Happy Thanksgiving!!

Hi there everyone! I just wanted to drop in with a quick Thanksgiving post to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving and leave you with a couple of quick recipes that my family and I are enjoying this year.  

One is a quick recipe for a 

Warm Apple Cider

 

 Here's what you will need:

One Gallon of Apple Cider

One Frozen Apple Juice Concentrate (thawed)

One Orange

One Tablespoon of Allspice

One Teaspoon of Ground Cinnamon

One Half Cup of Sugar

About one fourth of a bag of Fresh Cranberries

Cinnamon Sticks

Three Granny Smith Apples

How beautiful this looks!!

You just put all of the ingredients into a crock pot and simmer on low all day! 

Your home will fill with the wonderful smells of the holidays and it is so yummy and it just makes you feel all warm and cozy! 

I even thought about packaging some up and sharing the love...

I just love giving and getting homemade simple gifts! 

Another yummy fall treat I've learned about lately is a recipe for 

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

These take a lot of steps to make, but once you get started, they are easy and soooooo worth it! 

Here's the list of ingredients that you will need:

Eight Ounces of Softened Cream Cheese

One Half  Teaspoon of Vanilla

Two and Three Fourths Cups of Sugar

Three and One Third Cups of All Purpose Flour

Three Teaspoons of Ground Cinnamon

Four Tablespoons of Cold Butter

One Half Teaspoon Ground Cloves

One Half Teaspoon of Ground Nutmeg

Two Teaspoons of Baking Soda

One and One Half Teaspoons of Salt

Three Large Eggs

One 15 oz. Can of Pumpkin

One Cup of Vegetable Oil

One Half Cup of Milk

Okay, let's get started!

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and put your muffin tin papers in your muffin pan. 

This recipe will make 24 regular sized muffins.

Now, in a small bowl, stir together your cream cheese, vanilla and 1/2 cup of sugar.

After mixing this together, set this bowl aside.

Next, combine 1/2 cup of sugar, 1/3 cup of flour, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and the cold butter in another small bowl and use a pastry blender to mix together, forming a crumb topping. 

When you get this all mixed, set this bowl aside also.

Lastly, in a larger bowl, mix the remaining 3 cups of flour, 1 and 3/4 cup of sugar, 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, the cloves, nutmeg, baking soda and salt together.

 In another large bowl, mix your eggs, pumpkin, oil and milk. 

Combine the dry mixture and the wet mixture together and set the bowl aside.

At this point, you should have 3 bowls ready to go!

By the way, this is just a side note... While washing my bowls, I noticed something. I'm sensing that I must like red and green bowls! 

Haha! :)

Okay, let's get these muffins going!

First, let's fill each muffin cup 1/2 full with the pumpkin mixture.

Next, we will put a dollop of the cream mixture into the center of each muffin cup (on top of the pumpkin mixture).

I have used a spoon, a ziplock bag with a hole cut on the end and a piping bag.  Here you see me using the piping bag, but to me, I have found the ziplock  to be the easiest, as far as mess is concerned.

Now, on top of the cream cheese, you will put a spoonful of the pumpkin mixture again.

 This will leave a nice little creamy surprise inside of each muffin!

Last, but not least, you will sprinkle on the crumb topping over each muffin cup.

You are now ready to bake!

Bake at 375 degrees for about 18-20 minutes. 

You will need to insert a toothpick to check to make sure they are done.

Aren't they beautiful????

Let them cool on a rack

Then enjoy these delicious treats that look as if you've bought them at a bakery!! 

I think that both the Apple Cider and the Pumpkin Muffins would be a great "Black Friday" snack on the go! 

I hope you all enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday with those you love the most! 

 With much love from my family to yours

~ Psalm 107:1 "O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever." (KJV)