recipes for feeding the toddling masses...creating and posting happy and pleasurable eats for the mamas and the papas, the babies and everyone in between.

Saturday, November 25, 2006

fig and pecan coffee cake


recently i bought a bunch of dried figs. littlefoodie and i are absolutely in love with figs...all kinds, dried or fresh. we like them baked and stuffed with goat cheese, gorgonzola and wrapped in bacon. sweet, tart, savory....you name it we like our figs.
this coffee cake is wonderful. it maintains great moisture even though its packed with whole wheat and flaxseed and has just a moderate amount of sweetness.
next to a steaming dark roast and a little fruit salad we like of frozen wild blueberries and diced watermelon, it is a perfect breakfast.

enjoy!

fig and pecan coffee cake

1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup unbleached ap flour
1 tsp cinnamon
generous pinch each of nutmeg, cloves, ginger and cardamom
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup natural cane sugar
1/2 cup natural brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup of full fat sour cream or whole milk plain yogurt
1 cup chopped mission figs
1/2 cup chopped pecans

350F. grease and flour a bundt pan. set aside.

mix flours, spices, salt, baking powder and flaxseed meal in bowl. set aside.

beat butter in mixer until creamed. add sugars. add eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition. add vanilla.

add flour mixture and sour cream/yogurt alternately...beginning and ending with wet ingredient.

stir in figs and pecans. the batter is pretty thick.

spoon batter into pan and bake for an hour.

cool for a couple minutes and invert onto pan. slice and eat all of it!

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Friday, November 24, 2006

pumpkin profiteroles and caramel apple pie


first off...pumpkin profiteroles aka cream puffs...YUM! these are definitely food coma inducing, especially after a huge holiday meal but so worth the distended belly at the end! the recipe comes from epicurious.com... a great source of wonderful recipes. i did not make the original sauce but made a chocolate sauce instead and it was beyond great.

it makes an awful lot of pumpkin custard which is not a bad thing. next time i think i will make double the profiterole recipe since they made roughly 16 large ones but i had enough custard to make 20 more.


enjoy!

pumpkin profiteroles with chocolate sauce
(adapted from an epurious.com recipe)

3 cups heavy whipping cream
2 1/4 cups pure pumpkin puree
3 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup pure cane sugar
9 large as fresh as you can get egg yolks

profiteroles

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
4 large eggs
1 large egg yolk

for pumpkin custard:
preheat oven to 325F.
whisk cream, pumpkin, spices and salt in a dutch oven over med heat. bring to simmer and stir often.
remove from heat.
whisk egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl. mix quickly as egg yolks can "cook" when sugar is added.
start off by whisking a tbl at a time of hot pumpkin/cream mixture into the egg yolk...then gradually and very slowly add more of the hot mixture to the egg yolks in the bowl. the key is slow and steady and constant whisking so your custard is creamy and smooth and does not taste like eggs or end up scrambled.

grab a large baking dish, about 13x9x2 and fill it with hot water about 1/4 of the way up.
pour the pumpkin custard in a 8x8x2 glass baking dish and place it into the hot water bath or bane marie.
bake until custard is set; about an hour. cool.
this can be made a day ahead.

for the profiteroles:
preheat oven to 425F.

line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

combine water, milk, butter, sugar and salt in a dutch heavy bottomed sauce pan; bring to a boil.
stir in flour and cook over med high heat until dough stops sticking to the sides and starts forming into a ball in the pan..about a minute.

transfer to a mixer and beat for a few minutes until slightly cooled.

add 3 eggs only 1 at a time. beat after each addition until blended. beat in the egg yolk until blended.

drop large tablespoonfuls of batter onto sheet; about an inch and a half-2 apart.
brush tops with remaining beaten egg. bake 15 minutes.

reduce oven to 375 and bake about 20-25 more minutes until puffed and golden brown. cool.

can be made a week ahead and frozen.

when everything is cooled slice the tops of the profiteroles off. add enough pumpkin custard to fill it up. put the lid back on. sprinkle with cinnamon and drizzle with chocolate sauce. and then eat them all!


chocolate sauce
4 oz chocolate (whatever kind you want...i used a mix of bittersweet and milk)
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp sugar
3 tbl butter
dash of vanilla

melt chocolate and water in a bowl in a microwave for 1 minute. stir to combine.

add sugar and mix.

add butter and stir to melt...add vanilla!

cool and reheat before drizzling over the cream puffs.




caramel apple pie


this recipe is lifted directly off of here



i don't deviate from the recipe much at all...the only exception being i substitute cake flour with ap flour.
littlefoodie is being a sweet little pain right now so i'll just leave you with this link and tell you to make this pie...it is rich, the crust is flaky and buttery.

enjoy!

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Wednesday, November 22, 2006

pomegranate glazed rosemary pork chops, acorn squash stuffed with mushrooms, figs and hazelnuts and roasted brussel sprouts


this was last nights dinner...sooooo good and perfect comfort food. it was around 75-ish outside today...which in recent times is actually cool here so i did some more grilling and roasting.

bigfoodie daddy is in trouble cause he forgot the camera. so for his punishment you'll have to just settle for some pictures of he and littlefoodie butt munch (littlefoodies new favorite word...thanks cousin alex, cousin cameron and uncle jon).

enjoy!

POMEGRANATE GLAZED ROSEMARY PORK CHOPS

3 thick pork chops
1/4 cup pomegranate glaze (from trader joes)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tbl minced garlic
1 tbl grated orange zest
2 tbl olive oil
1 spring rosemary
S&P to taste

combine all ingredients in a bag and marinate as long as you can stand it.

heat grill pan and grill for 10 min or so..depending on thickness on med low heat. watch that marinade liquid cause it'll burn.

ACORN SQUASH STUFFED WITH MUSHROOMS, FIGS AND HAZELNUTS

1 large acorn squash, halved, seeds removed
1/3 cup chopped figs
3 slices bacon, nitrate free, diced
1 pckg sliced cremini mushrooms
1 tbl minced garlic
1 small onion, small diced
1 tsp dried sage
1 cup panko breadcrmbs
1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts
s&p
2 tbl unsalted butter

425F.
microwave squash upside down, covered w/plastic wrap on a glass baking dish for 8 min. remove and set aside.

saute bacon until almost crisp on low heat.

add a couple tbl of unsalted butter. add onion and garlic and saute until translucent and cooked. add mushrooms.
saute until cooked. add figs. cook until soft.

add the breadcrumbs and saute until toasted. add sage and season with salt and pepper.

stuff squash with stuffing and add 1 tbl chopped butter to each half.

bake 10 min.


ROASTED BRUSSEL SPROUTS

1 pckg bruissle sprouts, trimmed and halved
olive oil
salt and pepper

put in dish coat in olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

bake at 425F until slightly browned, crispy and roasted. approximately 20-25 min.


coming later today/tomorrow:

caramel apple pie
pumpkin creme profiteroles with chocolate sauce
fudgy pecan pie

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

african braised chicken with couscous and spiced veggies


again, no photo with this one right now. tonight i'll be posting the photos of the past couple recipes.

the chicken was tender and fragrant...sweet and spicy. the couscous was light, healthy, spicy and yummy. littlefoodie boogie loves anything with curry powder or cumin added so he scarfed it down...and so did littlefoodie mama and daddy.

african braised chicken

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 cups thinly sliced yellow onion
1 1/2 rsp curry powder
1/2 tsp each cinnamon and cardamom
1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
1 tbl minced garlic
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 tbl each chopped dates and raisins
S&P

350F

season chicken with s&p. saute chicken in oil in dutch over or heavy bottom pot on med heat. cook until browned and remove.

add onion and cook on low for about 10-15 min until caramelized. scrape up any bits of chicken. stir frequently so the onions dont burn. add spices and garlic.

add broth, wine, dates, raisins and chicken back to pot and bring to boil. cover pot and cook for 1 hour.

you can also, after adding everything in and boiling, throw it into a crockpot on low. just make sure to check for moisture levels after a bit.


couscous with spiced veggies

1 cup chicken stock or veggie
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup whole wheat couscous
half a yellow onion, small diced
1 large zucchini, small diced
2 large carrots, small diced
1 tbl minced garlic
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cumin
s&p
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
juice of 1 lemon

boil broth and pour over couscous. let stand a few minutes then fluff and set aside.

saute onion and garlic in olive oil for a couple mins on med low. add zucchini and carrot and cook about 10 min,

add spices and s&p. toss veggies with couscous then add mint. squeeze in juice and serve at room temp.

banana,oat bran and milk chocolate muffins


no picture at the moment. bigfoodie daddy had work to do and highjacked the camera but i will be posting a pic later tonight. for now, i'll leave you with a photo of littlefoodie jr. dragging his bum leg to and fro.

these muffins..despite the addition of flaxseed meal and oat bran were soft, gooey, squishy and omg delicious. littlefoodie could not wait until they popped out of the over..totally knowing what he was in for! apparently his playmobile natives loved the muffins too.

please make these and then eat them warm and toasty straight out of the oven.

enjoy!

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup unbleached ap flour
1/4 cup oat bran
handful of ground flaxseed
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
3 mashed really ripe bananas...i like to leave them slightly chunky
1/4 cup pure cane sugar
1/4 cup organic natural brown sugar
1 stick unslated butter, melted
1/3 cup of milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
6 oz milk chocolate chunks

preheat oven to 350F. grease or line muffin tin,

combine dry ingredients except for flax seed and oat bran and sift.

combine bananas thru eggs and mix.

add dry to wet and stir until just combined. fold in chocolate chunks.

bake 25 minutes.

Sunday, November 19, 2006

potato and zucchini frittata


the early morning rooster woke us up...that would be sweet littlefoodie crowing in my ear for milk and some joe's o's.

after settling his broken booty down i fixed a yummy breakfast..to keep us satisfied for our trip to the farmers market later.

frittatas are great cause you can throw in whatever you have...any veggie combo, meat, cheese...you name it!
today it was potato, zucchini, basil, mozzarella and cheddar. i was dying for some goat cheese but had to make do.
thanks to the farmers market here i picked up some of the amazingly delicious eggs and some tasty extra sharp fresh gouda to make another variation this week.

a little side of fruit and a nice cup of coffee and this is a perfect morning treat!

enjoy!

1 russet potato, scrubbed and sliced thin..peel on!
1 zucchini, scrubbed clean and small diced
1 tbl minced garlic
half a small onion, small diced
1 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried red pepper flakes
s&p
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup sharp cheddar
3 large eggs
2 large egg whites
1 tbl milk

450 F.

saute onion, garlic, zucchini and potato in olive oil in a pan on med low until onions are translucent and zucchini is cooked..(if you have a nice non-stick, non-teflon pan about 9 in use that...you can saute and bake it right in there.) season with s&p.

whisk eggs, milk, basil, red pepper, and milk.

at this point you can either pour the eggs over the zucchini and potato mixture in your non-stick but non teflon pan or you can do what i do; add a little olive oil to coat a pie plate and add veggies..spread them over evenly on the bottom. then pour eggs over them.

sprinkle with cheeses on top.

bake until cheese is brown and it has puffed up...about 10-13 mins.

cool just slightly and cut into wedges.

Saturday, November 18, 2006

cranberry-orange upside down cake


things have been slowly getting back to normal.
littlefoodie broken-leg has figured out how to army crawl once more. its like having a 6 month old all over again...only, a 6 month old who can verbally attack you at any point of the day.
example: "mommy, get off the phone now." "mommy, play on the floor with me now." i love that he talks....A LOT but a mom needs a break sometimes.
apparently a broken leg means a kiss my booty attitude from littlefoodie.
its okay, for now at least. (who am i kidding, he pretty much holds the reigns daily.. even with limbs and bones intact.)

its been a week without cooking so i jumped back into the kitchen with a holiday favorite of mine.
this cake is not too sweet but with the nice tart flavor of fresh cranberries, orange zest, almond and spicy ginger. its great for brunch or dessert or in the middle of the night...whenever!
littlefoodie and family gave it 2 thumbs and one broken tibia up!

enjoy!

cranberry-orange upside down cake

1 1/2 tbl unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup dark brown natural brown sugar
1 bag fresh cranberries or 2 1/2 cups, sorted and washed
1/2 tbl minced crystallized ginger
1 tbl fresh minced orange zest
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temp.
3/4 cup natural cane sugar
2 large eggs
1 tbl real almond extract
1/2 tbl fresh orange juice
1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
pinch of nutmeg and cloves
3/4 cup milk

preheat oven to 350F.
coat bottom of a 9 in springform pan with melted butter.
combine brown sugar, cranberries, crystallized ginger and orange zest. pour into bottom of pan.

cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. add eggs 1 at a time. add almond ex. and orange juice.

combine flours, baking powder, and spices.

add alternately to the butter mixture with milk. start and finish with the flour.

pour over cranberries in pan. bake for 35-40 mins.

cool for about 10 minutes and then carefully invert it onto cake platter.


stay tuned:
this week its african stew, fig rosemary bread and who knows what with persimmons!!!!!!

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

broken leg, broken heart


his leg...my heart.

so i've traveled a bit off of the usual recipes and kid foodie reviews for hilarious antics of borat....and then to this.
littlefoodie cutest booty broke his sweet little 2 yr old leg sunday.

littlefoodie dude and i were hanging out with his bestest little girlfriend and her mostest bestest mommy having an amazing day of pizza eating and ice cream eating. then..BAM, he fell out of a swing...maybe 2 feet or so from the ground? happened in the blink of an eye. that's when it all went downhill....

after a long night of motrin and hugs we took a trip to the ped yesterday...then a trip to the xray, then back to the peds..then a ton of tears...then off to the orthopedic doctor to cast a leg.

yesterday was the worst day of mamahood for me since littlefoodie was born but he will be fine and off and running in about 6 weeks...ughhhhhh. no walking for 3 weeks. after that half the cast comes off then another 3 weeks of the bottom half.

can anyone tell me how to keep an extremely active 2 yr old still for 3 weeks?





last night was our first night and it was a long sleepless night. littlefoodie panicked all night even though he is pretty fond of what he calls his "green sticker on his leg" that the "guy who had a mootache put on".

i am hoping to get back to baking and cooking as usual once the shock subsides and we figure out how to make this work for us...and hopefully a little bit of sleep. (its been about 2 days with about a few hours only of sleep.)

i'm looking for some sweet ways to decorate this "green sticker" of his. i am thinking it'll be pretty festive for x-mas time but for starters we are thinking of a low rider style..maybe some graffiti art, a plastic virgin mary dangling from the side.
any ideas for those few readers?

so stayed tuned out there cause more recipes will be heading this way soon....considering the amount of time that we'll be spending indoors i am hoping to make this productive, somewhat at least.

Sunday, November 12, 2006

best movie ever..BORAT




ok, so this isn't a recipe or even food related but it is equal to my love of food nonetheless. this movie was absolutely, insanely wonderful.


over here at the littlefoodie dwelling borat/ali g/sascha baron cohen has long been a source of entertainment and a household name...so, of course this movie has been a long time coming over here. we wrangled up a babysitter aka grammi for the first time in many many months and paid the crazy money to see this beautiful work of art!
we laughed and we cried and i swear we crapped our pants...(ewwww, but it really was that funny.)
my only wish was that littlefoodie booty was old enough to enjoy the craziness with us.

enjoy this movie!!!!

Friday, November 10, 2006

pumpkin veggie lasagna


there isn't much to say about this...you really need to make it. it is rich, creamy, and so full of flavor. i made a veggie one yesterday but next time i plan on adding some spicy fresh italian sausage.
before it even came out of the oven, littlefoodie cutie was begging for lasagna. he downed a bowl, then 2 hrs later ate another bowl. kid approved (and grammi approved as well!), that's for sure! this recipe has already made a special spot in my littlefoodie heart and a very special spot in my no fail recipe stash!

enjoy!

1 pckg fresh lasagna noodles (i use the tj's brand in the deli section, no-cook and fresh...yummm!)
1 pack cremini mushrooms, sliced thin
2 scrubbed zucchini, diced small
1 cup frozen spinach (fresh still creeps me out)
1 small yellow onion, small diced
1 tbl minced fresh garlic
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
olive oil and butter
s&p
1 can organic pumpkin
1 can organic tomato sauce
2 tsp dried rubbed sage
1/2-3/4 cup milk
s&p
1 tbl balsamic vinegar
1 tub fresh ricotta
1 egg
1 cup grated parmesan/reggiano
2 1/2 cups grated mozzarella

saute on med low onion, garlic, mushrooms, zucchini in a small amount of butter and olive oil.
saute until onions are translucent and mushrooms and zucchini are soft and cooked thru. toss in the spinach and mix up.
season with salt and pepper and red pepper. set aside.

in a bowl combine pumpkin, tomato sauce, milk, sage, vinegar and s&p. whisk up...if too thick add just a bit of milk cause you don't want it thin.

mix ricotta with egg, s&p, and 1/2 cup parm/reggiano.

layer a thin bit of pumpkin/tomato sauce on bottom of casserole dish.
top with about 3-4 strips of lasanga noodles over the sauce.
with a slotted spoon add about 1/2 cup of mushroom mixture over noodles, dollop of ricotta, sprinkle some mozzarella and a little parm/reg. than more pumpkin tomato sauce.
repeat layers.

then at the top finish with more pumpkin tomato sauce, sprinkle some parm/reg and some mozzarella.

put into oven and cook 40-45 min. or until browned, bubbly and gooey!!!!!!

note:
this is another great recipe that you can play with. as i said above i really think some spicy fresh italian sausage would be awesome but for the first time make it veggie than you can really taste the flavors!
also, i kind of eyeball how much of each mixture i use in the layers...just remember to have enough sauce to pour over the top....you don't need a ton and its not like regular tomato sauce lasagna.

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

honey graham crackers


i've been making these for littlefoodie smalls since he was about a year old and could eat honey. they are simple and yummy...not really like the kind you find in the store but tasty just the same.

enjoy!



honey graham crackers

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/3 cup of organic honey
1 tsp pure vanilla
1/2 cup milk

preheat oven to 350F.
sift flours, baking powder and baking soda and cinnamon.
cream butter, brown sugar, and honey in a mixer until blended and fluffy.
stir in dry then wet ingredients.
combine well.
turn out onto floured surface and make into a disk...divide into quarters.
roll out each quarter into a 5 x 15 in rectangle.
with a knife gently run it along to make squares out of the dough....however big or small you want. then dock them with a fork to release steam.
lay onto a cookie sheet and bake 13-15 minutes.

Sunday, November 05, 2006

linguine with chicken and broccoli in lemon cream sauce


this is a definite comfort food. l've been feeling a little on the not-so-well-happy-fun-time-mommy downlow lately so i needed something easy and soothing! nothing says comfort like pasta and a thick cheesey, lemony cream sauce.
littlefoodie smalls and i recently had our foodtv addiction yanked from under us...(bigfoodie daddy axed the cable since we only watch late afternoon food channel and pbs..i know he's right but still....) anyway, a few weeks ago i saw someone on there making fettuccini alfredo. i guess that's where the lemony inspiration came from cause it sounded so dang good.
no pictures of it though as we chowed down on it way too fast, so here's a picture of littlefoodie booty stylin!

enjoy!



linguine with chicken and broccoli in lemon cream sauce

1 package dried fresh linguine noodles (i used spinach and chive flavored from tj's)
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 head of broccoli, chopped
half onion, small diced
1 tbl minced garlic
2 cups half and half, room temp
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp lemon zest, minced
5 tbl unsalted butter
1 cup finely grated parmesan
1 cup finely shredded mozzarella
pinch of nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste

cook the pasta until al dente..check out the package for cooking instructions. toss with a little olive oil and keep warm.

season chicken breasts and grill until done. cool, then slice. set aside.

steam broccoli until tender.

saute onion and garlic in a heavy bottomed pot (dutch oven) on med high heat until softened.

mix half and half with lemon juice. whisk a bit with a knife to combine.

turn heat down to low and pour in half and half and lemon juice. add the butter and melt. remove from heat. add lemon zest.

add the cheeses and broccoli and pasta. toss together. season to taste.

warm up if needed. plate and top with sliced chicken.

Friday, November 03, 2006

enchiladas and spanish rice..yumm!



there are 2 dishes that littlefoodie sparkles will not snub...enchiladas and spanish rice. do i make it a lot? yes! but its good and healthy and ooey gooey with cheese and veggies and turkey.
this halloween i made the requested dishes for the spooky celebration and like always, littlefoodie booty ate it up like a champ.
the enchiladas are full of turkey meat, black beans, zucchini, garlic, onion and cheese. and the rice has carrots, corn and peas along with brown basmati rice (trader joes of course!)
its a great make ahead dish and you can add any veggies to it or omit the meat..whatever you want!

enjoy!

1 pckg handmade whole wheat tortillas (trader joes..so soft and yummy!)
1 pckg ground turkey meat
a few cups of shredded cheese (i like a blend of cheddar and jack)
1 can amys refried black beans
2 bottles trader joes mexican red sauce
2 zucchini, scrubbed and small diced
1 small onion, small diced
1 tbl minced garlic
liberal amounts of chili powder and cumin (or to taste)
s&p, to taste

pour just enough red sauce on the bottom of a casserole dish to make a light coating.
in a pan saute garlic and onions until translucent.
add the zucchini and saute until tender.
add turkey and brown.
toss in the can of beans and mix. add the spices. let it cool a bit if you need to.
take a tortilla in your hand add some turkey filling and sprinkle some cheese inside.
roll it up and place it seam side down in a casserole dish.
repeat with the rest the pour the remaining sauce over. sprinkle with lots of cheese.
if it seems dry and sometimes this can randomly happen just pour a little chicken stock/broth in to add more moisture.
bake for about 30-35 min. in a 375 F oven or until bubbly, cheese is melted and its totally heated thru.


spanish rice
1 cup brown basmati rice (or whatever you choose, i get it from tj's)
1 1/4 cup chicken stock/broth
1 small can (i think its about 15oz?) organic tomato sauce
1/2 small onion, small diced
1 1/2 tbl minced garlic
1 cup cleaned carrots, small diced
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen corn
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp oregano
s&p to taste

saute onion, garlic and carrot in olive oil in a pot.
add chicken broth and tomato sauce and bring to a boil.
stir in rice and spices.
bring back to a boil then simmer about 45 min on low heat with a lid on.
check frequently to see the moisture and if its not fully cooked add a bit more chicken stock/broth.
when done turn off heat. add corn and peas. taste for s&p and serve w/enchiladas.

note:


here is a pic of the trader joes red sauce..so good!

Thursday, November 02, 2006

pumpkin cake


so littlefoodie sparkles and i had a pretty good halloween. i think i am pretty ripped now though from holding him the ENTIRE trip around the neighborhood. he had his very first chocolate bar and despite my "not my child, never!" attitude it was pretty darn cute watching him get his hands and face all gooey..its halloween so i can be cool at least once a year.


despite my half-assed efforts to pull together a garden gnome costume for the 2 of us he put the brakes on the idea. so he became the cutest dragon ever and i turned the garden gnome disaster into a wizards hat and beard.





for the festivities we made a pumpkin cake. pumpkin on the inside, pumpkin on the outside. and although i didn't get any since a certain bigfoodie daddy ate my piece all up i heard it was pretty tasty. the other day i scooped up a box of vanilla bean cake mix from trader joes to test it out..i added some pumpkin and a few other ingredients and it came out nice and moist. and a yummy cream cheese frosting for the top. we used from fruit leather for the face and plastic spiders for garnish. someone sent me the original idea off of kraftfoods.com..not a site i ever frequent but this cake was too cute to pass.

enjoy!

1 package cake mix*
1/2 cup organic cane sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup canned organic pumpkin*
1/2 cup water
1 tsp pumpkin spice
4 large eggs

preheat oven to 350F. grease a fluted pan.

in a large bowl beat all ingredients together. pour into pan and bake 45 minutes.

cream cheese frosting
1 pkg cream cheese, at room temp.
1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temp
dash of pure vanilla extract
4 cups organic powdered sugar (trader joes brand)
green, red and yellow natural food coloring
1 ice cream cone cup

beat cream cheese and butter and vanilla until light and fluffy.
add powdered sugar a bit at a time.

scrape out 1/4 cup of frosting and tint green. frost the ice cream cone for the stem.
for the remaining frosting mix the yellow and red to make orange and frost the cooled cake rounded side up.
put stem on and pipe remaining green down sides.

cut out faces with fruit leather or decorate however you want!

note:



the trader joes vanilla bean cake mix is great. all natural ingredients...unbleached flour, real vanilla, baking soda, natural cane sugar...absolutely no funky ingredients that you can't pronounce.
also, their organic pumpkin is awesome! try it out.