Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins!

Tis the season where the baking begins! How much do you love the sweet smells of your favorite desserts filling up your home ? I know I do, it gives such a warm and comforting feeling. For Thanksgiving this year I decided to make some pumpkin cheesecake muffins. These delicious muffins are easy to make and look pretty too! What are some of your favorite holiday treats??

 

Here is the recipe if you are interested in making them!

 Ingredients:

8 ounce(s) cream cheese

3 eggs

2.5 cup(s) sugar

2.5 cup(s) flour

.25 cup(s) pecans, roughly chopped

3 tablespoon(s) butter, melted

2.5 teaspoon(s) cinnamon

.5 teaspoon(s) salt

2 teaspoon(s) baking powder

.25 teaspoon(s) baking soda

1.25 cup(s) solid-packed pumpkin

.333 cup(s) vegetable oil

.5 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract

 ***For my muffins I didn't use the pecans, instead just used brown sugar. :)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly coat two 12-cup standard muffin tins with oil and set aside.
2. Mix the cream cheese, 1 egg, and 3 tablespoons sugar in a small bowl and set aside. Toss 5 tablespoons sugar, 1/2 cup flour, pecans, butter, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon together in a medium bowl and set aside. Combine the remaining sugar, flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and remaining cinnamon in a large bowl. Lightly beat the remaining eggs, pumpkin, oil, and vanilla together in a medium bowl. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, pour the pumpkin mixture into the well, and mix with a fork just until moistened. Evenly divide half of the batter among the muffin cups. Place two teaspoonfuls of cream cheese filling in the center of each cup and fill with the remaining batter. Sprinkle some of the pecan mixture over the top of each muffin and bake until golden and a tester, inserted into the muffin center, comes out clean -- 20 to 25 minutes. Cool on wire racks. Enjoy!

Give Thanks.

Sorry it's been awhile since my last posting. I had a little bit of writer's block I guess you could say. Anyway, now that November is here, geez time flies, it is time for all of us to reflect and begin to think about what we are thankful for. Although we should always be thankful for our good fortunes and loved ones. The holiday season brings out a much brighter light in people, that  for some is unfortunately dimmer the rest of the year. Thanksgiving is right around the corner and soon we will be gathering around with our families and friends laughing, eating and talking, well in my family's case, laughing, eating, and yelling, but you get what I mean. : ) I find it extremely important that we acknowledge what blessings we have and make known what we are thankful for. Therefore, in this post I am compiling my list of what I am most thankful for in my life.

  I am thankful for......

 1. My beautiful, healthy baby boy and my ability to be his mother.
 2. My loving husband and best friend Josh, who brings me such happiness and provides us such a beautiful life.
 3. My family,  whom no matter what happens always sticks together.
 4. Having a beautiful home, good food, clothes, and all the extra comforts of living this fortunate life.
 5.My friends who have always stood by my side all these years.
 6. Being the person that I am. Some days I am extremely critical on myself and lose sight of what is    important. I need to be more aware of my strengths as a woman, wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend and be proud of the person I have become and will continue to shape into in my life ahead.
7. Being  loved and the ability to love in all of my relationships.

My list could go on forever but these are the main reasons I feel so grateful to be who I am. You never realize how lucky you are until you see how unlucky things could be. We all should give constant thanks for what we  have in this life and continue to always remember that in an instant things can dramatically be different, as in the case of the terrible tragedy and devastation of those suffering from Hurricane Sandy. We must always remember to never take what is given to us for granted.