It's feelin' like fall!

 

I can't believe it's already THAT time of year again! Time for cooler temps, shorter days,  apple cider, falling leaves, aaaaaand, our annual wine-tasting party! Last week was our 14th party, and I think we're finally getting the hang of throwing this event! We had about 30 guests and the "usual" offerings of cheese platters, gooey dips, cut fruit and LOTS of wine! And, believe it or not, I didn't try ANY new recipes! Sometimes you just have to stick to what you know, to alleviate some stress!

 

Since the weather has been cooler, and my daughter have been spending more time indoors, we've been doing a lot more crafts than usual! This week's project, fall leaf "lanterns", was inspired by Brenda; aka Secret Agent Josephine (http://secret-agent-josephine.com).

Smear some jars with white glue or Mod Podge (that's what we used), and "glue" down pieces of cut tissue paper.

Press on freshly-gathered leaves (they need to be "bendy") and then "glue" more tissue paper on top.

Let 'em dry.

 

Toss in a tealight or one of those battery-operated fake candle things...oooooo!

And, never fear, I DID try out a new recipe this week: Baked Pumpkin Donut Holes. It was MY week to provide snacks for Regan's preschool, and I thought baked pumpkin goodies and apple cider sounded TRES seasonal! Yeah, SOUNDS nice, but , well, first of all, apple cider costs like seven bucks a gallon here, since we had a horrible frost this spring that damaged tons of fruit trees, so I spent a small fortune just for a beverage for a few dozen 3 and 4-year-olds. Then....after reading over the "specifics" of being in charge of class snacks, it appeared that my homemade treats might be a little over the top, as most moms have brought fruit snacks, pretzel sticks and juice boxes. But I was determined to supply a fun, seasonal snack.  So, I made a double batch. I painstakingly rolled each mini muffin/donut in a little butter and then cinnamon sugar, and then set them on waxed paper. Within an hour, they were all gooey and sticky, as the cinnamon sugar coating became , well, gooey and sticky. Ugh. Oh, and did I mention that the day I was responsible for snacks was PICTURE DAY?!? I imagined all these preschoolers with sticky brown smudges on their faces and dress clothes. Oh, what was I thinking??? My back up plan? Well, I had previously purchased some cute woodland animal cookie/cracker things with "snack day" in mind, but I only bought ONE box, and needed more like 3 or 4. So, off to the only store that carried them, 20-plus minutes, each way. Oh, and this was RIGHT BEFORE I was supposed to be at my girlfriend's house for girls night...so, what have I learned from all this? Stop trying to show off to all the other Mommies! :)

 

By the way, these muffin/donut things are really good! I took some to work and shared some at a play date. Try them for yourself!

 

Baked Pumpkin Donut Holes

(adapted from www.twopeasandtheirpod.com)

 

For the Donuts:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
1/8 teaspoons ground cloves
1/3 cup canola oil (I used applesauce)
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup canned plain pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 cup milk
For the Coating:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
 

Preheat oven 350°F. Spray a 24-cup mini muffin tin with baking spray and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. In a separate, large bowl whisk together oil, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, pumpkin and milk until smooth. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

While the muffins bake, melt butter in one bowl and combine granulated sugar and cinnamon in another bowl. Remove muffins from oven and cool for 2 minutes. Dip each muffin in melted butter, then roll in cinnamon sugar to coat. Serve muffins warm or at room temperature.