Pumpkin Spice Muddy Buddies

I saw a recipe for these over a year ago on Pinterest, and I pinned it, thinking I would make them LAST year.

Well, all of the recipes that I found contained Pumpkin Spice Hershey Kisses.

So, for one second, allow me to vent about the fact that after Halloween, there is NOTHING fall in the candy aisle. EVERYTHING is Christmas.

It really chaps my chicken that we skip right over Thanksgiving anymore.

Maybe I don't WANT green and red M&M's for Thanksgiving??

Okay...I'll stop.

The guy that manages the grocery section at my Super Target did make me feel a tad bit better when he told me that they haven't been shipped Pumpkin Spice Kisses for a year.

Time to improvise.

I picked out the yellow, brown and orange M&M's from a regular package. 

(I guess because I am just that stubborn!)

I used about 1/4-1/2 cup was all, merely for color, they were so good, I didn't think it needed anything else!!

Pumpkin Spice Muddy Buddies

8 cups of Cinnamon Chex Cereal

6 squares of vanilla flavored Almond bark

4 Tablespoons vegetable oil

2 cups powdered sugar

3-4 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice (I used 4)

M&M's (optional)

Pour cereal in a big bowl.

In another bowl combine sugar and spices with a fork.

Melt almond bark in oil, in 30 second intervals, in your microwave. Stirring until smooth.

Pour over cereal and stir (gently) but well until completely covered.

Nutter Butter Acorns

We made these the last couple of years, I don't know why I never took pictures of them?

I think they are ADORABLE.

And 

so.darn.tempting.

They are so little you can just pop 'em in your mouth!

Perfect blend of peanut butter and chocolate.

I think you should make some of these up for the kids at Thanksgiving...

or anytime really?

NUTTER BUTTER Acorns

Taste of Home

1/2 cup chocolate chips, + 48 pieces

48 Mini Nutter Butter Cookies

48 Hershey Kisses, unwrapped

Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper.

Melt 1/2 cup of chocolate chips in the microwave.

Dip the flat end of the kiss in the melted chocolate and stick to one side of the Nutter Butter and place on the cookie sheet.

Place in refrigerator until set.

Do the same thing with the chocolate chips to make the "stem."

Put back in refrigerator to set completely.

Pop one in your mouth and say thanks!!

Sometimes it's ok to talk with your mouth full!

Candy Corn Salted Nutrolls

My recipe for Salted Nutrolls is a favorite here on my blog!

I make them EVERY year at Christmas and they are one of the first things gone from the cookie plate!

Here is the link to the post I did for them one Valentine's Day:

LINK to Post Click HERE

We were invited over to the neighbors for a football party last weekend.

He was christening his new out building.

I decided to make a platter of Salted Nutrolls but add some candy corn to make it festive!! 

These are a fun fall treat.  If you love Salted Nutroll or Payday candy bars...you'll go nutty for these!!

Candy Corn Salted Nutrolls

Click HERE to view the recipe for Salted Nutrolls

I added the candy corn version to the bottom.

Fall Centerpiece

Fall has always been my favorite season.

I love all of the beautiful colors, and decorating my house for fall has always been something that I look forward to.

This past Spring I did a small kitchen remodel.

When we built our house 9 years ago, we painted our kitchen red.

"Arresting Red" to be exact.

I loved having a red kitchen, but it was time for a change.

We changed it to a nice brown, it's amazing how paint changes a room!!

It's fun to decorate the rooms for seasons now, because even my old decorations seem new!!

I ran across this post by Shanty 2 Chic on Pinterest this past summer and knew I  wanted to make something like it for my kitchen this fall.

Here is the link to her post on her blog: 

Fall Pumpkin - Shanty2Chic

I picked up a fake pumpkin and letters to spell "fall" at Hobby Lobby, a can of cream colored spray paint and painters tape from the hardware store.

Tape off the stem with painters tape and spray your letters and pumpkin with a couple of coats of cream colored paint.

Adhere them with a hot glue gun once they are dry.

I liked the addition of the little burlap flower she added to hers, so I did the same.  

Only I used one instead of three.

I found this candle base and glass candle holder at Hobby Lobby, too.

I already had the pumpkins and acorns that I filled it up with.

I strung some orange accent "vine" through, and added a couple of real gourds to the mix.

and Ta-Da! Centerpiece!

I love buying pieces like this, because I know they can be filled with all kinds of things for other holidays, or even just a candle like it was intended! 

Pumpkin Dump Cake

I have seen this recipe on Pinterest so many times, and it just sounded too easy and too yummy not to try!!
A couple of weeks ago my husband and I had a group of friends we hang out with over for a pot luck of appetizers.
We had some cocktails and good conversation, and later, we enjoyed this yummy cake!



Pumpkin Dump Cake

cheater cheater pumpkin eater

1 - 15 ounce can pumpkin puree

1 - 12 ounce can of evaporated milk

3 eggs

4 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice

1 box spice cake mix

3/4 cup melted butter

1 1/2 cup chpped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease or spray a 9x13  baking dish with non-stick spray.

Combine in a mixing bowl: pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar and spice.

Spread into baking dish.

Sprinkle cake mix evenly over the top.

Drizzle with melted butter, top with nuts of desired.

Bake for 1 hour, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool.

Serve topped with whipped cream.

German Apple Dessert

Yesterday I was sitting in the eye doctor with my daughter, and flipping through a local magazine that is in waiting rooms around town.

Lots of times they have good sounding recipes, but I forget about them, and never make them.

But yesterday, this one leaped out at me.

German Apple Dessert

I was making my Little King Salad for dinner that night, per my daughter's request, and thought, 

We're having salad, might as well have dessert??

So I whipped it up when we got home, and we did!!

With a little side of vanilla ice cream!

This got RAVE reviews from my family.

My husband said (with his mouth full) "This is really good" about 6 times!

Great alternative to an apple pie.

German Apple Dessert

via Women's Edition Magazine

Crust:

1 cup flour

1 cup sugar

5 Tablespoons cut up cold butter

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 large egg

Combine with fingers until it resembles corn meal, set aside.

4 baking apples, peeled and sliced

I used Granny Smith, the tang was perfect!

Topping:

3 Tablespoons of sugar

3 Tablespoons of melted butter

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 large egg

Stir sugar and melted butter together, whisk in egg and cinnamon.

Set Aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a spring form pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Press crust mixture into the bottom of the pan.

Top with apples.  

Bake for 45 minutes.

Remove from oven, drizzle topping mixture over apples and spread evenly with the bottom of a spoon.

Return to oven and bake for another 25 minutes.

Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.

Here's the Little King Salad we had, it's so good!!

RECIPE HERE!

Crock Pot AppleSauce

A week or so ago, I had a crock pot party on my facebook page to celebrate 6,000 facebook fans.

What wonderful recipes were shared!! 

I pinned a bunch of them away on my Pinterest Boards for later, but this one, I couldn't get out of my mind.

I love the ease of throwing everything in the crock pot in the morning, and it being ready after the hustle and bustle of a crazy day!

I have to admit, though, I was really looking forward to my fellow bloggers sharing things you don't usually associate the crock pot with, things like desserts, or APPLE SAUCE!!

 Real Food Outlaws shared this recipe for crock pot applesauce.

I made it the next weekend in one crock pot while a batch of my Beef and Barley Stew Cooked in the other.

It was so good, they gobbled it up and I made it again that following week, while ribs slow cooked away, the apple sauce did the same.

If you click here: Real Food Outlaws

You can see how she cans it, too!!

Crock Pot AppleSauce

adapted from Real Food Outlaws

10-12 apples, peeled, cored and sliced

4 cinnamon sticks

1/4 of a lemon's peel

1 teaspoon lemon juice

The apples I used were pretty big, I used 10 of them, and used 4 cinnamon sticks.  My kids are crazy about cinnamon apples!  If you are using the really small apples that you pick off most home grown trees, you may need to up it some.

Place apples, cinnamon sticks and lemon peel in the crock pot.  Drizzle with the lemon juice.

Set pot to low and cook 5-7 hours.

Remove cinnamon sticks and lemon peel.

With your hand blender and  blend apples, or you could do this in a regular blender, too.

I thought it was pretty good warm, my kids preferred it cold.

Very sweet and tasty and No Sugar!! :)

Two Ingredient Pumpkin Spice Muffins

Last year on Pinterest there was a picture going around how to make pumpkin muffins with a yellow cake mix and a can of pumpkin.

I pinned it right away.  That sounded too good to be true!!

This year as fall approaches, I saw it hit facebook again yesterday.

I asked the gal who posted it, if she had ever tried it.

She hadn't but another lady I know, posted that she had and that they were awesome!

She said, it's only better when you use a spice cake mix!

I LOVE Spice Cake and Pumpkin, and guess what I had BOTH items in my pantry!

I baked up a batch today...and Yum!!

They are super easy and super moist, and only have about 108 calories! (based on 16 muffins)

Two Ingredient Pumpkin Spice Muffins

1 box of Spice Cake Mix

1 - 15 ounce can of pumpkin

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare 16 muffin tines with non-stick cooking spray or cupcake liners.

In a bowl, combine cake mix and pumpkin and stir until smooth and combined.

Divide between 16 muffin liners.

Bake 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool.

Pumpkin Pie Martini

When I saw that bottle of pumpkin liqueur at the store last month, 

I saw a pumpkin pie martini in my future!

I had initially planned to just mix it with a little vanilla vodka, 

until it hit me like a pie in the face!

"Must. Use. Whipped Cream Vodka."

Have you ever had it??

Holy cow, is it fantastic.

Heck, once you crack the bottle you'll know!

It smells so darn good!!

Pumpkin Pie Martini

4 ounces Pumpkin Liqueur

4 ounces Whipped Cream Vodka

homemade whipped cream

pumpkin pie spice

Pour two liqueurs into a martini shaker with ice, shake until chilled.

pour into a martini glass and top with a dollap of whipped cream.

Sprinkle with pumpkin pie spice.

So, had I not been in such a hurry and craving this last Friday night, I would have made a small cinnamon sugar coated pie crust, cut with cookie cutters, and sliced to put on the side of the glass....

How cute would that have been?!

Pumpkin Bread

We always have company for dinner on Halloween.

I always make soups, usually at least 3 of them!

I love, love. love pumpkin, and decided to try a new recipe for Pumpkin Bread to go along with the soups!

steamy out of the oven

i got on the internet and started surfing around a bit and came across this recipe that was posted on a 

blog called Sweet Pea's Kitchen

Pumpkin Bread

For the bread:

1- 15oz can of pumpkin puree

4 eggs

1/2 c vegetable oil

1/2 cup butter melted

2/3 cup water

1 cup brown sugar

2 cups sugar

1 tsp vanilla

3 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

For the glaze:

1 cup + 3 Tbls powdered sugar

2 Tbls milk

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp ginger

1/8 tsp cloves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour 2-9x5 loaf pans. 

In a large bowl with a whisk, combine pumpkin, eggs, oil, butter, water, sugars and spices.  

In another bowl combine flour and soda, and add to wet mixture, stir until blended.

Pour into loaf pans.

Bake for 45-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool bread and mix up the glaze.

Drizzle glaze on the warm bread, slice and enjoy!! 

Our Boxer sure did!!

The Boxer's NOSE, KNOWS!!

Spice Cookies with Pumpkin Dip

spice cookies with pumpkin dip

Want to make something extra special for the holidays?  

Well, let me suggest these!! 

I love gingersnaps, always have.  Pair it with pumpkin and I am SOLD.

I got this recipe a long time ago from my friend, Tonja,  

She made them and I was in LOVE.

This year I made them again, and my kid were in LOVE.

Trust me friends they are the best of both worlds!!

what a perfect fall treat, paired with a nice spiced chai

Spice Cookies with Pumpkin Dip

Cookie Ingredients

1 1/2 cups butter softened

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup molasses

4 cups flour

4 t. baking soda

2 t. cinnamon

1 t. ground ginger

1 t. cloves

1 t. salt

additional sugar

Pumpkin Dip Ingredients

1 package (8 oz) Cream Cheese

1 can (18 oz) Pumpkin

2 cups powdered sugar

1 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. ginger

Cream butter and sugar then add eggs one at a time, beating well after each one. Add molasses, mix well.

Combine dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture, mix well and chill overnight.

Shape into 1/2 inch balls and roll in sugar, place 2' apart on an ungreased baking sheet. 

aren't they pretty?? you will be able to fit 20 to a cookie sheet

Bake at 350 degrees for 6 minutes or until edges begin to brown. 

 Do Not over bake, or they won't be chewy.  Cool 2 minutes before removing to cooling rack.

For the dip, cream the cream cheese with a mixer until smooth. Add pumpkin and beat well.  Add dry ingredients and beat until smooth.

Here's Peeking at you...OWL Cupcakes

Today, my husband's office is having a little Trick-or-Treat get together for it's employees and their kids.

We used to do this every year, but when the office manager left a couple of years ago,

 the fun kind of went by the wayside.

Well, this year, two of the gals that work there decided it was time to do a little something fun for the kids.

So, they are doing trick-or-treating through all of the offices.

It's nice and warm inside,  AND it's a great opportunity to get more use out of their costumes!! 

We're in!

They are having some snacks in their break room, but I called and said I would bring 

something a little special.

My daughter, Josie and I have been wanting to make owl cupcakes, so I thought this would be a great opportunity!

how cute are they?!? 

The other day I decided they needed to perch in a tree, so I taped two cake card boards together, covered them in brown paper and got the art supplies out.  

I drew up a big harvest moon behind a spooky tree.  

Here are our owls perched.

My assistant baker, she's sporting my candy corn apron, and her rollers! 

I said, "wait a second, I am the one going as a Desperate Housewife!!"

If you have never seen these done before,  trust me, I am not saying this is an original idea by me,

 here is what you need.

owl cupcakes

OWL Cupcakes

Chocolate Cake Mix, baked into cupcakes

Chocolate Frosting, we went the easy route and used the stuff in the can.  

(Did you know Pillsbury has it with a decorative tip and everything now?

It's like spray cheese but FROSTING! ;)

Oreo Sandwich Cookies

M & M's

Candy Corn

Bake your cupcakes, cool and frost them.  Break the cookies apart using the frosted side, press an M & M in the middle of each to make his eyes. 

Of course, the bag of M & M's we bought had hardly any brown, so some of our owls have green eyes! 

Press the cookie eyes onto the cupcake, using your frosting as the glue.

Add an upside down candy corn for his beak, and you are all set!

I don't know about you but, 

OWL-uv this idea!

Here are my little trick-or-treaters ready to head out on their first candy spree!!

on the left we have WWE Super star, John Cena and 

on the right, complete with beauty mark and leg warmers, my little 80's Girl!

Fresh Apple Cake

Fall is here and that means so many of the recipes we see are full of spice and APPLES.

This fresh apple cake is no exception.

Not sure where the recipe originated, but my son came home from work one day and said that a lady he works with brought it in for lunch and he got the recipe so I could make it again!

I figured if my 16 year old took the time to get me a recipe, I would have to try it!

fresh apple cake

Fresh Apple Cake

4 cups apples, diced

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

preheat oven to 350.

Prepare a 9x13 with non-stick cooking spray.

Toss apples with sugars and oil.

Beat eggs with vanilla, add to apples. Add the rest of the ingredients, combine well and place in pan.

Bake for one hour.

Serve with a healthy dollop of whipped cream or ice cream. 

Tastes best when served warm!