Pumpkin Pie Trifle

Posted on by peachpearplumcafe

Pumpkin Pie in a cup.  This is a great dessert for kids at Thanksgiving or just for fun at home.  Simple to make, easy to eat.  Get ready to relieve your sweet tooth and enjoy this pumpkin treat.

Servings: 8

Ingredients:

  • 1 15oz can of pumpkin
  • 1 (8oz) container of frozen whipped topping, thawed and divided
  • 1 cup confectioners sugar divided
  • 1 and 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 (8oz) package of cream cheese, softened
  • 2 tsps vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup of ginger snap cookie crumbs
  • 1/2 cup oats
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp butter softened
  • 1 can of ready whip
  • 8 to 10 ginger snap cookies

 

Directions:

  1. In a medium bowl, combine pumpkin, 1/2 a container of whipped topping, 1/2 cup of confectioners sugar, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and salt.  Beat with mixer at medium speed until well blended.
  2. In another medium bowl, combine cream cheese, remaining 1/2 container of whipped topping, vanilla extract and remaining confectioners sugar (1/2 cup).  Beat with a mixer until smooth.  IMG-8095
  3. Place both bowls in the refrigerator until ready to plate (will keep in refrigerator over night).  IMG-8097
  4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  5. In a small bowl mix the oats, brown sugar and butter until well blended.  You’ll need to get your fingers in it to make sure the butter spread evenly.  Spread out oat mixture onto the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.  Using a spatula, move the oats around and bake for another 5ish minutes (until golden brown color).

     

     

  6. Remove the oat mixture from the oven and let cool (you can store them in a zip-lock bag if prepping the next day).
  7. While the oats are cooling, Spoon or pipe the first layer (cream cheese mixture) of the trifle in each of the cups.  IMG-8106
  8. Sprinkle oat topping onto the first layer (once they are cooled enough) and then spoon or pipe the final layer (pumpkin mixture).
  9. Smash a few ginger snap cookies using a zip-lock bag and a rolling pin.  IMG-8104
  10. Garnish the trifle with whipped cream, a sprinkle of ginger snap crumbs and a ginger snap cookie.

Hope you enjoy my take on the pumpkin trifle by adding my oat topping to the mix.  It is seriously like eating pumpkin pie cheesecake in a cup.  And it’s perfect to eat in our Florida fall heat.

Thank you tiny book of Tea and Treats for sharing your delicious recipes.

Katie

Sweet Potato and Quinoa Salad

Posted on by peachpearplumcafe

Yes this recipe is tasty even though it is a vegetarian recipe.  Most people assume that if it’s all natural, organic and vegetarian that it probably doesn’t taste that good.  Well, this will have you questioning that belief.  The mixture of sweetness from the cinnamon flavored sweet potatoes and raisins verses the tangyness from the mustard flavored dressing and onion will send your taste buds into a frenzy.  Now I can’t say that its vegan mainly because there is honey in the dressing, but boy is it close.  I hope you enjoy these flavors as much as I do.

 

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Serving Size: 4 to 6

Ingredients:

Salad

  • 2 Large Sweet Potatoes peeled and cubed
  • 3 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
  • 2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
  • 2 to 3 cups cooked Quinoa
  • 6 cups Spinach and Arugula salad mix
  • 1 Red Onion thinly sliced
  • 1 cup of Walnuts or Pecans
  • 1 cup of Raisins or Craisins

Salad Dressing

  • 2 to 3 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
  • 3 to 4 tbsp Dijon Mustard
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1/4 tsp Black pepper
  • 1/4 cup Honey
  • 1 to 2 tbsp Lemon Juice
  • 1 clove Garlic finely chopped or 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder

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Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Wash and peel/skin sweet potatoes.  Cut them into small cubes and place in medium size bowl.  Add the olive oil and salt and pepper.  Make sure sweet potato cubes are coated well with olive oil, salt and pepper before spreading onto the baking sheet.

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  3. Bake sweet potatoes for 45 to 50 minutes in the oven.
  4. While sweet potatoes bake, whisk together Salad Dressing Ingredients to your liking.  Cover and set it in the refrigerator until ready to serve.  DSC_0561
  5. Boil the quinoa in a medium sauce pan with 4 quarts water for 10 minuntes.
  6. Drain the water from the quinoa and let it cool in a medium bowl.  DSC_0564
  7. Wash and dry spinach and arugula and place in large bowl.
  8. Peel a red onion and thinly slice before adding it to the leafy greens.  DSC_0562
  9. Sprinkle in preferred nuts and raisins.  DSC_0563
  10. Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven and sprinkle them with cinnamon.  Let them cool before mixing them with the cooked quinoa.
  11. Add a small amount of the dressing to the sweet potato and quinoa mix and stir until well blended.
  12. Add the remainder of the dressing to the salad portion and mix well.  Serve  in bowls and top with sweet potato and quinoa mix.

Enjoy a sweet and tangy vegetarian mix while indulging in great conversations with loved ones. Tasty and healthy, such a win, win!

 

Thanks for the inspiration SkinnyMs blog.  You came up with a great recipe that I tweaked just a bit :).  It’s one for the recipe book.  And it’s such a great one to save for the fall season!

Katie

PeachPearPlum

Tarheel Reader – Write Social Stories

Posted on by peachpearplumcafe

Tarheelreader.org is a website full of free, easy to read books that are accessible via computer, tablets, touch screens, IntelliKeys and switches.

The awesome thing about this site is that you can write your very own short stories.  You may upload your own images or use the large collection from flickr.

Another great thing about tarheelreader.org is the fact that you can save the books to your computer as well as print out books as a powerpoint.  This way it can be treated like a real book.

going to the library book 

The benefit of having the stories online makes reading a bit easier for those that cannot read.  You can pick from different types of voices, though all sound a bit robotic.  Most of the time I chose the male voice because my students with Autism respond better to a lower tone voice.

speech controls

I have used this site multiple times.  From the example video below (going to the library) to preparing my kids for the dentist.  It’s a great way to help with transition as well as learning new tasks (riding a bike, using the vacuum, etc).  It can also be about topics of interest, like the image below.tarheel book example

The biggest thing I love about this site, is the fact that you can create age appropriate books.  Meaning, books can be created for an adult with special needs that may be on a 1st grade reading level.  If you think about it, there aren’t many books available that discuss high school or adult related topics at lower reading levels.

Back when I taught adults with special needs at the high school level, an english teacher had her regular education students create books for my students.  She also had her students read/present the books to my students.  There were topics about dating, going to the movies, prom, etc.  It was one of the best service learning projects I have ever done with another teacher.   Now she had students type the words/sentences and used pictures from magazines glued to paper and laminated them.  How much better it would have been if we had know about this program back then.  I think it would have been more interactive and professional for both groups of students.

If this gets you interested you’ll need to follow the steps below: login infor

I hope you’ll take the time to try it out.  Check out my example video to help prepare and guide you for your future book making.  I apologize in advance for the blurry video taping.  I’m not as tech savvy as I’d like to be.

Thanks for taking the time to watch my how-to video.  I’ll be sharing more programs and apps like this one in the coming months.

Katie

https://tarheelreader.org

 

Potato and Lentil Soup

Posted on by peachpearplumcafe

I’ve been working on my future cafe menu, and I am doing my best to meet the needs of a wide range of people and their ‘diets.’  Many of my past students with special needs had and still have food allergies or sensitives to certain foods.  Reactions range from rashes to behavior challenges, so it’s important to me to make sure to have homemade options on the menu that are dairy free, no meat, etc. I have purchased multiple vegan baking books, recipe magazines, etc.  I tend to utilize many of these outlets but some how still tweak recipes to make them more my cup of tea.

This soup is purely vegetarian.  It’s made with fresh veggies and herbs and spices.  Don’t worry, I’ve included a few short cuts to help you during the process.

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Ingredients: (serves 8 to 10)

  • 1/2 cup chopped celery
  • 1/2 cup sliced carrots
  • 1 small bag of Yukon gold potatoes chopped
  • 1 bag of lentils
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 cloves of diced garlic
  • 6 oz can of tomato paste
  • 8 oz of chopped kale
  • 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
  • 8 cups veggie broth
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 2 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp coriander

Directions:

  1. Using a Crock-pot or large stove pot pour in the olive oil, garlic and diced yellow onion.  Let it heat up and cook for a little while until barely sauteed.
  2. Pour in the broth and tomato paste. Stir until well blended.
  3. Add in the celery, carrots, potatoes and lentils (make sure all veggies are washed and cleaned before adding to the soup).
  4. Sprinkle in the salt and pepper, paprika, coriander and ground cumin (to taste) and stir (let it come to a boil if using the stove top).  IMG-6032
  5. Add in the chopped kale and then cover.
  6. If you are using a crock-pot, cook on high for 6 to 8 hours.  If you are using the stove top, cook at medium high heat (low boil) for 3 to 5 hours (may need to go down to medium low heat once boiling).
  7. Make sure to stir occasionally and taste.  You may want to add more seasoning depending on your taste buds.

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Hope you enjoy this soup as much as I do.  It’s pleasing to the nose and the body.  Hoping to bring you more enjoyable dishes that benefit your health and is simple to make.

 

– Katie

Autumn Fruit Salad

Posted on by peachpearplumcafe

This delicious Autumn Fruit Salad is similar to a yogurt parfait. Sweet, crunchy, and perfect as a side dish this fall season.  Both kids and adults love it.  So get your favorite knife and get ready to chop because you’ll be asked to bring this to family gatherings all year long!

Ingredients

8 small apples

4 green pears

1/2 bag of seedless red grapes (cut in half)

2 lemons or 2 tbsp lemon juice

6 oz maple greek yogurt

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla extravt

1 cup of whipped cream

1 cup chopped wlanuts

1/4 cup brown sugar

Autumn Fruit Salad

Directions

1. Rinse fruit thoroughly

2. Cut apples and pears into small pieces and discard the cores.

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3. Sprinkle lemon juice over the cut apples and pears.  Stir and mix well.

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4. Cut grapes in half and add to the apples and pears.

5. In a separate bowl, mix together; maple yogurt, vanilla extract, whipped cream, cinnamon and brown sugar.

6. Chop the walnuts or purchase pre-chopped walnuts.  You may add the walnuts straight to the fruit or add it to the dressing.

7. Pour 1/2 the dressing to the fruit and stir. Add in more dressing as needed.

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8. Serve and ENJOY.  (Keep in the refrigerator if serving later.  It will last a 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator.)

 

Thanks for reading.  Hope you find time to try out this delicious recipe!

Katie