SUPER Moist Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients

2 cups Sugar

1 cup Brown Sugar

3-⅓ cups Flour

2 teaspoons Baking Soda

½ Tablespoons Baking Powder

1-½ teaspoon Salt

2 tsp. Vanilla 

1 teaspoon Nutmeg

1 teaspoon Ground Cloves

1 teaspoon Cinnamon

4  large whole Eggs

1 can Pumpkin (15 Oz.) or fresh pureed

1/2 cup Oil

1/2 cup butter softened

1 cup Water

 Aluminum Foil

Preparation

Add wet ingredients (eggs, pumpkin, oil,butter, water) to the dry ingredients all at once.

Mix well with a mixer till smooth .

Grease 3 loaf pans (9×4) and pour equal amounts of the yummy batter into each pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour. You’ll know it’s ready when the top will start cracking and when you put a toothpick/knife in, it comes out clean.

Set out to cool for about 5 minutes.

Here’s the trick on keeping it SUPER moist.

After letting it cool for about 5 minutes, cover the bread in the pan with aluminum foil and secure very tightly. Then set aside and let it cool off while being wrapped in the foil. Repeat and do the same to the other 2 loaves.

I’m telling you. This is some good stuff. You can make this recipe your own...I have added chocolate chips, and another time walnuts and raisins...Have fun with it. You can also make a healthier version by cutting the sugar down and using applesauce in place of the butter and oil.

I like this bread glazed but you do not have to, it is decadent all on it's own...While on Cooling rack....I poked holes in top of the bread, and poured Cinnamon Sugar Butter {see below}  over holes, allowing it to seep down inside.

Ohhhhhh Yeahhhhh....

Cinnamon Sugar Butter 

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup softened butter 

• 1/4 TSP. CINNAMON

1. 
   
2. Beat butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon together in a bowl with an electric mixer until creamy and smooth.

Soda Pop EASY Creamy Peach Cobbler

I love this recipe due to the fact I do not need to get a bowl or my mixer dirty..It is a quick dessert , no measuring...my kind dessert.
Some peach facts you may not know...

1. Peach is good for digestion and it has a diuretic effect - you can eat these fruits to cleanse your kidneys and bladder.
2. It has a natural soothing effect: peach can even help to calm a sour stomach.
3. It is an ideal snack between meals – eating a peach can give you the feeling of being full, so you will eat less; great for losing weight (one peach contains about 35-50 calories and not fat at all).
4. Contains many vitamins (A/B/C), magnesium, phosphorus, calcium and potassium: so it is not only good for the digestive system, but for the well-being of muscles, the heart and bones, too.
5. Because of the above mentioned A and C vitamins in this fruit, it is a great moisturizer and a natural cure for refreshing the skin; therefore it is often used in cosmetics.
6. Peach can even have a positive effect on our scalp and it is able to reduce hair loss.
7. It is a good stress-reliever, helps to reduce anxiety – it is often referred to as the ‘Fruit of Calmness’ in Hungary.
8. Peach can be used as an aphrodisiac too.
9. According to research peach has a positive effect in preventing cancer (as it contains selenium).
10. In Roman times, people thought peach originated from Persia – its scientific latin name also reflects this: ‘Prunus persica ’. Peaches were often called as ‘Persian Apples ’.
11. In fact this fruit originates from China and they were introduced to the West through Persia.
12. In China this fruit is a symbol of good luck, protection and longevity.
13. This fruit is a member of the Rosaceae family and is a close relative of almonds.
14. August is the National Peach Month in the USA since 1982.
15. The peach tree is often considered to be the tree of life.
16. Colombus brought several peach trees to America on his second and third voyages.
17. The first peach orchard in the USA was established in Florida in 1565.
18. Georgia is also known as the Peach State, as there are many orchards, although California produces about 50% of all peaches in the USA.
19. On the world, China is the biggest producer of peaches and Italy is the second.
20. Although the peach pit contains hydrocyanic acid which is a poisonous substance in a bigger amount, an adult is safe to eat 1-2 seeds acquired from the pits of the peaches they ate before (100g a day is considered to be dangerous and one peach seed weights about 10g). But as it does not taste too good, barely any people eat these. 

Ingredients

2 Cups fresh diced peaches ((skin on))) *can use canned also
1 Can Cream Soda (regular or diet)
1 Package cake mix of choice( white or yellow)
1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1 Stick Butter cut into 10 pats

Directions

Put peaches evenly in bottom of pan
Add cream soda and stir
Dump the cake mix evenly over peach mixture.
Sprinkle with Cinnamon
Add the pats of butter evenly all over the dry cake mix
Bake 40 minutes in a 350 degree oven

Serve warm with ice cream!!! ENJOY!!

I love my home....well at least I use to

Good Golly Miss Molly....

When I fixed this little diamond in the rough up, I intended to live here til I die....

Fast forward 20 years....

My how things can change with age and all the aches and pains that go with it, not to mention my tolerance level for any bull crap in the neighborhood has dwindled to a "0" or a "1"  out of 10 at the very most.

I feel I have tolerated all I can take with the renters moving in around us...my nerves are shot. 

I have had people:

Tie dogs to my trees and leave them {with nothing but a rope collar}

Steal ALL of my Halloween candy in one shot.Yes I was home...and YES I chased them down.

Put 3 inches of salt on their walks in the winter and kill ALL my shrubs and trees

Call the police on me that I was jumping on her car...{I was never outside}

Rev Harleys literally 3 feet from my windows daily waking the kids up.

Have caught people looking in my windows(many times}face right up to the glass.{{{creeeepy}}

I literally am afraid to park in front due to people gawking and no paying attention when driving by

Had a guy choking his dog in front of my house...the dog was on a leash and literally off the ground gagging.

Had our car broken into in a gated back yard.

Had my flowers stolen.

Someone came into my fence...left it open and my dog ran away..(I found him)

Had a neighbors kid run his snowmobile thru my 2 week old fence.

Had kids baseballs crack my siding and put holes in my pond.

I have people parked outside taking pictures all the time...

Had people from the bar park snowmobiles in my back yard.

Had a neighbor want to run an extension cord from my house to his because he didn't pay his bill.

I am sure there are more I am forgetting...

My quiet neighborhood I use to love is no longer the same, sadly..I live in a village of only about 1200 people..and I am on a side street, it should not be this way...

I need to get out to the country , where I can leave my drapes open, and not have to put makeup on to take the garbage out...

I know now how that goldfish feels in that bowl, or how the animals feel in the zoo. 

If I stay, I will have to be on medication to deal with all this nonsense. My home is no longer my home, it feels like a cage. I do not like to go outside anymore because I am afraid of what I will encounter next. I am just too old and drrrrn tired to deal with nonsense.

I have started the process of detachment taking personal things down, painting everything neutral...etc. I think my house is lashing back at me ...I have never had so many things break since I started this process...The dishwasher broke , the bathroom door just fell off, a pipe broke in the bathroom when no one was in there...left 3 inches of water on the floor...my garden goddess out front blew over in a storm...I am not superstitious, but  beginning to feel like she is getting mad at me.....

Sometimes we just need to take a leap of faith in order to find out what we’re capable of. While it may be impossible  to imagine saying goodbye to a place I’ve called home for a long time, making the move to a different area is a great way to see just how far my limits really go. And if I can do that, who knows what else I can do?

There is comfort in familiarity, but I need a new starting point.

I keep telling myself the best way to experience something new is to immerse yourself in it. but how do you let go of something you love even if it is making you crazy??

I  need to stop focusing on what I am losing and start focusing on what I will be gaining.Think in a positive way about the changes. Make it an adventure I can look forward to.
Maybe focus on all the things I can do in my new house, an outdoor life with nature..new decorating options...lower maintenance , more room, first floor laundry... 
ATTITUDE is EVERYTHING!


But....

 I fear that I might feel like I made a mistake by moving. There may be regrets...I don't do well with regret.

I know the spirit of my home will never leave me, I hope it goes wherever I go...I CAN make a new home with new memories....RIGHT???




....to be continued....

Parmesan Zucchini Curly Fries

Baked Parmesan Zucchini Curly Fries

Ingredients: 

• Avocado oil cooking spray (or regular avocado oil)
• 1 cup gluten-free panko crumbs
• ¾ ounce Parmesan cheese, finely grated
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• 4 large egg whites, or whole eggs if desired, lightly beaten
• 12 ounces spiralized zucchini noodles
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1½ teaspoons dried oregano
• ¼ cup ranch dressing
• ¼ cup marinara sauce

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 425°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Coat with cooking spray or oil.

Prepare three shallow dishes, and add the cornstarch in the first, the eggs in the second, and the panko, Parmesan, and oregano in the last one.

Chop the zucchini noodles into 5- or 6-inch-long pieces.

Then, dredge the noodles in the cornstarch, then the egg, then the panko mixture, and arrange them in a single layer on the prepared baking sheets. Spray them with avocado oil, and bake them for about 10-12 minutes.

Next, remove them from the pan, sprinkle the fries with salt.

In a shallow bowl, mix the marinara sauce and the ranch dressing, and serve them alongside the fries.

To make your homemade zucchini noodles, you will need two or three 3 zucchinis for 12 ounces of zoodles.

To avoid the additives and unhealthy oils in store-bought dressings, make your own ranch dressing by mixing the following ingredients:

• ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1 ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• ½ teaspoon dill
• ¼ teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• 2 tablespoons of water

On the other hand, you need the ingredients below to prepare marinara sauce:

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons maple syrup
• 15 oz. can tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Enjoy!

HATCHIMAL CAKE DIY ~Hatchy Birthday

Ingredients Cake 1 ½ cups butter, softened 3 cups sugar 2 T vanilla extract 9 large eggs 4 ½ cups sifted flour 1 ½ tsp baking soda 1 ½ tsp salt 2 cups sour cream ~food coloring (optional) or sprinkles for Funfetti French cream Frosting: 3 cups softened butter 1 ½ tsp vanilla 7 cups powdered sugar ~food coloring ( turquoise blue and purple} Pink, lime green, black and white fondant

Directions for cake....

* Beat butter and sugar and smooth. Add the vanilla extract and eggs mixing well.
* Add in the flour, baking soda and salt. Add the sour cream and mix just until blended.
* Spoon the batter into 6 greased and floured 6” round cake pans or a Wilton bear pan( what I used and cut the bottom feet off.). Bake at 350F for 30 minutes, or until the middle springs back when touched. Cool . Make the french cream... * Beat the butter with your mixer until light and fluffy.
* Add the vanilla and the powdered sugar one cup at a time, then beat for 3-5 minutes until light and fluffy. * Dye 2 cups of frosting purple and the rest turquoise blue. * Slice the tops and bottoms off the cakes and stack with a layer of frosting in between layers.
* Carve the cake into a hatchimal shape / an hourglass shape . Frost the cake in a thin layer of blue;
* Place the purple and remaining blue buttercream into piping bags fitted with a #234 grass piping tip.

*Pipe a purple hour glass shaped fur onto the front of the hatchimal and blue fur everywhere else.
* Create the eyes, beak, horn and wings out of fondant. Stick them to the cake, using toothpicks or skewers for the beak and wings to keep from sliding .

*Light the candles, and sing HATCHY Birthday!!!!