Muffin Monday ~ Pumpkin Apple Streusel Muffins

I know, I know it has been forever, but my dear friends, I really hope that now that I am not knee deep in clutter and fall sports are winding down this week that I can end my blogging hiatus and get back in the swing of things.

So...that being said, I would like to introduce Muffin Monday. 

My husband works a 5/4/9 schedule, which roughly translates to him having every other Monday off.  Being the good boss' wife that I am, and nuturing my love for baking and feeding other people, I have designated his work Mondays to be Muffin Monday.  I figured if the boys have to work on Monday, they might as well start their week off with a smile (and a yummy muffin). 

I have my old standbys but there is nothing like using a bunch of hungry (and appreciative) military men as guinea pigs for new recipes I have found on the web.  Pretty much every other Monday I will be sharing here the Muffin Monday muffin recipe....I scour the web searching for yummy recipes so you don't have to.

photo credit

Pumpkin Apple Streusel Muffins
 source: Allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups peeled, cored and chopped apple

Streusel topping:
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 teaspoons butter





1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease 18 muffin cups or use paper liners.
2.  In a large bowl, sift together 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 cups sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt.  In a separate bowl, mix together eggs, pumpkin and oil. Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture; stirring just to moisten.  Fold in apples. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
3.  In a small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons flour, 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle topping evenly over muffin batter.
4.  Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.

Enjoy!

2011 Project List - updated

I have been a busy little bee this summer (actually more like in the 2 weeks that Bob was in Alaska for work).  I decided to dredge up the 2011 Project list that I posted back in January and actually get started on it.  Looking at it, I had such ambition, but it is so much easier to get it down on paper (or the internet) than to actually do it.  Those 2 weeks gave me the kick in the pants that I needed and I am busily working away on the rest of the goals.  Can I do it by the end of November?  I sure hope so as I fully plan on taking December slow and enjoying the holiday season and my family this year.

Here is what I have done and what I plan on still accomplishing (in progress tasks are in red):

paint trim (whole house) - downstairs done, now upstairs
paint front interior door
paint/refurbish interior doors
finish sofa table
paint kitchen / wall decor
replace remaining light switches
paint JT's baseboard
touch up JT's walls
paint/refinish stairs
window frame
paint fireplace cover
picture wall in living room
paint upstairs hallway
fix living room ceiling
touch up kitchen ceiling/office ceiling/walls
clean/organize/decorate office
clean/organize office closet
magazines read/purge
organize magazine clippings
purge cookbooks
organize recipes
print pics/develop film
stamp storage (boxes./organize)
organize pics on computer
back up pics on external hard drive
purge email
purge/organize my docs
purge/organize my favorites
establish & maintain filing system
clean/organize garage
clean/organize/purge basement
redecorate master bedroom
strip paper in Dining Room/paint
replace Dining room blinds- they are removed, now just what to replace them with....
redo upstairs bath
redecorate Kelsey's room
refurbish desk for Kelsey's room
organize spice cabinet
build pantry

I still have a lot to do.  Some might get moved to 2012 as I have added a few things to the mix resulting from changing a few rooms up in the house (my dining room is actually now a dining room) and acquiring/rearranging a few new pieces.  More on that soon...I am in mid progress, but have sneak peaks to share too. 

For those of you who follow my blog for scrapbooking...do not fret, I have been busy with that as well and hope to share a few projects, including my completed A Week in the Life album within the next week of 2.

Thanks for your patience everyone...

back to work.

Tracy

back to our regularly scheduled programming...

hello, hello!

Just checking in real quick to let you know that I am still around, still alive and still planning on keeping this blog going.

August was eventful.  Bob went to Alaska for 2 weeks.  JT started football practice for 3 hours a night/5 days a week.  Kelsey started field hockey 3 nights a week.  Sara started puppy class. In between shuttling here and there,  I stripped wall paper, painted 2 rooms and a hallway (including all the trim), switched around 3 rooms, redecorated, went to a few antique shops to accessorize and appropriated some pieces from my parents house.  We had weddings, Jack & Jills, a wedding party (for my step daughter) here, and countless other things that are not the norm and therefore I decided that I would take August off from blogging.

I had planned to be back on track today, but mother nature threw us a curve ball and Hurricane Irene (Tropical Storm Irene when it reached us) decided to hit Western Massachusetts overflowing rivers, flooding roads and postponing the first day of school for my kiddos.

Fingers crossed, I will be back to blogging tomorrow.  I have so much to share from redecorating, to party planning, to scrapbooking!  And, while I am sharing what has been happening over the summer with you all, I am also working on a few new fun things that should be ready by the time I run out of back logged posts!

So...stay tuned, we will back to our regularly scheduled programing very soon.

Tracy

a week in the life ~ friday

Number of photos for Friday ~ 64

I am slightly disappointed in my pictures for today.  Even though I have 64 photos, most of them are blurry or exist because I took multiple shots of the same thing, so the actual number of useable photos is pretty small.  I just didn't have the camera out as often today, and I am not sure why as I have been full force all week.  Could be because my Facebook status (which I haven't downloaded the screen shot from my phone yet) read:  "today is turning out to be a 3 shot of Vodka kind of night"...well, I will think of something to fill in the space.  

Here are some of my favorites for Friday:

 contemplating the day...the calm before the storm

JT came downstairs dressed as Scooby Doo.  Sara did not like it one bit.

 Kelsey's last baby tooth is just about out.  I love this shot because it shows both the baby tooth, hanging on by a thread and her adult tooth pushing through...there is just so much symbolism in this picture (sigh).

 Yeah, it has been one of those days.

 Friday mornings is movie day.  I need the time to finish up those last minute things around the house so I can unwind and spend time with my family on the weekend.

 Pancakes for lunch.

 Marinades waiting for my chicken that is on the grill.  I grill up about 6 - 8 pieces every few days for salads and snacks.

Daddy's home.  He gets this greeting every single day.

Saturday pictures will be posted tomorrow.  I can't believe this week is almost over. 

A week in a life is inspired by Ali Edwards.  For more information, please visit the information page on Ali's Blog.
  

a week in the life ~ thursday

 Number of Photos for Thursday ~ 64

Amazingly I am still going strong. I have realized so much about my life, our life, during this week.  Things I love, and things...well, not so much.  Not only has this week given me the chance to record the every day moments, the little things that make up our life right now, but it has given me the chance to look at things differently and see what really needs to be changed.

Here are some of my favorites from Thursday:

my eyes

the never ending list.  Each week I write out a list for the week and then transfer tasks to my planner for the day.  I need to keep everything in view to keep me on track each and every day.

the essentials.  Bob starting packing for his training deployment.

 the entertainment:  collecting frogs.

the bath & body works annex - my bathroom cabinet.  I might have a slight obsession with yummy smelling soap.

the DVR.  Of course this is just page 1 but it shows my recordings and the fact that I really never get a chance to watch tv during the summer.  When the kids are in school I watch a show while I fold laundry, which I rarely have time to do during the summer either.

the routine.  Every Thursday Bob golfs in a league after work and the kids and I head to the library for books, a movie or 2 and then go home for pizza and a movie night.

the haul.  Kelsey rarely takes books out of the library because she reads non stop on her Kindle.  JT rarely takes books out of the library because it is like pulling teeth to get him to read.  He has the Wimpy Kid series and the first How to Train a Dragon book which he will read but usually it is a battered lego magazine that will keep his interest.

I will be back soon with Friday.

A week in a life is inspired by Ali Edwards.  For more information, please visit the information page on Ali's Blog.

a week in the life ~ wednesday

Number of photos for Wednesday - 58: narrowed down to 28

Today I found myself snapping photos around the house of things just laying around, although I thought I took more than I actually ended up with.  I still feel I have a good representation of our everyday. 

Here are some of my favorites from Wednesday:

5:45 am - I get up before Bob each morning to make him coffee and his breakfast & lunch.  I have been doing this for years...although everyone tells me I am too good to him.  I enjoy it though and it saves money and keeps him healthy. 

 8:15 am - getting settled in.  A little Mickey Mouse Clubhouse while I make breakfast, change over the laundry and get things going for the day.

 Sara making sure the kids are safe while they play outside.

This is so typical.  One shoe on, one shoe off...all day, everyday.

 Ran out of a few "essentials" so a quick stop on the way to Tae Kwon Do.  I also had to pick Bob up some beef jerky for him to have on the plane when he leaves for Alaska Saturday.  Eight hours and military flights do not have flight attendants or in flight meals.

 Bob remembered to snap some photos today with his iphone.  I had to send him reminders but he sent me a few good ones.  I love my man in uniform.

I end the night every night reading.  Sometimes it takes forever to finish a book because I am often so tired that I can only get thruogh a few pages before the words start blurring together.  Sometimes one of the kids will sit in bed with me and read too.  Kelsey will read on her Kindle but when it is JT, we read a book together outloud (or I do most of the reading).  We are reading the Chronicles of Narnia right now.  I don't really have a specific type of book that I like to read, but I have been reading alot of historical fiction lately and really like it.  My mom recommended this book.  So far it is an easy read and pretty good.  I am told I will cry...

Stay tuned for Thursday's pictures tomorrow.

Week in the Life is a photography project by Ali Edwards. For more information, please visit Ali's blog.