Ten on the 10th - Pumpkin-Chocolate Chip Muffins

The Ten on the 10th theme this month was 

"Pumpkins" 

I have made pumpkins, sewed pumpkins and painted pumpkins....

...so coming up with a new idea was a challenge for me!

I decided to make Pumpkin Muffins - something I don't think I have ever made before.  I love quick breads and muffins,  but I usually favor banana breads and zucchini breads.

I found this recipe online and decided to add a little bit of chocolate to the recipe - these are DELISH:

Pumpkin Muffins - with Chocolate Chips!

Ingredients:

4 eggs

2 C sugar

1 can, 15 Oz Pumpkin Puree

1 1/2 C canola oil

3 C flour

2t baking soda

1t baking powder

1T pumpkin spice

1t salt

2 C chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 400°.  Place 24 paper liners in muffin tins.  In a large bowl beat the eggs, sugar, pumpkin and oil until smooth.  In another bowl combine flour, baking soda, flour, spice and salt.  Add flour mixture slowly to wet mixture and mix by hand.  Fold in all but 1/4 c chocolate chips.

Fill muffin cups 3/4 full and sprinkle a few chocolate chips on the top of each muffin.   Bake for 20+ minutes until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool on wire racks.

I can never wait for anything to cool - these were so tasty with a bit of melted butter:

24 muffins were made for less than $10 !!

Visit my friendly bloggers to see how they spent their $10 on their "pumpkin" ideas:

Ann - The Apple Street Cottage

Terrie - Decorate & More With Tip

Carol - Bluesky at Home

Kathy - Up To Date Interiors

Tammy - Patina and Paint

Patti - Pandora's Box You are here!!

Thanks for stopping by!

October 10th is National Handbag Day.....

Photo credit

I am a gal who loves her bags.....

.... I keep many in a huge rubbermaid bin in my closet...and some hanging in a closet on "S" hooks....

...I am not partial to a specific brand, color or style....

...as long as all my "stuff" fits inside and I can fling it over my shoulder!

This striped tote was my fav this summer:

...and this has been my fav summer back-up for a few years:

I even keep all of the dust covers and bags and use them when I store the "off season" bags!

I rarely use the same handbag for more than a week at a time, and often change to match my outfit.  

Do you have a favorite bag?  Favorite color?

Tomorrow, Oct 10 is National Handbag Day, so treat yourself and buy a new one to celebrate!! 

I have my eye on one already!

Check out Jackie's post - what a collection she has!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Fall Cocktails.....

Now that the "chill" has set into Central NY, here are a few Fall Cocktails that we have enjoyed to help warm us up!

ENJOY!!

 

Funny Bunny....where are you?

Yes, it's October 1st

RABBIT, RABBIT!

I enjoy using my MacKenzie-Childs Funny Bunny for the pictures to post on Facebook and Instagram on the first of each month.

Saying Rabbit, Rabbit on the first day of the month ensures good luck for the rest of it!

We rarely let a new month go by without those words coming out of our mouths first thing on the first day!

I recently took my Funny Bunny on a few Central NY adventures - Come along for the fun:

One of the fun day trips in Central NY is to visit the wineries in the Finger Lakes region...there are more than 100 wineries and each is a unique visit...

Apparently, the lakes can retain heat, keeping the surrounding ground warm, which prevents the roots from freezing during the cold winters, and they protect the vines against sudden spring frosts and freezes. 

We also have numerous farms in the area which produce a variety of pumpkins...

... pumpkins have grown in the northeastern US for over 5000 years and there are now over 45 varieties!  

FYI:

Morton, Il holds the title of the "Pumpkin Capital of the World"

Butternut Creek is a pretty hiking trail not far from my home....

The Old Erie Canal State Park has a beautiful hiking/biking trail that follows along side of the Erie Canal

The Erie Canal is a 362 mile waterway in New York that connects the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean, through the Hudson River. 

 It was completed in 1825 and the part of the canal in our area of NY has walkways, bike trails and boat tours!

The state fruit of NY is the APPLE....

There are well over 24 varieties of apples grown in NY

Our favorite orchard to pick apples is Beak N Skiff, south of Syracuse, where they have a bakery, general store, apple barn, tasting room, tavern, distillery, hay rides and treehouse playground for children

So, as you can see, Central NY has a lot to offer in the fall and my Funny Bunny is certainly enjoying this fall!

A Fall Table Setting and Zucchini Zots....

I set a simple table with Mackenzie-Childs checks and Pioneer Woman flowers...

The centerpiece is an artificial pumpkin and I also added a mini vase of marigolds, mint and chives.  (This is a good way to use the last of your herbs)

We finished the last bottle of Rose.....this bottle is so pretty, but the Rose is just average!

I made the table runner and painted the wine glasses!

The bread and butter plates held a pressed butter leaf....

One of the appetizers I served was a new recipe I found online

The recipe for Zucchini Zots comes from Debbie-Dabble's Blog .....

....and I added an extra seasoning to the mixture....

...a little cajun spice!

Mix together: 

2 c grated zucchini

1/4 c parmesan cheese ( I used parmesan/romano)

1/2 c mozzarella cheese

1/2 Italian bread crumbs

3 lg eggs

season with: onion and garlic salt, parsley and fresh ground pepper

1 t cajun seasoning

Press into well greased 12 muffin cup pan and top with some mozzarella

Bake @ 400' for 25 min

These were a hit, and made a perfect appetizer!

Remember my lack of a green thumb?....

I think I found a way I like to garden...no bug, no snakes, no worms, no frogs, etc.

I bought a Keter planter this past spring and I planted a Roma tomato plant, a pepper plant, basil, cilantro, parsley mint and lemon thyme.  I have never had a problem growing herbs, but anything else seems to die....

...well to be fair, I am not the best caretaker of plants because I often forget about them and they die very quickly!   But this worked well for me this year...

My tomato plant grew and grew and produced so many tomatoes and in my excitement, I forgot to take more photos!

But my little "salsa garden" was a great success for me and there are only a few more tomatoes waiting to ripen.

Next year I might just plant tomatoes and peppers and put the herbs in another pot.  

I canned a few jars of tomato sauce....

....ate a lot of tomato and cucumber salads....

.....and enjoyed lots of salsa!

I wish I could say I enjoy gardening as much as I enjoy the harvest, but that would be a lie!!  

But it is "growing" on me!!