Dishes

Hartstone Pottery isn’t just about gorgoues seasonal dishes and collectibles. No, no, no - they also have an unbelievable collection of College items - such as the little Penn State pig you see in the banner to the left.

Click the following link (or the Penn State pig!) to see if they have your favorite school: Show your school spirit with Hartstone’s College Pottery!.

Unfortunately, they they don’t have my personal favorites: the University of Kentucky or the University of Louisville, but there’s a Virginia Tech mug that I’m kind of feeling. That and the Penn State Piggy Bank that would be impossible not to love!

These would make perfect Christmas gifts - or “anytime” gifts for your favorite college student.

The gorgeous AUTUMN LEAVES PUMPKIN is from Hartstone Pottery. It’s freezer, microwave, oven, and diswasher save. And absolutely beautiful to boot!

From the Website:
Oh come little leaf…rejoice in the crisp, cool days of autumn. Celebrate as the air brings its hints of pumpkin and spices, and the ever present crackle of natures free falling sails of change. Enjoy our hand-painted fall pottery! Mugs, plates, ruffle bowls. Made in Ohio by Hartstone USA. Microwave, freezer, oven and dishwasher safe. Lead free. America’s best stoneware!

The AUTUMN LEAVES PUMPKIN is from one of Hartstone Pottery’s most popular collections, the Autumn Leaves Collection. The pieces in this collection are stunning. They’d make autumn meals (including Thanksgiving!) something extra special. Below are a few of my other favorites.

AUTUMN LEAVES MINI BREAD PAN

AUTUMN LEAVES BREAD PAN

AUTUMN LEAVES 10″ PIE PLATE

AUTUMN LEAVES OVAL PLATTER

Click through any link to see the entire collection. The Autum Leaves Collection includes plates, mugs, ramekins, bowls, etc. Gorgeousness!

Holy Moly, there aren’t many things I like better than Pumpkin Pie season. It’s funny, we cooks tell the seasons apart by the foods we make during them. There’s Grilling Season, Coconut Cake Season, Christmas Cookie Season, Chili Season, and (hooray!) Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Pie Season.

The recipe below is probably my favorite way to make Pumpkin Pie. I’ll post a couple of others, as well as my favorite Sweet Potato Pie recipes over the next week.

PUMPKIN PIE RECIPE

1 can Libby’s Easy Pumpkin Pie Mix (30 oz)
12/3 cup Evaporated milk
2 large eggs, beaten
1 unbaked 9 inch deep dish-pie shell
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg

Mix all of the ingredients together and pour into pie shell.

Bake in a preheated 425 degree oven for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven to 350 degrees and bake for 50-60 more minutes, or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.

Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Serve with homemade whipped cream.

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The Pillivuyt 281726 Deep Dish Scalloped Pie Plate -9.5 Inch at the top of the post is one of the prettiest, and most reliable pie plates in the culinary world.

From the website:
Our Pillivuyt porcelain bakeware can be found in fine restaurants throughout France, a culinary country where cooking is taken very seriously. Designed and used by chefs worldwide, the even-heating properties of these dishes make perfect pastries, casseroles, and lasagne. Pillivuyt clean-up is a breeze. Larger pans will hold roasts and poultry and are beautifully attractive at the table. The bakers all-white finish and timeless design is robust and durable enough for everyday use, going from freezer, to oven, to table, and into the dishwasher.

This great-looking Spooky Hand Candy Dish is just the thing to bring a little more “spirit” to your den, living room, kitchen, bedroom, whatever.

If your family’s like mine, it won’t slow them down for a second. I have one daughter that’d probably slap the hand to make sure it didn’t beat her to the goodies.

We raised that girl right.

Peggy Karr 9-in. Spooky Serving Bowl

Tuesday I started getting out my halloween candy dishes, candle holders, decorations, and happy ghost figurines. I collect ghosts that look “happy” - the ones who aren’t trying to scare the pants off anyone. What can I say, I love myself some smiling ghosts. My husband goes, “Aren’t you a little early?” So, I figured that, yeah, maybe I was. I put them back up and waited a little longer.

This morning, I figured two days was long enough and out they came!

I know, I know, I’m frightfully early. I normally don’t get my haunt on until September 1st, but the Halloween season is just so deliciously fun - I couldn’t help myself. I’ve also put up a few Halloween-themed links to the side, as you can tell. I’ll put up more decorations on the site in a day or two.

This morning, when I was setting my happy ghosts, trick or treat bears, pumpkins, and spiders loose, I noticed that we more dishes with halloween on their mind. The ones in this post are just perfect. They’re from Cooking.com, I know they’re beyond spectacular. So colorful and full of fun, just like this time of year. I love it!!!

Peggy Karr 10-in. Spooky Dinner Plate

Check it out, the Rachael Ray 2-pc. Berry Paisley Platter and Dip Bowl, Red/ Orange (above) is as colorful and perky as Rachael Ray, herself, is.

Fresh veggies, fruit slices and even plain old chips would look twice as nice on Rachael’s nine inch paisley-shaped platter! The platter and coordinating bowl hold enough munchies and dip (or salsa) for the whole family. Sturdy melamine is dishwasher-safe.

A sneaky little tip that you didn’t hear from me: Stop by your favorite Authentic Mexican Restaurant (here in Owensboro, Kentucky, mine are Real Hacienda or El Toribio’s on the river) and get an order of chips and salsa AND cheese dip to go. Bring it home, dispose of the evidence a.k.a. the bag/containers. Serve the chips, cheese sauce, and salsa alongside some killer tacos or a taco salad. Served up on gorgeous dishes like the Rachael Ray 2-pc. Berry Paisley Platter and Dip Bowl, Red/ Orange, you’d be the talk of the town…or at least the table.

Okay, changing the pace here for a minute - going from Authentic Mexican food to Mexican-ish food. The next time you go to Taco Bell…don’t deny it, I’ve seen you there….order a hard shell FRESCO taco. They’re, honestly, better than the regular tacos. They seem fresher and, dare I say, more authentic. They’re also healthier. Trust me on this one - I’m addicted to them.

There isn’t a kid in the world that wouldn’t delight in this Surprise Mug. Heck, I’d get a billion kicks out of it and I’m a few years past being a “kid” - age wise, anyway.

Product Description:

Young childrens eyes light up with delight when they drink enough milk to discover the cheerful bunnies hidden inside these oversized ceramic mugs. Each handcrafted mug, made in USA, holds a full 12 ounces and features a threedimensional rabbit sculpture inside. Choose the Easter Bunny surrounded by colorful eggs or dapper Jack the Rabbit in polkadotted pants. A memorable gift for ages 5 to adult.

Dapper Jack the Rabbit in polkadotted pants, huh? For the life of me, I thought it was a little, teeny, little mouse beside an even smaller heart.

Oh, well, whether it’s a well-dressed, dapper rabbit or a vertically challenged rodent - I think he’s a cutie.

One of my cats, Alexa, and I unpacked Spring and Easter this morning. We did it while my daughters were sleeping - so, when they got out of bed, they were greeted by rabbits, ducks, Spring scented candles, Yellow Peeps, Chocolate candy eggs, Jelly Beans, and a whole array of Easter/Spring decorations. The effect wasn’t lost on them. Neither were the Peeps.

If you’re like us, you decorate and re-decorate with each season and holiday. It just makes life funner, somehow!

I love beauties like the Geranium Cake Stand (above). They celebrate the seasons right along with us, don’t they? Can you picture how gorgeous Red Velvet Cupcakes would look on this cake stand?! Oh great, guess what I’m hungry for now. Looks like another trip to the store.

I’m also pretty wild about the Geranium Platter, below. If I weren’t so busy thinking about Red Velvet Cupcakes, I’d picture Red Pepper strips, Yellow Pepper Strips, Green Pepper Strips, Cucumber slices, and radishes arranged on this platter. Served alongside a killer Ranch dip, it’d make a delicious tv watching snack.

Second only to what? Right! Red Velvet Cupcakes. Now where’s that recipe…..

It’s definitely Disney Day here on Get Cooking!

The Ratatouille 4-Pc. Dessert Dish Set is just another one of the unbelievably adorable products on Disney Shopping.com.

I’m completely in love with the idea of adding fun and unexpected smiles to the dining experience.

If you’re like me, just the sight of Mickey Mouse makes you smile. I think he pretty much has that effect on everyone - young, old, and in between.

Disney Shopping.com features some unbelievably gorgeous Mickey Mouse Dinnerware. They add an unexpected degree of fun to any meal they’re invited to. The Mickey Mouse Dinnerware Collection 4-Pc. Place Setting comes in red, white, and yellow. Personally, I think the only way to go is the mix and match route - 2 sets of each! Can you picture the gorgeous, colorful table setting?

The web site also features serving bowls, platters, and other must haves. Click through any of the images or the link, itself, to take a closer look. I honestly think I’m about to go nuts on this web site!