Made some awesome pumpkin muffin’s this week. I made the first batch with the recipe below and they were amazing. The cream cheese frosting made it to die for.  However they were so good I could not stop eating them so I had to bring them into work. I decided to make another batch tonight and reduced the fat/calories. I substituted the white flour for wheat flour, used reduced fat butter, and substituted splenda brown sugar for regular. I have to say they taste just as good. I was still tempted to frost them but had to refrain. I highly recommend this recipe for a nice fall treat! Ingredients Muffin Ingredients: 1 cup All-purpose Flour 1/2 cup Sugar 2 teaspoons Baking Powder 1-1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon Ground Ginger 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon Salt 4 Tablespoons Butter, cut into pieces 1 cup (heaping) Pumpkin Puree 1/2 cup Evaporated Milk 1 whole Egg 1-1/2 teaspoon Vanilla 1/2 cup Golden Raisins (optional!) _____ Topping 2 Tablespoons Sugar 1 teaspoon Cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg _____ FOR FROSTING: 1/4 cup Softened Butter 4 ounces, weight Cream Cheese 1/2 pound Powdered Sugar 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Preparation Instructions Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously grease 12 muffin tins. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Cut in butter with two knives or a pastry blender until it is fully incorporated. In a separate bowl, mix together pumpkin, evaporated milk, egg, and vanilla. Pour pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture. Add raisins. Fold gently until mixture is just combined. Pour into a greased muffin pan—batter hardly ever fills all twelve unless you keep it down to 1/2 full. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon-sugar-nutmeg mixture over the top of each unbaked muffin. Bake for 25 minutes. Allow to cool in pan for 15 minutes, then remove and allow to cool. Ice with cream cheese frosting. To make the frosting, mix all ingredients on high until soft and whipped. Spread onto completely cooled muffins, or place into a large pastry bag with a large star tip and go crazy! Store in the fridge, as icing will soften at room temperature. High-res

Made some awesome pumpkin muffin’s this week. I made the first batch with the recipe below and they were amazing. The cream cheese frosting made it to die for.  However they were so good I could not stop eating them so I had to bring them into work. I decided to make another batch tonight and reduced the fat/calories. I substituted the white flour for wheat flour, used reduced fat butter, and substituted splenda brown sugar for regular. I have to say they taste just as good. I was still tempted to frost them but had to refrain. I highly recommend this recipe for a nice fall treat!

Ingredients

  • Muffin Ingredients:
  • 1 cup All-purpose Flour
  • 1/2 cup Sugar
  • 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
  • 1-1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon Ground Ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon Salt
  • 4 Tablespoons Butter, cut into pieces
  • 1 cup (heaping) Pumpkin Puree
  • 1/2 cup Evaporated Milk
  • 1 whole Egg
  • 1-1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
  • 1/2 cup Golden Raisins (optional!)
  • _____
  • Topping
  • 2 Tablespoons Sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
  • _____
  • FOR FROSTING:
  • 1/4 cup Softened Butter
  • 4 ounces, weight Cream Cheese
  • 1/2 pound Powdered Sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously grease 12 muffin tins.

Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Cut in butter with two knives or a pastry blender until it is fully incorporated. In a separate bowl, mix together pumpkin, evaporated milk, egg, and vanilla. Pour pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture. Add raisins. Fold gently until mixture is just combined.

Pour into a greased muffin pan—batter hardly ever fills all twelve unless you keep it down to 1/2 full. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon-sugar-nutmeg mixture over the top of each unbaked muffin.

Bake for 25 minutes. Allow to cool in pan for 15 minutes, then remove and allow to cool. Ice with cream cheese frosting.

To make the frosting, mix all ingredients on high until soft and whipped. Spread onto completely cooled muffins, or place into a large pastry bag with a large star tip and go crazy! Store in the fridge, as icing will soften at room temperature.

camillemoore: Can you believe it is already October? Where has the time gone? The last I remember it was summer and I was laying out on North Avenue Beach. Although fall does have its plus’s it still is just creaping closer to winter and everyone pretty much feels the same way about winter in Chicago. No bueno. But Hello October its good to see you again.

camillemoore:

Can you believe it is already October? Where has the time gone? The last I remember it was summer and I was laying out on North Avenue Beach. Although fall does have its plus’s it still is just creaping closer to winter and everyone pretty much feels the same way about winter in Chicago. No bueno.

But Hello October its good to see you again.

Life and Health I went for a run earlier this morning. You could tell fall has arrived. It wasn’t as sunny as it has previously been. There was that nice fall breeze that isn’t too cold, but just right. You can almost start to see some leaves on the ground. I started to think how the season’s change is somewhat similar to life. Like the four seasons some things in life are very expected. You have a general knowledge of when they will occur. However a lot of unexpected events can occur when it comes to the seasons as well. Some times winter lasts throughout spring, or you get a heat wave a day after it was 30 degrees. That pretty much sums up life. You have your major variables that are very expected with a few random variables thrown into the mix. You can not plan for these random variables… they just happen. And believe me they can happen as fast as that cold front that just hit town. I just found out today that one of my acquaintances mother recently passed away from cancer. My prayers go out to the family. I could not imagine loosing a family member. I had heard her mother was sick but did not know it had gotten that bad. It made me start to think about the unexpected and how you really can not plan for it. As you can tell my mind seems to wander from topic to topic. On my run I was thinking about how it is eventually going to get cold soon and how we can plan for certain events like the four season but other things are just up to mother nature (Oh yea and how the unexpected actually really sucks). My mother is a school nurse and has to see some depressing things daily. She told me something yesterday that really hit home. “If you have your heath you have EVERYTHING.” I thought about that statement this morning while running by Lake Michigan and felt a sense of gratitude. The fact that I was able to wake up and go for a run outside brought a smile to my face. Other people are not that lucky. I am a pretty big advocate of healthy eating and exercise. The problem with society today is that everyone is so caught up on physical appearance and not inner appearance. When you actually stop caring so much about apperience and start looking at it from a perspective of “health” you truly can appreciate your body for what it is made for. Then eventually your appearance will start to match the inside. So this New Year’s or swimsuit season don’t tell yourself you need to lose 20 pounds. You probably will end up failing. Instead tell yourself I want to live a healthier life. I want to be happy and live until I am old and grey. Although some things in life are unexpected as a society we can take small steps to prevent certain illnesses. So the next time you are deciding rather to lay on the couch all day or go for a walk outside please take a moment and ask yourself… What if I didn’t even have a choice? High-res

Life and Health

I went for a run earlier this morning. You could tell fall has arrived. It wasn’t as sunny as it has previously been. There was that nice fall breeze that isn’t too cold, but just right. You can almost start to see some leaves on the ground. I started to think how the season’s change is somewhat similar to life. Like the four seasons some things in life are very expected. You have a general knowledge of when they will occur. However a lot of unexpected events can occur when it comes to the seasons as well. Some times winter lasts throughout spring, or you get a heat wave a day after it was 30 degrees. That pretty much sums up life. You have your major variables that are very expected with a few random variables thrown into the mix. You can not plan for these random variables… they just happen. And believe me they can happen as fast as that cold front that just hit town.

I just found out today that one of my acquaintances mother recently passed away from cancer. My prayers go out to the family. I could not imagine loosing a family member. I had heard her mother was sick but did not know it had gotten that bad. It made me start to think about the unexpected and how you really can not plan for it. As you can tell my mind seems to wander from topic to topic. On my run I was thinking about how it is eventually going to get cold soon and how we can plan for certain events like the four season but other things are just up to mother nature (Oh yea and how the unexpected actually really sucks).

My mother is a school nurse and has to see some depressing things daily. She told me something yesterday that really hit home. “If you have your heath you have EVERYTHING.”

I thought about that statement this morning while running by Lake Michigan and felt a sense of gratitude. The fact that I was able to wake up and go for a run outside brought a smile to my face. Other people are not that lucky. I am a pretty big advocate of healthy eating and exercise. The problem with society today is that everyone is so caught up on physical appearance and not inner appearance. When you actually stop caring so much about apperience and start looking at it from a perspective of “health” you truly can appreciate your body for what it is made for. Then eventually your appearance will start to match the inside. So this New Year’s or swimsuit season don’t tell yourself you need to lose 20 pounds. You probably will end up failing. Instead tell yourself I want to live a healthier life. I want to be happy and live until I am old and grey. Although some things in life are unexpected as a society we can take small steps to prevent certain illnesses.

So the next time you are deciding rather to lay on the couch all day or go for a walk outside please take a moment and ask yourself… What if I didn’t even have a choice?

Top 10 things I love about the Fall

1.) Carmel Apples

2.) Candy Corn

3.) The sound of leaves crunching when I run

4.) The feeling of the autumn breeze

5.) Pumpkin Patches

6.) Pumpkin Pie

7.) Apple Cider

8.) Fall Candles

9.) Halloween

10.) Vivid colors of all the trees

Can you think of any more?

I decided that this nice fall weather calls for some nice fall boots. I also decided that I needed them last night right after work. Go figure. On my walk home I stopped at the lovely Steve Madden store and a pair actually called out to me. They whispered “Buy Me.” So I did. They actually sold out of the brown ones because they are so popular. I did not want to take them off my feet. So they are now being shipped to me later next week. Can’t wait until we actually reunite. : )

I decided that this nice fall weather calls for some nice fall boots. I also decided that I needed them last night right after work. Go figure. On my walk home I stopped at the lovely Steve Madden store and a pair actually called out to me. They whispered “Buy Me.” So I did. They actually sold out of the brown ones because they are so popular. I did not want to take them off my feet. So they are now being shipped to me later next week. Can’t wait until we actually reunite. : )

http://www.joybauer.com/healthy-recipes/gingerspiced-pumpkin-muffins.aspx

You wake up in the morning reach for your favorite sweater, throw on a pair of jeans, and grab your favorite boots. On the way to work you can smell the famous Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte dancing through the city streets. The leaves are changing colors faster than your first childhood water color painting. Have you guessed it?  Yes folks it is fall again! You now can take a deep breathe and let that cold autumn air fill your lungs. It is that time to visit the local pumpkin patch and pick some apples. Grab your best Halloween costume and hit the town.

Since as you can tell I am in the fall mood. I am also trying to eat healthier this fall. I found an awesome recipe for low fat Pumpkin Muffins. Find the receipe below. Grab a bowel and get baking!

Ingredients

  • cooking spray
  • 1/2 cup(s) sugar, brown (packed)
  • 1 1/2 cup(s) flour, whole-wheat
  • 2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
  • 1 teaspoon ginger, ground
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg(s)
  • 1 cup(s) milk, fat-free
  • 1/2 cup(s) pumpkin, puree
  • 1/4 cup(s) oil, canola
  • 1/2 teaspoon orange peel (zest), grated

PREPARATION

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly spray 12 muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the brown sugar, flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, and salt.

3. In a small bowl, beat the egg for 30 seconds, until foamy. Add the milk, pumpkin, oil, and orange zest. Beat well. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture, and stir until the flour mixture is moistened.

4. Fill the muffin cups three-quarters full with batter. Bake for 15 minutes, until the tops spring back when you touch them with a finger. Turn out muffins onto a wire rack to cool. Once cool, you can freeze the muffins, tightly wrapped, for up to 2 months.