Pumpkin Walnut Cheesecake Pie

© Can Stock Photo / karenr

Okay everybody. Sing along with me. “It’s the most wonderful time of the year, tra, la, la.” Why? Because it’s Pumpkin Spice season!

This recipe may not exactly be low carb, but who cares?  It’s pumpkin spice season! So what makes pumpkin spice season so special? Well, it’s one of those things that if I have to explain to you, you’ll never understand. Suffice to say pumpkin spice is something you either love, or you can’t stand. There seems to be no middle ground.

If you’re a pumpkin spice fan like I am, you’ll have to give this recipe a try. You may even want to consider serving it with your holiday dinner instead of a traditional pumpkin pie. Did I also mention it’s sinfully delicious? But don’t take my word for it. Give it a try and taste it for yourself

Gayle Martin

PUMPKIN WALNUT CHEESECAKE PIE

  • 2 packages (8 oz) cream cheese
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 (15 oz) can of pumpkin
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 frozen pie shells, thawed
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ginger
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Topping

  • 6 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350F. Cream sugar and cheese together in a large mixing bowl. Add pumpkin and spices and mix thoroughly. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add salt and blend until creamy. Pour equal amounts into pie shells and bake for 30 minutes.

While cheesecake is baking prepare topping. Cream butter and brown sugar in a small mixing bowl. Add walnuts and blend thoroughly. Remove cheesecakes from oven after 30 minutes and sprinkle on topping. Return to oven and bake for approximately 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool. Serve with whipped cream topping, if desired.

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Book Cover for Rosies Riveting Recipes
Cover photo by Rob Resetar

Imagine the government telling you how much meat or chicken you could buy, or how much sugar or flour you could have. Strange as it may seem, at one time it actually happened. During WWII, the United States government devised a food rationing program to help insure that every family would have enough to eat. Rosie’s Riveting Recipes gives readers a glimpse into life on the WWII home front. A cookbook and a history lesson in one Rosies’s Riveting Recipes includes more than 180 economical, back-to-basics World War II ration recipes and short tales of life on the American home front interspersed throughout.

Rosie’s Riveting Recipes is available on Amazon and Barnesandnoble.com.

Twice Baked Red Potato Soup

© Can Stock Photo / yekophotostudio

Someone gave me a big bag of red potatoes. Yummy! I love red potatoes. In fact, red potatoes are my favorite potato. So, with such a big bag, I decided to do some experimenting. After all, you can’t go wrong with red potatoes. I started with my basic potato soup recipe, from the Rosie’s Riveting Recipes historic cookbook. From there I came up with something amazing. This dish is economical, easy to prepare, and delicious.

Gayle Martin

 

TWICE BAKED RED POTATO SOUP

  • 4 to 6 medium to large red potatoes
  • 1/2 medium sized onion, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 quart milk
  • 2 to 3 slices cooked bacon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Peel red potatoes and slice into small cubes. Set aside. Drop butter into a small stock pot and melt over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute for about 5 minutes. Once the onions are caramelized, add the milk and potatoes. Break bacon into small pieces and drop into soup. Add seasonings and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked. Add cheeses, stir and simmer until melted. Serve with warm bread.

Book Cover for Rosies Riveting Recipes
Cover photo by Rob Resetar

Rosie’s Riveting Recipes invites readers to take a trip back in time in their own kitchen. With over 180 economical, back-to-basics World War II era ration recipes, historic posters, and tales of life on the American homefront, Rosie’s Riveting Recipes truly is an interactive history book.

Rosie’s Riveting Recipes is available on Amazon and BarnesandNoble.com.

 

 

 

Alex’s Macaroni and Cheese

© Can Stock Photo / MSPhotographics

When I’m not in the kitchen I write romance novels under the pen name Marina Martindale. So far, each novel has included a scene where my characters enjoy a home cooked meal, and I include the recipe in the back of the book.

In my second novel, The Deception, Alex is reunited with Carrie, his long-lost childhood friend. When he comes to her apartment to prepare dinner for her, he makes his mother’s macaroni and cheese; their favorite childhood dish.

They say art imitates life, and macaroni and cheese is one of my favorite childhood dishes too. Problem was, I had no family recipe, and, ding, ding, ding, I’d been buying the prepackaged mac and cheese dinners for years. I confess. It was a bad habit I picked up back when I was a starving college student, so the time had come to break it. I compiled several different recipes, did some test runs and tweaks, and soon came up with a mac and cheese recipe that was absolutely delicious. No wonder Alex and Carrie loved it. You will too.

Gayle Martin

ALEX’S MACARONI & CHEESE

  • 2 cups macaroni, cooked and drained
  • 2 1/2  cups milk
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 2 1/2 cups grated Mexican cheese blend
  • (or 2 1/2 cups cheddar)
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 4 tablespoons butter, divided
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/3 cup breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 350F and cook pasta in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes. Drain. While pasta is cooking whisk milk and sour cream together in a medium-sized mixing bowl and add seasonings. Set aside. Chop two tablespoons of butter into small pieces. Chill in refrigerator until needed. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a small mixing bowl. Add breadcrumbs, blend thoroughly and set aside.

Layer half of the cooked and drained macaroni, butter and cheese into an 8 x 8 inch baking dish. Top with the remaining macaroni, butter and cheese. Pour in the milk mixture and sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top. Bake for approximately 30 to 40 minutes, or until the top is crispy and brown.

If desired, ham or sausage may be added. Low-fat milk, sour cream and cheeses may also be used. Penne pasta may also be used instead of elbow macaroni.

 

Cover photo by Robert Resetar.

Rosie’s Riveting Recipes is available on Amazon and Barnesandnoble.com.