Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

No, you're not hallucinating. The "cream cheese" part is correct!

I was so excited when MSPI Mama reader Katie shared with me that Pillsbury's cream cheese frosting is MSPI-friendly! That's just fantastic for those of us who adore carrot cake and other desserts that are best topped with that type of frosting! Thanks, Katie!

I really wish I could have posted this recipe before Thanksgiving, but that unfortunately didn't happen. Sorry! The kids really enjoyed eating this after all that turkey and mashed potatoes!

I slightly adapted a Paula Deen recipe. The only change is using the Pillsbury frosting and baking it in a jelly roll pan, instead of a cake pan.


Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

4 eggs
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
15-ounce can pumpkin
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1-2 cans MSPI-friendly cream cheese frosting, such as Pillsbury

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy. Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth. Spread the batter into a greased jelly roll baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until done.

Let cool completely before frosting. Cut into bars.

Easiest Focaccia

As you already know, it isn't always easy to find bread that's safe for you or your child to eat. Don't despair, make your own! My favorite go-to bread recipe when I'm in a hurry is the No-Knead Wheat Bread, made with whole wheat flour and bread flour. It's extremely easy!

When we're eating soup, I like to make the following recipe, which I adapted slightly from AllRecipes. It does require a little more work than the No-Knead method, but in the world of bread making, it's still relatively easy. And delicious!


Easiest Focaccia

1 tsp. white sugar
1 (.25-oz.) package active dry yeast
1/3 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. coarse salt
1/2 tsp. dried Italian herbs, optional

In a small bowl, dissolve sugar and yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the yeast mixture with flour; stir well to combine. Stir in additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until all of the flour is absorbed. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly for about 1 minute.
Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface; knead briefly. Pat or roll the dough into a sheet and place on a lightly greased baking sheet. If you like, lightly poke all over the dough with your fingertips or the end of a wooden spoon to create divots. Brush the dough with oil and sprinkle with salt and herbs.

Bake focaccia in preheated oven for 10 to 20 minutes, depending on desired crispness. If you like it moist and fluffy, then you'll have to wait just about 10 minutes. If you like it crunchier and darker on the outside, you may have to wait 20 minutes.

Tip: Because my home is often cool (Especially in winter. Gotta save a few bucks on the heat!) I will warm my oven slightly for a few minutes, then turn it off. This is the perfect "warm place" for dough to rise in. Just make sure you remove the dough from the oven prior to preheating!

Sweet & Scrumptious Skillet Chicken

OK. The name of this recipe is pretty silly, but I didn't name it. Campbell's Kitchen did. (They've recently redesigned their website. It's very nice! Check it out!)

Regardless of it's silly name, the recipe is a family-pleaser and it's very simple to make. Plus it's not unusual to have all these ingredients on hand, if you have a well-stocked freezer and pantry. Don't know what to make for dinner tonight? Make this!

I served ours with garlic mashed potatoes, but rice would be equally good.


Sweet & Scrumptious Skillet Chicken

1 tbsp. vegetable oil
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound)
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) MSPI-friendly condensed tomato soup
1 tbsp. packed brown sugar
2 tbsp. cider vinegar
1 tbsp. MSPI-friendly Worcestershire sauce

Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until it's well browned on both sides.

Stir the soup, sugar, vinegar and Worcestershire in the skillet and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Coconut Tapioca Pudding

I've had this idea to make tapioca pudding with coconut milk for quite a while now, but never got around to trying it. Well, I finally did, and it is so rich and yummy that it'll knock your socks off! My son, JD, is just crazy about it! Now he has something creamy and delicious to eat when the rest of us are pigging out on ice cream!

I adapted a recipe from Kraft Foods for my recipe. It's excellent both warm and cold. You could serve this with berries or use it as a dip for MSPI-friendly graham crackers. For extra coconut kick, try sprinkling the top of each serving with toasted coconut.


Coconut Tapioca Pudding

2-3/4 cups coconut milk
1/3 cup sugar
3 tbsp. minute tapioca, such as Kraft
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix coconut milk, sugar, tapioca and egg in medium saucepan. Let stand five minutes.

Cook on medium heat until mixture comes to full boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Cool 20 minutes; stir. Serve warm or chilled. (Pudding thickens as it cools. For creamier pudding, place plastic wrap on surface of pudding while cooling. Stir before serving.) Store leftovers in refrigerator.

Tip: This recipe uses about 1-1/2 cans of coconut milk. For a lighter version, use a light coconut milk instead of the full fat version. It won't be quite as rich-tasting, but it will still be delicious!

Spicy Shredded Pork

I'm baaaaack! I'm now in the second trimester, and the idea of cooking doesn't make me nauseous anymore! Woo hoo!

I've been trying out a few new recipes, so hopefully I'll get them posted over the next few weeks. Here's the first.

This pork recipe is beyond delicious! We're talking melt-in-your-mouth good! The flavors are incredible, and though the recipe's name has "spicy" in it, this isn't spicy hot. It's spicy flavorful.

The original recipe comes from The Pioneer Woman, who is an incredibly talented cook, writer, photographer, etc. I made her recipe as written, but I cooked it in the slow cooker. So much easier! I've listed the slow cooker version below, but feel free to make it in the oven following the original directions.



Spicy Shredded Pork

4-7 lb. pork shoulder
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1-2 tbsp. salt
pepper to taste
3-4 cloves garlic
1-2 tbsp. olive oil
2-3 tbsp. white wine vinegar
¼ cup brown sugar
1 whole onion

Rinse and pat dry the pork shoulder. Place in the slow cooker.

To begin, just throw the dried oregano, cumin, chili powder, salt, black pepper, garlic, olive oil, white wine vinegar and brown sugar into a food processor or blender. Cut one onion into quarters and put it in the food processor with the spices. Blend mixture until totally combined and then pour it over the pork shoulder in the slow cooker.

Now rub it into every nook and cranny of the meat, tucking it under folds and in crevices. Place lid on slow cooker and cook on low for 8-10 hours. (Do not add water. Condensation will build up in the slow cooker, making excess water unnecessary.)

Remove pork from slow cooker and let cool slightly for easier handling. Shred the pork shoulder (two forks work well). When it’s all shredded, pour excess juices all over the meat, but if you prefer a drier meat, skip that part.

Serve in tortillas with salsa and your favorite taco toppings, as I did in the photo above, or on MSPI-friendly hamburger buns with your favorite MSPI-friendly barbecue sauce.