easy pumpkin muffins...domestic weakness style

Told you it was simple!

 Sometimes you just need to bake something. Wait, did I just say that? Yes, apparently fall makes me want to bake all things apple and pumpkin related.

My boss always has the ingredients for easy pumpkin muffins on hand and I've tweaked the recipe enough that I now like them too. Plus, it makes the house smell amazing.

This is my version of the pinterest rage "only 2 ingredient, only 2 WW points etc muffins." These are the same idea... but SO. MUCH. BETTER.

I leave things like this for my boss. yep.

Easy Pumpkin Muffins

• 1 Yellow cake mix
• 1 15 ounce can Pumpkin puree
• 1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon (heaping)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground Nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon (or less) ground Cloves
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with adorable paper liners. In large bowl, mix cake mix, pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and vanilla until smooth. Spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes (until a toothpick can be inserted into the middle of a muffin and comes out completely clean). Enjoy!
*Note- You can even jazz the muffins up by adding chocolate chips!

The End.

W has been known to sneak downstairs early in the morning, find a stool, climb up on top of the counter, and eat several before anyone else is up! If you add the chocolate chips, it becomes pretty obvious who's been sneaking muffins! That tip was free. You're welcome.

apples and spice and everything nice

Confession- I'm not much of a morning person and I'm even less of an oatmeal gal. But occasionally, I like to do something nice for my family. Like make breakfast for mom on Mother's day. (Yeah, I make it to family breakfast on Mother's day and Christmas.) I found something on pinterest that lets me do something nice for my family and not have to get up early! Apple cinnamon crockpot oatmeal! I really dislike oatmeal, but this is good stuff and super easy!
 

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal 

You will need:

• 2-3 sliced and diced apples (you don't have to peel them)
• 1/3 cup brown sugar (I use less)
• 1 heaping tsp cinnamon (seriously, HEAPING)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 heaping cups oatmeal (yes, heaping again)
• 4 cups water
• a crockpot

Prince keeping me company during my random late night cooking escapades

While the original recipe says to just throw in the apples, they don't get cooked enough for some members of my family...AHEM. So first, place all the apples in a skillet with 1/2 cup water and cook on med-hi heat until soft. Then, place the cooked apples (and what's left of the water) in the bottom of the crockpot. Next, pour in the brown sugar and cinnamon. Place the 2 cups of oatmeal on top of this. Finally, pour in 4 cups of water. Do NOT stir. For some reason this step is important. Cook on low overnight for 8-9 hours. Don't forget to plug in the crockpot! Stir well before serving.


I usually make this around 10:30 or 11 pm and it is ready in time for the early risers by 7 AM. If you are not getting up with the birds, leave a note out with direction on when the oatmeal will be ready and a reminder to stir before serving. And the great thing is, you can keep it on warm for a while and so it's still hot when everyone else wakes up (whenever that may be).

not your mama's lasagna

I don't get to cook much at home, but when I do, I want it to be amazing! So I usually go all out and buy the EXACT ingredients the recipe calls for, no matter how extreme, obscure, or expensive. It's one of my quirks.

Well, last fall I found this amazing recipe for lasagna and I followed the directions. It was a huge hit in my house. Considering it had spinach, mushrooms, and ground turkey in it, I was surprised. My dad is more of a beef and potatoes kind of guy, and even he raved about it!
 

 Since then, I have made little tweaks and changes, making the recipe my own. And now it is my signature dish. Oh and it tastes even better the next day! (if there is any left!)

Well, apparently it is so great, my dad asked me to make a dish of it for him to take to his company's state meeting. Oh, and my family requested I make another dish just for them!

So, I doubled the recipe and made two lasagna's before heading to work.
Here's my ADHD friendly recipe with a few pictures.

NOT YOUR MOM’S LASAGNA

• 1 box lasagna noodles
• 1 jar Classico sweet basil sauce
• 1 lb. ground turkey
• 3 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
• 6 cups fresh baby spinach, washed
• 1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
• 15 oz part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup skim milk
• 1 Tbsp fresh basil chopped*
• 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning*
• 1 tsp garlic powder*
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes*
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper*
• 1-2 cups finely grated reduced-fat mozzarella 

In a large sauté pan brown the ground turkey over medium heat until almost cooked through.  Add the mushrooms and let cook for about 5 minutes.  Add the crushed tomatoes, Classico sauce, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, crushed red pepper flakes, salt and pepper; stir to combine.  Let simmer for at least 5 minutes.  Whisk together the ricotta, milk, Parmesan, egg, and fresh basil.  Remove the tomato sauce from the heat and layer:

• Just a little bit (about 1/3 cup) of the tomato sauce on the bottom;
• 1/3 of the lasagna sheets;
• 1/3 of the ricotta mixture;
• 2 cups of the fresh spinach;
• 1/3 of the tomato mixture;
• NEXT LAYER
• 1/3 of the lasagna sheets;
• 1/3 of the ricotta mixture;
• 2 cups of the fresh spinach;
• 1/3 of the tomato mixture;
• NEXT LAYER
• 1/3 of the lasagna sheets;
• 1/3 of the ricotta mixture;
• 2 cups of the fresh spinach;
• 1/3 of the tomato mixture;
• Cover the top with mozzarella cheese!

Cover pan with foil and stick it in the fridge until dinnertime.  To bake, preheat oven to 375.  Tent foil (so the melted cheese doesn’t stick to it), bake at 375 for about 1 hour, then remove foil and let it bake another 10 minutes or so until the top is bubbly and brown.  Let it sit for about 10 minutes before serving.  Enjoy!

*Add more or less to taste.

NOTE: If using oven-ready lasagna noodles, omit Classico sauce.

NOTE 2: Wheat lasagna noodles can be used to make it even healthier. However, the taste and texture will change slightly.

Because I was working I wasn't home when the Lasagna came out of the oven for an amazing after picture. But believe me, if I can make this lower fat, healthier lasagna, and my family loves it, then it must be tasty!

"People who love to eat are always the best people." -Julia Child

I have to agree with you, Ms. Child. They most certainly are!