Foodie Friends Friday Thanksgiving Party

For this Foodie Friends Friday, come link up some of your favorite Thanksgiving recipes! This is going to be such a great way to share good ideas, plus you have the chance to win one of three prizes from three different sponsors! I'm linking up my favorite Pumpkin Pie with Gingersnap Crust , a great Butternut Squash Pie and my favorite Carrot dish.

Last week, two lucky winners won great items from our sponsors, Home Matters First and Adorned Well.

And here are the winner's from last week's party!

Most Votes:

1. Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

2. How to Can Apples

3. Pumpkin Pie Martini

Most Clicked:

1. Cabbage Rolls Redone

2. Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies

3. Veggie'd Meatloaf

This week is sponsored by ArtisEverything, KraftiesbyKasey, and Sageandkai.  You can win a coaster set, a Thanksgiving plaque, or a table runner.  All perfect for Thanksgiving!

But first, here are this week's co-hosts:

Foodie Friends Friday http://www.foodiefriendsfriday.com

Tracy at Busy Vegetarian Mom http://www.busyvegetarianmom.com

Robyn's View http://www.robynsviewathome.blogspot.com

Marlys at This and That  http://marlys-thisandthat.blogspot.com/

Lois at  Walking on Sunshine http://wifeofthecolonel.blogspot.com/

Lindsey at Family Food Finds  http://www.familyfoodfinds.com

Michelle at  From Calculus to Cupcakes http://www.fromcalculustocupcakes.com

Cynthia at Feeding Big  http://www.feedingbig.blogspot.com

Jodie at Binomial Baker http://www.binomialbaker.blogspot.com

R Dawn at Spatulas on Parade http://www.spatulasonparade.blogspot.com

Angie at A lil Country Sugar http://www.alilcountrysugar.blogspot.com

Jutta at HungryLittleGirl http://www.hungrylittlegirl.com/

Ericka at Chef PickyKid and Me http://www.chefpickykid.com

Kelly at http://www.adornedwell.blogspot.com/

Cindy at Cindy's Recipes and Writings: : http://www.cindysrecipesandwritings.com 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Baked Whole Wheat Apple Cider Donuts

Today is election day and it is also the first election that I have voted in! This is all very exciting and it is really fun to be on a college campus.  Also, Madison is a great place to witness politics in action.  Not only is it the state capitol, but it is also a place filled with many different people and with many different views.

Now, I am sitting here, writing this post, because I just can't wait to share this fun recipe and I am too anxious just watching the election results roll in.  This is the most invested in an election I have ever been.  It has been a great learning experience for me and, as my teaching career takes off, I can't wait to become more knowledgeable about government and politics in the future!

I know that politics can be stressful.  Just this night is crazy exciting.  So, grab one of these awesome donuts and a nice cup of warm apple cider.  Curl up in front of the TV and try to relax with all this crazy election stuff going on. Or, bake in the morning to celebrate or comfort yourself with...whatever you do just enjoy these great mini donuts!

Baked Whole Wheat Apple Cider Donuts (adapted from TheKitchn)
makes 48 mini donuts

Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
1 egg
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup honey (I used some honey and some agave nectar)
1/3 cup apple cider
1/3 cup non-fat greek yogurt (I used Chobani)
2 tbsp canola oil
1 apple, peeled and chopped (I used a large granny smith apple)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and lightly grease a mini donut pan.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
3. In a large bowl, beat the egg, brown sugar, butter, vanilla, honey, apple cider, greek yogurt, and canola oil.  Mix until well combined.  Stir in the dry ingredients until just combined.
4.  Fill the donut pan about 3/4 full with the batter and then place pieces of apple on top.
5.  Bake for 10-12 minutes.  Continue until you use up all your batter.  Let cool and dust with powdered sugar, cinnamon sugar, or just enjoy plain!

Enjoy :)

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds-Two Ways!

Remember that time I went pumpkin picking?  Well, a bunch of my fraternity members went and then we all got together to carve them! It was a really fun day and I ended up with TONS of pumpkin seeds.  So, I toasted them up two different ways and then shared them at my groups Monday night Meeting.  What a fun way to bring together friends, fun and food! Did anyone else have fun with pumpkins this season?  Any good pumpkin ideas out there?

Garlic Roasted Pumpkin Seeds (adapted from Food.com)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups pumpkin seeds, rinsed
garlic
salt
red pepper flakes
2 tsp olive oil

Directions:
1. In a bowl, toss the pumpkin seeds with the olive oil and then season with the salt, garlic, and red pepper flakes.  Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment and spread the seeds out so that they are in one layer.
2.  Bake in the oven at 375 for about 30 minutes.  Stir occasionally and with more frequency towards the ends.  Seeds should be crisp and smell fragrant.

Enjoy :)

Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Seeds (adapted from Serious Eats)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups pumpkin seeds, rinsed
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
dash of cloves
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp olive oil

Directions:
1. In a bowl, toss the pumpkin seeds with the rest of the ingredients.  Place in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet.
2. Bake in the oven at 375 for 30-40 minutes.  Seeds should be crisp.

Enjoy :)

Puff Pastry Apple Pie

I can't believe it is already November! Time is flying by.   This semester is going to be over before I know it and I will be done with middle school, off to high school, and into the last semester of my college experience.  I really can't believe it!

While it is overwhelming to me that I can't slow things down a bit, I am very excited for Thanksgiving and then Winter Break.  I have not been home with my family since the summer and I miss them.  I can't wait to take a break with them because time does seem to slow down a bit during breaks.  Instead of middle school, classes, DTS, homework, (some sleep in there), and seeing friends, I can just focus on hanging out with my family and relaxing a little.

Today I have a recipe that I think is just perfect for the upcoming holidays.  It is an apple pie, but it is baked in the shape of a wreath!  It's a beautiful dessert that would look amazing on any holiday table.  Plus, it is baked in a puff pastry so it is light and flaky.  I made homemade puff pastry and then adapted a recipe from Create with Mom for the Apple Pie Wreath.  Bri helped me make this awesome dessert and it was amazing!

Puff Pastry Apple Pie 

Ingredients:
puff pastry
3 apples
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
3 squirts of lemon juice
1 egg

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 375 and line a glass baking dish with parchment paper.
2.  Peel and core the apples and then slice into 1/4-1/2 inch thick slices.  Place in a bowl with the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon juice.  Toss to combine.
3.  Roll out your puff pastry on a lightly floured surface so that you have a long rectangle, about 2 feet long and 5 inches wide.  Place the apple mixture along the middle of the puff pastry and then fold up the sides of the pastry to cover the apples  Pinch the pastry together so that you have a log of apples.  Take both ends of the log and bring together to form the wreath.  Pinch the ends together.  Place the wreath in the prepared pan.

4.  Lightly beat the egg and then brush it over the entire pastry.  Then, take a knife and cut slits in the pastry to allow steam to escape while baking.
5.  Bake for 30-35 minutes or until pastry is lightly browned.

modeling with my dessert :)

Enjoy :)