Baked Pumpkin Donut Holes

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Holy moly, it just doesn't get better than this.  I made these for John's birthday celebration and served them with Mexican Hot Chocolate.  We were all melting, it was just so yummy.  The pumpkin is really subtle.  Plus, these are baked, so they are way healthier than the regular donut!!

{What you need}

1 3/4 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/3 cup canola oil

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 cup milk

{for the coating}

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2 tablespoons cinnamon

Spray a 24-cup mini muffin tin with baking spray and set aside.  In a medium bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients except the brown sugar.  In a separate bowl, whisk together brown sugar and all the wet ingredients, and then slowly incorporate into the bowl of dry ingredients.  Mix until just combined.  Divide the batter evenly into the muffin cups (I used a cookie dough scooper and was able to stretch it to about 30 muffins).  Bake at 350 for 9-11 minutes.  After they are baked, dip each one in melted butter, then cinnamon/sugar mixture until entirely coated.  Best served warm!!

inspired by this recipe at Two Peas and Their Pod

Mexican Hot Chocolate

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Oh my word, this was amazing!  John requested it for his birthday meal so I searched online for a unique hot chocolate recipe, and this one is just perfect.  Plus, what is fall without some hot chocolate?  (We had friends over and I made this x 9)

{What you need}

3 Tbsp instant hot chocolate mix

1 Tbsp chocolate syrup

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 pinch chili powder

1/4 cup milk

3/4 cup water

Add all ingredients to a pot, whisk until blended, and heat to a simmer, or until it gets as hot as you like.

original recipe here

Basil Bacon Avocado Pasta

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John and I absolutely loved this, and have made it countless times within the past few months.  It's great for a side to something like steak, or as a main dish with a warm crusty bread or something.  In fact, I might just make this for dinner tonight!!  

{What you need}  

12-16  ounces dried bow tie and/or wagon wheel pasta

3-4  medium avocados, halved, seeded, peeled, and coarsely chopped

10-12  slices bacon, crisp cooked, drained, and crumbled

4 tablespoons dried basil

4  tablespoons (two lemons) lemon juice 

2  tablespoon olive oil

3 teaspoons garlic powder

1/2  teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4  teaspoon salt

1  cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain. Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine the

avocados, bacon, basil, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, pepper, and salt. Add the hot pasta and

toss to combine. Transfer to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with cheese. Makes 8 servings.

Original recipe here.

Baked Potato Soup

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• 
  
• 
  
• Drooling!!!  This is my favorite baked potato soup recipe, EVER!  Made it for a shower last week and it was a raving hit.  And it's even better the next day!!

• {What you need}
• 
  
• 9 baking potatoes
• 2/3 cup butter
• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 6 cups whole milk
• 1/2 tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup bacon bits
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 10 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
• 
  
• Prick potatoes with a fork, cover in tin foil and bake at 400 degrees for about 1 hour, or a little longer.  Scoop out the flesh and reserve in a bowl.  While potatoes are baking, in a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in flour and cook about a minute. Whisk in milk, a little at a time, stirring constantly until thickened. Stir in potato flesh, salt, pepper, and most of the cheese.  Cook until thoroughly heated.  Stir in sour cream and heat through. Serve topped with bacon, onions and remaining cheese.

Original recipe here.

Honey Wheat Bread

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I've been trying to bake all of our bread lately, to save money and all, but it's making my butt huge because it is just so tasty!!  This is the first recipe I've tried and we both just love it.  Don't start this recipe too late in the day, though, as it is a process of several rising stages.  But It is soooooooo worth it!!

• 3 cups warm water )
• 2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
• 1/3 cup honey
• 5 cups flour
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 
  
• In a large bowl (I used a KitchenAid), mix warm water and yeast, then 5 cups white flour, and stir to combine. Let set for 30 minutes, or until big and bubbly.  Mix in 3 tablespoons melted butter, 1/3 cup honey, and salt. Stir in 2 cups whole wheat flour. If using a KitchenAid, gradually add in 1/2-1 cup wheat flour until it just pulls away from the edge of the bowl, but is still sticky to the touch.  Pour a little olive oil on your hands and grease up the outside of the dough and edge of the bowl so that it doesn't stick to the bowl when it is rising.  If you're not using a KitchenAid, just flour a flat surface and knead with whole wheat flour until not real sticky - just pulling away from the counter, but still sticky to touch, then place in a greased bowl, turning once to coat the surface of the dough. Cover with a dishtowel. Let rise in a warm place until doubled (I put it in the preheated oven and then immediately turned the oven off and let it rise as the oven was cooling off.  It speeds up the process a little to about 3 hours).  Punch down, and divide into 2 or 3 loaves (I did 2 so the slices would be bigger). Place in greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pans, and allow to rise until dough has topped the pans by one inch (just put it back in the cooled oven, it took about 1.5 hours).  Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 to 30 minutes; do not over-bake. Lightly brush the tops of loaves with 2 tablespoons melted butter or margarine when done to prevent crust from getting hard. Cool completely.  To freeze extra loaves, cut loaf into desired slices and wrap the loaf in tinfoil.  Put it in a freezer storage bag and freeze.

Inspired by this recipe.

Baked Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken

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We loved this dish.  So super easy, and John went gaga for it.  It is a great dish to fix on a night where you don't have much time.  Serves up great with rice!

{What you need}

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

4 garlic cloves, minced

4 tablespoons brown sugar

3 teaspoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 500 degrees and lightly grease a casserole dish.  In a small saute pan, saute garlic with oil until tender and fragrant.  Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar.  Place chicken breasts in a prepared baking dish and cover with sugar mixture.  Add salt and pepper as you like it.  Bake uncovered for 15-30 minutes.

Original recipe found here.

Healthy Spicy Thai Noodles

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This original recipe had a lot more oil, but I found that just cutting it out significantly didn't sacrifice any flavor and made it a kajillion times healthier!  I calculated it out and it is 7 Weight Watchers PP for 1 cup, prepared this way.  Not bad for a very unique flavor in the WW world!!  

{What you need}

1 box whole wheat linguine pasta

1 Tblsp crushed red pepper (or less if you don't like it too spicy)

1/4 cup sesame oil

6 Tblsp honey

6 Tbsp soy sauce

1 cup cooked chicken, shredded

green onions, chopped

cilantro, chopped

peanuts, chopped (adds points)

carrots, slithered 

Boil the linguine according to box directions, drain.  Heat sesame oil and crushed red pepper in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Strain out pepper and reserve oil.  To the oil, whisk in the honey and soy sauce.  Toss chicken and sauce mixture with noodles.  Serve cold or hot (I prefer cold) with green onions, cilantro, peanuts, and carrots on top.

Inspired by this recipe from LeAna of asmallsnippet.blogspot.com