Low Fat Delish Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients


Topping:
1/3 c. chopped pecans
1/4 c. splenda
1/4 c. brown sugar (or you can use splenda brown sugar blend)
1 tb. cinnamon

Batter:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup splenda
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 egg
2/3 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup natural applesauce
1 tsp vanilla extract

Filling:

1 (8 ounce) package fat free cream cheese
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons splenda

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Pam the muffin pan you plan to use.
Mix topping ingredients together in a separate bowl and set aside.
In a small bowl, beat cream cheese until soft. Add egg, vanilla and splenda. Beat until smooth, then set aside. (Don't worry if it's a little lumpy.)
In a large bowl, mix flour, splenda, baking soda, and spice. Add egg, pumpkin, applesauce and vanilla. Beat together until smooth. Set aside.
Place pumpkin batter in muffin cups about 1/4 full. Then add one to two tablespoons of the cream cheese filling. Top with more pumpkin batter and sprinkle with pecan topping.
Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 15 minutes or until done. Makes 12 moist muffins.

"Don’t ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who are alive." Howard Thurman

Wanting:

Dorothy's Ruby Slippers!

CharityFolks.com is hosting the 2009 Ruby Slippers Collection which benefits the

Elizabeth Glaser  Pediatric AIDS Foundation. Top shoe designers all over the world are coming together to reinvent Dorothy's kicks for a good cause.

If I had one the lottery yesterday - I would put a heffftyyy bid on those beauties that Oscar De La Renta did.

Loving:

ABC's new show Modern Family.  A mockumentary much like "The Office" but 100 times funnier. (I know what you're thinking. What the hell is a 'mockumentary'?  A mockumentary is a way of presenting a recording as a real life documentary, but it is actually fictional. It's commonly used as a medium for parody and satire.)

The half-hour show airs at 9 p.m. EST on ABC & will leave you with sore abs from laughing so hard, seriously.

Enjoying:

This recipe:

Not all of us are Rosie Riches who can afford to eat at The Ritz on a nightly basis, some of us actually cook for ourselves on occasion. Maybe we even cook for our boyfriend after we "accidentally forgot to call him when we got back from happy hour the day before". Whatever the reason is, I've got the recipe to go with it.

I'm not sure how, or even why, but this recipe is idiot proof. It was my Mother's go-to dish for a spontaneous dinner party, for last minute hungry kids, for everything - & now I know why. The best part of the dish isn't how easy the recipe is, or that you probably already have the ingredients - it's that it tastes even BETTER the next day...hello bag lunch for work!

Ingredients:
7 Roma tomatoes
Canned artichoke hearts (not in oil)
> 1 cup grated cheese (parmesan, romano, or asiago)
Linguine pasta
Olive Oil
>4 cloves of garlic
Oregano
Basil (fresh – at least 6 leaves)
Chicken breasts

Sauce:
Wash & chop tomatoes into large chunks.
Add into a large pot with olive oil covering bottom (generous amount).
Stir in chopped garlic cloves, oregano, salt, and chopped basil. Heat low adding artichoke hearts.
Cut two chicken breasts into bite sized chunks, cook in a pan over medium heat with salt & pepper (or our family’s favorite: Goya Adobo)
Bring sauce to a slow boil, stirring occasionally.
20 minutes prior to meal, add cheese to sauce (too soon & it will stick to the bottom of pot). Low heat & let simmer. Add Adobo as needed.

Cook pasta – al dente!
Pour sauce on top of linguine, add chicken, toss & serve.

I envy:

...a timeless, classic beauty.

More than just reggae music!

Only once in your life, I truly believe, you find someone who can completely turn your world around.
You tell them things that you’ve never shared with another soul & they absorb everything you say & actually want to hear more. You share hopes for the future, dreams that will never come true, goals that were never achieved and the many disappointments life has thrown at you. When something wonderful happens, you can’t wait to tell them about it, knowing they will share in your excitement. They are not embarrassed to cry with you when you are hurting or laugh with you when you make a fool of yourself. Never do they hurt your feelings or make you feel like you are not good enough, but rather they build you up & show you the things about yourself that make you special and even beautiful. There is never any pressure, jealousy or competition but only a quiet calmness when they are around. You can be yourself & not worry about what they will think of you because they love you for who you are. The things that seem insignificant to most people such as a note, song or walk become invaluable treasures kept safe in your heart to cherish forever. Memories of your childhood come back and are so clear and vivid it’s like being young again. Colors seem brighter and more brilliant. Laughter seems part of daily life where before it was infrequent or didn’t exist at all. A phone call or two during the day helps to get you through a long day’s work & always brings a smile to your face. In their presence, there’s no need for continuous conversation, but you find you’re quite content in just having them nearby. Things that never interested you before become fascinating because you know they are important to this person who is so special to you. You think of this person on every occasion and in everything you do. Simple things bring them to mind like a pale blue sky, gentle wind or even a storm cloud on the horizon. You open your heart knowing that there’s a chance it may be broken one day and in opening your heart, you experience a love and joy that you never dreamed possible. You find that being vulnerable is the only way to allow your heart to feel true pleasure that’s so real it scares you. You find strength in knowing you have a true friend and possibly a soul mate who will remain loyal to the end. Life seems completely different, exciting and worthwhile. Your only hope and security is in knowing that they are a part of your life.
-Bob Marley

"Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, & it is only by this meeting that a new world is born"

Time & time again, I have found that surrounding yourself with those you love does make the sun shine brighter, & your world that much better.


I live by this mantra literally & figuratively.
I have an obsession with black & white photos --&
cannot live or work in a space where there aren't
photos of those I love surrounding me.  When life
gets a little too stressful, it's easy to revert back to
a time of pure bliss by looking at photos of happy
moments.  I couldn't be more thankful for the vast
library of happy moments with those that I love to
think back to in times of need.

Every woman should have a black lace bra, a cordless drill,
& a past juicy enough that she's looking forward to retelling it in her old age.

Every woman should know how to fall in love without losing herself,
when to try harder & when to walk away,
& where to go when her soul needs soothing.

-Pamela Satran

Flair is a primitive kind of style. It is innate & cannot be taught. It can be polished & refined.

I highly suggest you take a peek at my favorite décor company. Think Anthropologie mixed with a little Restoration Hardware.  I would die to have this bedroom. I love the simplicity of the colors, but the complexity of the detail.  No room / piece is unsuitable to stand alone, yet also throwing together any combination of things can create a unique gorgeous room. In my next life I want to be an design consultant (instead of worshipper) for Brocade Home.

One or two pieces from their collection has the ability to change the look & feel of any room.  They even sell wallpaper! (I have a small obsession with baroque / rococo style wallpaper).  I swear you won't be disappointed.

..If I had a million dollar$ - I'd buy me a: ...

Disclaimer: It ain't cheap.  but sooooooo worth it !