DIVINE pumpkin chocolate chip muffins (healthy!)

Ok, not only are these suckers DELICIOUS, they are relatively healthy! Whole wheat, no butter or oil, and pure deliciousness. A perfect fall treat! Oh I love pumpkin. And chocolate chips! My cousin requested the recipe, so I thought I'd stick it on here in case any of you are craving the perfect (really, these are them!) pumpkin chocolate chip muffin.

Ingredients:

1 2/3 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (or cinnamon mixed with nutmeg)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup plain pumpkin
1/2 cup applesauce (or if you really want to, oil or butter - sometimes I do half applesauce, half butter)
1 cup chocolate chips (I like the mini ones)

Make 1 or 2 days ahead for the best flavor.
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix dry ingredient sin large bowl. In another bowl whisk until well blended: eggs, pumpkin, and applesauce. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour over dry ingredients and fold in until just moistened. Grease muffin cups or use paper baking cups. Bake 20-25 minutes or until puffed and springy to touch.

Makes 12 regular or 48 miniature muffins.

ENJOY!

uh oh

So, I realized this morning that my near care-free summer days are slipping away rather quickly. School starts next month! AHHHH! I need to squeeze in lots more fun before that happens!! I am reading lots of books - the newest ones on my shelf are the Alchemist, Poisonwood Bible, Sense & Sensibility, Fishers of Men, and I just finished the Kite Runner. It's so nice to be able to read for pleasure instead of millions of textbook pages. Thank you summer. I can't wait for our family vacation in a few weeks! Oh, and graduation! Life just doesn't stop :)

ps. as of today I am a proud owner of a vacuum. I never thought I would be excited about something like that... oh well, I guess it's better to be happy about appliances than not!

I'm feeling very domestic

I came home from school today and all I wanted to do was domesticy things! Now this may or may not be a result of my lack of desire to do homework, but it also stemmed from walking into a... less than clean welcoming apartment. Let me tell you... one and a half hours later, decluttering galore, the smell of fresh-baked lemon poppy seed muffins and I am FEELING GOOD! Oh, and I am also doing laundry and have the dishwasher going. Oh yeah. Domestic

I just sat here on the couch, looked around, and gave a big sigh of relief. Too bad I don't feel this way more often.