Month: November 2014
Streusel Pumpkin Loaf
Just finished participating in a craft show the last 2 days and sold cakes and casseroles. We sold out and one of the best sellers was this streusel pumpkin loaf. I have learned to always keep samples out for the customers and that is a guarantee of selling your baked goods. As soon as I put the sample out, the cakes sold themselves. It was such a simple cake to make and proved to be delicious. Tried to take a picture but my dropbox is full and I don’t have a clue how to delete some of the pics so I can add others to it to post on here. Fortunately, I bake better than I compute….
Mix up your favorite pumpkin bread according to directions on box. I used the little paper loaf pans that I purchased at Home Goods. I did rub a little butter on the bottom of the paper pans, just in case. I don’t think you need to do this, but just wanted to be sure they didn’t stick when the ladies got them home.
Streusel Topping
1 cup flour
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into slices
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 teas cinnamon
Using a pastry blender, blend the cold butter with the flour, sugar and cinnamon. As soon as it resembles coarse crumbs, dividing the crumbs evenly between the amount of pans you are using, sprinkle over the pumpkin batter. Bake according to directions on your box of pumpkin bread or cake. It adds a crunchy delicious buttery topping to any pumpkin or spice cake. I drizzled a little cream cheese frosting over the cakes as soon as they were cool….sold them all!
Cheese Bites
Taken from 2006 Southern Living Magazine these make great party appetizers for your next holiday party!
4 oz cream cheese (1/2 package 8 oz, duh, I guess you would have known that)
1 (16.3 oz)_ can refrigerated flaky buttermilk biscuits
1/2 cup jalapeno pepper jelly*(see below)
Cut cream cheese into 24 pieces and let soften.
Separate each biscuit into thirds, making 3 rounds from each biscuit. (see below) Press biscuit rounds into bottom and up sides of 24 mini-muffin cups. Spoon about 1 teas pepper jelly into center of each biscuit cup; top each with 1 cream cheese cube.
Bake in preheated 425 oven for 8 to 10 min or until golden brown. Let stand 10 min before serving.
*1/2 cup mango chutney may be substituted
Makes 24 appetizer bites.
Back To Normal
We are alone for the first time in 5 days. It was time to send Jodi and Noah home to Eric, Jaden and Caleb. Since we knew she was leaving today, we held off cooking the collard greens and deviled eggs for dinner, after loading her up with triple berry shake for breakfast. We figured that she would never again see the people who sat by her on the plane, so we decided to save ourselves and serve some of her favorite dishes right before she flew home.
Randy has spent the afternoon in the garage (while it is 40 degrees outside) shampooing some of our rugs that had just a tiny bit of smashed M&M’s, Honey Nut Cherrios, dried apple juice and stains from the pitcher of tea that a set of little sweet hands pulled off the counter. We have dusted today, found a stuffed Nemo under the bed, one little sock and put all the Fall décor back to where it was before Noah visited. We have to admit that we were getting use to the glass bowls void of any candles, but filled with water from Noah thinking that it was fun to pour water in them. We miss finding candy between the couch cushions, as it gave us snacks without even having to leave the couch. Hearing that cute little sound at 5 a.m. really got us up and running for the day.
Just like labor pains, we tend to forget all the above mentioned things as soon as they walk onto the plane, already wanting them to turn around and come back. We would gladly give up our vacation monies to fund Noah’s carousel addiction. Times like these make us wish so much that we could be around all of our grandchildren all the time, not just a few times a year. But….we will make sure the rugs are covered by plastic and the furniture is wrapped in bubble wrap before the next set of them come for a visit…
My Polital Debut
Today after going to the mall with my 36 year old daughter, I have decided that I am going to run for office. I’m not sure yet, what I will run for, but which ever political official that can order mall employees around. We had just entered the mall, rented a stroller, for the two year old, not me,when we were approached by a man in his probably 20’s, pass right in front of me to hand Jodi a free sample of hand lotion. I stuck my hand out to get a free sample, but apparently, he must have just been caught up in the moment of giving his sales pitch and didn’t see that my hand was reaching out for some of the magical lotion that, according to him, can cure everything from cancer to Alzimers. (sorry, don’t know how to spell that, maybe I did, but I have forgot how).
I really didn’t think too much of him ignoring me until we got to the next little teenybopper. Again, free samples. Again, passed over me to give to my daughter. What is going on? I ask her if she noticed that they were completely ignoring me to try to make their sell to someone other than me, who might, just might, be wearing my, “I love my grandkids more than chocolate” t-shirt. She did say that maybe, just maybe, the salespeople were instructed to go for the young moms because sometimes the “more weathered” ladies were a bit grouchy when people tried to stop them to make a sale. I immediately stuck my nose in the air and marched over to the McDonalds food stand to get my $1.00 apple pie. Who do those youngsters think they are? Do they think that I’m to cheap to shell out money for hand cream or a hair extention?
If I were President, I would immediately hire people that were over 75 to work in the malls. That way, I would be considered the “youngster” and would be given free samples of hand cream and be ask if I would like to see what I looked like with a hair extention. Heck, I would like to see what I look like with just a full head of hair that didn’t frame my face with “blonde” (I like to call it blonde, calling it gray makes me sound old).
If I were president, I would carpet all the malls so my knee wouldn’t hurt when I had walked it’s length, trying to look cute and young in my 2″ heeled sandals. I would play Barry Manilow over the loud speakers in the stores so the sales people could hear me yelling at them from the dressing room when trying to get the too small blouse stuck over my head. I think they just keep resizing the clothes. I really don’t think that I have changed 3 sizes in 1 year.
If I were President, I would rent tennis shoes so that after the first 3 hours otf shopping I could bag my cutesy shoes and go rent a pair for comfort. Maybe a sweater rental kiosk would come in handy also. I would hand out free Heartburn pills for after those times when, trying to look cool in front of your kids and grandkids, we loaded up a bit too much on Auntie Anne’s or Cinnabon after scarfing down a Great American cookie.
All this to say that if you vote for me, I will promise to make our malls in American a more Senior Friendly place.
A place where we would be given our fair share of free samples and youngsters under 30 had to work in the stockrooms. Just a thought.
Trouble in Dodge (I mean Frisco)
They have been here less than 24 hours. All the Fall Décor looks as though it came smashed out of a package thrown over the fence from UPS. We have dined on fast food twice, swept up a broken china plate that Honey forgot to place on a high shelf, a pitcher of fresh brewed tea spilled on the kitchen floor, (but at least Noah tried to get the drink by himself) and the topper: a split in two left foot from me stepping on a miniature Southwest plane, left on the kitchen floor. Ironically, the same brand of plane that brought this “gift” of family to us yesterday. After all, what are the holidays without family? Maybe a few days in Hawaii or NY city? I’m sure we wouldn’t enjoy the Rockettes as much as we are enjoying Rocky the Squirrel on Cartoon network. Or a sandy beach as much as cookie crumbs all over the floors. Yes, family…so tried and true, and full of blog making events. What would the holidays be without them?
Yesterday, Jodi and I actually got to run to the mall, actually, we drove to the mall and ran through the mall, trying to catch Noah. He is at the age when he thinks he is too big for strollers, but he doesn’t realize that mom and Honey cannot run the length of the mall, trying to follow him. The only thing that slowed him down was the escalator that he insisted on going up and down, over and over. So instead of getting any shopping done, we are now experts at riding escalators. That’s it folks, no shopping, just riding the escalators. The positive was we didn’t spend any money and that made our hubbies so proud. Let’s see just how proud Pops is today when we ask him to babysit for us to get away for a few hours. Maybe when Jodi and I are getting a pedicure, they can scrub the blood off of the bottom of my foot.
Yesterday I texted Eric, our son-in-law, to thank him for giving Jodi a plane ticket to come visit for a few days and to thank him for his sacrifice of being left in Phoenix without his wife and youngest son. After less than 24 hours, I am thinking that he is just paying me back for all the bad things I ever said about him. Eric I am truly sorry and I promise not to ever say anything negative EVER again. You just have to promise not to give any more “gifts” to us for awhile. I think it will take us awhile to rest up from this gift you sent.
Update on Pumpkin Spice Cake
So sorry, Please correct the amount of pumpkin to 1 cup of pumpkin. Didn’t realize I had accidently typed 12…thank you Rose for letting me know…think 12 would have been a little heavy on the pumpkin flavor….
Pumpkin Spice Cake
A sweet friend of mine, Susie, sent me this cake recipe the other day and I just made it today. I have to say that it is the best and most moist pumpkin cake I have had. I added Brown Sugar Frosting to it and served it to friends who came over tonight for dessert. Scrumptious!!!! So easy and best pumpkin spice cake ever!!!!
1 box Duncan Hines Spice Cake Mix
1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1/2 cup oil
2 teas cinnamon
3 eggs, room temp
1 small package vanilla instant pudding
1/2 cup water
Mix all ingredients in mixing bowl and beat for about 2 minutes. Pour into a greased and floured Bundt pan for about 45 min or until cake tests done.
Let stand for about 15 minutes and then invert onto serving platter.
Frosting:
1 cup light brown sugar
5 tables butter
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 teas vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter with brown sugar and cream, stirring constantly. When mixture begins to boil, pour over powdered sugar and mix until no lumps remain. Add vanilla and if needed, 1 tables at a time, thin with whipping cream until mixture is right for pouring over the cake. Frosting will harden quickly so pour quickly over the cake.
Savory Caesar Mushroom Caps
Great appetizer from Paula Deen.
12 large whole mushrooms
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 ( 8oz) cream cheese, softened
1 teas onion flakes
2 tables roasted pecans (chopped)
1 table olive oil
1/4 teas ground cayenne pepper
3 Tables Briannas Asiago Caesar Salad dressing
Preheat oven to 350. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel. Carefully break off stem. Chop stems extremely fine, discarding tough ends.
Heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add chopped mushroom stems to the skillet. Saute until any moisture has disappeared and stems are tender. Set aside to cool.
Combine cream cheese, Asiago Caesar dressing, onion flakes, cayenne pepper, cooled mushroom stems and chopped pecans together mixing well. Mixture should be very thick.
Using a small spoon, fill each mushroom cap with a generous amount of stuffing. Arrange mushroom caps on prepared cookie sheet. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on each mushroom top.
Bake for 20 min in the preheated oven, or until mushrooms are piping hot and the cheese is golden brown.
Pumpkin Spice Cookies
Taken from our Frisco Style Magazine I tore this recipe out and can’t wait to make these cookies. Our daughter from Phoenix is coming in for a few days on Thurs. I told her that in celebration of her sticking to a new exercise program and following a healthy diet plan, I will have cookies and pies ready to celebrate her weight loss. She didn’t sound very excited when I shared that with her on the phone just now…but maybe she just wasn’t fully awake yet.
Cookies:
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed solid
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 cup pumpkin
2 cups flour
1 teas baking soda
1/2 teas nutmeg
1/4 teas round cloves
1/2 teas ground ginger
1/2 teas salt
1 tables ground cinnamon
Frosting:
3 table butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teas vanilla
Preheat oven to 350. With a mixer, mix butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until well combined. Add egg and vanilla to the mixture and continue to mix until well blended. Next stir in the pumpkin until mixture is an even orange color. Set aside.
Now, mix flour, baking soda, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, salt and cinnamon until well combined. Pour the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture and mix well until dough is nice and smooth.
Lightly grease a cookie sheet. Using a spoon, make dough balls (I will use my medium sized dough scoop) and place them on the cookie sheet about 2″ apart. Bake in preheated oven for about 10 min. *(I made them into bite size yesterday and baking time was reduced to 7 min 30 seconds)
While cookies are baking, start on the frosting. Add butter, heavy cream and brown sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. After the frosting mixture begins to boil, remove it from the heat and let cool completely. Add the powdered sugar into the butter mixture and beat until no lumps remain. After cookies are cooled completely, frost with the finished frosting and use orange sprinkles or Autumn sprinkles. Keep in covered container
Chocolate Castles 