition. After you have added all of the powdered sugar, continue to mix on medium speed for about 10 minutes until smooth and creamy.

Turn oven up to 350° F and place pecans on a cookie sheet. Toast pecans in the oven for 8 minutes. Remove and let cool completely.

Place frosting in a piping bag with a large pastry tip and pipe frosting onto cupcakes. Dust with pumpkin pie spice and top with toasted pecan. Enjoy!