Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes

BOO!

Can you believe it's already time for Halloween? It feels like it should still be sometime last winter. Or early spring, at least. 

What are y'all doing for Halloween? We don't really celebrate it, except for helping out with Trunk or Treat at church. But I just HAD to get sick, so I didn't get to rock my cute 50s outfit. Too bad. :(. Maybe someone will decide to have a party at the last minute.I guess I'm a little old for trick or treating ;).

 

Speaking of treats, let's talk about these cupcakes!

Pumpkin spice frappucinos and  lattes are my absolute favorite part of fall, besides football.  And cupcakes are one of my favorite little things in life. So naturally they had to be married and have a baby. And what a yummy baby it is.  

Pumpkin Spice Latte Cupcakes

( Cake adapted from Eat, Live, Run, icing adapted from a church cookbook)

1/2 c whole wheat flour

1/2 c all purpose flour

1/2 15 oz can pumpkin

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1 1/2 tbsp coffee grounds

3/4 c packed brown sugar

1/2 c oil

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

2 tbsp molasses

Preheat oven to 350. Mix dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix wet ingredients. Then add to the dry.  Spoon into lined cupcake tins and bake 25-30 min. Let cool completely before icing. 

Pumpkin Spice Frosting:

1 stick butter or margarine, or 4 oz cream cheese, or shortening, or whatever 

2-3 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 box powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

milk

Cream butter. Add sugar, vanilla, spices, and 1 tbsp milk, mixing well. Add more milk a little at a time until you reach the desired consistency.

Questions of the day:

What are you going to be for Halloween? And what's your favorite part of fall?

Happy weekend/Halloween!

Mellie

Blondies

Who wants to eat a fudgy, carmely blondie, filled with chocolate chips?

*Raises hand* "MEE, please!!"

We've been making these blondies for years. They were a simple, but delicious, treat. Then the other day, I decided to try browning the butter. The result is good and carmely. Not so simple anymore!

I don't know what it is about browned butter that makes good things great, but seriously, people, you need to get on the browned butter bandwagon ASAP. No applesauce blondies for me! A little butter never hurt anyone.

Blondies

(slightly adapted from Taste of Home)

1 1/2 c brown sugar

1/2 c butter

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 c flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 c chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.  Melt butter in a skillet.  Blend with sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Beat in dry ingredients. Last, beat in chips. Bake in a 9x13 in pan for 18-20 min on 350.

Have a good week!
Mellie

Gelato

I remember the first time i had gelato. It was my first day in Paris, and I was enthralled to be there. And to top it all off, we went to a cute little sandwich shop/gelato shop for lunch, and I had my first taste of the creamy, decadent goodness. Love at first spoonful.

OK, that didn't really happen but didn't it sound nice?

Actually, I've never left the country. I've only been to Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, South Carolina, Florida, and Alabama. Don't judge. It's not my fault it's my parents.

So, for real, I first tried gelato at a rinkydink festival in a rinkydink North Carolina town. I'm not sure what flavor I got, but I remember it was creamy and decadent and sweet and one of the best things I had eaten in my 10 or 11 or maybe it was 12 years on earth. 

But for some reason, I never ate it again, until a couple weeks ago on my birthday.  It was just as amazing as I remembered-just as rich, just as thick and creamy. Yum. :)

Gelato 

(adapted from all recipes)

2 c milk ( I used 2%-it just depends on how rich you want it)

1 c heavy cream

4 egg yolks

1/2 c sugar

vanilla and almond extract, to taste

In a medium saucepan, mix milk and cream. Warm till foam firms around the edges, remove from heat. In large bowl, beat egg yolks and sugar till frothy. Gradually pour milk into egg yolks, whisking constantly. Return mixture to saucepan, cook over medium heat, stir with wooden spoon till mixture gels slightly and coats back of spoon. Stir in flavorings. Pour mixture into ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's directions. Makes: 4 big servings.

mmm.

So.. school started yesterday. It's going to be a busy, busy year, much worse than last year. But I will post as much as possible!
Until then, have a great week!
Mellie

Orange Marmalade Cake

Sorry this post has been so long in coming. Guess what? School starts Friday. (wah wah wah) Yes Friday. Don't even ask, because I really don't know. Nothing in our town makes sense. School starts on a friday. The fair comes this week, when it is waaay to hot to be outside, especially while eating hot funnel cakes. We have 3 clothing stores and 1354 restaurants. Nothing here makes sense. Nothing. 

Well, anyway, let's talk about this cake. It's nothing short of amazing. Three layers of yummy, moist yellow cake with orange zest, soaked in a delicious orange glaze, with orange marmalade in between the layers, and a fluffy sour cream icing to top it all off. The icing balances out the intense sweetness of the cake. And I love that it has a glaze AND an icing-it's like the best of both worlds.

This cake only gets better with age, but it doesn't last that long. But maybe your family is not as obsessed with desserts as mine, so you get to enjoy it for a long time. 

Oh, one more thing. Butter and flour your pans. Don't use cooking spray. I used it, out of habit, and it wasn't pretty. It's cake, people, it's not supposed to be low cal.

Here's the recipe!

Orange Marmalade Cake

(From Jan Karon's Mitford Cookbook and Kitchen Reader)

Cake:

1 c unsalted butter, softened

3 1/4 c cake flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 2/3 c granulated sugar

5 large eggs, at room temp

4 large egg yolks, at room temp

2/3 c canola oil

1 tbsp grated orange zest

2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly butter and flour 3 9in round cake pans. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Sift a second time into another bowl. With an electric mixer, beat butter till light in color, about 4 minutes. add the sugar in a steady stream while mixer is still running. Beat till light and fluffy, about 4 min. Add eggs and yolks, one at a time, beat well after each addition. Continue to beat on medium speed for two more minutes. With mixer on low speed, add oil and beat for 1 minute. In a small bowl, combine zest, buttermilk, and vanilla. Using a rubber spatula, fold half the dry ingredients into the butter mixture. Scrape down the sides, and half the buttermilk mixture. Repeat. 

Pour batter into remaining pans. Bake 30-35 min, or till toothpick comes out clean. Let cakes cool in pans on racks 20 min.

orange syrup:

1 c fresh orange juice

1/4 c sugar

stir till sugar is dissolved. While cakes are still in pans, poke holes and pour the glaze on top.

Filling:

1 12 oz jar orange marmalade

heat in small saucepan over medium heat till just melted. cool 5 min.

Icing:

1 c heavy cream, chilled

4 tbsp granulated sugar

1 c sour cream, chilled

Whip cream and sugar till stiff peaks form. Add sour cream, a little at a time, and whisk till mixture is spreadable.

To assemble: 

Invert 1 cake layer onto a plate, spread 1/3 of the marmalade on top. Repeat till all the layers are stacked. Top with orange marmalade, leaving a 1 1/4 in border around the edges. Frost sides and top border with sour cream icing. Or, frost the whole cake, and garnish with marmalade. Chill for at least 2 hrs before serving. Yield: 12-14 servings

 

QOD: What's your best birthday cake? This was DEFINITELY my best tasting one. The cutest one was...hmm...when I turned 11, I had cupcakes decorated to look like mini individual cakes. We also had mini burgers and hot dogs with small cheese slices, baby pickles, and grape tomatoes.

Have a good day!

Mellie

Mixed Berry Delight Pie

Ahhh, summer. The beach, the sundresses, the pool, the freedom from school, the flip-flops, the ice cream, the grilled steaks/burgers, the fruit.

I love summer fruits. I love them by themselves, but I really love them in pies, cobblers, and other desserts. Fruit desserts are way better than chocolate. Don't get me wrong, I love chocolate, but fruit is lighter and fresher and tastier.

This pie contains three fruits-lemon, blueberries, and the ultimate summer berry, the raspberry. It is sweet, though not too sweet. If summer had a flavor, this would be it. 

Mixed Berry Delight 

(adapted from Granny)

For the pie:

1 8 oz pkg cream cheese

1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

1/3 c lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla

1 graham cracker crust

For the topping:

2 c raspberries

2 c blueberries

2 tbsp cornstarch

1 tsp lemon juice

Beat cream cheese until fluffy, beat in sweetened condensed milk. Add lemon juice and vanilla, mix well. Pour into crust and chill 3 hrs or till firm.

For the topping, mix and cook over medium heat till thick. Cool before pouring over pie.

Serve this pie at your next picnic, pool party, or whatever. Once your guests taste it, they will make you the official dessert person, so hopefully you can handle the responsibility. Or maybe once you taste it you won't want to share. I sure wouldn't. :)

Happy evening!

Mellie

Southern Charm

The other day, I wanted to bake, but I didn't go to the internet, or to our endless supply of old Taste of Homes.   Instead, I went an even better direction, one I don't go nearly enough.

 This is my grandmother's recipe box. All the recipes are written in her lovely old-fashioned handwriting, and all of them are 100 times better than anything modern. Last week, I made her pound cake. This is the best pound cake I've ever eaten, hands down.

There's something nice and old-fashioned about pound cake, isn't there? It seems like something Scarlett O'Hara would nibble on, sitting under a magnolia tree, surrounded by young men.

(Don't be hatin' on Gone with the Wind just because it's 75 years old and over 700 pages long. It's my favorite book, and I don't care how old it is.)

I had high hopes for this cake. It's only the 3rd scratch cake I've ever baked all by myself. And it fell. I cried when I opened the oven and saw.  And I'm not ashamed.

Here are some reasons it could have fallen:1. i didn't use a really good pan, 2. I had to chill the batter before baking, and 3. I forgot to flour the pan.

Here's the recipe. It is the richest, most delicious cake you'll EVER eat!!

Pound Cake

3/4 lb butter, at room temp.

6 eggs, at room temp.

1 8 oz pkg cream cheese

3 c sifted flour

3 c sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Cream butter and cream cheese. Add sugar. Add eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla and flour. Bake in a greased, floured bundt pan at 325 for 1-1 1/2 hrs. Makes: one large cake.

oh my my my. :)

Have a good night,

Mellie

Banana Bread #2

Banana bread is so cliche, but how could you get tired of its moist, not-too-sweet, amazing goodness?

 There are soo many variations- blueberries, chocolate chips, nuts, and coconut are just a few things people add to make a delicious bread even better.

It's so easy to make! It was one of the first things I ever baked by myself. Of course, I messed up a few times-once I used all purpose flour, and another time I left out the bananas. Don't judge.

I know I already have a banana bread recipe on this blog, but I decided to share this yummy version I made last week. It is the best recipe I've ever had, period. The hint of lemon sets it apart from other banana breads, without being overpowering.

Don't be bored by banana bread! Make this!

Banana bread

from Jan Karon's Mitford Cookbook and Kitchen Reader

3/4 c sugar

1/3 c butter, at room temperature

2 eggs, at room temperature

1/4 c sour cream

2 tsp lemon juice

3 large ripe bananas, mashed

2 tbsp grated lemon zest

2 c self rising flour

1 c walnuts, opt

Cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy, about 8 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beat well after each addition. Add sour cream, lemon juice, zest, and bananas and beat well.  Stir in flour until just blended. Add walnuts, if desired, and mix till just incorporated. 

Pour into a greased 9x13 in loaf pan, bake at 350 for 55 min.

Trust me, you want to make this. You really do!

Have a good night!

Mellie

Hello, Summer!

I love summer! I love the beach, the pool, the freedom from school, the warm weather, the beach, the flip-flops, the flowers, the fireflies, and most definitely the beach.

I also love the food.  Fresh produce from our garden or the farmers market...lime and lemonade...ice-cold sweet tea...grilled chicken, hotdogs and burgers...oh, and ice cream. DEFINITELY ice cream.

Ice cream. It's cold and creamy (obviously), sweet and refreshing. I don't have a problem with store-bought ice cream (as long as it's a good brand) but there's just something about homemade ice cream, you know? Something about it that sets it apart from all other ice cream.

This recipe is amazing. It's supposed to be very creamy, almost like a Wendy's Frosty. I wouldn't recommend it for ice cream sandwiches or pies. And it's extremely rich and satisfying.

 I personally don't see why plain old vanilla gets such a bad rap. I guess people are used to bad brands that taste like nothingness. But if you get a good, super vanilla-y vanilla ice cream like this one, you will become a vanilla lover, I promise!

Ice cream
(from Southern Living's Summertime Magazine, 1996)

 2 14 oz cans sweetened condensed milk
1 qt half and half
 4 tsp vanilla extract

 combine alll ingredients, mixing well. Pour into container of a 1 gallon ice cream freezer and freeze according to manufacturer's directions. Makes: 2 1/2 quarts.

You can add any flavor you want. I don't have a favorite flavor, really, but I love coffee, cookie dough, lemon, and raspberry, to name a few.

And Nutella on top of raspberry ice cream is absolutely divine. In fact, I can't think of an ice cream nutella wouldn;t be divine on- well it wouldnt be good on lemon or lime, but nutella and all other flavors are a match made in heaven.

 Make this today! And kiss your bikinis good-bye. No one likes them anyway. :) lol.

 Questions of the day: Whats your favorite ice cream?
What's your favorite part of summer?

Love,
Mellie.

Today

Hello! It's been awhile since I posted, I have many things to share!

First, this morning I made chocolate sauce from a Teenage Gourmet.  I put it in my coffee and added skim milk and a bit of extra sugar for a delicious mocha!

I enjoyed it with a really good book  on the porch, basking in the sunshine. I don't know about y'all, but I'm having more and more visions of myself, looking tan and lovely, lying on the beach in my new sunglasses, sipping lemonade or sweet tea or maybe some sparkling grape juice. I don't know, I haven't given it that much (cough) thought. 

Except I'll never be tan and lovely, just pale and freckly. Whatever.

Lunch was a salad:

Swiss Chard and Romaine Lettuce, chopped

3 strawberries, sliced

1 tbsp walnuts

1 tbsp almonds

1/2 tbsp feta 

1/2 tbsp parmesan

1 tbsp dried cranberries

freshly ground black pepper (I just recently discovered how good it is on salads!)

balsamic vinegar (I'm normally not a dressing girl but this was good)

 Jenna @ eat live run posted something similar the other day. I'm not a spinach lover, though.

Then I made some banana bread from Jan Karon's Mitford Cookbook and Kitchen Reader:

1/3 c vegetable oil

1 1/4 c granulated sugar

2 large eggs, beaten 

3 large very ripe bananas, mashed

1 1/2 c self-rising flour (the original recipe calls for 1 1/2 c all purpose flour, 1 tsp baking soda, and 1/4 tsp salt)

1/3 c buttermilk

3/4 c chocolate chips (My own addition)

Preheat oven to 350. Cream oil & sugar till light and creamy.  Beat in eggs. Add bananas, mix well. Add 1 c flour and mix well, then add half the buttermilk and mix well. Add remaining flour, then add remaining buttermilk till just blended.  Pour batter into greased 9x5 in loaf pan, bake 45 min.

To spread on the bread, I made peanut butter cream cheese from teenage taste. Sooo creamy and delicious!

Oh, I also did a Pilates workout today. Who do you think I am?

Overall, it's been a delicious day. Thank you to Jenna, Erika, Sami, and Jan Karon for the recipes!

Have a good rest of the weekend!

Love,

Mellie

PS I know colored words are a poor substitute for pictures; it's not my fault the computer won't read the memory card!

Sunshine

Hi!



It's springtime! The sun is shining! The grass is green! The flowers are blooming!



 Remember how Friday night I was in a bad mood? I recovered quickly! How can you stay grumpy when it's FINALLY warm and sunny?
If it's warm and sunny where you live, celebrate with a springy, delicious treat!
If it's NOT warm and sunny where YOU live, you should make something springy and delicious anyway. One bite of these lemon bars will send you to sunny, southern shores. Your winter blahs will be blown away into oblivion... well, not COMPLETELY. Food isn't almighty.

Well, anyway, it might KINDA blow your winter blahs away, for a little while.


Here's the recipe!

1 1/4 c flour
1 c sugar
1/3 c margarine or butter
1/2 c egg beaters (or 2 eggs)
3 T lemon juice (I used a little more)
powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Combine 1 c flour and 1/4 c sugar, cut in margarine till mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press mixture onto bottom of 9x9x2 in dish. Bake for 15 min. Blend egg beaters, lemon juice, and remaining flour and sugar, pour over crust. Bake 15-20 min or until set. Cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Have a good week!
Mellie

A Recipe and a Book Review

I haven't posted in forever, but that's OK since no one's reading yet. =[

Still, I've missed posting. I like writing my thoughts, and I like the thought that, one day, someone will read my blog and find something they enjoy.

Anyway! Last weekend I went to an all-weekend event at my church, and while I've filled my heart and head with the Bible, I've filled my body with golden Oreos, chocolate, soda, and golden Oreos. I'm pretty sure I've gained like 5 or more pounds and I want to eat ridiculously healthy for a month.

(Well, I'm going to Asheville in a couple weeks, so I'll eat ridiculously healthy until then.)

When I'm ready to eat junk food again, I'm making these brownies. They're the best thing ever. They come from Jan Karon's Mitford Cookbook and Kitchen Reader. Dad likes them and he supposedly hates brownies! The secret is beating the heck out of the eggs and sugar, so don't skip that step. It's definitely worth the extra time!

And since the brownies are good, the batter, obviously, is AMAZING!

4 oz unsweetened baking chocolate, coarsely chopped

3/4 c unsalted butter, cut in small pieces

4 large eggs

1/4 tsp salt

2 c sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 c all purpose flour

1 1/2 c mini chocolate chunks or Hershey's kisses

1 c chopped pecans or walnuts, opt.

Preheat oven to 350. Place unsweetened chocolate and butter in microwave safe bowl and microwave 5 to 8 minutes. Stir and let cool completely. In a bowl, beat eggs, salt, and sugar till light and creamy, about 10 min.  Add chocolate mixture. Stir in flour till just combined.  Add chocolate chunks and pecans and stir till just combined. Pour batter into a greased 9x13 in pan, bake 20-25 min.  Cool before cutting.

NOW, for the book review:

One of my all time favoritest books is The Mark of the Lions Series by Francine Rivers. If you haven't read it, then you should. There are 3 books : A Voice in the Wind, An Echo in the Darkness, and As Sure as the Dawn.  I read them last February/March.  They're a bit time consuming, even for me, and I'm a fast reader. 

They are Christian historical fiction, set in ancient Rome. They tell the story of a young Jewish girl named Hadassah who is taken from her home and sold into slavery to a family of Roman aristocrats, and falls in love with Marcus, the son of her owner. And they also tell the story of Atretes, a German soldier who is captured, taken to Rome, and forced to be a gladiator. 

It is very hard to explain the rest without giving stuff away, so just trust me, these books are the most sad, sweet, suspenseful, and wonderful books you'll ever read! Go read them today!

Warning: These books have lots of adult content, even though they're Christian, so if you are immature then don't read these.

Well, I'm off to make granola. Good night!

 Love, 

Mellie

Orange Dream Pie

Hi Everyone! Hope you're having a great weekend!

This weekend it is like 80 degrees outside, which like NEVER happens here. It feels amazing! I'm really ready for spring/summer, aren't you?

Today I thought I'd post a light springy recipe.  This pie is fabulous and we make it a lot for Easter.  It comes from Taste of Home's Simple and Delicious magazine. There are also lemon and other variations but I like this best. And the original recipe says to drizzle with white chocolate which I've never tried but it sounds good!!

                                                                  
                                                                  Orange Dream Pie

            (From Simple and Delicious)       

• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 envelope unsweetened orange soft drink mix
• 1 tablespoon orange juice
• 2 packages (3 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-1/2 cups heavy whipping cream, whipped
• 1 graham cracker crust (9 inches)

• In a small bowl, combine the water and soft drink mix until dissolved. Stir in orange juice. In a bowl, beat the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, vanilla and orange mixture until fluffy. Fold in whipped cream. Spread into crust. Chill for at least 1 hour or until set.

            Have a good weekend!

     Love,

    Mellie