Oh, hi! Nice to see you again! So, um, I guess I haven’t posted much recently. I blinked and 11 months just disappeared! Isn’t it funny how that happens? Hungry for some Iced Pumpkin Cookies?

You know what else is funny? All of the plans I had for life after baby. One of my plans was to continue blogging regularly, maybe even more!

After all, now I had a new way to relate to readers. I was going to blog all about the meals I was making, the homemade baby food my baby was going to love to eat, the DIY projects I was going to start, maybe I would even write about the cloth diapers I obsessed over my entire pregnancy, and the way I reorganized my life to fit both new mommy me and old me. Some of my favorite blogs are written by moms! They seem to be able to do it all!

The Best Iced Pumpkin Cookies

But the truth is… I haven’t quite found the way to reorganize my life to seamlessly fit new mommy me and old me. It’s a work in progress.

The truth is, I make dinner, but not every night. Sometimes the recipes are new but a lot of the time they’re old standbys. And my baby didn’t like homemade baby food (or really any baby food, she preferred baby led weaning). And DIY projects? Ain’t nobody got time for that. And I love cloth diapers. I really, really do. But I went back to work in January and now only use them part time. And blogging? Yikes!

But recently I got a little nudge. The cooking board I am on decided to bring back recipe swaps and I thought it would be a great opportunity for me to see if I can manage to fit in a little old me. I’m happy to say that other than a minor hiccup (where I wrote an entire post and WordPress randomly decided to eat it), I managed!

My assigned blog was Dough See Dough, run by Jenni. To say that I spent a LOT of time scouring her pages for the perfect “back to blogging” recipe is an understatement. So many things caught my eye. These Chinese BBQ Pork Buns. This Turkey & Rice Taco Skillet. These Snickerdoodles… So what would I choose?

Clearly these delicious Iced Pumpkin Cookies won. After all, ’tis the season! And what better way to get back to blogging than with pumpkin?

I think these cookies were really a great choice. I made very few changes, only adding dairy (Jenni’s version was dairy free!) and substituting some white whole wheat flour for all purpose flour. Because doing that makes me feel like I’m making a healthy cookie (just humor me) that I can eat for breakfast (and I have). Hopefully you enjoy them just as much as I have!

Iced Pumpkin Cookies

Ingredients
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 1/4 cup white whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups confectioners’ sugar
2-3 Tbsp milk
1 Tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare baking sheet by lining with parchment paper or a silpat baking sheet.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl then add the pumpkin puree, egg, and vanilla and mix until well combined. Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Using a cookie scoop, place the dough 2 inches apart on a prepared baking sheet. Wet the palm of your hand and gently press down on the tops of the dough mounds to gently flatten and smooth. (Wetting your hand is to keep the super sticky dough from sticking to your hand) Bake for 13-15 minutes. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

While the cookies are cooling, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, 2 tablespoons of milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Add the additional tablespoon of milk as needed to reach a good drizzling consistency. Drizzle over the Iced Pumpkin Cookies and allow to harden a bit before storing.

Jenni notes that the cookies can become too soft if stored in a sealed container. I found that layering the cookies between sheets of parchment paper and placing in a tupperware but not completely sealing the lid was the perfect storage method (though the addition of whole wheat flour may have made them just a touch less “wet” and easier to store).

If you like the Iced Pumpkin Cookies check out these other Pumpkin Sweet Treats.

Adapted from Dough See Dough, originally from Allrecipes

Just because, here is my sweet, energetic, fun, wild, beautiful little TODDLER!! Rocking her pumpkin wear.

For this party we all put our own spin on the same recipe, featuring Stonyfield Greek Yogurt. I am a HUGE fan of cooking with Greek yogurt, I often use it as substitute for sour cream in recipes and as a topping. I’ve even used it to replace the mayonnaise in a cole slaw recipe! It’s a great way to make some of my favorite recipes a little bit healthier without making a sacrifice in taste.

The recipe chosen for this Virtual Cooking Party was Spinach Yogurt Pesto Pasta. I love pesto because it is always so fresh tasting and it’s packed with layers of flavor. This recipe is no exception. I even told Jessica that I would happily just eat spoonfuls of this pesto for dinner. But, since I live with a meat and potatoes man, I used pasta AND chicken. The chicken seemed to grab onto just the right amount of the subtle lemon flavor. And as it turns out, the swirls of the rotini pasta made perfect pockets for holding on to the delicious pesto. I thought the Greek yogurt was the perfect way to add creaminess to the pesto. The slight tang of the yogurt perfectly balanced the fresh basil and powerful garlic. To help make dinner a little more economical, I substituted walnuts for pine nuts. All in all, dinner was a huge success! Big thanks to Jessica for bringing a fresh new recipe to my kitchen! Be sure to stop by her blog to see how the other party-goers put their own spin on this recipe!

Chicken and Spinach Yogurt Pesto Pasta

Ingredients

4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups baby spinach leaves
3/4 cup tightly packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup toasted walnuts*
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup plain Stonyfield Greek yogurt
Salt and pepper to taste
1 large or 2 small chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
13.25 ounces whole wheat pasta

*To toast the walnuts, add them to a dry skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally for a few minutes, or until they become fragrant (the nose knows). Careful not to over-toast them. Burnt walnuts are bitter!

Directions

Combine garlic, spinach, basil, pine nuts, lemon juice and zest in the bowl of a food processor or a blender and process until finely chopped, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice. With the motor running on low, add olive oil in a slow, steady stream. Scrape mixture into a small bowl and stir in Parmesan cheese and yogurt. Season with salt and pepper. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for up to 3 days, until ready to use.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta until al dente, following the directions on the box. Reserve a 1/2 cup of cooking liquid and drain the remaining liquid.

While the pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Add the chicken and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the chicken turns golden brown and is cooked through, turning meat as need to cook evenly. Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and toss with the yogurt pesto. If pasta looks too dry, add reserved cooking liquid, 1 tablespoon at a time, to moisten. Garnish with extra lemon zest, if desired, and serve hot.

Adapted from My Baking Heart

My Top 3 Favorite Savory Dishes from 2013

This Slow Cooker Quinoa Chicken Chili became one of my new favorite meals after making it last January. It is so, so easy to throw together and it’s filling AND it’s good for you! I love it so much I even froze some before the baby was born, so now I know it freezes well!

2013 was all about the easy weeknight dinner. My second favorite dish is Shells and Cheese with Kielbasa and Peas. This is a meal we have at least once every few weeks, in fact, I think I could make this meal in my sleep.

It might seem weird to include something as ordinary as Chicken and Spinach Stuffed Shells in my favorites for 2013, but these were just so delicious. After devouring this meal the first time I was so glad that I had made enough to freeze. And just a few days after the baby was born I was even more thankful to have this delicious dish to just throw in the oven! Yum! Simple and delicious.

My Top 3 Favorite Sweet Treats from 2012

There is nothing about this ice cream that I do not like. It’s sweet and creamy with chocolatey crunch. Winner winner! Cookies and Cream Ice Cream

Once again I have to toot my horn and include my birthday cake in my  top 3. I put a lot of thought into my birthday cake each year and I usually make something really, really indulgent. This year was no exception. Incredibly rich, indulgent, over-the-top, delicious, Tuxedo Layered Cheesecake.

Choosing a third sweet treat was especially hard this year. I had a major sweet tooth during my pregnancy and it didn’t really go away after she was born. But, I think this Peanut Butter Coffee Cake with Chocolate Chip Streusel is pretty high up on my list. I’m drooling just thinking about it!

Well that’s that! With pregnancy, moving, moving again, finishing my bachelors program, and adjusting to a new baby, it was a relatively quiet year, but I am still proud of the recipes I was able to share and I hope you enjoy them as much as I have. Thank you for visiting, commenting, sharing, pinning, and making these recipes throughout the year! Hope you and yours have a happy and healthy 2014!!

With all of the major life changes we have had in last year, this poor little blog has been terribly neglected. Usually when I sit down to write my yearly recap I have a pretty good idea of what the top recipes will be. This year I had NO CLUE. Some of the most popular reader favorites were a little surprising, but that’s a good thing! It’s fun to see how reader trends correlate to my own favorite recipes. So let’s jump right in! Today I’ll share the top five reader favorites! Tomorrow I’ll share my favorites!

Top 3 Reader Favorites of 2013

Homemade Italian Dressing –

I don’t know why this one surprises, I guess I just didn’t expect a simple salad dressing to be such a hit! But it is deliciously easy so I really shouldn’t be surprised! Having a go-to homemade Italian dressing was a lifesaver in my first trimester when only zippy and tangy salad dressings sounded good!

Spicy, Sticky, Sweet, Asian Meatballs –

I was really excited to see that this was so popular with my readers. This was a recipe I was extremely proud of. We love the way they taste and I love that they are still relatively good for you and easy to make. Triple winner in my book.

Avocado, Bacon, and Cheese {ABC} Puffs

Another super simple recipe. Perfect for football Sundays. With the playoffs coming up I won’t be surprised to see even more pins and hits on this recipe!

Things have been so quiet around here and I would like to apologize, but since I’ve been spending my time cuddling the world’s cutest baby instead of posting I’m kind of sorry not sorry. One day I hope to be able to better balance baby cuddling time with food blogging time, but until then, can I make it up to you by sharing a picture of the world’s cutest baby?

Are still trying to decide what kind of cookies to leave out for Santa? Can I make a suggestion? How about these Giant Chewy Oatmeal M&M Cookies? They are soft, chewy, giant, with the perfect touch of crunchy M&M chocolate. The oatmeal isn’t overwhelming, but it adds a nice texture to the cookies.

Giant Chewy Oatmeal M&M Cookies

Ingredients
1 cup white whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup old fashioned oats
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp milk
1 cup M&M candies, plus a few extra for finishing

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare baking sheet by lining with parchment paper or a silpat baking sheet.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, oats, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl then add the egg, vanilla, and milk and mix until well combined. Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Use a spatula to stir in the M&Ms.

Roll a quarter cup of dough into a ball  and place 3 inches apart on a prepared baking sheet. Bake for 9-11 minutes, until barely golden brown around the edges.

Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for 3 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.

Adapted from recipe as seen here, originally found on Apple a Day

Usually around this time of year I’m posting a week of Christmas cookies. This year it’s been a little harder for me to organize my holiday baking, so I decided not to commit to a full week, instead I’ll just post things as I have time to make them!

These delicious little cookies from Sally’s Baking Addiction popped up on my Facebook feed last week and the timing was perfect. I don’t usually have boxed cake mix but I was going to make something for Thanksgiving that called for it so I bought some. I never got around to making what I had originally planned so there it was, just sitting in the pantry waiting to be made into these cookies.

What’s cool about these cookies is that they taste like a cupcake but have the chewy texture of a cookie. It’s the best of both worlds! Plus, you can use festive sprinkles. Who doesn’t like sprinkles? And this would be a great recipe to make with kids. You don’t even need a standing mixer (though you can totally use one if you want!).

The only change I made from the original recipe is to use less sprinkles. The recipe called for 1 cup of sprinkles and that seemed like a lot. In the end I used closer to 1/3 of a cup and I felt like they were plenty sprinkle-y. Below I’ll use my measurement and you can just add more if you’d like. Also, I used my medium cookie scoop and didn’t smooth it out at all before baking so my cookies look a little rougher than Sally’s, next time I’ll roll them into balls instead of using the scoop.

Confetti Cake Batter Cookies

Ingredients
1 18.25 oz box vanilla/white cake mix
1 tsp baking powder
2 large eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup sprinkles*

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cake mix and baking powder. In a large glass measuring cup, whisk together the eggs, oil, and vanilla. Add to the dry ingredients and stir well to combine. Add the sprinkles and carefully stir in to the dough.

Place 1-inch rolled balls of dough about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 9 minutes, making sure they do not start to brown! Allow to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve with a cold glass of milk.
Source: Sally’s Baking Addiction

The big week is here! My menu is finalized, most of the groceries have been bought, and I’ve even started my food prep! One thing I have discovered since hosting my first Thanksgiving 2 years ago is that things can quickly go from calm to chaotic. I don’t know if it’s just me, but by the time I’m ready to get dinner on the table, all kitchen organization has gone out the window. I’m trying to find the last remaining inches of counter space to carve the turkey, gravy is usually bubbling over on the stove, and all of my potholders have magically disappeared. So each year it becomes that much more important for me to have a) a time line and b) as much prepared ahead of time as possible, even if it means putting out-of-town visitors to work!

This weekend my mom and sister came to visit (since they are sadly not able to come on Thanksgiving day). We had a lot of fun hanging out and playing with the baby, but I still had turkey day prep on my mind. At one point we got on the conversation of our favorite Thanksgiving dishes and my sister said that her favorite was Cranberry Relish. I have never made it before so I didn’t know how far in advance it could be made, she told me the she usually likes it best after it has sat for a few days. So I decided to put her right to work! She whipped up this relish in no time at all. That beautiful cranberry red is reason enough for this to make it’s way to your Thanksgiving table, but it also tastes amazing. It’s a perfect combination of sweet and tart. And it’s crazy easy!

Cranberry Relish

Ingredients
1 orange, quartered and seeds removed
1 12-ounce bag fresh cranberries
1/2-3/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt
Orange Zest for serving, optional

Directions
Add the oranges (peel and everything!) to the bowl of the food processor one at a time, pulsing until each orange is broken down. Add the cranberries and pulse until it has reached your desired consistency. Transfer to a mixing bowl and stir in 1/2 cup of sugar and a pinch of salt. Taste and add more sugar as needed. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Original source unknown, as made from my sister’s memory

True story – I used to not like sweet potatoes. Well, I thought I didn’t like sweet potatoes. What I discovered in my twenties is that I didn’t like sweet sweet potatoes. You know, the ones that look more like dessert on the Thanksgiving table. Then we were invited to a friend’s house for dinner and they were serving sweet potatoes. Not wanting to be rude I took a few and much to my surprise – I loved them. Roasted chunks of sweet potato drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with salt, pepper, and rosemary. It was like a perfect marriage of flavors.

Nowadays I like all forms of sweet potatoes, even the sweet ones I didn’t like when I was younger, but I still have a special spot in my heart for the flavor combination that changed everything. So when I was brainstorming new ways to feature sweet potatoes at Thanksgiving, I knew this would be a winner. I am super happy with the way these mashed sweet potatoes turned out. Soft and fluffy with the yummy flavors that I love. So, if you’re looking for a way to savory up your Thanksgiving sweet potatoes, look no further!

Rosemary and Olive Oil Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2-1 tsp kosher salt
2-3 Tbsp milk
1 Tbsp olive oil
1-2 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped*
Fresh cracked black pepper to taste
Extra olive oil for drizzling

*I use a lot of dry herbs but this is one of those situations when fresh is a must!

Directions
Steam sweet potatoes until fork tender. Add the kosher salt (start with smaller amount and add the rest later if you think it needs it). Using a hand mixer on the lowest speed, start to “mash” the potatoes for about 30-45 seconds. Add the milk and olive oil and mix until it reaches your desired consistency. Alternatively you can use a hand masher for the entire process. Stir in the fresh rosemary and black. Serve hot with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle of fresh cracked pepper and kosher salt.

*The recipe as written yields 3-4 servings. If you use this recipe for Thanksgiving you will probably want to double it!

**You will notice that I use a lot of ranges in this recipe, that’s because you MUST do taste and texture tests along the way. I can not stress enough how important it is to taste as you go when you are making any kind of mashed potato! What only took 2 tablespoons of milk one time may take 3 tablespoons the next time because of variations in the potatoes. Taste, taste, taste, and taste! Also, please don’t whip and beat your potatoes into a sticky gummy mess just because a recipe says to mix for 45 seconds. Watch the potatoes breakdown and mix just until you get your perfect consistency.

So here’s a secret, I almost hate to give it away, you know those recipes on the back of bags/cans/boxes? Yeah, those ones that people tend to ignore because surely a simple back-of-the-box recipe can’t be as good as a fancy schmancy recipe from a blog or cookbook – except, maybe it can be! Maybe the people producing the foods inside the bag/box/can really know how to highlight it. Makes sense, right? It reminds me of one of my favorite episodes of Friends, the one where Monica really wants Phoebe’s Grandmother’s chocolate chip cookie recipe. Turns out that fancy schmancy recipe was created by “Nestle Tollhous-ah”. The same one from the bag of chocolate chips.

With that sentiment in mind I decided to go for it and try the recipe from the back of the can. Is this an earth shattering original recipe? Absolutely not. You don’t even need to visit my blog to find (though I did make one small change). But it does deserve to be highlighted. It produced an amazingly creamy pie filling that did not have a canyon crack going through the middle. A pumpkin pie that was a real man-pleaser. So there. Secret’s out. This is not my recipe, it belongs to Libby. I hope you don’t mind that I am sharing it here.

Classic Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients
1 9-inch pie crust*, unbaked
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 15 oz can LIBBY’S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
2 large eggs
1 12 oz can evaporated milk

*I used this pie crust recipe

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place the pie crust dough in a 9-inch pie pan and prepare the edges as desired, set aside.

In the bowl of a standing mixer, mix together the sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. Add the pumpkin and mix until well combined. Add the eggs and beat until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low, slowly add the evaporated milk and mix until well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Carefully pour the pie filling into the unbaked pie crust. Bake for 15 minutes at 425, then reduce the oven temperature to 350 and continue baking for 40-50 minutes, or until the pie is no longer jiggly and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean (mine took 48 minutes). Place the pie on a cooling rack and cool for at least 2 hours before slicing. Serve with whipped cream.

Very slightly adapted from the back of the LIBBY’S® 100% Pure Pumpkin can

Have you started your Thanksgiving menu plan yet? Are you putting it off until the last minute? Have you already had it planned for weeks? We just decided that we are staying home and hosting this year, so I am just starting my planning. Thankfully (pun intended) I’ve hosted Thanksgiving twice now so I know what works and what doesn’t. Since I’m not sure how the cooking will go with the baby, I’m going to stick to mostly tried and true recipes. The few new things I will be adding will be tested in the next few weeks. If they work I’ll be sharing them here! One thing I wanted to add this year was a new pumpkin dessert. (Because you know I don’t have enough pumpkin recipes). And this cake is making the cut.

This Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Spiced Cream Cheese Glaze is so good. The kind of good that leaves you standing over the kitchen sink eating “just one more” sliver to, you know, “even things out”. Because you can’t have a slightly crooked slice… I really had to laugh when just 15 minutes after I snuck another piece I noticed Jesse lingering at the kitchen sink. When I asked him if he was eating bundt cake he had a totally busted look. It can’t be helped. This cake is delicious.

Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Spiced Cream Cheese Glaze

Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup canola oil
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin

1/4 cup (4 Tbsp) butter, melted
3 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup confectioners sugar
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla
1-2 Tbsp milk

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a bundt pan by spraying well with non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside. In the bowl of a standing mixer beat together sugar and canola oil. Add the eggs, one at a time, and vanilla, beating well and scraping down sides of the bowl between each addition. Alternate adding the dry ingredients in 3 additions and the pumpkin in 2 additions (starting and ending with dry ingredients), beating until combined and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Bake for 60-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the thickest part comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before flipping out onto a wire cooking rack.

While the cake is cooling, add the melted butter and softened cream cheese to a clean mixing bowl. Beat until smooth and creamy. Sift together the confectioners sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and salt, and beat until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and 1 tablespoon of milk and beat. Add additional milk as needed to get a pourable consistency.

Once the cake is cool, pour the cream cheese glaze over the top of the bundt cake. You can use a spatula to encourage it drip down the sides, if needed.

Cake Source: Alida’s Kitchen, originally from Taste of Home

Glaze: Sunny Side Up Original