Best Pumpkin Spice Muffins

In honor of Obama's win, here is the best Pumpkin Spice Muffins EVAR!

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

Makes 24 muffins

237 calories each

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon Olivio
4 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoon baking powder
4.5 cups pumpkin puree (approx 2.75-15oz cans if using)
2/3 cup oil

2/3 cup apple sauce

6 large eggs
6 teaspoons + 3 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice*
1.5 cup sugar

1.5 cup Splenda + 3 Tablespoon Splenda
1.5 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

3 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

1.5 cup raisins

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional garnish)

*equal parts ground ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon and clove

Directions:

1. Put oven in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. 
2. Wipe a thin layer of Olivio all over muffin tray cups.
3. Whisk together pumpkin, oil, applesauce, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, 1.5 cups sugar, 1.5 cups Splenda, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla bean paste and salt in a large bowl until smooth, then whisk in flour mixture until just combined. (Don't overmix!)
4. Gently stir in raisins. 
5. Stir together remaining 3 tsp pumpkin-pie spice and remaining 3 tablespoon Splenda in another bowl.
6. Divide batter among muffin cups,filling to the top of cups, and then sprinkle tops with  a pinch or two of pumpkin spice-sugar mixture and an optional pinch of chopped walnuts per muffin top. 
7. Bake until puffed and golden brown and wooden pick or skewer inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.

Bake muffins, heat pot of tea, savor with a good book and then sleep well world, for we can rest easy for 4 more years.

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OBAMA 2012!!

Thank you Americans for saving us from a religious NUTBAG!  Obama 2012!!!  

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Welcome Home Oreo and Reeses!

Meet two new Guinea Pig additions to the family:

Oreo

Reeses

Their spiffy new Mansion from C&C Cages (2' x 4'):

1' x 2' Loft

Piggy Abode:

These adorable fuzzlets are only 1.5 months old and both males.  We think they are brothers but there were two litters so they might be cousins, however they get along great either way.

Welcome home guys!  <3 <3
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Best Pumpkin Pie with Graham Cracker Crust

So, it's pumpkin pie time folks!  Pumpkin pie, muffins, bread, cake, soup, seeds, etc.  All yummy, delectable treats made especially for the chilly Fall season. 

For those of you who are baking challenged and want a fresh pumpkin pie of your own, you can hire this guy for a quick dessert:

If you'd rather bake your very own pie, check out this awesome pumpkin pie recipe below which makes a 9" pie.

Scrumptious Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients

3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 large eggs
2 cups pumpkin puree
1 can (12 fl. oz.) Evaporated Milk
1 Graham Cracker Crust (Recipe Below)
Whipped cream (optional)

Directions

MIX sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.

POUR into pie shell.

BAKE in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours***. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Top with whipped cream before serving. 

Graham Cracker Crust

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup white sugar
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

Directions

1. Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, melted butter or margarine, and cinnamon until well blended . Press mixture into an 8 or 9 inch pie plate.
2. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 7 minutes. Cool. If recipe calls for unbaked pie shell, just chill for about 1 hour.

***Awesome pie cooling tip- this pie is a pumpkin custard, so this means you need to cool it slowly to prevent the pie top from cracking.  Simple way- turn the oven off when *almost* finished (the edges are cooked but the middle is still shiny and slightly jiggly.)  Prop the oven door slightly open with a wooden spoon and let pie cool for an hour inside the oven which is off.  Then take the pie out and let cool the rest of the way on the counter.  Voila, no cracks!  The center will have cooked in the cooling process.
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BodyBugg Weight Management System

For all of you looking to manage your weight (lose, gain or maintain), the BodyBugg might be for you!  I just got mine yesterday and am LOVING IT!

I haz a coupon code for $20 off if anyone is interested.  There is a sale going on now too, so the price has dropped over $100 to only $99 plus the $20 off and it's only $79!  Totally worth it.

Supposedly the BodyBugg tracks your daily calorie burn to a 90% accuracy.  Much better than my guestimates, that's fersure!

You wear it 23 hours a day on the back of your left arm and it tracks your every move.  There are multiple sensors to determine your muscle movements, your body heat, and a pedometer. You manually enter your food consumption on their spiffy website and it calculates your daily calorie deficit.  The BodyBugg website even creates a weekly menu for you if you so choose to follow their suggestions.  You have to first fill out their 15 minute questionnaire about what your food preferences are and what your eating and sleeping schedule is like, and then it uses all that data to customize a food schedule for you.

I am trying to lose another 60 pounds (already lost 60 lbs) and I'm stuck in a permanent plateau.  Hopefully the data I gain from the BodyBugg will help me lose what I need.

Email me or comment below if you guys have any questions about it.  So far so good!  (Oh, and you don't have to wear the pink armband.  They have blue, black or chrome to choose from.)


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Red Panda Network/ Orchard School Fundraiser

*****UPDATE!*****

The Fundraiser has been moved to next week, Wed Oct 10 - Fri Oct 13 @ 3pm- 5pm and Sat Oct. 14 @ 7am- 3pm.  Order your pies now!

Come one, come all and join me at this week's Fundraiser for both the Orchard School and the Red Panda Network!

Location:
The Orchard School
360 Passaic Ave
West Caldwell, NJ 07006 

Time:
Wed- Fri @ 3pm- 5pm
Sat @ 7am- 3pm

Homemade goodie baskets on sale for $25, pumpkin pies for $12 and a whole slew of garage sale goodies. 

Free guinea pigs for anyone who wants!


The Red Panda, or “firefox,” is often referred to as the “lesser panda” in deference to the better-known giant panda. Others prefer “first panda” – Western scientists described it 50 years earlier, and gave pandas their name. Few people outside its native habitat have even heard of the red panda, let alone seen one.

THE RED PANDA NETWORK is advocating for the creation of the PIS Red Panda Protected Forest, the world’s first Red Panda Reserve. Our mission is to ensure the survival of the red panda and its habitat for future generations to study, experience, and enjoy, is being put into action.

Why is this area so important?In 1999, a group of Himalayan conservation experts identified this area, called the Panchthar-Ilam-Taplejung corridor, or PIT corridor, as the highest conservation priority for the vanishing Eastern Himalayan Broadleaf Forest–the cloud forest of he Himalayas.

This area is comprised of one continuous ridgeline, with India to its Eastern side and Nepal at its West. On the Indian side is Singhalila National Park, where the forest and its numerous endangered species are protected. The Nepalese side of the ridge is a different story. Rampant, haphazard development has claimed large portions of prime red panda habitat. Red pandas travel from the eastern side to the western side of the ridge unaware of the political lines drawn by humans. They are caught and killed by local herding dogs and their habitat is cut down for grazing and agriculture.

The Red Panda Network is committed to creating the world’s first red panda reserve here, where approximately 25% of Nepal’s Red Panda population is found. With your support, we can preserve this magnificent region, allowing both humans and red pandas to thrive.

Check out this ADORABLE video of the red pandas playing in the snow.  If you don't love them after watching, you must have a heart of stone.



For more about the Red Panda, check out the RPN's website:
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Kaleidoscope Photography

Over the past, oh five or so years, dear hubby and I have been running literally "to the hills" to escape life and enjoy the wonders of Upstate NY in the Catskill Mountains. For those of you looking for a great place to escape and is only 2 hours from NYC, check out The Emerson Resort and Spa.


Hillary Clinton had the good taste to stay there a week before we went on one of our sojourns!

 









The Emerson has an adult-only Inn where the rooms are filled with luxurious silks, your own gas fireplace and Asian/Indian inspired decor. There is also a much cheaper Lodge option which is both kid and pet friendly. This is a wonderful jumping off point for either skiing, fishing, boating, rafting, hiking, or just taking in the spa and all amenities. I can't say enough about this place. There is also some amazing eats in this area- email me for info!

Anyway, now that I got my love of the Emerson off of my chest, one really really neat feature at the Emerson (well, almost off my chest) is the world's largest kaleidoscope! They made a silo on the property into a giant kaleidoscope that you can lay on your back in a darkened room and enjoy with 4 different themed kaleidoshows (TM) to music.

When you are done enjoying and are ready to purchase your own spiffy new kaleidoscope, they have the Kaleidostore in the next room over full of hand made kaleidoscopes, anywhere from $10-$10,000, and the best part- you can play with them all! From oil to water to stained glass to feathers, you can play with them all.

I am now a kaleidoscope collector and with my spiffy new camera, I have decided to start filming some of these awesome beauties and sharing with my followers.  Here's my first attempt at taking live video of one of my fav kaleidoscopes- it has beads in oil so there is constant movement.  Enjoy!

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