Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Happy Halloween! No tricks just treats for you today. I found this recipe for Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins on allrecipes.com a few years ago and I've made them every fall since then. They smell heavenly while baking and taste just as good. The recipe is pretty much perfect as is.  All I changed was to use fresh pumpkin puree I made the night before and subbed walnuts for the pecans because that is what I had on hand. Also, while the recipe says it makes 18 muffins, I easily got 24.  They are wonderful with your morning cup of coffee or for an afternoon treat.

Enjoy and have fun tonight!

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins from allrecipes.com 
makes 18 muffins

INGREDIENTS

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 Tbsp. brown sugar

4 1/2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
5 Tbsp. white sugar
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. chopped pecans

2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2 c. white sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 1/3 c. pumpkin puree
1/3 c. olive oil
2 tsp. vanilla extract

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease and flour 18 muffin cups, or use paper liners.

To make the filling: In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until soft. Add egg, vanilla and brown sugar. Beat until smooth, then set aside.

For the streusel topping: In a medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, cinnamon and pecans. Add butter and cut it in with a fork until crumbly. Set aside.

For the muffin batter: In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Make a well in the center of flour mixture and add eggs, pumpkin, olive oil and vanilla. Beat together until smooth.

Place pumpkin mixture in muffin cups about 1/2 full.  Then add one tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture right in the middle of the batter.  Sprinkle on streusel topping.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes.

Eat and enjoy!!

Halloween Trees

I have one last Halloween card to share with you today. This one was inspired by a card I saw on Splitcoast Stamper's by Lionsmane.  I changed up the pattern papers and simplified it a bit. 

The focal image was created using the emboss resist technique. The tree image was first inked up with Versa Mark and Basic Black, then embossed with black embossing powder.   I then sponged over top with Summer Sun ink at the center and Pumpkin Pie around the edges. I like the eerie sunset feel this created with the silhouetted trees.

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy your weekend!


SUPPLIES
Stamps: Lovely as a Tree
Paper: Basic Black, Very Vanilla, dp by Graphic 45
Ink: Versa Mark, Basic Black, Pumpkin Pie, Summer Sun
Embellishments: orange satin ribbon, black embossing powder
Tools: large oval and scalloped oval nestabilities dies, sponge, foam tape

Halloween Trio

Halloween is almost here and I have a few more cards to make and send out.  This one was inspired by a card Dawn McVey shared on her blog a while back.  I used a new toy for the background, SU's spider web embossing folder.  So fun!  The cute little Halloween images are from Spooky Bingo Bits.

The sentiment was stamped onto a piece of Pumpkin Pie card stock that had been punched out with the Designer Label punch.  I then trimmed off the bottom portion and sewed it onto the embossed layer.  

Similarly, I punched out a scallop border from Eggplant Envy card stock and sewed it along the bottom with a zig zag stitch.  The embossed panel, and each of the three circle pieces, were adhered with foam tape.

Enjoy your weekend!

SUPPLIES
Stamps: Spooky Bingo Bits, Teeny Tiny Wishes
Paper: Whisper White, Pumpkin Pie, Eggplant Envy, Basic Black
Ink: Eggplant Envy, VersaFine Onyx Black, Pumpkin Pie
Tools: Spider Web embossing folder, scallop border punch, 1 1/4" circle punch, 1 3/8" circle punch, Designer Label punch, sewing machine, foam tape

Spooky Halloween

Perusing some other people's card blogs recently I came across an old sketch challenge.  I don't usually have much luck with card sketch challenges, maybe I'm trying to force things too much, but this particular one really inspired me.  I had been wanting to create a Halloween card now that it is October so that is the direction I went with. I really like how this one turned out!

 

Here is what the original sketch looked like, you can read more about it here.

I used Carved and Candlelit for the focal image, along with a punched out bat.  I don't own this particular SU! bat punch, but my mom does and she gave me a stack of punched out bats last time I visited. Thanks, Mom! :)  The background paper is a page from an old book I picked up at a used book store.  I used the spider and web images from Creepy Crawly to help it recede into the background.  All of the edges were antiqued with my PTI Tea Dye cubes.

And here is the inside, stamped with the sentiment from Creepy Crawly.  This card is now up in my shop so be sure to take a look!


SUPPLIES
Stamps: Carved and Candlelit (SU!), Creepy Crawly (Inkadinkado)
Paper: Vintage Cream (PTI), Basic Black (SU!), Bella Rose dp (SU!), Orange Small Dots dp (Recollections), vintage book print
Ink: Pumpkin Pie, Old Olive (SU!), Versa Fine Onyx Black, Tea Dye Duo (PTI)
Embellishments: black satin ribbon, black embroidery thread, button
Tools: stamp-a-ma-jig, corner rounder punch, bat punch (SU!)

Welcome to Your New Nest

The house next to ours sold several months ago and we've watched as the new owners have gone through the process of gutting and remodeling their new home.  But at long last our new neighbors have moved in so yesterday we walked over to meet them. I made them this house warming card along with a loaf of my favorite banana bread to welcome them to the neighborhood.

The sentiment was created on my computer and printed onto white card stock.  I actually printed it ages ago for this card, but as I ended up using a different layout for that one, this little sentiment strip has been sitting patiently on my desk waiting to be used. It worked out perfectly!

I also made the happy discovery that the nestabilities oval dies fit this bird image from Cavallini's Birds and Nests set exactly. The bird image is popped up with foam tape and then I tucked some ribbon loops underneath on either side.  I hope they like it!


SUPPLIES
Stamps: French Flair, Birds and Nests (Cavallini)
Paper: Whisper White, Basic Black, blue
Ink: Bliss Blue, Versa Fine Onyx Black
Embellishments: white satin ribbon
Tools: oval nestabilities

Fried Mozzarella Balls

Football season is in full swing and that means tailgate food!  My husband and I went to a Progressive Tailgate party (all day college football at three different houses) yesterday and we needed a culinary contribution to bring with us.  I'm a big fan of small bite sized appetizer food so this seemed the perfect opportunity to try out a recipe for fried mozzarella balls.  The recipe is courtesy of the Curvy Carrot and other than cutting the quantity in half, I followed it to the letter.  The mozzarella balls themselves were delicious, but I think I'll use a more traditional marinara sauce to accompany them in the future.  How about you guys, have any favorite party food recipes? Now today we'll be kicking back and watching some NFL and I'll be getting some more baking and crafting in as well. Enjoy the rest of your weekend! :)