Best Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever

I know that's a pretty bold statement to say that these are the best pumpkin chocolate chip cookies EVER, but I think it's true.

They are so melt-in-your-mouth delicious that I've decided to keep making them even after the holidays are over. That's how yummy they are. I'm having a lot of fun baking with canned pumpkin, and this recipe takes one cup. Of course there's more than one cup in a can, so I'm saving whatever is left and using it for the next recipe that calls for it. The leftover pumpkin adds up, and since I'm trying to be frugal with my baking costs, this is a big help.

My daughter and I, and my grandchildren, took some of the cookies to a sweet friend who has the most adorable baby ever. These are great cookies for sharing, and I know that whoever you might give them to will think you're wonderful.

The recipe calls for regular size chocolate chips but I didn't have quite enough. So instead, I used the mini sized and I actually think that's best. Either way, the pumpkin and chocolate blend together to give you a flavorful, soft cookie that stores well in an air-tight container. That is if you have any left over!

Recipe for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1stick) unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In the bowl of an electric mixer (or handheld mixer) cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Add the pumpkin puree and stir until incorporated. Add the salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. Mix in the flour until fully combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Using a small sized cookie scoop, place the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 12-13 minutes, or until lightly browned. Place on wire racks and let cookies cool completely.

Makes about 30 cookies.

-Post by Patricia 

5 Ways To Help Stay Healthy This Fall

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #Sponsored #BeGoodToYourBones #Collective Bias

This is my first fall in Nevada since I moved away from Seattle in July. It certainly is different, and I can't believe I'm wearing a tank top in October. I've had a bit of a rough adjustment to the weather, but it's really started to cool down, and I'm so happy about that.

I tried to really think about how I can keep myself healthy this fall, and I came up with 5 ways that should help me do that. They are all simple things that will pay off now and in the long run, and anyone can do them. Since I live with my daughter and her family, my three grandchildren's return to school means they will undoubtedly bring home the usual colds and flu bugs.

So hopefully by paying more attention to the way I take care of myself, I can avoid getting sick. I think it's definitely harder to be ill and takes longer to recover as we get older.

The first thing that is so important is to keep physically active. One of the things I do love about our new neighborhood is that it's so walker friendly. If you take a daily walk, even if it's just ten minutes, it will make a big difference in how you feel and think. I'm walking up to 45 minutes a day now, and it's wonderful.

There's nothing I love better than to drink a hot cup of tea with honey at the first sign of a scratchy throat. It's a very old remedy that my mother always gave me and it somehow seemed to work it's magic.

Of course, all liquids are good for you when you're not feeling well, and keeping yourself well hydrated is important to stay healthy. I drink tea all the time and I'm convinced that hot tea and honey can ward off feeling miserable when you drink it when your throat starts to hurt.

I love trying different teas and flavors of honey, and I always have plenty on hand in the cupboard.

As I get older, I'm even more aware of how important it is to maintain strong bones and flexible joints in order to remain active and feel good everyday. I'm lucky to have found a simple answer to my growing concern about this.

 Caltrate® Bone & Joint Health* lets me get  the bone health benefits of Calcium, Vitamin D3 and Magnesium, plus Vitamin C, Zinc and More† to support joint health in just one tablet per day.

I've seen so many of my friends who are my age that have become inactive and complain about joint pain, and pain when they move around. As I'm about to turn 60 this year, I'm determined not to let this happen to me. I love being active, and so taking Caltrate® Bone & Joint Health* will help me to keep walking and moving this fall, and beyond.

And did you know that as people age the amount of cartilage in joints decreases? Cartilage acts as a cushion in between bones. The more I learn about bone and joint health, the more I understand how I can play a part in helping myself remain active and confident as I age.

† Refers to Copper, Manganese and UC-II®.

When the cooler weather starts, I always crave good old comfort food. There's just something about delicious stews, soups, and chilies that satisfies my soul. Comfort is the perfect word to use for these dinners that I love cooking for my family.

But when we think of comfort food, it's often heavy, calorie laden meals that come to mind. It doesn't have to be that way, and using lots of vegetables, beans, and spices lets you create dishes that are just as tasty but better for you.

I understand how busy we all are, especially during the fall. But sitting down to eat a hot nourishing meal in the evening with family or friends is so important to our health in so many ways.  



I've been doing yoga on and off for about ten years. Let me say that when I do maintain my practice, I almost never get sick during the fall and winter. Studies show that doing yoga gives us amazing health benefits, and I feel like I'm living proof of that.

Yoga also lifts my mood and helps to ward off negative feelings that I may be experiencing. Every time I stop doing it, when I come back to my practice, I always feel so much better.

Taking Caltrate® Bone & Joint Health* and doing yoga on a regular basis is all a part of maintaining joint and bone health. I want to stay fit and active for years and years to come so that I can share a happy and healthy life with my children and grandchildren.

Caltrate® Bone & Joint Health*is exclusively available in-store at Walgreens. I found it in the section for Joint Care.

Be sure to look in your Sunday newspaper for a $4.00 coupon that will be available on 10/2/16.

And you may also find a temporary price reduction ($11.99) in the month of October.

Have you ever tried Caltrate® Bone & Joint Health*? Please leave me a comment below and let me know how it has helped you stay active. And if you haven't tried using it, why not?

*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

-Post by Patricia 

Fall in Love with Lakeshore Learning Toys and Homeschooling Resources #homeschool

* I received toys to review for this post from Lakeshore Learning, all opinions expressed are my own.

As a homeschooling mom I am constantly looking for new ideas for teaching my son. Lakeshore Learning has a fabulous Free Resource area on their website for lesson plans, craft ideas, printables, word searches and a create your own section with flash cards, award maker and more. I found so many ideas and printables that we will be using for school.

Check out this fun and festive Lakeshore Learning free October writing prompts to help kids celebrate autumn while sharpening their writing skills http://bit.ly/OctoberWritingPrompts I know I will be using these for my son's daily journal writing this month.

I am a big believer in learning should be fun and interactive. I keep that in mind when selecting toys for my son. Shopping at Lakeshore Learning my needs are met for fun and educational. My son loves it when I will do STEM style learning with him. The science of things fascinates him. With that in mind I selected 3 toys that would encourage his love for science.

Young Scientist Chemistry Lab

My son loved this kit! He wanted to do every experiment in one day. He loved following the directions and measuring out the parts needed. His favorite one was the Rocket Ball experiment and I loved the Glowing Ice Spheres. It was so enjoyable to spend time with my son doing a hands on learning toy that we could make into a memory together. We learned and bonded.

Real Bugs Discovery Kit

This toy has been absolutely great! My son has loved using a magnifying glass to inspect each bug. This has led to conversations about more bugs, googling facts about the bugs and trips to the park to see what other sorts of bugs we could find. I had so much fun learning with him!

Fascinating Facts Human Body Game

As soon as this toy arrived my son declared it must be a 2nd grade toy since it looks a little too scary for him. I laughed a bit to myself but respected his wishes for the toy to be hid in the closet until he is older request. I did check it out for myself, when he was asleep of course and it looks like it will be a very cool and valuable learning resource for when he is ready for it.

You can shop online for Lakeshore Learning and also in store. We have one here in Roseville that you can shop in store off Douglas Blvd. Plus of you are a teacher you can sign up for their Teacher's Club and get 15% off. I will need to find out of they offer discounts to Home Schooling families.

Lakeshore Learning shares ideas for learning and more of their products on social media. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.

Have you shopped online or in store with Lakeshore Learning? 

Do you have any must check out items that you recommend?

Post by- Laura

Apple Cream Torte Recipe

One of the best things about fall is the abundance of delicious apple recipes that I love finding and making. Of course, I love baking and cooking with pumpkins this time of year too, but there is just something about apple desserts that I find cozy and comforting.

I've never gone apple picking, but judging by all the pics on Instagram I've been seeing, there are a lot of people that do. It's definitely something I want to do one of these days, and preferably in a beautiful orchard with a plaid blanket and gorgeous picnic, and wine, and... ok, so not everything on Instagram is the way it appears, but dang, they make it look so good!

Anyway, back to this delicious Apple Cream Torte that I found in the September issue of Sunset Magazine. A cream torte is like a cross between a cake, a custard, and a Dutch baby, according to the magazine, and I completely agree with them. It's absolutely more custardy than a regular cake, and that's one of my favorite things about it.

The recipe calls for 3-4 thinly sliced apples, and I went with four and think that's the perfect amount for this torte. I love, love, love how the slices of apples bake on top of each other for this gorgeous effect you see when you slice into it. You can use a variety of different apples like Cameo, Fuji, or Gala, and I used Gala just because they are so easy to find. But next time I make this torte I'll try a different kind to see if it makes a difference in taste.

I made this for dessert for my family one night and they all loved it. The recipe is a keeper for sure, and one that I'll be sure to make again and again. If you wanted you could add a little crème fraiche or whipped cream on top, but I thought it was perfect without it.

Recipe for Apple Cream Torte

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. (3 or 4) tender sweet apples, such as Cameo, Fuji, or Gala 

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon table salt

powdered sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and generously flour a 9-inch spring form pan. Shake out excess flour and set aside.

Using a paring knife or sharp corer, core apples from stem down through seeds and base to remove in one cylinder. Peel apples and slice crosswise into 1/4-inch rings. Set apples aside.

In a large bowl, using a mixer with whisk attachment, beat eggs and granulated sugar on high speed until pale and slightly thickened , 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Reduce speed to medium and add cream and vanilla. Beat about 30 seconds more to blend. Add flour, baking powder, and salt and blend on low speed until evenly combined.

Add apples (including any uneven end pieces) to batter and stir gently with a spatula to coat, separating slices. Pour mixture into prepared pan and arrange apples flat.

Bake cake until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted into center of cake (rather than an apple piece) comes out clean, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Let cake cool on a rack 20 minutes, then run a slender knife between edge of cake and pan. Remove pan rim and cool cake at least 10 minutes more.

Serve warm or at room temperature, dusting with powdered sugar.

-Post by Patricia



Pumpkin Bread With Chocolate Chips

When we lived in the Seattle area, there was no doubt when fall had arrived. Rainy days, the trees changing to orange and yellow, and the need to pull out our warm coats and sweaters was the clear sign that it was the fall season.

Here in Nevada, nothing much has changed as far as I can tell. It is cooler on my morning walks and I really do appreciate that, but nothing dramatic at all to indicate it's a different time of year. The dessert landscape is definitely different than anything I've ever know, but I'm slowing getting used to it, and it is beautiful in it's own way.

Since it is officially fall, I thought I would welcome in my favorite season with some delicious Pumpkin Bread. Something about pumpkin bread seems so homey and comforting, and I think it's my favorite way to use pumpkin. I had a hard time finding canned pumpkin here in the last couple of weeks which I thought was really strange. I checked three different stores, including Trader Joe's which always carried it in Washington, and they all said they didn't have it in yet. But I finally found some and bought a dozen cans, which I have no doubt will all be used for my fall baking.

Ok, so on to this pumpkin bread. It's a super easy recipe and you don't even have to pull out a mixer to make it. It's fabulous on it's own, with nothing added, but is even better when you add chocolate chips, or nuts. You could even use dried fruits like cranberries or raisins.

It's super moist but holds together really well for slicing. Double the recipe and give a loaf to a friend and they will think you have mad baking skills. It really is that good!



Recipe for Pumpkin Bread With Chocolate Chips

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup solid-pack pumpkin

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil

3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9x5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl, whisk together until mixed.

In another medium bowl, whisk together pumpkin, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs and oil until well blended. Add to flour mixture, stir just until moistened, do not over mix. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Let sit in pan 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool.

-Post by Patricia