pumpkin cookies with carmel frosting

My list of reasons for loving Fall is pretty lengthy.

Pumpkin flavored anything is towards the top of the list.

Last year I stumbled upon these delicious pumpkin cookies with carmel frosting.

They're some of my favorite pumpkin cookies.

A must-make every Fall.

I only made half of a batch this morning (I didn't have enough butter for a full batch), and I'm thankful there are half as many as there would be (if I made a full batch), because I may or may not have already eaten 3 of them.
And it's only 1 pm.

Cue self-control.

Although I have very low expectations for myself.

my favorite pumpkin muffins

Autumn bring so many things that I love.

Cool weather, crisp air, colorful foliage, crunchy leaves, sweaters, sweatpants, fireside coziness...

(the list goes on, and on)

source

And of course, pumpkin treats.

Fall may not officially arrive until September 22, but on September 1, I start pulling out my fall decor and getting in the autumn state of mind.

This 100+ degree weather isn't helping, but that's only a minor detail, right? 

To kick off the season, I whipped up a dozen (which is a half recipe) of my favorite pumpkin muffins.  And when I say favorite, I mean favorite.  None compare.

That cream cheese filling might be the best part.
Or maybe the streusel topping, or the cake-like pumpkin muffin, itself.
Or maybe all of the above, together, in one delicious bite. 

I made these for the first time last Fall.

I won't, ever, make another pumpkin muffin recipe.

These are my pumpkin muffins.

My go-to, perfect-and-delicious-every-time-pumpkin-muffins.

Make them.

cookies for breakfast

This morning, well, this afternoon, I'm thankful for the fact that the storms that made their way across the state last night didn't produce any extreme weather in our neck of the woods.  Unfortunately, some towns can't say the same.  The city of Woodward (about an hour and a half to our west) suffered significant tornado damage and lost 5 people in the storm that hit them.  It's always sad to hear of lives lost, but when you hear that some of them were children, it hits you in a different kind of way.  We're thinking about and lifting up those families in prayer today.

As we waited for the storm to approach last night, Travis requested something sweet.  I had nothing on hand, so I scrolled through my sweets pinboard on Pinterest and gave him a few options I could make with what I had in the fridge and pantry.  So at 11 pm last night I was in the kitchen whipping up a half batch of these delicious cream cheese filled, lemon blueberry cookies.

After the storm passed in the wee hours this morning, we finally went to bed around 4 am.  We slept in today, so "breakfast" was at 11:30 am.  And "breakfast" was a few of these cookies with a cup of reheated coffee from a fresh pot I made around 10 pm last night.  No complaints here.

My cookies didn't turn out as pretty as they look on the website I got the recipe from.  Apparently I need a lesson in working with blueberries.  My scones from yesterday morning, and these cookies, are/were quite marbled with purple.  I even used frozen berries in hopes they'd "smush" less while mixing them into the dough.  Have any tips?

Despite the fact that these were extremely messy to make, and aren't as pretty as they had the potential to be, they were deliciously light.  They'd be great for a spring or summer get together.  I'm definitely hanging on to this recipe.

So, all this to say, we are safe and these cookies are delicious.

Even for breakfast with reheated coffee.

And thank you for all of the prayers for our safety last night.

They were greatly appreciated, and answered!

baked Valentines

I may or may not have a new obsession with making sugar cookies.  Earlier this week, I baked up, and frosted, two batches of these sugar cookies.  (I used this royal icing recipe.)  We sent a few of them off to some special little Valentines, tucked a few into the freezer, and, I will admit that quite a few made their way into my stomach.

Guilty.

Deliciously guilty.

When in NJ, several weeks ago, I picked up some really cute animal cookie cutters from Ikea.

They make some really cute cookies!

The moose is, by far, my favorite.

And of course we needed some festive hearts.

All sizes.

Some with sprinkles, some without.

These little guys are even tastier when dunked into a cup of coffee.

Think coffee infused baked deliciousness.

I want more.

Seriously.

I might just have to make ONE more batch...

recipe: soft pretzel bites

We all know how addicting Pinterest is.  I browse and pin while I'm feeding Callan, when I can't fall asleep at night, or when I am bored during down-time and don't feel like working on any of my many in-progress projects.

There are so many mouth-watering images {and recipes} floating around on Pinterest - sometimes I just can't pin fast enough.  You know how it is. 

'Fall is coming...fall flavors...mmm...pumpkin!  Pumpkin cupcakes, PIN.  Pumpkin muffins, PIN.  Pumpkin cinnamon rolls, PIN.  Pumpkin....'

Yea, that's seriously how it goes. 

Anyways, I love soft pretzels - especially the big ones you get at a stadium.  So Yum.  When I found this recipe for soft pretzel bites, it was only a matter of time before I got to pretzel-making in the kitchen.

{ source and recipe }

Here's, pretty much, my pretzel making experience.  In pictures.

{ dough, before rising for an hour }

{ dough, after rising for an hour }

{ dough rolled out into 1" ropes and cut into bite-sized pieces }

{ lightly salted pretzel bites }

{ cinnamon and sugar pretzel bites }

They turned out quite tasty!  I modified the original recipe minimally.  Instead of using 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, I used 1 1/2 c. all purpose, and 1 c. whole wheat.  (I'd probably stick to the original recipe next time, though.)  These were best still warm, where they had a bit of crunch to the outer layer and a soft, chewy center.  A few of these bites were a delightful afternoon snack!

recipe: lemon coolers

I made these cookies today for two reasons.  1) I had three lemons sitting on my counter that needed to be used asap, and 2) my mom and grandma will be here in a few weeks, so I wanted to have a little treat already made for them to pull out {of the freezer} to enjoy with a cup of tea/coffee when they get here.  

These cookies could not be easier. 

I originally found the recipe here.  My recipe is different, only in the fact that I used unsalted butter (because that's all I buy), a little more zest than suggested, and I didn't shake the cooled cookies in a bag of sugar, I merely rolled the tops in the sugar.  I got 29 cookies out of my dough, and they're right around 50 calories per cookie.  

They're a shortbread/tea type of cookie.  Just a hint of sweet and a little bite of lemon.  Easy and delicious.

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup confectioner's sugar (plus a little for rolling the cookies in, once cooled)

1 tsp finely shredded lemon zest

1 stick butter, softened

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

Combine flour, sugar, and lemon zest in a bowl, mix.

Add butter and vanilla, mix until a smooth dough forms.

(No need to get the mixer out for this one, it only takes a minute or two with a wooden spoon.)

Roll dough into teaspoon sized balls and place on greased baking sheet.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until bottoms of cookies are lightly browned.

Cool on wire rack.

Once cooled, roll tops of cookies in a little powdered sugar.

Enjoy!

In between trying to get our bedroom primed, chasing Callan, and attempting to keep a clean house, I started a little project with some capiz shells I've had stashed away for a few years.

I'll let you know if this project is a win or fail sometime next week.

Hope you're having a great week - it's almost Friday!  Hooray!

recipes : lunch & dinner

I'm back with a few more recipes from www.skinnytaste.com.  Seriously, check out the site if you haven't yet.  Oodles of yummy recipes.  I haven't tried anything yet that I don't like! { Given I've only tried four of them... }

Yesterday, I made the Skinny Chicken Waldorf Salad for lunch, and then we had the Spinach Lasagna Rolls for dinner.  I made the Lasagna Rolls the day before - I put a few in the fridge and a few in the freezer.  Both recipes were delicious; both will be made again.

Skinny Chicken Waldorf Salad

Ingredients (makes 3 servings)

7 oz (1 breast) boiled chicken breast

1 medium apple, peeled and cut into small cubes

1 cup seedless grapes, cut in half

1/2 cup celery, chopped

1/4 cup mayo

2 Tbsp fat free Greek yogurt

s&p

2 Tbsp pecans or walnuts

mixed baby greens, like spinach or arugula

Directions

Combine mayo, yogurt, s&p.  Mix well.  Add chicken, grapes, apples, celery, and let chill in fridge until ready to eat.  Mix in pecans just before serving.  Serve over baby greens.  Enjoy!

I made a side of roasted broccoli to go along with the salad.  My all-time favorite way to eat broccoli.
Thank you, Tiffany!  ;)

Spinach Lasagna Rolls

Ingredients (makes 9 servings)

9 lasagna noodles, cooked

10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and completely drained

15 oz fat free ricotta cheese

1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese

1 egg

s&p

32 oz tomato sauce

9 Tbsp part skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine spinach, ricotta, Parmesan, egg, s&p in a medium bowl.  Ladle about 1 cup sauce on the bottom of a 9x12 baking dish.  Place a piece of wax paper on the counter and lay out lasagna noodles.  Make sure noodles are dry.  Spread about 1/3 cup of ricotta mixture even over each noodle.  Roll carefully and place seam side down in baking dish.  Repeat with remaining noodles.  Ladle sauce over the noodles in the baking dish and top each one with 1 Tbsp mozzarella cheese. Put foil over dish and bake for 40 minutes, or until cheese melts.  Enjoy!

And just so I'm not all about food, two days in a row, here's a look at the curtains I sewed last week for my kitchen window.  They're cute, but will look way cuter once the kitchen cabinets are painted { a project lined up for sometime this fall }.

{ pretend like the dishes in the sink aren't there, k? }

ps - have you seen this?  It totally works!

recipe : cheesey zucchini enchiladas & fiesta lime rice

I haven't been in the mood to cook much lately.  Eggs, PB&J sandwiches, and steak quesadillas kinda took over our menu.  The easier the better.  Over the weekend, however, I got re-inspired.  I hopped back onto the healthy cooking/eating train.  My bags are packed.  I'm on board.  My fridge and pantry are stocked.

Have you ever checked out www.skinnytaste.com?  I learned of this site through a friend on Facebook.  I have been "following" Skinny Taste for a while, but never took the time out to browse through the recipes on the website.  I finally took some time to click around over the weekend.  Lots of healthy meal options, inspiration, and pictures.  Pictures really are worth a thousand words when it comes to recipes.  Am I right?!

On Sunday night, I whipped up Cheesy Zucchini Enchiladas and Fiesta Lime Rice.  

Super tasty.

 Cheesy Zucchini Enchiladas

Ingredients

1 tsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 medium scallions, chopped

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

{ cilantro really makes a Mexican dish taste fresh - I just love it! }

2 medium zucchinis, grated

salt and fresh ground pepper

1 1/2 cups grated reduced fat Mexican blend cheese

tortillas (low carb ones are suggested)

small can of enchilada sauce (I like the green sauce)

chopped scallions

chopped cilantro

Directions

In a medium nonstick skillet, saute garlic and scallions in olive oil over medium heat for about 3 minutes; add zucchini, salt, and pepper to taste and cook about 4-5 minutes.  Remove from eat and add 1/2 cup cheese; mix well.  Divide zucchini between each tortilla, roll and place seam side down in baking dish.  Top with enchilada sauce and remaining cheese and bake until hot and the cheese is melted, about 20 minutes.  Serve with chopped cilantro, scallions, and reduced fat sour cream, if you wish.  Enjoy!

Fiesta Lime Rice

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups cooked long grain rice

3/4 cup canned black beans, rinsed and heated

3/4 cup cooked corn, heated

1 large tomato, diced

1 large scallion, finely diced

2-4 Tbsp chopped cilantro

1 Tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice

salt to taste

Directions

In a large bowl, combine hot rice, heated corn and beans, tomato, scallion, cilantro, lime juice, and salt.  Toss and serve.  Enjoy!

We really enjoyed both of these recipes.  I will be making a lot more of Gina's recipes in the future.  In fact, we're having Spinach Lasagna Rolls tomorrow night for dinner.  I'll let you know how they turn out!

Do you have a favorite healthy recipe website?  Or maybe a healthy recipe you're willing to share?

BTW - I finished painting our fireplace during naptime yesterday!  Hooray!  Pics to come soon.

recipe : fresh vegetable salad

On the 4th of July, I was responsible for sides and dessert.  The sides I chose to make were this salad and Parmesan potatoes.  Both were first time recipes for me, both turned out really well.  

The veggie salad was my favorite, though.  I reminded me of my favorite broccoli salad from Sweet Tomatoes.

I can't get enough. 

This photo doesn't do the salad justice.  iPhone pictures rarely do anything justice.  But you get the idea. 

This, very well, might turn into my new "go-to" BBQ side.  

Here's the recipe (from Taste of Home):

Ingredients

2 cups broccoli florets

2 cups cauliflowerets

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

(I forgot to include this, but I'm not a fan of green pepper, so that worked out just fine)

1/2 cup chopped onion (I used a red onion)

1/4 cup grated carrot

1 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing (I used Kraft's mayo made with olive oil)

1/4 cup sugar

3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

2 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

(I also added about 1/4 cup raisins) 

Directions

Toss vegetables in a large salad bowl.  In a small bowl, combine mayo, sugar, and Parmesan; pour over veggies and toss to coat.  Cover and chill.  Sprinkle with bacon just before serving. 

Every time I try a new recipe, I think about what could be added or changed, if anything.  This salad is delicious as it is, but I think the next time I'll add chopped walnuts, diced green apple, and sunflower seeds.

YUM.

Do you have any "go-to" summer time recipes?

Hope you're staying cool!  Temperatures are consistently 100+ degrees in our neck of the woods.

Is it too early to say that I'm ready for Fall?

sausage & egg casserole

When the fridge and pantry start to get bare, it's time to get creative in the kitchen.  I had bulk sausage in the freezer, eggs and bread in the fridge, and a recipe for sausage and egg casserole.  Breakfast for dinner.  Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.  Interested?  Here's the how-to.

Ingredients:

1 lb bulk sausage

6 eggs

2 c milk

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground mustard

6 slices bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 c shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Brown sausage and crumble.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, beat eggs; add milk, salt and mustard.  Stir in bread cubes, cheese and sausage.  Pour into a greased 9" x 13" baking dish.  Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.  {I made it around 4pm, refrigerated it until about 6:30pm and it turned out just fine.}  Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before baking.  Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. 

Enjoy!

Breakfast for dinner, every now and then, is a fun treat.  And with a whole lotta clementine wedges on the side, who can resist?! 

We have a long list of projects we're hoping to get through this weekend - painting, planting, cleaning.  We're looking forward to more changes around this place. :) 

Hope your weekend is full of things you love!

chewy ginger bars

(Last week) I needed something sweet.  There was nothing sweet in the fridge or pantry.  I have no secret stash of chocolate or candy.  I had no chocolate chips and I had no milk.  It was time to turn on the oven and break out my chewy ginger bar recipe (passed on to me from a friend).  These bars are super tasty with a distinct flavor from all the spices.  I love to enjoy them during the chillier months.

Chewy Ginger Bars

Ingredients:

2 c all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1/2 c melted butter

1 3/4 c packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1/4 molasses

1 tsp vanilla

powdered sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease 9x13 pan, set aside.  In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, spices, and set aside.  In a separate bowl, combine butter and brown sugar.  Add eggs, one at a time.  Stir in molasses and vanilla.  Gradually add flour mixture until combined.  Spread in prepared pan.  Bake for 20-25 minutes.  Cool in pan, then sift powdered sugar over top.  Enjoy!

the Christmas that never showed up

Christmas felt skipped this year at our house.  The spirit never really found me, and I really did try to be found.  We managed to take a few pictures of Callan on Lille Julaften (aka little Christmas Eve, aka Christmas Eve Eve).  We propped him under the tree while he was snoozing with all of his first Christmas presents.  So sweet.

We did manage to keep one tradition in place this year.  Biscuits and chocolate gravy on Christmas Eve morning.  Not long after breakfast we started packing for our trek to NJ.  Our traditional Christmas Eve dinner got put on hold since we wouldn't be home.  I'm looking forward to preparing and enjoying this meal, not this weekend, but the one following.  I do need to cook that 9 lb. leg of lamb, after all.  Maybe we'll put the tree back up for that...or NOT.

Biscuits and chocolate gravy, while I could easily eat it on a daily basis, is saved for special days - holidays and birthdays (if requested).   It's definitely a breakfast to look forward to. 

Chocolate gravy recipe:

3/4 c sugar

3 Tbsp cocoa

3 Tbsp flour

pinch of salt

2 c milk

2 Tbsp butter

1 tsp vanilla

Sift dry ingredients together, mix in milk slowly.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thick and smooth.  Add butter and vanilla.  Serve over hot biscuits. 

So that was the extent of our Christmas celebration.  It definitely wasn't anything special.  We enjoyed it because it was Callan's first Christmas, but we're glad he won't be able to remember it.  What fun is spending the most looked forward to holiday of the year sleeping in a hotel and driving in a car for hours on end.  But guess what.  My Grandpa was worth skipping Christmas for.  And in all of this, we never forgot the reason for the season.

pumpkin surprise

"Pumpkin Surprise" has been my favorite Fall dessert ever since I was introduced to it by my mother-in-law several years ago.  I was never a huge fan of anything pumpkin, but this dessert turned my taste buds around, and now I can't get enough.  We enjoyed it on Thanksgiving this year (and are still enjoying it - love leftovers!) - even my sister (who is not a huge fan of pumpkin) enjoyed a piece.  At least that's what she said.  Perhaps she simply politely cleared her plate?  I like to believe otherwise because it's just that good.  

Anyways, as requested by a friend, here comes the recipe:

Ingredients:

one 29 oz can pumpkin
1 c butter, butter
1 1/2 c pecans (3/4 c and 3/4 c)
one box of yellow cake mix
1 c powdered sugar
8 oz cream cheese
one large cool whip
4 eggs
1 1/2 c sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
two 12 oz can evap. milk

Directions:

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a 9x13 pan with wax paper.  Make pumpkin as directed on the back of the can, pour into lined pan.  Sprinkle yellow cake mix evenly on top, then 3/4 c pecans, then add melted butter.  Bake in the oven until a knife comes out clean (about an hour).  Cool completely, then invert onto a flat surface (such as a cookie sheet) and put in fridge.  While in the fridge, make frosting. 
Frosting: Beat powdered sugar and cream cheese until combined; fold in cool whip.  Spread on top of pumpkin and sprinkle with remaining pecans.  Put back in fridge. When ready to serve, cut into pieces and enjoy!

*Can be made several days in advance.

upside-down pizza casserole

In my search for easy recipes to tackle on nights where I'm short on time or am flat out exhausted, I came across this recipe for "upside-down pizza casserole".  It's fast.  It's easy.  Practically effortless.  And it's yummy.  You can easily add to the recipe to make it a bit heartier, but I chose to make it "as is" (aside from adding a bit of Tuscan seasoning while browning my ground turkey) for my first time around.  Served with salad on the side, both Travis and I enjoyed this meal.  It made the list.  I'll be making it again when we have a house full - it's all about easy dinners next week. 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef (I used ground turkey)
1 15 oz. can Italian-style tomato sauce
1 1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1 10 oz. package refrigerated biscuits (10 biscuits)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a large skillet, cook beef (or turkey) until no longer pink, stirring frequently.  Drain off fat.  Stir in tomato sauce; heat through.  Transfer mixture to a 2-quart rectangular baking dish.  Sprinkle mixture with cheese.  Flatten each biscuit with your hands; arrange the biscuits on top of the cheese.  Bake for about 15 minutes or until biscuits are golden.

these even reheat fairly well (in the oven) for lunch a few days later