Feels Like Fall

Well, the heat has kicked on and there are leaves changing colors down the road, so it really does feel like fall. So I went to one of my favorite cooking sites Pioneer Woman Cooks and found this recipe http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/10/moist-pumpkin-spice-muffins-with-cream-cheese-frosting/   The whole house smells wonderful and the kitchen got warm and cozy. What a way to spend a Friday afternoon.

Moist Pumpkin Spice Muffins (With Cream Cheese Frosting)

Prep Time: 20 Minutes  |  Cook Time: 25 Minutes  |  Difficulty: Easy  |  Servings: 12

Ingredients

• Muffin Ingredients:
• 1 cup All-purpose Flour
• 1/2 cup Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon Ground Ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 4 Tablespoons Butter, cut into pieces
• 1 cup (heaping) Pumpkin Puree
• 1/2 cup Evaporated Milk
• 1 whole Egg
• 1-1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
• 1/2 cup Golden Raisins (optional!)
• _____
• Topping
• 2 Tablespoons Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
• _____
• FOR FROSTING:
• 1/4 cup Softened Butter
• 4 ounces, weight Cream Cheese
• 1/2 pound Powdered Sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Generously grease 12 muffin tins.

Pour into a greased muffin pan—batter hardly ever fills all twelve unless you keep it down to 1/2 full. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon-sugar-nutmeg mixture over the top of each unbaked muffin.Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Cut in butter with two knives or a pastry blender until it is fully incorporated. In a separate bowl, mix together pumpkin, evaporated milk, egg, and vanilla. Pour pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture. Add raisins. Fold gently until mixture is just combined.Bake for 25 minutes. Allow to cool in pan for 15 minutes, then remove and allow to cool. Ice with cream cheese frosting.To make the frosting, mix all ingredients on high until soft and whipped. Spread onto completely cooled muffins, or place into a large pastry bag with a large star tip and go crazy! Store in the fridge, as icing will soften at room temperature. 

      I have spent the day finishing up orders from the Etsy shop and last weekends Volkfest. Volkfest had wonderful weather and it was nice to spend the day chatting with other Etsy shop owners like Marlene Grahn of Country Soaps by Marlene http://www.etsy.com/shop/countrysoapsbymarlen and  Heather Flannery Raabe of HRBea Designs http://www.etsy.com/shop/HRBeaDesign?ref=pr_shop_more .  An owl, sock monkey, Packer helmet and baby sock monkey are ready to ship.  The hippo is getting his final touches and then some of today's orders can be started. It is so nice to see the orders now and not a week before Halloween or for Thanksgiving the turkeys being ordered the weekend before. I don't mind one or two rush orders but I can only crochet so fast and I do need to sleep.. 

    I have purchased a few new patterns in the last couple days and can't wait to start on them. I have some things I'd like to change on the Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/Grammasgifts?ref=si_shop and a couple photos to add for new items. So much to do before the boys come back on Sunday.

I am also still working on our Family Christmas event and have gotten some responses but have about a dozen out there waiting. If only we could predict the weather. Many of the family are coming from the Chicago area and you never know about snow that time of year. Of course over the past few years they have gotten more snow than we have up here. It has been quite a few years since we have all gotten together. My Gram was the glue that held us all tight and with her gone we seemed to have slipped up a little. Now is as good a time as any to reconnect and touch base.  So, I have decorating ideas I would like to do, the Etsy shop to run and still about a dozen unpacked boxes from our move. As I type this is doesn't sound so bad. I'll get there, but my plan is to do it without getting all frazzled and burnt out like most years. 

By the way the phone company finally fixed the wire problem that squirrels made.  Thank you....the phone now rings!