Meals

My mother in-law had back surgery last week and came home on Wednesday. So to help her and my father in-law out I made them a couple of days' worth of meals.

I seem to provide meals to friends and family often, which is fun for me. I enjoy it. Although, I know for some, it's not the easiest thing to come up with a meal to give. So, I thought I'd share what I made for our in-laws, all of which are freezer-friendly meals as well:

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas + salad
Lasagna + salad + garlic bread
Beef Dip Sandwiches + chips
Corn & Potato Chowder + rolls
Take and Bake Pizza + salad
Banana Bread
Chocolate Chip Cookies

When you're making meals for others, it doesn't have to be super fancy (hello take & bake pizza!) and I have found (from experience) that it's nice to include a breakfast item too.

I remember someone brought us a meal after one of our babies and they also brought muffins. It was a huge blessing to us, because when you have little ones, a good breakfast is hard to whip up all the time.

Some other ideas (for your friends or freezer):
Breakfast Burritos
La Bamba Casserole
Fruit Crisp

IF you find that you're organizing meals for someone, check out this website. People sign up for days that you set and displays the meal they are planning to bring, which is super helpful! That way, the receiver doesn't get 15 lasagnas. Then it will send a reminder to the giver, the receiver and you, the coordinator. It is so simple and helpful. And FREE!

Have a great weekend!!

Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes

The weather is really cooling down here. And the leaves on the trees are bright and beautiful. So what better to do on a crisp, cool Fall day than BAKE!

These cupcakes are divine! Pumpkiny cake with creamy whipping cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce. SO decadent!

Who needs a $4 Pumpkin Spice Latte when you could just eat one of these? Or three.

I used my go-to pumpkin muffin recipe and adapted it.

CUPCAKE INGREDIENTS
1 (18.25 oz) box Spice cake mix (I use Betty Crocker)
1/2 cup brown sugar

1-2 Tbsp. instant coffee (depending on how strong you like your "latte")

1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ginger

1 (15 oz) can pureed pumpkin
2 eggs

1/2 cup oil

1 tsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp. sour cream

WHIPPING CREAM TOPPING:

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup powdered sugar

store-bought caramel sauce, for garnish
ground cinnamon, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

1. Place cake mix, sugar, coffee and spices in a bowl.

2. In a separate bowl, combine pumpkin, eggs, oil, vanilla and sour cream; mix well.

3. Blend the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix until well blended with no lumps.
4. Fill a lined muffin tin with batter (3/4 full).
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, make whipped cream topping by whipping cream and powdered sugar until stiff (but don't beat too much...otherwise it will turn into butter!)
7. Top cooled cupcakes with whipped cream. Drizzle each cupcake with caramel sauce and a pinch of cinnamon.

Happy Fall!!

Pinkalicious...the Musical

Yesterday, I took Sweet Pea to see her first play...Pinkalicious the Musical (based on the adorable book: Pinkalicious by Victoria Kaan & Elizabeth Kaan)

It was a lot of pink! Lots of little girls in tutus and all sorts of pinkness. Fun songs and dancing...right up her alley.

To add to the mommy/daughter date, we started off with cupcakes (naturally!)

We went to Cupcake Jones and they even had a Pinkalicious cupcake!

YUM!

It was a fun day! Today we got to continue the mommy/daughter fun...

Starbucks.
Shopping.
Library.
Lunch at home.
Cartoons.

I love this girlie. I can't believe how much she is growing up!

Spiced Apple Bundt Cake with Easy Salted Caramel Glaze

try saying that 3 times fast...HA!

Recently I was invited to join a group of bloggers in a Cooking Challenge hosted by Sheryl at Lady Behind the Curtain. I'm always up for a good challenge, so I said "I'm in!"

Every month she assigns 2 ingredients that must be used in a recipe. This month's challenge?
APPLES & CARAMEL. What a yummy combination!

Here is the recipe I have submitted for the challenge...

Spiced Apple Bundt Cake with EASY Salted Caramel Glaze

Cake Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 large eggs
3 cups apples, cored, peeled and chopped
Cooking spray

Cake Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°
2. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves; set aside.

3. In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine butter and sugar. With mixer running on low, carefully add milk, eggs and vanilla; stir until well-blended.
4. Mix in dry ingredients.

5. Fold in chopped apples. 

6. Spoon batter into a 12-cup Bundt pan coated with cooking spray. 

7. Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack. (adapted from Cooking Light, December 2000)

Now, on to the glaze!

This caramel sauce is seriously the easiest thing to make (spoiler alert! you make it in the microwave!) and it's soooo good!

Glaze Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt

Glaze Directions:

1. Place butter, brown sugar and corn syrup in a microwave-safe bowl (I use an 8-cup glass batter bowl).

2. Place bowl in the microwave for 1 minute on high. Stir. Repeat for 5-7 minutes, stopping and stirring after each minute, until the sauce gets bubbly.

3. Add vanilla and salt.

4. Pour hot glaze over cooled cake.

This caramel recipe makes quite a bit. You'll probably only need about half for the cake. 

Use the rest to drizzle over ice cream, popcorn, dip apples or eat it by the spoonful.

Or all of the above. 

Just don't eat it with a spoon while it's hot out of the microwave...it will be very hot!

ENJOY!!

Check out some of the other entries by clicking on the links below.

Fruits of the Spirit

via

Today I'm focusing on the Fruits of the Spirit...mainly self-control and patience.

To have the self-control to not eat everything in sight.
To have patience with my kids while my husband is out of town.
To be kind and gentle with them.

That is my prayer today.

Words from the inspiring and amazing Beth Moore: "Living in the Fruit of the Spirit will not only change your life, but it will change your day."

I love that.

Happy Wednesday!

Scissors and Knives

What is it about boys and sharp objects/things that shoot/destroying stuff?

Today, I caught my boy trying to give Sweet Pea a haircut. I walked in while he had a pair of big scissors in hand, preparing to cut a big ol' chunk out her hair. I'm glad I caught it when I did. It could've been a lot worse and we all know we're still recovering from the butchering that her mommy gave her!

THEN, as I was making dinner, the baby was getting fussy so asked my sweet boy if he could play with her while I finished up dinner. His response? "Sure, Mom! I'm gonna show her what a knife is!" HA! You can imagine what my response was :)

 

He really is a great big brother. He loves his sisters. Sometimes I forget he's only 6.

P.S. No children were harmed in any of the listed events :)

Monday, Monday

This weekend, we celebrated my hubby's birthday. On Friday, we had his family over, ate enchiladas, opened presents and had beer brownies with ice cream for dessert. The cake-like brownies are very dense and very rich! Everyone seemed to enjoy them.

On Saturday, the boys went to a football game and the girls & I stayed home and hung out. Sweet Pea and I played games, read books, watched Tangled and played together. It was nice to just be home and not have anywhere we needed to be.

On Sunday (my hubby's actual birthday), I made birthday pancakes with sprinkles

Then it was church, out to lunch and home for naps. It was a goooood weekend.

Today I have a sick kiddo at home. He's missing his school field trip to the pumpkin patch...bummer!

I've got this going in the crockpot for dinner and lots of housework to get done. I'm starting a new cleaning system today. We'll see if I can stick with it.

So, there you have it. Another day in the life :)

Friday

Is it Friday already? Sheesh! This week has flown by!

My husband's birthday is this weekend and we're celebrating with his family tonight. My sister-in-law is making her famous enchiladas and I'm making Beer Brownies for dessert (two of his favorite things combined). But, instead of Guinness beer, I'm using this...

I'll let you know how they turn out.

I also baked up another one of his faves...Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffinshttp://tastykitchen.com/recipes/desserts/easy-pumpkin-muffins-2/. These muffins are so moist and delicious! They go like hot cakes around here.

I make them into mini muffins with mini chocolate chips for the kids. They go bonkers over them! You should seriously try them.

Have a great weekend!

6 Months

Half of a year already!! Our baby girl is sitting up, laughing, TEETHING (no teeth yet, but lots of drooling), grabbing things (and putting them straight in her mouth), napping 3 times a day and eating like a champ.

She is also very smitten with the cat. He is not as interested, as you can see.

Here's a little monthly run-down:

We love this sweet girl!

Pumpkin Patch 2011

On Saturday, the kids and I went to the Pumpkin Patch with my brother-in-law, sister-in-law and niece (hubby was at a football game). It was a GORGEOUS day! Sunny and a little warm!

making nut angels

barrel ride

shooting the corn cannon with some help from Uncle Willy

turkey dog...HA!

hay ride!

Such a fun day! How was your weekend?

Holiday Sweet Swap

I'm always looking for new recipes to try, especially around the holidays. We love to bake! So, I was super stoked to find an online recipe swap! It's called the Holiday Sweet Swap and is being hosted by a few different blogs. I found out about it through Inside BluCrew.

People can share recipes through December 31, so I'll be checking in from time to time to get some new inspiration.

Check it out!

5k. Check.

One of my personal goals has been to run in a 5K and eventually work myself up. And today, I checked the 5K off my list.

It would not have been possible with out this lady...

Cathy is my friend, neighbor, workout partner and today she was my cheerleader.

She encouraged me throughout the whole race. She pushed me to keep going when I wanted to stop. And she ROCKED it!! She pushed all 60 lbs of  those sweet boys while running the whole way.

I'm so glad I had a partner to run with...it made a world of difference. If she hadn't been there, I probably would have stopped several times, but your body can do so much more than your mind thinks you can. And she kept reminding me of that.

It felt good. WE DID IT!!!

Craft Day

Our little sweet pea asks to do a craft almost daily. So yesterday we did a fun fall craft that goes along with the theme at school: "I am special".

The idea came from here. It's called the Fingerprint Tree.

First we traced her arm and hand on a piece of paper for the trunk and branches. Then she painted it.

Then, it was time for the fingerprint stamping. I think that was her favorite part.