Pumpkin Carob Chip Muffins

Pumpkin rocks. It is healthy, cheap and can make anything better. Pumpkin soup, pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins... I love it all.

On this day (early March), I made pumpkin muffins for the kids and decided that sprinkling a little bit of chocolaty goodness on top would make them just that much better. We were out of chocolate chips, but did have some carob ships handy. Mister & G didn't like the carob, but Little Guy and I... we are big fans.

Recipe

I Can See Clearly Now the Fog Is Gone

Ahh, so I think part of my mental fog as of late has been due to this horrendous cold virus I have been fighting off. I had a raging fever all day Sunday and have been struggling ever since. I finally did remember why I couldn't get my act together with the Easter egg hunt..I was busy baking a birthday cake for my babysitter Erika's 13th birthday. Erika is a vegan and although her mom couldn't make a cake for her, I am known to make a MEAN vegan chocolate cake, so I volunteered to bake one for her and deliver it (with the help of my little loin fruits) to her dinner party at Sweet Tomatoes. You can find the recipe here

After the cake delivery, which included 13 funky neon candles and a Happy Birthday Serenade from the 4 year old, Mister, the kids and I had dinner at Ruby Tuesday's (Mister refuses to have dinner anywhere that doesn't serve alcohol...especially on a Friday night) We had the candy/egg discussion in the car on the way home. By the time we actually got home and tucked the children in I was too pooped to make another trip to the grocery store. Mystery solved.

Here is the cake I made for Erika and the headshot I did of her for her modeling/acting portfolio:

I *heart* my valentine

Well, I posted about what I got for Valentine's Day, but I didn't post about what I got him.

Mister loves sweets, and his favorite type of cake is a petit four. I contacted Rach and scheduled her to make a custom cake in the shape and design of a very large petit four. It had four layers of almond cake with raspberry preserve filling and a buttercream icing. Rach also included nine chocolate covered strawberries...SWEET! Rach makes the very best cakes I have have even eaten, and I was so excited that I was able to get on her schedule.

Mister was very surprised and delighted with his Valentine's day treat. It was the gift that just kept giving..we had it for dinner, breakfast, lunch...dinner....

I blame Alton Brown.

That's right, Alton. It was you. Allll you. You had to make a show that was interesting enough for my engigeek of a husband to watch. You had to focus on food that is manly, inspiring him to try to perfect each of your recipes, one by one. You had to make pretzels that looked so tasty he decided right then and there to make me some. (he had absolutely no encouragement from me with this endeavor...none at all. really.) You had to specifically NOT include a recipe for Whole Wheat pretzels, leaving us to fend for ourselves with the conversions. We are on the healthy eating campaign, after all, mister. You should be, too. Don't you watch Oprah? So, Alton Brown, if that is your real name, it is YOUR FAULT that the crowning jewel of my kitchen, the creme de la creme of kitchen gadgets, burnt her little motor out on some thick, heavy, pretzel dough.

Rest assured, Mister Brown. You will pay.