“Little Red Bear’s Hand-picked Recipes — Officially Autumn!”

When not hard at work sweating over a laptop working on his adventure stories, Little Red Bear and I like to sweat over the kitchen stove whipping up treats and goodies for the other story characters.

With the Fall Equinox, it became officially Autumn at 3:02pm on Friday afternoon here in the midwest. Never mind that our temperatures have hovered in the mid to upper 90s all week. It will change soon, and before we know it there will be the welcoming fall chill in the air as we reach for sweaters and jackets. And leaf rakes.

We had so many amazing looking recipes coming our way this week that it was difficult to narrow it down to just a few to share with you today, with some undoubtedly to be carried over to next week.

Each week we try to select a mix of sweet and savory recipes to keep it balanced, but in coming weeks and as the fall and holiday season progresses, are thinking about doing a week here and there devoted solely to one theme — all Fudge, all Halloween Treat items, all Pumpkin stuff, all Homemade Candies, all Christmas Cookies, like that for example. If you would be interested in our doing that, please let us know in the comments and we will get to work on it.

If you are new to our Sunday morning recipe sharing and missed the first Little Red Bear Recipes Post explaining what we are doing, simply tap on the link to check it out.

Grab your apron and here we go!

Sweet Potato Cream Cheese Bundt Cake

This beautiful bundt cake caught our eye because it is made with a sweet potato puree. That alone means it qualifies as a ‘health food’, right? Rich and moist, the cake is swirled throughout with sweet, maple-flavored cream cheese and topped with a maple praline frosting. How many “m’s” in Yummmm?!?

Sweet Potato Cream Cheese Bundt Cake Recipe

Copycat Chick-fil-A Chicken Nuggets

Perfectly suited for dinners, snacks, sports viewing lunches, or party treats, Chicken Nuggets are so versatile with nearly universal appeal. This recipe seeks to copy a favorite. Easy to prepare and so much better than hauling them out of a grocery freezer bag. There is an included recipe to prepare a homemade Honey Mustard Dressing, Little Red Bear’s favorite (the honey!), for dipping the nuggets.

Copycat Chick-fil-A Chicken Nuggets Recipe

Disney’s Apple Caramel Pie

Apple Pie and Autumn go together like Little Red Bear and honey — a perfect pairing! This is the Apple Caramel Pie served in the Whispering Canyon Cafe at Disney World’s Wilderness Lodge Resort. If the caramel did not make it special enough, the crust is made with a sugar cookie bottom! This delightful apple pie will be perfect not only all thru the fall season but also for coming holiday dinners. Served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream? Now you’re talkin’.

Disney’s Apple Caramel Pie Recipe

French Dip Sliders

One of my favorite sandwiches is a French Dip Roast Beef Sandwich! What Little Red Bear and I both liked about this recipe for French Dip Sliders is that it used sliced roast beef from the deli, not having to go to the time and trouble to cook a whole roast at home first. So that makes it a wonderful and easy dish to prepare for afternoon football viewing lunches, after leaf raking lunches on a chilly afternoon, book club meetings to discuss “The Adventures of Little Red Bear” stories, and other friendly gatherings.

French Dip Sliders Recipe

Flavored Pie Doughs

We don’t try to hide it and keep no secrets here — Little Red Bear cannot make a decent pie crust to save his soul. A champion at biscuits, not so much with pie crusts. So we were both amazed this week when our favorite bread flour maker, King Arthur Flour, included a link to Flavored Pie Doughs in their message. Who knew pie dough could be flavored? So, here is the information from their site, on how to prepare Cream Cheese, Peanut Butter, and Chocolate Flavored Pie Doughs. I think Little Red Bear is headed back to the kitchen for another try or two! The thought of an apple pie in a peanut butter flavored crust is intriguing.

Flavored Pie Doughs from King Arthur Flour Recipes

As an added bonus, while discussing flavored pie doughs, we came across a recipe for a pie dough made from Pecans and Cinnamon. That got our attention, too! But a word first — the recipe calls for “dehydrated sugar cane juice.” Unfamiliar with that and never having used (or seen it!), I got busy and did some research. From the best I can tell, it’s basically the same thing as sugar. While cane juice is extracted from the sugar cane plant and then evaporated to form the crystals, white sugar has its juice filtered first to remove some of the brown solids. The evaporated cane juice has trace amounts of the solids remaining, supposedly making it more natural, hence healthy. The two sugars are nearly identical, basically 50% glucose/fructose in the end, no matter which way it is processed first. Long story short, it is fine to substitute either plain white or brown sugar in equal measure for the dehydrated sugar cane juice. So if the idea of a Pecan and Cinnamon Pie Crust excites you like it did us, then go for it! Simply use the sugar you normally would in a recipe.

Pecans and Cinnamon Pie Crust Recipe

Cream Cheese Pecan Cookies

Described as a tangy and buttery shortbread cookie, studded with bits of toasted pecans, LIttle Red Bear insisted on including this recipe. We both liked its flexibility too, allowing for the substitution of your favorite nut in place of the pecans if you wished — pistachios, walnuts, cashews, or something else. These would be a real treat in a holiday cookie exchange or on a buffet table! ‘Elegant’ could certainly be used to describe these beautiful cookies. And a perfect accompaniment to a cup of hot tea.

Cream Cheese Pecan Cookies Recipe

Creamy Crock Pot Corn Chowder

Chilly days are surely on their way, and this Creamy Crock Pot Corn Chowder has a little bit of everything to warm both the tummy and the heart — corn kernels, chunks of carrots and potatoes, along with meaty chunks of ham in a rich and creamy broth. And, best of all, it cooks by itself all day, unattended in the crock pot. Winner, winner, creamy nourishing soup for dinner!

Creamy Crock Pot Corn Chowder Recipe

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Imagine, if you can, a layer of delicious chocolate chip cookie covered over with ooey-gooey caramel sauce, topped with another layer of chocolate chip cookie. Yeah, we know. Hard to imagine but here it is! Cut into bars, these treats are perfect for Halloween, afternoon treats, and holiday buffets. Wrapped individually, these also freeze well, allowing them to be made in advance of the hectic holiday season, or to simply have at hand anytime. Like, right now, for example.

Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars Recipe

If you enjoy these recipe features, please tap the Like button below and feel free to Comment and let us know, and we will be on the lookout for more interesting and fun recipes to share with you each Sunday morning as we go along. And remember, all of these recipes are added each week to our “Little Red Bear’s Hand-picked Recipes” board on Pinterest for you to access anytime and find those from previous weeks if you missed them. I invite you to follow and check out my other Pinterest boards while there.

If you have a family favorite or vintage recipe that you would like to share, please snap a photo and send it along to us. We’ll be happy to add it in for the benefit of others.

Family Time is the Best Time!

Sunday family dinners are special times when families step away from busy weekday schedules, get together, and share not only a meal but also important ‘together time’, as well. Staying connected and involved. It is so easy for us to both feel and become disconnected in today’s hectic, fast-paced world, with all family members being pulled in so many different directions between work obligations, school, after school and social activities. It happens to us before we know it. And I don’t know of anyone yet who has had a successful, meaningful, or long-term relationship with a cell phone.

We all benefit from, but children especially need a home base and safe place to feel secure, confident, and loved. That connection and anchor has always been and will always be family. There is no substitute. Little Red Bear and I hope that you and your loved ones can enjoy family together time today.

Thanks as always for spending part of your day with us! We would be honored if you recommended our site and pages to friends and family. Little Red Bear and I look forward to your visits here, and hope that in our own way we help to make your day special, too! We’ll be back every Sunday morning with more of Red’s selected special recipes, so be sure to subscribe in the top right column and follow along to be notified of every new post.

Wishing everyone a wonderful coming week. Kindness costs nothing and can turn someone’s life around. Be the reason someone smiles today! – Jim (and Red!)

“The Adventures of Little Red Bear” Stories — Sponsored in Part by —

myra cookson’s pie pantry & goodies shoppe — Featuring homemade delights sourced from only the finest local, fresh ingredients. check our coupon in “squirrelly world” for a free ‘singing lily’ with your first purchase. centrally located in the heart of downtown butterfield.

(Read about Myra Cookson’s Pie Pantry & Goodies Shoppe in the Little Red Bear Stories!)

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“Family is not an important thing. It’s everything.” – Michael J. Fox