Gooey Pumpkin Bars

Holy Fall... where did my Summer go.... started on Wednesday the 24th.

This blog was going to be finished on Thursday, but that did not happened. I took Friday as a vacation day, to get some stuff and go boating with my husband. I ran and went to yoga, got just a few things done. We did go boating, it was about 83 degrees and just beautiful. We had an absolutely wonderful day.

This is my cocktail on the back end of the boat. 

I did  not go into the water and neither did the cocktail,
To cold for me, but the sun felt fabulous

My Coconut Ginger Fizz

Makes 2 drinks

2 shots of coconut vodka

1 bottle of Sobe Coconut Life water

1 can of Schweppes Diet Ginger Ale

ice.

Add all ingredients together, stir, and pour over ice into 2 nice size glasses. 

The Only calories are from the Vodka. Light and Refreshing. 

The perfect summer - Early fall drink

I made I pan of  these pumpkin bars for 2 events. This base is similar to a prior blog (12/13/13 ).This is an easy recipe, any novice baker can whip these up. You could cut this recipe in half if you wanted to. I made the full pan, and everyone devoured them. The first tastes of Fall are always the funnest. 

I pulled out one of my Fall dishes. 

Always trying to improve my photo skills. 

There is room for loads of improvement

Gooey Pumpkin Bars
modified from pickypalate.com
Ingredients
1 box Yellow cake mix
2 large eggs
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, solftened
15 ounce can pumpkin puree
8 ounces marshmallow creme
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
1 large egg
1/2 cup cinnamon chips
1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9 x 13 baking pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.

Place cake mix, eggs, butter into large bowl with a paddle attachment. Mix until well combined. This will be like thick cookie dough. Place dough into pan. Spray your hands with cooking spray and smash down the dough. Cover the entire bottom of the pan.

Place pumpkin puree, marshmallow creme, and condensed milk into mixing bowl. Blend until fully incorporated. Pour over the entire crust. Gently drop the cinnamon chips all over the pumpkin mixture. Then place the pecans over the chips. Place in the oven and bake for 50-55 minutes. Center will be somewhat soft, but will set up while it cools

Let cool completely and serve. EAT up my Fall Friends

There is 1 egg not photographed.

It went all rogue on me and ended up on the floor. Augh.

I love Cinnamon chips. . I could really eat the whole bag.

I would allow myself one at a time. Otherwise, I would have 

needed another bag... I keep my chips in the freezer,
they really last a long time in there. Cost effective

The cake, 2 eggs and softened butter

The pumpkin batter and then the cinnamon chips
There are small lumps of marshmallow creme throughout

Chopped pecans and ready for the oven

Baked for 55 minutes.
These are deep size pieces. If you went with a
10x14 pan. I would think 45 minutes would be enough time

Delicious and heavenly pieces of Fall goodness. 

German Chocolate Cheesecake Cake

My next door neighbor made a request. She loves German Chocolate Cake and wanted it for her birthday cake. HELLO, so does most of my family. My baby sister has it every year for her birthday cake. My Mom has always made this cake forever. The melding of the brown sugar, pecans and coconut with the chocolate cake. Heavenly. So, I stumbled upon this delightful recipe. Combine German Chocolate cake with Cheesecake... WOW .. is it. This cake was just amazing. TOTALLY kicking it up a notch. My neighbor and her family thought it was delicious. My Husband stated that it was perfectly delicious and not to change a thing. Please make again.

  

Layers of amazing flavors that melt in your mouth

(improved photo skills)

NOTE: if you put this into 2 8" cake pans, shorten your cook time. You should have enough frosting to cover both layers, but not the sides.

This recipe does have a few steps. Please do not let that stop you. It is really very easy and does not take a long time. It is well worth the effort. This recipe call for a box cake. I amp up my box cakes, so you can either follow my recipe for the cake or make your own chocolate cake. When I made this cake, I was cutting my time short, (excuse) but homemade cake has less preservatives. DO what you want.

German Chocolate Cheesecake Cake

adapted from mommyskitchen.net

Ingredients

Cake

1 dark chocolate cake mix

1 small package chocolate pudding (cook & serve)

3 eggs 

1/2 cup oil

1 1/2 cups milk

3/4 cup yogurt, plain or vanilla

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream Cheese Filling

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 8-oz packages cream cheese, softened

4 eggs 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Coconut Pecan Frosting

1 12 oz can evaporated milk

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, cubed

3 egg yolks, slightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups flaked coconut

1 1/ cups chopped pecans

Directions

Set oven to 325 degrees. Line a 9x13 pan with tin foil. Spray pan with cooking spray. Set aside

Into a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, place all cake ingredients into bowl. Beat for 2-3 minutes. Pour half of the cake batter into prepared pan. Place remaining cake batter into another bowl and set aside.

Into the mixing bowl, add the sugar and softened cream cheese. Beat until smooth. Add eggs one at a time and mix until incorporated. Gently pour the cream cheese mixture of the cake batter. Try to cover the whole surface of the cake mixture. 

Spoon remaining cake batter over the cream cheese mixture. Spread to the edge of the baking pan. Bake for 65 - 70 minutes. OR until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. (NOTE: REALLY cook this long)

Cool cake for at least a half hour - 1 hour before removing from pan.

While your cake is baking, in a heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, evaporated milk, butter and egg yolks. Continue to stir and cook. This probably took at least 15-20 minutes to cook and thicken up. Your thermometer should read 180 degrees. Needs to be thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon.

Remove from the heat. Stir in vanilla extract, fold in coconut and pecans. Cool until frosting reaches spreading consistency. 

Frost your cake. Refrigerate any leftovers. This cake can be made a day in advance.

All the ingredients needed for this dessert

(THE OIL was not pictured) sorry

The ingredients for the cake

 A very FULL bowl. remaining half of the cake

eggs, sugar, vanilla extract and cream cheese for the cream cheese mixture

Gently poured over the cake batter

Drizzling the remaining cake batter

Ingredients for the frosting

I first measured out the evaporated milk, but used the entire can

Stirring away... I had forgotten that homemade does take some time

My old wooden smasher. I have had this tool for a long time

Folding in the pecans and coconut

Gently removed the cake from the pan. 

Starting to frost

I used an offset spatula for a smooth surface

Heavenly layers of deliciousness

YES, I ate both of these pieces. OMG, 

Just so good. 

Kitties and Summer

Where have I been... well basically just in my kitchen. I have baked lots of cakes and cookies

My Kitties have had some wild summer adventures. We will start with Smokey. Smokey started becoming a big girl. We waited about 2-3 months to long. She would howl and cry. WOW, scared all of us and herself. Once she healed, the hormones started to mellow out. That will never happen again to any other cats.  She has gotten acclimated to wearing a harness outside. She does not totally dig it, but if she wants to go outside on it goes. There was also the evening where she did not have it on, ahhh what a rascal. She can be a total challenge to catch when she wants to stay outside. I spent over a  half hour trying to catch her. She did sleep all night that evening.

Smokey is still afraid of people. If someone comes over, she will still hide. Usually in the basement. She has a comfy perch where she can hide or just watch you fold the laundry. When Smokey is outside, the noise from people is less scaring her. Smokey is a talker. Her makings are just beautiful.

She is such a beauty.

Smokey loves to play with your feet. Nibbling..

I am skipping to Apple Jax. The Princess of the house. She always wants to go outside, but only on her terms. She will claw on the screen and whine, but not let you catch her. Such the DIVA. Once you get a hold of her, a bit of a yowl, and out she goes. She is usually the last one to come in.

Apple Jax is such a princess

I was laying on my stomach taking pictures of cats.

I am 1 crazy girl, who loves her cats

Apple Jax has come around so much this summer. She hangs out with the rest of the cats. Apple is still slightly anti social. She wants to be loved, and I love giving her love. We  sleep together regularly.

Black Cherry.... Well he has had quite the summer.
He was chased up a tree by a stray dog early in the summer. My neighbor and I held the 12 foot ladder while my husband climbed up and tried to reach the cat. CAT crying, husband not happy. Black Cherry stayed inside for a few days. Very afraid of being outside. About 2 weeks later, he scooted outside and no one noticed. He spent the entire night outside. The next morning he was sitting on the front porch. Smokey was sitting by the front window, crying for Black Cherry. Husband opened the door, and in ran the cat. He did not have on a collar. We found the collar near a tree in the front yard the next day. Blasted cat.

Lazy boy

I love my Black Cherry. He is such a typical male. Needy, a bit whiny and demanding of love. AND really not all that smart. SO, 2 weeks ago, Black Cherry got out again. It was dark outside and he can be hard to see. My Husband asked me to help look for the cat. We start looking for him, and we hear a howling noise. The cat on on my neighbors porch roof. We have NO idea how he got up there. We believe he was being chased and he ran up the arborevite.

Again my Husband pulled out the 12 foot ladder, and grabbed the cat. Ahh, Black Cherry, you crazy kitty. Last Sunday, my husband was grilling, all the cats were outside, and Black Cherry was playing with a wasp.  The wasp sort of won. All of  a sudden, a loud howl came from Black Cherry and he was limping. Stung his paw. We removed the stinger and killed the insect. He was ok. He still wants to go outside, but he never stays out long. You need to sit outside with him. He gets anxious and wants to go inside...

As we celebrate Labor Day Weekend, the unofficial END of Summer, please still consider your pets welfare. It still gets hot outside, watch for animals in closed vehicles. Watch for animals as you are out and about. They all need care. Have a safe holiday...

Cherry Almond Overnight Oats

I should start the blog with a "goodnight". When I am done making this delicious breakfast at 12:30 at night, I am going to bed. The ready to eat pictures are my "good morning." Overnight Oats are delicious and so freaking easy. Throw away, in fact, DO NOT even buy that sugary over processed oatmeal packets. They are only a teensy bit easier than overnight. BUT.............. overnight oats are a 1000 times better. They are still real. So if you have fallen off your wagon, and need to hop on, this breakfast or snack will totally fill you up. There are prior posts about overnight oats, they are so healthy and filling. You will stay full until lunch. No vending machine breaks.

Good morning KIDS. 

I just went for a 4 mile run and I am sweaty. 

Pictures of the start to a great day.

WELL.... I am going to my day job. OK good day.

Just a disclaimer: Overnight oats can be heated up. I like them cold, but I think if I needed something warm inside me, these would be perfect.

Cherry Almond Overnight Oats

adapted from thecrepesofwrath.com

Ingredients

1 cup old fashioned oats

1 cup or 1 1/2 cups almond milk

1/2 cup dried cherries

1/4 cup slivered almonds

1 tablespoon chai seeds

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon Goji Berries

Directions

Layer in a glass, jar or container with lid.  mix together. cover and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, thoroughly stir, eat cold or warm up. Drizzle with honey if you want.

Just a few basic ingredients for something wonderful

Goji Berries are so good for you. 

They deserved a separate shot

Start by layering in all the ingredients

Once everything is added, stir well and put in the frig

Good  morning, you should really taste this.

This is how Oatmeal should be. 

This is not fattening, loaded with fiber and other goodness.

Let me know what you think. I really love it.

Happy 70th birthday.

Today my Dad would have been 70, if he was still alive. His last birthday was at the young age of 64. I am totally out of sorts today. A bit bitchy, teary, and just not with it. My Mother always celebrated birthdays, but milestone birthdays were a big event. I remember my Dad's 30th birthday party. I remember him sleeping in a lawn chair towards the end of the night. His 50th birthday party was an extravaganza. His 2 brothers came into town from out of state. That was a very fun party for his kids. I believe one of his kids may have slept in a lawn chair that night. The  60th party was at my house. At the best of our abilities, we tried to surprise him. NO one slept in a lawn chair that night. We did have a good time. We laughed about how old we had all gotten.

Today is a beautiful day. Mid 70's and sunny. Actually kind of cool for the end of July. He would have said it was an excellent day for working. Even on his birthday. He would have kicked it into gear & got a lot done.

So, Sweets by Shayla has been baking up a storm. I did a 300 person wedding last weekend. Cupcakes and Treat trays. It was a tremendous amount of work, but when I was done, I was happy. No second guessing. The bride was also very pleased. And that is the most important person. 

My sister and her family from FLA are in town for a week. We are going to do our own partying and hanging out. We all think about my Dad in so many different ways and have our own special memories. 

My Dad was such a good dad. He had his rules, and they had little bend. BUT everything else in life was fair game. Did he shake his head at us??? YES... Wonder what the Hell we were doing??? YES.. but he totally love us. I am grateful in life for my Dad... AND MOM. They have taught us many differ things. 

Be grateful for what you have, and someone always is worse off than you. WORDS of Wisdom.

Green Peachy Cleanse

I am still drinking my green drinks, but I am starting to modify them. Granny Smith apple are a bit out of season and getting very expensive. SO.... move on to summer fruit. I can remember last winter (who could forget a Polar vortex), coming across recipes with summer fruits and melons. They are all my favorites, so let us commence with the summer recipes.

This recipe still has a green apple in it, but today was the last of the apples. It also contains a peach. I made this recipe twice, once with spinach and once without. (Believe it or not, the grocery shopper sometimes forgets her spinach.) Without the spinach, the color was slightly orange. With the spinach, all GREEN.

The peach gave the drink a bit of thickness. Full flavor. All the things I love

I am also working on drinking more Plain Water

Green Peachy Cleanse
adapted by ME
Ingredients

1 cup water
1 piece fresh ginger
1 peach, pitted and sliced
1 handful fresh spinach
1 green apple, cored and sliced
1 squirt Agave Nectar (Optional)

Directions
Place all ingredients in your Vitamix or high powered blender in the order listed. Blend until smooth.

My normal handful of fruits and veggies

My almost full blender. I just love this machine

This was such a good drink. 

The Peach really amp'd up the flavor

OREO pudding cookies

My husband sometimes ask me why I buy Oreo's. I still love them, and know they come in an assortment of flavors. My Florida sister will say that Grandma's cookies are the best, but I do love an Oreo once in awhile. It is not wrong

This Marshmallow crispy was a very good flavor

Lemon was delightful. I actually used them for a lemon cheesecake bar.
I did eat the apple and orange. They both went into a drink

SO, when I can across this recipe for a Oreo pudding cookie, I was all in. This was a quick cookie to whip up. It is also not a large batch.  22 cookies or so. Great for a group of people. Use Plain old Oreo's.This batter does not spread at all. This cookie needs to be smushed down after baking. When I pull them out of the oven, I immediately take the back of the spatula and smash down. I then let cool in the pan to set up. 

A nice soft cookie with a great flavor

Oreo Pudding Cookies
adapted from Amyshealthybaking.com
Ingredients
4 tablespoons butter (1/2 stick) MELTED and cooled
1 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 oz (4 servings) vanilla instant pudding mix
1 3/4 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 Oreo's roughly chopped

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper.

In a separate mixing bowl, add butter and brown sugar together. Mix until creamy. Add eggs, one at time and mix. Add vanilla extract. Mix in pudding mix until blended. Add in the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix until just incorporated. Fold in by hand the Oreo cookie pieces.

Drop cookie dough on prepared sheet pans. Bake for 9-11 minutes. Remove when done, smash down with back of flat spatula and let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Then move to a wire rack.

Firm but not hard cookie dough

Lovely perfect circles baking away

Removed from the oven and flattened. Still cooling

Waaa Laaa.. bits of Oreos in all bits. Yummy.
My friends just loved these cookies.
A huge combo factor, eating Oreos in homemade cookies
Kind of like the best of both worlds.