Blueberry lemon cream cheese muffIns

I am dedicating this post to my mom.  I grew up spending a lot of time in the kitchen with my mom and sister.  I learned from my mom early on how to doctor recipes, I am never afraid to stray from a recipe for one reason of another.  In my case it is usually because I want to use up food before it goes to waste and there has been times I just didn't have the right ingredients.  

I made 2 changes to the original recipe and Mike loves these muffins.  He begged me to make the same recipe and not to make anymore changes.   So using the evaporated milk (instead of regular milk) and add 1 teaspoon of lemon extract paid off.  My son and I would like to make only half of the cream cheese mixture but Mike doesn't want me to change one thing.  I just wanted half the cream cheese mixture because it would be less calories.

 I used evaporated milk instead of regular milk because I had some that expired this month and I can't waste.  Can't do it. 

I swirled the cream cheese mixture into the muffin mix.

This recipe is adapted from the Frugal Food Mom.

I have been thinking about these muffins since I saw the picture.  I looked at about 200 pictures of muffins and this recipe is the only one that made me want to make the muffins this weekend.

Ingredients (12 muffins)

2 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup milk or evaporated milk

2 eggs

1/4 cup canola oil

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp lemon extract

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

Zest and juice of one lemon

1 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries

Crystallized or candied ginger- optional

For the cream cheese "batter"

• 8 oz of cream cheese, room temp.
• 1 cup sugar
  

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. 

Line a 12 cup muffin pan with muffin liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients- flour through the cinnamon. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together all the wet ingredients- the milk through the lemon juice and zest. 

Stir the flour mixture into the wet ingredients a little at a time. Mix until incorporated, be careful not to over mix.

Fold in the blueberries.

Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar together until creamy. Gently fold half of the cream cheese "batter" into the blueberry muffin batter.

Fill each muffin cup in your pan about 2/3 of the way full with your muffin/cream cheese swirled batter.   I use the pampered chef muffin scope.  Use the remaining cream cheese batter and put one tablespoon of it on top of each muffin, press the batter into and swirl it around the top of each muffin.

Bake for about 30 minutes at 375 degrees, turning your muffin tin once halfway through baking. The cream cheese tops of the muffins will get golden edges when done.  A toothpick inserted in the middle of the muffins should come out clean when done.

**click here for tips on juicing a lemon

Pumpkin Cheesecake - Taste of Home

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Click here for recipe for spun sugar

Recipe adapted from Taste of Home

Ingredients

CRUST:

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

3 Tablespoons finely chopped walnuts                                              

5 Tablespoons butter, melted

                                              

FILLING:

2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin

1-1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

                                             

TOPPING:

2 cups (16 ounces) sour cream

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

12 to 16 pecan halves

                                                                                                                                   

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine first 5 ingredients; stir in butter. Press into the bottom of a 9-in. springform pan; chill.
2. For filling, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs, beat on low speed just until combined. Stir in the pumpkin, spices and salt.
3. Pour into crust. Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 50 minutes.
4. For the topping, combine the sour cream, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Spread over filling; return to the oven for 5 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer.
5. Refrigerate overnight. Remove sides of pan. Garnish each slice with a pecan half and spun sugar if you decide to make it.  Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 12-16 servings.

Pinto beans

 Pinto beans

Ingredients

• 1 lb fresh dry pinto beans, sorted and rinsed
• 3 to 4 tablespoons bacon fat
• 1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes and green
• 5  chicken bouillon
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 celery rib, chopped
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 dash red hot sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder 
• 1 tablespoon red chili
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 teaspoon salt                                           
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 

 Refried bean recipe                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

Directions: Put beans in a crockpot, and add water to cover. Add all the other ingredients.  Cook on high for 8 hours or until beans are tender.

*** Wash and sort dried pinto beans.  Discard any bad beans. Put in the crock pot, over with water and soak over night.  Don't turn crock pot on. You are only soaking not cooking.  I just put them in the crockpot for this step because the next step is to cook them. 

Pumpkin Muffins

Preheat oven 350

2 Eggs

1 C margarine (soften)

2 cups Libby's pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

1 1/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup evaporated milk      
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tb cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp ground clove
1 tsp vanilla

3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

Optional-shredded coconut, dried cranberries & chopped walnuts. Beat eggs, margarine, pumpkin puree, sugars and evaporated milk together. Add baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, ground cloves, vanilla and flour, beat for another 1 minute.

Rhonda's Dunkin Delights

It is Christmas time and my niece and nephews want Apples for Christmas.  I think they love them as much as I do.   Click here to see the caramel I use.  It is really good and super easy. 

Weight Watcher's Taco Soup

For original Weight Watcher recipe click here .

Ingredients

1 teaspoon cooking oil

2 garlic cloves

1 yellow onion

1 - 15. oz canned petite diced tomatoes

1 - 15 oz. canned kidney beans

1 - 15 oz. canned pinto beans

1- 15 oz. canned corn

2 cups water

1 package of Ranch dressing

1 package of taco season

1 - 2 lbs. hamburger or ground turkey

2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon season or garlic salt

1 teaspoon pepper

*** optional garnishes ~ cheddar cheese, sour cream, corn chips, diced green or red onions.

First,  I add 1 teaspoon of oil to a pot and brown the diced onions.  Right before they are done add 2 crushed garlic cloves to the oil.  Then add the first 4 items to the pot and let it cook on low.  Then I brown the hamburger, I use 1 of the teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of season or garlic salt to the meat.  When that is cooked I drain the hamburger fat and put the meat into the pot.  Now add the other teaspoon of salt and pepper.   You might need to add another cup of water later on, it is up to you.   



I forgot the can of corn and 2 garlic cloves