Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients:

1 box Spice Cake Mix (dry mix only)

1 small can of Pumpkin

Chocolate Chips

Mix ingredients and bake!

Easy.

(Photo credit: http://lostbuttonstudio.blogspot.com/2008/09/muffin-mix.html)

Market Street Grill Clam Chowder

If you've ever been to Market Street Grill, you know their clam chowder is to die for. But did you know they post almost all their recipes on their website? I was so excited to find this, and even more excited when it tasted as good as I remembered.

Ingredients:
1 cup potatoes, diced ½ inch
1 cup celery, diced ½ inch
1 cup onion, diced ½ inch
1 cup green pepper, diced ½ inch
1 cup leeks, diced ½ inch
¾ cup chopped clams (canned or fresh)
¾ tablespoon coarse ground black pepper
1 ½ tablespoon salt
¾ tablespoon whole thyme
6 bay leaves
1 teaspoon Tabasco
¾ cup sherry wine (optional)
2 cups water
¾ cup clam juice (drained from canned clams or purchased separately in can)
¾ cup butter, melted
1 cup flour
2 quarts half-and-half

Method:
Combine melted butter and flour in oven-proof container and bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. In large saucepan, combine remaining ingredients except half-and-half. Simmer until potatoes are thoroughly cooked. Stir butter-flour mixture into chowder and stir until thick. Mixture will be slightly less thick than cookie dough. Remove chowder from heat. Stir in half-and-half until blended. Heat to serving temperature, stirring occasionally.

Serve immediately. Makes 12 servings.

Here are my variations: I leave out the leeks, and only use about half the salt and pepper (you can always add more later). I usually make a half batch, but the servings are pretty true so you can decide for yourself how much to make.

Make-your-own Spray and Wash

1 Jug ammonia

1 bottle non-scented, die free dish soap

Water

In a spray bottle, combine equal parts ammonia, water, and dish soap.

*Makes multiple bottles

The lady I got this from says if it doesn't get out a stain, put some oxy-clean on first, then this spray. She swears it gets out anything. I love that it get's out grease! Plus you can't beat the price!

strawberry spinach salad

Dressing:

1 lemon

2 T white wine vinegar

1/3 c sugar

1 T vegetable oil

1 t poppy seeds

Salad:

1/4 c sliced almonds, toasted

1 1/2 c strawberries (8oz)

1/2 medium cucumber, sliced and cut in half

1/4 small red onion, sliced into thin wedges

1 6 oz pkg baby spinach

Directions:

For dressing, zest lemon to measure 1/2 t zest.

Juice lemon to measure 2 T juice

Combine zest, juice, vinegar, sugar, oil and poppy seeds in small bowl

Whisk until well blended. Cover and refrigerate.

Preheat oven 350

For salad, spread almonds in single layer over bottom of pan

Bake 10-12 min until lightly toasted

(*I set my oven to broil then watch, they'll toast more quickly than baking)

Remove and cool almonds

Hull strawberries and cut into quarters

Peel cucumber and slice

Slice red onion into thin wedges

Place spinach in large serving bowl, add strawberries, cucumber and onion.

Whisk dressing. Pour over salad, gently tossing to coat.

Sprinkle with almonds

(I set my almonds and dressing on the side to you can put your own on)

Shrink Please

I found us a cute new template. Once I put it up, it is way too big. The silverware is supposed to be on a napkin with damask background. Does anyone one if it can be fixed to size? Also, how do I get that pyzam bar off. It's a bit of an eye sore.