hands down, the best pumpkin muffins ever.

As much as I love fall and the changing weather, I have to admit that I'm not the biggest pumpkin fan. Sure, I'll down a pumpkin cookie or two as long as it's topped with with cream cheese frosting (I'd eat anything covered in cream cheese frosting ;), or even eat a slice of pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving, but you won't ever see me making pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. 

However.

I could eat a million of these pumpkin muffins. Well, maybe 5 in one sitting. I love how light and fluffy they are, and the pumpkin taste isn't overpowering. Plus, because I used coconut oil I felt a tiny bit healthier than if I had thrown in a stick of butter. That has to count for something, right?

Coconut Oil Pumpkin Muffins

1 3/4 c. flour

1 1/2 c. sugar

1/8 c. molasses

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

2 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. ground cloves

1/4 t. nutmeg

2 eggs

1 (15 oz.) can of pumpkin puree

1/2 c. coconut oil (melt it down to liquid form!)

1 t. vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375* and insert 12 paper liners in your muffin pan.

2. Combine flour, sugar, molasses, baking soda, salt, and spices in your mixing bowl.

3. Add eggs, pumpkin puree, coconut oil, and vanilla extract.

4. Mix until everything is incorporated but be careful not to overmix!

5. Scoop the batter into each paper liner and fill so they're nearly full.

6. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

It's definitely not necessary since they're absolutely delicious on their own, but I sprinkled a pinch of powdered sugar on top of a few and it was fabulous!

Recipe adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction

 

And a special thanks to Nutiva for making high quality, organic coconut oil that helps me feel less guilty about baking. ;)

Cucumber Sandwich Appetizers

The last thing I want to do these days is cook--especially anything that takes more than a few minutes. Knowing that we would be getting together with friends to watch the BYU game this past Saturday, I tried to brainstorm easy finger food ideas that we could take that wouldn't make me sick. This delicious appetizer came to mind because, fortunately, it doesn't call for meat and they literally take 5-6 minutes start to finish to make. :) 

Cucumber Sandwich Appetizers

1 (8 oz) package of softened cream cheese

1/3 c. mayonnaise

1 package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix

1 French baguette sliced into pieces (your choice of thickness)

1 cucumber, sliced

2 t. dill weed

1. In a bowl, mix together the cream cheese, mayonnaise, and seasoning mix.

2. Spread the cream cheese mixture on each baguette slice and top with a slice of cucumber.

3. Sprinkle dill on the top.

Oatmeal Fudge Cookie Bars

This week has been a rather busy and frustrating one as plans have been changing, unexpected things (read: expenses & fees!) have been popping up, and new responsibilities have been delegated. You probably know exactly what I'm talking about - these kinds of days/weeks happen to all of us. Fortunately, there are constants in our lives. The sun will rise in the east, Taylor Swift will continue to sing about ex-boyfriends, and this cookie bar recipe will never disappoint. So if you've been let down at all in the last little while, or even if you're having the best day ever, embrace these cookie bars with arms wide open and let them be a constant in your life.

Oatmeal Fudge Cookie Bars

Cookie Ingredients:

1 c. butter

2 eggs

2 c. brown sugar

1/3 c. milk

1 T. vanilla

2 2/3 c. flour

1 t. baking soda

1 t. salt

1 T. cinnamon

3 c. oatmeal

Fudge Ingredients:

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1/3 c. butter

1 t. vanilla

1 bag of chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350*.

2. Mix together the butter, eggs, and brown sugar. Add the vanilla and milk, and mix. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix well.

3. Grease a 9x13 pan and spread 2/3 of the cookie mixture evenly in the pan.

4. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt together the sweetened condensed milk, butter, vanilla, and chocolate chips. Pour over the cookie mixture in the pan.

5. Drop the remaining 1/3 of cookie mixture by spoonfuls on the top. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

6. Let cool.

7. Top with caramel and ice cream!

in honor of National Cookie Day, I'm resurrecting my favorite cookie recipe from the archives.

Brown Butter & Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies

makes 3 dozen cookies

1 c. salted butter

1 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. granulated sugar

2 t. vanilla

1 large egg + 1 egg yolk

2 1/4 c. whole-wheat flour

1/2 t. salt

1 t. baking soda

2 c. milk chocolate chips

sea salt for sprinkling

1.  Brown your butter by heating 1 stick of butter (1/2 c.) in a pan over medium-high until melted. (About 2-3 minutes.) Stir/swirl the pan constantly until the butter is dark golden brown and you can smell a nutty aroma.  Pour it into a bowl and allow to cool completely.

2.  Mix the other stick of butter with the brown sugar and granulated sugar on medium speed for 2 minutes.

3.  Add the vanilla to the mixer.

4.  Slowly add in the brown butter, then mix on medium speed for another 2 minutes.

5.  Add the egg and egg yolk and mix.

6.  Add the flour, salt, and baking soda to the butter mixture and mix on low until the flour is just incorporated.

7.  Add chocolate chips and mix for a few seconds.

8.  Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees, then cover and chill the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes.

9.  Line your cookie sheets with parchment paper or use a silpat non-stick baking mat and place dough 2 inches apart.

10.  Sprinkle each ball with some sea salt.  (Don't use too much! :)

11.  Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating the trays halfway through.

recipe adapted from here

5 really great things.

1. Pumpkin Cream Cheese Pie made its way into my life this weekend and I'm a changed woman.
2. Our ward had the opportunity on Saturday to winterize homes for the elderly, disabled, and some low income families. It was awesome learning some new skills, and the BBQ food after wasn't too shabby either. ;)
3. The Primary Program was a success and I'm thrilled it's over! (Have you ever experienced the craziness that is Sharing Time after a Primary Program? It's horrific, ha.)
4. My stress levels will be going back down to normal after I take my test tomorrow. Maybe my face will clear up again.
5. 17 days until Thanksgiving. 39 days until we head to Denver. 44 days until Christmas!

Easy-Peasy Oreo Pops.

I'm a sucker for desserts that require hardly any effort or attention. Probably because I'm more likely to mess up something with 30 steps and I often forget that there's food in the oven.  

(Last week I accidentally left a pan of mini cupcakes in the oven and went ahead and preheated the oven for something else. Ten minutes later I smelled something burning and discovered some pretty charred mini cupcakes in the oven. Not knowing what to do with them and wanting to get the burning smell out of my house since people were coming over soon, I set the pan outside on a rock. That night when I went to take care of the mini cupcakes all I found was the pan and I was so confused. Apparently squirrels don't mind burned food. The end.)

I'm happy to report that these easy-peasy Oreo cake pops are fail-proof, delicious, and perfect for any occasion. Especially perfect for baby showers! My cute friend, Lauren, had her baby boy earlier this week . . . but not before we had a chance to celebrate Mom and baby with presents, games, and Oreo pops. :)

Easy-Peasy Oreo Pops

1 pkg. of Oreos

2/3 pkg. of cream cheese, softened

white melting chocolate

lollipop/candy sticks

1. Use a food processor to grind up the Oreos, or throw them all in a bag and smash them into itty, bitty pieces if you don't own a processor.

2. Mix together the cream cheese and crushed Oreos.

3. Roll them into 1" balls and throw them in the fridge for 30 minutes.

4. Melt however much of the chocolate you think you'll need in the microwave by following the directions on the package. I ended up melting mine by 2 chunk increments, for 30-45 seconds at a time. 

5. Dip a lollipop stick in the chocolate to cover 1/2" and stick it in your cake pop. Repeat until all have a stick. 

6. Spoon the melted chocolate over your Oreo pop and place on wax paper to cool.

7. Add sprinkles immediately if you are going to do so. The chocolate dries faster than you'd think!

Enjoy!

the freezer meal world.

I know this is probably one of the more unappealing pictures of mine to grace this blog, but don't click away just yet! It's just beans. :)

Recently, I discovered the beauty and joy of throwing everything and anything in my freezer. Casseroles, enchiladas, pizza dough, cookies, refried beans, cut up fruit, herbs that I grew myself (!!), and even a dish towel made its way in there for a few days. I'm ecstatic to have meals mostly ready to go at the snap of my fingers, because heaven knows I'm never too thrilled about making dinner after I get home from work and/or school.

Trust me, you'll want in on these treasures.

Slow Cooker Refried Beans
Homemade Pizza Crust
Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas
Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole
Carmelitas 
Black Bean and Cheese Flautas

*Thaw all of the above (minus the cookies) in the fridge for 6-8 hours before cooking. Set the cookies on your kitchen counter to thaw for 2 hours.

I'm new to this freezer meal world, so feel free to share your favorite recipe with me!

homemade chocolate buttercream frosting.

There are lots of homemade chocolate frosting recipes out there, but this one is by far my favorite!  It's simple, it's easy, and it tastes 50 times better than frosting from a can.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
1 c. butter
1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa
4 c. powdered sugar
3 T. whipping cream
1 1/2 t. vanilla

Cream your butter until smooth.
Add the rest of the ingredients.
Mix until blended.
Add extra powdered sugar in 1/2 c. increments if needed. (Mine was a little runny so I ended up adding an extra cup of powdered sugar.)

Enjoy!

(PS - One of my favorite ways to eat this is spread on a graham cracker. :))

Pi(e) Day!

Today is 3/14 and pi is 3.14159265359........  Therefore, it's Pi Day.

If you didn't know what Pi Day was right off the bat, I want to know how you made it through elementary school.  Pi Day was always right up there with the 100th day of school festivities and read-a-thons.  Growing up stinks.  I vote for celebrating Pi Day at work.

In high school, I had a friend whose mom always had this chocolate pie in their fridge.  In fact, she'd make like 2 or 3 of them at a time because so many teenagers would come over and partake of the deliciousness.  And it was easy to make.

All you need is a pre-made chocolate pie crust, 4 Hershey's chocolate bars, and a tub of Cool Whip.  Melt the 4 chocolate bars (microwave or stovetop) and mix into the Cool Whip.  Pour into the crust and refrigerate for 4+ hours.  I sprinkled some Heath bits on top of this one.  Note: the pie in my picture isn't filled to the top of the crust, but that's because I didn't have a full thing of Cool Whip to work with.

Enjoy!

i had some free time today...

Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies
makes 20 cookies

1/2 c. coconut oil (should be the consistency of soft butter...not hard or melted!)
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 of a banana, mashed & smooth
1 1/2 t. vanilla
1 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. bread flour
1 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
1 c. chocolate chips

1.  Combine coconut oil, mashed banana, sugars, and vanilla, and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. (2-3 minutes.)
2.  Add flours, baking soda, salt, and mix until combined. (1 minute.)
3.  Add in the chocolate chips and mix until incorporated.
4.  Place dough on a Silpat mat and bake for 9-10 minutes at 400 degrees.

Enjoy!

a cookie recipe that will make you fat & happy.

Brown Butter & Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies

makes 3 dozen cookies

1 c. salted butter

1 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. granulated sugar

2 t. vanilla

1 large egg + 1 egg yolk

2 1/4 c. whole-wheat flour

1/2 t. salt

1 t. baking soda

2 c. milk chocolate chips

sea salt for sprinkling

1.  Brown your butter by heating 1 stick of butter (1/2 c.) in a pan over medium-high until melted. (About 2-3 minutes.) Stir/swirl the pan constantly until the butter is dark golden brown and you can smell a nutty aroma.  Pour it into a bowl and allow to cool completely.

2.  Mix the other stick of butter with the brown sugar and granulated sugar on medium speed for 2 minutes.

3.  Add the vanilla to the mixer.

4.  Slowly add in the brown butter, then mix on medium speed for another 2 minutes.

5.  Add the egg and egg yolk and mix.

6.  Add the flour, salt, and baking soda to the butter mixture and mix on low until the flour is just incorporated.

7.  Add chocolate chips and mix for a few seconds.

8.  Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees, then cover and chill the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes.

9.  Line your cookie sheets with parchment paper or use a silpat non-stick baking mat and place dough 2 inches apart.

10.  Sprinkle each ball with some sea salt.  (Don't use too much! :)

11.  Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating the trays halfway through.

recipe adapted from here

avocado & fruit smoothie.

Sorry for another smoothie recipe, but we just can't get enough over here!  I don't know if it's the fruit or spinach, but I feel like I'm doing my body a huge favor when I try to pack as many healthy* things as I can into a smoothie.  I haven't ventured into the whole almond milk smoothie world, but I think I will soon...  I just have to work up the courage first to try almond milk. ;)  This smoothie ended up being pretty creamy (and delicious!), so add more ice cubes if you like icier smoothies.

*Healthy is a subjective word, I know.

1 1/2 c. orange juice

1/2 c. plain yogurt

2 c. spinach

2 medium sized bananas

1/2 c. frozen strawberries

1 avocado

15 (or so) ice cubes

Add all ingredients to the blender.  Blend until smooth.  Pour into glasses and serve.

strawberry orange julius.

1 (6 oz) can of orange juice concentrate
1 c. milk
1 c. water
1 t. vanilla extract
1/3 c. white sugar
10 ice cubes
1 c. strawberries (we used frozen)

Combine orange juice concentrate, milk, water, vanilla, sugar, and ice.  Blend until smooth.  Pour into glasses and serve.

Recipe adapted from here.

i'm no cookie aficionado, but this recipe definitely gets two thumbs-up.

3/4 c. butter

1 1/4 c. packed brown sugar

1 egg

1/3 c. milk

1 1/2 t. vanilla 

3 c. quick cooking oats

1 c. flour

1/2 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. ground cinnamon

1 c. chocolate chips

1 c. caramel bits

1.  Preheat over to 375 degrees F.  Lightly grease baking sheet, or use a cooking mat.

2.  Combine butter, brown sugar, egg, milk, and vanilla in a large bowl.  Beat at medium speed until creamy.

3.  Combine oats, flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.  Mix into creamed mixture until just blended.  Stir in chocolate chips and caramel bits.

4.  Drop by spoonfuls onto baking sheet about two inches apart.  Bake 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are light brown.

Makes 3 dozen

Recipe adapted from here.

a pumpkin recipe that isn't too pumpkin-y.

Last Friday night we got together with friends to watch the BYU game, and I realized an hour before we left that I was short on time to throw together a treat.  Since it's fall and Pinterest seems to be taken over by anything and everything "pumpkin," I decided to make this little number I've been saving for a rainy day.  The best part about this treat is that it doesn't have that overwhelming pumpkin taste.  (Normally, I don't like pumpkin anything--except for pie.)  The worst part about this treat is that it's absolutely delicious and isn't healthy for you.  :)

Pumpkin Dump Cake

15 oz. can of pumpkin

12 oz. can of evaporated milk

3 eggs

1 1/2 c. white sugar

1 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. salt

Mix the above all together and pour into a greased 9 x 13 pan.

1 yellow cake mix

1 c. melted butter

Sprinkle the cake mix over the pumpkin mixture, and then pour the melted butter on top.

Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes.

Top with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Enjoy!

Note:  I got this recipe from a friend over a year ago, so I have no clue where it came from.  Sorry!

craving something sweet and want it in 5 minutes?

A few weeks ago, we realized that you can make scones in a matter of minutes.

And here's how...

1.  Pour some oil into a pan and heat it up (it has to be HOT!), or plug in your fryer.

1.  Pull some Rhodes frozen rolls out of your freezer.

2.  Place a few on a plate and microwave in 30 second increments until they're thawed

(or leave out--covered--on your counter for a few hours).

3.  Flatten it with your hands.

4.  Place in the hot oil or in the fryer.

5.  Cook each side until golden brown, about 1-2 minutes.

6.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar/honey/cinnamon sugar/whatever floats your boat.

Note:  You can use this as fry bread for Navajo Tacos.  Or whatever else you can come up with.

Also note:  We've only done this once and it worked for us, so sorry if it doesn't always work! 

i'm no cook, but this is a dish i'll brag about.

(Aren't low quality cell phone pictures the best?  I know, I agree.)

Is this recipe healthy in the slightest?  No, probably not.  But I can guarantee that it will knock your socks off--or whatever happens to be on your feet at the time.  I'm always on the lookout for easy and delicious meals I can make, with an emphasis on the easy.  I wish I were the kind of person who wanted to spend 3 hours in the kitchen each day after work, concocting some delicious meal for Ben and myself.  Unfortunately, I'm not.  And the people I do know who are like that, come very few and far in between.   P.S. - I'm not quite sure where this recipe came from, but I definitely didn't come up with it myself.

Tomato Basil Chicken

prep & cook time: 30 minutes

4 servings

2 chicken breasts

salt and pepper

1/2 packet of Italian seasoning (I used the Good Seasons brand)

about 2 T. olive oil

2 c. chopped fresh tomatoes

3 t. minced fresh garlic

4 T. cold butter

1/2 c. fresh basil, chopped

grated Parmigiano reggiano cheese for garnish

1.  Season chicken breasts with salt, black pepper, and Italian seasoning.

2.  Add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil to your skillet.  This may seem like quite a bit, but it will form the base for the sauce.

3.  While waiting for the oil to heat up, go ahead and get your water going for the pasta.  If you don't do it early, you'll have to sit and wait on the pasta to be done at the end.

4.  When the oil is HOT, add the chicken breasts.  If the oil does not start sizzling immediately, then it's not hot enough!  Adding meat to cold/cool oil will give you greasy meat!

5.  After about 4-5 minutes, the chicken breasts should be ready to turn.  You'll want to cook them on the second side another 4-5 minutes, or until the juices run clear when you pierce them with a small sharp knife.  You don't want to OVER cook them, or they will be dry and tough.  If you pounded yours out thinner, they will cook faster than this.

6.  After the second side has been cooking for about 4 minutes, go ahead and add in the fresh tomatoes that you have chopped up.   There will be lots of steam, spitting, and sputtering!

7.  Next, add the fresh basil that you have chopped into ribbons, and the garlic.

8.  Cut the butter into a few pieces and add to the pan.  This will make the sauce silky.

9.  Now give it all a good stir so all those flavors will marry together.   When your chicken is "done," turn the sauce down on the lowest setting to keep it all warm until the pasta is cooked, which should be any minute now. :)  At this point, if still waiting for the pasta, you can remove the cooked chicken to a cutting board, and after resting just a couple of minutes, cut the chicken into slices on the bias.

10.  Divide the pasta among individual bowls, and top each with half of a chicken breast, sliced into pieces, and equal portions of the tomato basil sauce.  Top with more fresh basil and freshly grated Parmigiana reggiano cheese.

Bon Appétit!

i should open a small hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurant.

Not to brag or anything, but I scored major wife points with this Broccoli & Beef dish that we had for dinner tonight.  There's no doubt that it quickly became Ben's favorite thing I've ever made.  {Pardon the cell phone picture...it just couldn't go undocumented.} Next time you need a quick, easy, and delicious meal, make this and your stomach/your husband/your boyfriend/your dog/your guests/your friends will thank you!

Broccoli & Beef

Prep Time: 10 minutes + 1 hour for marinade Cook Time: 8 minutes

First, marinate the meat:

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp sugar

1 tbsp cornstarch

1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce

1 tbsp water

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 1/2 lbs flank steak, sliced into thin strips

1. Whisk together the baking soda, sugar, cornstarch, soy sauce, water, and vegetable oil in a large bowl. Toss the steak with the marinade to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour, then proceed below.

1/2 c low-sodium soy sauce (Do NOT use regular. The final product will be way too salty.)

2 tbsp brown sugar

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp flour

3 tbsp vegetable oil

2 heads broccoli, crowns only

1. In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, and flour until smooth. Set aside.

2. In a large wok or saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil over high heat until shimmering. Add broccoli and saute 3 minutes, stirring often. Transfer broccoli to a plate.

3. Reduce heat to medium-high. Carefully add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the hot pan. Add the marinated meat and half of the sauce mixture and saute for 3-4 minutes, stirring often, until the meat is cooked through and no longer pink. Stir in the broccoli and remaining sauce. Saute 1 minute more. Serve over rice.

Recipe adapted from here.

7 Pinterest recipes that you need in your life.

cheeseburger soup

Noodles & Co. mac-n-cheese

parmesan-roasted green beans

lemon raspberry pancakes

avocado hummus

the best chocolate chip cookies

Reese's peanut butter cookies

A few months ago, I started a board on Pinterest of recipes that we've tried.  Most are good, some are awful, and few are amazing.  These 7 recipes have made it into our favorites over the past little while.  If you only try one of these recipes, make sure it's the Noodles & Co. Mac-N-Cheese copycat recipe or the chocolate chip cookies!  :)

no-bake energy bites.

About a year ago, I discovered this healthy (read: semi-healthy) treat that is quick to whip up and is a great on-the-go snack.  I have no clue where this recipe came from, but I'm sure you could quickly find some variation on Pinterest or Allrecipes.com.

No-Bake Energy Bites

(makes 18-20 bites)

1 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/3 cup honey

1 cup coconut flakes

1/2 cup ground flaxseed

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1 tsp vanilla

Mix everything together in a medium bowl and let chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.  Once chilled, roll into balls and enjoy.  Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.