I don’t know if you’ve tried Simply Limeade or any of the “Simply” brand of juices, but if you haven’t you really should try them. I started out with the Orange because that’s all they had in the stores here. A few months ago, Apple came out and after trying it, I was hooked. I swear, all I drank was Apple Juice for a week.

Next came the Lemonade and Limeade. I have been switching those on and off as the weather has become warmer. I love the fresh, homemade taste of both, though lately the Limeade has been in my refrigerator more than the Lemonade.

Last night I was making dinner and spied some Cranberry juice next to the Limeade. I’m a huge Cranberry juice lover though Dominick is not as big a fan as I am. He likes it (so he says) though often complains of that strong Cranberry kick that comes with it. So, I decided to put the two together.

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Tonight, for dinner, I wanted to make something traditional, but with my own spin on it. Everybody in the family loves Mac and Cheese. So, I decided to pull out my regular Mac and Cheese recipe and kick it up a bunch. Instead of making it on the stove, I placed it in the oven and added some tasty ingredients. Needless to say, the family loved it!

Ashtyn’s Four Cheese Cheddar Macaroni Bake

Ingredients:
2 Cups Elbow Macaroni
3/4 Cup Shredded Cheddar
1/3 Cup Shredded Asiago
1/3 Cup Feta
1/3 Cup Shredded Romano
3 Tbs. Butter (Cut Up)
1/2 Cup Sour Cream
2 Eggs
2 Tbs. Worchestershire Sauce
1 Cup Milk (I used 2%)
1 Tsp. Garlic Powder (or to taste)
1 Tsp. Salt (or to taste)
1/2 Tsp. Pepper (or to taste)
Optional: Breadcrumbs

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Holiday food staples are those traditional items distinct to an individual family. Not everybody makes them, but those that do appreciate the tradition. Everyone tends to have that one item (or more) that always seem to make it to the holiday table, no matter what the family decides to make. One of those items for me was called “Pink Stuff” when I was growing up. This salad made from such simple ingredients as cottage cheese and Cool Whip is delicious enough to be a must have on my holiday dining table.

I have not really heard of anyone else making this salad that my mom makes, but I am sure that it is made by others. If you have never heard of it, I’ve included a recipe below for those who wish to give it a try.

If you try it, let me know if you like it! Either way – we here at Ashtyn’s Home Cookin’ hope that you have a happy holiday season!

Cottage Cheese Fruit Salad

1 pkg. Dry Jell-o (we use Strawberry or Cherry but you can use what you like)
1 Small tub of Cool Whip
1 Small carton of Cottage Cheese (small curd recommended)
1 Can Chopped Pineapple (you could use other fruit, if you prefer)
Maraschino Cherries

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Christmas is fast approaching and if you haven’t located something perfect for the foodie on your Christmas list then you might be scrambling to find something good. If you’re in the market for a new cookbook, here are some of the best when it comes to Food Network. These are all books that I own or have on my wish list. Maybe if I am lucky, Santa will note my good behavior and send me some new foodie fare this year.

Tyler’s Ultimate -
Tyler Florence is an innovative and creative chef. His show, The Ultimate is not only fun to watch, but it inspires numerous ideas for recipes of my own and new things for dinner. Tyler offers everything from breakfast delicacies to Mexican dishes that are simply delicious. Everything on his list is the ultimate to him and those he cooks for and from the things of his that I have tried, I have to agree with his assessment.

Paula Deen’s Best Dishes & Best Wishes for the Best Times of Your Life -
Paula Deen is a Southern Goddess. While it’s true she isn’t about to win any awards with a doctor, if you want something good to eat she can whip you up something fierce! Paula’s Southern flavors will have you licking your fingers as you sit, shocked and in disbelief that your home cooked meal was so easy to make.

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Over the holidays, I usually am in charge of desserts for the family. I normally make a cheesecake or a pie. It is usually something traditional and that I know the family will love. This year I wanted to do something a little bit different. By a twist of fate, I ended up creating my own spin on a pumpkin layered pie.

Dominick wanted French Silk Pie, so I thought we could do that with Pumpkin, making a pumpkin silk. Mom wanted pumpkin cheesecake. So, I did the only thing I could. I experimented.

The resulting pie had a bottom layer of pumpkin cheesecake, the middle was pumpkin silk, and the top was whipped cream. The pie was all held together in an Oreo crust. It was absolutely delicious. I wish I had taken a picture. Come to find out, everyone liked it so much by the time I was ready to take one, the whole pie was gone.

I have no doubt this is something we will be making again, so next time around I will make sure to take some pictures!

Here is the recipe for anyone that wants to try it out:

Ashtyn’s Pumpkin Cheese-Silk Pie

1 pkg. (8 oz) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 - 1 cup Canned Pumpkin
1/2 cup sugar (more or less to taste)
1/4 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 3/4 cups White Milk
1 tub (16 oz) Cool Whip Whipped Topping, thawed, divided
1 Graham Cracker or Oreo Pie Crust (6 oz)
1 pkg. Jell-O Pumpkin Spice Pudding

Begin by beating softened cream cheese, pumpkin, sugar, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Gently stir in 1-1/2 cups of the whipped topping.

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Everyone in my house is big into pizza, so making pizza is always an easy choice if I just don’t have much time. As today is one of those days (I really shouldn’t even be writing this right now), I decided to go with pizza and salad. We have been knocking around the idea of wheat crust. I have yet to make any on my own. I usually make my crust and sauce from scratch and lately I have been grating cheese rather than buying it grated. It’s a personal preference thing as I have this deep dislike for fancy shredded cheese (the real thin grate they sell in the store).

Tonight, on the pizza menu we opted for brown sugar ham, peppered bacon, banana peppers and three cheeses. I wanted pepperoni but Dom was hip on the items listed so I let it go this time. Normally, I have to have pepperoni, but I really like this combination on pizza so I knew I could manage.

Pizza Recipe

1 Store Prepared Wheat Crust (Recommended: Boboli) – If you can make your own crust, by all means do it. I normally do, but was skimping on time tonight.
½ Cup Pizza Sauce (Again, if you have to buy it, choose the best brand, otherwise make it from scratch – I will be adding recipes for homemade sauce shortly)*
¼ Cup Feta Cheese
¼ Cup Monterey Jack
½ Cup Mozzarella
1/4 Cup Julienne Brown Sugar Ham
1/4 Cup Crumbled Cooked Peppered Bacon
¼ Cup Banana Peppers
Cracked Black Pepper to taste

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I am not a huge peanut butter eater unless it comes to desserts. You will rarely, if ever, see me eating a PB&J, but desserts are another story. I must get it from my mother. She loves peanut butter pie and is incredibly picky to please when it comes to what she likes and what she doesn’t. As a result, I find myself experimenting a lot with different pie recipes to see what she prefers. This is going to be the next one on my list. Once I make it (sometime this week), I will let you know how it goes.

In the meantime, if you’ve tried it feel free to leave a comment and tell me your thoughts!

Decadent Peanut Butter Pie

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This sounded so good I couldn’t resist sharing it with you. I am a sucker for cheesecake, not to mention the mix of chocolate and peanut butter. This is offered on the Kraft website under their Halloween recipes and it looks just marvelous.

If you try it out, let us know how it goes!

REESE’S Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake
Ingredients
1-1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup HERSHEY’S Cocoa
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
3 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
1-2/3 cups (10-oz. pkg.) REESE’S Peanut Butter Chips, melted
4 eggs
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