Pumpkin Buttermilk Muffins w/ a Brown Butter Maple Glaze

Yes! Fall is here and that means all the bakers out there are whipping up their favorite seasonal goodies of pumpkin and spice. I usually make a pie or a pumpkin cheesecake, which is always a hit. I love pumpkin just as much as the next but I get tired of making the same old pumpkin recipes every year. So I went in search of a recipe that was something special. Something I had never made before.

 

As usual I set my sights on the endless inspiration that is Pinterest.  I knew that If I was going to find something new and different, that Pinterest was where to start. It didn't take long and I came across this recipe for 

Baked Buttermilk Pumpkin Donuts w/A Brown Butter-Maple Glaze

Just the name makes my mouth water.

You can find the recipe for those donuts by clicking on the link above. I used the same recipe for the donuts but made mini muffins instead. I had some extra buttermilk in the fridge that needed to get used and then I came across this donut recipe and the stars aligned. However, I did not have a donut tin to use and knew that time was not on my side (or the buttermilk's) and knew that I wanted to eat one of those donuts. So I did the next most logical thing and simply used mini muffin tins. If you have a donut tin already then I would certainly check out the donut method too. But if not then don't let something as silly as a shaped tin stop you from making magic.

MAGIC

 

That is exactly what happened when I made these muffins. Pure pumpkin mapley sweet magic.

I assume that had they been in the form of a donut they would have been just as delicious but I cannot speak on that.  I can say that these little muffins were light and airy yet moist at the same time. Not too sweet. Just the right amount of pumpkin and the buttermilk added a rich and light element that produced perfection in this recipe. The glaze added a little something extra but I would have been happy to eat just the pumpkin muffin without the glaze. THEY WERE THAT GOOD!

 I had a little batter left over from the mini muffins and just made a few regular sized muffins to eat for breakfast with my coffee.

 

Since this was my first time making this recipe or a baked donut for that matter, I didn't want to experiment or tweak the recipe. I played it safe and it paid off. However, this is a very versatile recipe and you could use it to make a variety of items. Let your imagination run wild.

I recommend trying out this pumpkin recipe if you are looking for something different this Fall season. I think I am going to try this recipe out in a pumpkin loaf next time. There really are a lot of possibilities. Go over and check out the recipe from the café sucre farine, where they have lots of yummy recipes.

 

As always

Enjoy your journey in the kitchen

 

Blessing to all

 

 

 

Hail Curls!!! How to love your curls

I naturally have curly wild hair. When I was younger I didn't like my curls so much and they didn't like me either. My hair was always a mix between frizzy curly locks and an afro of tangled mess. I never understood why I was being tortured like this. Why does my hair have to be so wild and unmanageable? If it was humid outside at all my hair would double in size and frizz. I knew that I liked curls. Other women looked beautiful with their curls but mine didn't look so beautiful. Needless to say, my hair in my childhood was a pain in the butt.

It wasn't until I got older that I truly appreciated the art of the curl and learned how to cultivate the most beautiful of curls. I had to do some experimenting and learning when it came to handling and styling my God-given locks. I learned many things about curls and taking care of hair in general.



First, I learned you have to love your hair. No matter what kind of hair you have, you should LOVE it, but especially the curls. Not all curls are created equal but they are all sensitive to normal hair care routines. Curls need extra special love and attention. When my sister or girlfriends want to scrunch their hair and ask how I always get mine to look the way they do, I tell them,

be gentle and love the curls.

Let me clarify. Curls tend to be a little drier than the average head of straight hair. Curls need a little extra conditioning and nourishing treatments. It is important to not wash your hair with shampoo to often because it can lead to dry hair. Second, curls need a good conditioner when you wash your hair as well as a good light-weight leave in conditioner. When handling your curls or wet hair, you have to take care to be extra gentle and not toss your hair about like a normal head of hair. You can't just put your hands in your curls and toss them around without purpose.

After you get out of the shower and your curls are still wet, use a comb, hair pick or your fingers to detangle your hair. Do so gently and don't comb too much. You don't want to use a regular brush on your curls because it can brake your hair more easily and in general it affects the integrity of the curl.

After you have combed out the tangles, gently toss your head of hair over and use a really good leave-in conditioner or mouse/gel. This is where it really counts to be gentle. With my product spread on my hands, I gently cradle the ends of my curls in the palms of my hands and softly scrunch the curls towards my scalp and gently close my hands around them and gently release. I do this a few times until I feel like I have given every curl a good scrunching and that the product is evenly distributed. I try to keep product away from my roots because it can weigh down your hair even more.

Now that your hair is scrunched, you can flip your head back over to the upright position and use your fingers to twist and manipulate the curls around the crown and frame of your face. This is just a little something extra to make sure that your curls dry how you want them to.

Next, you can simply let you hair dry naturally or you can use the help of a blow dryer. If you choose to blow dry your curls, I would only use a blow dryer if it has a diffuser attachment. The diffuser will ensure the best looking curls. It keeps your hair from getting too dry as well as provides indirect heat so that your curls don't get blown to smithereens. You can gently throw your hair back over and start blow drying the curls from underneath first, since they take the longest to dry and this will add a little extra volume. Now flip your hair back over and again manipulate the curls in front and blow dry any other curls by gently cupping and scrunching them as you dry.

As a last touch I like to use a anti-frizz hair serum or Moroccan oil. I rub about a dime size in the palms of my hands and gently scrunch the ends of my hair all over, paying attention to avoid the scalp. This will add an extra barrier from humidity and add a little extra shine to your curls.

If you have curls, you know exactly how challenging it can be to get the most out of styling them.
Curly hair is beautiful and a blessing, I have learned. All you need is a good routine for fixing your lovely curly locks and life seems to be right again. I hope that this helps anyone looking to make their curls more beautiful, bouncy and manageable. I wish I knew how to take care of my curls when I was a young girl and looked like Little Annie. But now that I do know, I want to share it and I wish you luck. Love your curls and they will love you back.

Blessing

 

My Pumpkin is turning 8

I remember the day he was born like it was yesterday. After being 13 days passed my due date, 18 hours of labor and a c-section, I met the most beautiful baby I had ever laid eyes on. 9lbs 9.5oz of bouncing beautiful baby boy with a full head of dark hair and big brown eyes. "He is perfect", I said.



Handsome Happy Baby

 

He took his time and came out healthy and happy. He has always done things his way and marched to his own beat. I love that about him.

 

He has grown up fast and It's hard to believe how quickly eight years have passed. It makes me want to take more time and be more involved in every aspect of his life. Take the time to show him and teach him more.

 

It has truly been a blessing to watch this person grow. I appreciate his passion for drama and oh is he dramatic (he gets that from me). He has an enormous imagination, some mad video gaming skills and a great heart. I love this kid. He's my first and in a way he'll always be my baby. My big 4.5 ft tall 8 year old baby.

Logan is 8

Happy birthday to my sweet pumpkin. I love you and I am so happy and grateful God gifted me, you. I hope 8 is a great year for you!!!

Xoxo
Mommy

 

MINECRAFT CANDY POPS

I made these super fun and easy MINECRAFT Candy Pops from the youtube channel

Nerdy Nummies. You can watch the video on how to make these awesome treats by clicking on the link above.

Mine did not come out quite as good as hers. I was lacking the writing pens that she used and had to write tiny letter with a paint brush and chocolate. My chocolate seemed extra thick and that made it challenging to get a smooth finish. Overall, I would say considering the obstacles they came out really cute and most importantly they tasted amazing, were easy to eat and super easy to put in little bags and send home with the kids instead of big bags of junk.

I love Rosanna Pansino the host of Nerdy Nummies. I made another of her minecraft cakes last years for my son's 7th birthday and it came out really cute. Go checkout her youtube channel. Lot's of great baking tutorials for the video game lovers out there. Or at least for your children's love of video games in my case.

 

Have a blessed day to all