Hi, friends! 
Thank you all for your sweet comments on Monday’s post! And thank you even more for your prayers. I’m happy (and thankful!) to report that my doctor’s appointment went very well. I got to hear the heartbeat again, and the doctor said that all of my measurements were perfect. He also recommended that I try Sudafed for my headaches. I haven’t bought any yet, but it was nice to have another suggestion to try!
I have lots to talk about today, so let’s get started! First up, WIAW!
Breakfast:
A whole-wheat bagel with pumpkin cream cheese, milk, and water. Enjoyed while smelling the roses. 
(Yes, my husband earned some brownie points last week.)
Morning snacks:
A few of these …
… plus one of these …
and some of these.
Lunch:
Leftover whole-wheat pasta, topped with pasta sauce + ground turkey. I added a bunch of spices to the sauce (garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes) to kick it up a notch!
Afternoon snack:
This energy bar tastes like those no-bake cookies made with chocolate, peanut butter, and oats. Yum!
Dinner:
I made one of my favorite meals … Orecchiette Pasta with Sausage and Peppers. I also added some spinach for some extra nutrients. So. good.
———–
Last year, I shared this delicious recipe on one of my friends’ blogs. Problem is, I can’t remember which friend.
Oops. 
And this recipe is so unbelievably good, that I felt like I had to share it again.
Pumpkin Chip Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
(adapted from this recipe)
Makes about 15 cupcakes
Ingredients for Cupcakes:
- 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 cup canned pumpkin
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 cup miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips
Ingredients for Frosting:
- 8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
- ¾ cup confectioners sugar
- ¼ tsp. vanilla extract
Directions:
- Preheat over to 350 degrees.
- Mix together the first 7 ingredients in a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the eggs, pumpkin, vegetable oil, honey, and water.
- Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Fill muffin tins 3/4 full. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean (or until you lightly poke the top of a cupcake with your finger and it bounces right back).
- Allow to cool for a few minutes, and then transfer to a cooling rack.
- Meanwhile, make your frosting. Beat cream cheese and confectioners sugar in a mixer. Add vanilla. Continue beating for several minutes, until really smooth.
- Once the cupcakes are completely cooled, you can frost them.
- Enjoy!
These cupcakes are really moist, full of fall-flavor, and sweet without being too sweet. The perfect autumn treat!
———–
And finally, it’s time to share the winner of the earring giveaway.
Random Sequence Generator
Here is your sequence:
13
Submitted on 2012/10/22 at 11:54 am
Aww you look great girl! You are glowing 
Noonday reminds me of http://www.samesky.com/ checkout there site they’ve got some great bracelets. I purchased one for my mom back in June, she loved it.
Have a great week!
XX
Congratulations, Krystal! Email me (notsodomesticated@yahoo.com) with your address, so I can get you your new earrings!
If you didn’t win, no worries. You can still visit the Noonday website and pick up your own pair!
Question for ya …
Best thing you’ve eaten this week?
Do you have a favorite autumn-inspired recipe? Link up!
The cupcakes sound delicious!!
Fran@ Broken Cookies Don’t Count recently posted..WIAW~Living In The Maelstrom
Thankkkk you for a cupcake idea!! My girlfriend and I just started a cupcake business, and are always looking for new flavors! You’ll have to try us out if you ever come back to Ellwood!
Heck yeah! If there are cupcakes involved, I’m there!
mmm these look delicious! I’m pinning them!
Danielle @ Itsaharleyyylife recently posted..Halloween… Dog Style
I’ve never heard of those bars, but if they taste like the no bake cookies than I’m all for em!!
Jessie recently posted..WIAW: SPA
Love anything pumpkin + cupcake + cheesecake, so your recipe obviously sounds delicious to me! As far as autumn inspired recipes, I am in the market for a great ape recipe to use up the rest of the apples I picked at the orchard! Maybe someone will link up with a great recipe..?
Jana @ Newly Wife Healthy Life recently posted..WIAW: A Look Back
ooh, those cupcakes look fantastic! i had some delicious takeout indian food for dinner last night – that’s my favorite food of the week so far!
amy @ fearless homemaker recently posted..Simple, Delicious Spaghetti + Meatballs {my favorite recipe!}
Oh My Lanta. These babies look…woah. Seriously ANYTHING with cream cheese frosting screams my name lol
Kat recently posted..WIAW – Finally Feels Like Fall
Ohhh my, I totally forgot to text you yesterday about your appt! I completely spaced it, but I’m so happy to hear that everything was perfect!
And I’m so glad you reposted the cupcake recipe! I don’t think it was me that you wrote the post for by the way… I checked and couldn’t find anything. Can’t wait to make them! Maybe this weekend??
Ashley @ My Food ‘N’ Fitness Diaries recently posted..WIAW #57: Play By Play of My Day
That dinner looks amazing! I’ve been seeing pasta all over today, I think it’s a sign I need to make some!
Laurie @ Love, Laugh, Laurie recently posted..New House = No Internet
Hooray for a good checkup!!
Maura @ My Healthy ‘Ohana recently posted..Baby Update and Streusel Topped Pumpkin Bread
Those pumpkin cupcakes sound wonderful. Perfect for this time of year!
Aww, how sweet of the hubby….brownie points are always welcome during pregnancy
I would really love some of those cupcakes right about now…YUM! Pumpkin & chocolate chips are such a great combination. Love them together.
Holly recently posted..8.5 Months
Haha it was mine!! You guest posted for me last November when Will and I went on our cruise! Here’s the link if you were curious
http://ittybitsofbalance.com/2011/11/12/pumpkin-chocolate-chip-muffins-with-cream-cheese-frosting/
Brittany @ Itty Bits of Balance recently posted..Food Rebel Without A Cause
Hahah thank you for solving the mystery! I had thought I had written it for Ash, but she couldn’t find it!
I have got to try this recipe! It looks great!
It’s crazy but I haven’t seen a recipe for pumpkin chip cupcakes yet this season!
Those cupcakes look delish! I wish I had a can of pumpkin in the pantry to try the recipe right now! And two thumbs for husbands getting brownie points:)
kaceyt recently posted..Energy Bites
I had the same thing for breakfast this morning! I love pumpkin cream cheese in the fall
.
your eats look so good! That sausage pasta looks legit. I wish I liked pumpkin. I think I might have to eventually force myself to like it.
Cinnamon @ eatpraytri recently posted..23Paws: Party #5 {friends!!}
Those cupcakes look amazing! At first I wrote “muffins” instead of “cupcakes” — they obviously look like cupcakes, so apparently I’m subconsciously trying to trick myself into eating cupcakes and just telling myself they are “muffins”. Haha, ..sigh. They still look great! So do those pasta dishes!
I think when they went on my friend’s blog last year, she called them “muffins” too haha. I think for some reason, pumpkin automatically = muffins!
Okay, so as far as the Chocolate Fudge Brownie bars go… How similar do they really taste to no-bake cookies? Can you tell that they are protein bars? I can’t personally eat them, but my brother needs to bulk up… He’s a string bean. Haha. Which means more protein, and his favorite dessert happens to be no-bake cookies. But he’s kind of picky, so I don’t know?!
Eating 4 Balance recently posted..WIAW- Randomness, Workouts and Recipes
Well my husband really likes them, if that tells you anything. I definitely didn’t think they tasted like protein bars!
Uuuum…I’m preeeeety sure the only way to make pumpkin chocolate chip muffins any better is to slather it with cream cheese icing. YUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUM!!!! Now I’m going to have to make them
Amber with Slim Pickin’s Kitchen recently posted..Crock Pot Pumpkin Bisque w/ Gingerbread Croutons & Cinnamon Cream