food, crochet, merriment
How wonderful it would be if we could help our children and grandchildren to learn thanksgiving at an early age. Thanksgiving opens the doors. It changes a child’s personality. A child is resentful, negative—or thankful. Thankful children want to give, they radiate happiness, they draw people.
— Sir John Templeton
Happy Birthday Mom…
…with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting. The kind that makes your eyes roll back in your head because you think you’ve expired and gone to Heaven.
I tried to resist. I did.
I tried to make something–anything–without pumpkin…
but it was to no avail. It’s just so dang fabulous.
When you taste these, I promise, you’ll forgive me. The original recipe can be found at Taste of Home.
3/4 cup butter, softened
2-1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
2-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup buttermilk
FROSTING:
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Directions
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add pumpkin. Combine the flour, pie spice, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, baking soda and ginger; add to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition.
Fill paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
For frosting, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and cinnamon; beat until smooth. Frost cupcakes. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: 2 dozen heavenly cupcakes.
Y.U.M.
Around here–if it’s going to be rainy and cold outside there aren’t really a ton of choices. You either cook…
or sew. Looking at my pretty little fabric stash–sewing won, hands down.
I did a bit of exploring online and found some really pretty apron patterns–for free. And since it is the season for playing around in the kitchen it seemed like the perfect thing–Thanksgiving aprons. Ahhhh….
I chose the “Child’s Apron” pattern from Skip To My Lou first thing. It was just simple and girly enough to suit the mood.
Seriously, it took about an hour and a half from rummaging through the fabric to actual Apron.
The trick–for me, any way–is to keep an iron set up and handy as I sew. It comes together much more quickly and there are fewer hitches.
Now, to find a pretty little lady who wants to help me in the kitchen.
I have a surprise for them…
Many moons ago…
…those three little crack pots on the right (Daney boy, cousin Tim and the Bald kid) were truly, madly deeply in love with Cub Scouts and…Pony Beads.
Every time I turned around, someone had left another Pony Bead Gekko in some unsuspected place as a surprise gift from the little boy heart. Seriously, I could have made a skirt—a very heavy, beaded gecko skirt, but you get my point.
Well, the other day, while the Bald Kid and I were cleaning closets and sorting boxes we came across the coveted “Box O Beads.”
I said, “Hey. You should make me a Pony Bead Gecko–for old time’s sake.”
He said, “I don’t think so.”
So I snagged those beads and messed with them for a while. They were surprisingly fun to play with.
Look what happened…
I call it the “Indian Corn Pony Bead Thing.” I was going to put a pin on the back and wear it around but I was afraid people would ask me if I was supporting some kind of “save the corn” cause. Plus it made me feel old…er. So I’ve decided to put a cord on it and hang it from my car mirror.
It’s cute. It’s easy to make. It’s Thanksgiving-y.
And just think…if I get really good at these–I can make you a skirt!
BAhahaha!
If you’re inclined to say–“What?! More pumpkin?” here’s the thing. This pumpkin stuff is self-perpetuating–I swear. See, you open a can and use half of it for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake, and you have a bit left. So to use that bit for Pumpkin Crisp–so you aren’t wasting food, you open another can to add to it. Then you have a bit left–but not quite enough for Pumpkin Pie Dip…so you open another can…
It goes on, and on, and on. And still there is a Ziploc bag in the fridge right this minute, with a cup of pumpkin leftovers in it.
Someone stop me.
1- 8oz. pkg cream cheese, softened
2-1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Beat in the pumpkin, sour cream, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and ginger until blended. Serve with gingersnaps or Snickerdoodles or Molasses cookies or fruit or if you’re really adventurous–try it on banana bread. Do you get the idea that the possibilities are truly endless? All I can say about that is Yee Haw!
Be sure to store the leftovers in the refrigerator.
Makes 4 cups.
