My Worlds Collide...Pumpkin Style

Has anyone out there ever crossed their fantasy life created on Pinterest into their real life (their way less glamorous/ambitious real life)?  I took the leap to merge my dual existences yesterday and mad the 'Two Ingredient Pumpkin Cake' (which really needs a much more exciting name).  Some call it 'Pumpkin Dump Cake' but, after some investigation, it is not the same thing....although that kind of sums up this recipe.

I love all things pumpkin- except pie...which is really weird now that I think about it.  The recipe only calls for a can of plain pumpkin, which they are very specific about, and a box of cake mix.  After some unsolicited advice from a lady in Wal-Mart who really loves pumpkin (I always always attract...um....unusual people while shopping) I decided to go with the spice cake mix. 

I read some reviews that suggested modifying this 2 ingredient cake into a 3 ingredient cake by adding eggs.  From what I know about baking, I assumed that was a good idea and added 3 eggs.  This seemed to help loosen the thickness of the batter, which was a complaint by most of the bakers, as well as add fluffiness.

I chose to make mini cupcakes because I wanted to give them away to some friends and co-workers (and because I had super cute pumpkin candies to put on top).  I thought the result was fine for what it was- and the cake contains no added fat or oil, which is a plus if you care about things like that.  I wish I had used the pre-seasoned pie ready pumpkin though.  Plain canned pumpkin is quite bland on its own.  Even the boxed spice cake mix didn't provide that punch of pumpkin pie flavor I was looking for.  Next time I will use the seasoned pumpkin and maybe a chocolate cake mix (Devil's food was suggested by a reviewer).

For the icing, I used a standard cream cheese which was: 8oz cream cheese, 8oz butter, a teaspoon of vanilla and about 4 cups of powdered sugar whipped together.  I seasoned mine with a little cinnamon after tasting the cupcakes themselves and deciding it could use the extra flavor.  

I often give away baked goods (so I don't eat them all myself) and I love love love these Dollar Tree containers for most things.  I can slide a gallon size bag over them or use the silver cardboard top they come with. They come round or rectangular, 2 in a package for $1.  Have you ever been behind someone at a dollar store who just can't come to terms with the fact that everything costs a dollar and so they have to ask how much everything is?  Those people always make me laugh.  I could never work at a dollar store because of them!

Rosemary Appreciation

What is it about fall that makes a girl want to bake? Okay, I might as well be totally honest, all seasons make me want to bake- even summer. Fall, however, inspires a particularly strong urge in me to buy flour in bulk.

I am way into breads right now because they are a departure from my normal repertoire of cakes and brownies. Yeast was the final frontier of my baking world and I am exploring new territory every weekend.

I made rosemary focaccia for the first time and was smitten with the results (and with myself for making a completely successful result because I sort of believe every bread I attempt will result in epic failure).

My pot of rosemary has been growing wildly all summer and was begging to be appreciated in some way. I also had some shallots and tomatoes from our garden so I sauteed the shallots with olive oil and sliced the tomato to use as a topping. I wish I had used twice as much because they really the star (sorry, rosemary).

The recipe was curiously lacking garlic, which seemed criminal to me. I added a few minced cloves to the dough and to the oil I drizzled over the top. I also added rosemary to the dough after reading some of the recipe reviewers suggestions. We ate some, gave some away, and I made amazing croutons with the rest!

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Rosemary-Focaccia-106275

Head over to A Southern Fairytale for more yummy ideas!

The Presence of Presents

Have you heard of the One-In, One-Out rule of organizing? If not, let me fill you in on one of the best organizing principles. For everything you bring into the space, one thing must leave. For example, if you buy 6 new pairs of socks, then 6 (or more!) pairs must leave! It’s a great way to avoid building up clutter.

I just recently tried a different version of that with my oldest daughter. Normally before a gift-giving holiday, such as Christmas and birthdays, I have my girls go through their toys and purge the ones they no longer play with to make room for their new treasures. This year, I had Super Girl purge 1 item for every invitation she mailed out! She does very well when she has limits so it made it a little more fun for her. Another bonus was that we also didn’t have to wait until after the party, like we would if we did an actual one-in, one-out. This trick worked great for us!

Meet the Teachers

Lessons in Nesting is brought to you by the letters A and J.

A is for amazing, artistic, ambitious, and angelic Amanda. I’m totally kidding about the angelic part. Amanda is a young 30-something interior designer with a love of world travel and a major talent in the kitchen.

J is for jovial, um....yeah...not a lot of great adjectives start with J, people! Julie, also a young 30-something, is a professional organizer and a mom of 2 young daughters. She loves spending quality time with her family, planning spaces, and chocolate.

Amanda and Julie have been best friends for 20 years. It was friendship at first sight. Here’s a picture of us in the early 90s. We were rocking some tight, long length denim shorts, socks with cheap canvas shoes, and bangs. Yeah.

When we’re together it’s constant chatter. We talk about important things, such as what’s new in the world market ;-) Occasionally we work together with clients, but mostly we’re planning our future imaginary apartment in Paris.