Sneaky Pumpkin Pie

I did some seasonal baking over the weekend and made one of the easiest pumpkin desserts ever. I'm calling this a sneaky pumpkin pie because it requires only two key ingredients and although it's not quite a traditional pumpkin, it provides a pretty close imitation of one.

To make this sneaky pie, you'll need a box of yellow cake mix and a 29 oz. can of pumpkin puree. Season the pumpkin puree to your liking using whatever spices of have on hand, either pumpkin pie seasoning or a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Then use a hand mixer to blend the dry cake mix into the pumping puree. Pour this mixture into two pie plates (one 11x13 baking pan will work, too) and bake according to the time and temperature given on the box of cake mix. 

The texture will be less creamy and more cake-like than a true pumpkin pie, but it self-forms a slight crust that allows it to hold its shape when sliced. When topped with a basic cream cheese icing, this could earn a place on the holiday dessert table, particularly if you're looking for a quick way to check a pumpkin flavored dessert off of your baking list.

Fall Festival

It seems like the fall festival season has been in full swing for the past few weekends. I recently went to the Batsto Village Country Living Fair, which is held at a state park in New Jersey's Pinelands regions. Although it features crafts, antiques, and food, you wouldn't know it from the pictures I took, which make it seem more like a 4H fair.

There was a beekeeping demonstration by an extremely nonchalant beekeeper.

A pot bellied pig attended the fair in a nice ride. 

(Overheard conversation:

Woman: "I hear they're very intelligent animals."

Man: "Well it is being pulled around in a wagon...")

And two adorable alpacas were on display at a stand selling handspun alpaca wool and hand knits.

I really think they may be the cutest animals in the world....

...aside from these two, of course:

Have you been to any fall festivals in your area?

Gobble Gobble

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hope your tables are set for some good food, food family, and good friends tomorrow. I'll be spending the rest of today making a couple of tried and true dishes, like creamed corn and sausage stuffing, and trying out a couple of new recipes for cranberry sauce and sweet potato cupcakes. I may pop by these parts again on Friday, if I can tear myself away from Black Friday shopping.*

(last year's Thanksgiving table)

*Just kidding. Small Business Saturday is way more my speed!

Back to School Bars

Certain flavors are naturally associated with certain holidays. Pumpkin for Thanksgiving, gingerbread or peppermint for Christmas....maybe cherries for President's Day. The baking I did over the weekend made me realize that there's also a flavor that's perfect for the unofficial holiday that is Back to School, and that's peanut butter and jelly. The PB&J Bars  I made from a recipe from The Back in the Day Bakery Cookbook were an unexpectedly light (in texture, not in calories) treat that blended subtle peanut butter flavor with strawberry jelly and a vanilla glaze. They'd be a perfect dessert to celebrate someone's first day of school, or to just mark the start of the fall.

It looks like someone posted the recipe here, if you're interested. There are just a few days left in September to make them before pumpkin seasons hits.

Fall Dream Closet

With my vacation coming to an end in a few days, I'm just about ready for fall and all of the cozy sweaters and boots that go along with the cooler weather. I know we'll still have at least another month of warm temperatures to deal with after Labor Day, but if weather and money were no object, this is what I'd start wearing as soon as I return from my trip.

Left to right from top: a peter pan collar shirt, a striped and embroidered cardigan, ballet flats with an interesting chain detail, a cozy sweater with a bold print, Frye boots, and a puffer vest with a herringbone twist that's almost Downton Abbey-esque.

Scenes of Thanksgiving

After a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, my family spent Friday shopping- but not at any Black Friday craziness. Instead, we celebrated Small Business Saturday early and spent the day strolling around the quaint main street of a nearby town, browsing in little boutiques and antique shops. I spent the rest of the weekend getting a jump on some Christmas decorating and now, after some online shopping tonight, I'm feeling thoroughly in need of a rest before any more festivities start.

What's next on your holiday agenda now that the Christmas season is about to being in earnest?

Pumpkin Porridge

I've felt a bit remiss in recent days because I haven't posted about any pumpkin recipes. I feel out of step with the rest of the blog world, so to make up for it, here's my suggestion: Pumpkin Porridge.

It's really less of a true recipe and more of a general idea for adding a bit of pumpkin flavor to your breakfast. I used King Arthur Flour's Pompanoosuc Porridge (a mixture of steel cut oatmeal, bulger, and flax), but it could work with plain oatmeal, too. Once I prepared it according to the package, I stirred in a few tablespoons of canned pumpkin and added liberal sprinklings of cinnamon and nutmeg. Now it's not exactly as good as pumpkin pie, but it does bring a nice, seasonal flavor to a cool morning.

Ghosts of Halloweens Past

I'd have a hard time trying to pick one all-time favorite Halloween costume. Every year growing up, my mom would make my costume for me. One of the big events of the beginning of Fall was always going to the fabric store to look through pattern books and pick out that year's costume. There were so many good ones over the years that it's hard to pick a favorite. I can narrow them down to a top few, though, one of which was this pumpkin costume:

I'm about four in this picture and what I remember most about the costume is that it was sooo cozy and warm. I loved wearing it. If it still fit, I'd probably still be putting it on as a lounge around the house on a chilly day outfit.

What was your favorite childhood costume?

Happy Thanksgiving!

The table's all set for my family's feast. Hope you enjoy yours!

Happy Halloween

And for a little literary tie-in, this year Millie is dressed up as the title of the next book I'm reading for my book club. Any guesses?

Spooky Town

In the past week, Hoboken has just exploded with Halloween decorations. There's one block in particular that's gone all out, with fake cobwebs everywhere and one house topping the next. During the day, the decorations look nice against the backdrop of charming brownstones...










And at night, Halloween lights give a glow to the dark, tree-lined street and uou can just imagine eerie music playing while trick-or-treaters run around, just like a scene out of that movie Hocus Pocus.