It smells like fall!

Okay, so I can't really smell it, but if I could, I'm sure that my house smells like fall right now. It is a shame I am the only one around besides the boys, because there is no one to enjoy the delicious smells of pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg and apples wafting around this place! We went to church this morning (I'd give it a B+ or so... Wayne was a little difficult. Oh! The sermon was great, I wasn't grading that part!) and then had Tyson and Breanne for coffee while Weston napped. We then packed up and went to Grandma Silves' birthday party. I debated whether or not to go, but decided it was worth the effort and work for Grandma. Tyler is working, and it is just hard to go with two little kids by myself, and then on top of that it was at 1pm, which is nap time in these parts! It's not even a question of skipping naptime, there is no way. The boys desperately need it, and it's not fair to them otherwise. As it was, we made it until 2pm, and then packed up and came home, where they went straight to bed. Ahhh *Sigh* I digress..... I then spent the afternoon baking. Why? Well, the excuse was that I have Christ Group tonight and need to bring something, but the real reason is that I LOVE TO BAKE. When I was young, baking was my assigned household "chore" and Tara was in charge of cooking. (Needless to say, after we got married, I had to learn to cook and Tara had to learn to bake!) So, I baked TWO new recipes... Pumpkin cream cheese muffins, and apple cake. The first recipe I got online, and is supposed to be the same as the ones that Starbucks carries, the second I got from my good friend Mindy. Judging from the taste of the batter for each... "shmuck-lucka" as my Auntie Shelly would say! Feast your eyes on these folks~!

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Ingredients
Directions
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cloves
4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups pumpkin
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
8 ounces cream cheese
chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

· Preheat oven to 350.
· Put the entire brick of cream cheese on a piece of wax paper and shape it into a long log.
· Put it in the freezer while you mix and fill the pans, up to an hour.
· Unwrap and cut with a sharp knife so each cream cheese disk equals 1-2 teaspoons. If the cream cheese disks are too big around, cut thick slices and then cut them in half. This lets you push it down into the batter easier.
· Mix all ingredients together (except cream cheese and nuts).
· Fill muffin tins (greased or paper cups) half full.
· Put cream cheese disc in the middle, pressing down.
· Sprinkle with 1 tsp chopped nuts.
· Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean from the muffin part (do not touch the cream cheese!).

Apple Bread

3 eggs, slightly beaten
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tbs. vanilla
3 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
4 cups chopped apples
1 cup chopped nuts

Topping:
2 tbs. sugar
½ tsp cinnamon

· Preheat oven to 325
· Mix wet ingredients, then add dry.
· Place in two greased loaf pans
· Sprinkle with topping
· Bake at 325 for 1 hour and 10 minutes
· Let cool, best the next day