Pumpkin Roll

Libby's Pumpkin Roll

http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/32372/LIBBYS-Pumpkin-Roll/detail.aspx

Experience

I was nervous about putting this recipe together. It seemed complicated with all the rolling of the bread involved, plus I had this recipe once before at a friend's place. It had tasted absolutely amazing, and I didn't want to tarnish the memory of this scrumptious dessert. As I started getting things ready, I realized my roommates and I did not possess any wax paper. After looking over the recipe again, I realized I also needed ground cloves. So a quick trip to the grocery store was in order. Next time, I need to not assume we have things and actually check to see if we do have them. I only had one other problem throughout the process of making the roll. I didn't use enough flour on the baking pan or enough powdered sugar on the kitchen towel so the cake stuck. Thankfully, the cake broke loose fairly easily, so not much damage was acquired. One thing I learned from this experience is what a jelly-roll pan is. It is a cookie sheet with higher edges.

Origins: Pumpkin

Pumpkins come from the Cucurbitacae family. This family also includes cucumbers and various kinds of squashes. The first known pumpkins were from Mexico over 9000 years ago. They were also very much used in Egypt. The New World also relied heavily on this family for subsistence. That's why pumpkin is heavily associated with Thanksgiving.

Chicken Casserole

Chicken Casserole Recipe

Ingredients:

• 6 large potatoes, cooked and sliced (fried potatoes work best)
  
• 4-5 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
  
• 1/4 cup butter
  
• 1 medium onion, chopped
  
• 4 tbsp. flour
  
• 4 cups chicken broth
  
• 4 tbsp. vinegar
  
• 1 cup fresh bread crumbs
  
• 3 tbsp butter
  
• Salt and pepper to taste
  

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Butter a large baking dish and arrange the cooked potatoes in the bottom of the dish. Top the potatoes with the cubed chicken. In a large skillet, melt the quarter cup of butter and cook the chopped onion until it is tender. Add the flour and whisk together, stirring continually for at least a minute or two. Add the chicken broth and vinegar to the onion mixture. Stir together with a whisk until thick. Lower the heat to simmer and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.

Pour the onion mixture over the potatoes and chicken. Sprinkle evenly with the bread crumbs and drizzle the three tablespoons of melted butter. Bake for 15 minutes.

Experience
This recipe turned out to be a lot more work than I had anticipated it to be. Frying the potatoes took the longest. Overall, it took me an hour and a half to get from start to finish. I could have saved myself time by realizing that the sauce needed to simmer for 15 minutes. I had made the potatoes and chicken before starting the sauce. If I had made the sauce then worked on the potatoes and chicken, that would have saved at least fifteen minutes. Another thing I would do differently if I make this again would be to cut the potato slices in half. I had just sliced the potatoes and left the pieces in circles. Those proved to be difficult to eat. Overall, the chicken casserole tasted great and makes a lot! I was left with plenty of leftovers.

Origins: Casserole
The casserole started as a french dish consisting of rice and a chicken or bread mixture. It became part of the English repertoire in the early 18th century. Over time, the dish evolved to include noodles or potatoes instead of rice and any cut of meat. A defining feature of the casserole is that it is served in the same dish it is made in. The casserole became popular during the Great Depression because it is a cheap dish that feeds many people.