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28.10.13

Tis the season.


Recently someone told me I looked like I needed a drink. With the day I was having they couldn't have been more right. The thing is though, I haven't been drinking much lately and I really wasn't sure what I was in the mood for. I thought about trying something with pumpkin in it but with 10 minutes before the liquor store closed I needed to act fast. 

And behold this marvelously delicious creation: The Caramel Apple Pie Cocktail.

Very simple and just what the doctor ordered for unwinding on a a chilly Autumn evening after as stressful day. 

And if you're like me and can't really hold your liquor anymore it's light enough to not leave you feeling like crap in the morning. 

1 oz Godiva White Chocolate Liqueur

1 oz Stoli Salted Karamel Vodka
1 Cup apple cider

Place in martini shaker with ice and serve in whatever you have handy. 
(The beef opted for drinking vessel made of wood) 

Also wonderful when sipped beside a candy corn and buttercream candle.


25.10.13

This is Halloween



Ready or not, Halloween is coming, and fast! We've already decorated the homestead for our own amusement since no one ever comes trick or treating in our neck of the woods. I'm happy to know the neighbors appreciate it though. I thought I would share what we've done with the place. 




We decided to go a little fancy with the pumpkins this year and found 2 ways go about it. 1) Top hand and monocle skeleton. 2) Glossy black and artsy drilled holes. 


Greetings!! I love this because since we are the first house on the road he waves at everyone who drives by.
Nothing like some arm bone garland to brighten you day. 

Boo! *jazz hands*

The reaper scares me whenever I go outside because the wind ALWAYS kicks up and I see him moving out of the corner of my eye. I think the skull in the birdcage is a nice touch.


Paper lanterns, severed foot in the flower pot and some pumpkin friends.
It's ok if your arm falls off, just hold on to it for a while. 



Well hello there. This guy stares me down as I'm fumbling with my keys to unlock the front door. 




No seriously, the house is in complete disarray.

So what about you?
Any Halloween decorations?
Do you get people begging for candy at your house?













24.10.13

Autumn in New England part 2


So clearly I'm a big fan of Autumn in New England. I've decided to write you a poem to help you get the idea of why. 



Oh Autumn leaves what a sight to see


Let's plan an activity, what shall it be?


We could have a frap or perhaps a nap, 



Play in the leaves or climb up trees?



Or use power tools because they're awfully cool.


And construct a swing, what a fine thing.

The End.









23.10.13

Food without Pumpkin in it!

So as it turns out I am physically capable of making something this time of year that doesn't have pumpkin in it. The trade off is that it will probably give you the diabetes. 

Now I'm not fancy enough to own a trifle bowl so I had to get creative with 3 medium sized storage bowels I had at home. This worked out great because I brought the desert over to a friends house where we were having dinner, left them a container for later and we got to keep one at the house for us. To say that this was a big hit would be an understatement. It was also really easy to make. 



If that doesn't look delicious to you I promise that it's much tastier than it looks. If that does look delicious to you than you deserve a high five for being awesome and seeing passed the poor photo quality.

Now that I think about it this is probably exactly what I would have made myself for dinner if my parents had left me home alone and I wandered into the kitchen at the age of 7.

Stock photo incase you still can't see the awesome:


This perfectly illustrates the awesomeness of the trifle though because no matter how messy or crappy it looks it's all going to the same place and it's all going to taste amazing.

What you will need:
1 box chocolate cake mix
2 boxes of chocolate jello instant pudding
4 cups of milk (as per the pudding directions)
1 cup peanut butter (plus 4 tbsp for drizzling)
1 large container of cool whip
1 bag of mini Reese peanut butter cups (chopped into pieces)
1 large bag of Reese's pieces

What you must do:
Bake the cake as per the directions on the box. Let cool completely.

Let cool whip thaw out until it's easier to spread.

Make the pudding as per the directions on the box, at the very end before you let it set stir in the cup of peanut butter. Let set.

Crumble the cake into a trifle dish (or bowl) 
Top with 1/2 of the pudding mixture
Add a layer of cool whip (1/2 the container)
 Sprinkle 1/2 of the chopped Reese peanut butter cups and 1/2 the bag of Reese's pieces.

Do another layer exactly the same: cake, pudding, cool whip, candy.


Put the 4 tbsp of peanut butter into the microwave for about 45 seconds to melt, then drizzle over top of the trifle.

And then try to beat your friends to the bowl before they eat it all without you. 



22.10.13

Autumn in New England





I've probably mentioned this a million times but Autumn is my absolute favorite season ever. Living in New England means that we get the very best that Autumn has to offer. The following are some pictures of those very things that made up just one glorious Autumn afternoon. 



Snuggling in snuggies & bathrobes because it's colder now but you're not ready to light a fire.

Apple Orchard Shenanigans


Apple picking: why are the trees so short?



Delicious!


Fresh apples means it's time for pie! Bonus points when it's baked by the love of your life. *swoon*


Bonus points when the wife (me) comes along and decorates the pie with little hearts.
Minus points when she decides to deface the pie with her trash mouth.


When the pie comes out all crumbly just slap some ice cream on it and no one is the wiser!


How do you like to spend your time during the best season of the year?



21.10.13

Pumpkin Palooza Part 4.




I find that lots of time when I'm cooking with canned pumpkin I often have a weird amount of it left over that I'm never quite sure what to do with. Well, here's a little idea for those of you who may be having a similar issue. 

This works out fantastically in our house because it gets rid of my leftover pumpkin puree and the beef absolutely adores having breakfast for dinner.

I present to you, the pumpkin spice pancake!


What you will need:
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
¾ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
Dash of ground ginger
Dash of ground cloves
1 cup milk
½ cup pumpkin puree
1 large egg
2 tbsp. vegetable oil or melted butter

What you need to do:
Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and spices in a medium bowl.  
Make sure to blot out any chunks of brown sugar.  
In a separate small bowl, combine the milk, pumpkin, egg and oil or butter.  
Stir into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.  
(The batter may still be lumpy.)
Heat a greased skillet or griddle over medium heat (325˚F for the griddle).
Pour the batter on the griddle or skillet in 1/3 cup portions. 
 When bubbles start forming on the top, carefully use a spatula to flip to the other side.  Let cook for a few more minutes until golden brown.  
 Repeat with the rest of the batter until it has all been cooked, regreasing the pan as needed.  Serve with cinnamon sugar, maple syrup, and/or whipped cream.


What do you do with your leftover pumpkin puree?






18.10.13

The Friday Five


Today I thought I would just do a run down of the top five things that I'm into right now. No theme, nothing specific, just whatever happens to be floating my boat at the moment. 

I'm not sure why but apparently the 6 year old inside of me is trying to come out because all I want to drink these days is fruit punch. Oddly enough I think this came about from using fruit punch as a mixer with my vodka on our honeymoon.


Our couple friends discovered this on netflix and gave The Beef and me a heads up that we might enjoy it. Since we rarely watch TV and The Beef needed to attempt to fill the void that Breaking Bad left in his life we decided to give it a shot. One week later we are halfway through season 2 and The Beef can't stop doing Rumplestiltskin impressions around the house.



I think this is probably a given every time autumn rolls around but I just can't help it, I feel like such a badass lumberjack every time I wear plaid.


I wasn't even sure about putting this one on here because it kind of seems like a cop out but at the same time I've been hitting you with a lot of pumpkin stuff lately so it would be foolish not to include it.

P.S. That is a batman snuggie behind me.
Whatever the noise is that accompanies this face. You know that clicking sound you make with your mouth? I don't know how it started but I absolutely cannot stop doing it. This is only made worse by the fact that the people I take care of at work seem positively delighted by it. Maybe I'm turning into a 1920's gangster?

So what about you, what gets your motor running this time of year?