Pumpkin Streusal Muffins

We are deep into Fall. The air is getting crisp and the colors are breathtaking. I love this time of year. With the cool air comes the need to get in my kitchen to bake. I've been looking for muffin recipes to stock up in the freezer. My son loves them for snack at school. Anyway, I found this little treasure. If you're looking for a Fallish pumpkiny muffin, here you go my friend. :) Pumpkin + Buttery Streusal, you can't go wrong.

Pumpkin Streusal Muffins

1 3/4 cups all-purpose baking flour

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 cup canola oil (You can use applesauce!!)

3 teaspoons vanilla extract

Streusal:

1/4 cup all-purpose baking flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/4 cup butter

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, pie spice and salt. In another bowl, combine the eggs, pumpkin, oil and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Coat muffin cups with cooking spray or use paper liners; fill three-fourths full with batter.

For topping, combine the flour, sugar, brown sugar and pie spice; cut in shortening until crumbly. Sprinkle over batter. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Source: Taste of Home

Have an aweome Monday!!

Love, Monica

Banana Crumb Muffins

I needed something quick for a brunch and just so happened to have some ripe bananas on the counter. I love when bananas get dark. I kind of secretly hope the kids won't eat the bananas so I "have" to make a banana treat. I wanted to try a new recipe and found these little treasures. I love the streusal on top. They make this muffin perfect.

Banana Crumb Muffins

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 bananas, mashed

3/4 cup white sugar

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/3 cup butter, melted (Sometimes I use applesauce)

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon butter

Directions

Preheat oven to 375. Lightly grease 10 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.

In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.

In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins.

Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

Source: All Recipes

These are perfect for a quick breakfast or after school snack. Hope you're having an awesome week. Fall is in the air. I love Fall. I just wish it would stay Fall for awhile. Here's to hoping!

Make sure you enter our Giveaway! Chances are good right now! Do we have 12 entries yet Erica? ;)We are giving a gorgeous apron made by The Rubied Apple. Check out her Etsy store here.

Love,
Monica

Bagels-A Guest Post

So excited to have my friend, Kelsey, guest post for us today.  She is a great friend!  So talented in the kitchen.


Hey all! I'm really happy to be guest posting on such an awesome blog! It's a privelage and these girls thoroughly rock. I've brought with me a delicious homemade bagel recipe that I hope you try and enjoy. I always hear how intimidating bread recipes are to some people, but this one couldn't be easier. Trust me when I say this...I'm a ditzy blonde girl with the attention span of a sparrow, and if I can do it you certainly can too. At our house we eat a lot of homemade dishes, so when I found this recipe on Tasty Kitchen.  I got pretty excited. It was love at first bite and I was forced to decide never to search for another bagel recipe again. But besides the easy factor and the tastiness, there really is nothing like the satisfaction of making a whole meal from scratch, especially the part where you know exactly what's going into your family's bodies. Even though bagels aren't exactly super food, it's still better than buying processed stuff from the store.

⅔ cups Warm Water
½ Tablespoons Sugar
1-½ teaspoon Yeas
t2 cups All-purpose Flour
½ Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
¾ teaspoons Salt 

In the bottom of your mixer bowl, combine the water, sugar, and yeast and let the yeast develop for about 5 minutes. Add in flour, vegetable oil, and salt and mix with a dough hook (or by hand) until the dough is elastic and tough. You may need to add in a bit of extra water, but do it little by little. Let the dough sit and rise in a warm place for 20-30 minutes.

Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead. Cut into 6 equal pieces. Roll each individual piece into a “snake” long enough to wrap around your palm. Dip each end of the dough in water and press together in your palm, forming a circle. Place the formed bagels on a floured board and allow to rise another 20-30 minutes.

Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a heavy-bottomed pot. When the water is gently boiling, place 2-3 bagels into the water for 1 minute and then flip to boil on the other side for another minute. Remove the bagels, place them on paper towels to take off excess moisture, then place on a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining bagels. Bake in the oven on 425ºF for 18 minutes, turning them over after 10 minutes. Enjoy!

Note: Substitute 1/2 cup wheat flour and 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour for a wheat variation.

There you have it! We like to eat our bagels with original cream cheese, ham, cheese, and chicken...all dipped in ranch for dinner. Y-U-M. Try them out and you'll be happy you did!
Hope you enjoy, see you!
-Kelsey

Tasty Granola

Last Summer on our vacation to Yellowstone, my sister-in-law brought a delicious granola. I have always loved granola and probably had a bowl or two or three. It was pretty tasty. She was nice enough to pass on the recipe and now I'm passing it on to you.

What I love about granola is the fact that it is so versatile. You can really add whatever nut and dried fruits you want. Plus, you can always add a little chocolate (wink, wink) to give make it even better.

Tasty Granola
8 cups rolled oats

1 1/2 cups wheat germ
1 1/2 cups oat bran
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup finely chopped almonds
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup honey
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups raisins or sweetened dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment or aluminum foil.

Combine the oats, wheat germ, oat bran, sunflower seeds, almonds, pecans, and walnuts in a large bowl.

Stir together the salt, brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, oil, cinnamon, and vanilla in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then pour over the dry ingredients, and stir to coat. Spread the mixture out evenly on the baking sheets.

Bake in the preheated oven until crispy and toasted, about 30 minutes. Stir once halfway through. Make sure you keep an eye on your granola. It can go from perfectly toasted to burnt pretty quickly. Don't say, call your sister and forget all about it. Ahem. Mine got a little toasty, but the hubs said it was perfect, so all is good. Cool, then stir in the raisins or cranberries before storing in an airtight container.
 

 
In reading the reviews for the recipe, there were a lot of great ideas to make it low-fat or lower the sugar content. I loved the idea to swap 1/2 cup oil for applesauce. I didn't feel like the granola was greasy or heavy but I may try this next time.
 
Source: All recipes
 
Hope you are having a great week! Mine has been nuts! Ha Ha! No pun intended. :) Happy Wednesday!
 
Love, Monica

7-Up Biscuits

I gave in to temptation last night.  I've always been bad at that!  :o)  I have no self control.  It's getting a little better, but when something is yummy, I can't help myself!  I've made this a few times, and they are just delish!  They are now my husbands favorite biscuit.  I've been trying to master it since we first got married, and I have finally found the recipe for the fluffiest, yummiest biscuit.  They go perfect with my sausage gravy, or a pat of butter and some homemade jam.  *drool*  Plus, it's the easiest recipe EVER!

7-Up Biscuits
2 c. Bisquick
1/2 c. sour cream
1/2 c. 7-Up
1/4 c. butter

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  While it's heating, place your butter in an 8x8 pan and put it in your oven, so the butter can get good and melty.

In a medium sized bowl measure out your bisquick and cut in the sour cream until nice and mealy.  Pour in the 7-Up and mix well.  This dough is sticky.  Pour it onto a floured surface (I just used bisquick) and flip it around to coat it in bisquick so it's easier to work with. Pat it out until it's about 1/2" thick.  Place in your hot buttered pan and bake 12-15 minutes or until nice and golden brown.

The bottoms are so buttery and crispy yummy!  Oh man!  THEE best!

Source-Plain Chicken

Have a Happy Wednesday!!

Love, Erica

Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins...Phew.

Now that's quite the name. I made these for a brunch and loved how they turned out. Put a little chocolate in anything healthy and kids will eat them up. I love a muffin. They are so easy to whip up and most always so yum. Bookmark this one, you'll take care of that need to bake, get rid of some ripe bananas, and kill that chocolate + peanut butter craving. Oh my. :)

Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins
1½ cups all-purpose flour

1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
2 tbsp. applesauce
¾ cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup mashed banana (about 3 bananas)
6 tbsp. creamy peanut butter
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1-2 cups chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line 18 muffin cups with paper liners. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir together with a fork to blend. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the applesauce, brown sugar, eggs, banana, peanut butter and buttermilk until smooth. Pour the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix just until incorporated and fully blended. Divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups. Bake 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Oh baby. Enjoy!!

Source: Annie's Eats

Healthy Chocolate Muffins

I know when I hear "healthy" in certain things I think it is gonna be dry and bland.  Well...these are far from both!  And each one is only 58 calories for a regular sized muffin.  I whipped these up this morning, so I would have a great after workout treat.  I'm so happy I did, because these were amazing.  I don't know how healthy they still are when you have more than one in one sitting.  Tee hee!  O'well.  I think these would have been a lot bigger if I hadn't run out of baking powder.  I only used 1/4 of what it called for.  I think they were still quite pretty.  :o)

*drool*

Healthy Chocolate Muffins

1 3/4 c. oatmeal

3 egg whites

3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 c. unsweetened apple sauce

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 c. plain greek yogurt

1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 c. hot water

1 c. sugar substitute (Like Splenda) or 1/4 c. plus 2 Tbsp Stevia

1/2 c. semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line muffin pans with liners or spray muffin tin with non stick spray.

In a food processor or blender add all your ingredients except your chocolate chips.  Blend until oats are ground and mixture is good and smooth. 

Scoop the mixture into liners about 2/3 full.  Bake 10 minutes, and then sprinkle tops with chocolate chips. Bake for an additional 3-5 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool and enjoy!  Yum yum YUMMY!

Source-From Flab to Fab

Seriously so happy I made these today.  You are probably wondering how my diet is going.  Well...I have my GREAT days, and my not so great days, but who doesn't?  I think you need to cheat every once in awhile.  I've lost a total of 6.8 lbs and numerous inches throughout my entire body.  I feel great!  I would like to lose about 10-15 more lbs, but we will see.  I feel great!  I'm now training for my 10k and I absolutely love running!  I never thought I would ever say that. 

Anyhoo...Have an awesome Wednesday!  And do not forget to enter out giveaway!  You only have until tomorrow night to do so!  GO DO IT NOW HERE!!!

Edited to ADD:
This is Monica. :) Today is Erica's 30th birthday. Please wish her a happy birthday. She is one of the most caring, giving, and kindest people I know. She's the best sister and I love her to pieces. If you wish her a happy birthday by commenting on this post, I'll send a random person a handmade surprise. Bribery. :)

Cinnamon Roll Muffins

*drool*  These were so tasty.  I made them on a Saturday morning so I could share them with the whole family.  We gobbled them right up.  They were actually really simple to throw together.  That's why I decided on making them.  A great weekend breakfast or treat. 

Isn't it pretty?

Cinnamon Roll Muffins

1 c. buttermilk

1/2 c. brown sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 egg

3-3 1/2 c. flour (I used 3 1/2 c.)

Filling-

5 Tbsp butter, softened

1 c. brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Icing-

1 c. powdered sugar

2-3 Tbsp milk

1/4 tsp vanilla

In your mixing bowl combine brown sugar, baking soda, salt, vanilla and egg.  Mix well.  Pour in buttermilk and then the flour.  Mix until thoroughly combine.  You don't want this super sticky, so it's easy to handle.  Use your hook and knead it for a few minutes.  If you don't have the hook then knead on a lightly floured surface and knead for a minute or two until nice and smooth. 

Roll your dough out into a 12x24 inch rectangle.  Spread with softend butter for filling and spring with brown sugar and cinnamon.  

Roll your dough starting at the wide side and roll towards you.  Make sure it's good and tight.  Cut in half, and then cut the halves in half again  Giving you 4 pieces.  Then you want to cut those into 3 rolls.  Giving you 12 muffins total.  Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray or use paper liners.  Place your muffins in the cups and bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes or until they start to turn golden brown.  Let them cool on a cooling rack.  When they are completely cool, make your icing and and drizzle the tops.  I just dunked mine in the icing and it was perfect. 

Enjoy!

Source-Sprinkled with Flour

Oatmeal Pancakes with Buttermilk Syrup

I got this recipe from my good friend.  She said it was amazing, and she was right!  I couldn't stop eating them.  My picky toddler loved them too and he wanted seconds.  The syrup is so buttery and creamy and DELICIOUS!  Such a great combination.  It tasted like Fall to me.  What does Fall taste like to you?

Oatmeal Pancakes *This is the recipe doubled.  It made the perfect amount for my family of 4.*
1 c. flour
1 c. oats blended into flour  (I just used my food processor)
2 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 c. buttermilk
2 tsp vanilla
4 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 eggs

Mix together all wet ingredients and then stir in your dry.  Heat griddle and butter it good.  Pour in batter and cook like you would any other pancake.

Buttermilk Syrup
1 1/2 c. white sugar
3/4 c. buttermilk
1/2 c. butter
2 Tbsp corn syrup
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp vanilla

Bring first 5 ingredients to a boil in a large pan and while stirring constantly let it boil for 5-7 minutes.  Remove from heat and add your 2 tsp vanilla.  Make sure you use a large pan.  I didn't and it overflowed all over the place.  Good times.  ;o)  Let it cool a bit while your cooking up the pancakes.

Source-Our Best Bites

You will seriously think you've died and gone to heaven when you try this!

Happy Wednesday!!

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins

This recipe was a real winner in my house.  We ate them all within a day.  The recipe doesn't make very many, but I'm ok with that.  I didn't want these sitting around the house for more than a day.  Why?!  Because I would have made a pig out of myself until they were gone. 

I love finding delicious recipes with zucchini hidden in them.  I don't know how healthy the muffins are with the added chocolate chips, but knowing my kids are getting a little bit of veggies with a treat makes me happy!  :o)

Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins
1 1/2 c. flour
3/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1/4 c. apple sauce  (If you don't have the apple sauce then use 1/2 c. vegetable oil total.)
1/4 c. milk
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
1 c. grated zucchini
1/4-1/2 c, chocolate chips

In a large mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.  Mix well.  In a smaller bowl combing egg, oil, apple sauce, milk, lemon juice and vanilla.  Stir to combine and then add it to your dry ingredients, stirring until just moistened.  Fold in chocolate chips and zucchini. 

Pour into muffin liners, about 2/3rds full.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.  This made 12 muffins and then I poured the remaining batter in a ramekin and ate it myself!  :o) 

Have a great Wednesday!  Me and the family are off to the fair to see Justy show her sheep.  Woo!  Wish us luck.  Ciao!!

Blueberry Picking...awhile ago

A long time ago before baby came along, (It seems like forever ago.) we went Blueberry picking. I had never done this before but had heard about a local patch and thought it would be fun for the kids. Fun it was! This farm was beautiful! It had perfect rows of blueberry bushes with grass inbetween the rows. There was a serene little pond nearby and the sounds of sheep in the background. It really was just a calm, fun place to be. My father and mother-in-law came along and we all enjoyed ourselves. The bushes were filled with plump, delicious blueberries and we filled our buckets.

So what to make with all these delicious blueberries? I froze a ton for future treats but first and foremost had to make blueberry muffins. I used this recipe by PW and loved every bite. :) We also enjoyed blueberry pancakes. Yum. I love fresh blueberries in my pancakes. Takes me back to sitting at my Grandma's table.

Photo by Erica. :)

I have other plans for my frozen blueberries. Here are a few that caught my eye on Pinterest. I've been wanting to try my hand at scones.

Alexandra's Kitchen

My Kitchen Addiction

Jam Hands

Thank goodness for Summer deliciousness. I think the joys of Summer is what gets us through dreary winters. My kiddos start school next week. :( Can't believe how fast the Summer flew by. The good thing about this whole thing called life, is that there is always something to look forward to. For us, it's a few more days at the pool, and catching up with friends. Throw in some kitchen time and I'm good to go!

Happy Tuesday!

Overnight Sticky Buns

Or as my son would call them, "PUMKINS!"  lol...as soon as I pulled them out of the oven he was so excited we were having "pumkins" for breakfast.  I loved that I could throw these together before I went to bed and just put them in the oven in the morning.  And they were delicious.  Gotta love the ooey gooey goodness of this breakfast.  I was mostly excited to change it up a bit and having something other than yogurt and oatmeal in the morning. This was an awesome change.  :o)

Overnight Sticky Buns
18  frozen Rhodes Dinner Rolls
4.5 oz cook and serve vanilla or butterscotch pudding
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 c. melted butter

Spray a bundt pan with cooking spray and throw your frozen rolls in it nice and even.  Sprinkle the tops with pudding mix, brown sugar, and cinnamon.  Pour the butter over the top.  Cover with a towel overnight.  When you wake up, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and bake for 20-30 minutes.  Let them sit for 5 minutes then turn them upsdie down on a serving platter.  ENJOY!  :o)

Source-Our Best Bites Cookbook

Granola Bars

For the most part my lil' boy is a pretty healthy eater. Nine times out of ten he'll choose fruit over a sweet or fries. He loves vegetables and I have no problem getting him to eat a healthy snack. One of his favorite quick go-to's are granola bars. I've been wanting to make my own at home and finally got around to it. Tasty? Yes. Cost Efficient? Probably not. Making these or not would really depend on if you would rather save money or know exactly what is going into your kids' bodies. Unfortunately that really is a toss up for many of us.

Anyhoo, these really were quick to throw together and fun for the kids to help too. One bit of advice, keep an eye on your oat/nut mixture while toasting. Mine got a little darker than I would have preferred. Enjoy!

Granola Bars
3/4 cup honey (divided)
2 Tbls. butter
3 cups dry oatmeal
1 1/3 cup slivered almonds (or other nut)
pinch of salt (optional)
1 cup dried fruit (I used raisins, dried apricots, and craisins)
1/3 cup creamy nut butter (I used peanut butter)
1/4 cup light brown sugar

Preheat oven to 325. In a small saucepan heat 1/4 cup honey and butter over low. Cook, stirring until butter melts.

In a large bowl, combine oats, almonds, and pinch of salt. Drizzle honey mixture over oat mixture and stir to combine. Wipe saucepan clean for later use. Spread mixture evenly on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, stirring occasionally. About 15 minutes. Let cool completely on sheet. Return to large bowl and add dried fruit. Stir to combine.

Lightly butter an 8 inch square baking dish. In saucepan, combine 1/2 cup honey, peanut butter, and brown sugar. Heat on medium, stirring occasionally, until mixture comes to a boil and sugar dissolves about 10 minutes. Drizzle over oat mixture and stir till combined. Transfer to the baking dish and press firmly with a spatula. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour, then cut into 16 bars or squares. These store up to 5 days in an airtight container.

Source: Emeril :)

In other news...we have a new designer over at JessicaSprague.com. Her name is Jodie Lee formerly Gypsy Chick. She has a vintage old world style that I love. Can't wait to play with her products. Check her out!

Have a Happy Tuesday!!

Breakfast Casserole...Happy St. Patty's Day!!

Yeah yeah yeah...I know it has nothing to with St. Patricks Day, but I did my green on Monday!  :o) 

I make this quite a bit, because it's one of my husbands favorite dinners.  Funny thing...I've never made it for breakfast.  It's quick to throw together and oh so tasty when it comes HOT out of the oven.  I had my Daddy-O over for dinner and he had 3 helpings!  3!  Good stuff.  Give it a try.

Breakfast Casserole
26 oz. Southwest Hashbrowns
1/2 c. butter melted
Season Salt
1 lb ground sausage, cooked
6 eggs, beat
1 1/4 c. milk
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
2 c. shredded swiss cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Put hashbrowns in a 13x9 dish and pour melted butter over top.  Shake some season salt over the hashbrowns.  Bake for 25 minutes.  While it's baking brown your sausage, and when it's done add the meat and remaining ingredients in a big bowl mixing well.  When hashbrowns are done take them out and pour sausage mix over top and put back in oven at 350 degrees and bake for 40 minutes.  So good!!

Source: Krishel  :o)

The weekend is almost here!  I can't wait.  Hope you are all having a great week, and  don't forget to enter our fun GIVEAWAY!!

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

My brother was telling me how his girlfriend had made him the most amazing muffins.  I had to try them, and of course she shared her recipe with me, and I get to share it with you guys!  She is such an awesome cook, and I have tried to get her and my brother to guest blog on here, but they always have an excuse...Ha!  So hopefully some day they will grace us with their presence.  My kids and honey LOVED these.  They were even great 2 days after and still so moist.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Mix together
3 to 4 large bananas mashed
1/2 c. sugar
1 egg slightly beaten
1/3 c. melted butter

In another bowl combine
1 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Pour dry ingredients into banana mixture and stir to combine.  Add 3/4 c. chocolate chips or if you prefer, leave it plain.  Line muffin tin with liners and fill 3/4 full.  Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 17-20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  ENJOY!

P.S.  Guess who is here visiting?!  I'll give you a hint...it starts with a M, and ends with a onica!  WOOOHOOOO!!!  :o)  

Biscuits and Gravy...and an Introduction

Hi!!!  Erica here!  Just a quick note to introduce you to our new addition.  Baby Boy K arrived on 1-26 at 1:07 PM.  He was 8 lbs 7 oz. and 21 inches long.  It was a fast delivery and i'm so grateful for that.  He has been such an awesome baby so far, and he is such a huge blessing in our lives.  Our family is complete, and who knew that i'd have 2 red headed little boys.  :o)  I couldn't be happier.  Big Sis and Big Bro are doing great with him.  Hopefully soon I can get back in the groove of things and start baking and cooking up a storm.  Wish me luck. 

Hi, Mommy!

 1 week old

Now for my Friday recipe...

One of my hubbies favorites.  I'm still trying to master it.  I think i'm getting close though.  He used to prefer going to Flags West and get their Biscuits and Gravy instead.  Ha!  Rude.  :o)  Gotta love an honest husband.  I made the biscuits in heart shapes this time.  Maybe that will help it out a little bit. How cute would these be for Valentines Day morning?  We like to eat them for dinner, but I don't think this qualifies as "romantical" dinner type.  I'm not a HUGE fan of Biscuits and Gravy, but I make them to make the man happy.  Isn't that how it works?  Hope you enjoy them too!

 Can you tell it's a heart?!  Awwww...

Biscuits and Gravy

Biscuits-

2 c. flour

1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
1/3 c. shortening
1 c. millk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.  Cut in shortening until it looks like it's evenly incorporated.  Gradually stir in milk.  Stir until well combined.  Pour out onto floured surface and knead 15-20 times until nice and smooth.  Punch out until about an inch thick and cut with a round cookie cutter, or a round cup.  I can usually get about 9-10 biscuits. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 13-15 minutes or until they start turning a golden brown on top.

Gravy-
1 lb ground sausage
1/4 c. flour

2 c. milk

salt and pepper to taste

Brown your sausage.  If you got a ton of grease in your pan then drain most of it.  I think some fat gives it good flavor.  When it's done browning add flour and whisk it around for a minute or so until all the meat is coated.  Add salt and pepper to your liking.  Gradually whisk in milk and continue stirring on medium heat until it starts to thicken.  It's done when you get it to the consistency you prefer.  Pour over warm biscuits and enjoy.

Monday Matchup-Breakfast

I hope everyone is rested up from the food and family frenzy. We had a wonderful time with new friends and I'm ready for a week of light eating.

Erica and I are starting to feel a little stumped as far as the match-up goes, so if you'd like to see a recipe for something let us know. Any ideas? For this week, I decided to do a breakfast item. I love breakfast foods. In our family it has always been Aaron's thing. I've enjoyed relaxing Saturday mornings and letting Aaron do the cooking. He is good at it too. Unfortunately, he is busy with school and I have kinda slacked on our traditional Saturday morning breakfasts. Cold cereal, anyone? Good thing my kids like cold cereal. Hence, my choice for this match-up. I think Aaron was pleasantly surprised to see me actually making breakfast.

I chose to do a muffin. I love muffins but grew up on the boxed kind. Lately, I've been more interested in making things from scratch for various reasons. I guess I've been a little freaked out by all the garbage that goes into the all the mixes. Although making stuff from scratch takes more time, I know exactly what is in it. No extra stuff that we can't even pronounce. I'm not a huge health nut, just a little concious of what my kids are eating. Anyway, I get off track easily...sorry.

Cranberry-Lemon Muffins
2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Zest from 1 lemon
Juice from 1 lemon
1/2 to 1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, halved

In large bowl, mix your dry ingredients together. In smallish bowl, beat eggs, then add milk and oil (you can use applesauce too). Add your zest, lemon juice, and extract. Now you can really choose how "lemony" you want these. For my recipe I just added the zest and juice but would have preferred a little more lemon taste. Next time, I will add 1/2 teas. of lemon extract. You decide though. :)

Next, mix your wet ingredients into your dry ingredients just until everything is moist. Don't overmix muffins. Last, fold in your cranberries. Fill your lined muffin tin 2/3 full and bake at 400 for 16-20 minutes or until a toothpick poked in the middle comes out clean. Let cool 5 minutes then turn over on cooling rack. Enjoy warm or cold. These are moist and delicious. My kids like them too, tart cranberries and all!

Source: Adapted from Here

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I am the usual pancakes or waffles with a breakfast meat, so this time I wanted to try something a little different.  I was craving sweet...which is normal, but I wanted to please the hubs.  :o)  So, I made something more savory with everything you need on one thing.  Eggs, bacon, bread, and cheese.  You are supposed to mix it all up the night before and let it sit, but I didn't do that, so I did it this morning and let it sit til after lunch.  We were gonna have them for breakfast, but plans changed and we went and got our Christmas tree.  These were perfect to throw together as soon as we got home and had them with hot chocolate.  My family loved them, and they warmed us right up.  Oh, and I halved the recipe and it was perfect for my family of 4.

Here's the recipe~

Good and Melty English Muffins
12 whole hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
12 slices of bacon cooked crispy, crumbled
1 c. mayo
1 Tbsp. dijon mustard
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3 dashes of worcestershire sauce
6 whole english muffins, split

Stir everything together, and cover and let sit over night, or a few hours.  Spread english muffin halves with egg mix and broil for 3-5 minutes until good and melty.  Don't set it too close to the heat.  Keep an eye on them.  Serve immediately!

Source: Adapted from Here

And, Moni's right...what kind of recipes would you like to see?  We'd love to hear from you.  :o)  Have an awesome week!

Monday Match-Up

Pumpkin, pumpkin everywhere. Is anyone else just loving the season? I've already made pumpkin cupcakes last week and it wasn't enough. I had to have more. Today we're featuring pumpkin. Yay!

I was very lucky to have some company for the weekend. My sister-in-law Jamie and I were brainstorming pumpkin recipes and she mentioned one of her favorites. She makes these every year for her family and they love it. We made these today for the fam and they were fabulous. Seriously, yum. Make these this weekend. You won't regret it.

Pumpkin Pancakes
1 1/4 c. flour
2 Tbls. sugar
2 teas. baking powder
1/2 teas. cinnamon
1/2 teas. ground ginger
1/2 teas. salt
pinch of ground cloves
1 cup milk
6 Tbls. canned pumpkin
2 Tbls. melted butter
1 egg

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl. In a separate bowl mix milk, pumpkin, butter, and egg. Fold pumpkin mixture into dry mixture. Pour about 1/4 cup on a hot griddle and cook about 3 minutes on each side Serve with my favorite syrup.

Source: Martha Stewart

This is the best breakfast syrup ever. It is a cinnamony sweetness that my whole family loves.

Ann's Syrup
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. corn syrup
1.4 c. water
1/2 teas. cinnamon
1/2 c. heavy whipping cream

Combine sugar, corn syrup, water, and cinnamon in a saucepan. Cook on medium heat stirring constantly until it comes to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in whipping cream.

Enjoy!
Monica :)
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Pumpkin Pancakes?  Mmmm...something I have to try!!  I love this time of year!  All the flavors of fall are pretty much awesome.  I decided to make a Pumpkin Roll.  I've been making these for quite a few years.  I had all the ingredients on hand, except for the pumpkin, and that's always a good thing in my book...and my husbands.  :o)  Justy helped me throw them together.  It's fun getting your kids involved in the kitchen.  Hope you enjoy it just as much as my family does.

 Pumpkin Rolls-
3 eggs
1 c. sugar
2/3 c. canned pumpkin
1 tsp lemon juice
3/4 c. flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
powdered sugar

Filling-
1/4 c. butter softened
6 oz. cream cheese
1 c. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a BIG cookie sheet with parchment paper and grease the paper. In a large bowl, beat your eggs until a lemony color.  Gradually add sugar.  Stir in pumpkin, and lemon juice.  In a separate bowl sift flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt.  Fold into egg mixture.  Pour batter into prepared pan, smoothing out the top.  Bake 15 minutes.  Lay a clean dish towel on the counter and sprinkle it with powdered sugar.  Turn your warm cake on the towel and remove paper.  Roll up cake.  Cool either in the fridge or if your in a hurry, throw it in the freezer for a few minutes.

Beat butter, and cream cheese until smooth.  Beat in powdered sugar and vanilla.  Unroll cake and spread with filling and roll back up.  Cut and serve...AND ENJOY!

Have a great week! Erica*

PW's BLUE-berry Muffins :o)

Yes, Ladies and Gents, It's a boy!  :o)  I really couldn't think of any blue food besides blueberry muffins.  And I was fine with that cause I LOVE the things.  I'm so excited to bring another little boy into this world, and it will be interesting to see whose coloring he gets.  My first boy is a spittin' image of his daddy.  He has light coloring.  My daughter has my coloring dark hair, dark eyes.  So, who knows what this lil' guy is gonna look like.  EXCITING!  Justy made sure to ask me if there was any way that we could send the boy back and get a girl.  Funny!  I don't think so!  She seems pretty happy about it now, probably cause I told her she'd be the only girl and be spoiled.  :o)

Anyway...you can never go wrong with blueberry muffins.  And they have REAL berries in them. Not those weird little hard candy like blueberry thingies...you know what I mean!  Those are fine when your single or in college, but when your a pregnant woman...you need the REAL deal.  :o)  These are so yummy and moist and I could probably eat them all, but I probably shouldn't.  But...I still might.  Already downed 3!  And yes, feeding for two, IS AN EXCUSE!  I don't care who you are or what you say.  

Recipe is from PW's blog-
3 cups minus 2 tablespoons flour (I don't know why, but I just followed the rules)
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
Heavy pinch of salt
Dash of Nutmeg
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 generous cup plain, unflavored yogurt
2 cups fresh blueberries
cap-ful vanilla
brown sugar to sprinkle on tops or a coarse sugar

Preheat oven to 385 degrees.

In a large bowl sift flour, baking soda, nutmeg, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In another large bowl whisk together sugar, oil, cap-ful of vanilla, egg, and yogurt. Add the dry ingredients and stir to a count of 10.
Add blueberries, reserving 1/2 cup, to mixture and stir 3 times.
Add mixture to well-buttered muffin pans. Sprinkle remaining berries on top and press down lightly. Sprinkle brown sugar on top of muffins.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes
Let cool on wire rack

Stir as little as possible.  You don't want to over mix these.  I was very pleased with the results and this will now be my go-to recipe for blueberry muffins.  Have a great Thursday, and thanks so much for visiting our blog.  It means a lot!  Love you all!

Oh, and don't forget to scroll down a bit and enter our giveaway.  Only got til 7 PM tonight!  DO IT!  DO IT NOW!