Tuesdays At The Table - Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Did everyone have a good Halloween?  I got fewer trick-or-treaters than expected (about 30 or so), but the kids were soooo cute!!!
The highlight of the day was dressing Beckett and Meadow up for Halloween.  Unfortunately, we *cough, ME, cough* couldn't find their planned costumes.  So they had to take turns sharing their back up costume - as a LEPRECHAN!!!  Good thing their grammy bought it for them when she was in Ireland a few years ago.  :-)

This week I'm sharing my pumpkin chocolate chip muffins.  So tasty!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 (16 ounce) cans pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

In large mixing bowl beat eggs, sugar, pumpkin, vanilla and oil until smooth. Mix dry ingredients together and mix into pumpkin mixture. Fold in chocolate chips.

Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups 3/4 full.  Bake at 400 degrees for 16-20 minutes.

What's cooking in your kitchen?

Follower Fest

Erin at Moore To Love linked up with Follower Fest today...and I thought to myself "Hey, I'd really like to meet new people!", so I'm going to link up too!




I guess I should tell you a little about myself, huh?  Well, my name is Cole.  Short for Nicole...but, I prefer Cole.

I grew up in two towns south of Boston.  I lived the first 8 years of my life in the birthplace of Tollhouse cookies.  Then my parents bought my grandparent's house.  Anyway....I bought a house last year in the first town.  You shall hear of it referred to as "the money pit" from time to time.  It's a freakin' disaster, but it's MINE!!!

After seven and a half years at a large healthcare company, I left in June.  I guess you could say that I'm at a career cross-roads.  And I'm totally OK with that.  Most of the time....  :-)

While you're here, you'll get to see my weekly blog hop (Tuesdays At The Table), my fur-kids (miniature dachshunds - Meadow & Beckett), whole lots of crafts and other randomness...and a giveaways from time to time.

Meadow

Beckett

Leave me a comment so I can come visit you too!!

Eff....Marry...Kill

I've seen some of my bloggy buddies playing this game every week.  So, I'm taking the plunge and joining in for the first time!





Because I love NCIS: LA so much, I'm making them my first edition.  :-)

Eff.  Mary Deeks is scruffy and funny.  Sweet.  Oh...and HOT.

Marry.  Callen is just a little dangerous...but really loyal.  And have you seen those eyes?!?!

Kill. I'm glad they took Nate off the show.  He was so freaking annoying!

What do you think?  Did I make the right choices?

Tuesdays At The Table - Twixy Shortbread Bars

Hi Gang.  I love seeing all of your recipes each week!  The group continues to grow - which makes me soooo happy.  :-)  In fact, I think we now have a few men in our ranks.  Hi guys!!

I would like to encourage everyone to stop by and visit other contributors!  I'll be honest in saying that I don't get to every single recipe most weeks...but I'm trying to make that a priority each week. 

This week I'm sharing a recipe emailed along to me from my mom.  I'm not sure where she got it.  Otherwise, I'd definitely be linking the website!

Twixy Shortbread Bars

1 1/2 cups butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 13.4 ounce can dulce de leche
3/4 cup whipping cream
6 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons light-colored corn syrup
12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (or use chocolate chips)
3/4 teaspoon vanilla

1. In a large bowl, beat 1-1/2 cups butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar and 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla; beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer; stir in any remaining flour. Cover and chill for 30 to 60 minutes or until dough is easy to handle.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 13x9x2-inch baking pan with foil, extending foil over edges of pan. Press dough evenly into bottom of prepared baking pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until top is lightly browned. Cool in pan on a wire rack.

3. Spread dulce de leche in an even layer atop cooled crust. In a medium saucepan, heat whipping cream, 6 tablespoons butter, and the corn syrup to boiling over medium heat, stirring to dissolve syrup. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and vanilla to saucepan. Do not stir. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Let stand 10 minutes at room temperature to cool slightly. Slowly pour chocolate mixture over dulce de leche layer, spreading evenly. Cover and chill 1 to 2 hours or until chocolate layer is set. Cut into bars.

What's cooking in your kitchen?

Shutterfly WINNERS!!!!

A big "thank you" to everyone that participated in the Shutterfly giveaway!  There's nothing I like more than helping someone get something for free.  :-)


I used Random.org to pick my winners.  Unfortunately - my screen capture didn't work.  Sorry!
#35 - Holly @ Precisely Holly
#4 - Sonya @ A Day In The Life
#20 - Heather @ Life, Love, Laughter

You'll all add me to your Christmas card list so I can see what you've picked, right?! Anyway, please email me {allthelittlestuff at gmail dot com} so I can get you your discount code! Congrats, ladies!!

"It's OK" - Week 8

Hey there!  It's time for Neely and Amber's "It's OK, Thursday".  And without further ado...let's get to business!





It's OK...

...To have taken a few week off from "It's OK" Thursday.  My lists were sounding kinda whiny.

...To be super thrilled that Shutterfly is letting me give away FREE cards to three people!!  Come enter, will ya?!?! 

...That I am now addicted to Revenge.  I blame credit Neely!

...To be really hopeful that people starting checking out & buying stuff from my Etsy shop!

...That I'm contemplating another tattoo...but don't have the money for it right now.

...That I may not be giving out candy at my house this year.  I got 8 trick-or-treaters last year.  EIGHT. And my parents need help handling the hoards of munchkins that show up at their doorstep.

...That the drunk dialing incident was the funniest thing that's happened to me in months!


What's OK with you?  Go link up with Neely and Amber!

Tuesdays At The Table - BBQ Ranch Chicken Dip

Howdy, ladies!!!  Before I get down to recipe sharing...a little business. 

• I'll be cleaning up the buttons on my page.  Many lovely ladies have packed up & left their blogs behind and I need to show who I am reading. Or maybe I just like to pretend to be organized. Please let me know if you want your button on the list.  :-)
• Shutterfly is letting me give away 25 FREE cards to THREE people. Come enter! The winners will be chosen this Saturday/Sunday.
• I'm donating money to Susan G. Komen this month when you buy anything PINK from my Etsy shop.  Breast Cancer awareness month is near and dear to my heart.  Want to help me choose what to make next?  Vote in the upper left corner. :-)

And...on to the food.  I love ranch, BBQ and chicken.  Put them all together and I'm in heaven! You can throw this together for your football gatherings in one commercial brake.  A winner in my book. :-)

BBQ Ranch Chicken Dip

1 package (8 oz) Neufchatel cheese, softened
1/4 cup BBQ sauce, any flavor
6 oz. chicken (cooked and cubed small)
2 tablespoons Ranch dressing
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1/4 cup bell pepper (chopped)

Spread cheese onto bottom of a microwaveable pie plate.  Pour barbeque sauce over the neufchatel cheese.  Top with cubed chicken.

Microwave for 1.5 - 2 minutes on high, until everything is heated through. Top with remaining ingredients and serve.

What's cooking in your kitchen?

2 on Tuesday - Favorite Restaurants

It's that time again!  Time for Andrea's 2 on Tuesday.  This week our effervescent host is asking us: What are your two favorite restaurants?






Hmm...
1. Friendly's.  Yeah, it's a chain.  Yep, you often hear a screaming child or two.  But I'm in love with their BBQ chicken sandwiches and peanut butter cup sundaes.  Plus they have waitresses who actually pay attention to whether you need another drink.  You just can't say enough about good customer service.  I'm a good tipper when you treat me well.  :-)

2. The Cheesecake Factory.  Another chain restaurant.  Is that kinda pathetic? But we all know that it would take you a year to eat through the menu, right?! I think I could eat their orange chicken every day for a month.  Here's where I get some incredulous stares....I don't like cheesecake.  I do, however, covet their "Linda's chocolate cake".  They have the ONLY chocolate cake that I'll eat. (Huh, this makes me sound like a really picky eater...)

Go visit Andrea and tell us about your two favorite restaurants!

It's A Shutterfly Christmas (AGAIN!!!)

Last year, I was lucky enough to have Shutterfly make my Christmas cards for me.  It was a breeze to customize the card template I chose and I was amazed at how fast my shipment arrived. Here's the card I ended up choosing!

So when they approached me* again this year, I was super excited!!  And you should be too!  Here's why... They are letting me share the promo code for 25 FREE cards of your choice to THREE winners.  Aren't they the best?!?!

They have the best selection of Christmas cards.  Here are a few of my top contenders.

So cute!

Cuz with my dogs...it's a valid question.  :-)

Doggy love!

And...more doggy love!

Of course, Shutterfly has so much more to offer than just Christmas cards.  They have calendars, greeting cards and photo gifts (aka gift tags, canvas prints, etc) too! A mug with the picture of a someones adorable little munchkin just screams awesome gift.  :-)

Here's how to enter (each entry must have a corresponding comment):

• Follow my blog 
• Follow me on Twitter
• Vote on which card I should choose (and if you think I should choose something NOT shown above, give me the link to what you think I should choose)

All comments need to be received by Saturday, October 22nd at midnight EST and winners will be revealed very soon (aka in a day or less) thereafter.

Oh. Are you a blogger? Want a chance at 25 free cards this holiday season? Register here: http://goo.gl/DDw7Q

(That means if you're one of the lucky winners AND register with them, you get 50 FREE cards! Woohoo!!!)

And...if you want to be on my Christmas card list this year, email me!

**Disclosure: I am getting 50 free holiday cards in exchange for this post.**

Isn't That Pinteresting...Dachshund Edition

Hi.  Iz Beckett.  Momma said I could post, so here I iz.  Momma really like that Pinterest thingie...so I picked a few to share.

Maybe I can haz for Hallo-weenie next year?! {Source}

Momma doesn't think Snoop Dogg really haz dachshund...but iz still funny. {Source}



Momma says I large little and in charge...so dis makes us giggle. {Source}



We're having a hard time finding a copy of dis movie. Any suggestions?!  {Source}



Dats all I haz for now.  Woofs and kissies,

Beckett



Bloggy Updates

I'm going to be doing some bloggy housekeeping over the weekend/early next week.  If you could do me a quick favor - I'd appreciate it!!

Just let me know if your button should be in my "favorite blogs" section!!  That's all.  :-)  Oh, if you feel so inclined - I've put my first poll up too.  A vote on what I should knit and list on Etsy next would be awesome.

A more substantive post tomorrow.  Or not.  Maybe Beckett will continue his "notes from the crate" series. :-)

Tuesdays At The Table - Chocolate Hazelnut Swirl Bread

Happy (belated) Columbus Day, gang!  Did everyone get to have a long weekend?

I mentioned a few months ago that my anniversary of hosting TATT was coming up...and then I completely forgot about it!  It's been just over two years that I've been hosting now.  Boy, time flies!!!  Every week as I post, I think of sweet Andrea - the original host of TATT and one of my dear friends.  :-)  In honor of my bloggy anniversary, I'm re-posting the recipe from my first week as TATT host.

Chocolate Hazelnut Swirl Bread
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sour cream

Topping

1/3 cup finely chopped hazelnuts
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a large bowl, cream the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extracts. Slowly add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt as well as the sour cream.

Pour half of the batter into a greased 9x5 loaf pan. Combine the topping ingredients; sprinkle two thirds over the batter. Pour in the remaining batter, then top with remaining topping. Press topping down lightly.

Bake at 350 for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for about 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire cooling rack.


What's cooking in your kitchen?

2 on Tuesday - Fashion Faux Pas

The lovely Andrea has posed a really good topic this week.  Tell me your two biggest fashion mistakes.






Oh, lordy.  I think we all make some questionable fashion mistakes.  If you didn't....I'm really envious.  Or you're lying.  {No judging}While I'm not willing to show you pictures of my biggest fashion mistakes (sorry!), I will definitely share them with you.

The first one was perming my hair.  I always had nice, shiny hair. But it's stick straight and baby fine. So, my mom's hairdresser convinced me to perm my hair in 6th grade.  At first I loved it. It was new and different. I had the ringlets I'd coveted for years.  My mistake was letting that hairdresser keep perming my hair for 3 years! By the end, I was just a mop of frizzy grossness.  I felt a little like this...

{source}

My second ongoing faux pas was indulging in the leggings crazy of the mid 90's.  I'm a chubby girl...and hindsight is 20/20.  Though, I always kept everything covered up. Now that the leggings/jeggings craze is passing through again, I have some very strong feelings on them.

• No one above a single digit size should EVER been seen in public (this excludes the gym, where it's socially acceptable) wearing leggings/jeggings.
• If you must wear them - always make sure you're wearing a top that covers your private parts.  Camel toe isn't pretty, and it's sooo much more than I need to know if you happen to be wearing leggings.
• If they're so thin that you can see through them - you aren't wearing leggings.  You're wearing footless tights.  Go put on some pants, Princess!
• No stilettos.  Just, no. And no socks unless you're wearing boots so you won't see them.

They should look like this...

{source}

Not this...

{source}

If You Drunk Dial....

...I AM going to mess with you!!!

Friday night I had the distinct *honor* of being drunk dialed by the same person four times between 1:45 and 2:30 in the morning.  Luckily, I'm an insomniac and was wide awake.  Unluckily (for him), I found this really funny and decided that to have some fun.

1:48 (Number I don't recognize)
Me: Um...hello?
Him: Hi babeeeeee.
Me: Who is this?
Him: Oh, babyyyyy.  Youz zoooo funny. Iz yo man.
Me: Wrong number.  Kthanxbai.

1:59 (Same number)
Me: Yes?
Him: Ah you maaaad at me?
Me: Nope.  I just don't know who you are.  Who are you anyway?
Him: Iz Mike.  *hiccup*  Ya man!
Me: Nope. 
Him: But babyyyy.  I loooove you.
Me: Right.  Who are you looking for?
Him: Don't be like dat.  You know I'z looking fa you.
Me: What's my name?
Him: Zara.
Me: Sara?
Him: You know yo name, babyyyy.
Me: Nope.  Not me.  Bai.

2:08
Me: Hi, Mike.
Him: I loooove you baby.
Me: I'm STILL not Sara.
Him: Zara, you my woman.  I lub you zo, zo much.
Me: Mike?!  I'm not Sara.
Him: You the best woooman ev-ah.
Me: Really?  That's sweet.  Tell me why you love me so much.
Him: You haz the prettiest hairz.  Is red, but brown, but red.
Me: Auburn?
Him: Hmph.  Zo pretty. Like fi-ah.
Me: And?
Him: You so un-dumb
Me: Anything else?
Him: You haz the biggest boobies (he used a different word).
Me: Good to know.  But I'm still not Sara and I'm watching a movie. 

2:24
Me: Hi Mike.  I'm still not Sara and if you keep calling, I'm going to keep laughing.
Him: But I loooove you.  Why can't I callz you?
Me: Mike, if you keep calling me I'm going to track down your girlfriend and make her break up with you.  Or maybe I'll just tell her that you love her flaming auburn hair and her big rack.
Him:You reallly not Zara????
Me: No, I'm really not Sara.  Adios!

He is now saved on my phone as "Mike the drunk dialer". I'm presuming that his girlfriend's number should have been programmed into his phone.  So what I really want to know...is how did he get me to begin with?!

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

As everyone is aware - October is breast cancer awareness month. 

Most of you know that my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer in October 2009 (even though I didn't tell you all about until January).  Well, two years have passed.  She's lost a breast.  Had a port put in...and subsequently taken back out.  Gone through chemo, HER2 treatments, nausea, exhaustion and a week long hospital stay for a pulmonary embolism.  But, SHE'S HEALTHY!!!!

Breast cancer runs in my family.  Mom had it, grandma had it, multiple great aunts, my second cousin and based on geneological research - a whole crap-load (yep, technical term) of other women in my family have had it.  Most beat it.  Some didn't. 

That makes me and other women that I love a whole lot high risk.  But here's the good news...I go to all my mom's check ups with her at the Dana Farber Cancer Center. Heck, I even tweeted how much I want to steal one of the love seats in the radiology waiting room!!  I have a great relationship with the doctor who I'd choose to be my oncologist.  Hopefully, I'll never need to use that info!  But it's a comfort to know that I have it.

In the meantime, I'm adamant that people try to find a better cure.  Something that doesn't involve the over a year and a half of active medical treatment that my mom went through.  But that takes money.  I'll never have the millions that it takes to fund research.  But I can do my part to support the cause.

I'm happy to announce that anything in the "THINK PINK" section of my Etsy store has an associated donation to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.  It's not a lot...but it helps!! And every woman needs a little pink in her life.  Right?! :-)

Tuesdays At The Table - Banana Biscotti (Dog Treats)

Know how I mentioned last week that my fabulous friend Andrea would be hosting a giveaway of one of my hats?  Well, it started!  Head on over and enter!!

This week, we're going to the dogs!  I love to bake.  Why shouldn't the pups reap the benefits?!?!  They're just as deserving (if not more so) as everyone else I cook for.  :-)

Banana Biscotti

5 cups flour
1/4 cup peanuts, chopped
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 egg
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 ½ cups banana, pureed
2 teaspoons vanilla
water

Place dry ingredients in large bowl. Make a well in the center. Blend egg, oil and banana together. Add into the well in your dry ingredients, and start combining together. Add water, one teaspoon at a time as needed (you want a thick bready consistency). Knead by hand on a well floured table until mixed thoroughly. Form into logs approximately 2" - 2 1/2" high. Flatten, so that log is 3" - 4" wide by 1" high. Place on non-stick baking sheets or lightly greased ones. Bake 30 - 35 minutes at 325. Remove and cool for 10 minutes. Slice into 1/2" - 3/4" slices. Place on baking sheets and bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool. Store in airtight container.

Beckett tested.  Meadow approved.  :-)

What's cooking in your kitchen?