Pumpkin Banana Muffins

We love pumpkin - muffins especially. Even the baby has had a few of these yummy fall treats. I found this recipe in its original form here, and have modified it for our family. My husband can not have wheat, so I used a gluten free baking mix instead of the flour called for in the original recipe. I plan to experiment with adding more pumpkin next time I make these muffins. The next time I make them...as in...today!

Pumpkin Banana Muffins

1 1/2 c gluten free baking mix (or 3/4 c all purpose flour & 1/2 c whole wheat flour)
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 c pureed pumpkin (canned is fine)
2 Tbsp butter, softened
1/2 c light brown sugar
1 large egg white
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325°. Line or grease a 12 muffin cup pan. Combine flour, baking soda, pumpkin spice, cinnamon and salt. Set aside. In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg & egg whites, bananas, pumpkin and vanilla, mix until thick. Add dry ingredients until combined - do not over mix. Pour batter into muffin cups and bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Makes 12 delicious muffins.

This recipe was shared at The Grocery Cart Challenge and Mommy's Kitchen!

The Happiness Project: Autumn

This week's blissful moment? Taking my 10 month old to the park and letting him crunch around in the piles of leaves. Barefoot.

Share your happy moment, too!

Menu Plan Monday

Well how about that - I am posting a menu on an actual Monday! We stayed pretty busy all weekend, taking lots of long walks and soaking up the autumn air. It was wonderful! Something that was not quite so wonderful? Some of the new meals we tried last week. Either my cooking was way off for the week, or the recipes were just blah. I'm leaning towards the former - some weeks are just like that! This week, we are sticking with some tried & true favorites. No duds on the menu this week!

Monday: Nacho Pie, green salad, tortilla chips, fruit

Tuesday: Split Pea Soup, biscuits, fruit

Wednesday: Spaghetti & meatballs, spinach, green beans, fruit

Thursday: English Muffin mini pizzas (with leftover marinara sauce & meatballs), spinach, fruit

Friday: Homemade fish sticks (carryover meal), broccoli w/ cheese, fruit

Saturday:

Breakfast: Breakfast Burritos (egg, turkey bacon & cheese)

Lunch: Broccoli Cheese Soup, toast, fruit

Dinner: Cheeseburgers, oven fries, baked beans, fruit

Sunday:

Breakfast: french toast

Lunch: Broccoli Cheese soup, toast, fruit

Dinner: Beef & Bean tostadas, spanish rice, corn, fruit

For more great menu plans, click here!

Flashback Friday

Cassady has always loved animals - particularly cats. Unfortunately for her, I am super allergic to them, so she has to love on them away from home. Grandpa & Grandma had two kitties that she loved chasing (read: terrorizing) when she was 18 months. Today's picture is from November 2001. It was Thanksgiving - note her little camo dress paired with Nike's. We know how to do fashion!

The Happiness Project: Pumpkins

This is my nearly 10 month old baby boy, Jack. We spent Monday at the local pumpkin patch to celebrate our 2 year wedding anniversary. We picked the patch for our celebration because that is where we had our wedding reception. I have always loved the pumpkin patch. It is my favorite place to go. The smells, the sounds, the yummy snacks (I must confess here that Jack had his first taste of funnel cake - which he loved) the hayrack ride, the spook shack..oh my goodness I could go on all day! Getting to share it with my little "Jack-o-Lantern" made it even better. It was almost happiness overload :)

Speaking of happiness overload...

Check it out!

Menu Plan Monday

We have finally made it to October! I love fall. Love it. The smells, the colors, the pumpkin treats...it's just fabulous all around. This week I am especially excited for autumn's arrival because Bill and I are celebrating our 2 year anniversary by taking the baby to the pumpkin patch! I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve today, because we are going tomorrow and I can not wait! Not only do I get to go to my favorite place, but I also get a break from cooking dinner tomorrow night. We are ordering Indian food for dinner for the two of us. Cassady is not a fan of Indian cuisine, so she will be having one of her favorites - pizza rolls! I think it works out well for everyone. And now, without further ado, here's what else we'll be eating this week!

Monday:
adults: Indian food from our favorite restaurant
Cassady: pizza rolls

Tuesday: Mexican Lasagna (recipe to be posted), spanish rice, corn & fruit

Wednesday: Potato Soup (recipe to be posted), green salad, fruit

Thursday: Runza Skillet, fruit

Friday: leftover buffet

Saturday:
Breakfast: Bacon & egg breakfast burritos, fruit
Lunch: leftover buffet
Dinner: Homemade fish sticks(carryover from last week), broccoli w/cheese & fruit

Sunday:
Breakfast: Broccoli & Cheese Omelet Cups (recipe to be posted), fruit
Lunch: leftover buffet
Dinner: Chicken Quesadillas, spanish rice, fruit

For more fabulous menu ideas, click here!

Progress Report - Cassady's Room

I waited a week to post these "after" shots to make sure that Cassady's room stayed clean. Of course, since she is a tween, you know that clean is a relative term. She has done fairly well, though. There is only a small pile of laundry behind her bedroom door right now, and just a little picking up is needed. Overall I would say our cleanup project in her room was successful, since I wanted to make sure that she is able to maintain keeping it picked up herself. I have the rest of the apartment to clean up! So, without further ado, here's her room.

Her craft and game closet. She can actually get to her stuff now! It's a miracle!

Her bed, bookshelf, TV and big chair. So pretty now!

We plan to do a redecoration project soon. She wants a new comforter and color scheme, but since she changes her mind every other day I am holding off. I also want to make sure the room stays clean. No point in redecorating if we can't see it!