holy sugar cookie cuteness

Sweetopia

Ali Bee's

Glorious Treats

Hello Naomi

yummy, pretty peppermint

Peppermint Meltaways

Peppermint Wreath

Peppermint Bark Snowflakes

Peppermint Cream Squares

pumpkin snickerdoodles

PUMPKIN SNICKERDOODLES
recipe (slightly adapted) & photo via A Bitchin' Kitchen

3 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

COATING:
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Dash of allspice

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Whisk together to blend. In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugars on medium speed until well combined. Next, still on medium speed, beat in pumpkin. Then, add the egg and vanilla extract. Lastly, add in the dry ingredients. Beat until combined, but do not over mix. Cover the dough, and refrigerate for one hour, until firm.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper (I didn't use parchment or spray). In a small bowl, mix together the sugar and spices for the sugar coating. Scoop dough and roll into about a 1" ball. Roll the dough ball in the sugar mixture, and place on the lined baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie. Take a drinking glass with a flat bottom and moisten with water. Dip the glass in the sugar mixture, and use it to flatten the dough balls. Re-sugar the glass as needed.

Bake the cookies for 8-9 minutes. Remove when the centers of the cookies have set. Transfer to wire cooling racks to cool completely. Yield: About 4 dozen? (My kids kept eating them, so not exactly sure how many!)

*Update: These were really good last night, but today! Wow, super moist and chewy!

in love with fall all over again

chicken and lime soup

CHICKEN AND LIME SOUP

image & recipe via budget bytes

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 medium jalapeno, seeded & diced
4 cloves garlic
3/4 lb chicken breast
6 cups chicken broth
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes w/chiles
1 tsp oregano
1/2 Tbsp cumin
1 medium lime
1/2 bunch cilantro

Dice the onion, celery, and jalapeno (scrape the seeds out of the jalapeno before dicing). Mince the garlic. Cook the onion, celery, jalapeno, and garlic in olive oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until tender.

Add the chicken breast, chicken broth, canned tomatoes with chiles, oregano, and cumin to the pot. Bring the whole pot up to a boil over high heat then reduce the heat to low, place a lid on top, and let simmer for one hour.

After simmering for an hour with a lid on, carefully remove the chicken breast from the pot and use two forks to shred the meat. Return the meat to the pot. Squeeze the juice of one lime into the soup. Get as much juice as possible from the lime by using a spoon to scrape the inside of the lime.

Rinse the cilantro and then roughly chop the leaves. Add to the pot, give it a quick stir, and serve. 

pumpkin cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese frosting

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
recipe & image via Half Baked
(makes 30 cupcakes)

Super yummy cupcakes for Fall entertaining!  I prefer mini cupcakes, especially for parties. I halved this recipe and it yielded about 50 minis. Just change the baking time to 9-11 minutes. Delish!

For the cake:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pans with cupcake liners.
2. In large bowl combine dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.
3. In bowl of stand mixer cream butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until creamy.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
5. Add dry ingredients and milk, alternating until well combined. Scrape down sides of bowl as necessary.
6. Mix in pumpkin puree.
7. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full with batter.
8. Bake for 18 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
9. Let cupcakes cool in pans for 5 minutes, then remove to wire racks to finish cooling.
10. Once cupcakes are completely cool frost with Cinnamon Cream Cheese icing.

*Mini Cupcakes: Fill mini cupcake liners 2/3 full with batter; bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes.

For the icing:
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
4 cups confectioner’s sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon

1. In bowl of stand mixer beat butter and cream cheese on medium speed until well combined.
2. Gradually add in confectioner’s sugar one cup at a time, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary.
3. Add vanilla and cinnamon and mix until combined.
4. Place icing in piping bag fitted with a large round tip and frost cupcakes.

so bad, but so good!

Cream Cheese Sausage Balls
image & recipe via Plain Chicken

1 lb hot sausage, uncooked
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cups Bisquick
4 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 400F.

Mix all ingredients until well combined (a mixer works great).  Roll into 1-inch balls.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until brown.

Sausage balls may be frozen, uncooked.  If baking frozen, add a few minutes to the baking time.

fall flavor

TACO SOUP
image & recipe via Our Best Bites

1 lb extra lean ground beef (93% lean or or leaner)
1 onion, chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 1.25-oz. packet taco seasoning
3 c. water, divided
2 (28-oz) cans diced tomatoes
1 (15-oz) can tomato sauce
2 (15-oz) cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn, drained

Toppings: Pico de Gallo, light sour cream, shredded cheese, crushed tortilla chips, tortilla strips, guacamole, etc.

Heat a large soup pot over medium. When ready, brown the ground beef with the onion and garlic. When almost brown, add the taco seasoning and 1 c. water. Add the remaining ingredients, including the remaining 2 c. water, bring to a medium boil, then, cover and reduce heat. Simmer for at least 15 minutes. Serve with desired toppings. Makes 10 12-oz. servings.

Slow Cooker Instructions: After browning the meat, place all the ingredients into a slow cooker and cook on low for about 6-8 hours.

Freezer Instructions: Because of all the canned goods, you’ll just take up a lot of space in your freezer if you freeze the whole recipe. However, after it’s been cooked, the leftovers freeze extremely well. You can even try freezing individual portions in 12-oz. freezer-safe containers and then reheating them for a quick lunch.

cooking / baking to do list

California Tortilla Pizza

Basil Spaghetti w/Cheesy Broiled Tomatoes

Fluffy French Toast

Easy Zucchini Fritters

my two favorite words: sheet + cake

Chocolate Sheet Cake

Peanut Butter Sheet Cake

Strawberry Sheet Cake

Pineapple Sheet Cake

My Mom actually makes the best chocolate sheet cake...ever! Maybe I'll share that recipe with you all some day. I have not tried any of the above recipes, but the photos make my mouth water. The peanut butter one looks amaaaaazing! I would take a sheet cake over any other type of cake, any day! Bake away!

my lil' 3rd grader...and his admiring sister

Kiss Me Dirty 5k

Just one more thing I love about Colorado {if you can stand it!} is how many fun runs, marathons, etc., there are! This was my {on the left} first "dirty" run and when I say I had a great time, that is an understatement! If you get the opportunity to participate in "Kiss Me Dirty" {portion of proceeds go to fight gynecological cancers} or ay other fun runs...DO IT! I can not wait to do another one!

sweet summer dresses at spool no. 72

Early Dawn Dress in Turquoise

Sow & Seed Dress

Tie Dyed Meadows Dress

Scattered Ruffles Dress

(new recipes) on the menu this week

Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookie Balls

Cheesy Enchilada Casserole

**Update: The only one I would make again is the Sloppy Joes. The PB Balls were disgusting {kids wouldn't eat them}! And the Enhilada Casserole was okay, but I wouldn't make it again. I'm usually better at picking out recipes! ugh

bloomin' fantastic

Jalapeno Popper Pulls via Plain Chicken

Cheesy Mushroom Pull-Apart Bread via Beantown Baker

Cheddar Bacon Ranch Pulls via Plain Chicken

Bloomin' Pizza Bread via The Girl Who Ate Everything

Bloomin' Gooey Cheese Bread via Ex-PressO

justin boots giveaway!

Farmer's Trophy Wife {also a great blog!} is giving away a free pair of boots from Justin Boots. Go here to enter! Mama needs a new pair of boots!

single deep dish chocolate chip cookie

Single Deep Dish Chocolate Chip Cookie

image & recipe via The Happy Life

1 tbsp. butter, melted

1 tbsp. white sugar

1 tbsp. brown sugar

3 drops of vanilla

pinch of salt

1 egg yolk

1/4 c. flour

2 tbsp. chocolate chips 

In a bowl, mix together butter, sugars, vanilla and egg yolk. Add in the flour and salt. Mix until combined. Add in the chocolate chips. 

Put the dough into a small microwaveable bowl, ramekin, or coffee cup. Microwave for 40-60 seconds or until the cookie looks done. 

Best served warm…enjoy!

flavored water...my new fascination

Not Enough Thyme

The Yummy Life

The Peach Kitchen

Mount Evans

our little princess

summer snack ideas

Peanut Butter Yogurt Dip

Watermelon Cookies

Crunchy Peanut Butter Mix

Baked Oatmeal

100% Real Fruit Snacks