Autumn

 Autumn breeze
changing leaves
colors red and gold
Autumn sounds
All around
Beauty to behold.

Nothing speaks autumn more than some delicious Pumpkin Cake with Brown Butter Glaze.

 Pumpkin Cake with Browned Butter Glaze (adapted Buns in My Oven)

1 package yellow cake mix

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin

1/4 cup water

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 eggs

Glaze:

4 tablespoons butter

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk 

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1. Beat together all ingredients for the cake until well combined.

2. Add batter to bundt pan and bake 350° for 40-50 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes in the bundt pan before turning onto a cake platter to finish cooling. 

For the glaze:

1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat until browned, about 8 minutes.

2. Pour the butter into a small bowl and whisk in the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth.

3. Drizzle over the top of the cooled cake.

 Enjoy...

Where Do I Begin???

It has been quite a while since I last posted. In fact, it has been ....oh, my goodness....3 months! Wow....3 months??? Really?? In those three months, I have moved from working with middle school students

to working with these precious little ones.

Never dreamed I would be moved to an elementary school after spending 25 years in middle school, but I have loved every minute of the move.

So what have I been cooking lately? Glad you asked. 

Carrot Cake

2 ¼ cups flour

2 cups sugar

1 ¼ cups oil

3 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 teaspoons cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ teaspoons allspice

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups carrots, finely shredded

1 cup coconut, shredded

8 ounces crushed pineapple

1 cup pecans, chopped

1 cup golden raisins

Icing

2 (8 oz) cream cheese

1½ teaspoon vanilla

1 stick butter

4 to 5 cups powdered sugar

¼ cup milk

1.Mix together the first 10 ingredients.

2.Add the remaining ingredients and combine thoroughly.

3.Pour into 3 greased and floured round cake pans.

4.Bake 350° for 30 to 40 minutes or until done..

5.Mix together the icing ingredients and ice the cake after it cools completely.

 Enjoy...

How To Get Away From The Heat

I have found the perfect solution for escaping the southern heat wave.....

 

 Go on the most wonderful vacation....Alaska and be awed by God's creation!

Enjoy.....

Heat in the Kitchen

On one of the hottest days of the year (been in the triple digits for 2 days), I decide to heat up the kitchen. I have never made jelly before and tried it earlier this week with some blackberries and apples. Turned out beautifully. Some leftover blackberries were crying out to be made into some more jelly this afternoon.

The recipe called for apple juice from fresh apples. I didn't have any more apples so after researching using bottled juice, I gave it a try. The end result was wonderful. 

Blackberry Apple Jelly (adapted from Taste of Home Canning magazine)
2 1/2 quarts blackberries
1 1/4 cup water
Bottled apple juice
1/4 cup bottled lemon juice
8 cups sugar
2 pouches liquid pectin


1.In large pot, bring blackberries and water to a boil. Reduce and simmer for 5 minutes. Line strainer with four layers of cheesecloth and place over a bowl. Place berry mixture in strainer and let it drain for 30 minutes. Discard the pulp.
2. Measure the blackberry juice and add enough apple juice to equal 4 cups.
3. Return juice to pot and add lemon juice and sugar. Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Stir in pectin and return to full rolling boil. Boil for one minute, stirring constantly.
4. Remove from heat, skim off foam and carefully ladle into hot sterilized jars leaving 1/4 headspace. Wipe rims and adjust lids. Process for 5 minutes in a water bath.


And then for supper I decide to fry some corn fritters. What was I thinking? Apparently, the heat has damaged my thinking. 


Enjoy...

Jammin' Good Time

We be jammin' in this kitchen.

Blueberry Lime Jam (from Food.com)

4 ½ cups blueberries

1 pkg dry pectin

5 cups sugar

1/3 cup lime juice

1. In a pan crush blueberries one layer at a time.

2. Add pectin and stir.

3. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently.

4. Add sugar, stirring until the sugar dissolves.

5. Stir in lime juice.

6. Return to a rolling boil and boil for one minute. Stir constantly.

7. Ladle into hot jars, add rings and seals.

8. Process 15 minutes in hot water bath.

Peach Raspberry Jam (from Taste of Home Canning and Preserves Magazine)

2 2/3 cups crushed peaches

1 1/2 cups crushed raspberries

3 cups sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon bottled lemon juice

 

1. In large pan, combine all ingredients. 

2. Cook over low heat until sugar dissolves and mixture is bubbly, about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.

3. Bring to a rolling boil. Boil for 15 minutes, stirring constantly.

4. Remove from the heat, skim off foam and ladle into jars. Add rings and seals.

5. Process 15 minutes in hot water bath.

Enjoy...