Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

There is a recipe going around the web for a cake with only 2 ingredients: mix and a can of pumpkin. I figured the best way to go about this was to mix it up a bit and make some Thanksgiving cupcakes instead!


Mix the can of pumpkin with the cake mix, I used yellow cake mix. Then I added some pumping spice, ok I added A LOT of pumpkin spice, the more the better I say!

I have to admit- I added a little brown sugar to the mix as well, what can I say I'm a sucker for sugar!

You continue as you would when you make regular cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and scoop mix into paper cups, easy peasy.

Then go ahead and throw them in the oven! It took mine about minutes to look perfect.


Meanwhile: Mix which ever frosting you prefer with some cinnamon and put in the fridge to thicken up.

Did the clean knife test on one of them and brought them out to cool.

* Reminder: Cupcakes MUST cool completely or else the icing will melt and it will be a total disaster. Patience is key.


Time to frost them! I cannot do any kind of fancy frosting but have fun with it! Enjoy!

Dinner with Friends

Tonight we enjoyed the great company with two of our friends for dinner! We all gathered in the kitchen and cooked up some spaghetti with homemade sauce, sautéed chicken with spinach and made some guacamole for pre dinner munchies! It was delicious, and we taught each other a lot.


Alaina doesn't cook, we taught her all about avocados and how to make guacamole.


Lime helps the avocado from turning brown, as well as putting plastic wrap directly on the guacamole so the air doesn't turn it brown when it is stored after eating. If the avocado is too hard when you buy it, and you want to make the guacamole within a day or so, put it in a closed container, even a brown paper bag, the gases emitted help to soften the avocado, which makes mashing it a lot easier. Cayenne pepper makes it spicy, and garlic gives it a kick. Don't forget a pinch of salt!


Fabiola is a great cook, I learned the easy way to make homemade spaghetti sauce, so simple!


Needless to say, conversation was started and we all chowed down. A great way to spend time  with friends that does not involve technology or drinking. Don't worry, still planning on making the Fluffernutter cupcakes :)

The Results... Dun dun duuuh

The Banoffee Pie was a total hit! The boyfriend went back and snuck seconds, my friend dreamed about it that night and I went straight for the last piece as soon as I came home from work yesterday. The second pie remains, but really- it won't survive the weekend.

The only thing I could not figure out- the graham cracker crust stuck to the plate! We ended up with weird- delicious- piles of pie when they should have been perfect slices. not sure what happened but I will try to do something different next time I make the crust. Any words of advice?

My next adventure: Fluffernutter Cupcakes!! Let the preperation begin...

Banoffee Pie!

Today, while roaming the endless pages of Pinterest, I discovered the most amazing looking pie EVER. Had to try it, the banana toffee pie, should be tasty. Lets start an adventure!

Made the graham cracker crusts (totally easy) and filled them with bananas! Just wish that I had the right size pie plate, but a girl's got to work with what she has.







 

Boiled the can of sweetened condensed milk for 2.5 WHOLE HOURS! I thought for sure it was going to explode or something! Thankfully, it didn't and now it just needs to cool!

Ok I admit I was a little weary of this science experiment, but it came out amazing! Confession: I licked the knife after. 

Mistake number one: Didn't thaw out the whipped cream. Zapping it in the microwave in hopes of being able to use it faster.

Mistake number two: Put it in the microwave for too long. Oh well, still works, just has to cool and get thick again!

Mission Accomplished!! Just wish I had some chocolate shavings to sprinkle on top! Thanks Brooklyn Limestone for introducing me!

The recipe: http://www.brooklynlimestone.com/2010/08/recipe-banoffee-danger-pie.html#.Trrt_-vnaes

Firsts: 

Graham Cracker Crust

Making Dulce de Leche out of Sweetened Condensed Milk

Welcome!

Today, while cooking a toffee banana pie, I realized that I should begin writing about all of my experiences in the kitchen and logging what I do. All of my failures, major failures, and actual successes while cooking logged in one spot sounds much better than posting all of my camera phone pictures on my Facebook. This was decided after I literally found myself annoyed with people who constantly post pictures of their kitchen creations, babies, dogs and pictures of themselves in the bathroom mirror. Don't lie, you know you think the same! Who really wants to see 1,000 pictures of your baby, come on people- post the cute ones, let us oogle, and everyone will be happy. But I digress.  Hope you enjoy, and if you are currently uploading the 15th picture of your dog laying on the couch, then I hope you don't hold grudges! :D