Baking, Baking, and More Baking

I apologize for my absence these past couple of days, and though I have no real excuse for my lack of recent blog posts, I do have some sweet treats to share with you guys. That's pretty much what I have been doing these past few days, and though I love having nothing that I absolutely have to do, I am actually excited for classes to start again so I can get back into a routine of class, studying, working out, Young Life, and a little bit of fun thrown into the mix. I am sure I will regret that statement in approximately six days when I am handed five different syllabi outlining due dates and test dates, but for now, I am ready to start the new semester!

Am I really ready for this to start up again?

There is nothing too exciting to report on the workout front, mostly because after doing a workout that consisted of 100 burpees on Tuesday, I was too sore to attend Felipe's Wednesday morning spinning class, as I had originally planned. I might have been a little intimidated by the intensity of the class as well, but we'll chalk it up to soreness. I have substituted intense cardio with quite a bit of swimming, and I eventually came to the realization that I have spent more time in a one-piece this summer than I have in a two-piece. I also got a little too excited over a $27 bathing suit purchase that was originally priced at $74. I never feel too bad about buying workout-related things, though, because it's not as if they aren't put to good use!

Anyway, I will move on to the more exciting aspects of my week at home - trying out new Pinterest recipes! Though I have yet to make any progress on the cooking front, I have created quite a few sweet-tooth satisfying concoctions.

First up, a little something for me to enjoy, as I don't often get to enjoy my creations due to the use of butter, milk, or chocolate, but this muffin recipe was one in which I could indulge. Using a recipe from Carrots 'n' Cake, I created a recipe that made me very excited for fall: Pumpkin-Walnut Muffins. Though it's not important to me, these muffins are also paleo and gluten-free!

They were easy to make and they taste wonderful - I eat a couple for breakfast and I snack on them throughout the day. It is about time for me to make another round of them! The only thing I will say is that almond meal is hard to come by, and when you do come by it, it is pretty darn expensive - I will be sure to use every last bit!

My family found the muffins a little weird, but they did enjoy my homemade Reese's peanut butter cups, recipe via Blue-Eyed Bakers.

These, too, were very easy to make - not even requiring me to put them in the oven. Now that's my kind of baking! I was assured that they truly tasted like a Reese's peanut butter cup, and to justify eating so many of them, they might just be a little bit healthier than the Hershey's brand!

The other night, my brother scarfed down about six cinnamon rolls after football practice, so after browsing my Pinterest boards and coming across a recipe for cinnamon roll cookie bars from Best-Friends for Frosting, I decided to give them, and the frosting, a go.

My house smelled like Cinnabon for hours, and my grandma especially sang their praises, eating four of them in one day (which for her, is quite the accomplishment).

I put the baking supplies away for the day and brought them out again this morning when I couldn't get a recipe for puppy chow cookies off my mind. For those of you who haven't tried puppy chow, please, grab some chocolate, peanut butter, Chex cereal, and powdered sugar and mix it all together to create my favorite Christmas-time (or anytime) recipe. I promise you won't regret it.

The recipe that inspired the cookie

 Needless to say, I am a huge puppy chow fan, so when I saw this recipe for puppy chow cookies, I knew I had to make them. They ended up being one of the harder (aka messier) recipes I have ever tried, but the end result was definitely a hit. I think I may have found myself a new Christmas-time recipe!

Because I wasn't sure how these puppy chow cookies were going to turn out, after putting the first batch in the oven and having quite a bit of peanut butter cookie dough left over, I threw in some Reese's peanut butter chips as well as some chocolate chips to end up with some shamefully easy, but extremely delectable, peanut butter chocolate chip cookies.

Tomorrow's baking adventure will feature whatever dessert my little brother wants, as he is currently experiencing the joy of the Memorial City Emergency Room as he waits on the results of what we think might be a broken collar bone. He landed on it funny during football practice tonight, so say a little prayer for him to stay strong no matter what those results may say. Everything happens for a reason, no matter how hard it is to believe, and I know that something good will come of this. Love you, little bro!