Trick-or-Treat

Happy Halloween!

This year Ashlan chose to be a USA Olympic Gymnast, sporting a gold medal!

(she will be wearing black work out pants over her leotard when trick or treating!)

Wishing everyone a fabulous Halloween!!

#10 - Halloween Fun Bundt Cake

It's the week of Halloween!

This week's bundt cake just HAD to be Halloween themed...

I found a fun recipe online for this Halloween Fun Bundt Cake

Orange, Purple and Black

To view this recipe, click here

Frankenstein Rice Krispie Treats

Ashlan and I had some fun after school yesterday making these Frankenstein Treats!

A fun and easy treat to make!

First, make your normal batch of rice krispie treats.  The only different thing you need to do is add green food coloring to the marshmallows as they melt.  Once they have set in your pan, cut them into rectangular shapes.

Using some small pretzel sticks, add a small marshmallow on one end of each stick (for the arms)

Melt some chocolate.  Dip one end of the treat into the chocolate to resemble Frankstein's hair.

Add your pretzel arms.  I used some left-over chocolate chips for the eyes and used gels for the nose and mouth.

A fun, easy AND delicious treat!!

Happy Halloween!

Pumpkin Patch Visit

The girls had no school today due to Fall Break, so we thought it would be fun to go visit a Pumpkin Patch.  The weather was cool and overcast, so that made for comfortable temperatures outside.

There are several local pumpkin patches around us, but this time we decided to venture 30 miles northwest to The Big Orange Pumpkin Farm in Celina, TX.  We know lots of friends who visit this pumpkin patch every year, but we had never been before.

So today we decided to go check it out!

(and we brought along Memomma - my mom)

Entrance into the Farm

There are so many animals to feed, from longhorns to cows to goats to sheep, etc...

They offered a nice hayride around the farm...

Yes, you only see half the classic truck in this picture because there was one little girl sitting on the other side that had no plans of moving so I could take my picture....

The girls loved the Hay Maze.

My mom and I enjoyed the Hay Maze too!

They had several painted hay bales around the property from pumpkins to pigs to spiders....

And on your way out you got to pick a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch!

Can you see the storms coming in the picture above?  We finished the pumpkin patch just in time for the rain to begin falling....Perfect timing.    What a great day with my girls and my mama!

Happy Fall, Everyone!

Santa Fe Chili

Every Sunday during football season, if we aren't at the lake, I will make chili.

This week I branched out and made a new chili recipe called Santa Fe Chili.

Next time you want to make chili, pick this recipe! It doesn't disappoint!

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground beef, turkey, or sausage (I used turkey)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cans (16 ounces each) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 cans (15 ounces each) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 cans (15 ounces each) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 3 cans (7 ounces each) white or shoepeg corn, drained
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 can (10 ounces) diced tomatoes and green chilies
• 1 can (11-1/2 ounces) V8 juice
• 2 envelopes ranch salad dressing mix
• 2 envelopes taco seasoning
• Sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese and corn chips, optional

Directions

• In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Transfer to a 5- or 6-qt. slow cooker. Stir in the beans, corn, tomatoes, juice, salad dressing mix and taco seasoning.
• Cover and cook on high for 4-6 hours or until heated through. Serve with sour cream, cheese and corn chips if desired. Yield: 16 servings (4 quarts).

#9 Candy Corn Bundt Cake

The girls and I thought it would be fun to pull out our Candy Corn Aprons and bake up some Candy Corn Cake for this week's bundt cake!

As you can see from the pictures below, this was a fun cake to bake.  

Kate made the orange batter..

Ashlan made the yellow batter

In the end, we had a fun, colorful Candy Corn Bundt Cake.

For the recipe, click here.

Making a Gold Medal

Ashlan was so inspired by the USA Olympic Gymnasts this summer that she has decided for Halloween she will dress up as one of them.

(yes, she will wear pants over her leotard while out trick-or-treating)

We ordered a long sleeve red leotard with USA imprinted on it

(similar to the ones above)

BUT we needed a GOLD medal for her to wear....

I have access to the little plastic medals you see below....

but I wanted something bigger and more eye-catching!

So I went to the local craft store to see what I could find...

The minute I walked in I found a ceramic circle ornament with a hole for a ribbon. SCORE!

And with that find, I knew all I needed next was some gold paint, USA ribbon, and some lettering!

I painted the ceramic ornament and hot glued the letters spelling GOLD onto it. 

I also added some gold stars and tied on the ribbon....

I can't wait for Ashlan to wear this around her neck as

one of the USA Olympic Gymnasts!

#8 - Pumpkin Spice Latte

Pumpkin Spice Latte Bundt Cake

Shopping List

1 box of spice cake mix

2 small boxes instant vanilla pudding

1/2 cup veggie oil

1 1/4 cups water

4 eggs

1 cup pumpkin (I use Libby's)

4 cups powdered sugar

1 stick butter, softened

3-4 splashes milk

2 tablespoons cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease (I use Pam) a 10 inch bundt pan

In mixing bowl, combine cake mix, puddings, oil, water, eggs and pumpkin  with an electric mixer. Pour into prepared bundt pan.

Bake 40-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Let cake rest on counter in pan 10 minutes. Then, invert cake onto serving plate to finish cooling.

   In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar, butter and milk with an electric mixer until creamy.  Stir in cinnamon.  Frost cooled cake.

Recipe courtesy of mixandmatchmama.blogspot.com

Anything pumpkin is always a hit with Nick.  He got to have the first slice and taste of the cake...

And he loved it!

Just check out the inside of this cake.  Not only does the pumpkin puree make this cake extremely moist, it simply LOOKS moist from the picture!  Delicious!

Homecoming 2012

The Morgan Men before Nick's night began...

Nick went to pick up his date, Alexis.  After they took pictures at her home, they came back to our house for some more pictures...

Ashlan wanted some pictures with Nick and Alexis.

Nick and Alexis invited one of their sweet friends to join them for the evening.  Ryan is Special Needs so he doesn't drive and needs a chaperone.  Nick and Alexis were so gracious to ask him to join them for dinner and a ride to the dance.

Such a handsome young man!

Nick and Ryan - great buddies!

Nick finally got home around 2am that morning.  They all had a fabulous time and made some great memories!!  Next dance to start planning for - Senior Prom!  Ack!!!!!!

#7 Pecan Streusel Coffee Cake

#7 - Why Pecan Streusel Coffee Cake? It's been chilly all week and I wanted something that yelled "Autumn is here" or "Fall is here"...  So I wasn't looking for anything chocolate, or lemonade, or fruity.  I wanted something cinnamon, or pecan, etc...  Something I could enjoy on a chilly morning with a cup of hot cocoa or coffee in hand.  And this was it.  Pecan Streusel.  It does NOT disappoint!

Shopping List

1 box of yellow cake mix

2 small boxes of instant vanilla pudding

1/2 cup of veggie oil

1 1/4 cups water

 4 eggs

2 tablespoons cinnamon, divided

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease (I use Pam) a 10 inch bundt pan

In mixing bowl, combine cake mix, puddings, oil, water, eggs and one tablespoon cinnamon with electric mixer.  Set aside, and in another smaller bowl, combine remaining tablespoon cinnamon, brown sugar and pecans.  Pour half of the batter into prepared pan.  Take your brown sugar mixture and sprinkle over batter.  Pour remaining half of the batter over brown sugar layer and bake 40-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Let cake rest on counter in pan 10 minutes.  Then, invert cake onto serving plate to finish cooling. 

Dust with powdered sugar after cake has finished cooling.

Verdict - not too sweet, which I like.  I LOVE the middle mixture of pecans, brown sugar and cinnamon.  To my surprise - Nick LOVED this cake.  Our family finished it off in two days.  He asked me to make another one immediately.  Ashlan wasn't a fan, but she really isn't into pecans so I understand.  I gave my parents some of this bundt cake and my dad says it is his favorite cake ever!  

Success!  Nick is right - I should make this cake again immediately.

#6 Red Velvet Bundt Cake

#6 Bundt Cake is Red Velvet

Why? Well....

Why not? Find me someone who doesn't like Red Velvet.  It's not something I make often or order in restaurants, if offered, but I know I like it.  And so does my family, especially Brent.

Shopping List

1 box of red velvet cake mix

2 small boxes of instant vanilla pudding

1/2 cup of veggie oil

1 1/4 cups of water

4 eggs

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened

4 cups powdered sugar

3-4 splashes milk

 red sprinkles, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

 

Grease (I use Pam) a 10 inch bundt pan

In mixing bowl, combine cake mix, puddings, oil, water and eggs with electric mixer.  Add in chocolate chips.  Pour into prepared bundt pan.

Bake 40-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Let cake rest on counter in pan 10 minutes.  Then, invert cake onto serving plate to finish cooling. 

To make the frosting, beat cream cheese with powdered sugar and milk until creamy.  Spread on cooled cake and top with sprinkles.

**So I don't know what happened.  Did I use a different non-stick spray? Did I not use enough?  What happened???  This baby got STUCK in the pan!! When I finally got it out, half the top was still in the pan.  I wasn't about to make this again just for a pretty picture... So you'll just have to accept the picture below..**

 

I continued on and made the frosting (which was superb!)

I'll still frost a deformed cake!

Broken cake or not, it was amazingly good!!!!  The frosting is to die for!