Fall is finally here!

It is so nice to finally feel the cool weather and to be able to open the windows and enjoy the breeze and the smell of rain.  The forecast for the next ten days calls for cool weather so let's hope summer is over for good...  I love this time of year!  I love fall colors of brown, gold, orange, and red.  I love anything made with pumpkin.  Last night I made these delicious pumpkin donut holes and took them to work for our staff meeting.  They were a hit!  They are so moist and filled with yummy spices.  They are actually baked and not fried which is a plus.  I will definitely make them again. 

Baked Pumpkin Spice Donut Holes

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 40 donut holes

Serving Size: 2 donut holes

For the donuts:
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/8 teaspoons ground cloves
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 1/2 cup low-fat milk
  For the Coating:
• 1 stick of unsalted butter, melted
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease a 24-cup mini muffin tin with nonstick spray.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and cloves. In a separate large bowl, combine the oil, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, pumpkin and milk until smooth. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Be careful not to overmix the batter.

Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, about 1 tablespoon in each cup. (You will have batter left over for about another dozen.) Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until passes the toothpick test.

Remove the muffins from the oven and allow to cool for 2 minutes, or until just cool enough to handle. With the melted butter in one bowl and the sugar and cinnamon combined in another, dip each muffin into the butter then roll in the cinnamon sugar to coat. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve immediately.

 

(I put the cinnamon and sugar in a gallon size zip log bag and added a dozen donut holes at a time and coated them by shaking the baggie)

Utah Trip

 

I had a great trip spending time with some of my favorites in Utah.  It was Megan and Justin's 10th anniversary so I watched the boys while theyenjoyed some time together in Park City.  We had lots of fun making mummys filled with treats, making a spooky dinner of mummy dogs and witches fingers with dirt pudding and gummy worms.  We played and watched movies and just loved spending time together.  On Saturday morning we made ghost pancakes.  I sure love these boys and am excited for them to live close very soon!!  I also spent time with Jordan and his little family.  Owen is such a sweet cute little guy.  I loved being with him and trying to keep up with him!  He is a very active, fast, smart little boy.  He is growing so fast and it was so hard to leave him.  Can't wait until Christmas when I can see him again.  I love being a Grandma to four of the cutest little boys in the world!

 

Jackson and Coleman displaying the ghost pancakes



Coleman building a tower for the angry birds.

Jack enjoying his spooky dinner



Lincoln proudly showing off the mummy he made!  I love the pudding moustache!

Lincoln and Coleman with more Mummys

Lincoln being so reverent during the opening prayer of General Conference.  Such a sweet boy.

 Megan, Coleman and me waiting for our table at Texas Roadhouse

Jack and Owen outside the restaurant

Jordan and Owen at Texas Roadhouse

Justin and the boys waiting for ice cream

Jordan, Kristine and Owen.  Such a cute family

Little Owen looking cute

Owen in the tiger costume Grammy bought him for Halloween