Pumpkin vs. Apple

This time of year I see TONS of recipes using apples and pumpkins! I love both, so it's a pleasure to see! I'm always amazed that so many cooks can come up with so many creative ways to use these items in recipes! Every year a new apple or pumpkin recipe emerges that I've never seen before and sweeps across the Internet becoming very popular, very quickly! But I'm old fashioned sometimes and I gravitate towards the basics when it comes to apples and pumpkins! I'll take a simple apple or pumpkin pie any day!

These next 2 recipes were just what I wanted...simple and basic but so very delicious! Both recipes are sweetened with SPLENDA® helping to keep them lower in calories.




Mini Apple Muffins
Click **Here** for recipe

These are very tasty little muffins! I simplified the direction and also made some adjustments. I added a splash of vanilla extract and a pinch of ground cloves. I used SPLENDA® brown sugar blend instead of the plain granulated sweetener. And to make the directions easier I just mixed all the dry ingredients together in one bowl. Then in a separate bowl I mixed together all the wet ingredients. Then I added the wet to the dry and mixed until well combined. I used mini cupcake liners and scooped the batter to the top of each with a melon baller. Then baked as stated. These had a nice fresh apple taste but I would decrease the amount of lemon zest next time to half. And eat these after they've cooled completely so that all the flavors have a chance to meld together.

These mini muffins were perfect paired with a nice cup of this Gingerbread Coffee sweetened with SPLENDA®!



Gingerbread Coffee
Click **Here** for Recipe



Harvest Pumpkin Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Click **Here** for Recipe

 I love that these cookies are so light and soft. And I love the bright pumpkin color and flavor! I made them as written except I didn't use the walnuts or raisins because I wanted the pumpkin to shine through and it did! I also decreased the sugar slightly by only using 1/4 cup of the SPLENDA® white sugar blend. But I used the full amount of the SPLENDA® brown sugar blend. I added 1/2 tsp. allspice and I'm glad I did because it was perfect in this! A very good cookie that tastes great warm or cold.

I enjoyed these cookies with a cup of Whisky Tea sweetened with SPLENDA®

 Share the love of all things sweet with SPLENDA® and check out their website for more recipes using SPLENDA®
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Click  for **Here** coupon

S'mores Dip

When summer is over you can still have S'mores if you make it this way! Easy to make and less messy to eat than the traditional way! We loved this!

Soft Spice Cookies - Only 2 Ingredients!

 

This is one of those rare magical recipes that is just so easy and delicious! And the best part is that it's low fat and contains fiber! The magical part is that these cookies are made from a box of dry cake mix and a can of cannellini beans...that's it! Oh, and a little water! I know, it's crazy but true!

Mummy Dogs and Monster Eyes

Just a few more examples of fun Halloween food! This is an easy main dish and dessert! Creepy kid cuisine! I meant the food is creepy not the kids! I'm sure your kids are not the least bit creepy! Well anyway...

Almond Joy Cake Bars!

This is an absolutely heavenly treat! And it's made so simply by using an un-prepared box of chocolate cake mix! Easier is always better, right?

Vampire Cookies!

A very cool Halloween cookie that will get the kids attention! This is a butter cookie filled with your choice of any red jam. My kids loved these!

4 Ingredient Snickers Cookies

One of my favorite candy bars is Snickers! I just can't resist chocolate covered peanuts with caramel! I also love to make easy candy recipes at home! Sometimes I get a craving for a candy bar but I don't feel like going to the store to buy one. And why buy candy bars when I have all the ingredients to make a copycat version?

One Bowl Chocolate Cake

This is one of the best chocolate cakes I ever tasted! I found the recipe on Allrecipes.com. It is a very popular recipe with great reviews! What was unique to me about this recipe wasn't the fact that it's made in 'one bowl' because aren't all cakes made in one bowl? What I found to be different about this recipe is that hot water is added to the batter before it is baked! I'm not sure what purpose the hot water serves, but I always make it that way because the taste and texture are so perfect! Why mess with a good thing?

Cinnamon Rolls Grilled in Orange Peels!

 Sounds crazy, right? Well, that's just my kind of recipe! If you're a regular reader of my blog you know this is a recipe I just had to try! Within days of spotting this on the Internet it was on my plate...and it was soooo VERY yummy!

Cream Cheese Plum Crumble - From Boxed Cake Mix

You know, I never realized how very versatile boxed cake mix can be! I always thought that the only way to use boxed cake mix was to prepare it according to the directions on the box! I was pleasantly surprised to see that there are so many ways to use it straight from the box, without preparing it! So much easier that way!

Simple Banana Split Pie!

I was given this recipe by a Facebook follower named Richard Allen Jernigan. This is what he said...
"I have a recipe for you. It is very easy, and you may even find other simple variations in addition to the ones I have listed. It actually tastes as if it has more calories than it has, and it is very good for the hot summer since it is so light. I got this from a fundraiser cookbook a group in my hometown in WV did back in 1978. It has always been a hit!"

Easy Skillet Apple Pie!

I never thought to make an apple pie in a skillet, but it is truly a great idea because it's so quick and easy! I found this recipe here on a food blog called Lemon Sugar!

Skinny Chocolate Banana Souffle

I love it when I come across a chocolate dessert recipe that is not only easy, but low fat and low calorie! It's a dream come true! This dessert is so light, airy and creamy with just the right amount of chocolate/banana flavor!

S'mores Kiss Cups!

I love S'mores and have tried many different variations of this classic recipe! So why not try one more?

Cheesecake Dip!

I love a good sweet, creamy, cheesecake any day! But sometimes I just don't have the time to whip one up! And when my cheesecake craving hits, I want it fast! So, I went looking through my pantry and fridge to see if I could come up with a way to get an instant fix! I was very pleased with the results of my experiment!

Campfire Banana Boats!

This is a great summer time recipe because it's made on the grill or campfire! But this can also be made in the oven! I loved this and will be making it many more times because I want to experiment with lots of different toppings! The possibilities are endless! The main toppings are marshmallows and chocolate chips! Then just add whatever else you like!

3 Ingredient Cobbler!

I was so interested in this recipe because it just seemed too good to be true! I was shown this recipe by my Facebook friend, Chip Stanley, when he posted on my wall!

S'MOreos!

Who would have thought you could make S'mores with Oreo cookies! It's actually a very good idea! But I decided to take it one step further and one step easier! Instead of using regular Oreo's and adding a piece of chocolate, I used chocolate covered Oreo cookies! They're called Oreo Fudge Cremes!  I know, I know...brillant, right?

I found the idea for the S'MOreos **HERE**

Sweet Taco Snack

I came up with this recipe because I wanted to use up some leftover flour tortillas...and I
was looking for something sweet to eat!  

This was perfect because it was fast and easy! I love the way all the ingredients melted together and was tucked inside the tortilla. But if your lucky like I was, the melted peanut butter will ooze out of the taco and drip down your hand! A taco just isn't a great taco if it's not messy!

Apple Danish Roll-Ups

This is a quick easy dessert that tastes like it came from a fancy bakery! I've seen many recipes with apples rolled in store bought refrigerated crescent biscuits, but that wasn't good enough for me! Noooo, I had to tweak it and change it to make it into something different!