Pumpkin Spice Muffins

I made pumpkin spice muffins today!
A perfect pick me up for the awful day - it did not stop raining for a single second :(

Pumpkin Spice Muffins
adapted from Martha Stewart

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 teaspoons ginger
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups pumpkin puree

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Whisk together butter, eggs, sugar, and pumpkin puree
3. Mix in flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and ginger
4. Fill muffin tins and bake for about 20 minutes
5. Om nom nom 

I survived! So...Treat Yo Self!

Woohoo!
I'm happy to say I survived the craziness that is school!

Well, I'm not techincally done yet.
I have an exam on December 13th that is going to require some SERIOUS studying.
But studying doesn't start until Monday.
I've given myself the weekend off from school.

So my friends and I have been obsessed with this Parks and Recreation clip:



Basically we spend all day shouting "TREAT YO SELF!" at random times.
Anyway, to celebrate surviving Hell Week, I made brownies.
But not just any brownies...

Treat Yo Self brownies!

So go ahead and treat yo self to some delicious brownies!

Brownies
Nuts About Chocolate

1 cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup cocoa
3 eggs
1 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Mix butter, sugar, brown sugar, and cocoa
3. Beat in eggs one at a time
4. Sift in flour and baking powder
5. Add vanilla
6. Pour into prepared 9x13 pan, bake for 25 to 30 minutes - center will be firm, but not hard
7. Om nom nom

Clean ALL the Things!

This is a homage to Hyperbole and a Half...

The End is Near

There are 11 days of classes left until the end of term.
And I have 8 assignments/presentations/assessments due within those 11 days.
Wonderful.

Naturally, rather than spend my time working on the above stated tasks, I have taken to doing things such as...

• Painting my nails - which is not the best idea when you need to type... 
• Making hummus for the first time - it was delicious! 
• Making cookies

• Having family dinners 
• Learning the lyrics to Beyonce 
• Making banana muffins - all the baking is in anticipation of needing to fall back on my backup career

 

• Cleaning the entire house
• Buying sparkly shoes

 

• Aaaand, perusing that wonderful thing called the Internet - specifically websites such as...

• Serious Eats 
• Hyperbole and a Half 
• A Beautiful Mess 
• Poppytalk 
• Things Organized Neatly (why yes, I am slightly OCD)
• Paper Crave

Anyway, needless to say, I'm losing it.
And 4:30pm on December 5th can't come soon enough.

Hopefully I'll survive...
I'll keep you posted.

PS: Here's the recipe for the banana muffins I made...

Banana Muffins 

2 ripe bananas
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup oil
1 large egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Mash bananas
3. Add brown sugar, oil, and egg
4. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt
5. Add yogurt and vanilla
6. Fill muffin liners - I made 12 large muffins
7. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until tester comes out clean
8. Om nom nom :)

Chocolate Chunk Cookies

A couple of weekends ago I went to visit my sister, so I made her and her boyfriend cookies.
After playing with the recipe a bit, I've finally perfected these cookies and decided they are my new favourite.
My sister, who doesn't even like cookies (what a weirdo), even said they were good.

Chocolate Chunk Cookies
adapted from Milk & Cookies

3/4 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup golden yellow sugar
1 egg
1/4 tablespoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups oats
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup dark chocolate chunks - I used 72%, but use your favourite type of chocolate

1. Process oats in a food processor until finely ground
2. Beat butter and sugars until light
3. Add egg and vanilla, mix until creamy and light
4. Add ground oats, flour, baking powder, and baking soda
5. Stir in chocolate chunks
6. Cover dough and refrigerate until chilled
7. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
8. Roll chilled dough into 1 inch balls and flatten into pucks
9. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until edges are golden
10. Om nom nom

Note: If you prefer thin, crisp cookies over thick, chewy cookies, skip the refrigeration step and bake at 350 for 10 to 12 minutes :)

Autumn

Why hello!
Sorry it's been so long...
I went on my adventures and then got too caught up in being back home to blog and before I knew it school had started and all hell broke loose.

So, I just wanted to say I'm alive and well, and enjoying Autumn in Ontario - well, on the days when it's not pouring rain and leaves aren't attacking me in the face as I bike to school.

Here are a few things I've been up to...

I went to the Distillery District, my favourite place in Toronto.
I think it's the combination of the cobblestone paths, refurbished brick buildings, independent boutiques, and my favourite microbrewery - Mill Street - that makes every visit so wonderful.

I made carrot cake.
My lovely friend informed me that my carrot cake was better than William's - yes!

 

Carrot Cake
adapted from Bon Appetit Magazine

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 1/4 cups grated carrots

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and prepare two 8-inch round cake pans
2. Beat sugar and oil until combined
3. Mix in eggs one at a time
4. Sift flour, baking power, baking soda, and cinnamon into wet ingredients
5. Stir in grated carrots
6. Divide batter between cake pans
7. Bake until a cake tester comes out clean, about 40 minutes
8. Let cakes cool completely before layering with cream cheese frosting

Cream Cheese Frosting
adapted from Bon Appetit Magazine

2 cups icing sugar
1 8 ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla

1. Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until smooth
2. Slowly incorporate icing sugar
3. Beat until smooth


I also made pumpkin tarts - my first attempt!
Although, I have to admit I wasn't ambitious enough to try making the tart shells from scratch.
Maybe next weekend.

Pumpkin Tarts
adapted from Bon Appetit Magazine

1 3/4 cups canned pumpkin
1/2 cup golden yellow sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ginger
3 eggs
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup milk
2 packages frozen tart shells - I think I made about 30 tarts and had leftover filling

1. Prebake tart shells according to package instructions - don't let them brown too much though
2. Whisk together pumpkin, sugars, and spices
3. Add eggs one at a time, mix very well
4. Gradually add cream and milk
5. Pour filling into tart shells
6. Bake at 350 degrees until edges are puffed and centre is set, about 20 minutes


I've also been listening (and signing along) to this song for the past few days...



I have aspirations of blogging regularly, so hopefully you'll hear from me again soon!
But in the meantime, fill your bellies with those delicious recipes and learn the super cute lyrics to You & I :)

Adventure Awaits!

I recently got back from an adventure with my Aunt Cynthia and Paul.

We went to...

• Manchester
• Llandulon, Wales
• Ruthin, Wales
• Abergavenny, Wales
• Bath

And, we rented a canal boat and cruised at a leisurely 2 mph (the speed limit is 4 mph) along the Kennet and Avon Canal from Monkton Combe to Foxhangers.

Tomorrow I'm off on yet another adventure...
Italy!

Paul and I are going to go visit his family in Scifelli (a small town near Rome).
Then, we're going to Chateauroux, France to see a stage of the Tour de France.
Last, we'll spend a few days in London before flying home on July 13.

I probably won't be able to post while away - sorry!
But I'll be sure to update this little old blog once I get home :)

Here I go!
Scifelli - Merino - Fossacesia - Chateauroux - London - Vancouver