Diane's Blog

Pecan Topped Pumpkin Bread

9/17/2026

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Ingredients

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light or dark brown sugar
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup orange juice
2/3 cup chopped pecans and some additional for topping bread

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F
Grease a 9×5-inch metal loaf pan with non-stick spray.
Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, and salt.
Mix wet ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until combined. Add pumpkin puree, oil, and orange juice, whisking until smooth.
Combine: Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and gently fold with a spatula. A few lumps are fine; do not over-mix.
Add mix-ins: Fold in chopped pecans.
Bake: Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake 60–65 minutes, loosely covering with aluminum foil halfway through to prevent over-browning. Bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with a few moist crumbs. Begin checking around 55 minutes.
Cool: Allow bread to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before slicing.

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White Chicken Cheese Enchiladas

5/12/2026

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I'm trying a recipe from Bugsy & Company. I made a few very slight changes but, it's delicious! Give it a try and I will link her original recipe (here) Enjoy! Diane

White Chicken Cheese Enchiladas

Ingredients:

3 Cups Cooked Chicken Breast, Shredded
1 Block Cream Cheese
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 can (10oz) Rotel tomatoes with green chiles
1 1/4 Cup Chicken Broth
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Salt
10-12 Fajitas sized Flour Tortillas
2 Cups shredded Pepper Jack Cheese *or your favorite (I add a touch of sharp cheddar too)
1 small can sliced Black Olives

Directions:
Preheat Oven 375F

In a saucepan combine cream cheese, cream of chicken soup, Rotel and chicken broth. Stir until mixture is smooth and creamy. Add in the garlic and onion powders as well as a dash of salt and pepper.
Lightly butter a 9x13 casserole dish and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, add in the chicken. Lightly salt the chicken. Pour 1 cup of the sauce onto the chicken and combine.
Place about 1/4 cup chicken filling onto center of each tortilla and wrap. Add each filled enchilada to prepared baking dish, seam side down.
Once all enchiladas are assembled; pour any remaining sauce over the top of each enchilada.
Sprinkle shredded cheese over entire dish, scatter sliced black olives over top and bake.
Bake for 25 minutes until cheese is melted and enchiladas are heated through.

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French Onion Smothered Pork Chops

4/27/2026

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We were looking for something new to do with Pork Chops. I found this great recipe over at
Accidental Happy Baker and it was a hit! Had to share. Enjoy! Diane

French Onion Smothered Pork Chops

Ingredients:
6-8 Boneless Pork Chops
8oz Container Sour Cream mixed with 1 packet Lipton Onion Soup Mix
1 1/2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 Cup Crispy French-Fried Onions

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350F
Lightly butter 9x13 and set aside.

Using a paper towel, wipe any moisture off chops.
Lightly pepper both sides of each chop.
Sear chops in skillets 2 mins. each side, in a little neutral oil and a tablespoon of butter.
Place seared chops in the 9x13 pan.
Smear French onion dip over each chop.
Sprinkle cheese over each chop.
Sprinkle dried onions over each chop.

Bake 25-35 minutes
Aim for internal temp of 155-157F

Recipe: Accidental Happy Baker
Photos: Canning and Cooking at Home

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Low Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies

4/24/2026

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These are a tasty lower sugar cookie. Give them a try! Enjoy! Diane

Ingredients

2 Cups A/P Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt
1 Cup Butter, slightly melted (let cool a bit)
1 Cup packed, Splenda brown sugar blend
2 Eggs
1 Tbs Vanilla Extract
Splash of Almond Extract
2 Cups Bake Believe, Milk Chocolate Chips

Directions
Preheat oven to 375.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in medium sized bowl. Set aside.
Mix butter and Splenda brown sugar, in large bowl.
Blend in egg; one at a time and add in extracts.
Gradually add in flour mixture.
Stir in chocolate chips.
Drop dough onto ungreased baking sheets by tablespoonfuls, 2 inches apart.
Bake 11-13 minutes or until lightly browned.

Kitchen Note: You don't want your dough to be runny. I don't melt my butter all the way down, and I let the butter sit once out of microwave to let it cool just a bit. If the cookie dough seems too thin then I do add a bit more flour, a tablespoon at a time until I get the dough firmer. The dough should resemble cookie dough that you'd make with full sugar but, it's just slightly "airier". Diane

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Diane's Chicken Taco Soup

4/24/2026

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We really like spicy soups so, I took my beef taco soup and switched it up a bit for diced chicken. You could also use ground chicken just make sure to brown that with the onion mix in the beginning.

Diane’s Diced Chicken Taco Soup

Ingredients:
2 cups diced chicken breast
Large zucchini quartered
1 large Onion, diced
1-2 cans Bush's Chili Beans (pinto beans in mild chili sauce)
1 can Rotel
1 can Corn, drained
1 Sweet bell pepper, diced
1/2 tsp dried minced garlic
1 quart Chicken broth
1 packet Old El Paso, Original Taco Mix, 1 ounce

Directions:
Sauté onion, zucchini & bell pepper in a small bit of olive oil and butter. Add all remaining ingredients (raise heat for pot to come to a boil; then lower and cook on medium-low 35 mins.

Serve with Tortilla Chips

If this is going to be canned - do not add the zucchini.

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Pecan Topped Pumpkin Bread

White Chicken Cheese Enchiladas

French Onion Smothered Pork Chops

Low Sugar Chocolate Chip Cookies

Diane's Chicken Taco Soup

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