Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Icing || Recipe Share || Fall Food!

Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Icing
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
4 eggs
1 and 2/3 cups sugar
1 cup oil
1 can (15oz) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
Directions:
Mix dry ingredients and set aside. In a large bowl, combine eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy. Add the dry ingredients, gradually. Mix well.
Spread batter in a greased 15x10x1 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 – 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely.
Icing:
8oz. package of cream cheese 1/3 cup softened butter
4 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp milk
Cream together butter and cream cheese until smooth and fluffy.  
Add powdered sugar, vanilla and milk. Mix on high speed until smooth creamy.

* I use self-rising flour
(If you choose to, omit baking powder, soda, & salt)


Hello everyone!
Thanks for stopping by!
I've been sharing some recipes on my new youtube channel & I've been posting them here too.
I'd love to have you subscribe & follow along over there for all the fun!

This is a recipe that could not be any more FALL!
Hope you all are enjoying the season.

~Angie

Honey Bun Cake || Cook with Me || Fall Dessert

Hello everyone!
If you are looking for a dessert that will give you all the cozy, fall feelings,

LOOK NO FURTHER!



And while I love all things pumpkin, I know not everyone does.
If you are that person, here's a recipe that screams fall without pumpkin.

This is a classic Betty Crocker recipe with all the nostalgia to go along with it.

If you give this one a try, I'm pretty positive there'll be no disappointment.
Hope you are enjoying the chill in the air that has finally arrived.

~Angie



PS) If you like this type of video content, subscribe to my youtube channel & don't miss a moment of all the fun, good food, & adventure!

Chili Mac Supreme

Hello friends!

I'm back with another delicious recipe that I think you will love!
Doesn't everyone get a pot of chili simmering on the stove as soon as the weather cools down?
I think that's just a fall necessity.
Ranks right up there with pumpkin spice & everything nice ... can I get an AMEN?!

This is my version of a dish that my hubs enjoys at Steak 'n Shake.
We haven't been there in years,  honestly, but this one was James' fave when we used to go there.

The star of the chili is the CHILI SAUCE!
It's tangy & gives the chili the 'wang' that it needs to make your taste buds perk up & say whhhaaa?!
This is not your ordinary chili.

This handy dandy gadget is from Pampered Chef (called a twist & chop, I think) & it's excellent
for getting your ground beef broken into fine pieces when frying!
You can find this at Big Lots & Walmart, as well.

Does anything smell better than onion & garlic?!
I think not!

Here's the chili portion of the chili Mac recipe!
We dived into our food so quick that I completely forgot to take a picture of it all plated up!
Youtube & blog fail!

After you've cooked up & drained your pasta, put a big ladle of this over it & then top with shredded cheese, diced onion, & sour cream!
It's amazing.
That's about the best way to describe it!

If fall is settling in your neck of the woods & the cooler air is feeling crisp, get a pot of this simmering on the stove!

See ya next time,

Angie

Banana Split Trifle

Anyone use the 'bottom of the jar' method when cooking?
You know the one where you prowl through your fridge to see what jars or bottles only have a little
in the bottom that you can finish off in whatever current recipe you're making!
Say like a pot of chili that you can add in some hot sauce or some ketchup ...
whatever needs finishing off & emptying up.
I really like doing this!
(I'm a finisher!)
We like condiments at our house so I'm always glad to finish things off for some more space in the fridge.

Well, I don't know if I've ever incorporated that 'bottom of the jar' method when making a dessert until today!
I needed to come up with a quick dessert for unplanned activity + I needed to use some delicious chocolate chip angel food cake that I bought at our favorite little Amish grocery store.
So, I quickly decided that I'd make up a dessert using the items I had on hand!
(Kinda like the TV show 'Chopped'!)
I got busy looking through the fridge & pantry & here's what I came up with:

Isn't she a pretty little thing?!

 

I knew I'd layer some things with the chocolate chip angel food cake making a trifle of sorts,
and as I was gathering, it started reminding me of a banana split! 
And thus, the name of this made-up dessert!
My 'bottom of the jar' ingredients were a tiny bit of pecans (finished off the bag & moved on to the walnuts), about a fourth a cup of marshmallow ice cream topping, a couple ripe bananas, & of course, the cake.

Oh ... & I forgot to add these into the above pic.

I had 3 little vanilla pudding cups that I added to the ingredient stash.

In the bottom of this little adorable ruffly dish (TJ Maxx $5.99), I placed pieces of cake
that I had just torn into large bite-size pieces.
Unfortunately (& usual), I didn't take pictures as I was layering!
It was a simple process though:  cake, banana slices, raspberries, pudding, whipped topping, & nuts!
And repeat!

When all my ingredients were layered in & I reached the top of the dish, I poured on the marshmallow topping,
a final layer of whipped topping, a sprinkle of nuts, & some raspberries all lined up in rows.

This got rave reviews from all the family!

The little chocolate chips in the cake were the perfect chocolatey touch!

What an easy & gorgeous dessert!
And a very adaptable one.
You could easily use plain cake, any variety of fruit, leave off the nuts & pudding ... or not.
If you are using ingredients you love, I'm not sure you couldn't mess this one up!

1/2 angel food cake, torn into pieces
2 bananas, sliced
6 oz. fresh raspberries
1 cup vanilla pudding (approximately -- I used 3 small pudding cups)
8 oz. whipped topping
1/4 cup marshmallow ice cream topping
1/2 c. chopped pecans or walnuts


In trifle bowl (or any med-lg. serving dish), layer ingredients in this order:
cake, bananas, raspberries, pudding, whipped topping, & nuts
At the top, finish it off with a layer of whipped topping, a sprinkling of nuts, & raspberries.
Refrigerate.


If you like this recipe, here are two more that I think you'll enjoy!

Angel Food Trifle

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Who doesn't love a good party?!
You can find me here linking up with these great blogs.

Monday           Amaze Me Monday     Coastal Charm    The Dedicated House
                     I Should Be Mopping the Floor     The Hankful House     The Modest Mom
Tuesday         Titus Tuesday  A Stroll Through Life
Wednesday   Raising Homemakers        Savvy Southern Style      
                              The Thrifty Home   A Wise Woman Builds Her Home
Thursday    Between Naps on the Porch    Katherines Corner3D Lessons for Life
           Hope in Every Season   A Delightsome Life     Lamberts Lately  
Friday      Rooted in Thyme  The Thrifty Groove   Farm Blog Hop   Flea Market Friday   Missional Women
 Best of the Nest  Anything Blue Friday   French Country Cottage  The Girl Creative
Sunday    Nifty Thrifty Things   Simple Saturdays    Sew Many Ways

Banana Upside Down Cake

MIA much?
Guilty as charge, folks.
Caught red-handed.

I miss blogging so very much, but I just haven't been able to carve out any time to get on here!
I probably should just quit pretending to be a blogger
(which makes me giggle cause I am so not a legit blogger) but just when I think I'm going to pull the plug,
I say to myself:  who makes the rules in the blogosphere anyway!
Right?!
So, here I am again ... rolling at my own speed.


Thought I'd share a new recipe with you today to make up for all the nonsense.
What's life without a yummy new dessert recipe every now & again?

I wish I would've taken time to arrange the bananas all perfect-like, but ... I didn't.  Oops.  Didn't effect the taste one bit ;)  See ... told ya.  Pretend blogger.

 

I ran across a Banana Upside Down Cake recipe the other day & within a few hours,
it was in my oven, on my table, & in my belly!
I think you need it in your life too, so here's the 411:

Ingredients:

Toppings (bottom of the pan)

1 cup brown sugar

6 Tbsp. butter, melted

4 bananas, sliced into 1/4" pieces

Cake

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

pinch salt

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 cup mashed banana (about 2 medium sized bananas)

1/2 cup milk

1 tbs vanilla

1/3 cup oil

2 eggs

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. 

Coat a glass baking dish with cooking spray.

(I used a 8x11 baking dish.)

Melt butter & pour into baking dish.

Sprinkle in brown sugar & then banana slices.

In a large bowl, thoroughly combine all dry ingredients.

Add in the wet ingredients and mix until completely combined and no lumps remain, 

being careful not to over mix. 

Pour cake mixture on top of bananas. 

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let cake cool for 5 minutes in pan then turn out on a large plate or platter.  

Cake is best served warm out of the oven but will stay moist and fresh stored in an airtight container.  

*Tip:  I made this with gluten free all-purpose flour, 2 cups.

Serve this with a scoop of vanilla ice cream & you'll be loved for life!

This is a comfort food kind of dessert & I'll definitely make this one again.

Enjoy!

Who doesn't love a good party?!
You can find me here linking up with these great blogs.
Monday           Amaze Me Monday     Coastal Charm    The Dedicated House
                     I Should Be Mopping the Floor     The Hankful House     The Modest Mom
Tuesday         Titus Tuesday  A Stroll Through Life
Wednesday   Raising Homemakers        Savvy Southern Style      
                              The Thrifty Home   A Wise Woman Builds Her Home
Thursday    Between Naps on the Porch    Katherines Corner 3D Lessons for Life
           Hope in Every Season   A Delightsome Life     Lamberts Lately  
Friday      Rooted in Thyme  The Thrifty Groove   Farm Blog Hop   Flea Market Friday   Missional Women
 Best of the Nest  Anything Blue Friday   French Country Cottage  The Girl Creative
Sunday    Nifty Thrifty Things   Simple Saturdays    Sew Many Ways

Strawberry & Cream Pinwheels

This recipe shows how versatile the flour tortilla is!

When I first saw this recipe, I thought it not only looked adorable, it made my mouth water!

Strawberries, cream cheese, powdered sugar ... I'm licking my lips in anticipation!

I'm here to say, it did not disappoint. 

And if you want something that looks interesting & impressive but is an absolute cinch to pull together,

it's Strawberry & Cream Pinwheels for the WIN!

Here's what you do:

Blend together cream cheese & chopped fresh strawberries.

(Either by hand, with a mixer, or a food processor.)

You can throw in a pinch of cinnamon on this step if you'd like.

Spread the cream cheese mixture onto flour tortillas, as thick or as thin as you prefer.

I ended up making 10 pinwheels altogether.

Roll them up & place into a ziploc bag.

(I placed them back into the tortilla bag.)

You can even pile them on a plate & cover with plastic wrap.

This step helps the tortilla to soften & to stick together, making a tight pinwheel.

Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before slicing (can be made up to a day ahead of time).

Slice into pieces about 1 inch in size & arrange on a pretty plate/platter.

Place some whole strawberries here & there to look pretty & sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar.

Completely over-the-top adorable, right!

 

Be prepared to eat a half dozen or so!

 

These are great for Valentine's Day, date night, or brunch ...

And they also make a great addition to a bridal or baby shower!

Or how about just a late night snack if you get the hankering, right?!

Ingredients

• 8oz pkg cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup fresh strawberries, diced
• Pinch of cinnamon
• 5-10 flour tortillas

Instructions

1. Combine the softened cream cheese, strawberries (& cinnamon) and stir until blended.
2. Spread cream cheese mixture on each tortilla and roll tortilla up.
3. Place in ziploc bag & refrigerate for minimum of 1/2 hour.
4. When ready to serve, cut into slices about 1" thick.

You'll stand out like a strawberry in a bowl of peas.

Angel Food Trifle

Since it's Valentine's week, I think I'll share a couple other sweet treat recipes!

This one is for Angel Food Trifle.

Back in the summer, I had a angel food cake & needed to come up with a quick dessert for family night.

Slicing up the cake & eating it plain would have been simply delicious, but I knew I could use it

as a base for something cold & fruity, which is what I was in the mood for.

 

I made a box of vanilla pudding first.

I love that as a dessert ingredient!

It comes together right before your eyes, so quick & simple.

Next, I began layering all the ingredients with the angel food cake that I tore into large pieces:

cake, pudding, banana, pineapple, cherries, & blueberries.

At the end, I topped it off with a layer of whipped topping.

Now, what's kind of comical about this dessert & it's title, I don't own a trifle dish!

Otherwise, I might have taken a more blog-worthy photo

(or maybe not because I general forget to take photos until after the fact).

So, my angel food trifle was actually made in a large bowl, but calling it an 'angel food bowl'

just isn't any fun at all!

The evening I served this dessert, we ate dinner with all our family out on the patio.

(It's a great summertime dessert cause it's cold & refreshing!)

After Abigail (our DIL) finished up, she said she thinks this was her favorite dessert that I have made!

It checked all the right boxes for her ... & I'm pretty sure I need to make it for her again soon.

I know it's not warm outside, at least in my neck of the woods,

but this would make a fun Valentine dessert to make this week!

You could even serve it in individual clear punch cups & stick a cherry right on top.

Thanks for visiting & lots of love to all of you!

Angel Food Trifle

• 1 angel food cake, torn into large pieces
• 1 box of vanilla pudding, made according to box directions
• 1 tub of whipped topping
• 1 banana sliced
• 1 cup of fresh blueberries
• 1 can of pineapple chunks, drained
• 1 can of cherry pie filling

In a trifle dish (or a lg. bowl), layer cake, pudding, & various fruits.
Top with a layer of whipped topping.
Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Who doesn't love a good party?!
You can find me here linking up with these great blogs.
Monday           Amaze Me Monday     Coastal Charm    The Dedicated House
                     I Should Be Mopping the Floor     The Hankful House     The Modest Mom
Tuesday        A Delightsome Life  Titus Tuesday  A Stroll Through Life
Wednesday   Raising Homemakers        Savvy Southern Style      
                              The Thrifty Home   A Wise Woman Builds Her Home
Thursday    Between Naps on the Porch    Katherines Corner 3D Lessons for Life
           Hope in Every Season     Lamberts Lately
Friday      Rooted in Thyme  The Thrifty Groove   Farm Blog Hop   Flea Market Friday   Missional Women
 Best of the Nest  Anything Blue Friday   French Country Cottage  The Girl Creative
Sunday    Nifty Thrifty Things   Simple Saturdays    Sew Many Ways

Taking a look back at 2015 ... Top Posts!

It's interesting to see which posts got the most traffic through the year!

Here are the Top 10.

#10 Smokehouse Lasagna

#9 SURPRISE! Produce Delivered Right To My Door

#8 Seasons 

#7 Pineapple Snowballs

#6  Mongolian Beef

#5 Making My Own Bagged Salad

#4 Banana Blondies with Brown Sugar Frosting

#3 Top Recipe Posts of 2014

 #2 White Hot Baked Cheese Dip

 

#1 The Hundred Foot Journey  

Who doesn't love a good party?!
You can find me here linking up with these great blogs.
Monday           Amaze Me Monday     Coastal Charm    The Dedicated House
                     I Should Be Mopping the Floor     The Hankful House     The Modest Mom
Tuesday        A Delightsome Life    A Bowl Full of Lemons  
                                    Titus Tuesday  A Stroll Through Life
Wednesday   Raising Homemakers        Savvy Southern Style      
                              The Thrifty Home   A Wise Woman Builds Her Home
Thursday    Between Naps on the Porch    Katherines Corner 3D Lessons for Life
           Hope in Every Season     Lamberts Lately
Friday      Rooted in Thyme  The Thrifty Groove   Farm Blog Hop   Flea Market Friday   Missional Women
 Best of the Nest  Anything Blue Friday   French Country Cottage  The Girl Creative
Sunday    Nifty Thrifty Things   Simple Saturdays    Sew Many Ways

Yum Yum Cake!!

Don't you love it when you think you've had every dessert under the sun  ....

and along comes a new cake!

People!

What is the point of living if you don't have these earth shattering occurrences every now & again?!

Can I get an amen?!

Alright ... all kidding aside.

{This cake is really great though!}

Trust me on this one.

My mother-n-law (who is an excellent cook btw) shared this old favorite of hers in a church cookbook ...

and her sweet sister made it recently & brought it to our pastor appreciation dinner.

It was there that I first tasted this cake, very aptly named YUM YUM CAKE!

I made this for Thanksgiving & posted a picture of it on FB and immediately had requests for the recipe.

And, of course, I'll gladly share this Yum Yum Cake recipe!

Yum Yum Cake

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1   20 oz. can crushed pineapple with the juice

Icing:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 stick butter
• 2 cups coconut
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 2/3 cup evaporated milk

Mix sugar, eggs, & baking soda with electric mixer.
Add in flour & pineapple & mix until just incorporated.
Bake on 350 for 30 minutes in 9x13 pan that's been sprayed with cooking spray.

Icing:
Heat butter & milk.
Boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly & remove from heat
Add in coconut & pecans.
Pour over cake while it's still hot.

*best when made a day ahead of time
**does not need refrigeration


If you haven't had this cake, do yourself & everyone else you love a favor & make it ...
especially if you are a coconut fan!
It does not disappoint!

Happy Black Friday from me!

 

 Who doesn't love a good party?!
You can find me here linking up with these great blogs.
Monday           Amaze Me Monday     Coastal Charm    The Dedicated House
                     I Should Be Mopping the Floor     The Hankful House     The Modest Mom
Tuesday        A Delightsome Life    A Bowl Full of Lemons  
                                    Titus Tuesday  A Stroll Through Life
Wednesday   Raising Homemakers        Savvy Southern Style      
                              The Thrifty Home   A Wise Woman Builds Her Home
Thursday    Between Naps on the Porch    Katherines Corner 3D Lessons for Life
           Hope in Every Season     Lamberts Lately
Friday      Rooted in Thyme  The Thrifty Groove   Farm Blog Hop   Flea Market Friday   Missional Women
 Best of the Nest  Anything Blue Friday   French Country Cottage  The Girl Creative
Sunday    Nifty Thrifty Things   Simple Saturdays    Sew Many Ways

Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

I am a buffalo chicken anything fan!
I love the zesty flavor.
It's spicy but not so much that you can't enjoy it.

And ranch ... what's not to love about ranch.
Pair those things together & you've got yourself a win-win situation!

We have a fellowship meal at our church each Sunday & that's where I had my first
crock pot buffalo chicken sandwich.
Our family thoroughly enjoyed this chicken so I had to get the recipe to make it here at home.
Found out it's ridiculously easy so I had to share here on the blog.
.

Place 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts in the crock pot & toss in the remaining ingredients:
2 Tbsp. butter, 1 packet of dry ranch, & 1 bottle of buffalo sauce (give or take).

Cook on low for 4-6 hours.
The chicken will be completely tender & you can shred it right in the pot with a couple forks.

Pile chicken on a bun & enjoy!
(Got so excited to eat the sandwich that I forgot to snap a pic.)

Easy recipes such as this can quickly make their way to the top of the menu.
And during the colder seasons, this hot sauce will make you all warm inside.
That's a bonus ;)

*You can top with blue cheese crumbles or dressing, shredded lettuce, or cheese.
Or you can even place in a tortilla & it as a wrap.


Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 Tbsp. butter
1 packet dry ranch dressing
1 bottle buffalo hot sauce
8-10 burger buns

Directions:
Place chicken in crock pot.
Place all other ingredients over top of the chicken.
Cook on low for 4-6 hours.
Shred chicken & serve on bun.

Who doesn't love a good party?!
You can find me here linking up with these great blogs.
Monday           Amaze Me Monday     Coastal Charm    The Dedicated House
                     I Should Be Mopping the Floor     The Hankful House     The Modest Mom
Tuesday        A Delightsome Life    A Bowl Full of Lemons  
                                    Titus Tuesday  A Stroll Through Life
Wednesday   Raising Homemakers        Savvy Southern Style      
                              The Thrifty Home   A Wise Woman Builds Her Home
Thursday    Between Naps on the Porch    Katherines Corner 3D Lessons for Life
           Hope in Every Season     Lamberts Lately
Friday      Rooted in Thyme  The Thrifty Groove   Farm Blog Hop  Missional Women
 Best of the Nest  Anything Blue Friday   French Country Cottage  The Girl Creative
Sunday    Nifty Thrifty Things   Simple Saturdays    Sew Many Ways

Apple Fritter Cake

I am not even kidding ... APPLE FRITTER CAKE!!

And it tastes exactly how you think it would  ... an apple fritter in the form of a cake.

Self-discipline & restraint, you better be close by cause we're ganna be callin' on ya ;)

A FB friend shared this recipe & as soon as I saw it, I knew I'd be making this one.
You see, I have this special friend who LOVES apples fritters.
She's so sweet that when she gets a hankering for one, she often buys me one too.
Just cause she's sweet like that.
Once she even delivered one to my front door ... Hello & here's you an apple fritter =)

She actually likes all things apple ... here she is displaying a pan full of her most requested dessert,
Apple Dumplings.
In case you need the recipe for those, click here!

OK, so back to the apple fritter cake.
It's a from scratch cake, but easy nonetheless.
Something about this one makes you feel all homemaker extraordinaire while you are making it.
We all like to feel that way every once in a while, right?

Don't you just want to take swim in this little pool of glazey goodness?
I love how the powdered sugar glaze is all puddled up there ...
like it's just waiting to be spooned over a piece of warm apple fritter cake.

So, get in the kitchen & whip up this cake ... and if you don't have all the ingredients,
be sure and add them to your grocery list.
The fall season is made all the better when you make recipes like this one.

And thanks for being patient with my lack of current blogs ... life is happening around here in full force.
I'm ganna try to do better, I promise.

Who doesn't love a good party?!
You can find me here linking up with these great blogs.
Monday           Amaze Me Monday     Coastal Charm    The Dedicated House
                     I Should Be Mopping the Floor     The Hankful House     The Modest Mom
Tuesday        A Delightsome Life    A Bowl Full of Lemons  
                                    Titus Tuesday  A Stroll Through Life
Wednesday   Raising Homemakers        Savvy Southern Style      
                              The Thrifty Home   A Wise Woman Builds Her Home
Thursday    Between Naps on the Porch    Katherines Corner 3D Lessons for Life
           Hope in Every Season     Lamberts Lately
Friday      Rooted in Thyme  The Thrifty Groove   Farm Blog Hop  Missional Women
 Best of the Nest  Anything Blue Friday   French Country Cottage  The Girl Creative
Sunday    Nifty Thrifty Things   Simple Saturdays    Sew Many Ways