It’s October, and the first hints of fall are in the air some of you already have temps dropping into the 30s and SNOW! Our idea of fall down here in the Sunshine State means temps in the mid-80’s, but it’s still time to bring on the pumpkin: pumpkin cookies, pumpkin candies, pumpkin air fresheners, and pumpkin lattes. I like an addiction—I just can’t get enough. {Though, from now on I’ll splurge on some Dunkin Donuts pumpkin coffee beans or pumpkin spice creamer instead of spending four bucks on that Starbucks concoction. I know, I’m in the minority.}

In honor of this sweet smelling season, I decided to experiment with a new pumpkin recipe. All of the moist, gooey poke cake recipes floating around Pinterest have me salivating. Hmmm. . . One of my favorite cakes is spice cake. Spice cake usually has cream cheese frosting. But I wanted something with less guilt and lower fat than traditional cake, something like . . . pumpkin poke cake.

Yes, I uses mixes, but I never claimed to be a from-scratch baker. But there is no oil, healthy pumpkin, and sugar-free pudding. Not completely guilt-free, but a ton less fat and calories than traditional cake.

Oh, and did I mention it’s quite tasty?

• 1 box (18.25 oz)  spice cake mix
• 1 cup pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie mix)**
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup water

• 2 boxes cheesecake instant pudding
• 4 cups milk
• cool whip (or your own whipped cream if  you insist)
• cinnamon butter pecans (see recipe below)

 Cinnamon Sugar Buttered Pecans

• 1/2 pound pecans
• 1 tablespoon clarified butter (or just add a splash of evoo to your regular butter)
• 1/8 teaspoon  salt
• 1 1/2 tbsp. sugar (or 1/4 teaspoon Sweet Leaf Stevia)
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

On a lightly greased cookie sheet, LIGHTLY toast pecans for 5 about minutes. Watch so they don’t burn. Meanwhile, mix dry ingredients. Melt butter & evoo in pan. Add in toasted pecans. Mix and coat for 2 min. Toss with sugar mix. let cool. Store in fridge.

**Wondering what to do with that extra pumpkin? Wait until my next recipe. I used it up in a yummy, healthy snack.

It’s Back-to-School time and back to beating lunch box boredom. So many of us are *trying* to eat healthier, but it’s nearly impossible to avoid those pre-packaged snacks hyped up on sugar and preservatives. And if you still have to pack for snack time, you need to creatively find even more portable yet healthy foods to tempt often picky eaters.

My kiddo has now braces, so I am even more limited in my snack selections — no gooey fruit snacks, fruit roll-ups, granola bars, raisins, or nuts. What else can you pack in a kid’s lunch box?

They are like little cupcakes, minus the excess sugar and frosting. You can bake a big batch and freeze them. You can even  pack them individual snack bags before you stick them in the freezer, then just grab a bag in the morning and they will thaw buy lunch/snack time. A little effort and you can have a month’s worth of healthy and delish snacks.

And these are delish.  I made the mistake of pulling them from the oven while I had a housefull of 8-year-old boys. I had to fight them off with a wooden spoon.  They all loved these two-bite delights— and their parents did too.

These muffins are perfect for snacks — low in fat, high in protien. And they are easy. Seriously. Minus the time it took for me to throw a bag of frozen peas on my burn (I can’t get near an oven without at least one burn) I whipped these up in a jiffy. And they were totally worth the 2-inch burn.

Both these recipes are nearly identical, the main difference being peanut butter vs. Nutella. I assumed the Nutella version would make me swoon more, but the peanut butter muffins hit me with more flavor. The decision was split amongst my taste testers. They are both awesome.

Banana Peanut Butter Mini Snack Muffins

(Inspired by a Cooking Light bread recipe)

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes per batch
Makes 4 dozen bite-sized muffins

1  1/2 cups mashed ripe banana {about 3 large}
1/3 cup peanut butter {creamy or crunchy – whatever you like}
1/3 cup applesauce {or Greek yogurt for extra protein}
3 tbsp. melted butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour {you can use all white flour}
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of clove

**non-stick cooking spray

• Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large bowl, add first five ingredients — all the wet stuff. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth {and all the banana chunks are gone}.  Add the sugars and blend more.
• In a seperate bowl, combine all remaining ingredients {the dry stuff}. Stir gently. Add dry mix to the wet mix and beat with mixer until just combined.
• Spray mini muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray. ** Fill each cup about 3/4 full. {I use a trigger cookie scoop.  One scoop fills each cup perfectly with no dribbles. Totally worth $7 bucks.}
• Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
• Pop out of pan and cool on wire rack.

** You can also add mini chocolate chips or crushed peanuts for some extra oomph.

*I recommend not using pretty cupcake liners, especially if you are using these for a kids’ snack. Peeling them takes too much time when you just want to devour them.

Nutella Banana Mini Snack Muffins

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes per batch
Makes 4 dozen bite-sized muffins

1  1/2 cups mashed ripe banana {about 3 large}
1/3 cup Nutella
1/3 cup applesauce {or Greek yogurt for extra protein}
3 tbsp. melted butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour {you can use all white flour}
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tbsp. baking cocoa

**non-stick cooking spray

• Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large bowl, add first five ingredients — all the wet stuff. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth {and all the banana chunks are gone}.  Add the sugars and blend more.
• In a seperate bowl, combine all remaining ingredients {the dry stuff}. Stir gently. Add dry mix to the wet mix and beat with mixer until just combined.
• Spray mini muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray. ** Fill each cup about 3/4 full. {I use a trigger cookie scoop.  One scoop fills each cup perfectly with no dribbles. Totally worth $7 bucks.}
• Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
• Pop out of pan and cool on wire rack.

** You can also add mini chocolate chips for some extra oomph.

*I recommend not using pretty cupcake liners, especially if you are using these for a kids’ snack. Peeling them takes too much time.

Once the muffins cooled, I packed them first into snack bags and them into a gallon-sized freezer bag.  Now each school morning I can just grab a pre-packed bag from the freezer and pop it straight into the lunch bag. It’s perfectly thawed by lunch time.

Happy mom, happy kid.

Spring has almost sprung down here in the South, so I’m sneaking in my last warm and hearty dinners before it gets to warm. I eat a steaming bowl of soup for lunch whenever the temperature dips below 70 degrees.  And if I can make a savory pot of homemade deliciousness for dinner, even better.

Cook Time: about an hour
Serves : 4 main course bowls

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 4 medium onions (I prefer Vidalia, but any sweet or yellow variety will do)
• 1 48 oz. container beef broth/stock (or vegetable if you are meat-free)
• 1 14 oz. can chicken stock (or vegetable)
• 1/2 teaspoons Herbs de Provence
• 2-3 cloves garlic, crushed or finely chopped
• 4 slices hearty bread (cibatta or artisan) OR  croutons
• 4  slices cheese (fonitna, smoked gouda, gruyere, or muenster are all good)
• 1 generous tablespoon brandy
• salt and pepper to taste

Slice the onions — the thinner the better. In a large saucepan, melt butter. Add the onions and cook with the lid on, stirring every few minutes, for at least 10 minutes (just tender) to 30 minutes (caramelized). Your call, but the longer, the sweeter and more tender they will be.  Add in the garlic and Herbs de Provence about the last 2 minutes and stir.

Deglaze the pan with the brandy (scrape up all the good little burnt bits from the pan).  Add the broth. Simmer soup for at least 20 minutes, or until onions are melt-in-your-mouth tender.

Meanwhile, if you are using bread, lightly butter and season with garlic, if you so desire. Toast lightly. Cut into cubes.

Preheat broiler. Ladle soup evenly between 4 ovenproof bowls. Spread bread or croutons over the top. Cover with cheese. Broil for 3-5 minutes, or until the cheese is slightly browned and bubbling.

Garnish with fresh chives or green onions, if you have any on hand.

Serve with fresh bread or sandwiches for a savory meal.

Looking for a homemade holiday treat  for a cookie swap, office party, or neighborhood gifting?  Want something easy, delicious, and memorable?  How about a treat with a kick?

Rum Balls are tasty, look as if you spent hours slaving away in the kitchen and can make any holiday gathering tolerable.  Plus they are simple enough to make even if you sneak a few nips from the rum bottle. Perfect.

*Note: these are not for children (unless you want them to sleep*). Alcohol IS a main ingredient. 

Rum Balls

Time: roughly 30 minutes
Yield: about 3 dozen

2 cups crushed vanilla wafers**
1 cup crushed coconut or pecans (works best to chop in a food processor)
1 cup confectioners sugar
2 tbsp. coco powder (you can add up to 1/2 tsp. more if you want them more chocolaty)
2 tbsp. white corn syrup (or honey)
1/3 cup rum (I like Captain Morgan)
extra coco, sugar, or chopped coconut for coating/dusting

• Mix all ingredients.
• Add desired dusting materials to a shallow dish.
• Scoop out about a tablespoon of mixture (use a cookie scoop for speed and consistent size) and roll into balls. (This is easier if you keep your hands damp.)
• Roll each ball in the dusting sugar or coconut to coat evenly.
• Set each ball onto a wax paper covered cookie sheet and chill in refrigerator.

The longer they sit, the tastier they will be.

Place each ball in a mini cupcake wrapper for an impressive display.

*Just kidding. I would never advocate giving kids rum. Though, my MIL still swears bourbon is the best thing for a teething baby…

**If you want to be creative, you can play around with flavors. For a more chocolatey vibe, use 1 cup crushed chocolate wafers.  For a little bit of spice, use 1 cup of ginger snaps and dust with the crushed cookies as well. (I tried this and they were the bomb.)