by steph_egan | recipes
Sunday was a rainy, dreary, cold (FALL!) day here in Charlotte… which meant it was the perfect opportunity to throw some food in the crock pot and whip up a new, seasonal dessert.
I had been in the mood to make pumpkin pie, only waiting until it was seasonally appropriate to do so – ha! – and as I was scrolling through Pinterest one day, this recipe for pumpkin angel food cake caught my eye immediately: 1) because I love angel food cake (lighter/healthier alternative to other cakes) and 2) it’s easy to make!
The original recipe called for a layer of ginger-cream filling & frosting, but that was pushing it too far for me in the spice department, so I left that out and just went with cream cheese frosting – perfect choice!
So, ingredients were simple:
Angel food cake, water, flour, canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix) and frosting of your choice
Move oven rack to lowest position and heat to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl beat cake mix, 1 tablespoon flour, 3/4 canned pumpkin and 1 cup of cold water with an electric mixer. Beat on low for 30 seconds and medium speed for 1 minute.
Pour into ungreased 10-inch angel food cake pan and bake for 37 to 47 minutes (with my oven it was just about 45 minutes).
Immediately turn pan upside down onto heatproof funnel or glass bottle, and let cool for about 2 hours.
Frost and enjoy!
We loved it, and hardly tasted the pumpkin flavor!
Easy and simple recipe – score another point for Pinterest!
by Mandi | recipes
If you read our blog, you have read that I LOVE football season! Everything about the day is AMAZING: wearing your team colors, cheering on your favorite team and of course… tailgates!
This past weekend I went to a football game and people went all out! See below for my favorite idea for the fall!
Another inexpensive idea is to go to your local Dollar Tree. Check out these plates and napkins I found at my local Dollar Store… $1 each!
But now to the real reason we are all here… THE FOOD! I mean, what is a tailgate without amazing food?! I took a family favorite that is ALWAYS a crowd pleaser. Peanut Butter Rice Crispy Treats with Chocolate on top. So good… and So easy to make! Below is the recipe!
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup light corn syrup OR karo syrup
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 6 cups rice krispy cereal
- 1 package (6 oz., 1 cup) semi-sweet chocolate morsels
- 2 cups butterscotch chips
DIRECTIONS:
1. Place corn OR karo syrup and sugar into 3-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until sugar dissolves and mixture begins to boil. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter. Mix well. Add in rice crispy cereal. Stir until well coated. Press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Melt chocolate and butterscotch chips together in 1-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Note – you can also do this in the microwave, but make sure to warm it up slowly with short times. I do 30 seconds at a time to make sure I do not over cook the chocolate. Spread evenly over cereal mixture. Let stand until firm.
3. Cut into 2 x 1-inch bars when cool.
ADDITIONAL TIPS:
- Before measuring the corn syrup, coat your measuring cup with cooking spray–the syrup will pour easily out of the cup.
- You can sprinkle the chocolate and butterscotch chips on top of the rice crispy mixture and place in a low heat oven. When the chips get really shiny take a spoon and gently spread around and mix the colors together creating a marbled look.
by jenn_davis | personal
He said the fact I wasn’t impressed that he was a musician made him know I was the one.
Having given out CDs to our entire class, he asked me what I thought (I later learned he gave out CDs to everyone just so I could have one). I was honest, “the first few songs sounded messed up but it got better as it went on.” Not the response he had hoped for, I left him standing in the door way of our art studio completely speechless.
I was no fool. It was going to take much more than a tall, handsome boy (with a guitar and too many layers of clothes) to swoon me.
He was relentless and I was intrigued. We had been hanging out for several weeks when I agreed to accompany him on a road trip to Raleigh and watch him perform. It was that weekend two kids in an old jeep traveling north on 85, windows down and the crisp October air filling their lungs…. fell in love.
We were in a parking lot, stretched out on the hood of his jeep with the sun beating down on our faces as we talked about the past and what we wanted for the future. He jumped up and grabbed my hand, pulled me off the hood and knelt down in front of me as he slipped a silver band off his finger and placed it on mine.
“This is my promise to you, that if you will let me, I will love you forever, and this won’t be the last ring I put on your finger.”
Today we have been married for three years and together for seven, and though I may love October for the crisp air and seasonal coffee….I love it most because each year it brings back memories of new love that continues to surprise me.
Year after year.
