Dear Officer, I See You.

Written by Elizabeth Shiftwell and posted on December 28, 2014 by Humanizing the Badge

Dear Officer,

I want you to know that I see you.

I see you choose the booth in the restaurant that allows you to have your back against the wall. I see you walking to your next traffic stop while you hope that it isn't your last. I see you pulled over, two hours past your shift, as you finish your reports under a street light. I see you as you direct traffic in the scorching heat, the gusting snow, and the downpour of rain. I see you being filmed every time you try to do your job. I see you as you watch mainstream media crucify your character while minimizing your cause. I see that you are tired. I see that you are frustrated and misunderstood. I see that you are hurting as the world watches you bury your brothers and sisters that died because they were guilty of one thing: wearing a uniform with a badge. I see you. I see that you are flesh and bones just like me. I see that you are a human being who has a heart that beats for your calling to serve and protect. I see your cause and I want you to know that I appreciate it.

I hear you. I hear the sound of the garage door open after a long night of consistent tragedy. I hear the sounds of your heavy footsteps and I can instantly tell what kind of day it has been for you. I hear the sound of your duty belt hit the kitchen table as you relieve your back from the 30 extra pounds you’ve been carrying all day. I recognize the sound of Velcro as you unstrap your body armor and your work boots. I hear the sound of the refrigerator open as you rummage for leftovers. You’re starving because you often go without breaks and without meals for an entire shift. I hear the sound of your little boy’s bedroom door open as you enter his room. I hear the sound of you kissing his cheek and whispering that you love him. I hear the sound of your heartbeat as you choose to not share your day because you know that it will only scare me. And even though you do not speak, I still hear you. I still know that something happened on your shift that has broken your heart.

I feel you. I feel the difference in the way you hug me before you leave to go to the grocery store and the way you hug me before you leave for one more night on your beat. I feel the grip of your hand as they wheel you back to surgery to fix an injury you have sustained on the job. I feel the wetness of your tears as you try to make sense of the tiny life that was taken by the hands of her parents. I feel the sigh of relief when you see your little boy running towards you after you’ve experienced too much darkness in the world. I feel the sinking of your morale as you watch a very vocal and sparse opposition flood social media with their misplaced passion for their idea of justice. I feel the way you look at me as you read that one more of your brothers or sisters have fallen victim to a hate crime. We both know that it could be our family at any given moment.

I need you. We need you. America needs you. I know that the world isn’t making it any easier for you to wake up with the same passion you had when you first started. I know the world is making it extremely difficult for you to feel like anyone is on your side. I know the world is making you feel like the only allies you have can only be found in each other. I know that it is becoming increasingly more difficult to put your life on the line for a world that has seemingly turned their backs on you. But, I also know that won’t stop you. What the world seems to forget is that you don’t suit up every day for their approval. You don’t put your life on the line so people will sing your praises from the mountain tops. God knows you don’t do it for the money. You do it because it’s your calling. You do it for the generations to come. You do it for the safety of those who do not have the means to protect themselves. You do it because you believe that you can help goodness persevere in the face of evil. You’ve chosen to be a warrior and warriors don’t hang up their hats because of the opinion of someone else.

I wish I knew how to fix it. The only thing I know how to do is support you. I’m aware that there isn’t a magic solution that will make the world see you for who you are; the amazing men and women in blue. I just want you to know that I see you. I need you to know that you are appreciated by a vast majority who is in your corner. I need you to know that you aren’t alone. I need you to feel the presence of those who love and support you. We are rallied behind you and ready to defend your character at any given moment. You are honorable. You are courageous. You are worthy of a nation’s support.

We see you. We need you. We love you. Thank you for your service. Thank you for your sacrifice. Thank you for getting up again today to protect my family. You are undeniably my heroes. I love you all.

♥

Photo from FB page: Humanizing the Badge

Photo from FB page: Humanizing the Badge

My photo: Week #4 w/ my foot in a cast

Happy Mother's Day!

This isn't a typical AHOP post, but I am especially missing and thinking of my own mother this Mother's Day weekend.

My mom left me relatively early in my life. I was barely 32-years-old. Some girls lose their moms earlier than that, so I guess I should feel fortunate to have had her with me as long as I did, but I feel cheated sometimes....I wasn't ready for her to go. But her health was bad and it really was best for her. I just miss her. 

Since mom's passing in 1990, I have been blessed with several women in my life who are 'like a mother.'  I love them for it and feel so fortunate that they love me enough to consider me 'like a daughter.'  

My mom loved to read the bible. And she didn't just read it, she studied it like a theology professor. She used to type her favorite scriptures on little pieces of paper and would tuck them away in her bible. She gave me a few of them to refer to throughout my life. 

Several years had passed after my move to Charlotte in 1991 when I was going through a hard time (which isn't unusual when you're by yourself.) One Saturday I was cleaning out my closet and I saw a little slip of paper on the closet floor...it must of fallen out of a box. And right in the middle of whatever my little crisis was at the time, I found this:
 

You might call it a coincidence. I like to call it a miracle. 

Mom was still comforting me. This is now in a place where I see it often. I seem to need it more often. Life is not always kind and it can be down right cruel sometimes. I especially love this because it is from her typewriter, long before computers. After I married in 1977 and flew the coop, she turned my bedroom into a little office (celery green shag carpet and all!) I can still hear those typewriter keys pecking away.

I believe this is the only scripture that survived a few moves, however, I wouldn't put it passed my mom to place another in my path when I'm going through another crisis, and I can assure you there will be another. And if it's not in paper next time, I will hear her still small sweet voice in my head and she will comfort me again.

"Everything I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my darling mother."

Thanks Mom...I love you.   

♥

A hiatus for AHOP....

On April 24 I had foot surgery, so my kitchen is temporarily closed -- at least until mid-June. No cream puffs and no dinners for a while. I took care of the troops before my surgery though...lots of cream puff deliveries direct to the stations: South, Hickory Grove, Metro and Eastway.

I'm in this ugly non-weight bearing fiberglass cast for six weeks and I'm happy to say I have almost two weeks behind me.  :o)

With all the time I have on my hands waiting for my foot to heal, I came across this ingenious way to shred hot chicken. It was truly one of those 'why didn't I think of that?' moments.

After I saw this video, I started searching YouTube and there are a lot of videos on YouTube where people used their Kitchen Aid stand mixers. I thought this method (with the hand mixer) produced longer shreds of chicken, but check out the Kitchen Aid methods on YouTube and see which method you prefer.

Shredding Chicken the Easy Way

Source: Facebook (John Wiersma - April 30, 2015)

I hope this saves you a lot of time in the kitchen -- no more burned fingers -- and delicious chicken salad sandwiches or BBQ.

You can thank me later.  :o)

♥

#ourfavoritecreampufflady

Last Saturday night was my first night at the gift shop in about four weeks. It wasn't a planned break. Just too much going on at work. Depending on how my work week goes, sometimes I just can't muster up the energy to make cream puffs...and I can't go empty-handed now! My body was telling me to rest, so I did.

The cream puffs disappeared as fast as I
was putting them on the plate.  

Judging by the steady stream of Po-Po's and 911 communication staff who stopped by to visit and say hello, I think they missed me as much as I missed them. I arrived a little earlier than usual hoping to catch a few 2nd shifters and I did!

A few officers stopped by who I hadn't seen in a while. I loved the grin on their faces as they rounded the corner of the gift shop (holding a cream puff). It was almost as if they were trying to surprise me. Well, they did! I was so happy to see everyone.

At the end of the evening, there were about eight (8) powder sugar puffs left (all the chocolate ones were gone), so I boxed them up and took them upstairs to the communications team. Miss Mary was working, the supervisor responsible for me volunteering in the gift shop. I wouldn't have known about it if not for her.

She hugged me when she saw me and said she wanted to take a 'selfie' with me. She posted our picture on Facebook, and paid me the ultimate compliment. She gave me my own hashtag. I have my own hashtag...how cool is that!

#ourfavoritecreampufflady

And check this out...FINALLY, a picture with an officer!! I have only waited 5 years for a photo op. I keep telling these guys..."I need pictures! My friends think I'm making you up!" I don't go on about it out of respect for their privacy, but it makes me sad I don't have any pictures with my friends. It was very sweet of this officer to agree.  

Maybe absence really does make the heart grow fonder. Whether it was me they missed or my cream puffs (maybe a little of both), it was a fun night! As long as my puffs are enjoyed by the officers all across the Queen City, I will happily and forever be....#ourfavoritecreampufflady.  

♥

A special delivery to the crew at Station 2....

Friday night I was working my part-time job at Hallmark when a couple came to my register to pay for their purchase. The gentleman was wearing a fireman's t-shirt, but not always are people really who they appear to be, so I asked him if he was a fireman. Well, not only was he a real fireman, he was the Captain at Station 2.

Station 2 is located in Charlotte's historic Dilworth neighborhood.

I introduced myself and shared a little about how I serve the CMPD. I asked the Captain when he worked next and said a guaranteed box of cream puffs were on the way.  

So tonight, Tuesday, I made 'the drop'! The Captain was off-site assisting another station, so I missed seeing him, but I had the nicest visit with three crew members. They were very kind and made me feel welcome.  

And these sweet guys gave AHOP a photo op!! I have been cooking breakfast, dinner, and making cream puffs for almost five years and have yet to snag a photo with the CMPD troops. I cannot tell you how happy I was to get this. Thank you guys....from the bottom of my heart!  

♥

The truck we are standing in front of is brand spankin' new....I was a little bummed that I didn't take a picture of it by itself. It was beautiful! Oh well, I guess I'll just have to go back. :)

Picture credit: CFD photo

Picture credit: CFD photo

A lady named Miss Carrie....

Miss Carrie Cole

Sadly, our paths would never cross, yet Miss Carrie and I share something rather unique in common....we both love to cook for our CMPD friends in blue.

When I hosted my first dinner in December 2009, I had never heard of Miss Carrie. It happened to be my birthday that day, but I didn't let on. Without question, it was (and still is) my best birthday ever! That was over 4-1/2 years  ago and I remember it like it was yesterday. I guess that's because I was so nervous. I wasn't sure if anyone would come, but four officers stopped by that first night. 

A second dinner would soon follow in February 2010, and then another in April and May, and then breakfast started in June 2010 for first shift every other Saturday.

It didn't take long for Miss Carrie's name to come up in conversation. I could see a smile in the eyes of every officer who mentioned her name, as if they were remembering.

I am not a (real) cook like I think Miss Carrie was. I am limited on what I can cook because there are a lot foods that I do not like. How can you cook something if you don't know what it's supposed to taste like? So I stick to the kind of meals that you might find on a 'Blue Plate Special' like chicken pot pie, spaghetti, lasagna, meat loaf and pot roast -- the traditional 'comfort food'.

Over the years I have gotten to know which officers don't like tomatoes; some don't like peas; one officer doesn't eat pork. It is the cutest thing. Cooking for these officers really is like cooking for a real family and I try to be accommodating. When I sent an email out about my last Chicken Pot Pie dinner, I made a special point to say 'NO PEAS!"

Miss Carrie cooked Sunday meals for the CMPD for nearly 20 years. I have heard about Miss Carrie's fried chicken and wish she was here to show me how to make it the way she did.

Miss Carrie passed away December 22, 2004. If I could tell Miss Carrie's family one thing, I would want them to know how often I hear her name from my friends. Her memory is still very much alive in their hearts. The above picture of her hangs in the hallway at the CMPD Police Academy. Clearly she was loved by so many officers and by the Department.

Even though I never knew Miss Carrie, I think of her often. She is probably too busy and happy in Heaven to look down on us, but if she does, I hope she can see her friends are well-loved and appreciated.

♥

An epiphany for AHOP....

This week has been a GREAT week! It didn't really start out that way though. Just a lot on my mind about work, about life (my life), and about AHOP.  

AHOP has been going in different directions for a while now, and it has changed a lot in the last four years. I think about 'what's next?' all the time. Not that that's a bad thing. I just think about it a lot.  

Then Tuesday night, the tide changed and Annie had an epiphany. I think some may refer to it as an 'ah-ha' moment. 

I made a special cream puff drop to my new friends in the Metro Division. This was my second puff drop to these big-hearted 3rd shift officers. I have gotten to know them through my volunteer work in the gift shop, and I knew there was something special about them because they never fail to stop by the gift shop to say 'thank you' before they leave. They are all just super nice and a class act. 

So when I emailed one of the officers to set up a day and time to stop by, I received an email back saying "they would wait for me outside and greet me with open arms." 

Well, they weren't kidding! They surprised me with these lovely spring flowers and a thank you card. 

I won't tell you how many cream puffs each officer had (I plead the 5th...what happens at AHOP, stays at AHOP), but I will say that they LOVE them! I stayed for roll call and had such a nice visit. 

So here's where the epiphany comes in....

I have been so busy moping around missing my 'family around the table', that I didn't take notice at how much the officers all over the city were enjoying the other stuff I was doing. I kept thinking I wasn't doing 'enough' or making a difference because I wasn't serving my friends at the table.

But to the contrary. After receiving the text message on Monday from my friend Sharon, and my wonderful visit on Tuesday -- well, I thought my heart would explode with happiness on the way home.

If making cream puffs and other treats is all God wants me to do right now, I can do that! AHOP has evolved once already and she will probably evolve again....I just need to listen to God's still small voice.

♥

When I am blue.....

Nobody has a perfect life.....not even AHOP. Trying to juggle everything in a single working girl's life is not always fun. I down right hate it sometimes. I have to put my big-girl britches on many times and do things I am not particularly good at, like calling the cable company to yell at them and tell they have the worst customer service on the planet; bartering/negotiating when getting quotes for projects around the house (painting, yard help, etc.) I'm terrible at it.

And you would think I would get some kind of satisfaction when the negotiations turn in my favor, but I don't. I am so emotionally exhausted from the whole thing that I just want it over.  

Today was one of those days I had a lot on my mind. When the crapola comes down so fast I think I need a hard hat, but then the thick clouds of life seem to pass and I get a text message that chases away my blues almost instantly, like this one. Still, after almost 4-1/2 years of cooking for my sweet friends in blue, a simple text message puts a smile on my face and a few happy tears in my eyes.

♥

Happy Val♥ntine's Day!

On Valentine's Day, I love to see the flower trucks running from one business to the other. I love seeing the boyfriends and husbands standing in the Hallmark line on Valentine's Day during their lunch hour sweating bullets (no pun intended) after all the really cute cards are all picked over and gone. 

And I love the thought that every person has a soul mate.... a 'split-part'.  

The Split-Apart Theory -- The first ever written reference to each person having a destined mate was given from the ancient Greek philosopher, Plato (427 BC-348 BC). Plato's theory was that each human being is part of one soul, in which they only have half of. The idea is that the soul was "split-apart" and separated from each other– and, since that time, the two halves have been forever searching for one another in order to join together and regain their sense of original created wholeness. 

And here's a fairy-tale movie you might enjoy about mismatched people finding their way to their proper mates (their split-apart). It's called The Butcher's Wife. It's about a Greenwich Village butcher who returns from a NC fishing trip, and he can't wait to show off his prize catch....his beautiful wife, a country clairvoyant named Marina (Demi Moore). But the butcher's pride turns to prime concern when he hears gossip about a backwoods psychic whose charms are turning hardened city dwellers into love-struck kids. Great cast: Demi Moore, Jeff Daniels, Mary Steenburgen and Frances MacDormand. 

  

However you spend your Valentine's Day, I hope it is with someone who still makes your heart skip a beat when you get a text message in the middle of the day and she tells you your arms still drive her crazy. Or you text her to tell her she has nice legs, even though she knows she doesn't. The one who still surprises you with the teeniest little things so you can't wait to get home at night.  ♥

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All of the above vintage valentine cards were found on Pinterest.

♥

That Pooh....he was a wise old bear!
(Picture credit: Pinterest)

What a mother sees.....

In December 2009, four officers came to my very first dinner. That was over 4-1/2 years ago and I remember exactly what I served -- lasagna, salad, garlic toast, sweet tea, and I think I made a cheesecake for dessert.  

One officer reached out to give me a hug to say thank you before he left. I patted him on the back (my secret way of checking to see if he had his bullet proof vest on, and he did), and I thought to myself that very first night, "Oh my gosh...you're just a baby to have such a big and dangerous job!" And I can say this to some of these officers because I AM, after all, old enough to be their mother.    

So many of these officers right out of the academy are so young, but they have been put through the endurance wringer with extensive testing and training (written, psychological, and physical.) They have chosen a noble profession and certainly not a profession for the faint of heart.  

Whether an officer is 21 or 51 they are out there doing what they love....serving and protecting their community, and so many in very volatile and dangerous areas.    

In reality, they may look like this.....

Picture credit: Tampa Police Department (my hometown)

But in a mother's eyes, they will always look like this.

    

~  ~  ~  ~

What is a policeman ~ by Paul Harvey

~  ~  ~  ~

"When God Made Police Officers"

When the Lord was creating Police Officers,
he was into his sixth day of
overtime when an angel appeared and said,
"You're doing a lot of fiddling
around on this one."

And the Lord said, "Have you read the spec on this order?
A Police Officer has to be able to run five miles through
alleys in the dark, scale walls, enter
homes the health inspector wouldn't touch,
and not wrinkle his uniform.
He has to be able to sit in an undercover car
all day on a stakeout, cover
a homicide scene that night, canvass the
neighborhood for witnesses, and
testify in court the next day."

"He has to be in top physical condition at all times,
running on black coffee and half-eaten meals.
And he has to have six pairs of hands."
The angel shook her head slowly and said,
"Six pairs of hands... no way."
"It's not the hands that are causing me problems,"
said the Lord, "it's the
three pairs of eyes an Officer has to have."
"That's on the standard model?" asked the angel.

The Lord nodded.
"One pair that sees through a bulge in a pocket
before he asks: May I see
what's in there, sir?
(When he already knows.)
Another pair here in the side of his head
for his partner's safety.
And another pair of eyes here in front that
can look reassuringly
at a bleeding victim and say:
You'll be all right ma'am."
(When he knows it isn't so.)

"Lord," said the angel, touching his sleeve,
"rest and work on this tomorrow."
"I can't," said the Lord, "I already have a
model that can talk a 250 pound drunk into a patrol
car without incident and feed a family of five
on a civil service paycheck."
The angel circled the model of the police
officer very slowly, "Can it think?" she asked.

"You bet," said the Lord. "It can tell you the
elements of a hundred crimes; recite Miranda warnings
in its sleep; detain, investigate,
search, and arrest a gang member on the street
in less time than it takes five learned judges to debate
the legality of the stop... and still,
it keeps its sense of humor."

"This officer also has phenomenal personal
control. He can deal with crime scenes painted in hell,
coax a confession from a child abuser, comfort a murder
victim's family, and then read in the daily
paper how law enforcement isn't sensitive to the
rights of criminal suspects."

Finally, the angel bent over and ran her finger
across the cheek of the police officer. "There's a leak,"

she pronounced. "I told you that you were trying to
put too much into this model."
"That's not a leak," said the Lord, "it's a tear."
"What's the tear for?" asked the angel.
"It's for bottled-up emotions, for fallen comrades,
for commitment to that funny piece of cloth called the
American flag, and for justice."
"You're a genius," said the angel.
The Lord looked somber.

"I didn't put it there," he said.

~ Author Unkown

Note:  I would like to point out that the above poem "When God Made Police Officers" was adapted by an original story by the late Erma Bombeck.  I didn't realize it until a friend mentioned it.  The story I found had no author's name linked to it.  Nobody could tell a story like Erma Bombeck. She was an extremely talented writer and a very funny lady.  Click here for her original story entitled "When God Created Mothers."

Picture credit:  Boy Officer (Google) and K9-Kid from Facebook.

♥

Simple brown gravy

Every once in a while you prepare a meal and you just wish you had a little gravy to go with it. But without any pan drippings to build from, you resort to packaged or jar gravy.

Meatloaf is a perfect example.

I have been working on this gravy recipe since August 2012 when I made my very first meatloaf for my friends in blue.  And every time I made it, I tweaked the recipe just a little trying to get it just right and I think I finally have it where it is not only tasty - or at least as good as you can get it without pan drippings - and easy to make.

I really goofed it up one time and followed a famous Food Network chef's suggestion and added ketchup. Don't do that!

I wish I had a picture of how good this gravy came out today.  I made meatloaf for my friends in the South Division, complete with mash potatoes, those delicious green bean bundles, rolls, and sweet tea.

Not everyone cares for gravy on their potatoes, but for me it is a must.  No question!  And since I took 'To-Go' meals down to the station, everybody got gravy whether they wanted it or not.  This brown gravy is so much better than store-bought and super quick and easy to make.  Nothing can compare to a gravy made with pan drippings, but this is a close second.

I doubled the recipe that I followed, because if you think about it, 2 cups is really not all that much and then you'll have the extra 2 cups for leftovers or freezing.  I NEVER have any left over.

If you make this simple brown gravy, I would love to hear from you.

~ ~ ~ 

Simple Brown Gravy
Adapted from this recipe

2 cups water
1 'extra large' Knorr beef bouillon cube
2 cups of beef stock
1/4 tsp Kitchen Bouquet
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 tsp garlic powder *
1/8 tsp onion powder *
1/4 tsp black pepper *
Salt as needed
 
Thickener
4 tablespoons cold water
4 tablespoons corn starch

• Dissolve bouillon cube in 2 cups of boiling water.  Add the beef stock, butter, and all of other ingredients - everything EXCEPT the thickener.
• Once the mixture boils, mix the cold water and cornstarch in a coffee cup.  You may need to add a tiny bit more water, but it should be the consistency of runny glue.  
• Slowly pour in thickener, while stirring. Continue boiling for 2-3 more minutes, still stirring. Remove from heat and let cool to thicken more. 
• I added 1 extra tablespoon of cornstarch, plus 1 tablespoon water  
• Add more Kitchen Bouquet if you like your gravy darker, but I didn't think it needed it.  

* NOTE:  The garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper measure was based on the original recipe I followed for a 2-cup yield, so if you're making 4 cups of gravy (like I did) you might want to add more garlic and onion powder.  Start out though with the measure as shown, then taste and add more if needed.

Sweet dreams, Miss Isabelle.....

I have always tried to preserve this blog to only AHOP-related stories and recipes, telling my readers that "it's not about me."

But sometimes it is about me.  I said goodbye to my sweet Miss Isabelle on Thursday and I am heartbroken. I held her sweet little face in my hands just like I always did at home and told her how much I loved her, and then she drifted away. 

When the AHOP light was on in the window for breakfast or dinner, Isabelle always enjoyed making an appearance in the dining room to say hello to the 1st and 2nd shift officers.  She would weave her little black and white body in-between their legs at the table or just sit there long enough so Officer Tom would pet the top of her little head.  She also knew if she bothered them 'just long enough', I would stop and feed her (again).  

Officer Tom always looked for Miss Isabelle before he left so he could say good-bye.  He would pass through the den where she was usually on the ottoman or in her big comfy chair and he would give her a pat on the head and say...."Bye Izzie".

The quiet in my house now is almost unbearable.  I would give anything to flip a pancake or two, or make a meatloaf right now -- just to keep me busy.  I have never missed my friends more.   

Sweet dreams, Miss Isabelle.....  ♥

"What we have once enjoyed 

we can never lose. All that we love 

deeply becomes a part of us."

~ Helen Keller

   "The risk of love is loss, and the price of loss is
grief. But the pain of grief is only a
 shadow when compared to the pain of 
never risking love.”
– Hilary Stanton Zunin

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes.....Oh. My. Gosh!

Okay, so most of you who follow my little blog already know I am not a 'trained' cook.  I am just a working girl with two jobs who enjoys cooking for my friends when I can. 

Every new recipe I make is pretty intense and there is always self-induced kitchen drama -- especially when I'm cooking dinner for 2nd shift.  I freak out over lots of little things because I don't know what I'm doing half the time.

So I really love it when a recipe comes my way that is almost 'fool-proof' -- like this one.  These Pumpkin Spice cupcakes, although a little labor intensive, came out perfectly by just following the directions.  

The flavors in this cupcake (pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and cloves) all blend together so beautifully to make this little cupcake exquisite.

In fact, they were so good, I sold three dozen the very first time I made them.  And, except for a colleague who needed some cream puffs for a PTA meeting, I have NEVER sold anything I have made. Three different people, after having just one cupcake, asked if they could buy a dozen for their Thanksgiving dinner. And they basically said....'just tell me how much you want for them.'  Wow!  Now that's a pretty good guarantee that these cupcakes are delicious.  And no thanks to me....I just followed the directions.  It's not even my recipe.  Thank you to my colleague, Miss Heather B., for sharing this one with me.  I hope I made her proud.

Here it is!

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

Ingredients:

2 cups all purpose flour

1 (3.4 oz) package Jello brand instant butterscotch pudding mix

2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt (optional...I did not use in mine)

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground allspice

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1 cup butter, room temperature (2 sticks)

1 cup white sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

4 eggs, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla

1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
Paper cupcake liners
2 muffin tins (holds 12 cupcakes) * Recipe makes 24 cupcakes. I do not recommend halving the recipe, but make all 24. They will be eaten!  

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two muffin tins (12 ea) with 24 paper muffin/cupcake liners. 
• Whisk together the flour, pudding mix, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger, allspice, and cloves in a bowl; set aside.
• Beat the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy.  The mixture should be noticeably lighter in color.  Add the room temperature eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to blend into the butter mixture before adding the next.  Beat in the vanilla and pumpkin puree with the last egg.  Stir in the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated.  Place one paper liner in each muffin space. Pour the batter into paper cupcake liner. (see my notes below)
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden and the tops spring back when lightly pressed, about 20 minutes.  Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.  NOTE: I used a double-oven and put one tin in each oven.  If you have a single-oven,  I would probably bake one tin at a time.  I’m not sure how evenly it would cook w/ two tins in one oven, so use your own judgement there.
• After the cupcakes are completely cool, frost them with the cinnamon cream cheese icing.  

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing (Delicious!)

Ingredients:

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup butter, softened

3 cups confectioners' sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions:

Beat the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer in a bowl until smooth.  Beat in the confectioners' sugar a little at a time until incorporated.  Add the vanilla and ground cinnamon.  Beat until fluffy.  NOTE: You may need to add a little more confectioners' sugar to thicken the icing.  Try it with 3 cups first, and then add more if you want the icing to be thicker, but not too much, as you don't want it so sweet it won't compliment the taste of the cupcake.  I did add a little more, but not much. Make sure the cupcakes are completely cool before icing them.

Notes:  

• The first time I made this, I panicked because after I stirred in the flour, the batter was VERY thick and was NOT ‘pourable’ as the instructions given to me called for.  I scooped the mixture out using a spoon. 
• The second time I made this, I used a scoop like this and it went much, MUCH faster.  I use this scoop for my cream puffs also and it is such a time saver.  The scoop size is a 2” circle. 
• If you use the scoop, put one scoop in each of the 24 cups, then go back with a spoon and evenly distribute the mixture until cups are ¾ filled.  Keep swirling the mixture around with a spoon to get the mixture to settle down. 
• You won't use all of mixture, so don't worry. 

I used a 16" pastry bag for the frosting and the Wilton tip #1M.

♥

Easy Peasy ROLO Chocolate Turtles

This has to be THE easiest sweet treat to make in the whole world.

I made these beautiful chocolate turtles for the first time last Saturday to take to the gift shop. By the time I left at 3:00 am, there were only 3 left, so I ate them.  

Nothing about making these is hard and the only time-consuming part is standing at the kitchen counter and unwrapping 50+ ROLO candies.

Enjoy!

This is all you need (plus parchment paper). 

Place pretzels on baking sheet lined with parchment paper - one for each Rolo.

Top each pretzel with one Rolo and bake at 350 degrees for 3-5 minutes.

Top each softened candy with a pecan halve.  

And that's it!!  

♥ ♥ ♥

Easy Peasy ROLO Chocolate Turtles

Adapted from the back of the ROLO bag and here

1.  Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or foil.

2.  Place one pretzel for each ROLO on baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Top each pretzel with one unwrapped ROLO Chewy Caramel in Milk Chocolate.

3.  Bake 3 to 5 minutes or until caramel piece begins to soften, but not melt.  Start checking the candy at 3 minutes.  You want to make sure the candy is soft, but not melted.  I think mine were ready at 3-1/2 minutes.  Remove from oven and top with pecan half. Cool completely.  I put mine in the refrigerator.