Super easy simple pumpkin muffins

In honor of Pi day on Friday I made a pumpkin pie.(recipe coming soon) The can of pumpkin I had was a double size so I had leftovers. What better to do on the weekend than make pumpkin muffins!!! I saw such a simple recipe on Pinterest I couldn't pass it up. Especially with a baby almost here simple recipes are best! They were so moist and delicious! The texture doesn't yield the prettiest looking muffins but they make up for it in taste.

All you need is a can (15 oz) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 box of cake mix (I used yellow but I think that spice cake in the future would be delicious)
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup (or more) chocolate chips (optional)


Preheat oven to 350.
With a hand mixer beat pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice and cake mix until well mixed.
Stir in chocolate chips.
Spoon mixture into a greased cupcake pan.
Bake for 18-20 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.

Enjoy!!

Snickerdoodle bars

I've recently gotten into cookie butter, hard when there are no trader joes nearby, but I stocked up on my last trip a couple of weeks ago. I came across this recipe on another girl's blog and decided to give it a try and also since that'd be a little less cookie butter I eat with a spoon.  Here is the link to her recipe: Cookie Butter Snickerdoodle bars
I pretty much followed her recipe except I only used all purpose flour. My whole house smells absolutely wonderful. For dessert I heated up a bar and topped it with cookie dough ice cream!

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 Please check out her pictures, they are much better quality. I was too excited to wait very long and the first one I cut was pretty mushy and gooey. I will allow the rest to set longer before I attempt to cook but the smell was too good I had to try!

Sweet treats

Since it's not Tuesday, it's not Tuesday treats but here are some delicious treats I've had recently!! Indulge in your sweet tooth, especially with valentines coming up.  These are mostly holiday ones so I've got some other treats coming soon!

 Oreo cheesecake!!!

 Peppermint bark cheesecake, yes please!

"Sweet" salad

This "salad" has plenty of names, most commonly ambrosia salad and you can find all sorts of variations. Note: it's a fruit salad, no lettuce required! I remember it from my childhood and wanted to try it out again. I think if I made it again I'd add some coconut and/or maraschino cherries. However, it was delicious and probably not very nutritional.  Even my husband who thought it must be some weird pregnancy thing admitted it tasted way better than he imagined.

Ingredients:
1 package instant pistachio pudding
1 can (20oz) crushed pineapple
1 8oz container frozen whipped topping, thawed (I used fat free)
3 cups (or however much you'd like) miniature marshmallows (I used the colored ones)

Directions:
Mix pudding mix and pineapple together. (I left the juice in although some people drain it) leaving the juice helped mix it together and keep it fresh.
Fold in whipped topping and marshmallows and mix together.
Let chill in the fridge until ready to serve.

You can also add mandarin oranges, nuts such as walnuts and like I said coconut or maraschino cherries.

Enjoy!!!

Super Bowl bean dip

If you're looking for something delicious to share during the Super Bowl, this dip is it! I combined a couple different recipes I found on Pinterest and came up with this. You could also have salsa on the side to add some spice.

Ingredients:
1 8oz package cream cheese (I used fat free)
1 cup sour cream (I used fat free and added an extra 1/2 cup)
1 16 oz can refried beans
2 tbsp taco seasoning
1 8oz block of sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions:
Blend cream cheese, sour cream, taco seasoning and beans together in a bowl.
Spoon half the mixture into crock pot.
Add half the cheese.
Spoon the rest of the mixture and add the remaining cheese on top.
Cook on low in the crock pot for 2-4 hours (cheese will be melted)
Serve with chips and enjoy!!!!

 I didn't get a good pic of the finished product since my husband dug right in and ate a ton!! However,  the picture does not do justice, it tasted way better than it looks!!

Personal Chicken Pot Pies

I think I saw this on a commercial, then looked it up Pillsbury.com. It was such a simple recipe and turned out delicious! I'll definitely be trying this again and maybe making variations as well!! It also looked really nice when presented so it could be a fun party food.
Adapted from the link above

Ingredients:
Grands Pillsbury rolls (one can or 8 biscuits)
1 cup diced cooked chicken
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cups thawed mixed veggies.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.
Flatten biscuits and then press into muffin tin. Make sure there is some dough coming over the sides.
In a bowl mix soup, veggies and chicken well.
Spoon mixture into flattened biscuits. Press the sides of the biscuits together.
Cook for about 15-20 minutes. My biscuits were becoming brown so I took them out a little earlier than the original time said.

*for an extra flavor sprinkle cheddar cheese on biscuits about five minutes before you are finished cooking.

Christmas Candy

It's been far to long since I've made a post. I guess for 2014 I want to try to post more frequently. Anyways I came across this recipe on Pinterest and it was called "Christmas crack." I can't find it (of course) so the credit goes to that person, not me. This treat is so sweet and delicious with the perfect amount of crunch. I like leaving it in the fridge and munching on it whenever I open the door....

Ingredients:
Saltines (I used a sleeve and a half)
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 sticks butter, unsalted
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups chocolate chips

Directions:
Place tin foil on a cookie sheet and spray well with cooking spray.
Place a single layer of saltines, covering entire cookie sheet. Set aside
Melt butter and brown sugar on the stove over medium heat. Stir frequently and do not let it burn!
Once mixture is ready, remove from heat. Add vanilla and mix well.
Pour mixture over saltines covering all of them evenly.
Bake at 350 for 5-7 minutes. It should be pretty bubbly.
Let cool for 5 minutes. Pour chocolate chips over evenly. Let sit about 5 minutes. With a spatula spread the chocolate evenly across the saltines. Let cool, break and enjoy!!!
If you need to cool it quicker you could always freeze or refrigerate. I let mine sit on the counter for about an hour while I made other treats, then I broke it into pieces and kept in a container in the fridge.