Veggie Packed Butternut Squash Soup

A favorite fall soup gets a tasty vegetarian & vegan friendly update in this creamy Veggie Packed Butternut Squash Soup...

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Silk. The opinions and text are all mine.

If you have been following along with me for a little while now, then you probably already know that fall is by far my favorite time of the year. I love it when the air gets a little crisper, the leaves on the trees start to turn vibrant shades of red, orange, & yellow, and I get to break out my favorite flannels & fall boots. But perhaps my most favorite thing about fall is the seasonal flavors that it brings with it- pumpkin spice, apples, autumn squash, chai tea, & warm, cozy bowls of creamy soup.

One of my favorite fall soups happens to be a good homemade butternut squash soup. I decided to take the traditional butternut squash soup recipe & give it a veggie packed, dairy-free update with a little help from some of my favorite Silk products that I picked up at my local Target the other week...

Sparkling Princess Popcorn

This easy & quick Sparkling Princess Popcorn is the perfect sweet & salty treat for your princess themed party...

I have a goal each year for little miss's birthday- to make her party as special and as beautiful as she is.

However, I am not one of those over-the-top Pinteresty moms. You won't find me painting little stools to look like toadstools, or setting up extravagant photo booths, and I don't even hand out party favor bags (gasp! I know...).  

But you will find me going above and beyond the simple cake & ice cream and balloons. I want her to have a memorable party that makes her feel special, but not one that will put my sanity to the test or empty out our bank account. ;)

Being her third birthday this year, this was the first year that little miss was able to pick out her own party theme. And this little lady wanted Disney princesses all the way! 

After poking around on Google and Pinterest a little, I found a few ideas for making pink or purple popcorn for a princess party and loved it. We had rainbow popcorn for her very first birthday party, and that was a huge hit with the guests.  I knew I had to make a sparkling pink popcorn that would be fit for a birthday princess for her third birthday this year...

Healthy Carrot Cake Banana Bread

This moist Healthy Carrot Cake Banana Bread with it's vanilla yogurt glaze only tastes like a decadent treat...

I am going to let you all in on a little secret right from the get-go- this Healthy Carrot Cake Banana Bread doesn't taste healthy at all.  It actually tastes like a decadent treat. If you can imagine what it would taste like if moist banana bread and homemade carrot cake had a baby, then that is exactly what this banana bread tastes like. ;)

It is chock full of the good stuff- like shredded fresh carrots, ripe bananas, coconut oil, and nonfat vanilla yogurt. This bread is so moist that you would have no idea that there is whole wheat flour in it. 

I always like to sneak in a little extra of the whole grains whenever I am baking.  About 99% of the time, that little bit of whole wheat flour goes unnoticed by my picky eating guys. 

Traditional carrot cake is usually topped with a cream cheese frosting, but that can add up to extra unnecessary calories and fat grams pretty quickly. By making a quick glaze with tangy and sweet nonfat vanilla yogurt, you can sort of trick your taste buds into thinking you are enjoy a slice of homemade cake carrot with a decadent cream cheese icing... ;)

How to Bake Perfectly Crisp Bacon

Have you always wanted to try baking your bacon? Today I am sharing my method & tips for How to Bake Perfectly Crisp Bacon in your oven...

This post may contain affiliate links. Purchasing through them helps support this website.

Since it is Bacon Month and all, I only thought that it would be appropriate that I start out the month with my preferred method of cooking bacon.  In fact, every single bacon-licious recipe that you will see posted to the blog this month all started out this way...

With me baking bacon in my oven.

To some, this may be blasphemy.

To others, this may be piquing your curiosity.

And to still others, you all may already know what I am talking about here. ;)

I have my reasons for only baking my bacon-

For starters, it frees up my stove top for things like scrambled eggs and pancake flipping.

It also seems to prevent my house from smelling like bacon all day long.

And finally, no burns from the splattering of bacon grease as it fries just inches away from your hands as you precariously flip each slice of bacon.

And I should also mention super easy clean-up! No scrubbing of a greasy pan or wiping down of a grease splattered stove top, folks. :)

But there are a few points of precaution and hard learned wisdom I need to go over with you all first and foremost before you endeavor to bake your first batch of bacon...

3 Ingredient Zucchini Brownies

These incredibly moist 3 Ingredient Zucchini Brownies are so easy to make, plus they have bonus hidden veggies... 

A visit to any local farmers' market or perhaps even to your own backyard garden will reveal that one thing is certain- zucchini season is definitely here and they are plentiful! :)

While I didn't plant any zucchini myself this year, I can attest that they can be pertained at both the farmers' markets and grocery stores for pretty darn cheap right now.  And cheap is always good. ;)

But let's be honest- you can only make SO many loaves of zucchini bread and batches of zoodles (have you all seen these??) before you are zucchini'ed out. 

So let's make something chocolaty, fudgy, and deceptively decadent with them instead, shall we?

These super simple and easy zucchini brownies were inspired by my friend Jellibean Journals' recipe for Life-Changing Skinny Avocado Brownies.  Both recipes have just 3 simple ingredients, but have only one ingredient in common- the boxed brownie mix! 

But both variations are delicious, fudgy, and are a fun  & easy way to sneak more veggies into your family's diet... ;)

Creamed Turkey Over Biscuits

This comforting & hearty Creamed Turkey Over Biscuits recipe is perfect for that leftover holiday turkey...

Let's be real.  If you have a decent amount of leftover Thanksgiving turkey, you can only eat so many cold turkey sandwiches, right? ;)  And trust me... I have had quite a few leftover turkey sandwiches in the past 2 1/2 days.

One of my absolute favorite meals to make with leftover turkey (and mashed potatoes!) is my Creamed Turkey Over Biscuits.  

This is a meal that is served at one of my favorite local family diners here. 

In fact, I often joke that the DNA of my 15 year old is at least 50% comprised of the creamed turkey and biscuits from the Parkette.  I craved it all the time when I was pregnant with him, and we pretty much found ourselves there at least once a week during that 9 month period.  

After last Thanksgiving, I set out on a quest to concoct my own copycat version of this comfort food fave of mine.

Slow Cooker Spiced Pear Butter

Made with fresh pears & a pinch of cardamom, this Slow Cooker Spiced Pear Butter is a delicious way to celebrate the flavors of fall...

A few weeks ago, my grandmother called me to ask if I would be interested in taking any pears.  A former neighbor of her's had called telling her how their pear trees in their yard were just overflowing with ripe fruit, and they hated to see all of it just fall to the ground and rot.  So my grandmother had already planned to head over with my grandfather and do a little pear picking when she had called me.

Did I want some??  Ummmmm.. yeah!

Now what to do with an overabundance of pears?  Do what I do when I have a lot of apples after apple picking- make slow cooker fruit butter! :)

My Homemade Crock Pot Apple Butter is my #2 all-time most viewed post, so I figured I couldn't go wrong by coming up with a pear version of my most popular slow cooker recipe. I kept most of the recipe the same, but tweaked a few of the spices.

Can I tell you all a secret?

I actually like this Slow Cooker Spiced Pear Butter better than my Crock Pot Apple Butter.

I know... gasp.

I really think it might be the different texture... and the addition of the cardamom.

Definitely the cardamom. ;)

Apple Biscoff Crumb Pie

 Tender apples, cinnamon, & gooey cookie butter come together perfectly in a flaky crust with a crunchy oat topping in this Apple Biscoff Crumb Pie...

Post updated 10/25/19- This crowd-pleasing Apple Biscoff Crumb Pie deserved some updated photos. I did leave one of the originals down below just so you all can see for yourself why this recipe so desperately needed a little face lift. ;)

Okay, okay... I obviously need an intervention.  

Hello, I am Carrie and I am a cookie butter addict.

There. I said it. 

Need proof?  Remember when I dedicated an entire week on the blog just to cookie butter? ;) Yeah... there was that.

And I am not going to lie.  I have been pining away for fall because I KNOW that Biscoff (also known as cookie butter under some labels) is the perfect complimentary flavor to just about all of the popular fall flavors.

Pumpkin?  Heck yeah! (And yes, there will be recipes coming to the blog soon marrying our favorite orange gourd with our favorite non-peanut butter spread.)

Apples?  Of course!  

Take4 Chocolate Pudding Cookies

In early spring, I noticed a lot of pudding cookie recipes popping up on my favorite food blogs and in my Pinterest feed.  Everyone was making some kind of cookie or another and throwing instant pudding mix in the batter.  I was intrigued, but initially refused to drink the kool-aid (or should I say bite the cookie?).  This is pretty much the same way it happened with me and cookie butter, just to let you all know. You all now know now obsessed I am with that stuff... ;)

But the photos of soft, thick pudding cookies kept beckoning to me and at last I took the plunge.  I decided to make a pudding cookie in the likeness of a Take5 candy bar.  If you all are not familiar with Take5's from Hershey, it is basically caramel, pretzels, peanuts, and peanut butter all covered in chocolate.  With these cookies, I included everything but the caramel.  You could always feel free to pop a caramel in each cookie if you have to have it, but I personally wouldn't change a thing about these cookies. 

They are soft, chocolaty cookies with gooey mini chocolate chips topped with salty & crunchy pretzel pieces... :)

Take4 Chocolate Pudding Cookies

by Frugal Foodie Mama

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10-12 minutes

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Ingredients (26-28 cookies)

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 3.9 oz package of instant chocolate pudding
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
• 1 cup of crushed pretzels

Instructions

Heat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

Beat together the butter, peanut butter, & brown sugar in a large bowl until light & fluffy. Add in the chocolate pudding mix, and beat until well blended. Add in the eggs and then the baking soda. Mix well.

Beat in the flour a little at at time until blended. Stir in the mini chocolate chips.

Pour the crushed pretzels onto a plate. Roll the dough into tablespoon-sized balls and then press the tops of each one into the crushed pretzels. Place on your prepared baking sheet pretzel side up, about 2 inches apart.

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges are slightly browned. Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. (After 3 days, the pretzels start to lose their crunch.)

Enjoy!

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**Recipe is based on THIS ONE from Kraft. 

Have you bit into the pudding cookie craze yet?  Tell me I am not the only one a little late to this yumminess. ;)

If you could turn any candy bar into a cookie, which one would you choose?

If you loved this recipe, you might also like my...

Peanut Butter Chai Cookies

Peanut Butter Chocolate Mousse Pie

Peanut Butter Chai Cookies {The Leftovers Club}

A few months back, I was hanging out on Twitter when I saw someone post a recipe link for Chai Peanut Butter.  

Chai Peanut Butter?!?

Needless to say, I was super excited to click on the link and then within almost the same instant completely and utterly let down...

It was CHIA Peanut Butter!

The person who tweeted out the recipe spelled chia wrong.

Yep.  Bummed.

I have pretty much been obsessed with using that flavor combination in a recipe ever since. ;)

When I received my pairing for this month's The Leftovers Club and she stated in her email that she loved peanut butter and cinnamon, I knew it was time to make my Peanut Butter Chai dream a reality...

Thus my Peanut Butter Chai Cookies were realized.

These cookies are softy and chewy, close to a bakery style.  There is a slight hint of spice to the peanut butter, and I am happy to say peanut butter and chai make perfect bed mates. ;) 

Peanut Butter Chai Cookies

by Frugal Foodie Mama

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10-12 minutes

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Ingredients (2 dozen cookies)

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/4 cups flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• Turbinado sugar or large crystal sugar, for topping the cookies

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.

In large bowl, cream together the butter & peanut butter. Beat in the sugars until fluffy.

Add in the egg, milk, & vanilla and mix well.

In a smaller bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, all the spices, and the black pepper.

Beat half the flour mixture into the wet ingredients. Then add the rest of the flour mixture and mix. Do not over mix.

Sprinkle the turbinado sugar onto a small plate.

Roll the dough into balls slightly larger than a tablespoon. Press one side of the cookie dough ball into the sugar, flattening slightly. Continue this for the rest of the dough.

Place the sugared cookie dough balls on your prepared baking sheet, at least 2 inches apart.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges of the cookies are slightly browned.

Allow to cool on a wire rack.

Enjoy!

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Recipe adapted from THIS ONE on Pinch of Yum.

These cookies were seriously amazing!  I have never baked a better peanut butter cookie in my life. 

If you loved this recipe, you might also like my...

Coconut Chai Biscotti

Crock Pot White Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Cookie Bars

Be sure to check out all the other amazing recipes in this month's The Leftovers Club below!

Homemade Crock Pot Apple Butter {A Recipe Makeover}

No need to stand over a pot stirring for hours to make perfectly spiced homemade apple butter. Let your slow cooker do all the work with this Homemade Crock Pot Apple Butter...

This post may contain affiliate links. Purchasing through them helps support this website.

I originally published my recipe for this Homemade Crock Pot Apple Butter in October of last year.  But I decided that it was time to give this recipe a makeover.  I didn't really change anything about my original recipe, but I knew the photos desperately needed a makeover.  

I have learned so much in the past year about food styling, lighting, angles, and I knew I could do so much better for this tasty apple butter.  In fact, it deserved better. ;)

And because everyone loves to see before and after shots when we are talking about makeovers, here is one from my post almost a year ago...

Spaghetti with Roasted Tomatoes {A Guest Recipe from Cooking on the Front Burner}

We have another fabulous pasta dish on the blog from Deb at Cooking on the Front Burner for my Birthday Week! And this is the last guest recipe for the week too, folks.  
But no sad faces!  Stay tuned for a fun and fabulous giveaway starting at midnight tonight to wrap up my Birthday Week! :) 

Hi, I'm Deb from Cooking on the Front Burner and happy to be guest posting today for Carrie as she celebrates her birthday week!!  (oh yea, birthdays should be celebrated all week in my opinion!)

I started blogging about 2 1/2 years ago as a way to keep and share recipes with family and friends.  I think I can be called a recipe-o-holic.  I love reading cookbooks as novels, subscribing to food magazines and searching other blogs for new recipes to try.  If you are a dinner guest at my place, most likely I am making something new for you to experience.  And when I'm not in the kitchen, I am probably (re)decorating my house, reading a good book or most recently spoiling our new granddaughter!

Carrie and I have been friends for awhile now and when she mentioned she loves Italian food - and since I'm Italian, I had the perfect recipe for her.  This is one my favorite ways to use fresh summer tomatoes and herbs.  We have a small garden where we only grow tomatoes, peppers and a few herbs for either Italian dishes or making salsa.

I invite you to stop on over to get the recipe and take a look around.  And another birthday wish to Carrie -thanks for having me!!  It was great spending time at your place.  Mangia!

Peppermint Mocha Cocktail Cake {Guest Recipe from Cooking with Curls}

Good morning all! I may be just a *tad* excited about Birthday Week on the blog. ;) Just a little...
First up is my good pal Lisa from Cooking with Curls.  This lady is known for her bundt cakes (which you all know I pretty much adore), but she is also known for making cocktails INTO bundt cakes! (Better yet, right?? ;) )
When she heard that Peppermint Mochas are my fave Starbucks beverage, it was a no-brainer for her to turn it into a cocktail bundt cake in honor of my birthday.  Thank you, Lisa! It looks amazing! 

Hello everyone! My name is Lisa Johnson, and I am the curly haired chef behind Cooking with Curls. My blog is entirely devoted to cooking all-natural, preservative-free family meals. As you can probably guess by the name of this cake.....I also like to have fun!

My cakes are baked from scratch. My burgers are made with grass-fed beef. Pizza is probably my favorite food group, and yes, I do make my own dough. But no need to worry, I give step-by-step instructions with photos to make it easy for you to follow along. I am so incredibly lucky to have "met" Carrie early on in my blogging career, she is the absolute best! I wish I could be there to help you celebrate this weekend, but I am much too far away. So instead I am sending you my happiest wishes for the best birthday ever, and you should definitely bake yourself this cake.....or make someone else do it for you ;) This Peppermint Mocha Cocktail Cake is a deep, rich, chocolaty cake with all the flavors of Carrie's favorite espresso drink.....and mine! It is a dense cake, with a kick from the Peppermint Schnapps and Kahlua. So go ahead and click on the link below to get the recipe.

CLICK HERE to get the recipe for this amazing Peppermint Mocha Cocktail Cake.

 Happy Birthday Carrie!!! Thanks again for allowing me to be a part of your celebration Carrie :)

If you loved this recipe, you might also like my...

Peppermint Mocha Bundt Cake

Peppermint Hot Chocolate Krispie Treats

Easy Refrigerator Bread & Butter Pickles

These Easy Refrigerator Bread & Butter Pickles are sweet & crunchy and ready in just a day, no canning! 

Gardening season is winding down here.  My tomatoes are kaput.  But they haven't been doing very well for weeks now.  I blame those creepy looking, aggressive tomato hornworms...

I know, I know... they are harmless.  You can just pluck them off with your fingers.  

Ummmmm... no.

I refused to touch them.  They look like something straight out of an Alien movie.

And they have teeth... have you seen those teeth??

But anyways, this post is about homemade pickles not nasty hornworms and my poor, poor tomato plants.

My cucumber plants have been doing just the opposite.  They have been producing like crazy! I picked 4 or 5 pretty large ones off all at once the week before last and knew it was time to get down to some pickle making.  

Those of you who follow me on Instagram saw some of the pickle making process in my stream and started asking for the recipe. 

The recipe isn't mine per say.  I have been using this one that I found on the Brown Eyed Baker's blog since last summer.

It is a classic and easy refrigerator bread & butter pickles recipe.  I basically just doubled her recipe since I had so many cucumbers and it yielded me four pint jars of pickles. 

3 Ingredient Crock Pot Beef Tacos

 You are just 3 ingredients, 1 Crock Pot, & 6 hours away from the best taco meat ever...

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One of my very favorite recipes to make in the Crock Pot is my 3 Ingredient Crock Pot Beef Tacos.
Yes, just 3 ingredients, folks.  

No chopping.
No pre-cooking.
Just dump it all in, mix, and walk away. 
Easy, peasy! :)

I originally shared this recipe over at Melissa's Cuisine as a guest post while she was enjoying the first few weeks with her new sweet baby.  It is so easy and simple even a sleep deprived new mama could throw this one together in a snap (with or without that essential cup of coffee ;) ).  

Now I am not claiming to be the first person ever to do this. I know this and other versions of 3 ingredient taco meat in the slow cooker have been done before.  

I have seen many that use an entire jar of salsa.  Have you purchased a jar of salsa lately? They are usually $3 and up at the store!  I swapped out the pricey salsa with a can of tomatoes and green chiles- you can usually find the brand name one for around $1, but I saved even more and bought the ALDI version for just 59 cents. 

Cinnamon S'mores Brownies

First and foremost... Happy National S'mores Day, friends!! 

I thought that there couldn't be a better day than today to share with you all this ooey, gooey S'mores-licious recipe for Cinnamon S'mores Brownies that I have had tucked away in my Draft posts.  ;)

I seriously think S'mores is one of the best summer time desserts ever created!  The combination of the fire roasted marshmallow with melty chocolate sandwiched between two graham crackers?  Genius.  Plain and simple.

Of course, there are so many tasty, even gourmet twists on the traditional S'mores nowadays that the taste combinations are endless, right?

I originally got my inspiration for these brownies when I came across The Grant Life's incredibly easy S'mores Brownie Bars.  I didn't change too much with Kelley's recipe, but I did make a few cinnamony tweaks of my own.  

Hey, I had cinnamon graham crackers in the house, and I have always adored the combination of cinnamon with chocolate. 

What can I say? ;) 

Cinnamon S'mores Brownies

by Frugal Foodie Mama

Prep Time: 5-10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

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Ingredients (12 brownies)

• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 stick of butter, melted
• 19.9 oz box of brownie mix + the ingredients the box calls for to make them (I used the Betty Crocker Dark Chocolate brownie mix.)
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips (whichever is your preference)
• 2 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
• 6 cinnamon graham crackers, broken in half at their scores

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and cinnamon. Pour in the melted butter and mix well. Press the graham cracker mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes.

While the graham cracker crust is chilling, prepare your brownie mix according to the box directions.

When the crust has chilled for at least 10 minutes, pour the brownie batter over it evenly. Sprinkle the top of the brownie batter with the chocolate chips.

Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes.

Remove the graham cracker crusted brownies from the oven and evenly cover them them with the mini marshmallows. Bake another 3 minutes until the marshmallows are nice and melty.

Remove from the oven and place the cinnamon graham crackers on top in 4 rows, 3 across. Bake another 3-5 minutes.

Let the brownies cool before cutting. Just cut along the graham crackers on top for 12 perfect Cinnamon S'mores Brownies. These brownies are excellent served at room temperature or slightly warmed in the microwave.

Be sure to try one right after cutting them when the brownies are still warm and gooey from the oven! :)

Enjoy!

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These Cinnamon S'mores Brownies are so delicious.  They have all of the gooey goodness of a campfire S'mores, but better... because well, there is a fudgy brownie layer tossed in there. ;)

How will YOU be celebrating National S'mores Day today?  (It is okay to say by whipping up a pan of my Cinnamon S'mores Brownies... ;) )

If you loved today's recipe post, you might also like my...

S'mores Coconut Cream Pie

Looking for more S'morespiration for your National S'mores Day celebration?  Come check out and follow my S'mores Please Pinterest board where I have pinned over 60 (and counting!) S'mores inspired recipes from some of my favorite food bloggers...