PUMPKIN SPICE MUFFINS...Food for the Soul

PUMPKIN SPICE MUFFINS

Along with probably a ga-jillion other people in the world,
I LOVE FALL!
When September comes I start counting the days until I can officially kick-start the arrival of autumn.

What is it they say?

Maybe it's because I can finally say adios to Oklahoma's hot summer days, or perhaps it's seeing the children return to learning, walking to and from school again, book-bags in hand.

PECANS MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Yesterday morning, like I have many times since her passing, I pulled out my mother's Woman's Home Companion Cook Book and began flipping through the tattered pages before me.  I love so many of things about this old book~but mostly I love knowing it was once in my mother's hands...

I skimmed the pages as I wanted to bake something to celebrate the changing of the seasons, something more than the apple spice muffins my mom made during my growing-up years...

Sadly, the only thing I really found was a recipe for a pumpkin cake!  NO MUFFINS!

The cake didn't sound too appealing, so I found a recipe online that was more in line with what I was looking for!

PUMPKIN SPICE MUFFINS

3 1/2 cups flour
2 2/3 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin spice
1 Tablespoon orange zest
1 cup milk
2 cups  mashed pumpkin
2 slightly beaten eggs
2/3 cups melted shortening
1/4 scant cup molasses
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup golden raisins

Mix dry ingredients together and set aside.
Mix wet ingredients and add to the dry.
Add one cup chopped pecans and one cup
golden raisins.  Stir well.

Fill greased/floured large muffin tins about 2/3 full.
Sprinkle top with 1/2 cup brown sugar and 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes until muffins are firm to the touch.

Let cool.  Remove from tin.

Serve with honey butter and ENJOY!

BROWN SUGAR CRUMBLY

My mother loved to bake!  She loved spending holiday time with her family and she would have loved the big Labor Day party planned at our nephew's home tomorrow.  Lots of swimming, great food, and a gentle nod to the last days of summer.

 MY MOM ABOUT 1938

Recently my mom's younger sister sent me the photo above (my momma is the child in the photo above and my auntie is the toddler in my grandmother's arms).  I love it so much.  My mom would be so happy to know we have carried on without her...even though her passing brought us all many tears.  I try and celebrate her life every chance I get...and yesterday was no different.  Sweet memories of her in the kitchen and tender reminders of what she will always mean to me.

Today is Sunday...thoughts of faith...love...hope.

I have a long-time prayer that passes my lips every single day.  Over twenty years now.
In God's time I will see it answered.

Love to you...

Rebecca

(P.S.  My blog is page protected and that was done a LONG TIME AGO!  Mr. AGPMan is TRYING to figure out how to remove it so you can easily copy photos or recipes!  More soon!)
    

~RECIPE KNOCK-OFF...MIMI'S HONEY BRAN MUFFINS

Since I've been HOLD UP in my home since last Thursday (and climbing the walls) I decided I would do a wee bit of baking to welcome the crisp, cool days of Autumn.  Honestly...unless my Miss K is coming for the weekend or something special comes up (like a birthday), I stay far away from sugary treats for health reasons.  Yeah...I know it makes life a tad bit boring and if I tell you the truth I miss eating all the fabulous stuff out there.  Still, on occasion my Mr. AGPMan and I will gobble up something decadent even though we don't do it very often!

When I do fall off the Weight Watcher's Wagon I find my weakness is bread.

Bread anything and everything makes my heart sing!

If it's made with flour, well, I'm a gonner. 

Last week my daughter Adrienne and I treated my Mother to a birthday lunch at Mimi's Cafe.  Mimi's has incredible goodies and I especially love their Honey Bran Muffins.

Curious as to whether the recipe was online, I started searching and came up with a recipe knock-off that sounded pretty close to their popular

BRAN-FILLED-CONFECTION!

The comments were good so I decided to make up a batch!

Well...MY!  MY!  MY!!!  Not only are the Muffins moist and delicious, but they are a really, really close match to those found at Mimi's Cafe!  I'm in honey-bran heaven.  

The recipe I used comes from THE LAZY WIFE'S GUIDE and you can find it HERE!

HAPPY BAKING and HAPPY EATING!  BE SURE TO GET YOUR EXERCISE IN ON THE DAY YOU INDULGE IN ONE OF THESE SCRUMPTIOUS TREATS!  THEY ARE LOADED WITH FAT AND CALORIES!!! 

(~but.oh.so.yummeeee.~)

(I know...I know...I just HAD to say that, huh?)

ENJOY!

Love to you...

 

~~~~~~~YUMMY LOVIN' FROM MY OVEN~~~~~~~ A French Toast Casserole To Make You Swoon

"Looking back, I have this to regret, that too often when I loved, I did not say so."

David Grayson

Twenty years ago I started a little Valentine tradition that involved the making of a sweet morning treat for my Mr. AGPMan and two children.  Even though both my babes are grown and on their own now I still concoct this tasty treat each year for the man of my dreams :).  Even thought it's not the slightest bit 'LOW CAL' it's absolutely scrumptious and so worth enjoying on a special occasion.

~LEFT CLICK ON RECIPE TO PRINT~

This delicious French Toast Casserole is perfect for those lazy Saturday mornings when you want to stay in bed with your honey reading the paper and cuddling until noon (you still do that, right?)!  Since all the prep work is done the night before all you have to do is pop it in the oven and you're good to go!  You can even go back to snuggling under the covers while it bakes and rises to the sweet smell of cinnamon wafting through your house!

Since I only make the casserole once or twice a year I have yet to photograph it!  I found the photo above online and it looks very similar to how my recipe comes out!  I'm not really thinking about grabbing my camera while I'm baking...

(I'm just sayin'...)

I'll be back tomorrow to show you what I've been working on this week...here's a sneak peek:

~VINTAGE LACE PILLOW~

Hope your Friday is fab!  My guy and I are going Tag SaleING in the morning and I'm excited.  He begins another in-depth Programming Class on Thursday so I won't see much of him for the next six weeks plus...

Love to you... 

~CHUNKY COOKIES TO MAKE YOU SWOON~

 ~DELICIOUS TRAIL COOKIE~

When my children were little we did a bunch of great Christmas-Treat-Baking inside our La Chaumière de Briarwood.  Today, both my kids are phenomenal cooks and rival my abilities in the kitchen. They have perfectly appointed kitchens and aren't afraid one little bit to try something new.

 ~CHUNKY and FABULOUS~

Their old momma on the other hand has a tendency to stick to what she knows best!  Tried and true recipes that have stood the test of time...  I'm happy to leave what I call the complicated stuff to my son, Brandon, and my daughter, my AdrieGirl.

 ~CREAM SUGARS~

~ADD DRY INGREDIENTS~

When I was a young bride I learned to bake a little bit and would scour the Dallas Morning News for recipes to try out on my Mr. AGPMan (only he wasn't called that back then!).  The recipe I'm sharing with you today came from that well known Texas paper back in 1979 or so...

 ~OLD RECIPE CARD~

Thirty plus years ago I copied it onto a little personalized recipe card one of my friends ordered from some mail order company...  Today it's ratty and torn up but I love using it anyway!

 ~NO TASTING YET!~

Don't be tempted to taste the batter!  You might get that 'sow-stuff' from the raw eggs!  That would be terrible!

~PLACE ON COOKIE SHEET~

They smell soooo heavenly while baking!

~ALMOST DONE~

Be patient!

~FINISHED COOKIE~

And there you have it!  A sweet treat for neighbors and friends!  Now...don't faint when I tell you this but I'm not a chocolate lover (I told you NOT to faint!).  I like it well enough and all,  but I can take it or leave it if I must!  But this kind of cookie...well, I could eat enough to make me senseless if I'm not careful!

Blessings for a lovely day...Happy Monday!

Love to you...

~~~~~~~SWEET HOLIDAY CONFECTIONS~~~~~~~ A Chocolate Candy Recipe From Me to You

~HOLIDAY BALLS~

In two days my La Chaumière de Briarwood is going to be filled with great food and ALMOST every person I love most in the world (except for my ailing father).  I'm more excited than I can say about gathering together with friends and family celebrating once again the goodness of God and his gracious bounty.  I am amazed at the blessings God the Father has bestowed upon my little family and I am truly in awe of His love for us.

~SIMPLE TO MAKE~

Now...I'm a planner.  I am!  I love coming up with new twists for our traditional Thanksgiving meal and the entire process from shopping for the food to actually preparing the dinner...

~CHOCOLATE SPRINKLES~

This year I remembered a sweet treat my Momma-In-Love use to make for my Mr. AGPMan when he was growing up.  I have no idea where the recipe originated from I can only tell you she fashioned these candy confections for years and years and years.  I've changed up the original recipe just a tad to make it more to my family's liking, but it still has much of the same flavor as those my hubby gobbled down as a young boy.

~GROUND CHOCOLATE COOKIES~

 ~COOKIES AND CREAM TOPPER~

~FROM OUR COLLEGE RECIPE BOOK~

I typed out the original recipe you see above and noted the changes made to the one I use today.  I hope you'll try it out!  ENJOY!

~~*~~

Blessings as you celebrate and give thanks with a grateful heart.

Love to you...

~~~~~~~~~~ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE~~~~~~~~~~ And a Little Chocolate

 

ALL I REALLY NEED IS LOVE,

BUT A LITTLE CHOCOLATE NOW AND THEN

DOESN'T HURT!"

~Lucy Van Pelt, PEANUTS

 SIMPLY CHOCOLATE

It's sweet.  It's decadent.  It's simply one of the most delicious and romantic gifts you can give.  Move it on over diamonds, chocolate is a girl's best friend (and surely our guys don't mind it either!)  Doesn't matter what you like most...milk, white, bittersweet, or dark, there's no denying that a hefty dose of chocolate makes us all feel loved.

Struggling with what to do for your Honey this Valentine's Day?  How about make the tradition of giving chocolates truly something special by spoiling your sweetie with a batch of homemade truffles.  Pack them inside a heart shaped tin with lots of tissue shreds and tie it all up with silky pink bow (OK...RED if your not a PINK lover!).

 

Here's a fabulous recipe I've used for years!  It's foolproof and I promise you'll love it!

CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

(What You'll Need)

12 ounces of Semisweet Chocolate Chips

1/3 Cup Heavy Cream

1/3 Cup Unsalted Butter

3 Egg Yolks

1/4 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (for dusting)

1 Cup Powdered Sugar (for dusting)

1.  Combine chocolate chips, cream, and butter in small saucepan.

Heat on low, stirring constantly, until smooth.  Remove from heat.

2.  In a small bowl, lightly whisk egg yolks, then add a small amount

of the heated mixture and whisk.  Add this to the saucepan.

3.  Add vanilla and stir well.

4.  Pour mixture into small bowl and refrigerate until firm (3-4 hours).

5.  Form teaspoonfuls into balls and roll in cocoa that has been

combined with the powdered sugar.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Makes 36 Chocolate Truffles

~~*~~

Blessings as you count your way down to a Valentine's Day filled with love and joy.

Love to you~

SWEETENING LIFE WITH VANILLA...and Memories

 ~CAKE MAKING AT IT'S FINEST~

This weekend I'm hosting a little dinner party in honor of my daughter, Adrienne.  We've always celebrated birthdays BIG in our family and this year I've found so much joy in planning something extra special for her.  She's in her last year of college (YEAH!) and is looking forward to graduating and getting on with her life.  I am so proud of her and all she has accomplished. (More about my girl coming this weekend!)

~WHIPPED VANILLA CREAM CAKE~

I'm not a "store-bought-cake-" kind of gal! :)  Not that I don't like bakery cakes...some I've tasted have been truly amazing.  And if the truth be told many, many times during my kid's growing up years I purchased (usually on the fly) a visually beautiful cake that looked fabulous on the outside only to find it tasted like cardboard on the inside (I've never actually tasted cardboard...but you know...)

 ~RECIPE FROM VICTORIA MAGAZINE~

While flipping through one of my aging (and vintage) issues of Victoria Magazine I came across a recipe for a Golden Whipped Vanilla Cream Cake and thought it sounded perfect for my girl's day.  And so...I gathered together all the ingredients for me to recreate the recipe in the kitchen of my La Chaumière de Briarwood.  Since the cake called for a tablespoon of "Vanilla Brandy" I had to plan early.  Not only did I not have a whole Vanilla Bean I also didn't have any Brandy!  And so I set in motion just what it would take to create such a concoction!

The recipe for the cake can be found below:

~YUMMY VANILLA~

Vanilla Brandy

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

1 Cup Brandy

1.  Pour brandy into 1-pink glass jar with tight fitting lid.  Add vanilla bean.  Seal jar and store at least 1 week in cool, dark, dry place.

Use in recipe below for Vanilla Cream Cake.

~*~

Vanilla Cream Cake

2 1/4 cups cake flour

2 1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup heavy cream

1 tbsp Vanilla Brandy (above)

4 eggs

1 1/4 cups Vanilla Granulated Sugar

Vanilla Confectioners' Sugar

1.  Butter and flour 10" tube pane.  Line bottom of pan with waxed paper.  Butter and flower paper.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2.  In medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, and salt.  Mix well and set aside.

3.  In small mixer bowl, beat heavy cream and Vanilla Brandy until stiff.  Cover and refrigerate while mixing batter.

4.  Wash beaters.  In large mixer bow, beat eggs at high speed with electric mixer until foamy.  Gradually add granulated sugar, beating until thick and lemon colored, about 5 minutes.

5.  Add flour mixture all at once.  Beat at low speed until moistened.  Fol in whipped cream.  Pour into pan.  Place pan on baking sheet.

6.  Bake on bottom rack of oven at 350 degrees for 55 to 60 minutes until skewer inserted into center of cake comes out clean.  Cool on Rack. (Cake will not fill pan.)

To Serve:

1.  Invert cake on serving platter.  Remove pan.  Peel off waxed paper.  Dust cake with Vanilla flavored Confectioners' sugar.  

Yield:  12-16 Servings 

There is just something about a cake made by Mom...don't you think?  Just to be safe I made a test-cake ahead of time to be sure it was going taste as fabulous as the recipe sounded!  

It did!

It's raining here today in my Oklahoma town and drizzly or not, I'm excited my Miss K is coming over this afternoon for a visit!  Tonight she'll be helping me prepare for her beloved Auntie Adrie's party.

Memories is the making.  Nothing finer.

Not even Vanilla Cream Cake.

Love to you...
PS:  DID YOU ENTER MY GIVEAWAY ON MY LEFT SIDEBAR?

~CANDY CONFECTIONS ALL WRAPPED UP~

SUGARED PECANS
(A Family Favorite!)

As most of us know, homemade confections and goodies make wonderful gifts! With a little imagination and some easy planning they can make very special Christmas and Hanukkah presents for a neighbor, a hostess or a friend.

~JARS FROM ROSS~
Jar on Left was an Estate Sale Find

Many years ago when my Mr. AGPMan and I moved into our La Chaumiere de Briarwood we began the simple tradition of sharing home baked goodies with those we love. Little has changed over the past seventeen years, unless of course you want to talk about the price of chocolate and sugar...

~ALL WRAPPED UP~

(And Soooo Yummy, Too!)

During the Spring and Summer months, when I'm out junking about in my town, I'm always on the hunt for neat little jars and glass containers to hold our yummy holiday gifts. I love it when I can find them for about a quarter, but if the truth be told that is rare price these days. Usually they are about a dollar, maybe two. Because this was lean jar-finding-year I was forced to purchase a few at ROSS (3 for $11.99). Overall they were still VERY inexpensive when you consider what a crystal container might cost! Through the years I've used small baskets, boxes, canning jars, thrift store plates and even little tins to hold our tasty offerings. Even brown paper packages tied up with string (especially sweet with rubber stampings, glitter, etc.) make a sweet presentation! :) You can package your treats as simple or as elaborate as you wish! After all, they are from YOUR HEART! ~>>><3>

~SELF PRINTED TAGS~
(My Favorite Part!)

This year I decided to make Sugared Pecans for our friends, neighbors and Mr. AGPMan's co-workers. Earlier today I snapped a few pictures of my finished jars for you and I'm also including the very SIMPLE recipe in case you want to try them out for yourself. If you are a NUT-LOVER :) I think you will love them...

~ROSES-MY GARAGE SALE FIND~
(Remember? Shared With You Before!)

I always wrap my jars with clear cello wrap (skip the dollar store stuff...not enough on the roll for the money). I used regular Christmas Ribbon (the kind you might put on a Tree) for the bow and added tiny springs of garland, berries and one of the roses I found on those garage sale baskets this past summer! If my calculations are right the larger finished jar above cost me about $5. The smaller jar (junk store find) cost me about $2.

The best deal I've found this year on Pecans was at SAM'S. They were about $9.88 for 2lbs.

~RIGHT OUT OF THE OVEN~
(Easy-Peasy~ I Promise)

Here's the recipe I used:

SUGARED PECANS
(Makes 1 pound)

1 Pound Pecan Halves
1 Egg White
1 tsp. Cold Water
1 Cup Fine Sugar
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Salt

Preheat Oven to 250 degrees. Beat Egg White with water until fluffy (soft peaks). Fold Egg White into Pecans until well coated.

Mix together Cinnamon, Sugar and Salt. Fold coated Pecans into Sugar Mix. Bake on un-greased cookie sheet for 1 hour. Cool. Serve. EAT. :)

I told you it was simple!

Blessings to you as you give gifts from your kitchen, birthed from your heart...Rebecca