I can't help it...

I love baking!! I would bake every day if I could and my waist line could handle it. I was browsing a favorite scrappy blog when I came upon her recipe for Banana chocolate chip muffins. Hmmm, I have ripe/icky bananas on my counter....Score!

So I whipped up some yummy goodness while the kiddos were "picking up" the living room (which actually involves just moving stuff around:/ ). The muffins were great! Both kids...Miss Eats Anything & Mr Picky Picky Its Not a Bottle....loved them. Success was mine!

Here's the recipe:

**I used mini chocolate chips and made the regular size muffins**

http://www.kerribradford.com/2012/08/09/banana-chocolate-chip-muffins/

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

3 large bananas mashed
3/4 c granulated sugar 
1 egg, slightly beaten 
1/2 c butter, melted 
1 1/2 c flour 
1/2 t salt 
3/4 t baking powder 
1/2 t baking soda 
1/2 t vanilla 
1 c chocolate chips

After mashing bananas, stir in sugar. Add butter, mix well, and stir in egg. Sift together dry ingredients and add to banana mixture. After batter is almost mixed, add chocolate chips. Spoon into muffin cups that are coated with spray or liners. Sprinkle tops with some additional granulated sugar. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-23 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes, then remove from tins. Makes 12 muffins.

I bake them for about 16 minutes for the mini muffins–which usually makes a pan and a half to two 

thirds of a pan.

I didn't take a picture of them and I don't want to steal Kerri's muffin pic without her authorization SO even better.... a cute picture of Mr. Man exhausted in his high chair:) 

**This was several months ago but he's still adorable!**

I can feel it!

The crisp air in the evenings. The need for an actual blanket on the bed. Sweatshirts for the kiddos early morning or late evening. It is one of the great loves of my life....FALL!!

I absolutely adore fall and all that comes with it. Pumpkin Spice Lattes, honey crisp apples, sweaters, down vests, scarves, Uggs, fall foliage....oh the list goes on and on. So in honor of the oncoming fall season, I thought I would break out a tried and true (and favorite in our household) recipe. Great Pumpkin Dessert! I found this beloved recipe in a Taste of Homes magazine years ago and have never let a fall pass without making this at least 5 times:) So here you go...

**I don't add the walnuts because I've issued a nut free dessert policy in our house;) What a quick way to ruin a great desssert. lol**

***So sorry if your pants don't fit come Thanksgiving! Oops! It is THAT good:) Your house will smell amazing afterwards too.***

Great Pumpkin Dessert Recipe

Great Pumpkin Dessert Recipe photo by Taste of HomeGreat Pumpkin Dessert Recipe

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In Fountain Valley, California, Linda Guyot relies on canned pumpkin and a yellow cake mix to fix this effortless alternative to pumpkin pie. "It's a tried-and-true dessert that always elicits compliments and requests for the recipe."

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Great Pumpkin Dessert Recipe

• Prep: 5 min. Bake: 1 hour
• Yield: 12-16 Servings

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Ingredients

• 1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
• 1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1 package (18-1/4 ounces) yellow cake mix
• 3/4 cup butter, melted
• 1-1/2 cups chopped walnuts
• Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream

Directions

• In a large bowl, beat first five ingredients until smooth.
• Transfer to a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Sprinkle with cake mix and drizzle with butter. Top with walnuts.
• Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream. Yield: 12-16 servings.

Nutritional Facts1 serving (1 piece) equals 385 calories, 21 g fat (8 g saturated fat), 70 mg cholesterol, 326 mg sodium, 44 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 8 g protein.

I tried it...

it didn't work! I hate being tied down or confined so the new blog  and its format just didn't work for me. I tried Fargo Forum/Area Voices but you have too many restrictions on the way you want your contributors to have their blog. It didn't even look personalized:/

So... I'm back right here and now:) YAY!! I'm going to get back to blogging and I mentioned a give away to get things back on track the right way! My goal will be to blog 4-5 days per week...if I attain that goal this week then I will be giving a 2Peas in a bucket gift card away.

So to get things back on track, let me start off with a recap.... in photos:

Cutest Mr. Man turned 1!!

Miss Thang turned 3!

 Hi! My name is Kelly and I'm a Pinterest addict! BIG TIME!!! lol 

I also love baking and making dessert tables:) I must say this is my best party EVER!

 I add some serious fog build up on my camera UV lens so I took it off and cleaned it. I like this picture anyway though:)

 Always the diva!! I made the shirt and had a heck of a time keeping her in her overalls and out of the zebra fleece pj pants:/

M & J with M's favorite peeps (minus Uncle)...Madi and Jaye:)

 I will keep giving you updates as to what has been going on here....I'm running (who in the hell would have thought that?!!), not riding or scrapping nearly as much as I'd like too, working too much but really enjoying the summer with the kiddos.

Until tomorrow.... :)

7 years!

NO... it has NOT been 7 years since my last post:/ lol

It is our 7th anniversary! This is the 1st year, since our wedding in 2004, that we haven't had snow. There are a few flurries floating around but nothing that is accumulating! Love that:) We aren't doing any thing fun or romantic...just hanging out at home with the kids. I'm making Christmas cookies, we're going to decorate the tree and Makenna & I will probably go ride:) A nice day!

I'm a little behind on my JYC already but I'm going to catch up!

• 2nd- the weather outside is ________. Well normally in MN its frightful but this Nov & Dec have been fabulous!! The longer we can be without snow the better.
• 3rd - Christmas cards - Mine are ordered and should be here this week. My labels are printed and ready to go and I just need to write our Christmas letter. I had a hold up as our professional photos took forever to come back.
• 4th (today) -The Perfect Christmas. Hmmmm, I'm not sure what my idea of a perfect Christmas is? Let's see....softly snowing big fat flakes, just finished attending a wonderful Christmas service at church, picking up a large Pumpkin Spice White Chocolate Mocha (non fat no whip) at Caribou, going home to a wonderful supper, cozy pajamas, beautifully lit and decorated tree, snuggling with the fam by the tree while Uncle entertains us all with his antics. Snuggling sweet Jax to sleep and enjoying having him with us this year. Wondering what we did without him and Makenna for that matter. Relishing in the joy that the bring to us. Then falling asleep (out cold) from the said blessings wearing us out! lol

Stationery card

Hearts So Bright Christmas Card

Creating Christmas cards has never been this easy.

View the entire collection of cards.

Soooo behind:/

Why yes there is someone who still lives over here! Yikes! It's like I've been on vacation but not in the good way. Too much life and not enough living and enjoying. I will be here EVERY DAY in December though!! I'm doing the Journal Your Christmas again so I'm going to use this blog to help me remember everything:)

I will have lots of babe pics too because Mr Man is going to be 6 months old! Holy crap! Miss Thang too:)

So December will see a lot of action over here and I hope to keep it up from here on out. See ya later November! You've been great to us in MN... we have no snow! WOOT WOOT! Please inform your brother December that we'd like to keep it that way for another 20+ days;) May Dec 1 bring me less pain since I'm seeing the chiro tomorrow after work. I'm also bringing Jax to him on Friday to see if he can help him to sleep. Getting up 4-6 times a night STILL is NOT ok!! This momma needs some relief! Oh and I also started my diet with Weight Watchers online. Yes, I know...why before the holidays? Because I don't want to lose anymore than I already have too. Today is day 3 and its going well so far:) 30 lbs to go.....

Cows & tigers & unicorns, Oh my!

Happy Halloween everyone! There will be pictures to come after 1 & 2 get up from their naps and we head out on our 1st trick or treating experience. It's going to be a brief one since the wind has quite the bite to it and I don't want to freeze my herd;)

It's been a long few weeks here. Lance was gone for 2 weeks and Jax is teething + got his 1st cold which = not sleeping. Plus I was asked to teach another class at work with 37 students in it. I'm going to be grading until I'm blue in the face and then some! Oh well:) I love fall. I love Halloween. I love pumpkin. Now if I could just get some of that lovely sleep then I'll be good;)