Heart healthy pumpkin muffins

A staple in our home.
I usually make this couple of times a month. And they are always a hit!

Easy!!
1 box of spice cake mix
1 can of pumpkin
Approx 1/4 cup of water.

Mix together and bake at 400 for about 12 minutes!!
Tada!!!

**and if you wanna make them a little "less healthy" you can add about 3/4 c. chocolate chips to the mix!

Recipe: O'hana Bread Pudding

STOP THE PRESS!!!!

Have you ever been to O'hana at Disney's Polynesian Resort. Well, if you have, then you know the goodness of the Bread Pudding....but if you have not, I swear to you, it's worth driving there RIGHT NOW from where ever you live :)

So, it makes my mouth water, as I type, but, I thought that it would be sinful if I did not share with you this fabulous recipe.

Now, let me tell you that I tried it, and I am not a "candy boiler" kind of person.....so I burnt it.And when I say I burnt it, I mean that I had to throw the pan away. Not kidding.



So, YOU give it a try, and just invite me over :)

Ingredients
BREAD PUDDING
5 eggs
3 cups whole milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 cup sugar
8 cups french or ‘Ohana breakfast bread

1. In bowl mix eggs, milk, salt, sugar, and nutmeg. Set aside.
2. Cut bread in medium (usually 2-inch) pieces and place on cookie sheet pan. Put in 350 degree oven.
3. Bake bread until lightly toasted: about 15 minutes. Remove bread and place in egg and milk mixture.
4. Place mixture in a greased 10-inch cake pan, and bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour.
5. Let stand 5 minutes; serve hot with ice cream.

BANANAS FOSTER SAUCE
4 oz sugar
4 oz brown sugar
4 oz corn syrup
4 oz unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup spiced rum
1 cup banana slices

1. Combine sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, and half of heavy cream in a large pan. Bring to a boil and slowly add remaining heavy cream keeping mixture at a steady boil.

2. Add spiced rum and flambe.

3. Candy will brown slightly; cook 3 minutes until candy forms into a firm ball in cold water. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Add sliced bananas. Serve warm.

**I am also posting on the Main Street Memories blog, for my Disney followers

Who in the world is the muffin man?!

Who cares!!!!

I am totally "stealing" this post from TidyMom, and I know she would NOT care!!! Because,

Yes, I will say it.

I am addicted to these muffins!

So, warm, and cinnamon-y, and delicious and VERY low-calorie, I am sure!!!

If you have not tried them, stop what you are doing and make some today!!!!! And, eat one warm!

Holy Moley!!!!

Ok, enough!
Here they are!



Go find her recipe : HERE!!!

The secret of Spaghetti

So, let it be known that I know that I am NOT a great cook!

Yes, shocker. Please, don't tell Scott!

But, I have discovered the secret to the best creamiest Spaghetti sauce in the whole wide world!

CREAM CHEESE!

Try it. Just add about 2 ounces to your favorite spaghetti sauce (see mine pictured here.....made with love!) Yes, me and Bertoli are BFF!

It will make all of the creamiest difference in the world! No one will know that it came out of a jar!

And, hey, if you are WILD and CRAZY, sprinkle some extra garlic and add mushrooms! They'll go insane! No really!

Enjoy!

What's for Dinner?

Ok, let's face it, so I am NOT a great cook! It's ok. It's ok. No one has to tell me, I just know it :)

But, then, comes the Lawry's......I *love* using mixes, sauces, spices, etc that are EASY and make it seem like my "cooking" was really more of me, than of a package.

So, when I was offered the chance to try these packets, I said "yes. Yes. YES!!!!"

And, wow! When you get into these, you will see just how easy it makes cooking!

Lawry's has 4 new varieties of spices, and I think it's enough of a variety to please the masses....and the Not-so-GREAT cooks like me!

•Asian Style Beef & Broccoli – This easy to prepare stir fry meal will remind your family of their favorite Asian restaurant. The dish combines beef, broccoli and seasonings with a hint of garlic. Serve it over rice and you have a complete, satisfying meal.
•Chimichurri Burrito Casserole – Lawry´s gives the familiar Burrito casserole a new twist with this traditional Latin American sauce. With a few simple fresh ingredients, mealtime just got a lot more exciting.
•Mediterranean Sundried Tomato & Garlic Chicken – Add a taste of the Mediterranean to your family´s casserole. This easy to bake casserole combines chicken, pasta, tomatoes and Feta cheese to easily make a flavorful meal any night of the week.
•Tuscan Style Chicken Marsala with Garlic and Basil – Chicken Marsala is a restaurant favorite, but it might not make the menu at home. This effortless version comes together on your stovetop with just a few fresh ingredients. Flavorful garlic and basil gives this meal its own Tuscan flair, perfect for serving over pasta or rice.

And the best part is.....You can win this same package!!! (well, not those super fresh veggies!)

So, here's how YOU can win!

(Mandatory Entry must be completed FIRST)
1. Leave me a comment and tell me which one of these flavors you would LOVE to have!!!

(Bonus entries...you know, so you can rack up more chances for the loot!)
*Leave a comment for each*
*Total of Five Bonus entries possible*
1. Follow me on Twitter.
2. Follow me via google connect ----->
3. Subscribe to my blog via email ----->
4. Post about this giveaway on your blog, and post the link in the comments.
5. Share the link to the giveaway on facebook ,and post the link in the comments.

Good Luck, and I hope you win :)

***Contest Ends Tuesday, October 26th!!! So, enter Today!


**And, as a bonus, click on over here to Gourmet Mom On-the-Go!!! She has a fun pack from Lawry's too!

**This contest is open to all US Residents. I was given the products for my honest opinion and review from Lawry's through My Blog Spark. As always, these opinions are my very own :)

The Best Cheesy Biscuits in the World!

Oh, honey(pun intended!) These are the BEST cheese biscuits ever!

Now, let me start by telling you that if you don't like nuts, just try them with regular Cream Cheese, but, there are only a small amount of nuts in the Honey and Nut cream cheese, so, it really was not very obvious.

Here goes!

1 1/2 c. Biscuit mix (Bisquick or any other)

3/4 c. buttermilk

3 T. sugar
2 oz. Philadelphia Cream Cheese (Honey and Nut flavor)

1/4 t. vanilla

1 c. cheddar cheese, shredded

Now, here's the VERY hard part!

Mix it all up! Spray the pan! Pour it in! Bake at about 400 and in about 13 minutes (hey, who's counting!) you have the most yummiest Cheese Biscuits EVER!

And, if you are WILD.....serve them with Honey Butter!

Oh, Glory! That is good!

It's official! I'm a Foodie!

Let me just tell you, after the trip to LA with Bertolli, and making some great new friends, like Jenny from Picky Palate, and Mandy, Gourmet Mom on the Go.....and all of the others.....I have a new love for food, and the love of food, and the fun that goes along with it!

So, I have been cooking up a storm here and trying new recipes, so, I hope to bring some of those to my blog, too!!!

I started with these!!! YUM!!

S'mores Chocolate Chip Cookies!!!

Let me tell you, stop it all, these are DELICIOUS!!!

I won't re-invent the wheel, Jenny has done all of the work for you....but, I will give you my take on it!

I do not have the muffin top pan.....it is NOT because I don't want it...it's just because I don't have it *yet*.

So, I tried it on a cookie sheet, with parchment paper, and it worked like a dream. So, don't fret. No muffin top pan. No problem.

I started with my Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer (thanks again, Paula Deen and Oprah)!!


And, my two best Kitchen Helpers!!



We mixed it all up, and layed out the parchment paper.....I am partial to any and all things Pampered Chef, and, yet again, it did NOT disappoint!


After mixing the batter (which, btw, I baked some withOUT the s'mores pieces, and YUM, what a great Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe!)....we put the s'mores pieces in....and popped these VERY LOW CALORIE cookies in the oven!

And, then, TA*DA! Yum-O! So delicious. And, for the record....this batter makes a bazillion cookies....and they keep VERY well in an air-tight container!!!

Try them TODAY! You....and all of your friends (cause it makes a bunch!) will be glad you did!!!

Waffle Cupcake bowls!

I reposted this at Trendy Treehouse, but I felt it was worthy of reposting here!!! Yum, I think I'll make these this week!

Ok, so I wish I had taken pictures of everything step-by-step, but I will do my best to recap! These are soooo fun!!!

First off, let me say...they do not "keep" for more than a day...so make them...and eat them! Don't wait!


Take your favorite cake mix, and make according to directions.

When it comes time to pour...line your baking sheet with waffle bowls. Then, pour your cake mix into the waffle bowls, as if they were cupcake liners (but..no liner required)

Bake as directed.

Then...tada! You have your own cake, INSIDE your waffle bowl! Top with some ice cream, and YUM!!!

**Best fun while they are still a little warm! Yum!!!

Enjoy!