Yikes! Has it really been over a month since my last blog entry?! This was a completely unplanned hiatus, and I want to thank you all for still reading!  I have a ton of back logged posts to share, but had to start with these pumpkin cheesecake  muffins.

I recently made these for a party at work and they were a huge hit. The pumpkin muffins are moist and flavorful and the cheesecake filling adds a fun little surprise when you take a bite. This used to be my go -to recipe for pumpkin muffins, and while delicious, the version below is even better. I highly recommend these muffins, especially this time of year when fall is in full swing!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins

• Muffins
• 3 cups flour
• 3 teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons nutmeg (omitted)
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 4 eggs
• 1 ¼ cups vegetable oil
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups pumpkin puree
• Filling
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 4 ounces marscapone cheese, softened
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• Topping
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup flour
• 4 tablespoons cold butter, cubed
• 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans ( I used walnuts because I was out of pecans, oops!)

First, prepare the filling. Combine the cream cheese, marscapone cheese, and powdered sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy. Form into a log on plastic wrap or foil, making sure that the diameter is small enough to fit into the well of a muffin pan. Wrap the log up tightly and freeze for at least one hour.

Preheat the oven to 350°. Line muffin pans with paper liners for 24 muffins.

To make the muffin batter, combine the flour, spices, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl. Whisk together and set aside. In the bowl of your electric mixer, combine the eggs, the oil, the sugar and the pumpkin. Beat until well combined. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just the flour is moistened.

To make the streusel topping, combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Mix together with a pastry blender or your fingers until crumbly.

Next, fill each muffin cup halfway with batter. Remove the cheesecake log from the freezer and slice into 24 pieces. Place a slice in each muffin well. Divide the remaining muffin batter evenly among the muffin cups, covering up the cheesecake pieces. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the top of each muffin. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool completely on racks before serving.

I don’t normally post 2 pictures, but look how cute the middle of this muffin came out!

Source: Vintage Victuals, as adapted from  Annie’s Eats and BakeSpace.

You may also like:

• Coffee Break Muffins
• Maple Pumpkin Muffins

How cute is this cake?! Not only does it look awesome, it is so easy to make! No cake decorating skills required. I made this for a co-workers birthday. She is always munching on candy, so I knew this would be perfect for her.

All you do is take your favorite cake recipe, bake and let cool. Before frosting, make sure your cake is shorter than a kit-kat bar, if not trim some off the top to leave room for the M&M’s. Frost with your favorite frosting.

Take a bunch of kit-kat bars (about 4 large packages), cut or gently break each bar into two sections. Place the bars on the cake, gently pushing into the frosting. Tie with a ribbon and fill the center with M&M’s (about 1 large bag). You can leave some out to pour around the base of your cake, but since this cake was traveling with me to work, I didn’t bother. That’s it! Easy peasy!

I used Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Cake and Frosting for this cake.

Source: Paige’s Pantry, as seen on The Tipsy Hostess.

You may also like:

• Peanut Butter Cup Cake

We recently had some friends over for a get-together and I wanted to make a dip that would go well with chips and vegetables. While browsing the internet, I came across this recipe and since I love sun-dried tomatoes,  I knew this would be the perfect pick. The dip turned out creamy and flavorful, and was very easy to make in the food processor. Also very convenient since it can be made ahead of time. I served this with kettle chips and a variety of fresh cut vegetables.  

Sun-Dried Tomato Dip

• 1 package (8 ounces) reduced-fat cream cheese
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 1/2 cup light mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
• 1 small clove of garlic, or half of a large clove
• 1/2 cup drained sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
• 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves

In food processor with knife blade attached, pulse cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, vinegar, salt, black pepper, ground red pepper and garlic until mixture is evenly blended and smooth.

Add tomatoes and pulse a few times until tomatoes are coarsely chopped. Add basil and pulse a few times until basil is coarsely chopped. If not serving right away, cover and refrigerate up to 4 days. *I would recommend refrigerating for at least 2 hours to let the flavors blend.

Source: Adapted from Good Housekeeping.

You may also like:

• Roasted Garlic and Herb Dip
• Spinach Spread

We needed a side to go with our chocolate chip pancakes and I had been eyeing these chicken sausage patties in Elly’s blog for a while. Making something like sausage patties sounds like a lot of work, but these are essentially flattened chicken burgers, and chicken burgers are easy to make. I really liked this recipe and plan on making these again this weekend for breakfast sandwiches.

Breakfast Chicken Sausage Patties

• 1 lb. ground chicken*
• 1/2 tsp. dried sage ( I used 1 tsp. finely chopped fresh sage)
• 1/2 tsp. dried marjoram
• 1/2  to 3/4 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
• heaping 1/4 tsp. ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• about 3/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 garlic clove, finely minced or pressed
• 1/2 Tbsp. maple syrup
• 2-3 tsp. olive oil

Lightly mix all ingredients, except for the olive oil, together until the herbs/spices are well incorporated – make sure you don’t over mix!

Divide the mixture into 4 equal parts, and then make 4 (or 2, for 2-oz. patties) patties from each part.

Heat a nonstick pan over medium heat and add 1 tsp. of oil.  Put 1/3 or 1/2 of the patties (depending how big your pan is and how much space your patties take up) into the pan and cook about 2 minutes per side or until browned and cooked through. Repeat with the next 1-2 batches, adding an additional teaspoon of olive oil per batch.

*Ground chicken breast will make a leaner patty, but  dark (or a mixture of white and dark) meat will make a tastier patty.

Source: Elly Says Opa.

There is not nearly enough breakfast food on this blog and the reason is that we are just not big breakfast people.   My husband and I have very few days together, so when we do the time is usually spent on house projects or running errands. We really should take the time to enjoy a big breakfast once in a while, and as the weather gets cooler and things are less hectic, I am hoping we can make that happen. 

One way around not having any mornings together, and my desire to have a real breakfast, is breakfast for dinner! As a kid, breakfast for dinner was such a treat and one of my favorite dinners. For some reason, french toast tastes so much better at 6pm! For our recent Brinner, we had chocolate chip pancakes, chicken sausage patties and fresh mixed berries. The pancakes are below, chicken sausage patties to come soon!

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup milk
• 2 large eggs, separated
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted plus 4 tablespoons, divided
• 1/2 cup miniature semi-sweet chocolate morsels

Preheat griddle to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

In a small bowl, combine milk, egg yolks, and 3 tablespoons melted butter; add to flour mixture, whisking until smooth.

In a small bowl, beat egg whites at medium-high speed with an electric mixer until stiff. Gently fold into batter. Gently fold in chocolate morsels.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter on hot griddle. Ladle about 1/4-cup batter for each pancake onto hot griddle. Cook pancakes for 2 to 3 minutes, or until tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked. Turn and cook the other side. Repeat procedure with remaining 2 tablespoons butter and remaining batter.

Source: Paula Deen, as seen on The Novice Chef.

You may also like:

• Banana/Apple Sour Cream Pancakes

As soon as I saw this recipe, I knew I wanted to make these burgers. Not just because I had a half bottle of Marsala wine to use up, but because the flavor combination of the savory burgers, sharp cheddar cheese and a sweet Marsala sauce sounded amazing. The original recipe calls for mushrooms, but we do not like mushrooms, so I made the sauce with caramelized onions instead. I was so happy with how these burgers came out. I would highly recommend them next time you are looking for something other than a plain old cheeseburger, you won’t regret it. I’ve typed up the recipe below as I made these, but if you like mushrooms, be sure to check out Tara’s blog for the original.

Marsala Onion Burgers

• 12 oz ground beef (85%/15% works well here) or ground chuck
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium vidalia onion, sliced 
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed
• 2 ounces assorted mushrooms, sliced
• 3/4 cup sweet Marsala
• 1/2 cup low-sodium beef broth
• 1 fresh rosemary sprig
• 4 oz sharp cheddar cheese
• crusty French bread baguette

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium high heat.

Shape the ground beef into 4 oblong patties, about 4 inches long each. Drizzle the patties with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper; repeat on the opposite sides. Cut the french bread into pieces a little shorter than each of the patties and set aside.

Brown the patties in the skillet on both sides until the burgers are medium rare.  Transfer the burgers to a plate and keep warm; leave the juices in the pan.

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter and 1/2 tablespoon of oil in the skillet. Add the onion and salt. Cook over medium-low heat until onions are very soft and golden brown, about 20 minutes. Add the garlic and  sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the Marsala and simmer until the Marsala reduces by half, about 2 minutes. Add the broth and the rosemary sprig. Simmer until reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Return the burgers to the skillet. Cook burgers until they are medium, turning to coat, about 1 minute. Season the sauce with salt and pepper, to taste.  Add 1 oz of cheese to the top of each burger and cover the pan to allow the cheese to melt, about 2 minutes.

When the cheese has melted, remove the burgers from the pan and place on the French bread.  Top the burgers with Marsala sauce and then the top of the French bread. Serve hot.

Source: Adapted from Smells Like Home.

You may also like:

• Mozzarella Beef Burgers

It’s that time again! This recipe was the second Barefoot Bloggers recipe pick for the month of August.  Ina takes a classic white pizza recipe and mixes it up by topping it with fresh arugula tossed in a tangy lemon vinaigrette. The result is a very flavorful and unique dinner!

My thoughts on this recipe: I thought that the pizza crust dough was easy to work with, although I should have been more patient and rolled it out a bit thinner. I also could not find baby arugula anywhere, so I used mixed greens instead. I also did not used nearly the amount of garlic oil the recipe makes, and would probably make half next time.

Thank you to Andrea of Nummy Kitchen for this recipe pick! It was delicious! I also want to apologize to Veronica over at Supermarket Serenade for not getting to your pick this month. If anyone is interested, check out these Mango Banana Daiquiris! To learn more about the Barefoot Bloggers, check out the blog here!

White Pizzas with Arugula

• Dough
• 1 1/4 cups warm (100 to 110) water
• 2 packages dry yeast
• 1 tablespoon honey
• Good olive oil
• 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
• Kosher salt
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• 5 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• Topping
• 3 cups grated Italian fontina cheese (8 ounces)
• 1 1/2 cups grated fresh mozzarella cheese (7 ounces)
• 11 ounces creamy goat cheese, such as montrachet, crumbled
• Vinaigrette
• 1/2 cup good olive oil
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 8 ounces baby arugula
• 1 lemon, sliced

Mix the dough.

Combine the water, yeast, honey and 3 tablespoons of olive oil in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. When the yeast is dissolved, add 3 cups of flour, then 2 teaspoons salt, and mix on medium-low speed. While mixing, add up to 1 more cup of flour, or just enough to make a soft dough. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes until smooth, sprinkling it with the flour as necessary to keep it from sticking to the bowl.

Knead by hand.

When the dough is ready, turn it out onto a floured board and knead it by hand a dozen times. It should be smooth and elastic.

Let it rise.

Place the dough in a well-oiled bowl and turn it to cover it lightly with oil. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Make garlic oil.

Place 1/2 cup of olive oil, the garlic, thyme and red pepper flakes in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat. Cook for 10 minutes, making sure the garlic doesn’t burn. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. (Be sure your oven is clean!)

Portion the dough.

Dump the dough onto a board and divide it into 6 equal pieces. Place the doughs on sheet pans lined with parchment paper and cover them with a damp towel. Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes. Use immediately, or refrigerate for up to 4 hours.

Stretch the dough.

Press and stretch each ball into an 8-inch circle and place 2 circles on each sheet pan lined with parchment paper. (If you’ve chilled the dough, take it out of the refrigerator approximately 30 minutes ahead to let it come to room temperature.)

Top the dough.

Brush the pizzas with the garlic oil, and sprinkle each one liberally with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the pizzas evenly with fontina, mozzarella and goat cheese. Drizzle each pizza with 1 tablespoon more of the garlic oil and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the crusts are crisp and the cheeses begin to brown.

Make the vinaigrette.

Meanwhile, whisk together 1/2 cup of olive oil, the lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Add the greens.

When the pizzas are done, place the arugula in a large bowl and toss with just enough lemon vinaigrette to moisten. Place a large bunch of arugula on each pizza and a slice of lemon and serve immediately.

TIP: Make sure the bowl is warm before you put the water and yeast in; the water must be warm for the yeast to develop.

TIP: Salt inhibits the growth of yeast; add half the flour, then the salt, and then the rest of the flour.

TIP: To make sure yeast is still “alive,” or active, put it in water and allow it to sit for a few minutes. If it becomes creamy or foamy, it’s active.

Source: Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics.

You may also like:

• Grilled Pizza Dough
• Chicken Alfredo Pizza

I am always looking for new side dishes to have with dinner and while these are similar to roasted potatoes, cooking them on the grill means no heating up the oven! Not to mention the really easy clean up. These potatoes come out very tender and have plenty of flavor from the onions and parsley.  You could really use any herb that you wanted in these, and I think garlic would make a great addition as well. I know we will definitely be making these again on the grill while the weather is warm, then switching to the oven this winter. I did decrease the amount of butter and cream, as reflected below, and make sure you dice the potatoes small so they will cook in a reasonable time!

Potato Bundles

• 6 whole Russet Potatoes, diced small
• ½ whole Yellow Onion, diced small
• 1/2 stick Butter
• 1/3 cup Heavy Cream
• Kosher Salt To Taste
• Paprika To Taste
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
• 2 Tablespoons Minced Parsley, or any fresh herb

Pile potatoes and onions on a square of foil. Add 1/2 to 1 tablespoons butter. Splash on cream. Then sprinkle on salt, paprika, and black pepper. Sprinkle minced parsley over the top.

Wrap bundles tightly and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes, or until extremely tender. (Or grill on medium heat for ~30 minutes)

Serve bundles right on the dinner plate.

Source: The Pioneer Woman.

You may also like:

• Roasted Aioli Potatoes
• Grilled Garlic Potatoes

These little wraps are the perfect meal for a warm day. The filling is a snap to make,  then you just spoon it into over-sized lettuce leaves, resulting in a light and flavorful dinner.

Asian Lettuce Wraps

• 16 Boston Bibb or butter lettuce leaves
• 1 pound lean ground beef or ground turkey
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 2 teaspoons minced pickled ginger (I used fresh ginger)
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• Asian chile pepper sauce to taste
• 1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 2 teaspoons Asian (dark) sesame oil

Rinse whole lettuce leaves and pat dry, being careful not tear them. Set aside.

In a medium skillet over high heat, brown the ground beef, stirring often and reducing the heat to medium, if necessary. Drain, and set aside to cool. Cook the onion in the same pan, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, vinegar, and chile pepper sauce to the onions, and stir. Stir in chopped water chestnuts, green onions, and sesame oil, and continue cooking until the onions just begin to wilt, about 2 minutes.

Arrange lettuce leaves around the outer edge of a large serving platter, and pile meat mixture in the center. To serve, allow each person to spoon a portion of the meat into a lettuce leaf. Wrap the lettuce around the meat like a burrito, and enjoy! I plated my lettuce wraps on a platter with brown rice, garnished with sesame seeds and shredded carrots.

Source: Allrecipes.com, as seen on Food alla Puttanesca.

You may also like:

• Thai Peanut Turkey Burgers
• Chinese Chicken Salad

I have really started to enjoy eating couscous this summer. It is so easy to make and the flavor combinations are endless. This recipe is light and delicious, perfect for the dog days of summer. The only changes I made were to use slivered almonds instead of pine nuts ( I thought I had some, but did not), lightly cook the red onion when toasting the garlic (I don’t like raw onion) and I threw in some sun-dried tomatoes since I had them on hand.

Tuscan-Style Couscous Salad

• 1½ cups couscous
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• 2 cups boiling water
• ½ cup pine nuts
• 1 (15-ounce) can small white beans such as navy or Great Northern, rinsed well and
  drained
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• ¾ cup shredded fresh basil
• 1 small red onion, slivered
• Dressing:
• 3 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• ⅓ cup lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon salt
• Generous seasoning freshly ground pepper
• 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Place the couscous and turmeric in a large bowl and mix. Pour on the boiling water, stir, and immediately cover the bowl with a large plate. Let sit for 10 minutes. Remove the cover and fluff the couscous with a fork. Let cool.

Place the pine nuts and unpeeled garlic cloves in a small skillet and toast over medium heat, tossing often, until golden, about 5 minutes. Watch them carefully because they can easily burn. Let the pine nuts cool, then mix them into the couscous along with the beans, tomatoes, basil, and red onion.

Mince the garlic. Place the dressing ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake vigorously. Pour over the couscous mixture and toss well. Let marinate at least 30 minutes before serving. Cover and chill if longer than 30 minutes. Serve at room temperature.

Source: The Way the Cookie Crumbles, who adapted it from Vegetarian Classics.

You may also like:

• Curried Couscous