Easter Broccoli Salad

 

For almost every family gathering, I am asked to bring this salad, but especially at Easter. It just seem to make everyone smile. My family loves that it was a great way to get the kids to eat veggies and is quite colorful. I love how the flavors blend overnight and transform broccoli into something special.

And it is so different than the traditional green lettuce salad. And...of course, BACON! Who doesn't love a salad that includes bacon? 😉

Easter Broccoli Salad

1 to 2 large head(s) of broccoli crowns, cut into florets (save the stalks for slaw if using whole broccoli)

1/2 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled (added just before serving to keep it crisp)

8 oz of sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

1 cup good quality mayonnaise

1 tablespoon of the rendered bacon fat (so much flavor)

1/4 cup sugar

2- 4 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar ( I like it tart, so I add 4)

1 teaspoon onion powder (optional)

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup sunflower seeds (toasted adds flavor)

Salt and pepper to taste

The day before serving, mix (or put in mason jar to shake) the mayo, bacon fat, sugar and vinegar (and onion powder)

In a big bowl, mix broccoli, onion and cheese, cover and refrigerate until the next day. Several recipes call for blanching the broccoli, but letting it set overnight does the trick.

Just before serving, add the raisins, sunflower seeds, salt and pepper and mix.

Top with the bacon bits and serve.

Watch the kids just devour it!

Bacon and Cheese Hash Brown Casserole

 

Looking for a quick side dish to feed to a hungry crowd? This is very similar in taste to double baked potatoes with a lot less work. Variations of this dish are sometimes called Funeral Potatoes...not sure why... but it was a much requested dish that my sister-in-law would bring to holiday gatherings.  It is best served warm and can be kept in a 170 degree oven until ready to serve. Such a comfort food!

Bacon and Cheese Hash Brown Casserole

28 oz bag frozen hash browns (shredded)
1 cup sour cream
1 - 1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or colby jack)
1 can (10 ½ oz ) cream of chicken soup (or cream of celery)
2 tablespoons Hidden Valley Ranch Mix
1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 tsp black pepper
1 small minced onion
6 slices cooked crispy bacon, crushed, divided
1/2 cup melted butter,divided
1 cup potato chips, crushed

chopped jalapenos for garnish, optional

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine frozen hash browns, sour cream, cheese, soup, Ranch mix, garlic powder, pepper, onion, half of the bacon (I had some leftover ham, so diced that up and added it too and 1/4 cup of the melted butter. Mix until thoroughly combined. Pour into a 13x9 baking dish.

3) Bake for 45 minutes

4) Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine remaining 1/4 cup melted butter with crushed potato chips (crushed cornflakes is a great alternative).

5) Remove from oven, sprinkle with potato chips, top with remaining bacon and chopped jalapenos (if using and return to oven for 10 minutes.

6) Turn on broiler and toast for a couple of minutes, until brown and bubbly.

7) Let sit for 5 minutes before you dig in. Refrigerate leftovers - see below

Adapted from shugarysweets.com website

Bonus!

Potato Fritters!

If you have leftovers the next morning, mix in one beaten egg into cold potatoes, create a patty using approx two tablespoons of potatoes, coat in a mixture of Italian seasoned panko bread crumbs with fresh grated Parmesan, fry in some butter and/or oil until crispy and enjoy with some sour cream or ranch dressing! 

Shrimp & Grits

For once woke up before my husband, so I decided to make a nice breakfast as a treat.  We had a few shrimp in the freezer and some nice grits we picked up on a visit to South Carolina, so I made Shrimp & Grits. (And again it was consumed before I remembered to take a photo!) It's actually pretty quick cooking, for me half the time involved is shelling the shrimp and gathering ingredients.

My changes to the original recipe:  I don't like thyme, so I used Penzy's Cajun Seasoning.  I didn't have cream, so used a generous equivilent of good quality powdered milk.  I added diced celery to make it more authentically Cajun. I substituted chicken stock for the shrimp stock. 

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/10718-breakfast-shrimp-and-grits?smid=fb-nytdining&smtyp=cur

Breakfast Shrimp & Grits

FOR THE GRITS:

¾ cup grits

¼ teaspoon salt

6 ounces Cheddar cheese, grated

3 tablespoons butter

FOR THE SHRIMP:

4 tablespoons butter

¾ cup chopped onion

½ cup chopped green bell pepper

2 gloves garlic, minced

1 cup diced ripe tomatoes with a little of their juice (chopped canned tomatoes are preferable to less-than-perfect fresh tomatoes)

½ teaspoon dried thyme

1 tablespoon flour

1 pound medium to large raw shrimp, shelled (reserve shells for stock)

½ to 1 cup shrimp stock (see note)

1 tablespoon tomato paste

⅓ cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 dashes Tabasco

Salt to taste

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Lemon wedges

For the grits, bring 3 1/2 cups water to a boil and stir in the grits. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until the grits are tender and the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from heat, add the salt, cheese and butter and stir until melted. Keep warm.

For the shrimp, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat and sauté the onion, pepper and garlic until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and juice and thyme; bring to a simmer. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes. Sprinkle with flour and stir well. Add the shrimp and stir constantly until they begin to turn pink, about 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup stock and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more. Add the tomato paste and stir until blended. Add the cream, Worcestershire and Tabasco and more stock if needed to make a spoonable sauce that generously coats the shrimp. Heat thoroughly, being careful not to let it come to a boil. Taste for salt.

Place a portion of grits in the center of each plate and spoon shrimp over or around it. Sprinkle with parsley & a lemon wedge.

Springtime Blueberry Lemon Trifle

It is finally daylight savings time again! I can't think of a time when we needed to have spring arrive more then this year. Hopefully we can soon have gatherings and enjoy each other's company. And, we need a fast, no bake dessert to really impress everyone. You rarely see trifles at gatherings anymore, it just seems so old school. But when I showed up with this at a Club dinner, I had so many people thank me for bringing a piece of nostalgia from their childhood. This is light and easy and comes together fast but does need to have the flavors meld a little while in the frig. Guaranteed to make you smile!

Be creative and swap out the fruit and change the yogurt flavor and different pie fillings. This is my favorite combo.

Springtime Blueberry Lemon Trifle

4-5 cups fresh blueberries (or blackberries or even sliced strawberries or a combo), divided

1 prepared angel food cake (8 to 10 ounces), cut into 1-inch cubes
2 cans (15-3/4 ounces each) lemon pie filling
1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed (or homemade whipped cream if you prefer)

2 cups lemon yogurt
Optional: Lemon slices and lemon zest


Directions
1) Set aside l/4 cup blueberries for garnish. In a large bowl, combine pie
filling, yogurt and one cup of the whipped topping..
2) In a 3-1/2-qt. serving or trifle bowl, layer a third of the cake cubes, lemon
mixture and blueberries. Repeat layers twice. Top with remaining whipped topping.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Garnish with reserved
blueberries and, if desired, lemon slices and lemon zest.

Adapted from Taste of Home website.

Crock Pot French Dip

My daughter makes this recipe when the extended family descends on her house for holidays. It reminds me of the French Dip sandwiches I used to have in St Louis when I went shopping with my parents. The restaurant had the long old fashioned counters with high swivel stools to sit on, and I enjoyed swinging my feet feeling like I was very tall.  After we ate, my dad would order me a hot fudge sundae.  Oh, those were the days!

Making the sandwich couldn't be any easier- drop everything in a crock pot or instant pot and cook until the meat is tender enough to fall apart.  Serve it on some toasted hoagie rolls with melty provolone, swiss or cheddar, some hot pepper relish and a small smear of mayo.  Add some chips, a green salad and/or baked beans and dinner is ready.

Crock Pot French Dip

3 lb beef roast

2 cloves Garlic

Onions, large

2 cups Beef broth

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 tbsp worcestershire sauce

Salt and pepper

Hoagie buns, toasted

Provolone, swiss or cheddar cheese

Mayo

Hot red pepper relish (Wickles brand is my favorite)

Saturday Night Turkey Meatloaf

 

I was always skeptical of making a meatloaf out of turkey - too often it just not very flavorful and dry. Two parts of this recipe made this a game changer. First, by creating a panade (which is a combination of starch and liquid that keeps the protein in the meat from shrinking and tightening during cooking. As the meat cooks, the starch turns into a gel that acts as type of lubricant between the protein fibers). Basically, this keeps the meatloaf moist. Second, the pancetta adds so much flavor that offsets the blandness of the turkey. Who knew??

This is good just as is, or, even better with a little bit of turkey or poultry gravy. The leftovers make great Sunday lunch sandwiches. Yum!

Saturday Night Turkey Meatloaf

Ingredients:
• 2 slices soft white or wheat bread, torn into small pieces 
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 pounds ground turkey
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 8 thin slices pancetta, finely chopped
• 3/4 large onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup loosely packed flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano or Italian seasoning mix
• 1/4 cup Italian-seasoned dry breadcrumbs (or plain and add 1/2 teaspoon more of the oregano)
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• Freshly ground black pepper (to taste - we like a lot of pepper!)

Directions: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Combine the bread and milk in a large bowl and soak for 10 minutes. 

Add the turkey, eggs. cheese, pancetta, onion, garlic, ketchup, parsley, oregano or Italian seasoning, breadcrumbs, garlic salt, onion powder and pepper. 

Mix well with your hands. Shape into an 8-inch-by-5-inch loaf and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 325 degrees F and drizzle more ketchup all over the top of the loaf (if desired)

Bake until an insta read thermometer inserted at the center reaches 165 degrees, about 45-50 minutes. Remove from oven and let loaf rest for 10 minutes before moving to serving plate.

Tons of flavor!

Adapted from Valerie Bertinelli's "One Dish at a Time: Delicious Recipes and Stories from My Italian-American Childhood and Beyond".

New Orleans BBQ Shrimp

Right now we're in St Augustine, Fla visitng with friends Ed & Lynn.  This morning the four of us went to a farmers market and picked up a couple pounds of shrimp for lunch. We assigned chef's duties to Brent to make this BBQ shrimp, reminiscent of when we lived in Lousiana early in our working lives.

New Orleans Style BBQ Shrimp

Servings: 4-6

Recipe originally from  Onceuponachef.com

INGREDIENTS

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon ancho chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 pounds extra large or jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined, thawed if frozen

5 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 large cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons water

3 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS

Mix the paprika, ancho chili powder, cumin, sugar and salt together in a large bowl. Add the shrimp to

the spices and toss to coat evenly. Set aside.

Melt the butter over medium heat in a 12-inch skillet. Add the garlic and cook, stirring with a wooden

spoon, for one minute. Do not brown. Add the shrimp and continue cooking over medium heat, stirring

frequently, until the shrimp are almost cooked but still opaque in spots, 3-4 minutes. Add the

Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice and water and cook until shrimp are done, 1-2 minutes more.

Scatter scallions over top and serve.

Michael's Pasta Salad

If you ask my grand kids what I should bring to our weekly dinner, they would all scream (because that is their only tone) PASTA SALAD!

Apparently, as my step son was growing up, I lucked upon a pasta salad recipe that was a staple for him and it has passed on to his kids.

It is truly easy and very flavorful. It does rely on a purchased spice mix, but I have included the spices that make up the mix instead.

You can exchange any of the vegetables for anything you like or have on hand but peas and broccoli are a must for Michael.

Michael's Pasta Salad

1 lb box of large shell pasta or any combination of pasta shapes you like, but this is our standard

8 oz Kraft's Zesty Italian Dressing - or any Italian or Greek Dressing of your choice

3 Tablespoons McCormick"s Salad Supreme OR

1 Tablespoon Everything But The Bagel Spice mix

1 teaspoon paprika ( I sometimes use smoked paprika)

1/2 teaspoons celery seed

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon coarse freshly ground black pepper (or more to taste)

1 dash cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons grated Romano cheese (or parm in a pinch)

1/2 diced red onion

1 cup chopped broccoli florets

1 cup frozen peas (no need to thaw or cook)

1 diced red pepper

1/2 cup sliced black olives

1 cup chopped cucumber

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add pasta, cooking according to package instructions (usually 9-12 minutes).

Drain and rinse with cool water to stop the cooking process.

Put drained pasta into big bowl and mix in dressing. Mix spices together in small bowl and add and mix in (or add Salad Supreme).

Add in chopped veggies, stir and chill in frig for an hour or two to meld flavors.

Makes enough for a big gathering…or just enough for my three grand
kids.

One Banana, One Bowl Small-Batch Banana Muffins

On a frosty sailing morning with a wind chill of 19deg, a straight from the oven hot banana muffin tastes pretty doggone good.  I pre-mixed the dry ingredients in a covered bowl the night before, so I only had to be in the galley a couple minutes to add banana, egg & oil.

The only change I made was I used a whole egg, because who wants to be in the galley separating eggs when I am needed on deck?!  It  didn't adversely affect the final texture.  Next time I may add pecans.

Recipe from www.bakingmischief.com 

One Banana, One Bowl Small-Batch Banana Muffins

Makes 4 muffins

1 large very ripe banana

1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar

1 large egg white

1 tablespoon and 2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1/2 cup (60g) all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

Pinch of nutmeg

1/3 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F and line a muffin pan with four liners (or grease).

In a medium bowl, completely mash banana with a potato masher or fork. Add sugar, egg white, and oil. Stir with a spoon until just combined (mixture will still be lumpy).

Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir until just combined. If desired, stir in optional chocolate chips.

Divide mixture between the four prepared muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 18 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out mostly clean and the tops of the muffins begin to turn golden.

Cool in the pan until cool enough to handle before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Cowgirl Cookies

 

Every now and then I find an extra special, chock full of flavor cookie recipe, that is both moist and delicious. This is a really good thing as, being a Baked Goods Cookie Judge, I have had my share of really bad, dull tasting and dry cookies. I also like swapping out some ingredients to change it up a bit. For this recipe I swapped out the light brown sugar for honey and a little bit of molasses to mimic the brown sugar taste. I also reduced the 1/4 cup measurement to 1/2 that to get a smaller, more manageable cookie size...aptly changing the name from cowboy to cowgirl. ;). Be careful with over baking them, which is what I often do- they do get a little residual baking as they are left on the sheet pan for an additional five minutes. Great with hot tea!!

Cowgirl Cookies

INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup honey
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 tablespoon molasses
1 large egg 
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (must use old-fashioned-not quick or steel cut)
1/2 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1) Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line
rimless cookie sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat. Whisk flour, baking
powder, baking soda, and salt together in bowl.
2) Whisk honey, melted butter, molasses, egg and vanilla in large bowl until combined. (You can also add in 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon if desired). Stir in flour mixture until no dry streaks remain. Stir in
oats, pecans, coconut, and chocolate chips until fully combined (mixture will be sticky).
3) Lightly spray 1/8-cup dry measuring cup with vegetable oil spray (or use 2 tablespoons) . Drop
level 1/8-cup portions of dough onto prepared sheets, staggering 8 portions per sheet and spacing them about 1 1/2 inches apart. Divide any remaining dough among portions. Flatten cookies just slightly.
4) Bake cookies, 1 sheet at a time, until edges are browned and set and
centers are puffed with pale, raw spots, 10 to 12 minutes, rotating sheet
halfway through baking. Do not overbake!
5) Let cookies cool on sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack and
let cool completely before serving. (Cookies can be stored in airtight
container for up to 3 days.)
TO MAKE AHEAD: At end of step 3, Wrap sheets tightly in plastic wrap
and refrigerate for up to 2 days. When ready to bake, increase baking time
to 16 to 18 minutes. To freeze, portion dough onto parchment-lined sheet
and freeze until solid. Transfer frozen portions to zipper-lock bag and
freeze for up to 2 months. Do not thaw before baking. Increase baking time
to 14 to 16 minutes.

Adapted from Cook's Country

Bacon and Feta Stuffed Chicken Breast For 2

Tonight I'm cooking dinner in our boat galley, and that means I need to  make something simple & delicious, using as few dishes as possible, with no leftovers.  The website https://bakingmischief.com has a nice series of recipes scaled for 2 people that are reliably good,  and many have made it into our rotation of boat food.

I didn't feel like turning on the oven (yeah, I was THAT lazy!) So I sliced the chicken breast into 3 cutlets, browned one side in olive oil on a small cast iron skillet, flopped 'em over and loaded the top with sliced onions, the spices, garlic, crumbled bacon, feta cheese and lemon slices. It cooked covered for maybe 5 minutes and till it was done & delicious.  Along side we had Italian beans and fresh hot flatbread. 

Next time I might throw in some sun dried tomatoes,  capers (and some thinly sliced red bell pepper. 

Bacon and Feta Stuffed Chicken Breast For 2

Original Source: Bakingmischief.com

Sauce

1/4 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 cloves garlic minced or pressed

1 1/2 teaspoons oregano

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Stuffed Chicken

2 small (8oz) boneless skinless chicken breasts

3/4 cup (30z) crumbled feta cheese garlic and herb preferred, divided

4 slices cooked bacon crumbled or chopped, divided

Preheat your oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a medium baking dish (large enough to fit two chicken

breasts).

In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

Butterfly chicken breasts and place them in your prepared baking dish. Fill each breast with (about) 1 ounce of the feta mixture and 1/3 of the bacon (if doubling the recipe, divide 2/3 of the bacon between the chicken breasts). Close breasts. Sprinkle remaining cheese and bacon over top. Pour olive oil mixture over the breasts and bake for 25 to 35 minutes (longer for very large breasts), until an instant-

read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast reads 160 to 165°F.

Allow to rest for five minutes before serving. Spoon leftover drippings in the pan over rice and veggies por serve with orzo, and enjoy!

Instapot Beef Stroganoff

I have to confess - I bought the Instant Pot Miracle Healthy Cookbook for someone as a Christmas gift but kept it for myself. I really have found some delightful and tasty recipes in there but can't help tweaking them a bit for my own taste. I purchased a two pound beef shoulder on sale the other day and wasn't quite sure how to use it - it appears to be the cousin of the chuck roast but I wanted to do something different then a pot roast with it. Usually, when I make stroganoff, I use a top round and cube it myself. So, I thought, why not try this cut. It worked out beautifully and dinner was on the table in less then 45 minutes, even with the waiting for the machine to get to full pressure! A wonderful weeknight meal that tastes like it had a long, slow roast in the oven. Tender, delicious and fast!

 Instapot Beef Stroganoff

Two teaspoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoons tomato paste
2 pounds of beef, cubed with most of the fat removed
1 8 oz package of button mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced
I tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Montreal Steak seasoning

1 teaspoon garlic powder
l teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup beef broth
1/2 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons corn starch
Buttered egg noodles for serving
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1. Select SAUTÉ/High on the Instant Pot. When the pot is hot, add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently,1 to 2 minutes. Add in tomato paste and saute 1 minute.
2. Add the beef, mushrooms, Worcestershire sauce, Montreal Steak seasoning, garlic powder, pepper,and broth.
3. Secure the lid on the pot. Close the pressure-release valve. Select MANUAL and set the pot at HIGH pressure for 20 minutes. At the end of the cooking time, allow the pot to sit undisturbed for 10 minutes
then release any remaining pressure.
4. Select SAUTE/Normal on the pot. Mix the corn starch with the sour cream and stir into the pot. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until mixture has thickened slightly.
5. Serve over buttered egg noodles and garnish with parsley.

Chimichanga Filling

The name of this dish implies it should be used to fill a tortilla and fried to make a chimichanga.  In reality, this is a very versatile shredded meat that can be used for any number of dishes with a slightly TexMex flavor.  It's a very easy recipe- plop everything into a saucepan and let it simmer till the meat falls apart.  I've made the recipe with beef, pork, chicken, and, a couple times when we lived in Singapore, with goat.  It freezes nicely in meal sized quantities, waiting to be pulled out for a quick and easy dinner.

The recipe was given to me by a friend way way back when we were just out of college and living in Oklahoma.  We were both newly married, neither had kids, and we did a lot of social evening get togethers.  (Remember those?) Over the years we lost contact, but her chimichanga legacy lives on.

I usually serve this with the very traditional sides of Mexican rice, a small green salad and refried beans.  For assembling as tacos or burritos you'll need tortillas and chopped condiments like tomatoes, lettuce, jalapeños, Spanish olives, shredded cheese, sour cream and salsa.

CHIMICHANGA FILLING

1 lb stew meat 

1 med onion, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 dried guajillo pepper, seeded & torn in large pieces  AND /OR 1 can diced green chilies  (I use both, because we love peppers.  Note that neither of these peppers will make it very spicy.  Instead they add a deep savory quality)

4 sundried tomato halves, chopped

1 tbl red wine vinegar (if using a red meat) OR white vinegar (for other meats)

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp ground cumin

pinch freshly ground black pepper

 Place all ingredients in a saucepan and simmer until the meat is tender.  Remove meat to a cutting board and shred with two forks, then return it to the liquid in the pan.  Continue to simmer until most of the liquid is reduced.  

Serve on tortillas as tacos with your fav toppings  or roll into burritos or enchiladas, or feature it in a taco salad.  

"2" Ingredient Pumpkin Cupcakes

Ok - well that is not how it went for me but it was a great starting point and it did come together super fast! We all have heard of doctoring cake mixes for a fast and easy dessert.

So that is what I did after seeing an episode from The Kitchen this weekend.

It called for a spice cake mix and a can of pumpkin and nothing else. Intrigued, but armed only with a box of yellow cake mix, I added in the spices and just two other ingredients and was impressed.

Of course I had to add a "2" ingredient frosting to the top that I only slightly altered. The results became a not overly sweet cross between muffins and cake. Enjoy.

1 box of yellow cake mix (or spice if you remembered to buy it-then leave out the spices)

1 14 oz can of pumpkin 

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup water

1 medium carrot shredded

1/3 cup dried cranberries

Mix cake mix, pumpkin, spices, extract and water with a hand mixer for 2 minutes. Fold in carrot and cranberries. Fill cupcake pans with liners and fill to 2/3rds full. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean or the internal temperature is around 205 degrees. Cool. Frost as per below:

"2" Ingredient Frosting

1 8 oz package of cream cheese frosting, softened (I cheat by unwrapping and putting it on a paper plate and microwaving for 30 seconds or so)

3 cups confectioners sugar (or to desired consistency)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons half and half or milk

pinch of salt

1/2 cup roughly chopped toasted walnuts**

Mix first five items with hand mixer . Frost cooled cupcakes and top with toasted walnuts.

** I was running out of time and looked up how to toast nuts in the microwave. It was so easy. I put the walnuts on a paper plate and microwaved at one minute intervals until they were fragrant and toasted. Mind blown.