Recipe: Pumpkin Spice Bars

This has been one busy week so I once again made a quick but very delicious bar recipe.  These are quick, easy and awesome!  And although these would be great for Christmas, they would be even more fantastic on your Thanksgiving table.

We all enjoyed these and I hope you do as well.

Pumpkin Spice Bars

Crust

1 pkg spice cake mix

1 egg

2 tbsp butter, melted

Filling

1 pkg cream cheese, softened

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 can pumpkin

2 eggs

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup pecans, chopped

Make crust:  In a large bowl, combine cake mix, egg and melted butter; stir until mixture is well blended.  The mixture will be dry.  Press into bottom of a 9 x 13" pan that has been sprayed.

Make filling:  In another large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy.  Add sweetened condensed milk, pumpkin, eggs and salt.  Beat mixture until it is smooth.  Pour over crust.

Sprinkle pecans over filling.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes or until filling is set.  Cool in pan on a wire 20 minutes;  chill.  Cut into bars.

Linked To:

  * Mommy's Kitchen - Potluck Sunday

  * 11th Heaven's Homemaking Heaven - Homemaker Monday

  * The Girl Creative Party Blog - Just Something I Whipped Up

  * Blessed with Grace - Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

  * Simply Sweet Home - Friday Favorites

  * Mom's Crazy Cooking - This Week's Cravings

  * It's A Blog Party - Day of Thanksgiving

  * And Baby Makes Five - Homemade Holiday Recipe Swap

  * It's a Blog Party: Fall Fest 2011

Week 5 Twelve Weeks of Christmas:

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Family: Abby and Zoey's 7th Birthday @ Home

 I am so late in posting these pictures, but I just found the disk that they were on...finally!  My kids are constantly hi-jacking my camera and there are times when it comes up missing. 

This year, the girls had a small birthday but had lots of presents.  They still love to play dress up so the received lots of new dress up clothes and accessories.  I made them pancakes for breakfast and they decided they wanted to go to Cracker Barrel for lunch for more pancakes.  They each got their own birthday cake this year so we had lots of sugar to go around.  Big Nanny and Aunt Linda came over to help us celebrate with cake and icing. 

I still can't believe that my little babies are getting so big and growing so fast. 

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Recipe Review: German Apple Cake

It is October and although the weather is still warm here in Texas, I am craving the flavors of fall.    I also had some apples that were getting to the point of no return and needed to use them as well.  I wanted to make something simple and delicious to go with our dinner tonight and this cake fit the bill.  It will go well with our sausage and apple dinner as well.

I saw this recipe while I was watching one of my new favorite cooking shows, Mad Hungry.  Have you watched it yet?  It is an awesome show and I love Lucinda Scala Quinn's cooking style...fast, simple and delicious.  This is the first recipe of hers that I am trying but I have several more that I will be trying soon.

German Apple Cake

by Mad Hungry/Lucinda Scala Quinn

1 cup AP flour

1 1/2 tsps baking powder

1 tsp coarse salt

1 stick butter, room temperature

1 1/3 cups sugar

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Juice of 1/2 lemon

3 to 4 tart apples (Granny Smith, Cortland or Winesap)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Butter or spray an 8-inch square baking pan.  In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.  In a medium bowl, cream together butter and 1 cup sugar.  Stir in eggs and vanilla. Add the flour mixture to beat until combined.  Spread the mixture evenly in the prepared pan.  In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/3 cup sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice.  Peel, core and slice the apples into the bowl.  Toss the apples thoroughly to coat each apple slice.  Arrange the apple slices on top of the batter in overlapping rows pressing lightly into the batter.  Bake for 45 minutes or until a cake taster inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes before serving.

Linked To:

*And Baby Makes Five - Homemade Holidays Recipe Swap   
*It's a Blog Party: Fall Fest 2011 

* Six Sister's Stuff: Strut Your Stuff Saturday

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Iced Pumpkin Cookies

I'm not a huge fan of pumpkin pie. It's the more the texture than the flavor. I love pumpkin spiced food, especially Dunkin Donuts' pumpkin donut and these pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting. I am obsessed with pumpkin right now and decided to find a recipe for cookies. These are what I found. Very moist, almost cake-like cookies.

For the cookies:
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup cooked, pureed pumpkin (fresh or canned)
1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups unbleached allpurpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

For the Icing:
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons whipping cream, fresh orange juice or rum (I used OJ, which wasn't overpowering, but added just a little bit of citrus, which accompanied the pumpkin well)

What to do for the cookies:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add pumpkin, egg and vanilla and mix well. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir into butter mixture until well blended. Add nuts and raisins. Drop by teaspoonful onto parchment covered baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake about 15 minutes, or until golden. Cool.

What to do for the icing: Cream confectioners' sugar and butter. Add remaining ingredients and beat until smooth. (If icing is too thin, add more confectioners' sugar; if too thick, add more cream, orange juice or rum.) Drizzle over cookies.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Recipe: Dulce de Leche Brownies

I can't believe it is already week four of the 12 weeks of Christmas cookies.  I didn't have a lot of time this week so I wanted to make something easy but yummy.  Who doesn't love brownies and caramel?  This would be perfect to make when you don't have a lot of time and you need a fabulous dessert, hostess gift or a dessert to share.  And it only requires five ingredients!

Dulce de Leche Brownies

1 box brownie mix

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1/4 cup butter

1 tsp vanilla

pecans, optional

Make brownies according to box directions.  Once you remove the brownies from the oven, make the frosting.  In a saucepan, combine condensed milk and butter.  Cook and stir over medium heat until bubbly.  Cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes more or until slightly thickened.  Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.  Pour frosting over brownies, spreading evenly.  Sprinkle with nuts.  Cool completely before cutting.

Linked To:
  * Blessed with Grace: Tempt My Tummy Tuesday
  * Tales from the Fairy Blogmother:  What's Cooking Wednesday


Week 4 Twelve Weeks of Christmas:

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Family: Fall Frolic - October 2010

Earlier this month, we went to the Fall Frolic in Jewett.  Hailey and Daddy rode in the parade on the third grade float.  Abby and Zoey watched the parade from the sidelines, but they got to collect two big grocery bags full of candy that the were thrown from the float.  Although the parade was little, because after all we are in Small Town USA, we still had our high school cheerleaders and band, the fire department, the lawn mower brigade and much more.  The event coincided with the monthly flea market.   Along with the parade, there was a chili cook off, live music and activities for the kids.  The girls had their faces painted and we visited the flea market. 

Next year, I will bring breakfast and hot chocolate to enjoy as we wait and watch the parade.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad