{Mini} Pumpkin Doughnuts

The best Father's Day gift my husband ever received was a Babycakes mini-doughnut maker.  A gift for the whole family!  And whenever my nieces and nephews (there are twenty-eight grandkids on my side of the family, with one on the way as of this post) come for a visit, they beg Aunt Becca to get out the doughnut maker.  It's all you need to be the most popular aunt in town!

I've discovered that you can pretty much use any muffin recipe for the doughnut-maker--but some are more delectable than others.  Pumpkin doughnuts are my favorite so far. (In fact, I'm going to try to post nothing but pumpkin recipes this month.  Because there's no better flavor in October and November, as far as I'm concerned).

This recipe makes about 36 mini pumpkin doughnuts, and they are delightful with a cinnamon-sugar topping, but I'm betting they might be even better with cream cheese frosting . . . which I will try next time I whip up a batch.  One-and-a-half cups of pumpkin puree is the whole can (the regular-sized can, not the giant Thanksgiving one), so that makes it easy to make these in a hurry.

It only takes about four minutes to cook these sweet babies!

Miss Mollie, my favorite helper!

Welcome, October!  Don't mind if I do . . .

Kefir Smoothies

I have a kefir smoothie (Click here for my What is Kefir? post) at least four days a week.  It's delicious and nutritious, and a great snack to help me curb sugar cravings.  It's also a perfect post-workout meal, because calcium after exercising = stronger bones, stronger heart, easier weight control, and faster muscle recovery.  I started my kefir smoothie drinking in April of 2010, the same time I started running four days a week.  I lost fifteen pounds in six months, and I feel like these smoothies were a big part of helping me to get in shape and stay in shape.

One of my favorite smoothie add-ins (a tip from my sister, Ali), is to add a handful of fresh spinach to any smoothie.  It doesn't affect the taste in the slightest, but adds all the great iron, vitamin C, and antioxidants that spinach provides.  If you don't like spinach or other leafy greens--sneaking it into a smoothie is the way to go.

This recipe card has my two favorite smoothie combinations.  The 5-grain cereal adds complex carbohydrates and fiber, which help to keep you full longer.  The nuts add healthy fats and protein (plus amazing flavor), and the flaxseed adds protein.  Each recipe makes about 32-ounces (4 cups)--enough for two people to enjoy a large, healthy, delicious shake. 

Shrimp and Cheese Dip in Bread Bowl

Yum, yum, yummers!  The perfect party food!

Hot Chocolate Shortbread

This recipe for hot chocolate shortbread was in an issue of Parents (or Parenting? . . . one of those magazines with paranoia-inducing articles galore). The picture in the magazine looked so good and easy that I had to try 'em out. They were totally easy, and totally a hit!

Cinnamon Roasted Almonds

Everyone who went to Stephanie's for book club came away wanting this recipe.

Gooey Caramel Popcorn

My mom's best recipe. I like this sticky popcorn far better than the kind that gets hard. It's not just nostalgia, either--this really is the best recipe for caramel popcorn out there.

Also, the caramel is really good for other recipes, too.  Like to drizzle over your Molten Chocolate Cake.