dreaming of fall time

a girl can dream, right? 

click on the image to go to the picture's original website.

frozen chai tea, PERFECT^^^

this is the perfect fall outfit for phx ^^^

this is totally what i'm doing with my pumpkins this year! i LOVE it!^^^

the perfect time to bake pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting^^^

the perfect time to print pictures and put them in albums (which i very badly need to do)^^^

the perfect fall wedding colors^^^ (floret flower farm)

homemade pretzel balls

Homemade Pretzel Balls

3 cups warm water
2 1/4 teaspoons (one package) active dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups bread flour
6 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups water
3 tablespoons baking soda
4 tablespoons melted butter
1 tablespoon coarse grain sea salt

Dissolve the sugar in the warm water. Sprinkle the yeast over the top of the water and allow that to sit and foam up for 5-6 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the salt, bread flour, and all-purpose flour. Pour the yeast water into the bowl. Stir until combined. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 5-6 minutes. This flour is probably more water-based than you might be used to (if you bake bread often), so feel free to really flour your hands or the surface as you work. Place in an oiled bowl, cover, and allow to rise for 1 hour (or until doubled in size).

Fill a large pot with 3 cups water and 3 tablespoons baking soda. Stir to dissolve. Heat the water to a low boil. While the water heats up, on a floured surface, divide the dough into small balls, or roll into long ropes and shape like pretzels. 

Place each pretzel in the boiling water for 30 seconds, flipping halfway through cooking. Use a slotted spoon to remove them from the water, draining away as much water as you can. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Allow to rest for 15 minutes.

Brush the tops of the pretzels with melted butter and sprinkle on the sea salt. Bake at 375°F for 20-25 minutes. The pretzels should look golden brown but still feel slightly spring-y to the touch. Dip them in anything, we chose melted garlic butter. So good.

recipe from abeautifulmess.com

chocolate sour cream cake

this is one of my favorite cake recipes. the cake is moist and dense. the frosting is refreshing and delicious. if you have the urge to eat something really rich. make this.

 

Chocolate Sour Cream Cake with Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting

1. Combine 1 cube butter, 2.5 cups brown sugar and 3 eggs in a mixer.

2. Melt 3 oz. of unsweetened chocolate. I just put it in the microwave 30 seconds at a time and stir each time until smooth.

3. Add melted chocolate, 2 tsp. vanilla and 1 cup sour cream to mixer.

4. In a separate bowl, mix 3 cups flour, 1 tsp salt and 2 tsp baking soda. then add to mixer.

5. Boil 1 cup of water and add it to the mixer while beating. Keep it going until the mixture is a little stiff.

6. Pour into pans and bake at 375 for 35 mins.

For the Frosting:

1. Mix 1 cup butter, 3 cups powdered sugar, 1/2 cup sour cream and 2 oz melted unsweetened chocolate.

2. Allow cake to cool after baking and frost in layers.

p.s. I've made this at Christmas time a few times before and I usually crush candy canes and sprinkle on top. You can sprinkle anything on top you might like!

Enjoy!

Party Food: Mini Lemon Shooters

For one of the treats at my sister's homecoming party we had on Sunday, we had these yummy little lemon shooters. They were super simple to make and really fun to eat!

You Will Need:
mini cups
graham crackers
lemon curd (from trader joes or homemade)
whipping cream
sugar
vanilla
rasberries
mini spoons

First, make your homemade whipped cream. Beat the cream, sugar and vanilla until stiff. Next, smash graham crackers to fine consistency. Layer graham crackers, lemon curd and whipped cream in the mini cups. Top it off with a rasberry and mini spoon. Chill until you are ready to serve!

Buttermilk Honey Bread

what a loaf of bread! so light and moist. my house smells pri-tty dang good right now and i feel as if this needs to be a weekly ritual. bread baking.

recipe from the gorgeous and delicious http://localmilkblog.com/

I'm nutz for Coconut.

I made 2 recipes with coconut in the title this week. I think I' obsessed. I only documented one of the recipes on film, but you should still try BOTH. Here it goes...

(disclaimer/side note: I am trying to be just like "The Pioneer Woman" by doing this type of blogging. She is on my blog list at the right. I stalk her everyday online. My goal is to be her and i'm almost there, because she is an amazing cook, she loves Photography, she lives on a ranch with horses and thousands of cows. Like I said, I'm almost there.)

Anyways, back to the GOOD STUFF.

#1: COCONUT CAKE (recipe from my mother-in-law)

Ingredients:

1 white cake mix

2 cups coconut

1 can of cream of coconut

1 tub of cool whip

make the white cake mix as directed BUT use 2 eggs instead of 3, and add one cup of coconut.

throw it all in...

mix it real good. preferably in a bright colored kitchen aid.

pour it in a 9 X 13 pan, or 2 round pans, it's up to you!

Lick the bowl

with your finger

after its done baking poke holes all over it and pour most of the cream of coconut all over the cake.

Put this in the Fridge for 15 minutes.

Get a cookie sheet out and another cup of coconut.

spread the coconut out all over the cookie sheet

put the oven on broil and stick it in

toast your coconut!

Frost the cake with cool whip when its is done cooling. Then Top with your beautifully toasted Coconut.

Eat for breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. Amen.

#2: Coconut Bread (recipe from the beautiful Lindsey Hansen)

I gave this to my dad for Father's Day, he was happy.

Ingredients:

4 large eggs (well beaten)

2 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons liquid coconut flavor

3 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup coconut

Beat the eggs in a large bowl and blend in the sugar, oil, coconut flavoring. Sift together the dry ingredients and add to the mixture alternately with 1 cup of buttermilk. This makes 2 regular loaves or 7 mini-loaves. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Remove from oven and

here's the kicker...

Spoon this mixture over the top.

1 cup sugar, 2 Tablespoons butter, 1/2 cup of water and 1 tsp coconut flavoring that has been simmered for 20 minutes. Let the bread stand in pans four hours (or if you are impatient like me take it out and eat it right away).

REALLY GOOD. Enjoy.