apple pie

seriously… is it really halfway through october?!!!  i just cant believe it!  i am pretty happy about it though.  i LOVE fall.  it’s my very favorite season.  i wish it would stay fall all year. haha :)

i’ve been feeling pretty “fallish” lately i guess.  last night for dinner i made chicken pot pie and then apple pie for dessert.  apple pie definitely makes me think of fall…not sure why exactly.

anyway, i thought i would share the recipe i used.  this was my first time making apple pie, and it was easy and sooooo yummy.

instead of taking the time and effort to make the crust, i just used a pillsbury refrigerated one.  i would never know the difference anyway.  and to us, its the stuff in the middle that’s important.

ingredients for filling:

• 1 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 Tbsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 cup flour
• a few dashes of lemon juice
• 7-10 cut up apples

you just mix it all up and throw it inside the crust.  (it wasn’t in the recipe, but i added a few chunks of better on top for extra flavor!)  then you cover it with the top crust, pinch the edges together, and cut off any excess.  put four little slashes in the top with a knife.  brush some milk over the top and then sprinkle with sugar.  bake at 425 for about 30-40 minutes.  check halfway through and put foil over the top if it starts getting too brown.

enjoy!

i got the recipe here.

Mini Cheesecakes

I read a blog called Enjoying the Small Things. It’s written by a mother and photographer, Kelle Hampton.  It’s a beautiful blog with well written stories of her daily life and some really breathtaking photos of her two girls. 

It’s really been inspiring me to take time out to notice the little stuff in life.  I’ve been thinking about how it’s almost April and that makes me feel a little torn.  I’m happy because it’s spring time and summer will be here soon.  I love the warmer weather and all that comes along with that.  But at the same time, I’m kind of sad that the time has gone by so fast.  If I hadn’t been blogging from time to time, I’m not sure I could tell you much about what has happened in the past 3 months.  Sure, I remember the big stuff, but I have not been enjoying the small stuff like I should.  One of my new goals is to soak it all in.  Enjoy life.  I don’t want to just coast day in and day out in the same old routines and forget that life is what we make it.

That is quite a long introduction, but moving on…

I found this recipe (that I made for our date night recently) on Kelle’s blog that I just had to try.  I’m so glad I did. 

Simple, Quick, Delicious! 

Mini Cheesecakes from Mama

2 (8oz) pkgs. cream cheese, softened

2 eggs

1/2 c. sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

12 vanilla wafers

fruit topping

Preheat oven to 350.  In mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, eggs, sugar, and vanilla; beat 5 minutes.  Line 12 muffin cups with paper baking cups.  Place 1 vanilla wafer in each cup.  Divide cream cheese mix evenly over wafers.  Bake about 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Refrigerate.  Serve with fruit topping.

**I did not have vanilla wafers.  I used graham cracker pieces instead, and it still tasted wonderful!!!

a little fishy

I have never been a big fan of seafood.  In fact, a few years ago I would not put anything in my mouth that had once lived in the water.  And then I met Justin.  He loves seafood and fish.  So I’m branching out.  I’ll eat some fish and a little shrimp here and there now.  Maybe even some seafood gumbo!

Anyway, here is a great recipe for tilapia.  I love it because with all the seasonings, you don’t taste any fishy flavor!

Blackened Cumin Cayenne Tilapia

• 1  tablespoon  olive oil
• 4  (6-ounce) tilapia fillets
• 2  teaspoons  ground cumin
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/2  teaspoon  garlic powder
• 1/2  teaspoon  ground red pepper
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• Cooking spray

Preheat broiler. Rub oil evenly over fish. Combine cumin, salt, garlic powder, and peppers; sprinkle over fish. Arrange fish on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray; broil 5 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or desired degree of doneness.

Easy peasy!  And so fast.  10 minutes tops!  Oh, and it’s healthy… which is rare around this house. Ha!

Tonight we did sweet potatoes and corn with it.  Hubby said it was one of the best meals I’ve cooked so far!  Pretty impressive :)

**I got this recipe from myrecipes.com here**

strawberry pie

This is one of Justin’s most favorite desserts.  His mom gave me the recipe so he wouldn’t have to go without it once we moved to Texas.

Natalie's Strawberry Pie

2 Cans Sweetened Condensed Milk

2/3 cup Lemon Juice

2 tsp Vanilla

1  small container Cool Whip (I like the extra creamy best)

Fresh strawberries - cut up - can put as many or as little as you prefer

2 Keebler Shortbread Crusts

This pie is so simple to make and so delicious.  It makes two pies.  We usually try to give one away, but if we can’t… no problem! ;)

I decided, this time, to put some chocolate covered strawberries on top to make it extra special because this was for our Valentine’s Day celebration!

Cheesy Chicken Roll Ups

I don’t remember where I got this recipe.  I remember getting it from somewhere on the internet right after I got married and started trying to find simple meal ideas.

This is super duper simple and pretty yummy, too.  Justin actually requests this one!

 

Cheesy Chicken Crescents

8 oz. cream cheese

4 T melted butter

2-3 cups cooked chicken

1/2 t salt

1/4 t pepper

2 cans crescent rolls

Mix first five ingredients together.  (I usually throw in a little extra seasoning)

Unroll crescent rolls and separate into squares.

Press seams together so they stay squares.

Put a spoonful of mix in the middle of each square and fold (like a hot pocket).

Seal the edges.

Bake at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Here is a pic of the finished product..

It doesn’t look too appealing, really.  But trust me, the yumminess is on the inside!  And the flaky crescent roll crust doesn’t hurt one bit :)

Cowboy Chili

With all this cold winter weather I have been wanting to cook foods that will really warm us up.  I found this recipe for Cowboy Chili on Jennifer’s blog.

Cowboy Chili

1 Whole chicken or 4 chicken breasts

3 cans of chicken broth

1 can black beans

1 can pinto beans

1 can black eyed peas

1 can yellow corn

Small can of tomato sauce

1 jar of Thick-n-Chunky Salsa

1 Pack of taco seasoning

Boil and cut up chicken. Rinse and drain beans and corn. Mix all ingredients together in large crock pot. Cook on low all day.

I have to say that I did not cook mine all day, and it was still delicious.

Also, if you don’t have a crockpot, just put the ingredients in a pot, bring to a boil, and simmer for at least 30 minutes.

I took Jennifer’s advice and made corn bread muffins to go with it.  Also, I added sour cream and shredded cheese to top it off.  Oh, and I sprinkled some chili seasoning into mine.  We like our food spicy!

Yummy.

BBQ burgers

I doubt this even qualifies as a recipe, but I want to share anyway because we like these so much.

 

My mom-in-law introduced this idea to me.  It’s sort of like a sloppy joe, but better.

You just brown 1 lb. (or however much you think you need) of hamburger meat.  Then cover the meat in Kraft Spicy Honey BBQ sauce.  Let it simmer about 20 minutes, then serve on hamburger buns! 

Simple.  Quick.  Easy.  Yummy.   My kind of meal!

I substituted deer meat tonight for the beef, and it was still good.

chili weather

The entire weekend has been pretty cloudy with temperatures in the 30’s.  To me that means it’s time to eat chili and soup!  I just cannot eat these types of meals unless it’s cool outside.  Weird, maybe.. but that’s how I am!

So yesterday I decided to try to make chili for the first time.  I got the recipe from my mom-in-law.  It makes wayyy too much for just two people, so I halved the recipe.  I let it sit in the fridge overnight, and we ate it for lunch today.  So YUMMY!!!

Natalie's Chili

1 24oz can crushed tomatoes

2 cans Chili Fixin’s Rotel Tomatoes

2 packets Chili Seasoning Mix (McCormick brand is what I use normally)

1 8oz can tomato sauce

4lbs Hamburger meat

2 TBL Spoons chili powder

Add water some water to get the right consistency

Mix all sauces & seasoning together in large pot.  Brown hamburger meat thoroughly with garlic salt & pepper then drain off any excess fat.  Add meat to sauce mixture.  You can add more Chili powder as needed to get the flavor that you want, just bear in mind that the seasoning “sinks” in more overnight in the fridge so don’t put too much (this is just something you learn as you make it each time – may want to always measure how much you put in until you get it where you want it)

Let simmer on low for 30 to 45 minutes.  Keep your fire on low or it will scorch easy.  Like I said above it is better if you let it sit in the fridge overnight before eating so the seasoning gets into the meat good.  When you warm it up you have to slow heat it or it will scorch!

This makes a large batch but you can freeze it in smaller containers for quick thawing later.

Energizer Bunny!

Today I worked, did laundry, did dishes, went grocery shopping, worked out, and made brownies for my hubby’s class at school!

I cannot believe it.  Usually after work I just want a nap. 

I was feeling tired when I got off, but drank a Spark energy drink (came with my 2 week kit), and it worked!!!

Anyone remember The Shred?  I dug mine out of storage where it had been hiding since APRIL!!!  Jillian Michaels kicked my bootay again.  I made it through though.  On Level 1 of course.  :)

Now, about those brownies!!!

Peanut Butter Truffle Brownies

Brownie Base:

1 box (1 lb 6.5 oz) Betty Crocker® Original Supreme brownie mix

Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on brownie mix box

Filling:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

2 cups powdered sugar

2 teaspoons milk

Topping:

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup butter

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray or shortening.

In medium bowl, stir brownie mix, pouch of chocolate syrup, water, oil and eggs until well blended. Spread in pan. Bake 28 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted 2 inches from side of pan comes out almost clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour.

In medium bowl, beat filling ingredients with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Spread mixture evenly over brownie base.

In small microwavable bowl, microwave topping ingredients uncovered on High 30 to 60 seconds; stir until smooth. Cool 10 minutes; spread over filling. Refrigerate about 30 minutes or until set. For brownies, cut into 9 rows by 4 rows. Store covered in refrigerator.

 

I got the recipe from this blog. I knew I had to try it as soon as I saw it.  Justin’s favorite thing is peanut butter and chocolate!

And, no, we won’t be keeping these at home.  I am trying to lose weight, not gain it!

Dinner with Friends

My friend Jenna has cooked dinner for me and Justin quite a few times in the past couple of months, so tonight I decided to be the one to cook.  We had her, Dustin (her hubby), and Richie (their roomie) over for dinner.

I decided to make a recipe I got from my mom-in-law because she is one of the best cooks I know.  This recipe has many names and many ways of making it.  We call it Mexican Chicken.

Natalie’s Mexican Chicken:

Boiled chicken (I use boneless skinless breasts)

1 c. chicken broth

1 can cream of chicken

1 can cream of mushroom

2 cans mexican festival Rotel tomatoes

1 sm. chopped onion

1 bag nacho cheese Doritos

2 c. cheese (monterey jack and colby mix)

Mix broth, soups, onion, and Rotel in large pan and heat til soup is dissolved.

Line bottom of 13x9 pan with crushed Doritos. Add layer of chicken.

Pour 1/2 of mixture on top. Cover with shredded cheese.

Repeat all layers again.

Bake at 400 until bubbly.

 

Then for dessert I made a super yummy (super fattening) recipe that I found on Kelly’s Recipe Blog.

Double Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake:

1 cup butter, melted (2 sticks)

1 pkg chocolate cake mix (18.25 oz)

3 large eggs

1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

3 to 4 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 box (1 lb) confectioner's sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup chopped nuts

Heat oven to 350 degrees and place rack in center. Lightly butter a 13x9 inch pan. In a large bowl, stir together cake mix, 1 egg and 1/2 cup butter until combined well. Evenly pat into pan and set aside.

In a large mixer bowl, beat cream cheese on medium speed until smooth. Beat in remaining 2 eggs and the cocoa powder until combined well. Reduce speed to low and add sugar; beat until combined well. Gradually beat in remaining 1/2 cup butter and the extract. Beat until smooth. Fold in nuts with a rubber spatula and spread over cake mixture.

Bake until set around edges but center is a little gooey, 40 to 50 minutes.These are SO SO SO good… how could they not be with a whole cup of butter and a whole box of sugar!!!  Ha :)

After dinner we played Mario Kart on the Wii and watched some Storm Chasers on TV.

Now company is gone, and I’m about to catch up on blog reading then read some Crazy Love.

I scream, You scream, We all scream...

Last weekend (yes, it's been a long time since I last posted) we had to drive to a neighboring town, and on our way we spotted some garage sale signs.  We decided to stop.  And am I ever glad we did!

What a prize we found for only a few bucks!

I have always loved homemade ice cream.   My grandparents used to have an ice cream maker, and I remember sitting on the back patio waiting and waiting and waiting.  It was always so worth it though.  And now, we have our very own ice cream-making-machine!

A few days later our friends Dustin and Jenna invited us over to grill some burgers and hang out.  (The burgers were to die for, by the way.  You should ask Jenna for the recipe!)  We decided it would be the perfect chance for us to try out our new best friend!

I got a recipe off of Kelly's Recipe Blog.  You can see it here. 

Wow!  She was not kidding when she said it was soooo good!

This picture definitely does not do it justice.  But I had to document it.. haha :)

 

Well, Justin and I have tomorrow off so we are starting our weekend early.  I hope everyone has a fun and safe three day weekend :) :) :)

sweet & sour meatballs

I decided to try out another new recipe last night.  This time it comes from this site.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef

3/4 cup quick oats

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Combine all of the ingredients and mix well. Form into about 12 balls, each about 2 inches in diameter. Place in a casserole dish. Cover with sauce (below). Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Serve over rice.

Sauce:

1 cup brown sugar

1/2cup apple cider vinegar

2 teaspoon mustard

1/2 cup barbeque sauce

2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Combine ingredients and blend thoroughly. Heat in a small saucepan until combined and sugar is dissolved and pour over meatballs.

We really enjoyed this because it was different than most things I normally make.  We both ate til we were stuffed, I took some to a friend, and we still have leftovers.  You may try halving the recipe if only serving two people.  I will next time.  And next time I will definitely follow the directions to "finely chop" the onion.  My onion pieces were too big.  Oh, and make sure I have plenty of rice.  I didn't cook enough.

Enjoy!

yummy to my tummy

Justin's family left today after lunch.  We had an amazing time with them and hated to see them go.  Tonight I have extra-hated it because Justin went to work, and I had to go to work around here... laundry, dishes, and cooking dinner.

We ate out pretty much the whole time the family was in, so tonight Justin wanted me to cook.

I decided to try this recipe.  All of the reviews were great for it, plus I had all of the ingredients!

Poppy seed chicken

• 2 or 3 chicken breasts, boiled and cut in small pieces
• 1 16 oz sour cream
• 2 cans cream of chicken
• 2 tbls of poppyseeds
• Ritz crackers
• 1 stick of butter

Mix the first 4 ingredients and put in a baking dish. Cover with crushed up ritz crackers. Melt a stick of butter and pour on top. Bake for 20-30 minutes at 350. 

(once again this is from Kelly's Recipe Blog.. all her stuff is so good!!!)

Chicken Supreme

For dinner tonight I decided to try a recipe that I found on Kelly's recipe blog.

Chicken Breast Supreme:

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken breasts
• 4-8 strips of bacon
• 16 oz sour cream
• 1 can of cream of mushroom soup
• 1 can of sliced mushrooms
• 1 jar of dried beef (this is found near tuna or spam)

Directions:

• Wrap the chicken in bacon and put in pan. 
• Mix up all the other ingredients. (Tear up the dried beef into small pieces-- this is what gives the meal the real flavor). 
• Pour mixture over chicken and bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours

I left out the can of sliced mushrooms because my husband gags himself if he knows there are mushrooms in something he is eating.  :)

Also, I had never heard of the dried beef before!  Am I the only one??!

At Kelly's suggestion, I served with white rice.  Oh, and of course, sweet tea!

(I used Kelly's pictures because mine did not turn out good at all...)

Guess it's that time...

My dad and my sister messaged me today wondering why I haven't been updating the blog!  So I guess I need to come up with something to write about..

Let's see...

I got a new dress!

This was me before church on Sunday.  I cannot express how much I love these long maxi type dresses.  If I had 30, I would wear one every day of the month.  I found this one, like brand new, at Goodwill for a mere $13.00.  Love it!

On that same day, my sweet husband wore his new shoes to church.  This may seem like a weird thing to comment about, but he never, ever wears dress shoes.  He wanted to wear flip flops to our wedding.  That's just how he is.  So for him to buy and wear new dress shoes is huge.Excuse the funny face... it was bright out there!

*********************

On a completely different note...  I GOT A JOB!!!!  I started my new job yesterday.  I'm working at a childcare center in the 3 year old room.

I am training this week, next week I'll have off, and then the first week of August I will start on my own.  I'm really nervous.  I have no clue why, but I'm more scared of a class of 3 year olds than I would be a room of teenagers!  I just don't know how to handle them, I guess.  Yikes!  Anyone with any tips (JILL!), feel free to leave them for me.  I'll take any advice, activity ideas, etc. that I can get!

To celebrate my new job, Justin took me to Chili's!  Of course we got chips and salsa.  Chili's has the BEST!  All of the food was really great, actually.  Chili's is one of my favorite places to go.  :)

*********************

I have once again applied for college.  This time I am considered "continuing education" at a community college near us.  I'm thinking dental assisting or nursing, maybe??  Not really sure.  I just know I would love having the option of making more money than I am now.

All of this really depends on the government.  If I can get grants to pay for it, then I will start in September!

*************************   

And last but not least, I'm gonna share a recipe!  I made it and Justin lovedddd it.  We both like BBQ a lot.

Oven-Barbequed Chicken

6 small chicken breasts, boneless & skinless OR 1 whole chicken cut into pieces.

1 cup ketchup

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 Tbsp orange juice

1/4 tsp smoke flavoring

1/2 tsp dry mustard

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Mix all ingredients together in a big bowl. Put aside 1/3 of the sauce to save for later. Toss the chicken in sauce with tongs. Place chicken in baking dish at 375 degrees for 45 min. When you have 20 minutes remaining, put remainder of sauce on chicken.

This is the picture from the Deen Brothers.  This is their recipe.  It got 5 stars on the website, and was rated "easy" to prepare. 

************************

I'll try to do better at keeping up with blogging.  It's just hard when nothing is going on.  We are living pretty boring lives right now!

This is not a joke. Sadly.

I was trying to find things to do instead of doing The Shred bored a few minutes ago and decided to look through the pictures that are still on my memory card in my camera.

I found this one and had to post about it.

A week or so ago Justin and I made a late night trip to Wal-Mart and came home with the above items.  Sick, isn't it?

Apparently we are sweet addicts.  All the more reason I need to be doing the Shred DVD. 

In my defense, three of those items were for 1 dessert.  My mother-in-law told me how to make dump cake.  It is probably the easiest dessert in the world that everyone else knows about already.  But I'll share anyway.

DUMP CAKE:

1 CAN STRAWBERRY PIE FILLING (CAN ALSO USE ANY OTHER FLAVOR YOU LIKE)

1 DUNCAN HINES BUTTER RECEIPE CAKE MIX

1 STICK MARGARINE

Spread pie filling in 13 x 9 pan – better to use a glass pan that has a cover as you need to keep it in the refrigerator.

Spread dry cake mix over the top of the pie filling evenly.

Melt the margarine and pour it over the top of the dry cake mix.

Bake at 325 degrees for about 25 minutes.

Serve with ice cream!!!

It's really yummy.  You should try it!  Also, I had to use a little more than 1 stick of butter to cover the whole thing.

Upside Down Pizza

It has been a longggg time since I posted a recipe.  It has been a long time since I have cooked, really.  I hope to get back into it now that we are settled.

Today I made one of Justin's favorites, upside down pizza.  It is super-duper easy and quick, so I thought I would share.

Upside Down Pizza:

2 lbs. ground beef

1 cup chopped onions

15-ounce can tomato sauce

1.25-ounce envelope spaghetti sauce mix

8-ounce carton sour cream

2 cups shredded mozzarella

8-ounce can refrigerator crescent rolls

 

Brown ground beef & onion in large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring until meat crumbles.

Stir in tomato sauce & spaghetti sauce mix; cook over low heat 10 minutes, stirring often.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spoon beef mixture into greased 13X9 baking dish, top with sour cream, and sprinkle with cheese.

Unroll crescent rolls and place over cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes.

Look how yummy it looks when it's finished!

3's and a Recipe

Today was officially my first day student teaching, but I didn't do too much with the kids. I did paperwork and watched some videos and then toured the school before I went to my new classroom. I will be teaching in a 3 year old class of 13 students. There are only 4 girls, and they are all as cute as can be! I tried hard to learn names today, but still don't know them all. A few of the kids clung to me from the very beginning, so I know them pretty well. My "lead teacher" seems very friendly and down-to-earth. I'm glad about that. I like people that are easy to talk to, especially when I know I'll have a million questions. I'm pretty excited about what's to come, but at the same time still really nervous! Pray for me!

In other news... I cooked a new recipe last night. Justin and I both liked it alot, so I figured I would post it. I can't remember who I got it from, but here it is now:

Cheesy Chicken Roll Ups

8 oz. cream cheese

4 T melted butter

4 C cooked chicken (or 2 cans chicken)

1/2 t salt

1/4 t pepper

2 cans crescent rolls

 

Mix all ingredients together.

Unroll crescent rolls and separate into squares.

Press seams together so they stay squares.

Put a spoonful of mix in the middle of each square and fold (like a hot pocket).

Bake at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

We like are food spicy, so I seasoned our chicken while cooking it with a variety of spices! It was so yummy! Sorry about not having pictures. I was in a hurry cause it was getting late and we were starving! :)

A Little Update-- No pictures

Since Christmas, we have been busy, busy. After finishing the paint in the kitchen/dining room, we decided to paint MORE! We have now painted an extra bedroom and are trying to decide on a color for the bathrooms! I'm loving this... pretty soon I'll have a whole new house!

Our friend Shelly moved to Minnesota in August. She came in for the holidays to visit. She went to church with us last night, and then we had her over for dinner. I didn't take pictures, but I thought I would share the recipe because it is delicious!

Pepper Jack Chicken

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts

Worcestershire Sauce

Grill Seasonings

Diced Onion

Diced Jalapenos

Sharp Cheddar Cheese (4 oz)

Pepper Jack Cheese (8 oz)

Marinate chicken with Worcestershire sauce and grill seasonings for at least 10 minutes. Grill chicken breasts until they are tender. Sautee onions and jalapenos in a pan while chicken is cooking. Shred cheeses together onto a plate. Then spread cheeses and sautéed vegetables over cooked chicken, and put into oven to melt cheeses.

Church yesterday was amazing, as always. I love my church, my church family, my pastor, our worship team.. I just love it all!

Pastor Tom spoke about how we need to be "doers" of the Word, not just hearers. That really got me thinking. I know that I know the Word. I believe the Word. I hear and read the Word. But am I really living and "doing" the Word?? Do people around me notice that I'm different? Does my life show it? Am I like Christ? Because, afterall, that is what being a Christian is supposed to be about!

Justin and I decided to start following a program or whatever so that we can read the entire Bible in a year. I've always wanted to do it, but never would stay with it. Now we have each other to keep us accountable. I pray to learn and change and grow during this next year. I want my life to reflect my heart.

Cookie Surprise Cupcakes

I wanted to make something sweet to take to my family's Christmas get together tomorrow, and these look so yummy!

I got the recipe from Kelly's Recipe blog.

You just take a chocolate cake mix and mix according to the directions on the box.  Fill the muffin pans about halfway and then put chocolate chip cookie dough down inside each one.

 

This is Kelly's picture because I didn't have my SD card in my camera when I took my own picture!!!  :(

 

 

Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes and top with chocolate frosting. It makes about 24 wonderfully delicious cupcakes!

Now I've gotta go get ready for my first Christmas with the in-laws!