Thankful for Family

I need to backtrack a few weeks and share a few pictures from Thanksgiving. We love Thanksgiving at our house. And not just love it...but LOVE it. My mom has two sisters and one brother and everyone gathers at her house for a day of fun, food, and family...

did I mention my mom is a middle sister...

Gram with a few of her greats :)

my cousins beautiful daughter

how can one not love this BIG family

be thankful...

rachel :)

Apple-Cream Cheese Cake

Last week, the husband of a dear friend of mine deployed overseas. In trying to keep her upbeat, busy, and happy, I dragged her out this morning for a 5 mile run in the rain. Actually, the run was her idea, the rain was out of our control, and the 5 miles were my idea. I tricked her into thinking a long loop was a short loop and 5 miles later we were soaking wet and she had a few choice words for me. There were four of us that ran together on this dreadful Monday morning, but the miles flew by with great friends and great conversation. I'll admit that when it was over we all felt a little (maybe a lot) tougher, stronger, and despite the weather...happier.

   

When I got home I saw a Southern Living magazine (September 2011) on the kitchen counter that she had been flipping through a few days prior. While looking through, she told me that for her birthday she wanted me to make the Apple-Cream Cheese Bundt Cake that was featured on the cover. Great...I'm all in...but her birthday is not until March. Seriously. So, on this rainy afternoon I found myself thinking why wait until March!?! Life is short...lets eat cake! I sent her a text and invited her and her three adorable kids over for dinner and cake. Because what can be better on a cool, rainy, fall night than friends and cake!

and here's the picture from Southern Living...because mine wasn't quite as pretty, but it was so good I'm sure my stomach didn't notice...

Ingredients

• CREAM CHEESE FILLING:
• 1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• APPLE CAKE BATTER:
• 1 cup finely chopped pecans
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup canola oil
• 3/4 cup applesauce
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups peeled and finely chopped Gala apples (about 1 1/2 lb.)
• PRALINE FROSTING:
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup powdered sugar

Preparation

• 1. Prepare Filling: Beat first 3 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended and smooth. Add egg, flour, and vanilla; beat just until blended.
• 2. Prepare Batter: Preheat oven to 350º. Bake pecans in a shallow pan 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through. Stir together 3 cups flour and next 7 ingredients in a large bowl; stir in eggs and next 3 ingredients, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in apples and pecans.
• 3. Spoon two-thirds of apple mixture into a greased and floured 14-cup Bundt pan. Spoon Cream Cheese Filling over apple mixture, leaving a 1-inch border around edges of pan. Swirl filling through apple mixture using a paring knife. Spoon remaining apple mixture over Cream Cheese Filling.
• 4. Bake at 350º for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack, and cool completely (about 2 hours).
• 5. Prepare Frosting: Bring 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup butter, and 3 Tbsp. milk to a boil in a 2-qt. saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly; boil 1 minute, whisking constantly. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Gradually whisk in powdered sugar until smooth; stir gently 3 to 5 minutes or until mixture begins to cool and thickens slightly. Pour immediately over cooled cake.

Don't let the directions and ingredient list intimidate you. Most everything I had in the pantry. It did however, take some time...the cake took about an hour to make. Confession...I didn't peel the apples. It baked for 75 minutes and cooled for two hours. The Praline Frosting was so easy and went on great. This should be a must bake for everyone this fall! Enjoy!

Rachel :)

Pumpkin Muffins and More...

When the weather gets nice, my attention span tends to not function, resulting in DIY overload. It happened this weekend. I started by deciding that the table in the breakfast nook was too dark and maybe I needed to strip it...

I should have been doing laundry...

Or cleaning the kitchen...

But when I sat down at the computer and pulled up Pinterest (hello...I have a problem), I saw some pumpkin muffins that I had to make. That minute. Thank goodness I had everything I needed, because I never over buy when Publix has awesome B1G1...hmmmmmm....

You will need a whopping two ingredients...

Canned pumpkin and cake mix...that's it! The recipe calls for Golden Yellow. All I had was Butter Golden...Butter=Good...

I mixed them together with my mixer from 1974. That's right. 1974. Don't hate. It's a MixMaster with a Burst Of Power. When my mom and dad married, my grandfather thought every good southern woman should have a mixer. So he bought this one for my mom. When I moved into my first apartment, I inherited the mixer. It rocks my socks. Seriously. Mixing is a lost art...as is sanding...

Mix and divide.  

Bake at 350* for 20-25 minutes.

When they come out, they will be as awesome as these...just add a little powered sugar. Or turn into Martha Stewart and make some homemade cream cheese icing. I had laundry and cleaning and sanding calling my name...

Rachel :)

DIY Moss Wreath

Yes...I know...yet another Pinterest inspiration picture...someone please tell me why I didn't come up with the whole Pinterest thing...anyway...

You already know the story. Girl sees a picture on Pinterest. Girl loves picture. Girl attempts to create picture on a super small budget. The End.

Inspiration...

source

You can buy one of these beautiful wreaths on Etsy for about $$$. Or you could make your own. I'm not saying you shouldn't buy it though...I'm just sayin'...you know...yo...

I started with an 18 inch grapevine wreath from Michaels. I like the Michaels grapevine a lot better than the ones from Hobby Lobby. I think they are thicker and rounder. Or maybe just less picked over. Or maybe I got lucky and was there on a good day...

Add a BIG bag of spanish moss...

and some awesome hot glue...

With a half a yard or so of burlap you can make a jam up bow...

And 3 little white pumpkins complete the look...

The finished product...

I love how the twigs of the grapevine peak through the moss...

Here's the breakdown of the cost...

Grapevine Wreath $4.99 with 50% off coupon...$2.49

1/2 Yard Burlap at $3.99 with 40% off coupon... $1.20

Big Bag of Moss at $5.99 with 40% off coupon...$3.60

3 white pumpkins at $1 each...$3

Total Cost... $10.29 plus tax, tag, and title

Now you know you don't have to take out a second mortgage to have a pretty front door!

Rachel :)

seriously though...Hancocks, Michaels, Hobby Lobby, and Joannes accept competitor coupons. You can't use your phone (yes, I've tried)...you have to go old school and print out the coupon on actual paper so they can mail it to their corporate office or something like that. I try to plan ahead and buy what I need on weeks that I can find 50% and 40% off one item...good luck!

It's Fall Y'all!

You know it's fall when your driveway starts to look like this...

And your yard starts to look like this...

Anyone who knows me also knows that I never say "Y'all"...but It's Fall You Guys just doesn't have the same ring to it! Fall is here...cooler temps, Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte, mums, pumpkins, and everything in between. Mr. T walked in the house today and wanted to know why it looked like a fall festival...

    

And this handsome man has been home for a few days with an ear infection

so I've had some super good company!

I think he's on the mend...

Rachel :)