Grandma's Pumpkin Muffins

About a month after I had my baby I decided to join Weight Watchers.  I joined because I wanted to lose weight while being smarter with the food I was eating and maintain a healthy lifestyle, especially because I am nursing. Weight Watchers has a point allowance for nursing mothers, which is ultimately why I went with the program.  So far, I have lost 5 pounds in 3.5 weeks and feel more energized.  I love tracking points and am thankful that there are apps to track and scan the things I eat.  It's honestly much easier than I expected it to be.  

I chose this recipe because of my love of pumpkin.  I will say that this is not my favorite pumpkin recipe, it was just okay.  The muffins tasted low fat and weren't bad for being a healthier option.  A lot of the reviews said to use eggs instead of an egg substitute and add cranberries or chocolate chips to the recipes.  I laughed because that takes the healthy part of the recipe away.  I do agree that they would be better with all that added, but along with adding the ingredients you'll be adding points. I would probably add more pumpkin next time and less applesauce.  I'd also add some pumpkin pie spice.  Overall, I'd try these if you're looking for a healthy pumpkin muffin recipe. 

Ingredients:
1 spray(s) cooking spray
2 cup(s) all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp table salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
  2/3 cup(s) unsweetened applesauce
  1 cup(s) canned pumpkin
2/3 cup(s) sugar
  1/2 cup(s) fat-free egg substitute
  2/3 cup(s) fat-free skim milk


Instructions

    * Preheat oven to 400ºF. Coat a 12-hole muffin tin with cooking spray. Line with cupcake wrappers if desired.

    * Combine flour, baking powder, salt , baking soda, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large bowl.

    * Combine applesauce, pumpkin, sugar, egg substitute and milk in a medium bowl; mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon.

    * Add applesauce mixture to flour mixture and mix until completely incorporated.

    * Pour batter into muffin tins so each hole is about 2/3 full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Yields 1 muffin per serving.

Notes

    * We use both cooking spray and muffin wrappers to prevent any batter from sticking to the top of the pan but you can use a nonstick pan instead, if you prefer.

Cheesy Turkey Stromboli

In our house we're always looking for quick, easy and TASTY dinner recipes.  One thing that always makes for an easy and quick dinner is using crescent rolls or pizza dough.  You can put almost anything in the center, roll it up and about 15 minutes later, you have a meal.  This recipe was on the cover on the most recent Food & Family magazine.  The picture had me sold.  I added it to the menu and we made it the following week.  I loved this meal & it was just as good the next day for leftovers.  Enjoy! 

what you need

1

can  (11 oz.) refrigerated pizza dough

6

 KRAFT Colby Jack Cheese Slices with a TOUCH OF PHILADELPHIA

1

pkg.  (7.5 oz.) OSCAR MAYER CARVING BOARD Applewood Smoked Turkey Breast, coarsely chopped

1/2

cup  coarsely chopped roasted red peppers

1

tsp.  dried basil leaves

1

 egg

1

Tbsp.  water

make it

HEAT oven to 375ºF.

UNROLL dough on lightly floured surface. Roll out or pat into 12-inch square; top with cheese, turkey, peppers and basil, leaving 1/2-inch rim around all sides. Roll up; pinch seam and ends together to seal.

PLACE, seam-side down, on foil-covered baking sheet. Beat egg and water; brush onto dough.

BAKE 22 to 25 min. or until golden brown. Cool 10 min. before slicing.

servings: 6

Pumpkin Bread

One of my favorite cooking magazines is Food & Family from Kraft.  I can always find good recipes in them and most of the recipes are super simple to make.  I was elated when the most recent one arrived in my mailbox a few weeks ago and immediately went through it.  There were over 10 recipes I couldn't wait to try.  Of course, the first one on my list was this pumpkin bread. I've never made pumpkin bread with pudding mix before so I was excited to try something new, especially a new pumpkin recipe.  The bread turned out delicious.  It was perfectly moist and the nuts on top added the perfect crunch.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1-3/4

cups  flour

1

pkg.  (3.4 oz.) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding

1

Tbsp.  CALUMET Baking Powder

2

tsp.  pumpkin pie spice

1

tsp.  baking soda

1/2

cup  butter, melted

1

cup  sugar

1

can  (15 oz.) pumpkin

2

 eggs

1/3

cup  chopped PLANTERS Walnuts

Directions:

HEAT oven to 350ºF.

MIX flour, dry pudding mix, baking powder, spice and baking soda; set aside.

WHISK butter, sugar and pumpkin in large bowl. Blend in eggs. Add flour mixture; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Pour into 8x4-inch loaf pan sprayed with cooking spray; top with nuts.

BAKE 1 hour to 1 hour 5 min. or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, covering loosely with foil for the last 20 min. Cool bread in pan 10 min. Remove from pan to wire rack; cool completely

Parmesan Meatloaf

Meatloaf is always an easy weeknight meal.  It doesn't take a long time to prepare and always provided us with leftovers for lunch.  I've tried a lot of meatloaf recipes and decided on this one because of the pasta sauce.  I've made it with ketchup before and BBQ but never pasta sauce.  The original recipe (posted below) is gluten free.  Mine wasn't gluten free because I used italian breadcrumbs, I also didn't have any italian cheese so I used cheddar instead.  Nonetheless, it was one of the best meatloaf recipes I've tried.  Enjoy!

Parmesan Meatloaf {Gluten Free}

1 lb ground turkey
1 lb ground beef
2 eggs
1/4 cup gluten free breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 small onion, grated
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup marinara pasta sauce 
1/2 cup shredded Italian cheese blend
minced parsley for garnish

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a loaf pan with cooking spray, set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey and beef, eggs, breadcrumbs, thyme, oregano, basil, garlic, onion, salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese. Try not over handle the mixture otherwise it will get tough. Place the mixture in the greased loaf pan and form into a loaf. Top the meatloaf with pasta sauce.

Place filled loaf pan on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes - 1 hour. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and sprinkle the top with the remaining shredded cheese. Place the meatloaf back in the oven and bake until the cheese is melted.
Remove the meatloaf from the oven and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving/slicing. Garnish with parsley if desired.

Pumpkin Coffee Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze

Pumpkin time is here and I couldn't be more thrilled. Expect to see lots of pumpkin posts around here in the coming months.  I started out the pumpkin making season with this recipe for Pumpkin Coffee Cake.  I've never made a coffee cake using a cake mix.  It was definitely easier to make but I could tell the difference in the taste and texture.  While this isn't my favorite pumpkin recipe, I still wanted to share it.  I was looking more for a breakfast item and to me it was more of a dessert.  If I make it again, I will add walnuts or pecans and more spices.  If you make it, let me know what you think!

Recipe Courtesy of Pretty Good Food 

Serves 18

Ingredients

⅓ cups Water
1 can Pureed Pumpkin (15 Oz)
2 whole Eggs
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
2 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 box Yellow Cake Mix (18 Ounce Box)
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 cup Brown Sugar, Divided
½ cups Flour
4 Tablespoons Butter, Melted
¼ cups Granulated Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
¼ cups Heavy Whipping Cream

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F.

2.In a large bowl mix together the water, pumpkin, eggs, 1 Tablespoon of vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice until well combined. Add the cake mix and baking soda and mix until just combined.

3. Grease a 9×13 pan with butter and pour batter into pan.

4. In a small bowl mix together 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1/2 cup flour and melted butter. Use your fingers to sprinkle over the top of the cake. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

5. For the glaze, combine the other 1/2 cup brown sugar, granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and heavy cream in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and stir until all sugar is dissolved.

6. When cake is finished baking, poke holes in the top with a toothpick. Pour glaze over the cake, making sure to cover all surfaces. Serve cake warm or at room temperature.

Snickerdoodle Blondies

Snickerdoodles are one of my favorite cookies.  So, I made sure to pin this recipe as soon as I saw it.  I made them this past week for my husband to bring to work.  It was his first week back after the baby was born and he wanted to do something to say thank you to his team for doing a great job while he was gone.  So,  I baked for them.  I'm a fan of this recipe because it didn't call for a lot of ingredients therefore it was quick to throw together.  I followed the recipe below but did increase the amount of cinnamon I added to the mixture by a tsp (or two).  Next time, I will add cinnamon and white chocolate chips to the batter to give it a little more texture and flavor.  Enjoy!

Snickerdoodle Blondies

Recipe Courtesy of Baking Bites

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 large egg

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup all purpose flour

1 tbsp sugar + 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with aluminum foil.

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Beat in salt, egg and vanilla extract until well combined. Add in flour and stir until no streaks of dry ingredients remain. Pour dough – it will be thick – into prepared baking dish and smooth it into an even layer.

Stir together remaining 1 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp ground cinnamon. Sprinkle dough evenly with cinnamon sugar mixture.

Bake for about 30 minutes, until bars are set and the edges are just very lightly browned. Cool in the pan before slicing.

Makes 16.

Laura Bush's Texas Governor's Mansion Cowboy Cookies

I made these cookies for the nurses at the hospital when I had Avery.  Since the recipe makes tons, I was able to take a few dozen to the hospital, five some to a friend who had a baby and I even froze another 2 dozen.  I have to say that this is probably my new favorite cookie recipe.  I plan on making them again over the holidays and giving them as gifts.  Add these cookies to your recipe list and make them ASAP!

Laura Bush's Texas Governor's Mansion Cowboy Cookies

Recipe Courtesy of Lemons and Lima Beans

Yield: enough cookies to feed most of the Lone Star State

3 cups flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tbsp baking soda

1 tbsp cinnamon

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

3 eggs

1 tbsp vanilla

3 cups semisweet chocolate chips

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

2 cups sweetened coconut flakes

2 cups chopped pecans (8 oz) (optional)

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.

In a second bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth. Add the sugar and brown sugar and beat for another 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla. 

Stir in the flour mixture, blending until just combined. Add the chips, oats, coconut, and pecans and stir until fully incorporated.

Drop by rounded tablespoon onto an ungreased baking sheet, making sure to allow plenty of room between cookies. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are set and golden brown. Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for 1-2 minutes before placing on a cooling rack.

Terribly Terrific Toffee

Easy recipe.  Took about 20 minutes to make.  Tasted just like toffee.  Crackers didn't get soft like I expected.  WIll be making again, probably around the holiday season to give as gifts. Enjoy!

                                                         Terribly Terrific Toffee

Recipe Courtesy of A Southern Grace

Ingredients: 
1 cup unsalted butter (no margarine allowed)
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
40 saltine crackers

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line jelly roll pan or cookie sheet with foil and spray with non-stick spray. Lay a flat layer of crackers out on the foil. Melt the sugar and butter until a boil is reached. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 5-6 minutes or until mixture is thickened and sugar is completely dissolved. Pour this mixture over the crackers and spread to coat evenly. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the toffee becomes bubbly. After removing the pan from the oven, let it sit for 3-5 minutes. Sprinkle on the chocolate chips, let them soften and melt, and then spread them into an even layer.Let cool or refrigerate until hardened. Break into pieces the size of your choice. 

Chicken & Bean Burritos

With a new baby on the way, one of the things on my to do

 list was making freezer meals.  This recipe was from Martha 

Stewart.  We actually made them for dinner one night and 

then froze the rest.  Hubs has been taking them for lunch all

 month and said they are great reheated.  These took an hour 

to make and not only did we end up with a  healthy dinner,

 we ended up with 7 lunches too.  Overall, a great freezer

 recipe, our plan is to make these once a month. The only

 change we made was adding chicken to the burritos.  Enjoy!

  

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup rice (brown or white)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 jalapeno chile, chopped (ribs and seeds removed, for less heat)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 cans (15 ounces each) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 bag frozen corn kernels (10 ounces)
• 6 scallions, thinly sliced
• 8 burrito-size flour tortillas, 10 inches each
• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• Salsa and sour cream, optional

Directions

1. Cook rice according to package instructions; set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium. Add onions, garlic, jalapeno, and cumin; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Add tomato paste, and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
3. Add beans and 1 1/2 cups water; bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 10 to 12 minutes. Add corn; cook to heat through, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in scallions.
4. Heat tortillas according to package instructions; fill with rice, bean mixture, and cheese.
5. Assemble: Mound 1/4 cup rice, 3/4 cup bean mixture, and 1/4 cup cheese on one side of tortilla. Fold sides, and hold them in. Starting from filled end, holding sides in as you work, tightly roll into a bundle. Place on a baking sheet, seam side down, and prepare remaining burritos.
6. Serve immediately, with salsa and sour cream, if using, or wrap per freezing instructions.