Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

This is not my recipe.  It's a recipe from someone I no longer speak with so I can't ask her where she got it.  So, if you know the source, I'm happy to credit it.  Otherwise, make these and just thank me later ;)  They freeze well so don't be afraid to double the recipe.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins Yields 24 muffins

ngredients
For the muffins:
3 cups flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tbsp and 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
4 eggs
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
2 cups pumpkin puree

For the filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar

For the streusel topping:
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup and 1 tsp flour
4 tbsp butter, cubed
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Directions
To prepare the filling, combine the cream cheese and powdered sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and whip until smooth. 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 until slightly hardened, about 1-2 hours.

To make the muffins, combine the flour, spices, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl. Mix well and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the eggs, vegetable oil,sugar, and pumpkin puree. Mix until well combined. Add in the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined.

To make the streusel topping, combine all the ingredients into a small bowl. Mix together with a pastry blender or with two forks until crumbly.  (I use a food processor on chop.)

Preheat the oven to 350. Line two muffin pans with paper liners. To assemble the muffins, fill each muffin well halfway with batter. Remove the cream cheese log from the freeze and slice into 24 equal slices. Place a slice in each muffin well. Divide the remaining muffin batter evenly among the muffin cups, on top of the cream cheese. Sprinkle the streusel topping on top of the batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Let cool completely before serving.

Cranberry Apple Crisp

One of my absolute favorite fall recipes.  I also love to tell myself it's healthy because there is fruit in it ;)  It works as a dessert, as a sweet breakfast or as a base for a nice scoop of ice cream!

Cranberry Apple Crisp
Serves about 10

Ingredients:
2 cups cranberries
3 cups sliced, peeled apples
1 cup sugar
1 T lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1 c light brown sugar
1 c quick cooking oats
1/2 cup flour
5 T room temp butter

Mix the first 5 ingredients in a large bowl.  Turn in to a greased
9x13 baking dish.  Mix together the remaining ingredients to make the
topping.  Pour over top of the fruit mixture.  Bake at 325 for 45-60
minutes or until top if brown and crispy and fruit is tender.

Pumpkin Cookies with Butterscotch Chips

I have no idea where my Grandma got this recipe, but it's one of my all-time fall favorites.
Pumpkin Butterscotch Cookies
Makes about 24- 30 cookies
Ingredients:
1 c brown sugar, packed
1/2 c shortening
1 egg
1 c pumpkin
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 1/4 cup flour
1 cup butterscotch chips

Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cream together first three ingredients.
- Add the next 6 ingredients & blend together.
- Stir in flour until just mixed together.
- Add chips last.
- Drop by rounded spoonful on to a greased cookie sheet (or use a silicon baking mat).
- Bake for about 20 minutes until firm, but not browned. 
- Remove to rack and let cool.

Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

Adopted from the recipe at Betty Crocker.

I liked the concept of this recipe, but changed it just a bit to make it more family-friendly at our house.  Well, heck, to make it more mommy and daddy friendly!  And this delivered.  Yum!  A perfect fall lunch or dinner.  I doubled the batch and will be freezing some for quick lunches/meals when DH is TDY (business trip in civilian terms).

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
Servings: About 12
Time- About 40 minutes (if chicken is cooked)

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons canola or soybean oil
1/2 cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
2 cups water
2 cups cut-up chicken (about 2 breasts)
3 1/2 cups Organic Chicken Broth (1, 32 oz container)
1 1/2 cups Wild Rice Blend
1 Tbsp Spice Mix
1 cup original soy milk or fat-free (skim) milk
Slivered almonds for garnish (optional)

Directions:
1.Melt butter in 5-quart Dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in oil and flour with wire whisk until well blended. Stir in water, chicken, water, broth, rice and rice seasoning.

2.Heat to boiling over high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer about 25 minutes or until rice is tender.

3.Stir in milk; heat just to boiling. Remove from heat. Sprinkle each serving with almonds.

Sweet Potato Soup

I found this on a Weight Watcher's website somewhere and thought it looked interesting.  I'd definitely make it again, but as a lunch as opposed to a dinner.  Or if serving as a dinner, make it with something else too, though the soup was filling.  I didn't even attempt to serve to the little ones.  We needed to get out of the house quickly for soccer and cleaning them both of orange soup just wasn't on my agenda.

Sweet Potato Soup
Serves- 3-4, 1 cup servingsIngredients:
2 large sweet potatoes
2 cups chicken broth, divided
1 Tbsp reduced calorie margarine
1 Tbsp all purpose flour
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 cup fat free evaporated milk
1 tbsp chopped pecans
*Optional- add a bit of curry powder or marsala for more flavor.


Directions:
Bake the sweet potatoes in an oven at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes.  Be sure to pierce potatoes with a fork before baking.  Remove them from the oven and allow to cool.  Remove and discard the skin (peel) and chop or mash them up.
Combine potatoes and 3/4 cup of chicken broth in a food processor.  Blend until smooth.  Set aside.


Melt margarine in a medium size pan; stir in flour, ginger and then add evaporated milk.  Cook, stirring until slightly thickened and bubbly.  Cook for 1 minutes and then stir in sweet potato mixture and remaining 1/4 cup of chicken broth.  Cook, stirring, until heated through 5 minutes or more.  Serving size is 1 cup- top with 3/4 tsp of chopped pecans (toast them for more flavor).

Peanut Butter Banana Bread

I saw this and HAD to try it from Cooking Light, October 2010
I also think this would be great to freeze just after step 4.  Then thaw and add the glaze fresh right before serving to company :)

Peanut Butter Banana Bread
Servings: 16

Bread:
1 1/2 cups mashed banana
1/3 cup fat free plain yogurt
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
3 Tbsp butter, melted
2 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup flaxseed meal (find in the organics or bulk section at your grocery store)
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground all spice
2 Tbsp chopped dry roasted peanuts (omit if necessary)

Glaze:
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp 1% low fat milk
1 Tbsp creamy peanut butter

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine first 5 ingredients in a large mixing bowl with a mixer until smooth.  Add sugars and blend again.
3. In another bowl, carefully measure (DO NOT PACK) and level with a knife the dry ingredients, keeping the peanuts out until the end.  Mix with whisk.  Add to banana mixture, stirring until just mixed.  Fold in nuts.
4. Pour batter in to a greased 5x9 baking pan.  Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes on wire rack.  Remove from pan & cool.
5. To prepare glaze, combine the ingredients in a small bowl and mix with whisk.  Drizzle over bread.  Cut in to 16 slices to serve.
NI: 198 cals, 7.4 g fat, 5 g protein, 29.7 g carbs, 19 g fiber, 28 mg chol, 11 mg iron, 200 mg sodium, 27 mg calcium

Baked Potato Soup

So sue me, I'm feeling fallish! I always make this in my slow cooker, but you don't have to.  It would be easily done on the stove top as well.

Ingredients:

6 large russett potatoes, peeled and cut in to 1/2 inch cubes (about 3.5 pounds)

3 (14 oz) cans chicken broth (with roasted garlic if you can find it- if not, add about 1-2 tsp of minced garlic)

1/4 cup butter

2 1/2 tsp salt

1 1/4 tsp fresh pepper

1 cup whipping cream or half and half

6 oz shredded cheddar cheese

1, 8 oz container reduced fat sour cream

4 bacon slices crumbled (I use turkey bacon)

Extra cheddar cheese to top, if desired

Directions:

Combine first 6 ingredients in a slow cooker.

Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours- until the potatoes are tender.

Mash evenly with masher until potatoes are chopped and soup is thickened.  Stir in cream, cheese and sour cream.  Top with bacon and additional cheese, if desired.  (And yes, I always desire that!)