Bake up a little love...

Hello! Just wanted to do a quick post tonight as I wait for Dave to get home and Kitchen Nightmares to start. He has been really stressed out lately and working a lot of hours. Sooo, I decided to make tuna casserole for dinner, one of his favorites and such comfort food. I also made him some pumpkin muffins to take to work as well as some gingerbread man cookies :) You are never too old for a gingerbread man :)


Pumpkin muffins are one of my favorite things!! I love anything pumpkin but pie, lol! Weird, huh? I indulged and ate three of these!! Yikes! I have been on the Special K diet for the last week trying to lose ten pounds. I had been doing so good until today :( But that is what I get for baking something I love too, lol.

My birthday is next Wednesday and I told Dave NO cake and NO candy for me!!! My youngest son Gibson's birthday is February 3rd, and I will have a cupcake then, lol. Cant let my little guy down :) But I am going to try and stay away from sweets from now on and working out again. No, it is not a resolution just something I need to get back into. I am not feeling good about myself lately. And turning 35 (gulp) does NOT help. lol


Here is a yummy recipe for the pumpkin muffins. ** NOTE** These are soooo good with a couple handfuls of chocolate chips added in! Had them at a B&B years ago and they were to die for. Your kids will like them too :) Enjoy!

• Cooking spray
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole-grain pastry flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons unsulphered molasses
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup lowfat buttermilk

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose and whole-wheat flours, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg.

In a large bowl, whisk the sugar, molasses, oil and 1 egg until combined. Add the other egg and whisk well. Whisk in the pumpkin and vanilla. Whisk in the flour mixture in 2 batches, alternating with the buttermilk. Whisk just until combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared muffin pan. Tap the pan on the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles. Bake for 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center of 1 of the muffins comes out clean.

Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the muffins to loosen them and unmold. Cool completely on the rack.