Monday Munchies - Pumpkin Apple Muffins

You should probably know that this recipe changed my life.  I know it sounds a bit dramatic, but it's true.  You see, there were MANY years of my life that I thought I didn't like pumpkin...about 24 years in fact!  Every year I would try a bite of someone's pumpkin pie at thanksgiving and never liked it.  But then one year I tried these pumpkin apple muffins, and they were good.  Only a hint of pumpkin, but it was alright.  So then I tried some other pumpkin things and liked them all, and realized that maybe the only way I didn't care for pumpkin was in pumpkin pie.  These muffins really are great though, but fair warning, they make a huge batch, I got 24 out of the recipe this time.  I put a dozen in the freezer, gave a few to a friend, and we still had plenty to chow down on!  The combination of pumpkin and apple make these a perfect compliment to many fall meals (and they make a pretty good breakfast too)!

Pumpkin Apple Muffins
2.5 c. flour
2 c. sugar
1 T. pumpkin pie spice
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
2 eggs (lightly beaten)
1 c. pumpkin
1/2 c. oil (I want to try this with applesauce sometime, if anybody tries it let me know how it turns out!)
2 c. peeled, finely chopped apples

Streusel Topping:
4 T. flour
1/2 c. sugar
1 t. cinnamon
4 T. butter

Directions:  Combine dry ingredients  In a medium bowl combine eggs, pumpkin and oil.  Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients; stir just until moistened.  Stir in apples.  Spoon batter into greased or paper lined muffin cups, about 3/4 full.

For the streusel topping, mix together flour, sugar and cinnamon.  Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.

Sprinkle streusel topping over batter.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until done.

Recipe Source: Carey Hughes

Crock Pot Caramel Dip

So Monday came and went and I completely forgot about Monday Munchies, like didn't think about it even one split second during the day forgot.  I didn't think about it during the day on Tuesday either, because I was SO excited that when the clouds lifted from the rain we had the past couple of days there was SNOW on the peaks of the mountains, and even covered some of the bowls.  That means we're one step closer to ski season, yay!

Tuesday night I went with a couple friends to a Flannel Attractions (don't you love the band names out here?!?) show at a new restaurant in town, then fell right into my bed when I got home.  Then Wednesday I thought about it, but I had lunch with a friend, picked up another friend from the airport and had small group that night.  After I got back I considered posting, but then I couldn't find my camera, and posts aren't nearly as good without pictures.  So yesterday I searched, found my camera, uploaded pics and now it's Friday!  This dip is super easy to make, delicious, and a great way to make a healthy food (apple slices) completely unhealthy haha!  Enjoy!

Crock Pot Caramel Dip
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 cup brown sugar
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Directions:  Mix all ingredients together in a crock pot.  Cook on low, stirring occasionally, for 3 hours or until thick and bubbly around the edges. (I cooked mine on high for about an hour instead of being patient and cooking it on low.  I also made a double batch and keep it in a jar in the fridge so that I have it on hand when we have people over.  Just nuke it in the microwave for awhile and you have an easy snack or dessert!)

Recipe Source: Farming on Faith

Monday Munchies - Last Minute Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

Every year my parents have this thing of not wanting to turn on our heat until the latest date we can stand it, (you know, when we start wearing parkas in the house and our nose hairs freeze...ok so maybe we don't go that far!) and instead, just heating with our wood burning fireplace.  I LOVE fires so I always begged them to wait even longer, and now that I'm making the heat call myself, I've decided to postpone kicking our radiators up and just using our gas fireplace to heat things up.  It got cold in Jackson this week, and as I drug myself out of my warm bed each morning I began thinking of what I could add to my oatmeal so that I wasn't having the same breakfast everyday!  I've seen several recipes for baked oatmeal, and I need to try it sometime, but usually I walk into the kitchen about 15 minutes before I have to start working, and haven't planned ahead, so I need something that's quick.  I have several staple oatmeal combinations in my breakfast repertoire, but this week's addition of "baked" apples and cinnamon turned out to be one of my favorites, and I'm sure it will continue to make weekly appearances on my breakfast menu.  It truly captures the flavors of fall and as an added bonus, your kitchen will start the day out smelling like cinnamon-apple goodness!

Last Minute Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

Yield: 1 Serving

1/2 c. uncooked oatmeal (Snoqualmie Falls Lodge is hands down, the BEST OATMEAL EVER.  Buy some, you won't be disappointed!)

3/4 c. water

1 small apple, grated or cut into small pieces

1 T. brown sugar

1 t. cinnamon

Optional:

1 T. chopped pecans

Craisins

Extra cinnamon

Milk or Apple Cider

Directions:

Put apples in a microwave safe bowl, sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon.  Microwave for 2-3 minutes or until apples are soft.  Be careful not to overcook.  In another bowl add oatmeal and water, and microwave for 3 minutes or until oatmeal is done.  Mix apples into the oatmeal, and top with pecans, craisins and extra cinnamon.  Add milk or apple cider until the desired consistency is reached.

Recipe Source: Endless Frontier Original

Monday Munchies - Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

Can you believe it's October already?  And the first happened to fall on a Monday, perfect for kicking off a month of fall recipes!  The weather in Jackson has been absolutely beautiful, highs around 70 and cool nights...perfect shorts/sweatshirt weather which has been my favorite clothing combination since I was a little kid haha!  Although I can't wait for the snow to come, I have definitely been enjoying fall in Jackson and it has me in the mood to make all sorts of pumpkin, apple, and soup recipes!  A couple of weeks ago we had a ladies' night where we all brought food and played games.  I knew right away I wanted to bring these pumpkin snickerdoodles.  The pumpkin in the batter makes them turn out so moist and fluffy, the girls all loved them!

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

Yields 3-4 dozen

Cookies:
3¾ cups all-purpose flour
1½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup light brown sugar
¾ cup pumpkin puree
1 large egg
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Coating:
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground ginger
dash of allspice

Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk to blend and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugars on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Blend in the pumpkin puree. Beat in the egg and vanilla until incorporated. With the mixer on low speed add in the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated. Cover and chill the dough for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper. Combine the sugar and spices for the coating in a bowl and mix to blend. Scoop the dough (about 2½ tablespoons) and roll into a ball. Coat the dough ball in the sugar-spice mixture and place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough to fill the sheets, spacing the dough balls 2-3 inches apart. Dip the bottom of a flat, heavy-bottomed drinking glass in water, then in the sugar-spice mixture, and use the bottom to flatten the dough balls slightly. Re-coat the bottom of the glass in the sugar-spice mixture as needed.

Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until just set and baked through. Let cool on the baking sheets about 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough. Store in an airtight container.

Recipe Source: Annie's Eats