Pumpkin Cinnamon Streusel Muffins

First off, let me say to the few of you who read my blog. I am so sorry that my blogging has been so sporadic lately. There are simply not enough hours in the day, and while I love blogging and sharing my recipes and what is going on in our lives it is often times takes the back burner...or a burner in a whole other house.

This is the third time that I have made these scrumptious muffins, and there are three things I must tell you about them first.  1.) They are my absolute favorite muffins ever and the hubs loves them too. 2.) I made them wrong the first time. I actually used pumpkin pie filling instead of plain pumpkin puree. Oops. 3.) I loved the way that they tastes, so I have continued to make them wrong ever since.

These amazing muffins come from Two Peas and Their Pod. Again, I have loved absolutely everything that I have tried from Josh and Maria's blog. If you have not been to their blog before, you MUST go now. They blog about pretty much everything, but mainly food. They also have a cute little son named Caleb, who they post about. Here is a link to Maria's original post. You must try to muffins, the right way or the wrong way. They are delectable and make you dream of fall weather while they are baking.

Pumpkin Cinnamon Streusel Muffins

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1/3 cup water
1 cup canned pumpkin (or pumpkin pie filling if you  mess up like me. It makes it sweeter and amazing)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Filling:

1 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Streusel Topping:

1 1/4 cup oats
1 tablespoon flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Dash of nutmeg
6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into chunks

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Line two muffin tins with liners and spray with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk together salt, flour, baking soda, nutmeg, and cinnamon.

In a large bowl (or mixer, I love my KitchenAid for this) mix together remaining ingredient for actual muffins.

Slowly stir in the flour mixture until combined.

For the filling, mix cinnamon and brown sugar together in a small bowl and set it aside.

For the topping, mix together all ingredients except butter. When they are combined well, mix in the butter with your hand until the mixture is crumbly.

Fill the muffin cups half way full with the pumpkin batter. Sprinkle the filling in over each half filled cup. Fill the muffin cups up with the remaining batter and crumble the topping on each one.

Bake for 17-20 minutes or until it passes the toothpick test. Let cool on a rack. Enjoy with a nice glass of milk or cup of coffee.

The Scooby Gang and Arkansas

There is not much to report for our fall 2011. P.S. I wrote this FOREVER ago and apparently forgot to post it. Just before Halloween I entered the pups in the dog costume contest that the dog park we frequent was having.  We didn't win, but it was a lot of fun.  Gus loves wearing clothes! Bella, not so much.  It was a fight to get hers on.  Next year we are going scary!

 

I could not resist doing matching outfits.  Bella was a cheerleader and Gus was a football player.

This is really fitting since everyone says that Gus looks like a big football. We hung out uptown for the contest then hit up the dog park for a while.

  We spent Halloween night at our friends Phil and Alena's house.  They have about 5 acres outside of town and used the backyard for a haunted maze! The guys did a great job setting up and scaring people. My best friend from grad school, Amy, and her boyfriend Kevin joined us for the festivities. Kevin, as you can see, cannot keep his eyes open for pictures! Adam had to go as something "scary", but Amy, Kevin, and I went as part of the Scooby Gang! Amy and I had a lot of fun thrifting for our costumes.

I went as Daphene...It worked out great because the dress is something that I wore again to church not long after Halloween. It was a great $6 buy!

Amy and Kevin went as Velma and Shaggy! I wanted to take Gus for Scrappy, but I didn't want something to happen to him with all the craziness going on.

I personally didn't think he was scary, but don't tell him I said that.  The mask he wore was really creepy looking though.

Our great party host and hostess, Phil and Alena.

The Scooby Gang! Minus Fred because Adam wouldn't cooperate. Oh well, there is always next year.









     For Thanksgiving we loaded up the dogs in the Kia and headed to Arkansas! I had not been down there in years and Adam had never been before.  My mother headed down there from Oklahoma and my grandparents from Nebraska.  Two of my mother's brothers and their families live in Arkansas.  My other uncle, Terry, even drove from Texas to come down there.

This was the first time that I had gotten to see my cousin Plynn's (loving known as my Plynn Twin) new baby and meet his fiance.  Tatum is the sweetest and cutest baby ever. I am convinced! He slept on my lap and the dogs even joined in for a while and napped on my legs!

Mom and Tatum.  He is such a cutie!!! I wanted to take him home!

                                   Too precious!

We all had to check out the Black Friday ads. We decided to make a trip to Walmart for the madness...and madness it was.  This may have been both my first and last Black Friday escapade!





    This is a horrible picture of me! However, it is the only picture that I know of that was taken of Adam and I while we were in Arkansas. We had such a great time seeing everyone and spending time away from Ohio.  The dogs loved roaming in the mountains out by uncle Sam's house, even though I was a little worried. In true Troxel tradition, there were many games of cards played!