Pumpkin Pie Muffins

SSG loves pumpkin flavored anything--pumpkin breads, pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin pie, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin shakes, pumpkin pasta, pumpkin muffins. She's like the Bubba Gump of pumpkin.

So SSG was just WAITING for October because baking pumpkin muffins ... say in July ... just doesn't seem right. These muffins were the perfect way to ease in before the sugar ante gets continually upped as it gets closer to the holidays. So that by December 24th you're dumping chocolate chips in a huge loaf of pumpkin bread and topping it with a cinnamon and sugar mixture before deciding to turn the whole thing into bread pudding by adding heavy cream, eggs and even more sugar. So you can have it for breakfast. Because its Christmas. Or maybe that's just SSG?

Anyhoo. There's not too much sugar in these babies and with a small amount of molasses they came out with a slightly gingerbready flavor and texture which will make them perfect right through the holidays. (When you can feel free to add enough sugar to put you in a coma until January 1st.)

When I was munching away, my first though was "hmmm ... they need more spices." I went through the reviews online and sure enough, a lot of people said to double them. SSG used all purpose flour (who has WHOLE WHEAT PASTRY FLOUR in their pantry?!) and didn't add the pumpkin seeds. Because ... well, SSG's pumpkin came from a can.

Pumpkin Pie Muffin Recipe

Hope you're all having sweet Sundays!

Simple Saturday Morning Spent ...

Normally SSG posts about her mornings MUCH earlier. But THIS morning she found it hard to pull her self up off the snuggly corner on her couch where she sat curled up with her dog and cat listening to the thunder and tap tap tapping of the rain on the window.

Hope you all have cozy weekends ahead.

Friday Favorites

One of the most satisfying things about this whole budget/meal planning business is looking at what is currently in the fridge/freezer and seeing how it can be reworked into something new.

Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. But SSG doesn't sweat it too much since a few months ago the food would have gone straight to the trash without so much as a second thought.

This week, one of SSG's "hmm ... let's see how this goes" recipes actually worked. She took a few wilted carrots from her vegetable crisper, tossed them with a teaspoon of butter and a teaspoon of olive oil, drizzled a bit of honey over everything then sprinkled in a big pinch of cardamom and salt before chucking the whole thing in the oven for about 20 minutes at 400 degrees.

Let SSG just say, "big bag of carrots" is the first thing written on her list of things to buy this weekend.

And she's probably going to have the best vision ever.

SSG's a Shorty

Every morning SSG goes down to the Starbucks in her building with some of the guys she works with. SSG thinks she's 5'5 but second guesses herself when even in heels she has to look UP to talk to those fools.

But that's not the short we're talking about here, THIS is the short we're talking about ...

SSG discovered that Starbucks still has a SHORT size! It's not on the menu but is 8 ounces compared to the tall (12 oz), grande (16 oz) and venti (20 oz).

SSG usually has a cup of coffee at home before she heads into work, so by the time the Starbucks run rolls along, she's really just going downstairs for a break ... and let's be honest ... to check out the cute boys that FLOOD that place every morning.

Most days SSG gets an americano, which is just a shot or two of espresso mixed with hot water, but occasionally (usually on conference call days) one of the fun seasonal drinks like a Pumpkin Spice Latte sounds good.

Before, SSG would just order a grande, fork over her $5, drink 3/4 of it and call it a day.

ENTER, the SHORT.

It's cheaper and SSG is actually able to finish it.

Just out of curiosity, SSG checked the calorie count. A grande pumpkin spice latte with whole milk & whipped cream (which is how it comes standard) is 410 calories. A short with nonfat milk & whipped cream is only 180. And it's only $3. AND you still get the whipped cream, which let's face it is the only reason to get any kind of fru fru coffee. They really should just offer a cup of whipped cream and flavored sprinkles on their menu.

A Peppermint Mocha ... grande with whole milk & whipped cream is 430 calories. A short with nonfat milk and whipped cream is 200. A short gingerbread latte with nonfat milk & whipped cream is 170.

SSG has decided being a shorty suits her just fine.

Curious as to what your drink looks like? Check out the 'bucks nutrition info site here.

The Simply Savvy Budget Dining Room Makeover Weekend 2

So if you have visited SSG's house at any point in time over the last two (ish) years, there has been DANGER lurking.

And not death by licking or suffocation from pet hair, though Fisher is a worthy foe in both areas ...

i danejeyrus

No, no. If you have sat at SSG's dining room table, it's a wonder you're still alive.

SSG put the table together herself. And you COULD TELL. SSG paid close attention to the directions on putting the first chair together and then is pretty sure she winged (wang?) it for the other three.

Wobbly?

Doesn't begin to describe. There were entire sections of chairs that not only had screws loose, but DIDN'T EVEN HAVE SCREWS! SSG checked her handy tool box full of stuff she has no idea how she has (where did YOU come from electrical tape?!). Sure enough, there was a LARGE number of screws that looked oddly similar to those that happened to make it into the chairs a couple of years ago.

SSG is sure that at some point she thought to herself "Hmmm ... why are there so many left over screws? Maybe I should keep them?" And THANK GAH she did. If any of those chairs could no longer be held together with one screw and a prayer, it's a long fall from those pub chairs onto the floor.

But REST ASSURED future Chez Simply Savvy visitors, SSG has rectified the situation.

This weekend SSG finished (ahem) putting together her chairs, steam cleaned the carpet, scrubbed the baseboards with a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser and brought the chandelier down from the ceiling. If the local precinct is lacking for an interview room, SSG's dining room table could do the trick. Those lights are BRIGHT and they're at just the right angle to shine right in your face.

SSG decided to push spray painting the table to next weekend when she paints an accent wall and thinks she's going to keep the rug in the living room to match with some curtain panels she remembers she has upstairs in her linen closet. But let's not get ahead of ourselves shall we? November is assigned to the living room ... please excuse SSG while she crawls under the dining room table and hides.

The basket worked well, but SSG has caught herself throwing random stuff in it that she doesn't know what to do with ... so she's not sure how long it will stay there. She's worried it will become a dumping ground for clutter. And really?

That's what closets are for.

Repurposing

When one, ahem, has been spending so much time sorting through her clutter, everything she brings into the house gets RUTHLESS scrutiny.

Will it get used?

How often?

Where will it go?

Are you sure there's space there?

(No, moving six other things to make space doesn't count. And no you can't put the six things in a pile in another room until you figure it out.)

Will you cry if you have to leave without it?

So this little white pitcher came from SSG's neighbor's house during a neighborhood garage sale a few months ago. It was $2.

It has been sitting on a shelf in her kitchen for the past couple months. SSG LOVES it. It makes her think of being in Provence last fall and pouring fresh squeezed orange juice from a similar pitcher each morning at the breakfast table.

But SSG doesn't normally pour herself a pitcher full of OJ in the mornings. Nor does she whip up foamy milk in the pitcher to pour into hot cocoa ... though she should absolutely rethink her morning routine after typing that sentence.

Anyhoo ... she has been looking at this pitcher a lot lately, wondering if she should get rid of it. But REALLY didn't want to.

Over the weekend SSG brought home some chrysanthemums and was about ready to get a vase down out of the cupboard when she spied the little pitcher. Et voila!

It was a good lesson for SSG ... that there is always room and a use for things we really, really love.

But unfortunately, that hot cocoa is just going to have to wait a little while longer.

$40 Foodie & Menu for the Week

SSG only wanted three things this week ... well, three things related to her menu plan.

1) To use up what she already had in her fridge.

2) To spend < $35 to stay on budget for the month.

3) To have lots and lots of salad. With Ranch.

Luckily she was able to accomplish all three! Woo hoo!

I made two stops ...

Trader Joes: $22.86

Albertson's: $8.78

Menu for the week:

Sunday: Baked potato soup

Monday: Breakfast for dinner

Tuesday: Mac & Cheese (from the freezer) & Salad

Wednesday: Spinach, mushroom & parmesan mini frittatas with salad

Thursday: Tuscan Bean Soup (from the freezer) & salad

Hope you guys have great weeks!

Housekeeping!

In the words of Tommy Boy, "you want me fluff you pillow?"

SSG was supposed to post a photo of what she baked for all of you this morning but um ... SSG didn't go to the grocery store yesterday. Instead, she met her friend Karen for a mani/pedi. Which she's pretty sure is a valid excuse. That and this canned pumpkin shortage she's heard of? Is this real? She'll find out today when she (hopefully!) heads to the grocery store.

Anyhoo! Two housekeeping items as SSG gets this blog of hers up and running ...

1) There is now a list of links on the lefty over there <-----. This is BY NO MEANS complete. SSG has a lot of links to add, but wanted to start getting some of them up. If your name is not on there, it WILL be soon, SSG promises. I decided to add them in categories since sometimes it's fun just to pick a group that you might need inspiration from on any given day.

2) SSG is TWITTERING! If you click the "Follow Me" link over to the lefty there <----- it will take you to her spot. SSG still doesn't know a lot about Twitter, but would like to thank the Vinyl Villager for being her first follower! She promises to start tweeting more soon.

Hope you're all having lovely Sundays!

Smoochies!

Simple Saturday Morning Spent ...

Halloweening up the place.

Friday Favorites

Martha Stewart's Perfect Macaroni & Cheese

It's a good thing.

(Sorry, SSG couldn't resist.)

P.S. That's a SALAD plate.

P.P.S. SSG will neither confirm or deny how many servings she had ON said salad plate.

Some of SSG's Favorite Things

Crawling into bed at the end of the day and reading before falling asleep.
Cozying into the who done it murder mysteries of fall.

Anything set in New York City.

Anything set in the early 20th century.

Happening upon a new author you enjoy ...

and then learning they've just published the 10th book in a series you just started.

Ah yes, SSG is a very happy girl indeed.

W.W.Y.D?

Readers, SSG has a v.v. important question for you all.

What Would YOU Do with this cart?

It used to be in SSG's dining room and held martini shakers and such. And by "such" SSG totally means unnecessary clutter.

But um, you knew that already.

SSG is leaning toward painting it a fun color like hot pink or Tiffany's Turquoise or something and using it as a night stand in her guest bedroom. But she's not 100% sold on this idea ...

How would you use this?

The Simply Savvy Budget Dining Room Makeover Weekend 1

Oh hello!

In case anyone needed to get up to speed, THIS is our starting point for the month of October.

Oy. Vey.

This first weekend my goal was to clear the clutter and shampoo the carpets and a rug I plan on bringing in from the living room. But ahem, clearing the clutter proved a large enough task for this weekend.

The dining room became a dumping ground for stuff I cleared out of the kitchen last month, stray papers and items I DID actually have a plan for but needed to clean out different areas in the house to put my plan into action.

After a couple of hours taking everything to its respective home and cleaning and dusting, SSG was done.

Oh hi Fisher!

Wer eferyting goez?

The basket is full of fun stuff--some packages SSG needs to send, a coupon for a free coffee at Starbucks and some other goodies. It's her goal that each day next week she picks a couple items out of the basket on her way to work and does whatever needs to be done with them. She'll let you know how that project goes next week.

Next weekend SSG will clean the carpets, take the light fixture down, repair the chairs and paint that ugly early 90's table in the photo above.

Weekend #3 SSG will paint an accent wall.

Weekend #4 will be spent shopping for a few accessories and SSG talking herself in to keeping her energy level up enough to do a Simply Savvy Makeover on her living room in November.

Menu Plan Monday & Over Budget Again!

Grrr ... SSG is getting annoyed with herself. What's up with these budget buster weeks? SSG has been trying A LOT of new recipes lately ... yes, let's blame it on that.

SSG's new plan is to go by month instead of by week. That way it allows for some wiggle room each week.

SSG's grocery budget for the month is $160 which equates to roughly $40/week. SSG is going to work to keep it under $160 but this week she's already in the hole ... $45.08.

Menu for the week ...

Sunday: Slow Cooked Spiced Braised Beef with Sweet Potatoes

Monday: Baked Potato Soup

Tuesday: Breakfast for dinner (muffins, eggs, potatoes & fruit w/ yogurt)

Wednesday: Apricot Chicken with basmati rice (from the freezer)

Thursday: Macaroni & Cheese and salad

Hope you guys have great weeks!

SSG's First New Heirloom Recipe

One of the many, many reasons SSG cooks and bakes so much is so she can find recipes that can be passed down. Whether that's to her own future kids, or just her sweet niece and nephew and the children of SSG's friends, SSG likes the idea of people asking the question "are you bringing your (insert food item here)?"

SSG has made a lot of good food. But an heirloom recipe, especially a NEW HEIRLOOM recipe can't JUST be good. It has to be knock your socks off AMAZING. There has to be an element of sweetness to it. Comfort. If eating something is going to bring back memories of years past, memories still to come and connect you to times and stories of previous generations, the food ... in a nutshell ... is going to have to bring it.

SSG would like to introduce you to her first "New Heirloom Recipe." Readers, this recipe BRINGS IT.

Simple ingredients ... you could even go so far as to say humble ... the only spice that goes in the muffin batter is nutmeg, the recipe is almost old fashioned. SSG can picture Laura Ingalls Wilder stirring the dry ingredients into the wet with a wooden spoon carved for her by Pa.

Straight from the oven, these muffins taste like a warm donut. And if that can't be good enough? Once they cool, the tops are dunked in butter and rolled in a cinnamon sugar mixture.

SSG has made them three times since she found the recipe and guesses she'll be standing at a kitchen counter on Christmas mornings making the exact same recipe for years to come.

Cinnamon Buttermilk Muffins

Simple Saturday Spent ...

Baking chocolate chip cookies ...

One of my favorite recipes is from The New Basics Cookbook. I've had the cookbook for almost 20 years and it cracks right open to this page. What can SSG say? She's a sucker for tradition.

Old Fashioned Chocolate Chip Cookies

from The New Basics Cookbook

1c + 2T all purpose flour

1/2 t baking soda

pinch of salt

8T (1 stick) of butter at room temperature

6T granulated sugar

6T packed light brown sugar

1/2t vanilla extract

1 large egg

1c chocolate chips

1) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease baking sheets.

2) Stir the flour, baking soda and salt together in a small bowl.

3) Combine the butter, both sugars and vanilla in a mixing bowl and beat until light. Beat in the egg. Slowly add the flour mixture, beating until smooth. Then stir in the chocolate morsels.

4) Drop the batter by rounded dessert spoonfuls, 3 inches apart, onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake 5 minutes. Remove the baking sheets from the oven, rap them twice on the counter or stove top and return them to the oven. Bake until the cookies are dry on top and golden, about another 4 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool.

Pour a glass of milk and dunk as you see fit.

Happy Saturday!

Friday Favorites

I’m sorry but is October not THE month for chili? The only other time that screams it louder is Superbowl Sunday. Hmmm … could football be the common denominator?

There are probably as many chili recipes as there are people in this world. This one is from Rachel Ray and it’s vegetarian.

WAIT! COME BACK!

I know I lost some of you with at least one, if not both, of those things.

But SSG promises, it’s really good. I make it every fall. And the good part? It makes so much, I only have to make it once. It keeps well in the freezer and acts as a great topper to baked potatoes, chili dogs and ahem … nachos! Next week I think I might even fry it up into a hash. I’ll be sure to let you know how that one goes.

Veg Head Chili

Happy Friday!

The Simply Savvy Budget Dining Room Makeover

Are you ready for this month’s Simply Savvy Makeover?

Are you SURE about that?

It’s the dining room peeps. And as I mentioned the other day, October is the perfect month for it because it’s scary.

BOO!

Clutter, clutter, clutter. Lack of personality, lack of personality, lack of personality. Piles, piles, piles. Sound familiar? Didn't we just go through this in the kitchen?

And yes, you might recognize a lot of this stuff from that aforementioned kitchen.

So my master plan is as follows …

Weekend #1 – Declutter, clean the carpet and rug that I’m bringing in from the living room.

Weekend #2 - Take down the light fixture, repair the chairs (we’ve got a couple wobbly ones peeps) and paint the legs of the side table.

Weekend #3 – Paint an accent wall

Weekend #4 – Accessorize

My budget for this room is going to be about $200. I’d like to buy some lamps for the side table since it will act as an entry table too and maybe a big mirror or something for the one wall in this room.

Should be fun! And hopefully less work than the kitchen … though somehow I doubt it.

And BTW the camera TOTALLY adds 10 pounds of clutter.