Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins (just like Starbucks)

If anything good comes out of summer coming to a close, it's definitely fall food. When the first cool breezy day appears, I have a little fall ritual that comforts me in my post-summer depression. I put on cozy socks, go through my Williams and Sonoma catalog for inspiration and cook big ole' fall dinner. It usually consists of either a pot roast, pork roast or turkey, crescent rolls, green beans with bacon like my grandma Elsie always made, stuffing, and for sure, something super pumpkiny (I know that's not a word) for dessert. There is just something about the smell and taste of pumpkin that feels comforting to me. Pumpkin pie, pumpkin bread pudding,(will be featured in an upcoming post) and especially......the PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE....from Starbucks. I heart her. She is my warm, sweet, comforting old friend on a cold rainy day. Of course, with the latte, I usually grab two of their pumpkin cream cheese muffins..one for my todder, and for the bigger kids....that's right, for the kids (not for me I swear.) I try to save it for them, until 3:30 rolls around, just to let them know I was thinking about them while they were sitting in their cold, stark classroom, while I was working on my computer, sipping my liquid goodness....but alas, the muffin never makes it that long. These things are awesome, and struedely (also not a word) and then BAM! There is a little surprise nugget of goodness in the middle. When I found this recipe on Pinterest...(courtesy of Annie's Eats) I HAD to make them. In fact I made 24.....and 16 were still here when the kids came home. See, kids, I really do think about you....Happy Fall!

Simple things we can do to live more organically today

I am a germ lover. I admit it. I believe in germs and their ability to strengthen the human body. I believe that kids need to play in the dirt, and pet animals, and pick boogers, and skin their knees....it's all part of the natural exposure a growing body needs to aquire a strong immune system and fend off more dangerous germs in the future. Let's face it we don't live in a bubble. We live in a real world where children and adults alike are cohabiting with germs by the millions and scary viruses that seem to change and morph every year. That being said, I also believe that chemicals, free radicals, and exposure to pesticides and carcinogens in our every day life have hit an all time high. Living more cleanly and organically sounds so daunting. First of all it's expensive, and secondly, who has the time? There is so much knowledge and advice we have to weed through to even know where to begin. But these are our kids. One day of mosquito repellent may not be a big deal, but small habits such as repellent that we don't change over time, combined with other habits, over ten years can lead to disease and built up levels of toxins in their adult years. At sugarfly, we believe in starting slow, changing one bad habit at a time...and adding another in, and another, until it doesn't seem so daunting...and after while, you are living a cleaner life! To me, that is the way to make changes, slow and easy, that way, they seem to become more of a life change, not just "kick." I am passionate about cleaning up my kids exposure to toxins, and our environment and I know you are too! Throughout the month, I will share some of these tips to easily and cheaply steer clear dangerous toxins, and make our homes a clean so our kids can enjoy this dirty world without worry!

Tip #1) Natural cleaning products are full of harsh chemicals, strong fumes, and many are tested on animals. The good news is, natural cleaning products are easier to find and less expensive than they have ever been! My favorite are the METHOD cleaning products made by Target. They smell awesome (my favorite is the melon cucumber all purpose spray, which leaves your bathroom smelling like melons for hours after you clean it!) They have everything from window cleaner to toilet scrub, and best news is, they really work and are not tested on animals. They are great for the environment, and just as importantly, our environment, safe to touch and breathe for children and mom's alike! So ditch your old cleaning products and make the switch!

One chicken, 3 dinners! (or maybe 4!)

Like any household, my husband Peter and I find ourselves asking each other at least once a day..."What's for dinner?" Seriously. We never have a plan. There are people who are actually organized, (like my sister who lives next door...she grocery shops on a certain day every week, with a full on plan of what she is making every night for the upcoming week. She literally does not go back to the store until the next week, same time, same place), I am just not one of them! How I wiiiiish I could be more like this. I have tried it in the past, I just can't keep it up. So there is nothing I love more than coming across an article in a magazine which describes taking one dinner and turning it into multiple ones. I decided to try and make up my own. I made a list, went to the store, not to be back for at least 3 days. That's big for me. I took 3 of my favorite tried and true recipes and made a plan. One roasting chickens, 3 meals...(which can be parlayed into 4 if your chicken is big enough and depending on the size of your family you can freeze some for later.) The first night involves my favorite recipe for roasting a chicken. Perfect for fall. Excuse the expletives in this recipe link, as this guys is obviously passionate about his chicken, and he should be!

Dinner #1 Lemon Rosemary Roasted Chicken

spacesbetween.net/cooking/lemonrosemary.htm

Dinner #2 Sugarfly Chicken and Vegetable Soup

This soup was originally a Barefoot Contessa soup, but I have changed is so much over the years, it is now quite different. My kids, and parents request it often.

1 large chicken carcass with leftover meat still attached.
4-5 carrots
4-5 celery stalks
1/2 large yellow onion
1 shallot minced
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
2 TBS olive oil
1 cup white or brown rice
1 cup white corn (frozen or fresh)
1/4 cup chopped parsely
salt and pepper

Take your leftover chicken out, put it in a large stockpot and boil. Add some salt, turn down to low, and simmer for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile chop all vegetables up. Remove chicken and set aside. Some might strain the broth at this point, but I like all the leftover rosemary floating from the chicken the night before (see recipe above.) Toss in carrots, celery, and onion. Let simmer for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, pour olive oil into small fry pan, and fry shallots and garlic until lightly browned. Pour mixture into soup. Remove all the chicken from bones, stashing half in refrigerator for tomorrow's meal. Add the rice and continue to simmer fro another 15 minutes. When rice seems to be done, still in the corn, salt and pepper to taste, and after you remove the soup from heat, toss in the parsely for added color and flavor. Stash into two containers, one to freeze for later, one to eat tonight!

Dinner #3 Rotisserie Chicken Salad

I frequent the best grocery store of all time (as far as I'm concerned), Central Market. They feature a chef everyday that whips up a recipe for sampling, with the recipe and most of the ingredients right there in front of you. I have collected all the "keepers" into a spiral notebook, and use them often. This is a great salad for lunch, dinner, or to bring to a potluck. Trust me, it's awesome.

3 cups chopped chicken
1/2 cup currants
1/2 cup toasted walnuts or pecans (I use pecans)
1/2 cup shredded carrots
6 scallions, thinly sliced

Dressing:

1 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp Spike seasoning
3 TBS red wine vinegar
1 TBS sugar
salt and pepper

Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine dressing ingredients. Add dressing to the salad, stir to combine. Serve alone or in pitas.

So there you have it, one chicken, and three dinners. Hope you enjoy!

Welcome to Sugarfly!

Welcome to my first post at mysugarfly! I thought I would share an awesome article that my friend and fellow blogger Caron from Everything Coastal and Caron's Coastal wrote, to help you get to know me a little better!

Everything Coastal: Fabulous Family Beach House on Miller Bay