Desperately Seeking Gina

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Pin It & Spin It: Dulce de Leche

The How To:

Remove label from one can of sweetened condensed milk.  Place in crock pot {place on a saucer to avoid a ring}.  Cover with water.  Cook slowly on low for 7-8 hours. Turn off crock pot.  Remove can from water {I used tongs and a pot holder} and allow can to cool before removing the lid.  Prepare to be amazed.

The Verdict:  A-mazing.  The sweetened condensed milk turned into a lovely, sweet caramel.  Pretty to photograph and a tasty treat.

So…what to do you do with Dulce de Leche?  Pair it with this to make a one rich, decadent dessert which I will share with you next time!!

Pumpkin Bread

Month of Pumpkin continues here at Cove Creek…life has just gotten a little crazy these last few days and I haven’t had the time to share with y’all.

The craziness began last week when my car just totally died on the way to work.  Do you know how dark it is at 6 am?  On a dark, back-country road where the houses are few and far between?  And, you have no headlights?  Yes.  Dark.  Very. And, not much fun.  I might have said a bad word.

But, you know what makes it all better?  Pumpkin Bread.  Simple, easy, and can also be used to barter for car repairs.  True story.  A good, freshly baked loaf of pumpkin bread and a nice smile can go a long way.

Here’s what you do:

Gather:

4 tbsp butter, softened plus more for pans
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp allspice
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 cup vegetable oil
8 oz pumpkin puree
2 eggs
2/3 cup water

Preheat Oven:  350 degrees
Butter/grease:  9-inch loaf pan

Whisk:  flour, salt, baking soda, spices.  Set aside.

Cream:  butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add oil and pumpkin.  Beat until combined. Add eggs, one at a time until incorporated.

Add:  dry ingredients alternately with water until just combined.

Mix Ins:  1/2 cup pecans or sliced almonds {this is what I had on hand}

Pour:  Into prepared loaf pan

Bake:  60-75 minutes

Remove and cool.  Remove from pan after 10 minutes and cool completely.

Notes:  I baked mine in a 9 X 9 square cake pan so I wouldn’t have to bake as long; 25-30 minutes was a good time.

This was the best pumpkin bread I’ve made.

Enjoy as is, or come back on Wednesday to see what I did with it.  Better yet;  Make it, and come back to see what you can do with it, too.

Recipe from Bobby Flay

Ingredients for a Perfect Fall Day:

Warm, glorious sunshine and an impromptu picnic lunch at one of my fave Ark Parks that’s close to home.

Quiet, deserted surroundings.

A lovely shoreline for exploring and seeking.

Enjoy with a side of  handholding and maybe a kiss or two {not pictured!}.
I heart October in Ark.

A few things…

Making me happy lately:
Finally being able to wear my favorite orange, ribbed, hooded sweater for cool evening runs to the grocery store.

Happy Mail in a very fall-ish  shade of orange.

Lovely, free cards from Shutterfly
Things not making be very happy lately:
Forgetting my atm pin number.
Entering the incorrect pin number too many times at the grocery store.
Walking out of the grocery store without any groceries.
Being denied at the atm for too many incorrect pin entries.
Auuughhhh.
I only cried a little.  But, I was frustrated A LOT.  I mean, who does that?  I have this crazy fear that I’m going to be some lonely, old Alzheimer’s patient losing my mind slowly.  Is that normal? 
To my credit, I look at numbers all day long and I have, oh, only a GAZILLION numeric passwords for both home and work.  
But, seriously.  Pumpkin waffles were on the agenda for my day off tomorrow and I’m out of eggs.  Don’t mess with a girl and her pumpkin, people.  
{this may just be the final straw to get some checks ordered after…a year {??} of running out.}

Pumpkin Spice Granola

Pumpkin Spice Granola

Ingredients:

4 cups rolled oats
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1 tbsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/4 cup applesauce
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp canola oil
1/2 cup golden raisins

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a large cookie sheet with silpat or parchment paper.

In a large bowl, mix the first five ingredients.  Set aside.  In another bowl whisk the applesauce, syrup, vanilla, and oil.  Pour wet ingredients over the oat mixture and mix until evenly coated.  Spread evenly onto silpat or parchment.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool completely. Stir in raisins.

If you like your granola clumpy, pinch together as it is drying.  This granola will dry after it is taken from the oven.  Do not overcook!

Alternately, preheat oven to 200 degrees and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes {I can never wait this long!}

 

I love taking granola to work.  I enjoy it at my desk with some milk.  It makes the milk pumpkin-y.

Pumpkin Spice Granola makes a great morning breakfast snack. Via Desperately Seeking Gina

recipe adapted from The Pink Couch

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