Taste of Home October/November 2021

Around this time each year, we’re reminded to take note of the things we feel most grateful for. It’s a practice I believe we should all try to work into our daily lives, not just think about one day a year, but in the interest of tradition, here’s what’s topping my list this season: my loving and supportive family (that I wish I could spend time with much more frequently), incredible friends who feel like family (and on countless occasions have made me laugh so hard my face hurts), and a fun and fascinating job that affords me the opportunity to live out one of my life’s greatest passions—thinking about delicious food all day long. That last part is where this issue comes in. Planning our Thanksgiving issue is a…

SIMPLY GOURD-GEOUS Headed to the pumpkin patch this season? Pick out a few additional big, happy gourds to help decorate your home this fall. Online, we’re sharing loads of fall decor ideas, including brilliant tips for prettying your place with pumpkins. From fun painted designs to how-to tips for beautifully carved creations, you’ll find inspiring ideas to transform your home (or front porch) into a festive fall wonderland. Find all the pumpkin inspiration online, and happy decorating! tasteofhome.com/pumpkindecorON21 Taste of Home COMMUNITY COOKS Our Community Cooks are a vibrant group of Taste of Home fans who not only contribute recipes but make them at home, too! Here’s what one of the members had to say about her new favorite fall sweet treat, Pumpkin Snack Cake. Lisa Varner El Paso, TX “I…

Maybe you’ve heard of turducken—the eat-it-to-believe-it Thanksgiving creation in which a deboned chicken is stuffed inside a deboned duck stuffed inside a deboned turkey. Well, it’s time to meet the piecaken. Essentially the dessert version of the turducken, it’s a layer cake with full pies baked inside each layer. A little over the top? Maybe. But try a slice and you’ll see that it’s actually pretty darn good! And if nothing else, it makes for an impressive centerpiece on your holiday dessert table. Piecaken Why decide between cake or pie when you can combine the two? —James Schend, Taste of Home Deputy Editor, Culinary Prep: 45 min. + chilling Bake: 50 min. + cooling Makes: 16 servings 1 pkg. spice cake mix (regular size)1 pre-baked pumpkin pie (8 in.)1 pkg.…

What happens if you toss a brick of feta cheese into a pan of tomatoes and then drizzle on a little olive oil? Just as we’ve reacted to many viral food hacks online, we were a little skeptical upon seeing this trend that recently took TikTok by storm. Eventually, curiosity got the best of us, and we tapped our Test Kitchen to give it a try. Friends, we’re here to tell you that it lives up to the hype. After baking, toss it with cooked pasta, and treat yourself to rich and creamy weeknight perfection. Baked Feta Pasta Preheat oven to 400°. In a 13x9-in. baking dish, combine 2 pints cherry tomatoes, 3 halved garlic cloves and ¼ cup olive oil. Place 8 oz. feta in center, moving tomatoes so…

Before modern refrigeration, larder rooms with their cool interiors were used to safely store perishable foods. They were necessary in kitchens then, but now we’re seeing larders making a comeback. These days, a larder resembles more of a large cupboard than a room, typically outfitted with shelves, drawers or baskets, and a cold shelf made of marble or stone. If your fridge is full, it’s an excellent place to store excess produce, baked goods and condiments—or use it to stash away extra dinner plates and serveware. HIDDEN OBJECT Spot the slice of pumpkin pie in this issue and you could win a Taste of Home cookbook. (In our last issue, the cherries were on page 44.) Go to our website to enter and to read the complete guidelines. tasteofhome.com/hiddenobject…

Keeps You Trim In addition to being high in nutrients, pumpkin is low in calories, making it a fantastic diet-friendly food. A single cup of mashed cooked pumpkin clocks in around 50 calories and 3 grams of fiber. You can eat well and feel full without worrying about going over your daily calorie count. Helps Heart Health Treat your ticker to a cup of pumpkin, which has nearly 400 milligrams of potassium. Potassium found in pumpkins and other vegetables may help reduce blood pressure and protect against stroke. Additionally, fiber has been shown to help improve cardiovascular health, and canned pumpkin contains 7 grams of fiber in a 1-cup serving. Supports Healthy Eyes One cup of mashed cooked pumpkin has more than 200% of the daily recommended amount of vitamin…