Pumpkin Streusel Cookies

 Pumpkin Streusel Cookies: A Cozy Fall Delight

When fall arrives, it brings with it the irresistible flavors of pumpkin, cinnamon, and warm spices. If you love pumpkin treats but want something a little different, pumpkin streusel cookies are the perfect solution. These cake-like cookies have a soft, tender crumb and are topped with a buttery streusel that adds a delicious crunch—making them a must-have for the season.

The Comfort of Pumpkin Treats

Pumpkin is the star of autumn baking, providing a naturally sweet and earthy flavor that pairs beautifully with warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Not only does pumpkin add great taste, but it also brings moisture to baked goods, ensuring a soft and tender texture in every bite.

The Magic of Streusel Topping

The addition of a streusel topping takes these cookies to the next level. A simple mix of butter, sugar, and flour creates a crumbly, slightly crisp layer that contrasts beautifully with the soft, cake-like base. The result? A delightful combination of textures that makes these cookies extra special.

Let's get to the recipe!

Ingredients

Glaze

1 c brown sugar

2-4 tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla

Topping:

6 tbsp melted butter

¾ c brown sugar sugar

¾ c flour

2 ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice

Cookies

1 ¾ c flour

1 c sugar

6 tbsp softened butter

1 egg

½ c pumpkin puree

1-2 tbsp pumpkin pie spice

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp baking powder

A pinch of salt

Make the topping by combining all of the ingredients and mixing together.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper

In a stand mixer, add the butter, sugar and pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and powder. 

Blend on low/medium  until combined. The mixture should look crumbly.

Add the egg and mix until smooth.

Before adding the pumpkin to the mix, you should pat it dry on a paper towel. Pumpkin puree holds a lot of liquid; skipping this step will lead to a runny dough. Simply place the puree on a paper towel and fold it over the top. Let it rest for a few moments, and scrape the puree off of the paper towel into the mixing bowl.

Blend the pumpkin into the batter by mixing on medium for 1 minute.

Add the flour and pinch of salt.

If you are a serious pumpkin spice fan, like I am, you might want to add a little more pumpkin pie spice to the batter at this time. 

Mix until well blended.

Place the dough in the fridge to allow it to rest for  10 minutes.

Scoop the dough with a cookie scoop or ice cream scoop if you want huge cookies.

Place the cookies on a cookie sheet 3” apart.

After placing the cookies on a baking sheet, use a spoon to make a little indentation on the top, then sprinkle the topping directly in that place.

Bake for 12-14 minutes for a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop or 18-22 for an ice cream scoop sized cookie.

Allow to cool for 30 minutes.

Mix the glaze by adding 2 tablespoons of milk, vanilla and brown sugar to a bowl and whisking it until it is smooth. If the glaze feels too thick to drizzle you can add the additional milk, a splash at a time until you achieve the desired consistency.

Perfect for Any Occasion

Pumpkin streusel cookies are great for sharing at fall gatherings, holiday parties, or simply enjoying with a cup of coffee on a chilly morning. They bring the cozy flavors of autumn to any occasion and are sure to become a favorite among family and friends.

So, if you're looking for a seasonal treat that’s as easy to make as it is delicious, these pumpkin streusel cookies are the way to go. Bake up a batch and savor the flavors of fall with every bite!

Find more favorite fall recipes here:

Rustic Recipes for Fall

Sheet Pan Lemon Garlic Shrimp

Tasty Homemade Donuts

Hocus Pocus Snack Ideas

Foolproof Biscuits

Rediscovering Simple Pleasures in the Kitchen

 In a world that often rushes us from one task to the next, there’s something incredibly grounding about slowing down and returning to the kitchen—not for gourmet meals or trendy recipes, but for the simple, familiar foods that feel like home.

Tomato soup and grilled cheese. Creamy mac and cheese. Scrambled eggs with toast. Hearty casseroles that fill the whole house with the smell of comfort. These aren’t just meals—they’re memories, lifelines, and little moments of peace in the chaos.

Maybe you grew up with your mom stirring a pot of tomato soup while the grilled cheese sizzled in butter on the stove. Or maybe your “after a long day” comfort meal is a big bowl of mac and cheese shared around the table with your kids. These dishes remind us that food doesn’t have to be fancy to be good—it just has to be made with heart.

If you’ve found yourself longing for that cozy, soul-satisfying kind of cooking again, here are some simple ways to bring those classics back to life—and make them even better:

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🍅 Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese

• Upgrade your soup by sautéing garlic and onion before adding canned tomatoes. Stir in a splash of cream or coconut milk for richness.

• Boost the flavor with a pinch of smoked paprika or a handful of fresh basil.

• Level up your grilled cheese by using sourdough or rustic bread and mixing cheeses—try sharp cheddar, mozzarella, or gouda. Butter the outside and add a little mayo for the perfect crispy golden crust.

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🧀 Mac and Cheese

• Start with a roux (butter + flour) and build a creamy cheese sauce using whole milk and a mix of cheeses like cheddar, Monterey Jack, or gruyere.

• Add-ins like sautéed onions, garlic, or even a spoonful of Dijon mustard bring out depth.

• Toss in extras like broccoli, bacon, or peas to stretch it into a full meal.

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🍳 Scrambled Eggs

• Low and slow is the secret to soft, creamy scrambled eggs. Cook over low heat and stir constantly.

• Add a splash of milk or cream for richness, or a tiny pat of cream cheese while cooking for extra silkiness.

• Sprinkle in chopped herbs, cheese, or leftover veggies for variety.

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🥘 Hearty Casseroles

• Use what you have—pasta, rice, leftover chicken or veggies can become the foundation of something delicious.

• Layer flavor with sautéed aromatics like onion and garlic.

• Top it well: breadcrumbs mixed with butter, crushed crackers, or even fried onions add a perfect crunchy finish.

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These aren’t complicated meals—but they feed more than just your stomach. They feed your spirit. They bring comfort, nostalgia, and joy. So go ahead—pull out your favorite pot, toast the bread, stir the cheese, and remember that the simple things really are the best things.

Because sometimes, the most ordinary meals become the most extraordinary memories.

Find more favorite recipes here:

Hearty Family Breakfast Recipes

Chicken Bacon Gruyere Turnovers

Why You Might Not Be Able To Get Pregnant

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Not being able to get pregnant when you want a child can be a distressing experience. You’d love to be able to start a family, but for some reason, you can’t. 

That’s where this post comes into the picture. It looks at some of the challenges that you might be facing and what could be causing them. 

Ovulation Issues

One of the main reasons you might not be able to get pregnant is ovulation issues. You may have medical conditions that interrupt this process and prevent it from proceeding how you’d like. 

PCOS is the most common of these, but there are many others. Sometimes, you’ll need to go to your gynaecologist to treat the root cause so that you can figure out whether fertility is an option for you in the future. 

Endometriosis

Another issue related to the last one is endometriosis, where your fallopian tubes are actually blocked or damaged. This problem prevents the sperm from reaching the egg, preventing fertilisation from occurring. 

Sometimes, the symptoms of infertility are obvious in this case, but other times, they can be challenging to determine. As such, it’s critical to go through all the regular scans and get a proper diagnosis so you know what’s wrong. 

Uterine Issues

Another reason why you might not be fertile is uterine problems. Things like polyps and fibroids can prevent pregnancies by preventing implanting into the womb wall. 

Uterine issues can also cause additional symptoms, like pain in the lower abdomen and occasionally bleeding. Sometimes, you can get fibroids removed, but sometimes it isn’t possible because they are so extensive. 

Male Infertility

Of course, the problem might not have anything to do with you at all. It may be because your partner is infertile. 

Therefore, if you’re struggling with fertility, it is always worth bringing your partner with you to the clinic. Doctors can then examine you both and provide answers for why you might not be falling pregnant. Sometimes, both partners have issues, but cases like these are rare. Usually the problem is with one or another. 

Age-Related Factors

Of course, your age could come into play, even if you are in your early thirties. Fertility begins to decline quickly with age, and accelerates as the thirties ends. 

Moreover, this decline can occur for both men and women. For women, it is sharpest after age 35 and for men, the decline really gets going at 40.

Lifestyle Factors

Lastly, you might want to take a look at your lifestyle factors to ask whether they could be playing a role in your infertility. Sometimes, they can make a big difference. 

For example, weight management becomes critical if you want to fall pregnant. The closer you are to your ideal weight, the more likely it is that you’ll conceive and give birth to a healthy child. 

You also want to be careful with smoking and alcohol. These can make it substantially more challenging to get pregnant, especially if you continue to use them for a long time.

How to Have a Great Winter at Home

 You can understand why people go crazy for the warm summer months. After all, what’s not to love about fun adventures, sunshine, BBQs, and long days? By contrast, the winter months seem to be a little underappreciated. In many cases, people talk about winter as something to endure rather than something to truly embrace.

However, with a little bit of work, anyone can set themselves up to have an awesome winter period at their properties. We’ll run through some of the most effective strategies below. Take them on board, and you might just find that your experience of winter is a little different this year. 

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Upgrade Your Living Room

You’ll be spending more time indoors during the winter months than you do during the summer months. As such, there’s value in putting a little time and energy into making sure that your home is up to standard. You probably don’t need to improve all aspects of your home; instead, focus on the ones where you’ll really feel the benefit. In that category, you’ll find your living room, which, done correctly, can become your favorite place on the planet during the chilly time of the year. Look at upgrading your couch, getting a new entertainment system, and all-around ramping up the coziness. It’ll make it the perfect place for spending a lovely winter evening. 

Find a Hobby

Part of the problem that people have with winter is that it’s just not as exciting as the summer months. It’s quite easy for boredom to set in when the cold weather makes going outside unappealing. 

With that said, just because winter might be slower, that doesn’t mean that it’s not possible to keep things interesting! There are plenty of great hobbies you can enjoy at home during the winter months, including painting, drawing, writing, yoga, candle-making, or crocheting. Give them a try, and you might just discover a new passion. 

Prepare Your Kitchen

Winters were made for cooking up a storm in the kitchen. After all, what could be better than spending a few hours creating a delicious dish that’ll give your home a lovely smell, while also keeping you warm at the same time? In fact, even simple dishes can be awesome to make when the temperatures begin to drop. There’s much to love about making a simple, hearty soup. 

You’ll be more likely to enjoy cooking if you have a kitchen space that you genuinely like being in. If your kitchen could do with a bit of a refresh, now’s the time to get to work. You don’t need to undertake a large kitchen remodeling project to get a kitchen you love. Even simple things, such as painting the cabinets, changing the lights (choose soft lights), and removing any items that are taking up too much space, can make a big difference. 

Bring the Warmth

There are two primary things that people dislike about the winter months: the cold and the darkness. You can’t do much about the darkness (you’ll just have to accept that the sun will set early), but the cold? That’s within your control — or at least, it’s within your control inside your property. You’ll enjoy your home much more if it’s toasty and warm, so make sure everything’s taken care of before the cold temperatures arrive. That could involve working with a furnace repair company to ensure your furnace is in full working condition, adding insulation to your property, and sealing up any drafty spots. Those three steps alone should ensure that you can always keep your home at the ideal temperature. 

Install a Firepit

Being outside is good for your mental well-being, but unfortunately, the winter months don’t make it easy for us to comfortably be outside. In many cases, the only time we spend outside of our properties is during the quick dash from the car to the warmth that lies behind the front door. Over time, it can begin to feel like we’re spending all of our evenings inside, and that can become a little frustrating.

One way to get around this is to install a fire pit in your backyard. This will allow you to sit outside even during cold evenings, without feeling the cold yourself. Put on warm clothes, grab a blanket, and sit next to the fire pit for a couple of hours. It’ll be a nice opportunity to get a little reflective, especially since you should have the whole cosmos to gaze up at — stars, after all, appear brighter in the night sky during the winter months. 

Look Up Nearby Walks

As we mentioned above, you’ll want to be nice and warm during the majority of the winter months. Still, there’s some value in getting a little bit chilly. It’s nice to get outside into the cold air, go for a walk, and then return home to a warm property. So take a look at any hiking areas near your home. The nice thing about going for walks during winter is that you’ll have the whole place virtually to yourself. 

Make It Social 

We tend to see our friends and family a lot during the summer months. During winter? Not so much. But that’s usually just because there are fewer options on the table. So why not put another option on the table? By increasing your home’s capacity for socializing, you can open up the possibility that your nearest and dearest will spend warm, cozy evenings with you. Add some more chairs, put together a guest bedroom, and consider adding a projector for group movie nights. 

Low Lighting, Candles, and Scents

Finally, don’t forget the power of the essentials: soft lighting, candles, and lovely winter incense. Those three things alone can make a home extremely inviting and winter-ready! Low, warm-bulb lighting and candles will provide a cozy glow, while incense can give your home the aroma you need to fully embrace the winter months. Not sure what incense you need for your home? Focus on the classic winter scents, which include cinnamon, vanilla, and frankincense and myrrh. 

How To Make A Home That Feels Safe And Stress-Free

 Home should be the one place where you can relax after the chaos of work, commuting, or just everyday life, and stepping inside should feel good, but for many people, the house isn’t always the calm haven it should be - noise, clutter, small maintenance worries, or even bigger concerns like security can eat away at that sense of safety. That’s why creating a home that feels safe and stress-free is so important, and the good news is, it’s not that hard to do; keep reading to find out more.

Photo by Sebastian Sørensen

Keep The Basics In Order 

A safe, comfortable home begins with the essentials, and that includes heating that works when you need it, lights that switch on when you want them to, and doors and windows that lock securely, for example - when those things aren’t reliable, stress comes in quickly. The key is to stay ahead of problems rather than only reacting when something breaks, and that means simple maintenance - bleeding radiators before winter, replacing tired bulbs with brighter, energy-efficient ones, and checking locks regularly, and so on. 

Clutter plays a role too. It’s not just about appearances - messy spaces make it harder to think clearly, and studies show clutter is linked to stress levels, and most people don’t need a study to know the truth of that. Taking twenty minutes a week to put things back in their place is enough to keep the house from feeling chaotic.

Address Health Concerns 

A stress-free home also means a healthy home, and damp, mould, or poor ventilation can all make spaces feel uncomfortable, and over time they can damage both the building and your wellbeing. Spotting and fixing these issues early is important. Sometimes it’s as simple as opening windows regularly or using a dehumidifier, and other times, professional help is needed.

And it’s worth mentioning something a bit more unpleasant too: unwanted visitors. Mice in the walls, wasps in the loft, ants in the kitchen… even the smallest infestation can undermine the feeling of safety in a home. Calling in professional pest control quickly removes the worry before it grows into something bigger, and it’s definitely one of those areas where prevention is better than cure, so keeping bins sealed, food stored properly, and gaps sealed around doors and windows goes a long way.

Create Spaces That Work For You

Homes don’t always come with perfectly designed rooms, and often, the way a house is laid out doesn’t match the way you actually live, so that’s where small changes can help. If you work from home, carve out a corner that’s just for that purpose, even if it’s simply a desk against a wall. If you relax better in natural light, move your favourite chair closer to a window. The point isn’t to make your home look like a show home, it’s to make it suit your real life.

Think about movement, too. Narrow hallways cluttered with shoes or furniture that blocks walkways can make daily living feel harder than it needs to be, and re-arranging furniture or investing in simple storage solutions clears the path and makes your home flow better.

Add Layers Of Security 

Feeling secure is fundamental to feeling calm. Good locks and alarms are the obvious steps, but it can go further with things like motion-sensor lighting outside, timers for indoor lamps when you’re away, and even a simple peephole in the door all add layers of reassurance. Technology helps here as well - affordable home security cameras and smart doorbells make it easy to keep an eye on things, even if you’re not at home.

But security isn’t only about deterring crime, it’s also about preparing for emergencies. Smoke alarms, carbon monoxide detectors, and first-aid kits aren’t exciting purchases, but they’re invaluable for peace of mind.

Use Light And Sound Well

The atmosphere of a home is determined by more than furniture and the fact is that lighting and sound play a bigger role in how safe and calm a house feels than most people realise. Bright, harsh lighting everywhere can make a space feel clinical, and on the other hand, dim corners can feel gloomy and uninviting. The answer is balance - bright light for practical areas like kitchens and bathrooms, and softer lamps or warm bulbs for living rooms and bedrooms.

Sound matters too. Thin curtains or rattling windows let in noise from outside that can stop you from relaxing, but thick rugs, lined curtains, or even just a white noise machine in the bedroom can make a big difference.

Bring Nature In 

Plants have a way of softening spaces and making them feel calmer, and on top of that, they improve air quality, add life to dull corners, and give a sense of connection to the outdoors. You don’t need a jungle - even a couple of low-maintenance plants can improve the mood of a room. Natural elements like wood, stone, or woven fabrics add the same effect, so it might be time to make some changes. 

If you’ve got a garden, making it part of your living space adds another layer of calm - a tidy outdoor area, even a small one, can become a stress-free zone for coffee in the morning or winding down in the evening.

Personal Touches Matter

It’s easy to underestimate how much personal items contribute to the feeling of safety and calm in a home, and the truth is that family photos, favourite books, artwork, or heirlooms give a sense of continuity and belonging. 

At the same time, too much stuff can tip into clutter, so it’s about balance - displaying a few meaningful items rather than everything at once makes your space feel personal without becoming overwhelming.

Keep Routines Simple 

Part of making a stress-free home is about the routines around it. If cleaning takes hours because everything is awkward to reach, you’re less likely to keep on top of it, so making chores a bit easier by using baskets for quick tidying, keeping cleaning supplies in easy spots, or setting up a laundry routine, for example, means less frustration in the long run.

It’s also worth thinking about how you enter and leave the home. A messy hallway filled with coats and shoes can make every departure stressful and every arrival underwhelming, so creating a small entryway system, with hooks and storage, makes the daily flow smoother.