"Pretend" Cookie Dough Balls

These are to my favorite energy balls, but easy to make as a vegan and gluten-free option.  I used my vitamix to blend everything until the very last step, and just pressed the "dough" together with my hands, mixing in the chocolate chips at the end.

Recipe from Oh She Glows Every Day, by Angela Liddon

1 cup raw cashews

1/2 cup gluten-free rolled oats

1/2 cup medjool dates (best if they are room temp, i.e. soft)

1 Tbsp pure maple syrup

1 Tbsp raw cashew butter (could also use almond or peanut butter)

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

2 Tbsp mini chocolate chips (non-dairy for the vegan version)

In a food processor, combine the cashews and oats and process until a fine flour forms, 30-60 seconds.  Be sure not to process too long or the oils will release and the cashews will turn into butter.

Add the dates and process again until the dates are finely chopped.

Add the maple syrup, cashew butter, vanilla, and salt.  Process until combined.  The dough should stick together when you press it between your fingers.  If it's too dry, add a teaspoon of water and process again.

Pulse in the chocolate chips until combined.

Line a large plate with parchment paper, Remove the blade from the food processor.  Using your hand, grab a tablespoon of dough and roll/press it between your hands into a ball.  Set the ball on the lined plate and relate with the rest of the dough.

Child the dough balls in the freezer for about 30 minutes.  This just firms them up a bit, but you can enjoy them at room temperature, too.  Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week or in a freezer-safe bag in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Oatmeal Buttermilk Muffins

These are a pretty basic muffin, but still very good and would pair nicely with any sort of jam or butter you wanted to spread.  I made several changes to the recipe and didn't want to forget what I did, so here is my version from the original recipe found in The Wycliffe International Cookbook.


1 cup sour milk (buttermilk)
1 cup old-fashioned oats
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup oil
1 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking spice (or just plain cinnamon)

In a large bowl, combine oats and buttermilk.  Cover and let soak for one hour.

Preheat oven to 400.

Add eggs and oil to the oat mixture and stir until well mixed.  Add flour, brown sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and spice and stir just until everything is moist.

Fill prepared muffin tin.  Bake for 17-20 minutes.  Tops should be lightly brown.  Enjoy!

week of February 27

Beef and Barley Garden Stew - one of my favorite use-whatever-random-veggies-I-can-find recipes.  Start with sautéing ground beef and chopped onions, add some garlic, throw in a bunch of chopped tomatoes or a couple cans of undrained diced tomatoes, then finish with some broth and whatever chopped veggies sound good to you.  Season to taste.  I also like to add about 1/2 cup of barley to make the finished product thick and more stew-like.  This pot included potatoes, turnip, carrot, parsnip, cabbage, and celeriac.

Roasted Sweet Potato and Beet, Feta, and Arugula Salad with homemade vinaigrette - my contribution to our community group dinner.

Greek Pasta Chicken Salad - I use some of this dressing to marinate the chicken.  I mix the cooked chicken with cooked penne pasta, chunked cucumbers and tomatoes, sliced kalamata olives, crumbled feta cheese, and toss it with more of the dressing.  My family devours this!  And my son was thrilled when he realized that the entire meal, which I serve in one large bowl, has something included from every food group!

Pizza and salad

Date-night in: Swiss Chard Tacos with spiced black beans while kids ate leftover pasta salad

Acorn Squash with Rice Pilaf (again!)



Blueberry Oatmeal Breakfast Bars - a new breakfast that we all enjoyed in the morning, and as a snack the next few days.  I made several changes from the original recipe that are reflected below:

BASE LAYER
2 ripe bananas
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 Tbsp coconut oil (not melted)
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 heaping scoop plant-based protein powder
2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp salt

TOPPING
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
6 Tbsp chia seeds
1/2 tsp cinnamon
4 Tbsp maple syrup
juice of one lemon
2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup sliced almonds (or any kind of chopped nut)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 8x11 baking pan with parchment paper and lightly grease.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the banana, maple syrup, oils and vanilla.  Using electric or hand mixer, mix until smooth.  Add in the oats, protein powder, cinnamon and salt and mix until well combined.  Mixture will be wet.  Transfer the mixture to the pan.  Smooth it out with a spatula and press it down evenly.  Bake for 10 minutes.

While bottom layer is baking, in the same mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients for the topping layer until well combined.

After first layer is done baking, remove pan from oven.  Pour topping layer over and spread it out evenly, pressing it down into the base layer.  Bake for an additional 15 minutes.  Allow the bars to cool and set for 15-20 minutes before slicing into square servings.  Store in refrigerator.

Toasted Millet Muffins

Muffins are a staple in our home.  Some muffins are more like cupcakes, but these are hearty and filling.  My friend, Patricia, introduced us to toasted millet, and my kids love the crunchy texture it adds.  You could swap out the coconut oil for any other oil, but we like the added flavor.  I bet some dried fruit would work well also.


2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup millet, toasted
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup honey


Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Prepare muffin pan with cups

In a large bowl, mix the flour, millet, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a separate bowl, mix the vanilla, buttermilk, egg, oil, and honey.  Stir liquid mixture into flour mixture just until everything is moist.  Transfer batter to prepared muffin pan.

Bake 12-15 minutes.  Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Bean Bars

Does that say bean bars?  Yes.  These energy bars' main source of protein comes from great northern beans, which is just one of the reasons I love them!  I've tried plenty of oats and nut butter combinations, but I like to mix things up every now and then!  So I've added these to our "energy snack" rotation and no one is complaining.  I recently took some on a trip to share with a friend as we hiked, and they serve as a great travel snack as well.

1 15-oz. can great northern beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1/3 cup maple syrup  

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups oats (old-fashioned or quick)

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/3 cup oat bran

1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.  In a food processor (I used my Vitamix), combine the beans, pumpkin, syrup, pumpkin pie spice, and salt and blend until very smooth.  Add the flour and pulse to combine.  Add the oats and pulse to combine.  Transfer mixture to a large bowl.  Add the oat bran and chocolate chips and stir until everything is mixed in.  

Lightly grease a 9x13 pan.  Spread the mixture in the pan (it will be thick).  Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes.  Let cool in the pan and then cut into bars.  Remove from the pan, and store in the refrigerator.  If you don't think you'll eat them all within a few days, wrap them individually in plastic wrap to keep them moist for longer.  

slightly modified from a recipe found in the Penzeys Winter Magazine.

Whole-Grain Pumpkin Muffins

While I had the 100 Days of Real Food checked out from the library, I sampled several of her recipes.  This was one of my favorites!  The muffins were extremely moist and flavorful.  And I'm a sucker for a really good muffin!


1 1/2 cups whole-spelt or whole-wheat flour
1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pie filling)

Preheat the oven to 350.  Line a muffin pan with liners or spray with cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking spa, salt, and baking powder.  Make a well (hole) in the center of the flour mixture and drop in the eggs, honey, and melted butter.  Mix together until smooth, but don't over mix.  Fold in the pumpkin puree just until combined.

Divide the batter among 12 muffin cups.  Bake until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean, 18-20 minutes.  Store at room temperature or freeze for a rainy day!

recipe taken from 100 Days of Real Food

Cinnamon-Glazed Popcorn

This is a tasty, wholesome snack alternative to Cracker Jacks or caramel corn.  No, I won't pretend that it's just as good, but if you're looking to remove some refined sugar from your diet while still enjoying a treat, this is a great option!

recipe from 100 Days of Real Food, by Lisa Leake

6 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 salt
1 1/2 cups raw cashews
8 cups cooked plain popcorn (from about 1/2 cup kernels)

Preheat oven to 325.  Cover a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a small pot over low heat, melt the butter and honey together.  Mix in the cinnamon, ginger, and salt.

Put the cashews in an extra-large mixing bowl.  Coat them with about 2 tablespoons of the nosy-butter mixture.

Spread the coated nuts onto the prepared baking sheet and toast them for six minutes, or until lightly golden.

Meanwhile, in the same large bowl evenly coat the plain popcorn - minus any unpopped kernels - with the remaining honey-butter mixture.

Add the popcorn to the tray with the cashews.  Combine the mixture thoroughly and bake for four more minutes.  Stir or shake the mixture around and bake for two more minutes.  Repeat this process one or two more times, until the mixture is medium brown.  The popcorn can burn easily, so it's important to check on it and stir (or shake around) frequently.

The popcorn and nuts will be slightly soft right out of the oven but will harden as they cool.  Store in an airtight container.

Apricot-Almond Bread

This recipe comes from the Moosewood Cookbook.  The forward to the recipe said it is a good mid-evening snack, "when you want something - sweet, but not too - and you don't know exactly what you want".  After tasting the bread, I think the description is spot on.  I would adjust the baking time, though.  90 minutes was far too long for my loaf.

butter for the pan
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced dried apricots
1 1/2 cups water
2 1/2 cups flour (I used one cup whole wheat and the rest all-purpose)
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp softened butter
1/2 cup honey or real maple syrup
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 to 1 tsp orange rind zest
1 cup finely chopped almonds

Preheat oven to 350.  Butter a large loaf pan.

Place apricots and water in a medium-sized saucepan and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for ten minutes.  Transfer to a medium-sized bowl, and allow to cool for about 15 minutes.

Sift together dry ingredients (except almonds) in a separate bowl.

Stir the butter plus honey or syrup into the cooled apricot mixture.  Beat in the egg and vanilla.  Add the dry ingredients, orange rind, and almonds.  Mix minimally but well.

Spread into the prepared pan, and bake about 1 1/2 hours, or until a probe inserted all the way down comes out clean.  I took my bread out at about 75 minutes and it was already past done.  Let cool for ten minutes in the pan, then rap the pan firmly a few times on its sides and bottom.  The bread should slip right out.  Cool at least 15 minutes more before slicing.

Honey and Olive Oil Zucchini Muffins

Thank you, Ranee, for posting about these deliciously sweet muffins.  They are probably the most moist muffins I've ever had (except for the kind that claim to be muffins but are actually cupcakes!).


3 cups grated zucchini
2 beaten eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup olive oil
2/3 cup real maple syrup
1/3 cup honey
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, combine the zucchini, eggs, vanilla, olive oil, maple syrup, and honey. Stir gently until mixed; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Stir to combine and make a well in the middle. Pour the wet mixture from step one into the well and stir just a few times until barely combined. Overmixing makes the muffins tough and hard, so I try to limit myself to 15 big around-the-bowl stirs.

Pour the batter in a muffin tin greased with nonstick cooking spray or lined with paper cups. You should be able to get 6-8 jumbo muffins or 15-16 regular sized muffins. Bake for 20 minutes or until the muffins are golden brown and the tops spring back when you press on them.

Banana Oat Breakfast Muffins

Since I seem to be on a muffin kick (when am I not?!), here is another flourless through-it-all-in-the-blender-and-pour recipe.  I'd like to try making the batter the night before and keeping it in the fridge until the morning to see how that would work.  The muffins are dense, but worked well as a breakfast for my gingersnaps.  Instead of putting the chocolate chips in the batter, I just sprinkled three or four on each muffin cup once they were full.  The appearance of something having a lot of chocolate chips in it goes a long way for my kiddos, when three or four per muffin was enough to satisfy.


1 cup plain Greek yogurt
2 ripe bananas
2 eggs
2 cups rolled oats (old fashioned or quick)
¼ cup brown sugar
1½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ cup chocolate chips, mini or regular (optional)


Preheat oven to 400F and prepare a muffin pan by spraying cavities with cooking spray. Set aside.

Add all ingredients except for chocolate chips to a blender or food processor and process on high until oats are broken down and batter is smooth and creamy. Stir in chocolate chips by hand.

Pour batter into prepared muffin pan, filling each cavity until it is about ¾ full. Optional: sprinkle a few chocolate chips over the top of each muffin.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the tops of your muffins are set and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Allow muffins to cool in pan for ~10 minutes before removing. Store in an air-tight container for up to a week.

Pumpkin Oat and Honey Muffins

These little snackies have no flour and no sugar in them, but no one in my family seemed to miss those ingredients.  I hesitate to call them muffins because they had more of a sunken-down "pile" look and dense texture to them after cooling.  But looks aren't everything and I'll make these again anyway.  I love that I can pour the batter straight from my Vitamix into the pan.

original recipe found here

2 1/2 c oats (regular or quick is fine)
1 c plain nonfat greek yogurt
1/2 c honey
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1 t pumpkin pie spice
1 c canned pumpkin
1/2 c chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray tin with non-stick cooking spray.  My most favorite is called Baker's Joy (it has flour added in). You could also use a silicone muffin pan.  (I don't recommend using paper liners for these.

Place all of the liquid ingredients in the blender (including pumpkin), and then blend adding oats in 1/2 c at a time until smooth.  You may need to stop the blender a few times to stir.  Stir in chopped walnuts after blending is complete.

Divide batter among 12 muffin cups and bake for 20 min. or until toothpick comes out clean.

Zucchini Carrot Squares

I made a batch of these muffin-like squares for my family to have as snacks last week.  In the end, I think the batter would have worked just as well in a muffin tin and easier to hand out to little hands.  But they were good nonetheless.  Everyone was a fan!

adapted from this recipe


1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups grated carrots
1 1/2 cups grated zucchini
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup apple sauce
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla


Preheat oven to 350.  Spray 13x9 baking pan with cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and baking soda.  Set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine all other ingredients.
Add carrot mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until combined.
Spread evenly into prepared pan.  Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Remove from oven and cool completely before cutting into squares.
Tastes nicely with cream cheese or butter!

Banana Oatmeal Bread

I'm slowly building up my baking cupboard again and, thankfully, had what I needed to make this yummy bread for breakfast.  I made some changes from the original recipe and baked the "loaf" in a circle casserole dish that I used to mix the batter in, because that's all I have available in our hotel kitchen!  I served it up in wedge slices with some yogurt and we pretended we were eating cake!

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 brown sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs, beaten
4 tsp canola oil
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup oats

Preheat oven to 350F.  In a large bowl, stir together dry ingredients.  Add oil and eggs; mix thoroughly.  Add mashed bananas and oats to batter and stir until well combined.

Spray a loaf pan (or casserole dish!) with cooking spray.  Pour batter into pan and bake until top of loaf is firm to touch and springs back when lightly pressed, 40-50 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes.  Flip out and cool on a wire rack for another 10 minutes.

Blueberry Banana Spelt Muffins

Thank you to my friend, Kenan, for passing on this yummy muffin recipe!  I've made blueberry banana muffins before, but these are a bit more hardy and a tad more healthy.  I made a few changes based on what I had since I didn't need them to stay soy-free or vegan.  My kids have been grateful for these muffins as after-school snacks this week!


2 medium bananas, mashed
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp milk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
2 cups light spelt flour
3 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking spice (or cinnamon)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup frozen blueberries

Preheat oven to 350F and grease a muffin tin.

Place mashed banana into medium bowl along with the milk, vinegar, maple syrup, and vanilla. Stir in coconut oil.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda).

Pour wet ingredients onto the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Do not overmix as spelt is a fragile little flour.  Gently fold in the walnuts and then the blueberries, being sure not to overmix as this can result in dense muffins.

Spoon about a heaping 1/4 cup of batter into each muffin tin, filling each tin about 3/4 full (they will seem very full, but this is normal!)  Bake at 350F for 23-27 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. I baked them for 25 minutes.  Cool in pan for 5-8 minutes and then transfer muffins to a cooling rack and cool for another 15 minutes.

No-Bake Chewy Granola Bars

My neighbor shared a batch of these after my youngest was born and I've been making them since.  I made a few changes, but they are one of my go-to after-school or road trip snacks.  Similar to energy balls, a couple bites pack a sweet protein punch.

2 1/2 cups rice crispies

2 cups quick-cooking oats

1/2 cup raisins

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla

In a large bowl, combine cereal, rolled oats and raisins; set aside.

In a small saucepan, combine brown sugar and honey.  Bring to a boil over medium-hight heat, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.  Stir in peanut butter and vanilla; blend until smooth.  Pour over cereal mixture; mix well.  Press firmly into ungreased 13x9 pan.

Let cool.  Cut into bars.  Store in airtight container.

Banana Bran Muffins

I came across a recipe for banana bran muffins that looked good.  Glancing at the clock, I decided I had just enough time to whip up a batch to be ready as an after-school snack.  However, I broke a cardinal rule of baking and did not read the recipe carefully before beginning.  So there I was with creamed butter and sugar, but not much else that the recipe actually called for.  Oops.  Some major adjustments later and, I'm happy to say the result was still delicious!  The muffins were best just warm from the oven, but also good the next day as breakfast with some yogurt on the side.  They are hearty and brany (it's a word) and everyone liked them.



1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup all-bran cereal
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup  butter, softened
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 ripe bananas, mashed


Preheat oven to 375.  Grease a 12-tin muffin pan.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, all-bran, wheat germ, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pecans.
In a separate bowl, cream together butter an drown sugar until fluffy.  Add the egg and vanilla and beat well.  Stir in mashed bananas.  Add the dry ingredients and mix well.

Spoon batter into muffin tins, filling each cup about two-thirds full.  Bake at 375 for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the venter of a muffin comes out clean.  Cool in tins for 5 minutes then remove and serve warm with a tall glass of milk or mug of coffee.

Banana Chocolate Chip Bread

My middle gingersnap and I made this simple, yet moist and delicious bread to give as gifts to teachers before the Easter holiday.  I doubled the recipe below, which originally says will yield one loaf, but divided the doubled batch between four disposable loaf pans and it worked well.  We gave three loaves away, but I felt better about the gifts after I tasted the one loaf we kept at home.  Though if you're looking for a really special banana bread recipe, I'd point you to this one.    


A couple changes made from here:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1 Tbsp milk
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips


Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Grease one 9x5-inch loaf pan, or use two loaf pans to get two smaller but still substantial loafs.

Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.  Stir bananas, milk and cinnamon in another bowl.  Beat butter and sugar in a third bowl until light and fluffy.  Add eggs to butter mixture, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Stir bananas mixture into butter mixture.  Stir in dry mixture until blended.  Fold in chocolate chips until just combined.  Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 70 minutes for one loaf or 50 for two.  Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack before serving.

Black Eyed Pea Salsa

I made this for dinner last night, serving it up next to cheese and chicken quesadillas.  I won't pretend the kids liked the salsa as much as the quesadillas, but they ate their portion and my youngest had seconds.  The salsa has great flavor and plenty of fresh texture.  It was even better the second day for lunch after everything had mingled in the fridge overnight.    

About 3 1/2 to 4 cups cooked black-eyed peas (equivalent of 2 15.5-ounce cans, rinsed, drained; OR start with 2 cups dried, cover with salted water, bring to a boil then simmer about an hour or until the peas are fully cooked, adding water as necessary)

1/4 to 1/2 cup of chopped, cooked, mild green chilies OR 1/4 cup chopped pickled jalapeños (it's all to taste - I used half of a fresh jalapeño (no cooking) and 1/4 cup pickled jalapeños)

1/2 - 1 cup roasted red bell pepper, chopped

one bunch of green onions, thinly sliced, about 1/2 cup total

1 bunch of cilantro, chopped, about one cup

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp salt

black pepper

This is as easy as throwing everything together and gently stirring until combined.  

Taste and adjust seasonings for your crowd.    

Serve with chips, nachos, quesadillas, or warm tortillas.

Pumpkin Pie Dip

I had a photo to go with this, but who knows when I'll get around to actually downloading and getting it on here.  And I'd hate for you to have to wait any longer to try out this festive dip.  Yum!



4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup sour cream
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
dash of cloves
caramel sauce to drizzle on top (optional)
graham crackers of gingersnap cookies for dipping


In a large mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer on low speed, blend together cream cheese and powdered sugar until combined, then increase mixer to medium and beat for 1 minute until smooth and fluffy.  Add in pumpkin, sour cream, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves and mix until well blended and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.  Drizzle with caramel sauce, if using, and serve with crackers or cookies.  Store in refrigerator in an airtight container (if there's any left!).

Toffee Fruit Dip

Mmmmmm . . . this dip was so yummy!  I may have used a spoon to take a few more bites after the fruit was gone.

1 8oz. package cream cheese, at room temperature

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 tbsp. vanilla

Toffee pieces (crushed up Heath candy bar works well)

Blend cream cheese, brown sugar, and vanilla together.  Stir in toffee pieces.  Voila!  Top with a sprinkling of more toffee bits and serve with fruit slices (apples and pears worked well!).