The Little Things Newsletter #434 – Life, laughter, and lots of great food!

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Welcome to the weekend, my friends! Boy, did it ever get hot again here in Ohio. I’m ready for rain – and a whole lot of it. In the meantime, I’m pretending that fall has already arrived. I’m cleaning my closet this weekend and setting out sweaters and jeans with hope of wearing them soon.

ON THE BLOGS THIS WEEK: Ground beef stroganoff puts a new spin on the classic dish. Easy and fast enough for any weeknight, this stroganoff tastes every bit as good as the original–maybe even better! This recipe has all the ingredients that we love from classic beef stroganoff combined for a quick and easy weeknight-friendly meal.

A picky eater approved spinach and banana smoothie is a delicious and easy way to pack more vegetables into your daily diet. These tasty smoothies deliver mega nutrition with minimal effort.

These honey garlic lemon pepper chicken thighs earned thumbs up around the table from my boys – and they’re already on our meal plan again.

Sliced, smashed, drizzled with butter, sprinkled with herbs and spices, and then topped with Parmesan, these smashed sweet potatoes are perfection.

Tender and moist, richly flavored with vanilla and cream cheese, this old-fashioned pound cake recipe is about to become a favorite in your kitchen!

Whoever said you can have too much of a good thing clearly never had a bite of these cheesecake cookie bars. Gooey caramel and buttery toffee stud the ultimate cookie bar with a perfect layer of creamy cold cheesecake in the center.

Creamy, rich vanilla ice cream is swirled with handfuls of colorful sweet sprinkles to make this homemade sprinkles ice cream. Each bowl is colorful, sweet, and fun to eat!

What I’m READING: Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep by Matthew Walker. This book is detailed and scientific throughout and it turned out to be a fascinating read on the importance of sleep.

Takeaway quote from this book: “I was once fond of saying, ‘Sleep is the third pillar of good health, alongside diet and exercise.’ I have changed my tune. Sleep is more than a pillar; it is the foundation on which the other two health bastions sit. Take away the bedrock of sleep, or weaken it just a little, and careful eating or physical exercise become less than effective, as we shall see.”

What I’m LISTENING to:

Healthy Pumpkin Oatmeal Mug Cake

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Healthy Pumpkin Oatmeal Mug Cake

a photo of a pumpkin mug cake baked and topped with a dollop of whipped cream

Satisfy your pumpkin cravings with this easy and guilt-free mug cake recipe. Made with protein powder, oats and other wholesome ingredients, this pumpkin mug cake is the perfect quick and healthy treat!

This baked oatmeal recipe can be a quick and healthy breakfast or a sweet dessert at night. We add protein powder so you get over 20 grams of protein and it’s naturally gluten-free.

I have been experimenting with these baked oatmeal mug cakes. We have peanut butter mug cake and a chocolate chip cookie version. They are one of my new favorite ways to kick off my day with a protein packed breakfast!

Ingredients for Pumpkin Mug Cake

You only need 7 ingredients to make this pumpkin mug cake recipe. I’m going to briefly review each ingredient here. Keep scrolling down to the recipe card for all the measurements.

  • Old-Fashioned Oats: We like the texture of old fashioned oats, but you could use quick oats or even oat flour.
  • Milk: You can use any type of milk you want. You could even use almond milk or oat milk if you want to keep it dairy-free.
  • Baking Powder: This will give your cake its rise and fluffiness.
  • Vanilla Protein Powder: It’s much more common for people to have vanilla protein powder but if you have pumpkin protein powder, that’s even better. Any brand works great! We have been loving Just Ingredients lately!
  • Brown Sugar: adds a little sweetness, and can be substituted with honey or maple syrup if you want a natural sweetener
  • Pumpkin Pie Spice: adds all those warm pumpkin pie flavors you love including cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice and nutmeg
  • Pumpkin Puree: Be sure you get pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling.

Variations and Mix-Ins

Just like with a classic pumpkin pie, I love this pumpkin pie mug cake with a dollop of whipped cream on top and a little sprinkle of extra cinnamon. You can also add other mix-ins or toppings. Here are few ideas:

  • Chocolate Chips
  • Pecans
  • Dried Fruit – raisins, craisins, etc.
  • Cinnamon Chips
  • Walnuts
  • Nutella
  • Nut Butter

How to Make a Pumpkin Mug Cake

The steps for making this baked oatmeal mug cake are simple!

  1. Prep: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Blend: Add the ingredients to a blender and blend until it is smooth. It will be a thick batter.
    • Optional: Stir in whatever mix-ins you are adding (see ideas below).
  3. Pour: Pour the batter into an oven-sa

Sprinkles Ice Cream

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Creamy, rich vanilla ice cream is swirled with handfuls of colorful sweet sprinkles to make this homemade sprinkles ice cream.

ice cream with sprinkles in small white bowl next to pink and white napkin

Sprinkles Ice Cream

Oh, sprinkles, I’ve come full circle. I love you now. The difference between good sprinkles and the waxy plastic-y tasting years-old sprinkles from grandma’s baking cupboard can not be overstated.

The first time I tasted quality sprinkles, I think my jaw may have actually dropped. It turns out that good sprinkles should taste like little bits of frosting. They’ll melt in your mouth and have their own unique sweet flavor. They’re worth every penny and they’re now a staple in my pantry.

Swirled into creamy homemade ice cream, sprinkles ice cream is a treat that is a hit with both kids and adults. Each bowl is colorful, sweet, and fun to eat!

white ice cream scoop in container of ice cream on wooden table

Ever since I made Birthday Cake Ice Cream earlier this year, I’ve been a wee bit obsessed with sprinkles. Prior to making that ice cream, I don’t remember the last time I tasted a funfetti cake topped with sprinkles frosting.

And let me tell you, that cake was a taste bud time machine straight bac

The Best Cheesecake Cookie Bars

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Whoever said you can have too much of a good thing clearly never had a bite of the best cheesecake cookie bars. Gooey caramel and buttery toffee stud the ultimate cookie bar with a perfect layer of creamy cold cheesecake in the center.

stacked cookie bars with black and white napkin

No joke, my friends, these bars are amazing. I know better than to make them when I’ll be left alone with the whole pan. They’re an awesome potluck or party treat, perfect for sharing with friends.

I’ve included instructions on how to make these cheesecake bars gluten free if you need or want to. I can honestly tell you these taste just as good when gluten free!

I have quite a few desserts that are naturally gluten-free or are easily modified to be gluten-free here. Check out all of the Gluten Free Dessert Recipes on this website.

While your cheesecake bars are baking, you may want to whip up a quick Cafe con Leche to sip once your sweet snack is complete. Or if you’re more of a tea lover, try out this Homemade Chai.

Cooking bars sliced on parchment

To make this recipe, you’ll need the following ingredients:

The Little Things Newsletter #433 – Life, laughter, and lots of great food!

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Welcome to the weekend, my friends! Good morning, good morning, GOOD morning!! This weather has me in a glorious mood today. I’m headed to yoga now and planning a lovely long walk or hike for this afternoon. Bring on all the fall weather!

ON THE BLOGS THIS WEEK: French toast is always a fun weekend treat and you’re going to love this cheesecake stuffed french toast topped with a warm berry sauce. Even though this looks fancy, all the components are simple and you can have it on the table in about 30 minutes.

Try a fun seafood twist on classic chicken piccata with this Shrimp Piccata. It’s a bright, savory dish full of zesty flavors in a buttery lemon wine sauce! This recipe is a solid gold keeper. Straight out of Holly Nilsson’s fantastic new cookbook, Everyday Comfort, this dish called my name as soon as I laid eyes on the recipe – and it did not disappoint.

Plump, juicy blackberries are muddled with fragrant fresh mint to form the base of this irresistibly beautiful and refreshing Blackberry Bourbon Smash. This is a cocktail so gorgeous it’s hard to believe it’s so easy to make!

One of the most popular party snacks we make is Spinach Artichoke Dip. It’s a classic appetizer that pretty much everyone enjoys, and depending on the crowd, you’ll be lucky if you have a single bite left over.

This Garden Vegetable Soup is absolutely exploding with all sorts of fabulously fresh taste. Every spoonful is brimming with wonderful veggies!

Glazed, delicately almond-scented, cake-like Cherry Cookies are pretty darned irresistible. These fluffy, chewy cookies are a sweet treat that goes great with a cup of tea or coffee.

If you love Whoppers or chocolate malted milk balls, you’re going to go wild for this Chocolate Malted Crunch Ice Cream. This old-fashioned chocolate malt ice cream gets a little extra boost of fun from chopped malted milk balls.

My FAVORITE THINGS this week are my wireless earbuds. My whole family has these earbuds and they’re the best ever for road trips, for every day, for exercise, for everything. (I just looked up our first purchase and these have been going strong for 3 years now.) It still impresses me just how inexpensive they are considering how well they perf

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