Fall Favorite – Pumpkin Spice Hot Cocoa

Posted on November 15, 2013 by Jackie

Happy Friday! Today one of my best online friends is here sharing a delicious, warming recipe with you…. pumpkin spice hot cocoa! Perfect for these cold evenings that we’ve been having too.

I’ve know Jill almost as long as I’ve been blogging I think and we’ve been great friends almost the entire time. One of the best things about online friends is how quickly they can become the closest and best friends you ever had. This has to be one of my favorite reasons for blogging…. the friendships. They alone are worth all the time and effort that we put into blogging.

Jill is an awesome mom to three incredible boys (19, 17 and 10-going on 32). Two of whom still live at home. And fill her social calendar faster than she can… I can attest to this too! Just check out her on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram and see all of their travels, adventures, and of course the great money saving deals that she writes about on her blog, Single Mom on a Budget.

Temperatures are dropping, snow is starting to fall and the trees are near bare. Halloween candy is a distant memory and Thanksgiving and Christmas are on the mind.

Here in Colorado we have already had snow twice and because of that we had a beautiful fall season. The ‘pretty’ is over though, and the ground is covered in leaves. (And by covered I mean I’ve done the back-breaking job of bagging a total of nine trash bags full so far and it ain’t over yet.) The days are beautiful, but the nights are downright cold.

Something about that – the temps falling part, not the leaf bagging part – has gotten me in the holiday spirit early this year. And that never happens so I’m enjoying it.

As we settle in one chilly evening I had visions of cinnamon sticks and cans of pumpkin dancing in my head so I whipped up a pumpkin spice hot cocoa concoction and ooh la la it is delicious. Even my picky 10 year old liked it. And by picky I mean he won’t eat mac n cheese, peanut butter and jelly or cupcakes. I KNOW.

You can make your cocoa one of two ways, from a little packet or from a homemade hot cocoa recipe that we’ve used in my house for years. I make it and store it in a mason jar (recipe below).

Pumpkin Spice Hot Cocoa Directions (here is a printable version of the Pumpkin Spice Hot Cocoa recipe):

Ingredients:

Hot cocoa (make your own mix with 1 c. nonfat dry milk, 1 c. sugar and ¾ c. cocoa)
Milk
Canned pumpkin
Nutmeg
Cinnamon
Cinnamon Stick
Whipped cream or marshmallows

Directions:

These directions are per cup of hot cocoa.

Heat milk on stove on medium-low and watch so that the milk doesn’t boil over, because speaking from experience that is a big mess. It can also be heated in the microwave.

I like to drop a cinnamon stick in it to infuse the milk with cinnamon.

Pour milk into your favorite mug and add about 2-3 tbsp of hot cocoa mix depending on how chocolaty you like it.

Add 1 tbsp of pumpkin and mix thoroughly. Add more/less to your taste.

Add a dash of cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg.

Top of with a big dollop of whipped cream (or marshmallows) and sprinkle with nutmeg.

Curl up and enjoy.

Fall Favorite – Bacon, Egg and Leek Pizza

Posted on November 13, 2013 by Jackie

Hey there! Welcome to Wednesday and another Fall Favorite. Today I have fellow Michigander, Ashleigh, guest posting today! I have had the pleasure of meeting her and have to say that she is one of the sweetest gals ever. Sadly, even though we’re less than 2 hours away from one another, we don’t see each other all that often. I think that it’s time to remedy the meeting up with bloggers who live close by issue….

So what is her Fall Favorite? Bacon, egg, and leek pizza! Yum!

Aside from living in the great state of Michigan, Ashleigh is the mom to 3 little girls (toddler twins and a baby), wife to a great man, and a doggie mom too. She blogs at Being Cheap is Easy where she shares tips on how to save money online and in stores, reviews & giveaways, and food & recipes.

Follow her on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest to get all the updates on the great deals she shares and Instagram for a glimpse into her life with 3 little ladies.

Hello! My name is Ashleigh and I blog over at Being Cheap is Easy. I am so excited to be guest posting over at Jackie’s blog…I’ve been a reader for quite some time now!

Since we have a family of 5 and a tight budget, we rarely go out to eat. It’s helpful that I love to cook! One of our favorite “make your own takeout” meals is pizza. My girls love the basic pepperoni, but I like to experiment. This pizza happened one day by accident and now it’s our favorite! If you’re not familiar with leeks, they have a sweet, mild flavor after cooking…there isn’t a strong onion taste.

During a hectic week, it’s great to have a store bought pizza crust on hand to get dinner on the table in a flash. My favorite: the Aldi thin crust. It is cheap, yet it doesn’t taste like cardboard. If you don’t have an Aldi in your area, any thin crust will do. You can even make one if you’re feeling ambitious!

Ingredients:

2 leeks, sliced and washed
- Here’s how to wash leeks. You can also find them cleaned in the produce section.
6 slices of bacon
2 teaspoons of pesto
½ cup to ¾ cup pizza sauce
1 ½ -2 cups mozzarella cheese
1 thin pizza crust
2 eggs (optional)

Let’s cook!

Preheat the oven to 425
Slice the bacon in thin pieces and cook in a pan, draining most of the grease. Remove from pan and add leeks. Cook until soft (3-5 minutes).
Mix pesto and pizza sauce, add to crust. Use more or less sauce, depending on taste.
Sprinkle cooked leeks onto pizza crust, and then add bacon. Top with cheese.
If you’re feeling adventurous: add 2 eggs before putting it in the oven (like a sunny side up egg). It sounds crazy, but it really does taste amazing!
Bake 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown.

What crazy toppings do you like on your pizza?

Fall Favorite – Pumpkin and Sage Pasta

Posted on November 8, 2013 by Jackie

Happy Friday! Today I have Amanda here from The Sunny Vegan sharing a tasty recipe. What I love about her pumpkin sage pasta is that it’s just like a pumpkin ravioli but made so much easier and much healthier than anything that you could get from the store or restaurant because it’s made fresh.

I first met Amanda through an incredible Facebook group that we belong to and from there started slowly stalking her blog because I love food and she takes some awesome food pics!

Amanda shares all sorts of delicious vegan recipes on her blog and you’ll love them… I know that I do. She is also a Certified Yoga Teacher and is pursuing Certification as a Fitness Nutritional Specialist and Holistic Life Coach. All that in addition to raising two beautiful little girls, Weimaraner and a cat.

After you read her blog check her out on Facebook, Twitter, and of course Pinterest too!

Think pumpkin is only for pie? Well think again!
Savory pumpkin recipes are a fun way to keep the flavors of autumn around throughout the holiday season. Pumpkin is low calorie and full of Vitamin A, C and K as well as iron, potassium and magnesium so adding more to your diet is certainly a good thing.
I ususally use whole wheat pasta but my daughter picked out the orecchiette because it reminded her of little pumpkins. It really held the sauce well which made me happy.

Pumpkin Sage Pasta

Fresh sage is so beautiful and flavorful, combining it with the slightly sweet pumpkin makes for a gorgeous, earthy and tasty sauce. So shake up your regular pasta routine and try this pumpkin and sage sauce. One of the best things I have ever made! ( and my daughter agreed )

Ingredients: 4-6 servings

1 pound pasta
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 small yellow onion – diced
3 cloves garlic – diced
1 15 ounce can organic pumpkin puree
2 cups plain almond milk
2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast * optional
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh sage, plus more for garnish
salt and pepper

Method:

pasta – prepare as directed on package.
sauce – heat olive oil over medium-low heat, add onions and cook until translucent or approximately 5 minutes. add garlic and heat another 2 minutes. stir in pumpkin, almond milk, sage and nutritional yeast, salt and pepper to taste. heat over low heat for 5 minutes. serve over prepared pasta and garnish with additional fresh sage.

Fall Favorite – Mini Cinnamon Applesauce Muffin Recipe

Posted on November 6, 2013 by Jackie

Yay! It’s Fall Favorite time! Today is exciting because first it’s a recipe that doesn’t have pumpkin in it AND I have the super fun Tottums (Stephanie Totty) from The Froggy & The Mouse.

She really is a riot to hang out with and I know this because we spent some time together while at BlogHer this past summer. At home she spends her time wrangling two cute little boys, writing her tell it like it is blog, and working outside the home at a pretty cool job.

Of course you can find her hanging out at all the usual spaces & places online like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. Go ahead… stalk her… she likes it.

I woke up this morning and seriously considered turning on our heat – it got down into the low 40s last night here in the DFW area. It’s Fall, y’all. Therefore, it’s definitely time to break out the mini cinnamon applesauce muffins. NOM.

You can blame my mother for this recipe. I have no idea where she found it, but it’s pretty much the most amazing thing ever. These little dudes are bite-sized and perfect when heated up and paired with coffee … which also means they’re terribly addictive. The recipe makes a TON of them – but the good news? You can freeze them and they do great. I’ve got mini muffins for miles in my freezer right about now.

Mini Cinnamon Applesauce Muffins

Ingredients
1 cup of butter, softened
2 cups of sugar
2 eggs
2 cups of applesauce
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tbs ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions
Preheat oven to 350*
Grease mini-muffin pans.
Cream butter, gradually add 2 cups of sugar – beating well at medium speed
Add eggs, one at a time.
Add applesauce, mixing well.
Combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice, cloves & nuts – add to creamed mixture, mixing well.
Fill muffin pans about 3/4 full.

Bake at 350* for 14 minutes.
Transfer to wire racks to cool.

It’s easiest if you have at least 2 muffin pans, although when I make it, I usually tend to have three and a half pans worth of mix. Enjoy your muffins, and don’t say I didn’t warn you about them being addictive!

Fall Favorite- Pumpkin Pie Bars

Posted on October 30, 2013 by Jackie

Welcome to Wednesday! Today’s Fall Favorite is another sweet treat that is full of pumpkin flavor… you know what? I think that after all these delicious sweets we’re going to need a a diet plan to fight all the weight we’ll gain trying these. But then again it is the beginning of the holiday season and if I remember correctly all sweets during this time are calorie free.

Today’s Fall Favorite is pumpkin pie bars and they come to you from a great friend and blogger, Natalie!

Natalie is a wife, mom of a six year old son and four year old twin girls, wannabe foodie, lover of wine and of all things social media. She blogs at Mommy of a Monster and Twins and also works as a freelance writer and virtual assistant. You can find her tweeting as @NatalieHoage, Facebooking all day long, and pinning more recipes than she can ever possibly try.

One of my favorite things to bake during the fall season is this recipe for Pumpkin Pie Bars. The reason I love them so much is because they are so versatile – you can add nuts, cranberries, chocolate chips (or a combination of the three!)

These Pumpkin Pie Bars can be made in just one bowl, which makes them both easy to make and to clean up. I know it looks like a lot of ingredients, but I bet you already have most of them in your pantry. Enjoy!

Ingredients

8 tablespoons butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 light brown sugar, packed

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 large eggs

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1-1/3 cups pumpkin puree

1-2/3 cups of flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1-1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/2 cup of chocolate chips, cranberries, or nuts, if desired.

Preheat the oven to 375. Spray an 8×8 baking dish with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, stir first 4 ingredients until combined. Whisk in the eggs and oil, then stir in the pumpkin. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until combined.

Spoon mixture into the baking dish. Bake for 20-23 minutes, until the top is springy. Let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before cutting into bars. Serve warm or at room temperature.

I hope that you’re enjoying this little series that I have put together for all of you and I would LOVE it if you’d guest post too! Just drop me an email, or tweet, or message on Facebook and I’ll get you added to the list of amazing bloggers.

Fall Favorite – Indian Potato and Spinach Soup

Posted on October 23, 2013 by Jackie

It’s Wednesday and that means it’s time for another Fall Favorite! Today Erica is here sharing her recipe for an Indian Potato and Spinach soup that is sure to warm you on the coldest fall evening and paired with some fresh from the oven bread and a glass of your favorite drink dinner will be perfect.

I hope that you’re enjoying this series and finding some delicious recipes to try out. Remember… if you’re interested in sharing one of your own fall favorite here just let me know.

Erica Voll is a freelance writer, blogger, marketing maven, content creator and social media consultant. She writes a parenting blog, No Sleep ’til College, and is co-founder of Girls’ Lunch Out . Erica rarely sleeps. Connect with Erica on Twitter,YouTube, Facebook, and Google+.

There are days when I think I might as well cook an elaborate meal, and throw it directly in the trash because inevitably, my kids and husband will hate it.

On a scale of 1 to 10 with “1” being “Ick, gross, I’m calling for take-out” and a “10” being “Make this again!” I’ve observed the following:

30 seconds to throw chicken fingers in the oven + 5 minutes to heat up canned corn + 1 minute to scoop applesauce on a plate = 10
60 minutes chopping, searing, boiling and simmering for a chicken dinner = 5
90 minutes chopping, boiling, cleaning, clearing, plating, topping and serving pork chops, homemade mashed potatoes, fresh brussels sprouts = 1

Look, I am not a foodie. I do not “enjoy” cooking, nor do I enjoy the prep and clean-up that comes with cooking. But I the thought of Indian potato soup just kind of warmed my soul one chilly fall day…

So I thought I would take a chance and make it for my family.
So, this weekend, when I dared to bust out the Indian spices and create a pot of soup, I knew I was treading in dangerous waters. This conversation foreshadowed what happened…

“The kids will never eat that,” said my husband.

“How do you know??” I asked.

“Erica, the kids will not eat Indian food,” he replied.

Well, he was sort of right. My almost-4-year-old told me she didn’t like the way it smelled, and my 18-month-old ate it up. My husband hated it, and I loved it.

I loved it so much, in fact, I wanted to share the recipe with you.

Indian Potato Spinach Soup with Chicken

Serves: 1. Your family will hate it, and you will be forced to eat it for a week because you made it from scratch, damnit!

Ingredients

2 tsp canola or corn oil
2 medium size chicken breast halves, diced
1 large onion chopped
1/2 tsp caraway seeds ( I used sesame seeds since I didn’t have caraway seeds)
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 TBSP curry powder
2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cardamom
6 cups fat free chicken broth
1 cup chopped canned tomatoes with juice
3 cups coarsely chopped potatoes (about 2 large)
1 10 ounce thawed spinach

Directions

Over medium heat in large pot, combine oil, chicken, onion and caraway seeds. Cook, stirring frequently until onion is limp and browns (about 5 minutes)
Add garlic and cook one minute longer.
Stir in coriander, curry and cardamom, cook for additional 30 seconds.
Stir in broth and potatoes. Bring to a boil.
Adjust heat so it simmers.
Cook until potatoes are tender
Add spinach, tomatoes. Simmer 10 minutes

Per cup: 187 cals 2.7 g fat, 15 g of protein

Sounds delicious, right?

Pot Pie Casserole

Posted on September 19, 2013 by Jackie

It’s been about 3 weeks since the kids have gone back to school. So far they all appear to be settling in quite well and are all happy with the way things are going for the most part… they still complain about all the homework and having to get up so early (and going to bed on time). Personally, I love it! We’re back on a regular schedule and I don’t get any calls halfway through the day asking what they can do or if I’ll bring lunch home for them.

There is a downside though… and that’s nobody is home to clean up while I’m at work or to take something out of the freezer for dinner when I forget. So this means that I have think ahead and be prepared and this does not always happen. Even if I am prepared dinner can sometimes be a rush because somebody has something going on and has to leave or will be late getting home. I hate having to rush dinner because then it doesn’t always lead to a good meal or us sitting around the table having those end of day conversations that I enjoy.

This week there wasn’t much rushing (although the husband was late more than once) and we were able to enjoy dinner together. Remember when I mentioned thinking ahead and being prepared? Well, I did that this week. Sunday I roasted a couple of chickens and made homemade gravy and those leftovers went into another delicious meal that I made. Chicken Pot Pie casserole topped with Pillsbury Biscuits! It was probably the best dinner all week because there was not a single bit left in the pan… nothing. Someone even licked the spoon clean (not me this time)!

My intention was to make it super easy on myself and follow this recipe from Pillsbury but I didn’t because homemade gravy is awesome in pot pies and a great deal better than something from a can. I followed the basic recipe that Pillsbury and used a rotisserie chicken and what I had left over from our dinner earlier in the week, along with carrots, celery, onions, peas, and a potato. Of course it was topped with this light and flaky Pillsbury biscuits.

The biscuits were light, flaky, and so tender… so good that I barely had enough for the whole family! This is definitely one that is considered the perfect comfort foods for fall & winter.

What’s your favorite comfort food?

You can download a great recipe booklet from Pillsbury that’s full of recipes using Grands Biscuits. Make sure to try the Grands Unsloppy Joes… they’re amazing!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective. The content and opinions expressed here are all my own and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of General Mills. Compensation was provided by General Mills via Clever Girls Collective.

Monday Menu – Mini BBQ Meatloaves

Posted on March 25, 2013 by Jackie

I’m back!!

I’d love to say that I’m happy to be back but that’s a lie. I loved Florida and all the sun & warm weather… I am happy to get back into the swing of this blogging thing though. I feel like I’ve been gone forever even though it’s only been a week… I haven’t opened my reader yet and am a bit worried what that’ll look like!

My original idea for today’s post was going to be sharing some of the delicious food I had while at Disney and the recipes for them. I was told by our waiter that the recipes for all the food we had and for most of the other Disney restaurants were available on the website but I have yet to find them. So that’ll have to wait for another post I suppose.

We got back and first thing I had to do was (not unpack… the suitcase is still sitting by the back door) hit up the grocery store because my kids expected to eat breakfast and all that the next day. It was a pretty nice shopping trip since I was able to go all alone… it’s the little things in life that make it special.

Anyway, this recipe is so simple and delicious that I had to share it with you. Oh, I should tell you that I didn’t create this one on my own. It’s all courtesy of the Taste of Home magazine that I was reading in the urgent care office while waiting for them to look at my daughter’s pink eye and give us a prescription (that’s another story).

Monday Menu – Mini BBQ Meatloaves

Ingredients

1 box of Stove Top stuffing - any flavor you like will work
1 C water
2 Tbsp hickory smoked bbq sauce or whatever kind you have on hand
1 lb ground beef - I used a 96/4 blend
1/4 - 1/2 lb ground pork - this wasn't in the orignal recipe but I always add it to my lean ground beef
1 C shredded cheddar cheese
Other things that I threw in because I like them...
pepper
dried onions
garlic

Instructions

In a large bowl mix the stuffing, water, bbq sauce and any extras you want to throw in together. Mix in the ground beef and pork if you're using it.
Scoop 1/3 cup into each of 12 ungreased muffin cups.
Bake for 20 - 25 minutes in a pre-heated 375 degree oven.
Top each little meat loaf with the shredded cheese and put them back in the oven for a few minutes until the cheese is melted.

https://withjustabitofmagic.com/monday-menu-mini-bbq-meatloaves

I wasn’t sure how the stuffing would turn out in mixed in with the meat but you could hardly tell that it was in there and it was delicious! Everyone loved it…. even Andrew who usually refuses to eat any kind of stuffing. He even told me that he was hungry and wanted another one!

I think that I’ll give this a try with some ground turkey and leave out the bbq sauce and cheese and then top them with some gravy. It’ll be like Thanksgiving made super simple!

Mini bbq meatloaves are perfect for a busy night because they really don’t take much more than 30 – 40 minutes from beginning to end. Beat that Rachael Ray!

What is your go to, super fast dinner?

Monday Menu – Pumpkin Cheesecake

Posted on March 11, 2013 by Jackie

I love baking and I think that if I had a choice I would open a bakery. All day I would make delicious pies, cakes, cookies, and all sorts of other delicious treats! But for now I will settle for making all of those things in moderation for my friends and family.

Fall and winter are the perfect times to bake because those warms smells of fresh baked good fill your house and fill you with joy…. Maybe that’s just me. As soon as the cold weather hits I start baking again in full force.

This year I was tasked with bringing dessert for Thanksgiving and one thing that I knew for sure was that it had to include pumpkin. There are a couple reasons for that too. First because it is one of my favorite fall foods and second because it simply is not Thanksgiving without it.

I wanted to change things up though and instead of the traditional pumpkin pie I decided on a pumpkin cheesecake. The mere thought of the creamy cheesecake mixed with the spicy pumpkin pie had my mouth watering.

Monday Menu – Pumpkin Cheesecake

Ingredients

Crust

• 1 package of Biscoff (http://www.biscoff.com/) Cookies (You can use gingersnaps or a regular graham crust if you want)
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted
• Nonstick cooking spray, for the sides of the pan

Cheesecake

• 4 8-ounce bars cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 3 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin puree

Instructions

Heat oven to 350° F.
In a food processor, pulse the cookies until fine crumbs form. Add the butter and pulse to combine. Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan (preferably nonstick), using a straight-sided dry measuring cup to help. Spray the sides of the pan lightly with the cooking spray.
Now, you can use a water bath for this cheesecake if you want but it isn’t absolutely necessary. If you choose to then you will need to wrap the springform pan in a double layer of heavy-duty foil. This will prevent water from getting into your cheesecake and ruining it.
Place the springform pan on a cookie sheet if you are not using a water bath.
If you are using a water bath place the springform pan in a large baking dish.
Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and brown sugar on medium until smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add the flour, pumpkin pie spice, and salt and then beat to combine. Add the pumpkin and beat to combine again.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan.
Pour hot water into the baking dish (if you use a water bath) so it comes up about 1 inch on the sides.
Bake for about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes. You want the cheesecake to be set but still a bit wiggly in the middle. If the top starts to get to dark while baking cover it loosely with foil.
Let the cheesecake cool completely in the pan, and then refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.
When you’re ready to serve run a knife around the outside edge to loosen it from the pan.

https://withjustabitofmagic.com/pumpkin-cheesecake

Serve with whipped topping!

I will tell you that this is very rich and creamy, but so delicious. You should be able to get at least 12 slices out of this cheesecake and the calories on this one simply don’t count!

When I started out pondering this recipe I knew that I didn’t want the traditional graham cracker crust. It would not do a pumpkin cheesecake justice so the next thought that I had after that was to make the crust with gingersnaps.

Gingersnaps are a bit spicy to me and I knew that all of my kids would not like it and that led me to one of our favorite cookies, Biscoff. The best way that I can describe them is that they are like a cross between graham crackers and gingersnaps. Regardless, they are very good and I knew they would make the perfect crust.

Now, I am one of those people who really like pumpkin so I see no reason why you couldn’t service this anytime of the year.

What about you? Pumpkin anytime of the year or not?

With Just a Bit of Magic

Tag Archives: Recipe

Fall Favorite – Pumpkin Spice Hot Cocoa

Fall Favorite – Bacon, Egg and Leek Pizza

Fall Favorite – Pumpkin and Sage Pasta

Fall Favorite – Mini Cinnamon Applesauce Muffin Recipe

Fall Favorite- Pumpkin Pie Bars

Fall Favorite – Indian Potato and Spinach Soup

Indian Potato Spinach Soup with Chicken

Ingredients

Directions

Pot Pie Casserole

Monday Menu – Mini BBQ Meatloaves

Monday Menu – Pumpkin Cheesecake