Fall

#SundaySupper: Fall Flavors

~ lk529 ~ 22 Comments

It is officially Autumn and to celebrate the Sunday Supper crew has assembled a menu of Fall flavors. If you are looking for all things pumpkin, apple, and sweet potato scroll on past my recipe for a wonderful collection of Autumn inspired dishes. Thank you to the Sunday Supper Movement for hosting today’s event.

Today’s Sunday Supper is a fun one for me because my newest recruit to the Sunday Supper family is posting her first recipe with us today -Tara, of Tara’s Multicultural Table! I have been encouraging Tara to join this group since my first Sunday back in February. Of course, the birth of her second child (my beautiful Goddaughter!) was a valid excuse to stay away from the extra blogging commitment. I’m sure my Sunday Supper participation will be on a slight decline come November when I, too, add “mother of two” to my resume.

Not only am I excited that Tara’s joining Sunday Supper today, but when this event was announced over a month ago I knew exactly what I’d be sharing. One of Tara’s recipes – that I modified to accommodate my allergies.

Tara posted a recipe for Pumpkin Alfredo two years ago and my mouth has always watered looking at it. But, I can’t have pumpkin. I finally decided to make it with sweet potato, instead. We first ate this Sweet Potato Alfredo back in March on a bare fridge/pantry night. I served it with egg noodles and some sliced smoked pork sausage. That’s the version pictured below. I have also served this with ground Italian sausage and fettuccine.

Sweet Potato Alfredo Sauce

Ingredients:

  • 1 tsp butter or olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/4 C chicken stock
  • 1/2 C sweet potato puree
  • 1 1/4 C heavy cream
  • 1/4 C shredded Parmesan cheese

Steps:

  1. In a saucepan over medium heat, saute garlic in olive oil until fragrant. Add in the chicken stock and scrape the bottom of the pan if needed. Add the sweet potato puree and heavy cream, whisking until smooth. Bring to a gentle boil. Melt in Parmesan. Season to taste with S+P.
  2. Serve over cooked pasta (tortellini, ravioli, linguine, etc). Add cooked meats if desired (sausage, chicken, etc). Note: reserve some pasta cooking water if sauce gets too thick.

*This recipe is modified from Tara at http://tarasmulticulturaltable.com/tortellini-with-pumpkin-alfredo/*

Sweet Potato Alfredo for #SundaySupper from Sew You Think You Can Cook

Check out A Guide to Apples plus Best Fall Recipes Ideas for #SundaySupper and this week’s recipe collection:

Breakfast

Appetizers and Sides

Main Dishes

Desserts and Cocktails

Plus, 8387592742_f6164fd5a8_oJoin the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the#SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

Blogger CLUE: Greek Yogurt Apple Loaf

~ lk529 ~ 20 Comments

blogger CLUE

Before you get all wrapped up in the pumpkin craze, let’s not forget about the other great fall fruits, like apples and pears! Yes, pumpkin is technically a fruit, and I have no doubt that some of the CLUE players will be sharing pumpkin recipe. Be sure to stop by their pages, too!

This month I was assigned the blog That Skinny Chick Can Bake written by Liz. Liz helps keep our group organized and is a member of a few other blogging groups I’m also a part of. I’m not sure how she keeps up with everything! Her blog is a beautiful array of sweets (with some great savory options, too).

I was tempted by a couple of her fall salads (Spinach Salad with Pears and Cranberries or Apple Cherry Walnut Salad) but hey, “That Skinny Chick Can Bake” so I settled on a baked item. I altered her Sour Cream Pear Bread to utilize what I had in my fridge – Greek Yogurt and Apples.

Greek Yogurt Apple Loaf

Ingredients:

  • 6 tbsp butter, softened
  • 2/3 C sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 C plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 3/4 C cake flour
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 C peeled and diced apples
  • cinnamon sugar, for sprinkling

Steps:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a loaf pan and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar until combined. Add the eggs one at a time. Mix in the vanilla extract and yogurt (or sour cream).
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and a pinch of salt. Add to the stand mixer in 2-3 installments.
  4. Fold in diced apples (or pears). Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
  5. Bake 40-45 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out cleanly. Allow loaf to cool 15 minutes before removing from pan onto a cooling rack.
  6. This loaf is best served warm/toasted with a little butter.

Greek Yogurt Apple Loaf for #BloggerCLUE from Sew You Think You Can Cook

Here’s a list of the other players of Blogger CLUE this month:

Blogger CLUE: Apple Chips

~ lk529 ~ 31 Comments

blogger CLUE

This month my Blogger CLUE friends and I are going on a picnic! We were tasked with searching our assigned blogs for picnic food. With the beautiful weather, the season is just begging us to bring a blanket and sit outside for hours.

I was assigned the blog A Mama, Baby, & Shar-pei in the Kitchen written by Alice. Alice is a mother to two active girls and one funnily named puppy. She gives a story about her dog’s name (Patella Starscream) and it made me think very much of my husband, too, who would also have loved to name our child after a Transformer.

In searching through Alice’s blog I discovered that we share a love for Harry Potter. She created her own Felix Felicis! (For those of you non-HP nerds, Felix Felicis is a potion that provides the drinker luck for a day. Alice’s version is a cold remedy and I’ll definitely have to try it when cold season comes back around.) I also stumbled up a post about creating Ciabatta in which she likened herself to Hermione Granger. Seriously, Alice and I need to meet but as she lives in England I don’t see that happening.

On my hunt of picnic foods I narrowed it down to Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Pasta Salad, and Apple Chips. As you can tell, I settled on Apple Chips. Apple chips are incredibly easy to make and yet I’ve kept crossing them off my to-do list. For Christmas TWO years ago I’d asked for a mandolin with the intention of making apple chips. Finally the moment has come, thank you Alice and Blogger CLUE for the push! Alice used Granny Smith apples for her chips and while I do prefer that variety I wanted to try and recreate those bagged apple chips I enjoyed as a kid so I grabbed Red Delicious. (I NEVER buy Red Delicious apples, the texture of them is not my favorite and I don’t feel they have that apple crunch and quality that apples should have. But, for apple chips – perfect.)

When I started typing up this post I realized I forgot a step in making the apple chips. How sad is that?! There are only three steps! (Four if you count preheating the oven.) I forgot to spray the chips with cooking spray before seasoning and putting them in the oven so they didn’t hold their crisp. I have another apple though and I’m going to give this snack another try.

Apple Chips

Ingredients:

  • 1 apple (I used Red Delicious)
  • pumpkin pie spice (or other spice/spice blend)
  • cooking spray

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees F and arrange racks in top third and bottom third of the oven. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Using a mandolin (or very sharp knife) carefully cut apples to 1/8″ thickness. Remove any seeds.
  3. Place apples in a single layer on the prepared cookie sheets. Spray gently with cooking spray. Sprinkle with pumpkin pie spice.
  4. Bake 2 hours, or until crisp. Gently peel the apples up from the parchment paper and allow to cool on the cookie sheets. Store in an air tight container.

*This recipe is adapted from Alice at http://www.acookingmizer.com/2011/10/20/make-your-own-apple-chips/*

apple chips | sew you think you can cook

Here’s a list of the other players of Blogger CLUE this month:

Sweet Potato Cupcakes with Marshmallow Frosting

~ lk529 ~ 13 Comments

Happy Cupcake Day everyone!

Okay, so it’s not REALLY cupcake day.

That’s NEXT Monday.

But 25 other bloggers and I are celebrating a week early.

Coleen of The Redhead Baker set this party up and I’m happy to have found this group. If only for the excuse to make some cupcakes. (Cupcakes I sent to Stuart’s Crossfit gym for their monthly potluck. Eh, they’ve burned enough calories to not feel guilty about eating a cupcake or three, right?)  I put one of these cupcakes in Stuart’s lunch and the first words out of his mouth when he got home were “That cupcake might be the best thing you’ve ever baked!”

I decided to stay with the season we’re still technically in – Fall – and make Sweet Potato Cupcakes with Marshmallow Frosting. This sweet dessert is a play on the beloved sweet potato casserole that honestly might as well be placed at the dessert table during Thanksgiving. As a bonus, if you’re still in that pumpkin craze feel free to swap the sweet potato for pumpkin, I’m sure it’d be equally delicious.

Sweet Potato Cupcakes with Marshmallow Frosting

Ingredients for Cupcakes:

  • 1/2 C mashed cooked sweet potato
  • 1/2 stick butter, softened
  • 1 1/3 C brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 C buttermilk
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 C canola oil
  • 1 1/4 C flour
  • 1 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Ingredients for Frosting:

  • 1 stick butter, softened
  • 1 container (7.5 oz) marshmallow cream
  • 1 1/2 C powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp milk

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 15 cupcake molds with cupcake liners.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat sweet potato, butter, and brown sugar. Add eggs one at a time until incorporated. Mix in buttermilk, vanilla extract, and canola oil.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Add to wet ingredients in two batches, mixing until combined.
  4. Fill cupcake molds with batter. Bake 18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out cleanly. Allow cupcakes to rest in mold for 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.
  5. Make frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter with marshmallow cream until combined. Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and milk.
  6. When cupcakes have cooled, frost with the marshmallow frosting.

*This recipe is modified from Erin at http://www.imperialsugar.com/recipes/desserts/cupcakes/Sweet-Potato-Cupcakes-with-Marshmallow-Frosting*

SP cupcake FG1

Check out all of these other awesome cupcakes:

Hot Cocoa Cupcakes by The Redhead Baker

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes by The Cooking Actress

Vanilla Candy Cane Cupcakes by Noshing With The Nolands

Gingerbread Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting by A Day in the Life on the Farm

Nerds Cupcakes by Amy’s Confectionery Adventures

Vegan Midori Melon Cupcakes by NinjaBaker

Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie Cupcakes with Candied Butter Pecan Frosting by From Gate to Plate

Dark Chocolate Rum Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Buttercream by Lemony Thyme

Gingerbread cupcakes with cinnamon cream cheese frosting by Eva Bakes

Cranberry Apple Cupcakes by The Pajama Chef

Almond Joy Cupcakes by Our Eating Habits

Buttered Rum Cupcakes by Adventures in All Things Food

Maple Cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting by Karen’s Kitchen Stories

Cone Head Cupcakes with Ice Cream Frosting by The Spiffy Cookie

Candied Buddha’s Hand-Eggnog Cupcakes by Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Almond Joy Cupcakes by Food Lust People Love

Chocolate Cupcakes with Nutella Frosting for 2 by Kate’s Recipe Box

Cranberry Cupcakes with White Chocolate Buttercream by Cheese Curd In Paradise

Peppermint Patty Cupcakes by Comfortably Domestic

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Biscoff Marshmallow Buttercream by Making Miracles

Chocolate Cupcakes with Red Velvet Frosting by {i love} my disorganized life

Lemon Cupcakes by Miss Information

Peppermint Hot Chocolate Cupcakes by Kosher Kitchen

Peppermint Cream Cookie Cupcakes by Take a Bite out of Boca

Cupcake Christmas Wreath by Lick the Spoon

Cranberry Coffee Cake

~ lk529 ~ 3 Comments

I end my series of Thanksgiving leftovers with the perfect holiday breakfast – coffee cake!

I use my go-to coffee cake recipe but add in the flavors of Thanksgiving. My filling is cranberry sauce and the topping features orange and fall spices.

This is my third time making this coffee cake base and I think it’s my best outcome yet! I highly recommend using sour cream over yogurt, and buy the full fat stuff. I think that’s the difference, that or the Kroger brand of sour cream is better than the Publix brand. (Sorry Publix, I still love you and miss shopping where “Shopping is a Pleasure.”)

Cranberry Coffee Cake

Ingredients for topping:

  • 3/8 C flour
  • 1/3 C brown sugar
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon*
  • 1/8 tsp ginger*
  • 1/8 tsp cloves*
  • 1/8 tsp nutmeg*
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 1/2 tbsp butter
  • zest of 1 orange
  • 1/4 C rolled oats

*If you have pumpkin pie spice, you can use 1/2 tsp instead

Ingredients for cake:

  • 2 C flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 stick butter, at room temperature
  • 1 C sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 C sour cream
  • 1 C cranberry sauce

Steps:

  1. Make the topping: whisk together the flour, brown sugar, spices, zest, oats and salt. Using your fingers, break the butter into small pieces and combine with the topping. Set aside.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8×8″ square cake pan with foil and grease.
  3. Make the cake: In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  4. In a the bowl of a stand mixer beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Add in the vanilla.
  5. Incorporate a third of the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Once combined add 1/2 C of sour cream. Add another third of the dry ingredients. Once combined add the last 1/2 C of sour cream. Add in the final third of the dry ingredients.
  6. Assemble the cake: Place half of the cake batter in the prepared cake pan. Evenly distribute the cranberry sauce and top with remaining batter. Top the cake with the topping from step 1.
  7. Bake for 65 minutes, or until a knife comes out cleanly.
  8. Allow cake to cool for 5 minutes and remove the cake from the pan by the foil. Serve your cake with  a cup of coffee!

Cranberry Coffee Cake

recreatedbysrc

Pumpkin Spice Latte

~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

Pumpkin Spice Latte ecardI would be willing to bet that Starbucks’ earnings increase in the fall. With pumpkin spice lattes and pumpkin Frappuccinos on the menu, everyone gets the craving for fancy coffee beverages. (My personal favorite is the Gingerbread Latte)

But with fame comes imitation, and there are countless Pumpkin Latte recipes floating around the internet. I settled on this version because I had everything on hand!

I whipped up some heavy cream with a little bit of powdered sugar to present a gourmet mugful of PSL.

Pumpkin Spice Latte

Ingredients:

  • 1 C milk
  • 1 tbsp pumpkin puree
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1/2 C brewed coffee

Steps:

  1. Heat milk, pumpkin, and sugar until hot but not boiling.
  2. Remove milk from heat and add in vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, and coffee.
  3. Top with whipped cream and pumpkin pie spice. (Optional)

*This recipe is modified from Joanne at http://www.inspiredtaste.net/8419/pumpkin-spice-latte-at-home-recipe/*

PSL

Buttermilk Pancakes with Pear Syrup

~ lk529 ~ 2 Comments

This time of year the internet is overrun with pumpkin treats and apple ciders. The pear, although also in season, doesn’t seem to get as much publicity. I don’t know why not! Have a pear, you’ll taste fall.

This plateful of pancakes dressed in pear syrup was a perfect autumn breakfast and no pumpkins were harmed in the process.

Buttermilk Pancakes

Ingredients:

  • 3 C flour
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 3 tsp baking powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 3/4 C buttermilk
  • 3/4 C milk
  • 1/3 C butter, melted

Steps:

  1. In a large bowl combine dry ingredients.
  2. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs. Add in both milks and the melted butter.
  3. Combine wet ingredients into dry ingredients.
  4. On a hot buttered griddle drop 1/3 C of batter into pancakes. Flip pancakes when batter starts to set and bubbles form in the center of the pancake.

Pear Syrup

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/4 C pear nectar
  • 1 1/2 C sugar
  • 1/4 C light corn syrup
  • 1/8 tsp cinnamon
  • pinch ground cloves

Steps:

  1. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil.
  2. Boil for 60 seconds. It will foam!
  3. Remove from heat. Skim off the foam.

*The pancake recipe is adapted from http://allrecipes.com/recipe/buttermilk-pancakes-ii/ and the syrup from http://www.dianasdesserts.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/recipes.recipeListing/filter/dianas/recipeID/407/Recipe.cfm*

Buttermilk Pancakes & Pear Syrup

Spiced Apple Popsicles

~ lk529 ~ 1 Comment

I found these popsicle molds at Walmart at the beginning of summer for $1. I’d been wanting to use them, but I never got around to it. Before I knew it summer was over! But hey, I live in Florida, it’s still hot out, so therefore I can still enjoy homemade popsicles!

Evan couldn't get enough!
Evan couldn’t get enough!

This recipe is actually a perfect way to end the summer and start the fall – they taste like the Motts cinnamon applesauce from when I was a kid. Stuart said they reminded him of an apple cobbler.  These fall flavors are wrapped in a summer treat! I’ve made them twice already and earned the seal of approval from a 17-month-old. Evan actually ran around the table after finishing his popsicle to try and steal the one Stuart hadn’t yet finished!

Spiced Apple Popsicles

Ingredients:

  • 2 C Simply Apple Juice
  • 1/4 C brown sugar
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 3 whole allspice berries
  • 1/2″ piece of ginger root, peeled
  • pinch of kosher salt

Steps:

  1. Combine ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil. Turn off the heat and bring down to room temperature.
  2. Strain popsicle mixture into a measuring cup and pour into popsicle molds. Freeze.
  3. Run the popsicle mold under cold water to make popsicle removal easier.

*This recipe is adapted from Giada DeLaurentiis at http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/sweet-apple-pops-recipe/index.html*

Spiced Apple Popsicles 1 Spiced Apple Popsicles 2

Fall Mantle

~ lk529 ~ 1 Comment

September is here! And even though it’s not officially Fall yet, football season has started, pumpkin-flavored everything is hitting the stores, and the days are getting shorter. For me and my house, that’s close enough!

Growing up in South Florida, we didn’t have fireplaces. But apparently Northern Florida thinks they’re North enough to demand fireplaces. I am completely baffled by this architectural choice – we don’t use ours, ever.

My absolute favorite thing about the fireplace is the mantle. Why? Because it gives me a surface to decorate! I am completely in love with my fall motif. I opted to go with the scarecrow/straw theme. (The Tommy Tuberville signed Auburn Football made the cut this year — War Eagle!) On October 1st I’ll add a Jack-O-Lantern scarecrow and on November 1st I have a totally adorable stuffed turkey that says “Gobble til you Wobble”. I also plan on trying a Pinterest-inspired pine cone garland. If I get around to it (and it’s successful), I’ll do a how-to.

Fall Mantle | Sew You Think You Can Cook

I found my decorations at Michael’s. The bird painting is one that I did at The Emerald Cork, a BYOB painting studio. Disclaimer: I have not been paid or sponsored by Michael’s or The Emerald Cork.