Pumpkin Pie Spiced Almonds

Let's talk about blonde moments.

Everyone has them right?

Even if you have just ONE stray piece of blonde hair on your head, you have them. [This is where you nod in agreement.]

Well yesterday I had an entire blonde day.

Everything that came out of my mouth should have stayed inside my head and swirled around in my confused brain of blondeness.

i.e. Asking a MEDICAL STUDENT if she was in nursing school. Really?

Ok moving on.

I was standing in line at Fresh Market and you know how they have those little sample boxes to tempt you to buy more? Well there was this delicious mix of sugared almonds, yogurt covered rasins, and seeds n such.

And I thought...dang these are GOOD. What is that flavor I taste. {All happening inside my head.}

And the lady behind me went to check out as I walked away and the cashier said "Would you like to try our Pumpkin Spice mix?"

I took that opportunity to turn around and tell him, OH, THAT's WHAT I TASTED. Before walking out. Like the two of us were having a conversation. That we weren't.

Anywho, It was like having Target's Archer Farms Cinnamon Sugared almonds {which I already love to eat by the handful thankyousomuch LivetoLove} plus enabling my obsession with pumpkin.

Welcome to Reason #852 why making things that taste like pumpkin is cool.

I also didn't have to spend $15 on said "Pumpkin Spice Mix" from Fresh Market. {I love you Fresh Market, but you're kind of a snob for charging designer prices for food.}

These are much more savory than cinnamon-sugared almonds. Less like candy, more like pumpkin pie + afternoon snack jumping in your belly and having a party.

BONUS: They make your house smell Ah-Mazing. So if you really want to pretend your house is clean, throw these in the oven before you invite someone over.

It'll be all you can do not to lick the oven door.

{But wait till they leave.They'll think you're weird.}

Pumpkin Pie Spiced Almonds
1 egg white
1 tsp cold water
1 cup whole plain almonds
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt
2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.  Spray a jelly roll pan with cooking spray.

Beat egg white and water until slightly frothy (~30 seconds to a minute).  Toss almonds in egg white/water mixture.

Combine sugar, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Toss sugar and spices with almonds until liberally coated.

Pour on jelly roll pan and bake in oven at 250 for 60 minutes, tossing occasionally with spatula until golden brown.

"...since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you." Colossians 1:9" 

Snickerchip Cookies

I can't believe I'm showing these to you.

Remember how I told you I can't bake? Now you will believe me.

Pay attention to the concept here people. Not the upcoming visually confusing cookies.

Raise your hand if you have leftover Halloween candy.

Raise your hand if your trick-or-treaters cleaned out all but 3 pieces of candy in the bowl by 7:50pm and your husband told you that if we didn't go get more candy our house would be egged. Because thats what he used to do.

Then Raise your hand if you went OUT, got more candy, and 5 more teeny weeny children came. Who are not capable of egging houses. And wouldn't have noticed one bit if our lights were out.

So, yes, now we have a huge bowl of Halloween candy left over.

So I wondered how the above candy bars would taste in cookies.

Only problem is I can't make cookies from scratch. I've tried and tried and tried. And they get too poofy, too flat, too burnt, or too weird tasting.

So, again, follow the concept  here not the visual.

I tried Snickers, Peanut Butter cups, and Butterfingers.

I highly recommend the Peanut Butter cups (but that's SO been done before), and highly do NOT recommend the Butterfinger. Yes, in theory it should be spectacular! But in reality, it's just sticky.

{Sticky as in stick-to-the-pan-so-bad-you-scrape-for-days-to-get-it-off}.

The winner....Snickers. These Snickerchip cookies are creamy in the middle and crispy on the outside. With bits of chocolate and peanuts and Snickery goodness. And no, they may LOOK like pancakes but  they are not. They are cookies. Give me a little cookie grace people.

Find your favorite chocolate cookie recipe {or figure out what's wrong with mine} and add your leftover snickers!!

And one more thing. Pleaseexcusetheflatcookies.

Snickerchip Cookies
adapted from my Tiny Oven chocolate chip cookies

• ½ cups Butter, Softened
• ½ cups Granulated Sugar
• ¼ cups Brown Sugar
• 1 whole Egg
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 1 cup All-purpose Flour
• ½ teaspoons Baking Soda
• ¼ teaspoons Salt
• 1 cup Chopped Snickers Candy Bar

In the bowl of a stand mixer, blend the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add in the egg and vanilla and blend well. Slowly add in the flour, baking soda and salt, blend until combined. Stir in the snickers. I put my dough in the fridge for 20 minutes to chill.

Preheat your oven to 350ºF. Line your cookie sheets with Silpat mats or parchment.

When you are ready, spoon by the tablespoonful onto the prepared sheets and bake for 8-10 minutes until the bottoms are lightly browned. Remove them to a wire rack to cool completely.

"I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus." 1 Corinthians 1:4

Lasagna Soup

What to do with leftover Spaghetti Bolognese?

Hm...

I've tried making lasagna. Re-heating the Spaghetti. Making more lasagna. And then throwing it out when I get sick of it.

No more.

I discovered this beautiful pin on Pinterest for Lasagna Soup, but when clicking on it, discovered the link went nowhere. {A true Pinterest tragedy.}

Hm...

So I did it. I made my own. I made Lasagna soup. And it was heavenly.

And now I want to make spaghetti every night. So I can have leftover's to make Lasagna Soup every day after that.

It is Ah-mazing.

Lasagna+soup = <3

Lasagna Soup


1 cup leftover Spaghetti Bolognese sauce
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup broken lasagna noodles
2 slices mozzarella cheese

In a pot, combine sauce and chicken broth and bring to boil.

Add lasagna noodles, and cook according to package directions 8-10 minutes.

Add soup to oven safe ramekins and add mozzarella on top. Broil on high in the oven for 2-3 minutes until brown and oozy.

"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:18

Always Quiche Me Goodnight...

Every year around this time I get a hankerin for Quiche.

I think it's because in my head Christmas is right around the corner {yesimoneofthose} and at Christmas mom and dad always made Mini Quiches to go with our food feast while we opened presents.

I'm pretty sure they resemble these:

So... fall=almost Christmas=Quiche time.

So one year I decided to make my own Quiche out of all of my favorite ingredients. Every time I made it I ended up adding something new. Random things. Like feta cheese.

It was a science experiment in the making.

And then it became this big shmorgishborg of wonderfulness.

So, of course while I was whipping up this treat that's perfect for Fall but reminds me of Christmas, I HAD to listen to Michael Buble's new Christmas CD. HADto.

And it was glorious.

Now there's no stopping me. Hello made-for-TV-Christmas-movies. Hello Christmas music. Hello beginning of Pinterest Holiday madness.

Yes, I know it isn't even Halloween yet. Guess what? Don't care.

Make this Quiche to begin decking your halls, or tricking your treat, whatever tickles your fancy!

Sausage Feta Quiche


2 10 oz pie crusts-frozen
12 oz breakfast pork sausage with SAGE
6 eggs
1/3 cup half & half or heavy cream
1/2 tomato, diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
6 oz feta cheese crumbles
2 cloves of garlic, minced
Salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste

Sautee sausage over medium heat for 5-7 minutes until browned.

In a large mixing bowl, add sausage, feta cheese, vegetables, and garlic to bowl. Add eggs and milk and stir, making sure liquid coats everything. Add a dash of salt, pepper, and nutmeg, to taste.

Bake at 425 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Makes 2 pies.

"and may God almighty grant you compassion." Genesis 43:14