Easy Holiday Desert | Pumpkin Harvest Chex Mix Recipe | $10 Giveaway

Looking for a last minute sweet treat for your holiday entertaining that is sure to WOW your loved ones? This pumpkin harvest Chex mix (complete with pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, and pecans) is the perfect pre-dinner snack to get the party started tomorrow night! I don't know about you, but I absolutely love snacking before the main event. In fact... I think I might even like it more than the dinner itself. With plenty of savory options already covered at my family get together, I was tasked with finding a sweet treat to please. I found this recipe and I knew it would be perfect.

All it took was one quick trip to WinCo and I had all I needed! My love for that store is no secret to anyone who knows me. They have the best prices and their bulk foods section rivals that of any so-called "health food or natural store" (think Whole Foods) but at a fraction of the cost! They're even cheaper than Costco. I'm not sure how they do it, but I'm certainly not complaining. Click this link for Winco Chex & Betty Crocker Coupons and a chance to win a $100 gift card!


I made this last night in the slow cooker and it has already been a huge hit with my family. I might actually have to make it again because we have already eaten almost the entire batch. We just can't keep out of it. It's a good "problem" to have.

Recipe adapted from Betty Crocker.

Slow Cooker Pumpkin Harvest Chex Mix

What You Need:

2 cups Cinnamon Chex
2 cups Corn Chex
3 cups Vanilla Chex
1 cup Pecans (chopped or whole)
2 cups mini graham crackers (I couldn't find minis so I broke regular sized ones into small pieces)
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
3/4 cup butter, melted
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1 1/4 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Directions:

1. In your slow cooker stir together the cereals, pecans, graham crackers, dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds.

2. In a small bowl mix together melted butter, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice and vanilla. Stir until well combined. Pour over the cereal mixture; stir (gently so you don't break the cereal pieces) until evenly coated.

3. Cook uncovered on high heat setting for 2 hours, stirring every 15 to 20 minutes

4. Spread cereal mixture on ungreased cookie sheet or waxed paper. Cool 3 to 5 minutes before serving. 

$10 GIVEAWAY 

And lastly I've partnered with WinCo, Betty Crocker, and Chex and I'm giving one lucky follower an opportunity to win $10 in Paypal cash. This giveaway will go for one week and the winner will be notified via email. Good luck! And Happy Thanksgiving!

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

This post is sponsored by Chex & Betty Crocker but the content and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Easy Pumpkin Hot Chocolate Recipe

When I was younger, I made the connection that my name and the title of the third season of the year were the same. With my rather large imagination and ego, I assumed that this had grand implications. Every time I would see a tree with vibrant autumn colors, I would confidently tell people that it was my tree. Naturally, everything related to the season belonged to me. Even though my self-proclaimed ownership of all things fall subsided as I got older and realized my name was simply something my mom thought sounded cute (not the mark of a noble birthright), my love for autumn remains. It's still my favorite season.

Well, fall is in full swing around here and I couldn't be happier. Our porch is covered in pumpkins (a post detailing our pumpkin patch adventure coming soon) I have my autumn wreath on the door, and our Halloween costumes are coming along nicely. Plus, the weather has been splendidly chilly, allowing me to wear my favorite fashions. I'm a happy woman.

With these events in mind, the drink featured above seemed like the appropriate beverage of choice the other night when we had some friends over. Nothing says autumn like pumpkin spice, and the combination with chocolate is quite heavenly. Luckily, for those of you who are strapped for time this particular recipe goes together quickly:

Pumpkin Hot Chocolate
Recipe adapted from The Frugal Navy Wife- makes 4 one cup servings

Ingredients

-1/2 Cup of Pumpkin Puree
-4 Tablespoons of Brown Sugar
-4 Tablespoons of Whipping Cream
-1/4 Teaspoon of Pumpkin Pie Spice
-1/2 Cup of Hershey Cocoa (add more to taste if desired)
-4 cups of Milk
-Whipped Cream or Marshmallows (or both!) for a topping

Directions 

Whisk all ingredients (except whipped cream and marshmallows) together in a sauce pan over low to medium heat until you reach the desired temperature. (Note: don't let it boil rapidly, this can curdle the milk) Pour the hot chocolate evenly into four mugs and add your desired toppings.

Enjoy, and let me know what you think! 

Whipped Cinnamon Pumpkin Honey Butter & Homemade Rolls

For us Mormons,  conference weekend took place this past weekend. You may have noticed an increase in posts (or a flood of them depending on how many Mormons you follow) from LDS people with hashtags such as #LDSconf and quotes from #Elder or #Sister so and so. Basically, twice a year (in April and October to be exact) all of the leadership of the church--both male and female--gather in Salt Lake and select speakers address a live congregation and Mormons everywhere. Their talks are broadcast through various media outlets throughout the world, and many members are able to watch in the comfort of their own living rooms. Most notably, the Prophet and his Apostles address believers, giving talks on issues and topics relevant to our current day.

A major belief that sets Mormons apart from other Christians is the idea that, like in times of old, we have a prophet--Thomas S. Monson. He is designated as the head (or President) of the church, and receives direct, modern-day revelation from God. The same organization that Christ created during his mortal ministry--i.e. a prophet, apostles, seventies, etc.-- exists in the Mormon church, and we believe that the heavens are indeed open and that God does speak to his servants. And, General Conference is a specific time designated for us to hear the Lord's words through his chosen vessels.

So, hopefully that helps put things into perspective if you've seen all the Mormon bloggers posting pictures of themselves lounging in their pajamas and talking about how much they love #PresMonson.

If you're curious and interested in viewing any of it for yourself, you can go here to select talks or watch entire sessions.

Like many, we also stayed home and watched conference on our own comfy couch today. And, yesterday I finally bought a bread maker (a purchase I've been wanting to make for awhile now) so while we watched conference I threw some rolls together and literally whipped up some cinnamon pumpkin honey butter to accompany them. The rolls turned out perfectly, and the fall-inspired butter was a wonderful compliment to our cozy Saturday spent indoors.

Even my pickiest of little eaters, Miss Klair Marie, gobbled the rolls and butter up. I was elated to say the least.

So, here are my recipes. The Bread Machine significantly helped the process of making rolls, and the pumpkin butter literally came together in minutes. I felt like a rock star homemaker kind of mom, but my actual effort was pretty minimal--the best possible cooking scenario if you ask me.

Also, this pumpkin honey butter would make an excellent gift for the holidays! Just put it in a mason jar with some cute twine or ribbon and you'll look like a Martha Stewart protege, certainly bringing smiles to the faces of your recipients.

Okay, Recipes:

Perfect Bread Machine Rolls

http://www.food.com/recipe/buttery-bread-machine-rolls-65340

*Note: I live at a high altitude, and this recipe turned out wonderfully

Whipped Cinnamon Pumpkin Butter
(this recipe is adapted from The Kitchen McCabe)

Ingredients:

2 sticks of Butter (1 C. or 8 oz.), softened (to soften butter from the fridge microwave for 9-12 seconds)
3/4 teaspoon of Cinnamon (I decreased this to a 1/2 teaspoon, it simply depends on how strong you want the cinnamon flavor to be)
6 tablespoons Pumpkin Puree
4 tablespoons Honey
1 teaspoon Vanilla

Instructions:

1. Beat the softened butter with an electric mixer until smooth.
2. Add the cinnamon and 1 Tablespoon of the pumpkin puree. Beat until well combined. Continue beating, adding 1 Tablespoon of pumpkin puree every 30 seconds.
3. Add the honey and vanilla and beat until thick and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
4. Keep refrigerated in a sealed container.

If you're craving something that tastes like fall, this recipe is perfect. Enjoy on rolls, muffins, toast, croissants, bagels, etc.

...

What are some of your favorite recipes for fall? I've recently filled up my Pinterest board with recipes I want to try. Something about the colder weather demands cooking and baking. 

Basically, I'm feeling inspired. 

Expect lots of food posts in the weeks to come!