Pumpkin Cinnamon Muffins

I hope everyone had a fun and safe Halloween weekend. We passed out candy to the neighborhood kids and watched the Utah football game. It was nice and relaxing. I also made Pumpkin Cinnamon Muffins for our neighbors that helped Josh with the basement.

I used the leftover pumpkin in the refrigerator from my pumpkin chocolate chip oatmeal cookies. I decided to add lots of cinnamon and cinnamon chips. I loved making these muffins because they were so easy and I only had to use one bowl. After cleaning up the basement mess, I was not in the mood to do a bunch of dishes:)

The muffins puffed up in the oven and made the house smell like fall. I didn't get to taste them because we gave them away, but they sure did look and smell good! I hope they were edible. Make a batch and let me know:)

Pumpkin Cinnamon Muffins

(Printable Recipe)

1 ½ cup flour

½ teaspoons salt

½ cups sugar

½ cups brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup pumpkin

½ cups canola oil

2 eggs

¼ cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoons nutmeg

¼ teaspoons all spice

1 cup cinnamon chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a muffin pan with cooking spray or line with paper liners.

In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, oil, eggs, and buttermilk. Add in the sugars and stir until combined. Sprinkle the spices on top and stir.

Add the flour and baking soda to the mixture. Stir until combined. Add in the cinnamon chips. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin pan.

Bake for 20-24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the muffins on a wire rack.

If you like these muffins, you might also like:

Pumpkin Pecan Raisin Muffins from Eat Me, Delicious

Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins from Carrots N Cake

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins from My Kitchen Cafe

Pumpkin Apple Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel from Two Peas and Their Pod

Crockpot (Slow Cooker) Chunky Cinnamon Applesauce

When we were in California for the Blogher Food Conference we stopped to visit Josh's mom in Placerville, which is Apple Hill country. We drove through the orchards, vineyards, and forests. It is a beautiful area, but beware if you get car sick. Those windy roads killed me:) It was worth it though because we bought the best apples ever.

We stocked up on: Gala, Fuji, Granny Smith, Empire, Honey Crisp, and Mutsu apples. I had never had a Mutsu apple before, but it is now one of my favorites. They are big green apples that are crisp and sweet, but also have a little tartness to them. It was so fun sampling new apples and picking them out ourselves.

I love eating apples for a healthy snack, but of course my mind kicked into cooking/baking gear and started dreaming up what I could make with these apples. When I saw Cookin' Canuck's family applesauce recipe, I knew I had to try it.

I love this recipe because it is effortless! You make the applesauce in the crockpot (slow cooker) and there is no canning involved. The hardest part is chopping the apples, which I didn't mind doing. I like chopping, it's a great stress reliever:) I used a mixture of our CA apples-Gala, Honey Crisp, and Granny Smith. I also added in lots of cinnamon. The house smelled amazing while the applesauce was simmering.

I like chunky applesauce so I didn't mush it up too much. If you want super smooth applesauce puree it in a food processor or blender. My favorite way to eat applesauce is on whole wheat toast. I use applesauce instead of jam. Weird? Probably, but that is me:) You can also stir it into your oatmeal, use it in your baking, or just enjoy it plain.

Crockpot (Slow Cooker) Chunky Cinnamon Applesauce

Recipe adapted from Cookin' Canuck

(Printable Recipe)

5 medium Gala apples, peeled, cored, quartered, and sliced

2 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, quartered, and sliced 2 medium Honey Crisp apples, peeled, cored, quartered, and sliced Fresh lemon juice

2 T sugar

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/3 cup water

Place all of the apple pieces in a large bowl. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the apples and stir. Add in the sugar and cinnamon. Pour water into the bottom of a large crockpot and add the apples. Put the lid on the crockpot and turn on. Cook for about 8 hours on low or on high for 5 hours. Stir occasionally. If you want smooth applesauce, puree in a food processor or blender. I like mine chunky. Keep in the fridge for a week or 2. You can freeze it.

Makes approximately 4 cups of applesauce.

If you like this applesauce recipe, you might also like:

Applesauce Spice Cake from Simply Recipes

Whole Wheat Apple Spice Muffins from Pinch My Salt

Cranberry, Raisin, and Walnut Applesauce from Food Blogga

Iced Oatmeal Applesauce Cookies from Two Peas and Their Pod

Homemade Yogurt

I love yogurt. I usually eat a six ounce serving every day. It is a great source of protein, calcium, and contains good bacteria for my tummy issues. We used to buy Oikos or Fage Greek yogurt, but it started to get expensive, so we started making our own.

I consulted my Twitter friends before getting started. Of course they were very helpful. Thanks everyone:) We decided to buy a yogurt maker from Williams Sonoma. We still have wedding gift cards so it was free for us, score! I love this maker because it makes individual servings. My yogurt is all portioned out for a week. I know you can make yogurt without the maker, but we are really happy with ours:)

I was amazed at how easy it was to make yogurt. We use skim milk and either Oikos or Fage as the starter. Really, all you have to do is heat up the milk, let it cool, and then stir in the yogurt. Once that is done you just let it "sleep" in the yogurt maker for 10-12 hours. How easy is that?

It is SO good too! I make plain yogurt and eat it with fresh fruit and sometimes a drizzle of agave nectar. It is also good with homemade granola. You can also use it to make smoothies, frozen yogurt, tzatziki sauce, etc.

I can't believe we waited so long to make our own yogurt. It is so easy and much cheaper to make at home! Give it a try!

Homemade Yogurt
(Printable Recipe)

42 ounces fresh milk, we use skim
6 0z. plain yogurt, we use Oikos or Fage Greek for our starter

1. Pour milk into a high-sided saucepan. Place a candy thermometer on the side of the pan. Heat the milk until it boils-180 degrees. This will take about 1-2 minutes. The milk will start to climb the side of the pan.

2. Remove pan from heat and allow the milk to cool to lukewarm-110 degrees. To speed up the process you can place the pan in cold water.

3. In a bowl, add the yogurt and stir in some of the milk. Whisk well. Make sure the yogurt is dissolved. Add the rest of the milk and whisk until smooth.

4. Pour the mixture into the jars of the yogurt maker. Follow the yogurt maker's instructions. We usually do ours so it rests overnight. It takes 10-12 hours. We do 12 so it is thicker.

5. When the yogurt is done resting, chill it in the fridge with the lids on the jars. The yogurt will stay good for 10 days.

Notes:
-You can use your homemade yogurt as the starter, but only once.
-If you want really thick yogurt you can strain it with a cheese cloth or you can use coffee filters.
-You can make flavored yogurt by adding honey, fruit, or jam, but we prefer plain. We jazz it up once it is made.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

I am not a coffee drinker. I love the smell, but I have never been a coffee person. Come to think of it, the only beverage I do drink is water. The perfect thirst quencher! I used to have an occasional Diet Coke or Crystal Light lemonade, but six months ago I went cold turkey. I will spice up my water with a lemon or lime, but that is as wild as I get:)

I do enjoy a good coffee cake though, maybe because there is no coffee actually involved:) My blogging friend, Beth Lipton, of CookiePie (who is also the food editor for All You magazine) just came out with a fabulous baking cookbook, You Made That Dessert?. The book is filled with sweet treats-cookies, pies, cakes, puddings, etc. I didn't know what to try first, until I saw the sour cream coffee cake. BINGO!

I made the cake on Saturday and it was fantastic. The cake was very moist, thanks to the sour cream and butter. The cake is simple to make, but pretty enough to serve to a crowd. The cinnamon sugar ripple and cinnamon glaze really make this cake shine. The cinnamon flavor is perfect for fall too.

I took the cake to a party on Saturday night and came home with an empty platter. There wasn't even a crumb leftover. It was a hit!

I can't wait to try all of Beth's recipes in You Made That Dessert? The book is available now and has more than 100 dessert recipes that are EASY to make. I love the baking tips and tricks Beth shares in her book. This is a great book for beginning or experienced bakers. If you like desserts this book will be your new best friend:)

To view other great recipes from You Made That Dessert?, visit the following blogs. Just a warning-you will be craving sweets after you read these posts:)

Recipe Girl
The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch
Cookie Baker Lynn

Eat Me Delicious

Culinary Concoctions by Peabody
Sticky Gooey Creamy Chewy
Baking Bites

Under The High Chair

Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Recipe from "You Made That Dessert?" by Beth Lipton

(Printable Recipe)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 stick of unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup of sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon

Glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 1/2 teaspoons milk

1. Make the cake. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously mista 10 inch tube pan or a 12 cup Bundt pan with cooking spray. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, stirring them together with a fork.

2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating until well mixed before adding the next one. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula after beating in the second and third eggs.

3. Using a flexible spatula or wooden spoon, stir in half the flour mixture until almost mixed in. Mix in the sour cream and vanilla all at once, then stir in the remaining flour mixture, taking care not to overmix. Using the flexible spatula, scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure all the ingredients are incorporated. In a small bowl, stir the brown sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon together with a fork.

4. Pour half of the batter into the pan, and use the spatula to spread it evenly. Sprinkle the brown sugar-cinnamon mixture evenly over the batter (use your fingers). Spread the remaining batter over the brown sugar mixture. Bake the cake for 45 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

5. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a shart paring knife along the outside of the cake, inside the pan, to separate the cake from the sides of the pan. Place the wire rack upside-down over the top of the cake pan and, holding on firmly to both the cake pan and the wire rack, quickly invert them so that the cake comes out of the pan and onto the rack. Gently lift the pan away, and let the cake cool for at least another 30 minutes.

6. Just before serving, make the glaze: In a small bowl, using a fork, mix the confectioner's sugar, cinnamom, and milk. Use a fork to drizzle the glaze over the cake.

Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Whenever we visit Illinois I make sure there is time to bake with my dad. I have so many great memories with my dad, but spending time in the kitchen is one of my favorite past times. He is a superb baker and I love learning from him.

This time I requested Peter Reinhart's Cinnamon Raisin Bread from The Bread Baker's Apprentice. My dad didn't object because he loves anything and everything with raisins. We left out the walnuts because Josh is allergic and I really don' t like nuts in my bread.

The recipe makes two loaves and they didn't last long. My dad can never wait to slice the bread, I know that is a no-no, but he is right, it is SO good fresh out of the oven. We also used it for toast in the morning-I put extra cinnamon and sugar on my piece) We even tried French toast with the bread and it was Mmmm, Mmmm good!

A group of bloggers are baking their way through the Bread Baker's Apprentice. I am not participating, but I love the book and enjoy following their baking adventures. For more information about the group and book visit Nicole's blog: Pinch My Salt. This is a book you will want to add to your collection for sure!

Banana Bread with a Cinnamon Sugar Topping

I love bananas, but Josh is not a fan. I buy a bunch with good intentions, but I can never eat them fast enough. I don't really mind though, because when they go brown that means I have an excuse to bake:)

I usually make my banana cinnamon chip cake because everyone loves it, but this time I went back to the old fashion banana bread. Banana bread is a classic, there is just something comforting about it. I love the way it smells up the house and of course I enjoy eating it too!

This is an easy recipe that everyone will love. I added a cinnamon sugar topping to make it a little extra special. If you have friends, family, or neighbors to bake for, don't forget about the good old fashioned banana bread. It is always a winner.

On a side note, my S'mores cookies were featured on Baking Bites this week! Yahoo! Check out the post here.

Enjoy the weekend everyone!

Banana Bread with a Cinnamon Sugar Topping

Adapted from Brown Eyed Baker
(Printable Recipe)

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 cup granulated sugar

½ cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

3 medium bananas, mashed

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons milk

Cinnamon and Sugar-for the topping

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and baking powder in a small bowl to combine. Set aside.

On medium speed, beat the sugar and vegetable oil to combine. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each until combined. Add the mashed bananas and vanilla extract; beat to combine. Alternatively add the flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with the flour. Beat just until the flour is incorporated and finish mixing with a spatula.

Spread batter into the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar topping evenly over the batter. Bake until a thin knife inserted in the center comes out almost clean, about 60 minutes.

Cool the cake on a wire rack for for ten minutes. Remove loaf from pan and let cool...or eat it warm. That is the best:)

Recipe for Lemon Verbena Blueberry Scones

Our lemon verbena is getting huge. We have it in a pot outside and it is really tall, it looks like a tree in a small pot:) If you haven't grown or experimented with lemon verbena, I highly recommend you try to find some. I love it! Sometimes I go outside just to smell the leaves, yes I am a nerd.

I hate letting good things go to waste so I decided to make lemon verbena blueberry scones. I chopped up the leaves really finely and added them into the scone mixture. To bring out the lemon flavor I also added lemon zest. I carefully stirred in the blueberries and baked up the scones. They were fantastic. The lemon verbena made the scones extra special.

Does anyone have lemon verbena recipes to share? If so, send them my way. I might try ice cream or sorbet next!

Lemon Verbena Blueberry Scones

(Printable Recipe)

1 large egg
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbs granulated sugar
1 Tbs baking powder
¼ tsp salt
5 Tbs unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and chilled

About 6 lemon verbena leaves, finely chopped

Zest of 2 large lemons

1 cup of fresh blueberries, coated with a little flour

Extra cream for brushing

Turbinado sugar

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.

2. Stir the egg and cream together in a small bowl.

3. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl add the sugar, lemon zest, and lemon verbena leaves. Rub everything together with your fingers to bring out the lemon flavor. Stir in the sugar lemon mix with the flour.

4. Add the butter to the flour/lemon sugar mixture. Using your fingers, toss to coat the pieces of butter with flour. Quickly, working with your fingertips or a pastry blender, cut and rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is pebbly. You will have some little butter clumps and some larger clumps-the size of peas.

5. Pour the egg and cream over the dry ingredients and stir with a fork just until the dough, comes together. It will be sticky. Don't over mix. Still in the bowl, gently knead the dough by hand, 8 to 10 times.

6. Carefully stir in the blueberries.

7. Lightly dust a work surface with flour and turn out the dough. Divide it in half. Working with one piece at a time, pat the dough into a rough circle that’s about 5 inches in diameter, cut it into wedges or use a cookie cutter and cut out the scones. I used a round cookie cutter. Brush the scones with cream and sprinkle Turbinado sugar on top.

8. Bake the scones for 20 to 22 minutes, or until their tops are golden brown. Transfer them to a rack and cool. These are best eaten warm and on the day they are made.

Zucchini Bread with Dried Cranberries

I have some good news to share; our blog now has its own domain name! We are a .COM! If you type in our old link you will be automatically directed to our blog, but to be safe please update your RSS feeds, bookmarks, links, etc. to: http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com.

I also added a printer friendly button below each post. Printing our recipes is a lot easier and much better for the environment now! Thanks to all of our followers! You are the best!

It is zucchini season! We didn’t plant any this year, but luckily friends and neighbors are sharing the wealth. I am glad because I love baking with zucchini. Last week I made a loaf of zucchini bread. I played around with my old recipe-this time I used whole wheat flour, applesauce, and added in dried cranberries. I also sprinkled cinnamon sugar on the loaf before going into the oven.

I loved the finished product. The bread was very moist and the dried cranberries added a nice sweetness. The cinnamon sugar crust gave the bread a nice texture too. If you don’t know what to do with your zucchini, give this bread a try. It is excellent!

I am out of zucchini now, so if anyone wants to share, let me know:)

Zucchini Bread with Dried Cranberries

(Printable Recipe)

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 3/4 cups shredded zucchini
• 3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1/3 cup applesauce
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• Fresh ground nutmeg-I didn’t measure, just a bit
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2-3/4 cup dried cranberries
• Cinnamon/Sugar to sprinkle on top

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan with cooking spray, and set aside. Grate zucchini on the large holes of a box grater (to yield 1 3/4 cups); set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together sugars, oil, applesauce, vanilla, and eggs.

2. Into a small bowl, sift together flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and salt. Add flour mixture to egg mixture, and stir to combine well. Stir in grated zucchini and dried cranberries.

3. Pour batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly. Sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar mixture-if you wish. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean, about 40-45 minutes. Cool in pan 10 minutes; invert onto a wire rack, then reinvert, top side up. Cool completely before slicing.

Recipe for Blueberry Buckwheat Pancakes

Happy Friday! I am so glad my weekend has already started. It was a busy week at work for me. I work for Healthy Utah, the worksite wellness program for the state. Every year we have a conference for our wellness council members. The conference was yesterday and it went really well. We had speakers address nutrition and physical activity at work, tobacco free worksites, and we also launched a new "Work Well" Challenge. It was a lot of work, but everything went well. I am still glad it is over though:)

The other night we made breakfast for dinner. We do this a lot because we rarely have time to make anything fancy or special in the morning. I usually just eat my oatmeal at my desk. I've been wanting to try buckwheat flour for awhile, so we made Blueberry Buckwheat Pancakes.

Buckwheat flour has a rich, nutty flavor and is high in protein and fiber. It is also gluten free. We mixed the buckwheat flour with whole wheat flour. I loved the texture and flavor of these pancakes. They were wholesome and filling. We added in fresh blueberries which really made these pancakes special.

If you are looking for a new healthy breakfast or even dinner option, try these pancakes! This batch made enough for about six people. We had extras, so we put some in the freezer to reheat on busy mornings! Enjoy and have a great weekend!

Blueberry Buckwheat Pancakes

Adapted from Ellie Krieger

(Printable Recipe)

1 cup buckwheat flour

3/4 whole wheat flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 cup low-fat buttermilk

3/4 cup skim milk

1 T honey

2 eggs

2 T. sugar

1 T. canola oil

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup of fresh blueberries

Extra blueberries and fruit for serving (optional)

Powdered sugar

Maple Syrup

In a large bowl whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. In another bowl, beat together the buttermilk, non-fat milk, honey, eggs, sugar, oil, and vanilla. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, mixing only enough to combine them. Stir in berries.

Preheat a large nonstick griddle. You can use a skillet if you don't have a griddle. Ladle the batter onto the hot griddle or skillet , use about a 1/4 cup batter. Flip the pancake when it is golden brown on the bottom and there are lots of bubbles. Don't flip them too soon. Cook the other side until golden brown. Serve hot with syrup and extra fruit, if you wish!

Rhubarb Apple Cinnamon Muffins

This is rhubarb week on our blog. I just can't get enough! I had no idea rhubarb was such a gem. It is so nice to walk outside and chop rhubarb from our own yard. I am loving our four plants. Thanks to whoever lived in the house before us. We owe our rhubarb obsession all to you!

I appreciate all of your rhubarb recipe suggestions. I now have tons of recipes to try. I wish I had ten plants. I decided to try rhubarb muffins next.

I really didn't know what kind of muffin to make. I just started playing around with ingredients, adding a little bit of this and that. I used a Granny Smith apple to compliment the rhubarb. I threw in some cinnamon, nutmeg, and a pinch of all-spice. I tried to keep this one healthy so I used applesauce, canola oil, and whole wheat flour. I also added a cinnamon crunch topping for the grand finale.

I loved these muffins. They are a new favorite. I made big ones and mini ones and they were both amazing. They were plenty moist due to the applesauce, oil, rhubarb, and apple. I loved the tart rhubarb flavor paired with sweet brown sugar and cinnamon. I am glad I added the cinnamon crunch topping, it really made these muffins marvelous!

So if you haven't tried rhubarb yet, what are you waiting for? Try my strawberry rhubarb crumb cake or these magnificent muffins! You won't be disappointed.

Rhubarb Apple Cinnamon Muffins

(Printable Recipe)

2 1/2 cups chopped rhubarb
1 chopped Granny Smith apple

2 eggs
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup non sweetened applesauce
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Dash of nutmeg

Pinch of all spice

Cinnamon Crunch Topping:
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup oats
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 T cold butter
Cinnamon/sugar mixed

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray muffin tins or use paper liners.
2. In a large bowl whisk together the dry ingredients.

3. In a different bowl whisk together the wet ingredients until well combined.

4. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and mix slowly. Be gentle with the mix:)

5. Add in the rhubarb and apple. Mix gently.

6. Make the cinnamon crunch topping. Mix all of the ingredients, except the additional cinnamon and sugar, in a small bowl. I use my hands. You want it to be a crumbly mixture.

7. Divide the muffin mixture into muffin tins. I did regular and mini muffins. I got 12 regular muffins and about 20 little ones.

8. Sprinkle the crumb topping over the muffins. Add additional cinnamon/sugar if you wish. I suggest you do!

9. Bake for about 20 minutes. The little ones will be done sooner. Just watch them and do the toothpick test!

10. Cool and enjoy. They are best eaten the day you bake them.