Pumpkin Snickerdoodles with cream cheese frosting.

It is finally fall so now I can bake with pumpkin and not feel like I am cheating the world.  Kind of like Starbucks did when they brought out the pumpkin spice latte a month early.   I scored through Pinterest on what I should make first and came across these pumpkin snickerdoodles:

http://onestarrynight.com/pumpkin-snickerdoodles/

They looked easy, and knew the boys could help with the rolling.  Well I dont know what I did wrong, because they tasted bland.  Thankfully, the boys loved them.  I didnt want to leave 2 dozen cookies in my house that me or my husband couldnt eat, so  I whipped up a cream cheese frosting to dollop on top and bring them to work.  Would I make these again?  No.  Am I looking for another pumpkin recipe?  Yes.  Next stop, bread.

 

sorry for the crappy iPhone picture.

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles with Cream Cheese Frosting
recipe adapted from One Starry Night

Ingredients
 

The Cookie
• 1 C canned plain pumpkin
• 1 large egg
• 2 sticks of room temperature unsalted butter (1 cup)
• 1/2 C brown sugar, packed
• 1 TSP ground cinnamon
• 1/2 TSP fresh ground nutmeg (or 1/4 tsp for the pre-grated)
• 1 1/2 TSP baking powder
• 3 C all purpose unbleached flour
• 3 TSP pure vanilla extract
• pinch of kosher salt
The Sugar Mixture for Rolling

• 1/3 C granulated white sugar
• 1/2 TSP ground cinnamon
• 1/4 TSP fresh ground nutmeg (or 1/8 tsp pre-grated)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until well combined and a bit fluffy.
3. Add in the egg, salt, pumpkin, and vanilla
4. Mix in the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and baking powder.
6. Use a spoon and take a golfball-size amounth of dough and roll the dough in your palms to make it more ball like.
7. Drop the ball of dough into the sugar mixture and roll around until all sides are coated in the mixture.
8. Place about two inches apart on a lightly greased baking sheet, or Silpat.
9. Now if you want a flatter cookie, smoosh the dough balls down with the flat end of a glass.
10. Bake for 14 minutes. When your timer goes off, transfer the cookies to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes.
    
    Once the cookies have cooled completely, start making the icing.  Honestly, I didnt measure any of it.  But here are my best guesses as to how much.
    
    -4oz cream cheese (softened)
    -2 tbsp whole milk
    -2 tsp vanilla extract
    -1/4tsp nutmeg
    -1.5 cups powdered sugar
    
    Cream together the cream cheese, milk, extract, and nutmeg.  slowly add in the powdered sugar until your at a consistency you like.  You may need to add more if you want it thick.  Spread onto cool cookies and sprinkle with cinnamon.  Enjoy!

I love sports!

thats me - #11

 
I am an (semi) athlete.  I grew up playing sports, from soccer, to swimming, cheerleading, and lacrosse.  I've always been a competitive person on, and off the field.  So it would only be right to allow my boys to play in sports.  I have got a little backlash on putting them in sports so young - my 5 (almost 6) year old has played t-ball, basketball, flag football, and now tackle football.  My 3 year old has played soccer and now flag football.  The thing is, they love it.  They cannot wait til their next practice/game.  They go on and come off the field wearing a smile.

I do not push them to do anything and if they dont want to play, I wouldnt force it on them . I am just so glad they are competitive and sports-driven (like me!).  Oh yeah I'm definitely that sideline mom too.  :)

September?!

 What the heck?  I swear this summer flew by.  I went PT at my job in mid July and its already September.  Pools are closed, weather is still warm but not for much longer. 

My oldest started Kindergarten.  I didnt cry but now I am thinking about him all the time.  What is he doing? Is he enjoying school?  Is he afraid?  He rides the bus and its scares me.  Its a 10 minute ride but on the busiest street in my county. 

Summer has been great but now back to reality.  Gotta get that to-do list back out and actually start to tackle it.  Peace out, summer.

How to cope with stress.

I really wish I had the answer to this.  Lately I have been battling my brain.  When I get stressed, I turn to food, or alcohol.  Like it is a needed item.  I struggle with my brain all the time.  If I go out and get a big bowl of Sweet Frog, will that really make me feel better?  Will all of my problems poof, and disappear?  No.  So drinking a whole bottle of wine, will only make me hungover and feel like shit the next morning.

Life is hard.  I have 3 active boys under the age of 5 and its not easy.  I have issues with yelling at them, and my anxiety shoots through the roof when things don't happen when I want them to happen.  I really am trying to slow down and enjoy these times - but in the heat of the moment, its hard.  I have recently switched my job schedule to part-time so I can spend more time with them, instead of daycare raising my kids.  I need to take it one day at a time, one hour at a time, one minute at time.  So what if we will be late to football practice.  I need to slow down, and enjoy these little moments.

Epic Birthday Weekend.

This past Tuesday I hit the big 2-7 (yay?) and  I decided this would be the year that I actually celebrate like a 27 year old.  Usually  I do a low-key birthday dinner with my family, and skip the night life partying.  Not this year!  On Friday, my hubby took me out to my favorite hookah bar, where we had way too much fried food and drinks. 

Saturday night we did a party on a yacht, which was awesome!  We took shots from the shot-ski, and ended up eating jumbo slice pizza at 1am.

Sunday I felt like death.  I dont know how people do this every weekend!  I did not want to see another drop of alcohol - ever.

Tuesday rolled around and I drank margaritas poolside with my mom and her friend.  Again .. too much liquor :).

I had an amazing birthday, my stomach and body are still hurting and probably wont do this for another year.  No matter if I have 3 kids, I wanted to enjoy myself and I did. 

I miss my true love.

Baking is my true love.  I have been on a health kick lately and have not baked anything - cookies, breads, muffins, nada.  I am in the kitchen a lot cooking, but not baking.  Last night I told my husband, "I want to bake something".  He responded, "yes, please do! I will run out to the store and get whatever you need!".  Obviously, he has missed my baking too.

I scoured Pinterest and found Snickers Caramel Cheesecake Cookie ; a perfect combination of cheesecake, cookies, and muffins.  I rounded up my helpers and got to work.  I made 24 mini muffins, and then a little cake with the extras.  The boys told me they were 'dee-lisius' , and my husband enjoyed eating the cake right out of the pan.

I learned that sometimes I need to kick my health nut to the curb and do what I enjoy, regardless of how society might look at it.  Baking is my true passion.

Hi ; and Welcome!

Hi! My name is Jenna and this is my new beginning.  Buckle up and enjoy the ride of the adventures of crazy parenting of 3 boys, the hormones of a 26 year old woman, and the fitness goals of me getting back to what I once was.