home made mac n' cheese with peas

I posted this photo of a yummy family favorite the other night, and had several requests of the recipe, so I thought I'd go ahead and post!

Creamy Mac n' Cheese with Peas

1 pound of your favorite noodles
1/2 pound frozen petite peas

Cook the noodles according to the package instructions, and when they're almost done, add the peas in to cook as well. The water will stop boiling, but just wait! It'll come back to a boil, and cook beautifully. When the noodles are cooked al dente, drain everything in a strainer and toss into your favorite baking dish, 9x13 or larger. Preheat your oven to 400.

While my noodles are cooking, I usually start on my cheese sauce.

2-3/4 c. organic, 2% milk
6 oz. medium cheddar cheese, shredded at home
3 T. butter
1/3 c. flour
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
ritz crackers

Before I get started, just wanted to mention a note on the cheese. I use medium cheddar because it gives more flavor for what you use. Bottom line. Flavor is good. :) Why the shred at home? The pre-shredded stuff is packaged with a powder to keep the pieces from sticking together. When you add that powder to the sauce, it changes how it tastes and how creamy the sauce is. Basically - yuck. Once you get used to shredding, it only takes a minute or two anyway. :) Details, people!

Pour the milk into a medium saucepan, and heat over medium level heat on the stovetop, stirring occasionally to make sure it doesn't stick on the bottom. This is when I shred my cheese. When the milk begins to steam, sprinkle the shredded cheese into the heated milk (keeping a small handful back to sprinkle on top before baking), and whisk until it's melted. Pull the milk/cheese mixture off of the burner for a second, and melt the butter in the microwave. Sprinkle the flour into the melted butter, and whisk together to make a roux to thicken the sauce.

Pull the milk/cheese mixture back onto the heat at a low temp, and make sure the mixture is warm. Whisk the butter/flour mixture into the warm milk/cheese mixture a little bit at a time. Season with salt and pepper. Sir until the mixture is at a low simmer, just a couple of moments. Pour over the noodles and peas in your baking dish, sprinkle with the reserved cheese, and top with a handful of crusted ritz crackers.

Pop into your preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, just until things bubble a bit and the cheese on top is melted. Remove from the oven and enjoy!

Believe me, make this a few times, and it's 45 minutes to prep AND bake. Hope you and your family love it!

Oh, as a side note - we don't eat much meat around here, but I do a lot of times add bits of ham into this dish! You just have to be sure to adjust your salt, so that the end dish isn't too salty!

Post if you have any questions! I'm happy to help!

meatless meals - black bean enchiladas

This is one of our family's current favorite meals - if you're new here, you might not know that we eat mostly a plant-based diet, with very little meat, and some dairy. I switched over after facing some yucky health issues, and now that I'm feeling better, there's no going back for me! My family watched how positive and beneficial the whole process was for me, and asked that I start using more meatless meals for our family dinners as well! I try to share recipes here whenever I get the chance! I've tweeted photos of this meal several times, and each time I have someone asking for the recipe. {Yay!} So I thought I'd share today!

Black Bean Enchiladas

1 package of fajita size flour tortillas
1 19 ox can of your favorite enchilada sauce
3 c. of cooked black beans
1 medium onion
1 medium bell pepper
1 Tbsp. olive oil
3-4 Tblsp. chili powder
1 Tblsp. brown sugar
dash of oregano flakes
salt to taste {this will depend on whether you've used canned or dried beans that you've cooked at home}
1 cup of cheddar cheese

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Dice up the onion and bell pepper {red or green}, and toss into a good size pan with the olive oil that you've warmed over medium heat. We'll be adding the beans to this pan eventually, so it does need to be fairly big.

Cook the onion and pepper until they're soft. Then add the beans. If you're using canned {not my fave}, I'd be sure to rinse them before adding. As a side note, since we eat so many different kinds of beans on a regular basis, I have a bunch of "safe" plastic container that I've purchased so that can cook a double batch of beans, and then freeze enough for a second meal - that way it's as easy as opening a can, without all of the bad stuff. Plus, canned goods just generally taste like, well, can.

Add the chili powder, oregano flakes, brown sugar {this is optional, but it's nice to cut a tiny bit of the heat from the chili}, and salt to taste. All the while keeping it over the heat at a low simmer. If you need a bit of liquid, add some of your cooking liquid from the beans, or a bit of water. Not a lot - just so that it doesn't cook dry, into a paste.

Time to roll! Prepare a generous 9"x13" baking dish with a bit of enchilada sauce - just enough to cover the bottom, since we don't want soggy tortillas}, and set up a rolling station. I always lay a bit of parchment, since this part is a bit messy - that way, I can roll my enchiladas and toss the mess in the trash when I'm done. Don't mind my broken wooden spoon. It's one of those things I never remember to replace! LOL

If you're an enchilada rolling pro, you can ignore the next bit, but if not, read on. I learned from a pro, so I'll do my best to explain!

Add the bean filling, and just a bit of cheese. You really only need roughly a tablespoon of cheese. I'd say, I have between a third and half cup of the bean mixture.

Fold your tortilla shell in half. You can just see the edge of my tortilla in the blur of my photo. Enchilada rolling is more of a fold and pinch than anything else. Definitely not rolling from the edge.

After folding in half, then you roll. This may be completely obvious to most people, but it wasn't to me when I first learned. ;)

Stack them side by side in your prepared pan, with the open edge facing down. When you fold them the way I've tried to explain, they don't unwrap.

Stack side by side until the pan is full.

Drizzle enchilada sauce over the top.

Sprinkle with cheese:

Pop into the oven for 20 minutes. Pull out when the cheese is all melty and the sauce is bubbling.

Serve it up and enjoy! These are so yummy I could eat them at least once a week!

Post a comment if you have any questions, or even if you enjoyed them! I love hearing feedback on my recipes! This is an awesome recipe to use even if your family eats meat - and you're subbing one meatless meal a week.

Have a wonderful Tuesday!

weekend adventures - carmel apple cinnamon rolls

in baking. I tried out a recipe for carmel apple cinnamon rolls. They turned out SO yummy! This is a photo as they were proofing in the pan! So. Seriously. Yummy.

And I did switch things up a bit - I didn't top them with the carmel icing, since I thought that they were plenty sweet to begin with. I think it would have been sugar overload. And that, people, is a novel concept for someone who grew up mainlining sugar. A testament to how I've changed. Or just how sweet these are...

Anyway, if you're interested in the recipe, you can find it here! And if you're interested in seeing what other goodies I check out around the internet to try out, you can check out my pinterest boards. Tonight I made the veggie lasagna from the Pioneer Woman! {With a few tweaks to make it mine - I'll be sure to share what I did another day!}

It's been such an up and down weekend. I received news on Friday that my grandmother's health is failing. So I keep getting reports back and forth. Bad. Good. Bad, bad. Better. It can't go on forever. So I'm trying to spend extra time getting ahead on a lot of things - just in case I need to drop everything for a trip home to the midwest... Happy Monday.

all things pumpkin

I will shamelessly admit it. Once Labor Day hits here in the States, signifying the traditional end to summer, I'm all about the pumpkin. We always were growing up, so I have an excuse - I blame my mother. Gladly.

First up comes the Spiced Pumpkin candle from Yankee. They usually send me a coupon right about now, so I grab my fave for the Christmas season as well...

And as I mentioned before - I love me a good pumpkin spice frappe. Which brings me to this:

A recipe for homemade pumpkin spice syrup. To make your own latte/iced coffee. No Way. So trying this!!

And you'll find a whole series of posts {one for at least every year I've been blogging} devoted to our beloved pumpkin swirl cheesecake that makes an appearance each year at Thanksgiving.

Last year I added pumpkin pancakes to the repertoire..

This year I've pinned a few new ones to try.

Pumpkin Butter:

Or this Pumpkin Butter. Apparently the idea really appeals to me?:

The Great Pumpkin Dessert:

Teeny picture which I shall have to remedy when I make it myself!

Anyway - happy to know that I'm already passing this Autumn tradition on - as we were strolling the aisles at Whole Food last week - E got all excited when he spied a can on the shelf! And I had to promise to start making our pumpkin favorites... so it begins!

meatless meals - pasta with spinach, beans and ricotta

Since I seem incapable of keeping a defined schedule on my blog {hello - homeschool mom!}I've decided to rename my "Meatless Monday" posts to "Meatless Meals". Much less restricting. More or less.

I posted a photo of my dinner last night, and had a few people ask how I made it and comment that it looked good, so I thought I'd share this simple, but yummy meal. It's really easy to toss together on a busy evening - which means you can still eat healthy on a schedule that's sometimes crazy. One other thing I like about it is the versatility. Since our family is transitioning into more and more meatless meals {I've been a vegetarian for 9 months now, but my husband recently decided that he'd like to join me after seeing the many health benefits I've experienced.} That means I can add a bit of Italian sausage to part of the pasta dish for the meat-eaters, and keep it simple for the plant-eaters. That's super important for me right now!

Pasta with Spinach, Beans and Ricotta

Ingredients:
1 pound of whole wheat penne pasta {or your personal favorite}
1-1/2 jars of Newman's Own Tomato Basil Sauce
1-1/2 c. cooked kidney beans
{I cook mine from dry because they taste SO much better. Plus, I love to add allspice berries while they cook to give them a hint of spice. You can, of course, use a can that you purchase at the store, and drain and rinse them.}
1 c. frozen spinach
1- 16 oz. container of ricotta cheese

Preheat your oven to 350*. Cook the pasta to al dente {soft, but not mushy} in boiling salted water. The package should have times listed if you need the info. Drain and pour the cooked pasta into a glass 9" x 13" baking dish. Pour over the marinara. Crumble the frozen spinach leaves into the pasta, and add the kidney beans. Stir to get everything evenly combined. Scoop half of the container of ricotta cheese by spoonfuls into the pasta dish and gently stir, trying not to break up the cheese too much. Dot the remaining cheese randomly over the top. Place in the preheated oven, uncovered for about 30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbly and the ricotta cheese fluffs up. Remove and let cool for just a few minutes before serving.

I love how the sweetness of the ricotta balances the bit of bitterness that the spinach tends to have! And spinach is healthier for you cooked, so it's a win/win!

Enjoy!

meatless mondays: grilled vege pressed sandwiches

I'll admit it. I've found a great new cooking show to love. And it's not found on the food network. Though with the advent of Ree Drummond's show next month, I may be enticed back, I've found the network has just gotten filled with a lot of reality tv style shows that aren't really my thing. And a lot of the "stars" that they're choosing to host their new shows, just aren't my style. I've had enough experience in the cooking industry that I want shows featuring techniques, herbs and spices that I've never used {or maybe sparingly} and that's tough to come by on their current lineup. I'd love to hear if you have a favorite to recommend, though!

Anyway - back to the new favorite:

I happened upon the show while catching up on a few Martha Stewart episodes this summer. I never, ever get to watch, so it's been fun. I'll always admire Martha's style and what she's done for modern homemaking. And yes, she's always been one of my go-to stops for finding any recipe that I might need, from cakes to salads and entrees.

Back to Mad Hungry. I was instantly drawn in by Lucinda's easy going {yet intensely driven} conversational style as she moved deftly around the kitchen preparing the day's meal for the show. Her recipes are typically quick to assemble, using easy to acquire ingredients. But she always seems to offer some little twist to vary you from the typical path in order to keep things exciting. I. Love. Her. Style. She means what she says. Bringing back the family meal. Her meals are typically pretty healthy {being a mom} and often offer great vegetarian alternatives or sidedishes that work well for me, while still getting dinner done for the guys. Once I found a bit more info on her, I found it small wonder that I admire her so much. She's been the food editor for Martha Stewart for quite a while. Yes. As I said before, Martha has taste.

If you're interested in learning more - check out her blog. And did I mention that she's awesome enough to answer questions on her facebook page? I made her Vermont Burgers {the turkey version} for the boys' birthday party last week, and posted asking if she thought I could make them ahead and freeze them, since we were going out of town for the days leading up to the party. And yes. She replied. So. If you're interested and have a chance, check out her show. I definitely recommend. For what it's worth.

Mmm. On to today's meatless monday post. I had this really awesome recipe designed and put together for curried chickpeas, but, um, misplaced my notes. {oops!}

It's really, really yummy, and based on what I've learned from my mother-in-law, so it's Jamaican style curry. More sweet and savory than heat. I'll be doing my best to locate those notes. {I really need one of these.}My meat eating guys devoured it, just like the meatless shepherd's pie - without a peep. Except to comment on how yummy it was.

So, in it's stead, I'll offer up this great meatless recipe that I recently tried from Mad Hungry. Pressed sandwiches.

I'll admit to being super busy with both of our boys having birthdays within 6 days of each other, so this was a last minute thing. Which meant that I couldn't make the fresh pesto. A bit of a bummer, really, since I know that's the best way. I also couldn't locate a ciabatta bread that was ok for our son with peanut allergies. {Most bread is marked "processed on the same equipment with nuts".} So, I went with a nice, crusty, fresh loaf of French, and some store bought pesto, which I left off of our little guy's portion, since it contains pinenuts. They were amazing. 

My recipe ended up something like this:

Pressed Grilled Vege Sandwiches

• 1 red bell pepper (about 7 ounces)
• 1 medium size eggplant, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 2 medium size zucchini , cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• olive oil, for grilling
• sea salt
• 4 oz. store bought pesto sauce
• 8 oz. fresh mozzarella ball, sliced roughly 1/4" thickness
• 2 loaves of fresh, crusty French bread
• 
  
• Prepare your grill for cooking, and throw your red pepper on the back. Watch and turn as the flames crisp the outer skin. While this is cooking, place the eggplant and zucchini slices on the grill that you've given a light coat of olive oil and sprinkle of sea salt. Grill those, flipping once until cooked tender. Once the red pepper is a bit blackened on all sides and starting to deflate a bit, remove and let it rest. While it's resting, slice the loaves of bread lengthwise, horizontally, and pull out most of the doughy center. {this makes great homemade croutons for your salads if you're interested.} Coat both the top and bottom halves of the bread with pesto. Layer the grilled vege on the bottom half of the bread. Then peel, seed and cut your grilled red pepper into strips. Add to the sandwich and top with the slices of fresh mozzarella. Finish with the top portion of bread that already has pesto. Place between two pans and add a weight to the top to press it flat.  After pressing, cut in slices to serve. 

They were definitely a hit!! No one believed that there wasn't any meat on them {extended family included}. They were filled with flavor, and loved by all - even my self proclaimed eggplant hater of a husband. Yes. I won him over! I so wish I had photos, but between the hustle and bustle of the party, and the rain storm that descended as we finished grilling, I don't have much, even from the party! I'm sure we'll be making them again, so I'll have to make sure I get some photos then!

Happy Monday!

meatless mondays: meatless shepherd's pie

I mentioned starting a "meatless monday" regular posting previously here, and since it's monday, well, I thought I'd give it a go. I really love cooking, and since becoming a vegetarian, I still feel like I eat really, really well. The idea for this recipe came from Kelleigh's post here. This is my take on the recipe, and it's so yummy that the guys mowed through an entire 9"x13" pan, with my husband commenting later, "Wait, that was meatless?!" {Which he of course knew from the get-go - that was just his way of expressing just how good it was!}

You could easily make this recipe vegan, just by subbing in a bit of earth balance butter, omitting the cream cheese and using your favorite milk substitute when making the potatoes for the top! Everything else is already a go.

Meatless Shepherd's Pie

Pour ½ pound dry lentils into a pot, cover with water and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to use later.

Peel and dice 4 large potatoes, put them into a pot, cover with water, add a dash of salt and simmer until tender. Drain and add:

½ c. milk

 1 T. butter

 3 T. cream cheese

1 t. salt

Mix until all of the potatoes are blended to a smooth mash. You may need additional milk, depending on how starchy your potatoes are. Cover and set aside to keep warm. About this time I preheat my oven to 350 degrees, then start on the lentil seasonings.

1 T. olive oil

2 medium onions

1 bell pepper

3-4 T. chili powder

½ t. cumin

1-2 t. sea salt

2 T. brown sugar

Dice onion and pepper and add them to a heated sauté pan with the oil. Saute until translucent and glossy. Drain the reserved lentils, keeping some of the lentils and add to the pan. {Honestly? I lift them out of their pot with a slotted spoon.}  Add the additional seasonings and stir well. Add some of the reserved juices until you have a bit of a sauce.

Spread the lentil mixture in the bottom of a glass 9x13 pan. Add 1 c. frozen sweet corn and mix. Layer with 1-2 (1 pound) bags of frozen mixed veggies (Depending on how much your family loves the veg. I used one, but I think I could have added more.) Spread the hreserved mashed potatoes over the veg, and pop into the preheated oven. (At this point you could add shredded cheddar cheese, but we didn’t have any on hand, and it was lovely without!) Bake uncovered for 30 minutes or until your veggies are cooked tender. Remove from the oven and let it rest a few minutes before serving. 

Enjoy!! Post questions if you have any - and if you make the recipe, please share! I'd love to see your take on  one of family's new favorite recipes!

patriotic shortcake and meatless adventures

The shortcake from my previous post that I made for our July 4th bbq. It. Was. So. Good.

And I'm always, always on the look out for meatless recipes that my family will enjoy! Since I know it's the healthiest way to go, it's good to be able to share great experiences with them - and things that convince them that they aren't losing or giving anything up. It's also a great way to help your budget and the planet! I'm thinking I might start a "meatless monday" post soon - to share ideas for meatless meals that your whole family will enjoy, not just your vegetarians.

This idea came from Kelleigh's post for "Lentil Sheperd's Pie". I'll be sharing my take on the recipe this upcoming monday! I'm considerably less on the cheese/dairy, and more on the seasonings. Our family mowed through an entire 9x13 pan for dinner with just a tiny portion leftover. ^_^

homemade iced coffee and frappuccinos.

It's summer. And it's hot. And no matter how much I love my local Starbucks to pieces, I can only bring myself to budget so much to spend there. Any more seems bordering on obscene. Trust me. I drop enough coin that the barristas in three different local establishments recognize me and know my favorite drink. Well, I'd like to change that a wee bit since I really am a frugal individual. Honestly, I justify this to myself by reasoning that I don't spend a lot of money on lots of other things. But still. Come on. Plus, my waistline could probably use the timeout, since they now make the fraps with whole milk. Eeps.

So. That leads me to the recipe hunting that I've been doing. And who should I look to but some of my favorite sources for recipe inspiration?

The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond, recently posted her recipe for iced coffee, and yes, ma'am, I'm giving this one a shot. I love the fact that she does a cold brew of the coffee, because I think this is really, really key. You need to have a coffee that hasn't gone bitter from hot brewing and then cooling.

{perfect iced coffee}

This will also give me an opportunity to substitute a dairy free "milk" just like I use for my morning hot coffee. I love, love the so delicious coconut milk creamer. I'll most likely try their vanilla milk for this, though! She also mentions condensed milk in this recipe post - which isn't just a Vietnamese tradition, it's also Jamaican, so I was familiar with that one. ;)

Martha's site just had a basic formula, but didn't really address the bitter brew problem like Ree did in the above post. Pretty photo, though! She's most likely thinking, "it's so easy, who needs instructions?!" Plus, a lot of the portions are your individual taste, I guess.

{basic iced coffee}

Then there's this post. boasting a concoction that tastes fairly close to the original. Though I will not be purchasing xantham gum, as it's not really on the list of things I intentionally include in my diet. I'll most likely try the pectin option, or try using knox unflavored gelatin. And lo and behold, as I link to it - they also have a recipe for some iced coffee stuff, so it should work...

{frappuccino for a fraction of the cost}

Anyway, keep cool and enjoy! I'm starting the couch to 5k this week. Awesome. I used to run 15k a week, but I've totally gotten out of the groove. Hoping I don't die of heatstroke, as the index was over 100 degrees by 11am this morning - I will be running earlier than that! 0.o

a new journey

Doing the almost vegan thing. I'm still consuming small amounts of milk. But very little meat, and no cheese. And it's a bit of an adjustment. But it's ok. Because I'm feeling a lot better for it. :) So some of my upcoming recipes might be shifting focus just a wee bit! Above is my delicious lunch of steamed carrots with cinnamon, golden split peas with lots of onion, garlic and other seasonings, and long grain brown rice.  It was seriously yummy. 

In all the reading that I've done about going vegan - they always seem to mention something they call "brain fog". And it's funny. I had an idea of what they meant by it - but until you experience it, it's hard to understand fully. A clearer head. More focussed thinking. It's honestly amazing just after a few days... I would tell you, it's worth trying the changes, just do you can experience that.

rock your socks carmel {twix} bars

Rock Your Socks Carmel {twix} Bars


Crust:
9 T. unsalted butter, softened
1/4 c. brown sugar (I used dark)
1-1/2 c. all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Toss the butter, brown sugar, all purpose flour and salt into a  medium size bowl and blend with a mixer until you form a crumbly, sandy dough. Press the mixture into an 8x8 glass pan, and bake for 30 minutes until it's golden brown around the edges. Cool on a rack, and make the carmel to add to the top, or rather, middle. :)

Carmel:
1-1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 c. extra fine, granulated sugar
3/4 c. unsalted butter
1/2 c. half and half
Measure out your ingredients into a medium size saucepan for the stove, and bring to a nice simmer over medium heat, stirring throughout the heating. Once it reaches simmer stage, let it cook for about a minute. Stirring throughout. Remove from the stove.  Pour over the cool crust. As long as the crust is cool, it'll set up really quickly. And I know the graham crackers look like a weird ingredient, but they give the carmel a tiny bit of texture that you really don't notice in the finished product - but it keeps it from sliding right off the cookie bottom. Once the carmel is cool and set, add the chocolate top:

Chocolate Topping:
1 c. milk chocolate chips
1/2 c. butterscotch chips
Toss the chips in a heat proof, microwave dish, and microwave on high for about 1 minute. Remove and stir. Microwave 30 seconds. Stir again. Repeat until the chips are just barely melted {not hot}. Pour over the carmel and spread. Allow the chocolate topping to cool and set. Cut into 1" x 2.5" bars that resemble mini twix. Enjoy!

I was pleasantly surprised to find that these held up really well for several days. Past that, I couldn't tell you - because they were gone.

I hope everyone is enjoying the hustle and bustle of the season!

giveaway winner!

I hopped over to random.org and did the random number thing for the stamp giveaway! It gave me "3" which is  Liz said...

I love so many of the Dear Lizzy products. I love the trims, the paper, just everything!!!

Send your mailing address to me,  and I'll get them out to you as soon as possible! ^_^

And it's cookie week here in the Farquharson household:

I'll be baking up a storm and hopefully sharing some of the yummy recipes just in case you wanna try them for your family this holiday season!!

Have a happy, happy Monday!!

Thanksgiving Recipe File

Today is all about the cooking around here. Every few years, I offer to help out a bit with the Thanksgiving meal. I guess it's my way of getting that Thanksgiving that I remember from my growing up. Every family does it differently, and since I don't get the chance to see my family for the holidays much, sometimes it's nice to experience a bit of that...

So here's what's on my list to do today!

Sage Stuffing:

I'll be writing my recipe down as I make it this year.  I love the smell even before it's baked - and everyone is always curious on the recipe, since it tastes so yummy. ^_^

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake:
I tried this recipe not long after we were married, and it's become an annual tradition around here...

I think I'll take a few shots of this lovely all dressed up for the occasion this year. I normally top it with fresh whipped cream. Heaven! Even though you can usually only squeeze in a tiny slice after the meal...

And this year, I'm making the turkey. So, I ordered the lovely bird from Whole Foods fresh - and picked it up Monday. It'll be going into a brine this morning. I've done a few different ones in the past, but decided to try the yummy orange/rosemary/peppercorn one from pioneer woman this year! She also has some fabulous tips on keeping the turkey from getting too salty when you brine. Definitely following these. Of course, I'll be making the gravy as well. I'll pop it in the oven, tomorrow morning.

And as a side, I'm trying out her green bean casserole. Because it looks to die for. And I can't stand things out of a can.

I'm sure everything will be fabulous. So looking forward. What about you? Any Thanksgiving plans this week? Or do you buck the tradition and make steak? Any way you slice it, I hope you have a fabulous holiday!

another pumpkin fave: pumpkin chocolate chip muffins.

One of our favorite autumn treats around here are the pumpkin muffins. I start making them in September and roll right on through Thanksgiving. I almost always add mini chocolate chips {a combination that my mom has been putting together since I was a little girl!} and top them with course, raw sugar for a sweet crunchy top! I definitely stock up on pumpkin when I can!! This is a recipe that I modified from my mother-in-law's classic sweet bread...

Spiced Pumpkin Muffins
1 c. vegetable oil
1 15 oz can pumpkin puree
3 eggs
3 c. all purpose flour
2 c. sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. salt
1 c. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
raw sugar

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Pour the oil and pumpkin puree into a large mixing bowl. Add the 3 eggs and whisk together. In a separate bowl, measure the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and spices and whisk together. Pour the dry ingredients into the pumpkin/egg/oil mixture and gently stir with a strong wooden spoon until it's just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips. Spoon into paper lined muffin tins, filling the cups 2/3-3/4 full.

Sprinkle with raw sugar. {Or sanding sugar. I was out of the raw. But that's definitely me favorite. It gives the best crunch. HeeHee}

Bake the muffins for 15-20 minutes. Pop them out to cool on a  rack.

Enjoy:

I can never resist them very long!

pumpkin spice pancakes

Um. I'm completely willing to admit it. I love pumpkin. I'm not sure if it has to do with it's flavor, or just the fact that we only eat it for a few short months of the year, but I have a plethora of pumpkin recipes. Pumpkin cheesecake, pie, cookies, muffins, bread... sigh. Well this last weekend, I took it to a new level and tried something new! Drumroll, please...

I had a feeling from the beginning that they would be a hit, but my husband ended up describing them as possibly "the way that pancakes were really meant to be made..." And the boys showed their enthusiasm by polishing off the entire batch. Which is a lot - even for them.

You could of course, modify your spices for this, but the ones I've added create this warm infusion in your mouth and tummy that's really hard to explain. You just have to try it, I guess! Here's the recipe! Give it a shot...

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes
2 c. flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
5 T. extra fine sugar
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
pinch of ginger
1 tsp. salt
2-1/2-3 c. buttermilk
2 eggs
1 c. pumpkin puree

Place the flour, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, salt and spices in a bowl and whisk them together. Add 2-1/2 c. of buttermilk and eggs and slowly whisk in until it's fully mixed. Add the pumpkin puree and stir. The batter may be thick, so you can decide whether you'd like to thin it a bit more with the extra buttermilk. It'll depend on how thick your pumpkin puree is.

Warm a pan or griddle over medium low heat. My stove burners are on a scale of 1-10, and I settled on about 4-6 as the ideal heat.

Pour 1/4 c.batter into into the warm, lightly oiled pan. Cook until bubbly.

Flip and cook just another minute or so:

Enjoy with real maple syrup:

One quick tip/note. I love making pancakes with just a 1/4 cup of batter. If we have any left over, they're easy to pop in the toaster for the boys to enjoy for their breakfast!

Have a wonderful Tuesday!