CSN Stores Review coming up!

CSN Stores has once again asked me to try a product from their stores and share my review with y'all. If you've never heard of CSN Stores, you need to check them out. Seriously.

CSN Stores has over 200 online shops where you can purchase anything from beautiful wardrobes to chic lighting pieces to children's furniture.

But here's the dilemma. There are so many wonderful products to choose from that I'm having a hard time narrowing down my choice.

Should I try out a new crockpot? Cause I love cooking with a crockpot!



Or maybe some new mixing bowls with spouts for easy pouring?


Or a new kitchen clock?


CSN Stores truly has something for everyone!

By the way, Simply Stacie is hosting a CSN Stores giveaway, so head over there for a chance to win! You might be able to get some wonderful products for yourself!

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Fall is in full swing now that the temperatures have cooled. Last week we broke records for high temps in the 90's! Yesterday it rained and there was a dramatic change in the air. Still, nothing says fall to me like apples.

This recipe is my go-to muffin recipe. It's easy and quick. I use it for blueberry muffins, bacon and cheddar muffins, even chocolate chip muffins. This go around I'm using it to showcase my favorite fall treat - apples!

Here's what you need:

2 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
3 teas baking powder
1/2 teas salt
1 cup milk
1 egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 cup of mix-ins - in this case, chopped apples

In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Since I'm making apple cinnamon muffins, I added 1 teas cinnamon to the flour mixture.

In another small bowl, combine the milk, egg, and oil. Stir this into the flour mixture just until moistened. The trick to great muffins is to not overmix. Just until moistened, okay?

Now stir in your chopped apples. The batter will be thick and lumpy. That's exactly how you want it! Spoon into greased or paper-lined muffin cups. Bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.


If you want a little more sweetness, combine brown sugar with cinnamon and sprinkle over the top before baking.

Menu Plan Monday September 26- October 2

It's going to be an extremely busy week, so I'm sticking with some simple family favorites. My in-laws are coming so my father-in-law can help hubby install a tile floor in our kitchen! Yay! I'm getting a new floor!

Here's the plan:

Sunday
Pizza pasta, homemade bread

Monday
Chinese chicken, rice

Tuesday
Sausage veggie calzones

Wednesday
Lentil rice burritos

Thursday
Toscano soup, salad

Friday
Chicken fingers at a Fall Festival

Saturday
Turkey, green beans, potatoes

For more meal planning inspiration, visit Organizing Junkie's Menu Plan Monday.

Oatmeal Pancakes

I love pancakes. Pancakes for breakfast, breakfast for lunch, and especially pancakes for dinner. Fortunately, my family loves them, too. Sometimes I add blueberries, sometimes chocolate chips. Now I add oatmeal.

Oatmeal, you ask? Yes. The addition of oats gives the pancakes a hearty texture and a boost of nutrition. And the pancakes keep you filled up longer. What's not to like about that?

Here's what you need:

1/2 cup unbleached white flour
1/2 cup wheat flour (you can use whole wheat or white wheat)
1 cup quick cooking oats
2 TBSP sugar
2 teas baking powder
1 teas baking soda
1 teas salt
1/2 teas cinnamon
1 3/4 cup milk
2 teas vanilla
1/4 vegetable oil
2 eggs

In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine the milk, vanilla, oil and eggs until well blended. Stir into the oat mixture.

Using a 1/4 cup measuring cup, scoop the batter onto a lightly greased, heated griddle or frying pan. Cook until done on both sides. Serve hot with syrup or applesauce.

Pumpkin Butterscotch Muffins

It's fall, so time to bring on the pumpkin! Only I'm sure you've noticed, there's hardly a can of pumpkin to be found at the grocery store. That's because of the Pumpkin Shortage of 2009. I read about the poor harvest last year and stocked up during Thanksgiving and Christmas, so I still have a couple of cans. Hopefully this year's crop will be better and canned pumpkin will reach store shelves within the next month or so!

Update on 9/27/10 - Canned pumpkin spotted at WalMart!

If you're fortunate enough to have some canned pumpkin, here's a great recipe to try. You'll need:

1 cup unbleached white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup sugar (I use turbinado)
1 teas cinnamon
1 teas baking soda
1/2 teas salt
1/2 teas ground ginger
1/2 teas nutmeg
1/4 teas baking powder
1/2 cup melted butter or vegetable oil
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 eggs
1 cup butterscotch chips

In a bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. In another bowl, whisk together the butter, pumpkin, and eggs.


Mix the flour mixture and pumpkin mixture together. Stir in the butterscotch chips. The batter will be thick.


Divide the batter among 12 paper-lined muffin cups. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.


I've also used the batter to make mini-muffins. Lower the oven temp to 350 and bake for 10-12 minutes.

For more great recipes, visit Blessed with Grace's Tempt My Tummy Tuesday.

Pear Butter

We have a wonderful pear tree in our back yard. And my husband graciously spent time on Saturday picking some for us. You can't see it, but he's up on a step ladder in this picture.


I've never been a fan of pears, honestly. I didn't care for the gritty texture. When I was a kid, my mom would pack those little cans of fruit cocktail in my school lunch, and I'd eat everything but the pears.

These pears are different. I can't remember what variety they are, but they're very, very sweet and barely gritty at all. For the first time in my life, I enjoy eating pears! Apparently, this little turtle guy does, too. The kids found him under the tree, feasting on the pears that had already fallen to the ground.


Since I've never been a fan of pears, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with the bountiful harvest. We passed some on to friends and neighbors, but had (and still have) a bunch left!


Then I hit on the idea of pear butter! I've made apple butter before, so I knew I could do it. And I made it even simpler by cooking the pears in the crockpot!

Here's the very simple recipe I used:

40 medium pears, peeled and diced (this took forever!)
1 cup sugar (less if your pears are sweet like mine)
2 teas cinnamon

Layer about half the pears in the crockpot. Sprinkle with half the sugar and 1 teas of cinnamon. Repeat layers. Cover and cook on low until the pears are mushy. This took about 5 hours. Stir a couple of times so the pears don't burn.

When the pears are very, very tender, use a potato masher to break them up. If you have an immersible stick blender, just put it in the pot and blend until smooth. Otherwise, put the mashed pears in a blender in batches and blend until smooth. Of course, if you prefer chunky pear butter, just skip the blender step all together.

Allow the pear butter to cool, then ladle into freezer jars. I got six 8-oz jars out of this recipe, with a little left over to eat on homemade bread. And let me tell you, that is the best way to eat pear butter!


For more yummy recipes, visit Blessed with Grace's Tempt My Tummy Tuesday.

Menu Plan Monday September 19-25

September is just flying by! It's hard to believe we're in the double digits 'til Christmas now. Yep! Only 96 days until my favorite holiday.

This week we're going to take a little mini-vacation and go to Chattanooga for sushi on Friday, then to an amusement park on Saturday. Whoo hoo! Has anyone ever been to Lake Winnie in Georgia? Got any tips?

Here's the plan for this week:

Sunday
Bacon Cheddar Chicken, mashed potatoes

Monday
Quesadillas

Tuesday
Chicken fingers, green beans

Wednesday
Beef and broccoli, rice

Thursday
Potato soup, cheesy biscuit bites

Friday
Sushi in Chattanooga

Saturday
Lake Winnepesaukah

For more meal planning inspiration, visit Organizing Junkie's Menu Plan Monday. You'll be surprised at how much meal planning can help you stick to a budget and reduce your stress when mealtime rolls around!