Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes

Happy thanksgiving to all!!!!

I made these a few days ago, but well, I've been busy so for those of you that have seen the pictures of these beauties on Instagram...here's the recipe.

Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes

• 1 yellow or spiced cake mix 
• 1 package vanilla instant pudding mix 
• 1 cup pumpkin purée 
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1/2 cup water 
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Preheat oven to 350. Beat all ingredients. In large bowl with electric mixer on low speed until moistened. Beat on medium for 2 minutes until well blended. Spoon batter into cupcake liners, 2/3 full. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely. Then frost them!!!

Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 package (8oz) cream cheese, softened 
• 1/4 cup butter, softened 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 4 cups powdered sugar

Beat the first 4 ingredients until light and fluffy. Gradually add in the powdered sugar (one cup at a time) until smooth. I used a Wilton decorating tip & bag to decorate mine, of course. Perfectionist in me came out:) 

I went to Williams Sonoma Outlet last year after thanksgiving and got this super cute cupcake kit with cute fall-y cupcake liners and turkeys in thanksgiving outfits as toppers. For 50 cents. Holla!!! To be honest, I usually forget about such finds but I remembered this year!!! Can I get two points for that? Great! Thanks! 

I hope you and your family have a wonderful thanksgiving! 

Hook em horns! 

Yours truly, 

Dauphin gal

pumpkin chocolate chip bread

yeahhhh... more pumpkin something, but honestly i'm only going to continue to cook with pumpkin until the end of november because then it will be CHRISTMAS and i can make tons of peppermint and other christmas-y recipes :) so let's just enjoy pumpkin for a few more weeks and we can all move on...together. sound good? great! grand! fabulous! 

pumpkin chocolate chip bread

• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp vanilla 
• 3 eggs 
• 1/4 cup sour cream 
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil 
• 1 2/3 cup flour 
• 1 cup sugar 
• 1/2 tsp salt 
• 1/2 tsp baking powder 
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/4 cup chocolate chips, divided 
• powdered sugar to garnish 

preheat oven to 350. grease a bread pan. 

in a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. TWICE. 

in a medium bowl, combine the pumpkin, eggs, oil, and sour cream until smooth. 

combine the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and blend well. 

fold in 1 cup of chocolate chips. 

pour batter into bread pan. sprinkle 1/4 cup chocolate chips on top. 

bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean (mine took about an hour and fifteen minutes to bake completely through) 

cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes and garnish with powdered sugar 

let me just say that i took that picture with my phone, and i love powdered sugar so the picture doesn't do it justice, but trust me. this will be gone by wednesday. i just know it. it is delish! 

i should probably rename this pumpkin chocolate chip cake because its THAT good. 

yummy in the tummy! 

As an English teacher, i know i have to cite my sources :) 

have you bought some peppermint ice cream yet? 

yours truly, 

dauphin gal 

baked ravioli

well this recipe is real easy. really, its TOO easy. but it was quick and it was yum and i really enjoyed it.

i've been lazy in the kitchen lately, mostly because i haven't had the energy to put forth a lot of effort in searching for my food ideas. so when i saw this recipe and how easy it was, i couldn't help but try it. so here goes...

Baked Ravioli

• 1 25oz bag of frozen ravioli
• 1 26oz jar of marinara sauce 
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• parmesan cheese for sprinkling 

let me add a few changes i made, it was more of a "replacement/make-do" thing... for whatever reason HEB doesn't have a "bag of frozen ravioli" and if they did, it was not in any of the frozen food section, believe me: i traipsed up and down all the aisles of that section. so instead of finding a 25oz bag, i found organic arugula and cheese ravioli in a box and it was 12oz, so i bought two and used that and guess what? worked well and made it extra ravioli-y (yep, that happened. made up a word. i'm an english teacher. i can do that. i'll call webster in the morning). my other adjustment is that i used an entire bag of mozzarella cheese. oops. but it made it that much better. if you're watching your calorie intake- take the time to measure out the 2 cups, i guess. *eye roll* anyway.... 

to make this delish-dish: 

• preheat your oven to 400 
• 9x13 pan sprayed with pam (bottom and sides)
• cover the bottom with marinara (not all of it, just enough to cover the bottom) 
• place the raviolis on top of the sauce in a single layer
• put more marinara on (just enough to cover most of it) 
• put half of the mozzarella on top of that 
• repeat layers starting with the raviolis
• sprinkle with parmesan cheese 
• cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes; remove foil and bake for 10-15 more minutes until the center is bubbly and hot 

Bon Apetite! (as my mom would say!) 

now that we're done with that .... i'd like to inform you of yet another favorite seasonal item of mine (you remember the candy corn oreos and white chocolate candy corn m&ms, right?)... blue bell peppermint ice cream. i purchased my first half gallon of this delectable treat this weekend and can already pretty much promise that it will be gone in a week (maybe my mom won't read this post and see that, BUT its true & you need to go buy some. now!). 

yours truly, 

dauphin gal