Halloween 2011: Pre-Costume

To be perfectly honest, Halloween is not a big deal to me.  Growing up we wore the same clown (homemade) costume year after year.  We were not allowed to go door-to-door because my mother was ahead of her time in the worrying department and thought Halloween was the perfect opportunity for little kids to be abducted.  She would drive us in her car to people's houses around our neighborhood that she knew.  I think that was to limit the amount of candy we were allowed to collect.  Looking back, maybe that wasn't such a bad idea, but then again, I don't like candy.

You heard right, I don't like candy.  I have a huge sweet tooth but I'd prefer it to be satisfied with some homemade baked good, as opposed to hard candy or chocolate.  I remember we'd come home with our minimal loot and we'd divide the candy into piles - hard candy, varieties of chocolate, and stuff we didn't want.  I can't remember which house it was but someone always gave the same horrible candy (peanut butter kisses anyone?).  The sorting was my favorite part.  I liked seeing the piles and seeing what was the most popular candy for the year.  I maybe ate 1 piece and that was just because it's what I thought I was supposed to do.

I honestly can't remember what happened to the rest of the candy but since my mom and I are a lot alike and I already have plans for Colin's candy, I can only assume where it went.  The trash.

Colin does like candy.  A lot.  I fear it's partially my fault for withholding it from him for so long.  He knows he can only have it if he eats a good dinner, so at least there's that.  He won't be having any tonight because he decided he'd rather get up 5, yes F-I-V-E times this morning between 5:36 am and 7 am.  I gave him 3 chances (strikes) and told him his punishment would be no dessert tonight, as in no candy.  Time after time he got up, came and stood beside my bed and breathed heavily as he sucked his thumb.  Or as Wes says, he stands there like a crazy psychopath about to find his next victim.  You get the point, it's not a pleasant way to wake up.

After the third strike, I told him no dessert tonight.  I immediately felt like the worst mother ever but I had given him 3 chances and one thing is for sure, you have to stick to your word and be consistent, or they will walk right over you.  It was hard as he pitifully said, "But I want to go trick-or-treating."

I told him he could but he wouldn't be able to eat any of the candy tonight.  In his room he went, sobbing.  Again, my mind races with parenting doubt.  "Don't cave," I reassure myself, "there's plenty of time for him to get to eat his candy."

And yes, there will be at least a few days that he'll be able to eat his candy.  I think I'm going to let him pick how many pieces he wants to keep from his basket.  That may seem like a bad idea to you but it's all part of my plan.  You see, he almost always picks the number 4.  He's 4 years old and that's the "it" number now.  The rest of the candy?  What doesn't get consumed by his dad will either be donated to our office stash or donated.  I kind of feel guilty about donating candy but not everyone is as crazy as I am about the ill-effects of candy. 

I was relieved to hear what treat he wanted Buff to put in his basket.  Raisins.  Maybe I haven't failed.

Climbing to the Top

Last weekend we borrowed our neighbors ladder because we're not cool enough to own our own.  Seriously, ladders are expensive.  Did you know that?  And when neither party in a household is handy, in fact they're clumsy, why would one waste money on something like a ladder?  Really, it's just asking for trouble.

Lucky for us, we have Tim the Tool Man Taylor as our friendly neighbor and if he doesn't have what you're looking for in his garage, Lowe's doesn't have it either.  Seriously, the man is always outside working on some project and even Colin will say, "What's William working on now?!"

So last weekend we needed to do some touch-up painting on the ceiling in our bathroom and neither our little step stool, nor me hoisted on Wes' shoulders, was cutting it.  I saw William in his garage, so I seized the opportunity.  I interrupted him from grooming his own dog (I told you he did everything) and he eagerly asked if I wanted a 6', 9', or extension ladder.  Um, that one right there should do.  I have no idea!  How tall are our ceilings?  Ok, I'll take that height.

Wes somehow managed to get the thing upstairs without putting any holes in the wall - a major accomplishment in and of itself.  He also did a mighty fine job touching up our ceiling.  But we wanted to make sure we were really finished with the ladder before we gave it back, so we left it there overnight just in case.

What happens when you have something new in your house with 2 small children?

A new obstacle to hurt yourself on toy.

Seems so innocent.

There's the rotten grin hiding behind the thumb.

Out comes the leg and here comes mommy the ladder comes crashing down.

Serious fun.

Did I hear a camera?  

I'm happy to report that the ladder returned to it's rightful owner safe and sound.  I think it's a good idea, for more reasons than one, that we don't own one of our own.  

Friday Features from the Holiday Sweet Swap

Well my reign as Holiday Sweet Swap Hostess is drawing to a close.  Never fear, there will be 2 new great hostesses next month (A Creative Space and Crumbs and Chaos) and also in December that will provide you more drool-worthy recipes and features.  I wanted to go out on a high, sugar high that is, note and leave you with 5 mouth watering recipes to get you motivated to get in the kitchen this weekend and bake up something delicious. 

In no particular order, here's my list:

Pecan Chocolate Chip Gooey Butter Bars

Pumpkin Bread with Cream Cheese Filling

Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookie Bars

Pumpkin Caramel Bars with Bacon (or not!)

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Maple and Toffee Frosting

If you're feeling inspired or have baked something recently, we'd love for you to share your recipe with us at the Holiday Sweet Swap link party!  A big "thanks" to everyone who entered in the month of October!!  I hope you'll play again in November.  See you soon.

Holiday Sweet Swap: Pumpkin S'mores

I made a huge sacrifice agreeing to be a hostess for the Holiday Sweet Swap.  I mean make scrumptious desserts, look at other delicious desserts, and feature my favorite recipes?  Twist my arm!

Believe it or not, I am not a big fan of s'mores.  I'm not a huge chocolate fan and I'm also not a fan of marshmallows.  I know I'm strange but there are plenty of other sweets out there that I do love.  However, when I saw a recipe that combined s'mores (one of Wes' favorites) with pumpkin (one of my favorites), I thought this might just be a match made in heaven.

We did both enjoy it but I still ended up scraping my marshmallows off the top and picking out the chocolate chips.  Actually, I did half the pan with butterscotch chips and the other half with chocolate chips, in anticipation of me not liking them.  Turns out, I didn't really like the butterscotch chips either.  They were too sweet and I didn't like the contrast of texture.  Now the pumpkin filling is to. die. for.  Just give me a bowl of that and I'd be one happy girl.  I actually had a little leftover and ended up using that to make a pumpkin latte - yum!

Pumpkin S'mores
adapted from Taste and Tell

• 1/2 cup of butter
• 2 cups of pumpkin puree (I used a combination of pumpkin and sweet potatoes)
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon 
• 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
• 1 cup of Graham cracker crumbs
• 45 graham crackers (approximately)
• 9 cups of mini-marshmallows
• 1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup of butterscotch chips

Preheat over to 450F  Line a 9x13 baking pan with waxed paper.

In a small saucepan on medium heat, combine the butter, pumpkin mix, milk, cinnamon and bring to a boil.  Remove saucepan from heat and stir in Graham cracker crumbs. Set aside.

Line 15 Graham crackers side by side ensuring that the entire pan is covered.  Pour 1/3 of the pumpkin mix onto the Graham crackers and spread evenly using a small offset spatula or the back of a spoon.  Top the pumpkin mix with approximately 3 cups of mini-marshmallows, ensuring it is as even as possible.
Sprinkle evenly 1/3 cup of the chocolate chips and/or butterscotch chips over the mini-marshmallows.

Repeat steps 5,6,7, 8 twice more. In all, there will be three layers of graham crackers, pumpkin mix, mini-marshmallows and chocolate/butterscotch chips.

Bake for 4 minutes at 450F and place gently on counter when taking it out of the oven.  Let it cool and set for 3-4 hours to firm up otherwise it will not cut well into squares (15).

 

 Linking up to This Chick Cooks, Lady Behind the Curtain, What's on Your Plate, Tastetastic Thursday, and Remodelholic.

How to Enjoy Fall

First you get your rake and find some leaves.

Then you rake them into a pile.

Then you admire your hard work.

Ready for takeoff!

Almost there.

Jump!

Sweet success!

Then you do it all again.

All while Little Brother watches from afar.

Until Little Brother sees Mommy and takes off towards her.

But no fall day is complete without your medicine dropper.

Ah, I love fall.

The Secret Recipe Club: Spaghetti Squash Gratin with Walnuts and Bacon

I had so much fun last month participating in the Secret Recipe Club that I couldn't wait for my assignment this month!  I loved getting introduced to a blog I might not have otherwise ever known about.  This month I was assigned, Mele Cotte.

The first thing I like to do is to get a little background information on the blogger.  It helps me feel like we're actually meeting for the first time, except in a stalkerish kind of way.  Maybe describing myself as a private investigator makes it sound a little less criminal.  Anywho, first up was to determine what the origin of Mele Cotte's name was.  It means 'baked apple' in Italian.  Yum, I love baked apples!  We're on the right track.  Then I discovered that Christina comes from a history of authentic Italian cooks and she is even certified by the Art Institute of Atlanta in baking and pastry!  This should be good, I love Italian and I love baking (:

As I began scouring her blog, my usual indecisiveness reared it's ugly head.  Should I use up that one lonely eggplant from my CSA and make her Stuffed Eggplant, or try a new grain and make her Mushroom Farro, or since it's starting to turn chilly, maybe her Tuscan Minestrone Soup?  They all looked and sounded so yummy but in the end, I chose her Spaghetti Squash Gratin because it was something I hadn't tried, I had all of the ingredients, and it looked delicious! 

Spaghetti Squash Gratin with Walnuts and Bacon
adapted from Mele Cotte

Spaghetti squash, about 3-4 lbs
4 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/3 cup walnuts, chopped and toasted
1/3 cup panko crumbs
1/2 cup cheese (dry mozzarella, or whatever you have on hand)
1 tsp chili powder
olive oil
salt and pepper


Preheat oven to 350.  Carefully slice the squash in half (heating it in the microwave for 2 minutes or so makes this process a lot easier!) and remove seeds.  Rub flesh with olive oil and sprinkle with chili powder.  Roast for about 40 minutes, or until you can easily comb a fork through the flesh.

Scrape out all of the "spaghetti" flesh from each half and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place half of squash in a greased 8x8 baking dish.  Top with bacon crumbles, toasted nuts, and HALF of the shredded cheese.  Top with remaining squash, followed by remaining cheese and panko crumbs.

Increase oven temperature to 375 and bake for about 10 minutes, or until the top is brown and the cheese has melted.

The Improv Cooking Challenge: Caramel Apple Cake

I'm always up for a good challenge, especially one that involves food!  I happened upon the Lady Behind the Curtain's brand new Improv Cooking Challenge where she assigns 2 mystery ingredients and we are given free reign to come up with whatever recipe our little hearts desire.  I was thrilled to see the 2 secret ingredients for the month of October were apples and caramel.  I knew one of my coworker's birthday was coming up and I knew he'd go for an apple cake.  Off I went hunting for the perfect cake.

I think I found it in this Caramel Apple Cake.  It has apples (that makes it healthy!), caramel, nuts, and more caramel in the cream cheese frosting.  Holy cavity Batman, this is one sweet cake.  You won't hear me complaining about that though.  Aside from mistakenly refrigerating this cake, thus hardening up the caramel nuggets inside, this cake was a real winner.  I think next time I might add nuts to the inside of the cake as well but there's already a lot of goodness packed in each bite.  

With all the apple orchards overflowing with apples right now, this is a great fall cake to whip up for a family gathering or just to indulge in yourself!

Caramel Apple Cake
adapted from Mommie Cooks

Ingredients:

For the Cake:
2 sticks butter, room temperature
1 C of brown sugar
1 C white sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp of vanilla
31/2 cups cake flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 12 oz can evaporated milk
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
2 large apples, peeled and chopped
7 Oz. (1/2 bag) cubed caramels, chopped
1/2 cup caramel apple preserves

For the Icing:
7 Oz. (1/2 Bag) of cubed caramels
3 T. whole milk
3/4 stick of butter, room temperature
6 oz cream cheese, room temperature
2 cups of powdered sugar
1 cup chopped toasted walnuts, optional

Directions:

Line two 9" cake pans with parchment paper and grease.  Preheat oven to 350.

Cream together the two sticks of butter along with the brown and white sugars.  Add in eggs, one at a time, and vanilla.  Mix well and gradually add cake flour and baking powder.  Then add evaporated milk and spices.  Mix just until blended.  Finally, fold in the apples and chopped caramels.

Divide batter between 2 prepared pans.  Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.  

While the cake is baking, combine remaining caramels and milk and heat in a double boiler.  Melt the mixture over low heat.  Once it's completed melted, remove it from the heat and give it a few minutes to cool back down (not too long though or it will turn into a hardened mess!). 

While your caramel is cooling, beat butter and cream cheese in a mixing bowl until fluffy.  Add in powdered sugar.  After the caramel has cooled slightly, add the melted caramel to the butter mixture.  Mix well and refrigerate until you're ready to frost the cake.

Remove cakes to a cooling rack.  Let cool, in pan, for about 10 minutes.  When cool enough to handle, remove from pans and baste with caramel apple preserves.

Allow to cool completely on wire racks. 

Once cooled, assemble cake, frosting each layer. 

Garnish with toasted walnuts, if desired.  Note:  This cake is best if eaten within 2 days of baking.  Do not refrigerate cake or the caramels will harden back up, making it difficult to cut.

Sweet Baby Boy

In the beginning of my first pregnancy, I honestly hadn't given much thought to the sex of the child I was carrying.  I mean I only had a sister and, at the time, she had 2 girls.  Why would I even consider having a boy?  I had been saving her girl hand-me-downs for what seemed like eons - roughly 7 years.  I had enough Rubbermaid totes of clothes to cloth a an entire state.  I even painted one of the bedrooms in our house pink in anticipation of our future offspring. 

You can imagine my surprise when the ultrasound showed I was harboring a little boy.  Of course I was elated but the fear began to set in.  What would I do with a little boy?  All I knew was girls.  What did I need to do to prepare myself for this revelation that was surely about to occur? 

From the minute he was born, I just knew.  I never remember doubting my ability to raise a boy.  A child, yes, but not specifically a boy.  Aside from the typical doubting all parents go through, I can't recall any boy-related questions that I haven't quickly found the answer to.  Motherly instinct doesn't know gender, it's just there.

When I announced I was having a boy, the comments flooded in about how much boys loved their mothers.  Don't all children love their mothers?  My mom and I are the best of friends, and always have been, but I understand that is not the norm.  Most girls bump heads with their mothers during their teenage years and certainly would not classify their mothers are their friends, let alone their best friends.  So did this mean Colin would love me more than I love my mom? 

Even though he's only 4, I'm beginning to see what they meant.  Yes, girls love their mothers, but somehow it's just different with boys.  For a boy to love their mother just seems sweeter, somewhat unexpected, if you will.  Both of my boys prefer their mother's touch to their father's and they both gives hugs and kisses like they are going out of style.  My heart melts every time one of those open-mouthed, wet and sloppy kisses is planted on my cheek.  I smile from ear to ear when I hear Colin tell me that he loves me.  For a boy to be so vocal about his feelings is just awesome!

Yesterday, Colin's daily report sheet from his school had a special note on it.  It said, "Colin carried a special flower around with him all day today that he said was for his mom."  There are honestly no words to express the way I felt when I read that.  The saying goes that something 'melts your heart' and that's about as close I can come to explaining it.  Even now as I type, I have a little lump in the back of my throat, you know the kind you get when you're fighting back tears.  It's a feeling of satisfaction, honor, and pure bliss.  Wow!  I'm one lucky momma to get to enjoy 2 of these little delights!

 

Weekly Recipe: Slow Cooker Pork Tacos with Pickled Onions and Mango Salsa

There are a few things that I make that I know Wes will love no matter what.  Tacos with shredded pork are one of those things.  We have a favorite restaurant in Cincinnati, Nada, that has a whole host of wonderful taco creations.  One of the first times we went he tried the carnitas and was instantly in love.  Since then he's progressed to the pork belly but it will be a while before that one pops up in my kitchen.

The carnitas were garnished with pickled red onions and guacamole.  In an attempt to mimic the flavors, I decided to pickle some red onions as well but to change it up a bit with some fresh mango salsa.  Just look at all those vivid colors on the plate.  Yummy!

While these were no Nada tacos, they were pretty darn tasty.  Wes commented multiple times at supper and again during his leftovers at lunch the next day.  I think I succeeded in making something he'd enjoy!

This recipe is a great make-ahead recipe, as most of the ingredients can be assembled the night before.

Slow Cooker Pork Tacos with Pickled Onions and Mango Salsa

3-4 lb bone-in pork shoulder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 cups beef broth
1 1/2 cups water
1 small onion
2 garlic cloves
1 small red onion, about 1/2 cup
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 T. sugar
1 yellow mango (Ataulfo variety), chopped
juice of 1 lime
1/2 of a small jalapeno, chopped
small flour tortilla shells
Queso blanco or queso fresco

Do ahead:  Mix all the spices in a small bowl.  Trim the visible fat from the pork and rub the spice mixture into the meat.  Really get it on there, rub for a good 3-4 minutes.  Place meat in a zip-lock bag and store in the fridge overnight.

For the pork:  Slice an onion in large chunks and place in the bottom of a slow cooker.  Smash and peel 2 garlic cloves and add to the onions.  Place meat on top of onions and cover with broth and water.  Set the slow cooker to low and cook for 8 hours.

Remove meat from slow cooker.  Remove bone and any excess fat.  Shred with your fingers or 2 forks.

For the pickled onions:  Combine 1/4 cup water, red wine vinegar and sugar in a small bowl.  Slice the red onion as thinly as possible and add to the vinegar mixture.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight as the pork marinates.

For the mango salsa:  Combine the chopped mango, chopped jalapeno, lime juice, and about 1 tablespoon of the prepared pickled onions in a small bowl.  Allow to marinate for 30 minutes to 2 hours. 

To assemble:  Arrange shredded pork on a flour tortilla.  Top with queso fresco, pickled onions, and mango salsa.  Prepare to delight your tastebuds!

This week I'm linking up to The Lens Love's Crock-tober, Remodelholic, The Lady Behind the Curtain, and This Chick Cooks!

Keep Swimming

It's not for a lack of trying but the soccer star is still galaxies away.  Playing at home and playing in the game are somehow completely different episodes.  At home, he runs, he kicks hard, he's aggressive, he wants to score a goal, and he seems to understand the general concept.  Then the snack fairy trance comes over him at his games and every skill he showcased at home is forgotten.  He runs with herd but not in a hustling kind of way.  He rarely, if ever, actually goes after the ball, let alone makes any effort to kick it.  I feel like it's in there but right now the games seem to be about seeing his friends, making the kids laugh, and especially the 2 snacks!  He literally jumps up and screams, "snacks" to signal to the world that it's time.  Further proof he's destine to be a chef.

Last week, the star on our team (the coach's son) asked Coach Wes why Colin was so funny?  So I guess all is not lost.  Everyone loves a clown, right?  Two games left but the coach assures us something magical happens between the ages of 4 and 5 and suddenly it just clicks with the kids at 5.  Here's hoping!

Daddy doing double duty.  Sawyer loved it.  He got to be a part of the action without having to exert an ounce of energy.  He's getting a head start though because he already kicks the soccer ball around the house.

Maybe Colin should just pretend the other kids are Daddy.  He's getting really good at pretending and using his imagination, so maybe that would work.  We shall see.

Friday Feature: Pull Apart Pumpkin Cinnamon Bread

When I agreed to co-host the Holiday Sweet Swap for October, I couldn't wait to see some of the entries and get the chance to highlight a few throughout the month.  I knew there would be tons of pumpkin, apples, and other fall goodies throughout and boy was I right! 

It didn't take long for me to find one that made me drool.  As a matter of fact, I honestly haven't stopped thinking about this recipe ever since.  I had seen it elsewhere on someone else's blog but as I told Sweet Pea from Newlyweds, her photo tutorial was awesome!  Sometimes I get bored of the step-by-step pictures when you're just combining everyday ingredients, but when it comes to something a little more involved and different than I'm used to, I appreciate the visuals. 

This bread makes me want to jump through the computer screen every time I see it.  If I could squeeze another hour or two into the day, this would be the first thing on my list to do.  I may have to carve out some time to tackle this just to get it out of my head.  See for yourself, doesn't it look amazing with all it's glorious layers and ooey goodness?!!

Pull-Apart Cinnamon Pumpkin Bread
Adapted from Sunny Side in San Diego, original recipe Willow Bird Baking
Dough
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup milk
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 envelope) active dry yeast
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups bread flour
Filling
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
Buttered Rum Glaze
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/8 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp milk
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon rum (or Vanilla)
In a saucepan over medium-high heat, brown 2 tablespoons of butter, letting it bubble up and turn a dark golden brown but being careful not to allow it burn (turn black) about 2-3 minutes. Once browned, remove the pan from the heat and carefully add the milk, return to stove and heat through. Pour the milk and butter into the bowl of standing mixer (fitted with a dough hook) and allow to cool so it is no longer hot but also not cool (about 100-110 degrees F). Once it has reached a warm but not hot temperature add the yeast and 1/4 cup of sugar and allow to proof about 10 minutes. Then add the pumpkin, salt, and 1 cup of flour. Stir until combined then add the rest of the flour 1/2 cup at a time and knead for 6 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic and just slightly sticky. If the dough is too moist, add extra flour 1 tablespoon at a time.
Move dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a clean towel. Allow to rise in a warm place for 60-90 minutes or until doubled in size.
While dough is rising, brown another 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg and mix well.** Making sure sugar evenly absorbs the butter. Set aside. Next, grease and flour a 9×5 loaf pan and set aside.
When the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and flip out onto a clean floured surface and knead with hands for 1-2 minutes. Roll dough into a 20×12 inch rectangle.*** Evenly sprinkle the dough with the cinnamon sugar mixture and press into dough with palms of the hand. Cut the rectangle into 6 strips. Lay strips on top of each other and cut each strip into 6 even squares (cut in half then each half into thirds). Stack strips vertically into the loaf pan. Cover the pan with a clean towel and let rise for 30-45 minutes.
In the meantime preheat an oven to 350 degrees. After rising in the pan bake for 30-40 minutes or until top is a very deep golden brown.
To prepare the glaze, heat the butter, milk, and brown sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to boil then immediately remove the pan from the heat and stir in the rum and powdered sugar.
**I forgot to add the cinnamon sugar mixture to the dough before I cut it, so I just dipped each piece in the dough, both sides, and sprinkled the remaining on top. 
*** If dough is difficult to roll out, cover with a towel and allow to relax for a few minutes then try again.

Goodnight Moon

Sawyer is talking.  How is that possible, he's only 15 months old?  He can say "dahn" (down), "eet-eet" (eat, eat), "uh" (up), "ba-oon" (balloon), "booh" (book), and "da" (maybe daddy?).  I can't imagine where he got his inspiration considering his brother talks non-stop.  There is still the pointing and grunting but he makes definite distinguishable noises that mimic words.  He's a hoot.  My personal favorite is "hee-haw," as in the sound a donkey makes.  It took Wes and I forever to figure out where he picked that up.  It wasn't until he said it around my mom that she told us that's in one of the nursery rhymes/songs she plays in her car.  He does it on command and it never gets old.

If he can't say the word, he'll gladly point to show you what he's talking about.  In that same vein, if you ask him to show you something, he'll happily oblige and gets it right 9 out of 10 times.  We were outside practicing soccer and Sawyer discovered the bright moon in the sky.  He walked in that direction, pointing and grunting the whole way.  He stuck his hands up, as if to say, "Pick me up so I can touch it."

Not quite, buddy.  He was frustrated that he couldn't get to it and wouldn't stop with one try.  He's also a persistent little booger!  So now we can add "mohn" to the list of words.  What's next?  Encyclopedia?

Holiday Sweet Swap: Cream Cheese Pumpkin Muffins

A couple of weeks ago, I introduced you to the Holiday Sweet Swap that Pressed Down and Shaken Together was hosting.  As a co-host I wanted to share a holiday recipe with you as well.  It will come as no surprise to you that I chose a pumpkin recipe!  In the fall, 99% of my desserts involve pumpkin, so it was impossible not to share a recipe with you that didn't include my favorite orange gourd.

This recipe is a keeper.  That is if you remember to add the sugar!  Wes tried to make me feel better by reminding me that I'm always trying to cut the amount of sugar in recipes, so I should be happy about it.  I would have been if I didn't miss it.  Thankfully the cream cheese filing and the crumb topping contain sugar and I managed to remember to add it to both of those.  Not being one to waste, I still ate them, as did Colin (who was none the wiser).  Note to self, when your sous chef is a non-stop talking 4-year old, read and reread the recipe multiple times so as to not forget an ingredient or step!

Someday I will remake these with the sugar but I have no doubt they're delicious.  They were pretty tasty even without the sugar!

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
adapted (on accident) from Tracey's Culinary Adventures

Filling
6 oz cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

Topping
1/3 cup sugar
4 T flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3 T cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-1/2-inch cubes

Muffins
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup oil

To make the filling:  In a medium bowl, mix the cream cheese and confectioners' sugar together until smooth.  Transfer to a piece of plastic wrap and shape into a log that is about 1 1/2-inches in diameter.  Wrap and transfer to the freezer for at least 2 hours (or until firm enough to cut).

To make the topping:  In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, and cinnamon.  Add the butter and use a pastry cutter to cut it in until the mixture is coarse and crumbly.  Refrigerate while you make the muffin batter.

Preheat the oven to 350.  Line muffin pans with paper liners.

Whisk the flours, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl.  in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs, sugar, pumpkin, applesauce, and oil until blended.  With the mixer on low, gradually add the dry ingredients, beating just until incorporated.

Remove the cream cheese filling from the freezer and slice the log into 16 equal pieces.  Place just enough batter in each muffin well to cover the bottom - about 1-2 tablespoons.  Put one slice of the cream cheese mixture in each well on top of the batter.  Divide the remaining batter among the muffin wells, covering the cream cheese filling completely.  Remove the topping from the refrigerator and sprinkle evenly over the muffins.

Bake the muffins for about 20-25 minutes, or until they spring back when gently pressed in the center.  Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the muffins cool for 5-10 minutes before removing them to the rack to cool completely.

Makes 16 muffins.

Wordless Wednesday

Slow down, Big Boy, you're growing up too fast!

Weekly Recipe: Creamy Chicken Taquitos

Do you have certain food bloggers that you totally trust?  Those that you feel confident in making any dish they post?  It has so much to do with your personal preferences and what you find visually appealing.  I have several blogs that I drool over on a regular basis and one of those is Annie's Eats.  I am constantly amazed that she's a doctor, a mom, a fantastic cook, and manages to post an amazing recipe every day!  Wow!

In one week, I bookmarked this recipe two times, from 2 different sites.  After copying and pasting it to my Word file, I realized I had already copied it from Annie much earlier.  I began to compare the recipes and noticed that they had both gotten it from Annie as well.  Looks like I'm not alone in my not-so secret food crush.

I'm not sure I changed one thing about this recipe except subbing whole wheat tortillas for the plain white - oh and omitting the cilantro and green onions because I didn't want to buy a whole bunch just for 3 tablespoons.  These were a huge hit and I'm anxious to make them again very soon.

Creamy Chicken Taquitos
adapted from Annie's Eats

Ingredients:
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
¼ cup salsa
1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tsp. chili powder
½ tsp. cumin
½ tsp. onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese (cheddar, pepper jack, etc. would also be good)
10-12 6-inch whole wheat tortillas
Cooking spray
Kosher salt

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425˚ F.  

In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, salsa, lime juice, spices, chicken and shredded cheese.  Mix thoroughly until well combined (can be done the night before).

Briefly heat the tortillas in the microwave to make them soft enough to roll easily, about 20-3o seconds.  Place a tortilla on a work surface.  Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of the filling mixture down the middle of the tortilla.  Roll the tortilla up tightly around the filling.  Place seam-side down on a baking sheet.  Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling, spacing the assembled taquitos evenly on the baking sheet.  Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt.  (You may be tempted to skip the sprinkle of salt, but it really adds a nice touch.)

(To freeze before baking, transfer the baking sheet to the freezer and chill the assembled taquitos 30-60 minutes.  Transfer to a freezer-safe container or plastic bag.  To bake from the freezer, simply add a few additional minutes to the original baking time, until the filling is warmed through.)

Bake 15-20 minutes, until crisp and golden brown.   Serve with sour cream and salsa, if desired.

Linking up to Lady Behind the Curtain and  This Chick Cooks this week!

Stay tuned

I'll be back to my regularly scheduled program tomorrow, after taking a day off.  Thank you Mr. Columbus for sailing the ocean blue so that I may have a day off from work.  Know that all your hard work was not for naught.  

I'll be spending time with my favorite dudes.