Easy 3-Ingredient Pumpkin Chip Cakies

This time of year gets me in the mood to bake something pumpkin-ish.  The typical pumpkin-dump-cake would be great, but I really didn't want to use 2 to 4 eggs along with 1 or 2 sticks of butter plus a ~cup of sugar.  Would I love it?  Yes.  Would I eat the entire thing?  OF COURSE. 

All the recipes on the Internet were looking like variations of the same thing.  Then I saw a recipe for a cake that had 2 ingredients.  Just the inspiration I was searching to find!  Then I decided to do my own thing.  Maybe it would work, maybe it wouldn't...



These are even somewhat healthy!  Or rather, they are healthier than the
pumpkin-dump-cake recipes littered all over the 'net.

Easy 3-Ingredient Pumpkin Chip Cakies*

*What's a "cakie"?  It's a cake-like cookie, or a cookie-like cake.  Did I just make that up?  Mmmm, maybe.

1 box cake mix (white, yellow, spice)
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin
Optional: chocolate chips

Mix it all together.  Drop by the spoonful onto a greased cookie sheet.  Cook at 350 for 12-16 minutes.  If they are smaller, it might take less time.  If they are bigger, it might take more time.  You know the drill, test with a toothpick.

Variations could be endless!  White, milk, or dark chocolate chips.  Pecans, almonds, or walnuts.  Go crazy and add craisins or candied ginger.  Get totally wild and crazy and add Heath pieces!

I whipped these up and ate a few before they ever cooled off because I couldn't help myself.  I think I burned my mouth, but totally worth it.  I was very pleased with the result.  I used a white cake mix because I had it in the cupboard.  I wanted a spice cake mix but didn't have one.  So I resolved that problem buy stirring in the following spices to the white cake mix to spice it up:  cinnamon, ground clove, ground ginger, and nutmeg.  Viola!  Problem solved.

If you need an easy recipe to bake, here it is!

 

40-Something

Today is my birthday, and it ended up being a great day.  I actually didn't expect much from today.  It's a Tuesday.  We haven't been exactly joyful around here these days.  I only wanted a couple of things:  my bathroom hardware mounted and a few other things around the house done, lunch at Carlos O'Kelly's with Todd, a good long run at the gym and frozen yogurt as a special treat.

 

There wasn't anything I could think of besides those honey-do's that I asked for from Todd.  He got half of them done and I am THRILLED; he'll finish the other half as he has deemed this my "birthday week".  Wahoo for me!

 

He got me pumpkin flavored Eggo waffles.  They are worth a sampling.  Not sure I taste pumpkin, but they are tasty.

 

We had a great Mexican lunch.  I was anticipating seafood pasta at home for dinner.  I mean, it's a Tuesday!  Not really worth going out.

 

We went to my boot store on Sunday to spend the gift certificate my parents got me.  I was going in expecting to get a new belt with a little bling, and ended up walking out with the boots at the top of my wish list!  Thanks mom & dad, you're the best!

 

Really, how can you not LOVE these boots?

I had an awesome run at the gym, a little over 4 miles.  My plan is working, to slowly ramp up my mileage slowly and safely.  My ankles and legs are getting stronger.  I should add some weight/resistance training, but I just haven't yet.  Soon.

 

Then Todd calls me and says we have a change of plans, get home quick because the restaurant closes at 8.  No frozen yogurt for me, we are going out.  Really?  I'm hot, sweaty, and it's a TUESDAY!  Ok, when he's being spontaneous, who am I to rain on his parade?

 

We went to a local little Italian restaurant that has gotten rave reviews on Yelp.  Well you know what?  It was incredible.  Take a look.

 

Appetizer: Arancini ball at midnight, fried mozzarella at 5:00,
fried eggplant at 9:00.  Amazing appetizer!

My favorite part of the appetizer was the arancini ball.  It was mushrooms, risotto, and cheese in a crunchy coated ball.  We both loved the mozzarella with a crispy panko coating.  Todd liked the eggplant because of the incredible sauce and crunchy coating.  I could have skipped the eggplant.

 

Todd got the Mediterranean pizza.  Amazing especially if you love olives! Mmmm, we do.

I know he doesn't look like he's having fun, but he is!

 Next up, Todd's main course

Pasta Carbonara, and they make the pasta by hand.

Remember how I wanted seafood?  I would take seafood over any other kind of meat.  Every time.  Here is my main course.

 

Perfectly cooked salmon over risotto, broccoli rabbe,
sundried tomato, and apple-vermouth sauce.
INCREDIBLE!!!

Dessert was rich, decadent, wonderful chocolate mousse.

This picture doesn't do it justice.  We could only eat half of it.
I brought the other half home.  I was NOT going to waste it.

We came home, and I opened cards and gifts from friends and family.  For not having ANY expectations, this birthday sure turned out to be a really good one.  I got emails and FB wishes all day.  I'll blog about some of my presents soon.  I have to try them out first, and I'm so excited to give them a whirl.

 

What a Tuesday!

My Abbytail Is Gone

If I could crawl inside the hole in my heart, I would.

 

I wonder if I kept crying, would I drown?

 

I wonder if I screamed loud enough, would God understand how much she means to us and undo what has been done?

There has never been another furry daughter like Abbytail. Her passion and feistiness made life an adventurous joy, for her and us.  She was the leader of our dog pack.

Keystone has lost his leader. Todd has lost the sparkle in his eye. I've lost my fearless little girl.

Rest in peace my dear heart.  I love you more than anything.  You made my life so full and I will forever be so thankful for the blessing that you were.



I will miss you every day.

Karma

Ever think about why things happen?  Some odd things have happened lately, and some of it just has me scratching my head.

A lady who is not the best driver, which will be apparent to you soon enough, was allegedly driving slow in a parking lot.  The early morning sun was glaring right into the driver's eyes.  Since she couldn't see, she just went real slow.  Guess what she did?  She hit someone.  Not a car.  Some BODY.  She hit a body.  A lady was hit by a car in a parking lot I frequently utilize.  I come walking up and see this lady out cold on the parking lot pavement surrounded by other people and I wonder what happened as I hear sirens in the near distance getting louder and louder.  Someone told me she had been struck by a car. 

Ladies and gents, if the sun is in your eyes, please don't drive real slow.  Find a way to see, or don't drive at all.  And if you are in a parking lot, please don't presume that others can see you.  You know, survival of the fittest and all isn't really working these days.  I hate to judge, but I just can't help myself. 

Now for something a little less dramatic.

I have a brand new cellophane wrapped multi-pack of stamps.  You know the kind you get at Coscto, with like 5 books of stamps.  So that would be 100 stamps, right?  One would think.  I've had this book of stamps on my dresser for oh, 6 months or more.  They are forever stamps, so I'm not in a hurry to use them.  I opened the pack this past weekend because I had something to mail.  I take the first book and pull off the divider stickers because I like to fold it up, and I pull off a stamp and affix it to my envelope.

Then I did a double-take.  What the aych-ee-double-pipes?  At the bottom of the strip of stamps, there is another empty hole.  I only had ONE ENVELOPE TO MAIL.  It's not like my mind played tricks on me and I USED two stamps and I just didn't remember it.  No.  THERE WAS AN UNEXPECTED HOLE ON MY STRIP OF BRAND NEW STAMPS.  The paper was there, but it's like the machine didn't put the sticker on it.  

You know what else?  I checked my other 4 books of stamps.  I have ANOTHER book that is missing TWO IN A ROW.  I kept the cellophane, because my hubby will take them back.  He is very good at confrontation and he will get them to believe that we didn't just "take" the stamps and then claim there were 3 blanks.  Because I'm thinking this story sounds so ridiculous, who is going to believe it?

Karma is going to somehow repay me for 3 stamp shortages.  I just hope Karma doesn't somehow make me pay for passing judgement on a bad driver.

 

And now for something a little more dramatic.

Speaking of Costco, I have to share my favorite Costco story of all time.  There is a karmic twist to it, at least in my opinion.

I hate lazy, careless, disrespectful, self-absorbed slobs who have enough energy to get their slothful butts off the couch to drive to and walk into a store, such as Costco, and walk all around shopping and stuffing their pie holes with free samples, waiting in line to check out, and walking ALL the way back to their cars to store their purchases.  You'd think they could muster up enough energy to take their dagblasted carts back to a corral.  They have enough cart corrals scattered all over (dangerous) parking lots, you'd think they could SEE them.  But no.  Apparently they have lost all of their energy right then and there at their car, so they better hurry up and get home to replace their lazy, selfish butts back in their barcaloungers. 

If you think this is a hot button for me, you'd be right.

Flash backwards, about 7 or 8 years.  Todd and I were visiting our favorite Costco in the KC area.  I'd been witnessing the atrocious behaviour of sloths everywhere, and I'd had it.  When 2 inconsiderate ladies left their cart IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PARKING LOT, not even pushed up to a bush or tree, I said something.  I don't know what I said.  I'm sure it had the word lazy in it.

Anyhoo, we walk up to Costco, and you know what they did?  They drove right up and rolled down their window and confronted us back.  Game on.  You think we were going to take some guff off two lazy inconsiderate witches?  No way.  I do remember them asking what's it to us and we said it's inconsiderate, other people's cars are parked out there and they are so lazy and self-absorbed they couldn't take 5 seconds to actually exercise and take the cart to where it belonged.  They continued to argue.  Teehee.

Really?  HOW could we be wrong?  THEY LEFT THEIR CART IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PARKING LOT!!!!  They continued to argue.  I saw my husband.  He started getting antsy and annoyed with the mindless twits who couldn't understand simple logic.  And then I saw his thumbs.  He started thumbing his stretchy pants waist band.

And then, he did it.

He slowly turned around, bent over, and mooned them.  I'm not talking just a little white cheek.  I'm talking they probably saw balls.

To which they said "Oh nice", rolled up their window and drove away.  We may have let them have the last word, but I had the last laugh.  I laughed my butt off for HOURS over that.  I still get myself worked into a laughing frenzy when I think about it, SO MANY YEARS LATER.  Now that was karma at work--when they leave their carts in a parking lot, and you know they still do, you also know what they are remembering.

Think about it--somewhere some security dude watched Todd moon a car.  We thought about shopping faster in case they wanted to ticket him for indecent exposure.

And this picture?  The very store.
 

Scene of the crime, right here

We Love Breakfast

Gasp, I know, two posts in one day.  What's next, world peace?

I posted one of the pics below on FB and talked about the wonderful Eggs Benedict we made for breakfast this morning.  It's always very tasty.  Except the egg part has always been a challenge.  Until now, that is.

Tullybird asked me how I poached my eggs.  I found one set of instructions that was pretty good, check out this site on how to Poach an Egg.  I have tried adding a tablespoon of vinegar to the water before with limited success.  It was like making egg drop soup.

Here are the tips that helped me pull this off:

1. Slowly simmering water, not a hard boil.
2. No salt.
3. Added about a tablespoon (actually a little less) of white distilled vinegar to the water.
4. Broke each egg into it's own shallow dish.
5. Put the lip of the shallow dish slightly under the water level when I poured the egg into the water.
6. Timed the cooking for 3 minutes.  Next time, I will cook them for 4 minutes.  I did not want to overcook them.
7. Used a slotted spoon to retrieve them.
8. Put them on a tea towel to absorb the excess water.

It's a miracle!  The eggs turned out WONDERFUL!

We make a great tag-team in the kitchen.  He grills the ham and makes his perfect hollandaise sauce.  I toast the English muffins and poach the eggs.  

It all comes together to look like this: 

Have you ever seen such a wonderful looking Eggs Benedict?
I didn't think so.

I squealed with delight when I broke open the egg yolk.
Did you hear me?
 

Behold, the power of a perfectly poached egg.

Vacation Dip

Back when I took two weeks off and painted my hideous pink master bedroom with a beautiful shade of green, I made Tullybird's dip with Greek Yogurt.  OH MY STARS.  I LOVED it.  It was really thick and rich.  I couldn't even tell that I was eating fat free Frage Greek yogurt.

Seriously take a look at this recipe in the following link.  Make a change if you need to because maybe you have most of the ingredients at home ready to go.  I used an onion instead of shallots.  I just don't buy and keep shallots.  My taste buds were not disappointed. 

blue cheese and caramelized shallot dip

Here are the ingredients:

• oil
• shallots
• balsamic vinegar
• mayonnaise
• sour cream
• blue cheese or Gorgonzola

You probably have most of that, don't you?

I doubled her recipe, used a yellow onion instead of shallots, and exchanged Greek yogurt for the mayo & sour cream.  I used about a tablespoon of mayo for flavor.  I don't think I even needed to do that.

I deem this Vacation Dip because she made it when she was here on vacation.  And I made it when I was on vacation.  And it's just so good, it makes a day off even better!

We Must Be Cool

Happy weekend to you!  I'm so excited to have gotten a nice piece of mail today, that I just have to share it with you.

 

It wasn't a bill, or a piece of worthless advertising.  I'm not buying gutters or feeling compelled to vote for a candidate.  It was a real personal letter.  Written by hand by the son of one of our friends.  And as careful as it was written, it must have taken some time to produce this puppy.

 

I am so flattered that our friends' kids think we are so cool that they want to have their birthday dinners at our place.  I mean, Todd is one heckuva cook.  But for kids to think that, whoa!  That's pretty amazing.

 

Take a look at his letter:

 

All names except Todd's has been removed to protect the innocent.
That means Todd isn't innocent.  I think we all knew that.

IS THAT NOT THE CUTEST THING YOU'VE READ TODAY????  I just think it's adorable.

I can't wait to eat his Happy-Birthday-Rib-Dinner and play Mario Cart.  Of course we happily accept his request to host his birthday dinner.  (His parents are readers of my blog, so I know they will see this.) 

I still have a pack of balloons around here somewhere...  That's about as wild and crazy as I get.  Especially in November.  We can't exactly break out a slip-n-slide down the hill this time of year.  But man, wouldn't THAT be fun?!?!!

Next January, I will start planning my kid's 10th birthdays.  Complete with DOG cake for them and the doggy-hood, and human cake, well, for the humans.  The big ONE-OHHH is a big milestone, which will not go by unnoticed. 

Some day, I'll have to recap for you their first birthday.  That was a real hoot.  Oh, and their puppy shower.  It was definitely good times.