Happy fall y'all!

Yesterday was the first day of fall and that means my favorite time of year has officially begun!

I chose pumpkin oat muffins to make this morning to go along with the

pumpkin spice coffee and pumpkin spice creamer I picked up yesterday after work.

It was a yummy way to start the day!

I just love everything about autumn.

Don't you?

Here are some other fall inspirations from years past -

Fall Saturday Morning 2016

Fall Inspiration and a Favorite Fall Meal 2014

Happy First Day of Autumn 2014

Happy First Day of Fall 2013

Happy Fall! 2012

Fall is Coming 2012
Fall Nesting 2011

Autumn Arrives 2011

It's September!! :-) 2011

The First Day of Fall! 2010

Sweet Fall Color 2010

Fall Nesting 2010

September 1st is Here! 2010

It's the First Day of Fall! 2009

September!! :-) 2009

It's the First Day of Fall! 2008

Fall Nesting! 2008

September 2008

~Early Fall Morning~

A chill in the air this morning 

made the picnic table the prefect setting

to enjoy some yummy pumpkin waffles.

A super simple recipe -

1 cup baking mix

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 egg

1/3 cup milk

1/4 cup canned pumpkin

makes 2 waffles

Here comes fall!

"Autumn mornings: sunshine and crisp air, birds and calmness,

year's end and day's beginnings."

~Terri Guillemets

Strawberry Shortcake

I can't seem to get enough strawberries these days.

I don't know if it is because they are just so beautiful and plentiful right now,

or if it has something to do with summer coming swiftly to an end 

and I'm trying to catch hold of the last lovely bits of it.

Whatever it is,

I know I will making this delicious strawberry shortcake at least once every summer

from. now. on. :-) 

You will need -

1 box vanilla cake mix, prepared according to package directions

1 cup sugar

6 tablespoons cornstarch

2 cups water

1 3 ounce package strawberry jello

2 lbs strawberries, chopped (save a few whole for garnish)

8 ounces whipped cream cheese

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 12 ounce carton of cool whip

First, bake your cake and allow to cool completely.

Slice into cubes.

Next, prepare the strawberry sauce.

Combine sugar, cornstarch, and water in a small saucepan.

Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.

When boiling, add jello and turn off heat.

Continue to stir until thickened.

Let cool completely, and then add chopped strawberries.

Then, prepare the cream.

 Mix softened whipped cream cheese with condensed milk until smooth and creamy.

Then add cool whip and mix until combined throughly.

Finally, assemble the trifle.

Layer cake, strawberries and cream three times.

Top with cream and whole berries.

Refrigerate until serving.

Enjoy!

Strawberry Ice Cream Cake

There's just nothing like summer, strawberries, and cake and ice cream!

Prepare a white box cake mix according to package directions

Let cool completely.

Soften a carton of Blue Bell Strawberries and Homemade Vanilla 

for a few minutes on the counter.

Slice up a pound of strawberries

and leave a few whole for garnish.

Slice your cake into four layers and place one inside a spring form pan.

Spread a few scoops of ice cream onto the cake

and layer strawberries around the outside.

Repeat layers three times,

spreading strawberries over the top on the last layer.

Cover and place cake in freezer for 12 -24 hours. 

Remove cake from spring form pan and decorate with whipped cream and whole strawberries.

Enjoy!

Southern Buttermilk Biscuits

I am forever trying to make the 

lightest, fluffiest, flakiest 

buttermilk biscuits. :-)

Here are some tips I have gathered over the years -

everything must be cold!

cold bowl, cold fork, cold ingredients, cold biscuit cutter

never use your warm hands

freeze your stick of butter and then grate it into your flour

real buttermilk, no substitutes

cut and stack your dough (this makes layers!)

press and lift to cut the biscuits, don't twist your cutter

bake biscuits touching to help them rise

Any other tips you'd like to share with me?

Fall Saturday Morning

Candles burning, coffee brewing, muffins baking...

Laundry drying, music playing, leaves falling...

and football waiting. :-) 

"Autumn is the season to find contentment at home,

by paying attention to what we already have." 

Sandwich Bread

you will need - 

4 1/2 teaspoons yeast

3/4 cup warm water

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon salt

5 tablespoons butter, divided

2 2/3 additional cups warm water

9 1/2 cups flour

makes 3 loaves

Dissolve yeast in warm water with a teaspoon of the sugar.

Let sit 5 minutes.

Add the rest of the sugar, salt, 3 tablespoons of butter and additional warm water. 

Slowly mix in 5 cups of flour until smooth.

Gradually add remaining flour.

Knead on low speed for 10 minutes.

Place dough in a greased bowl and turn to coat.

Cover and let rise in a warm place for one hour. 

Punch dough down, divide into three loaves and place each in a lightly greased bread pan.

Cover and let rise in a warm place for one hour. 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 

Place risen loaves in oven and bake 15 minutes.

Cover tops of loaves with foil to prevent excessive browning, and bake another fifteen minutes. 

Remove from oven and brush with melted butter.

Let cool before slicing. 

*Patriotic Berry Trifle*

Ingredients needed -

16 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 1/4 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups whipping cream

1 angel food cake, cubed

1 pint blueberries

1 pint strawberries

Whisk cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until fully combined. 

Slowly add cream and continue to whisk until mixture is fluffy.

In a trifle dish, layer half the cake, half the cream, and half the fruit.

Repeat a second layer of cake, cream and fruit.

Keep refrigerated until serving.

Enjoy!

Copycat Kings Hawaiian Bread

ingredients needed - 

2 (.25 ounce) envelopes active dry yeast

1/2 cup warm water 

3 eggs

1 cup pineapple juice

1/2 cup water

3/4 cup white sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup butter, melted

6 cups flour

Sprinkle yeast over warm water in a mixing bowl.  Let sit 10 minutes.

Add eggs, juice, water, sugar, ginger, vanilla, and butter.  Mix well.

Gradually add flour until dough forms.  Let dough rise in a warm place for 1 hour.

Separate dough into three sections and form into round loaves.  Place in lightly greased cake pans and let rise again in a warm place for 30-45 minutes. 

Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.  Brush tops of loaves with butter if desired. 

Enjoy!

Banana Bread

You will need -

3 ripe bananas, mashed

1/3 cup butter, melted 

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

pinch of salt

3/4 cup chocolate chips (optional) 

In a mixing bowl, combine bananas, butter, egg, vanilla and sugar.

Add flour, soda and salt.

Mix just until combined.

Add chocolate chips if using.
Pour batter into a buttered loaf pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes.

Let cool.  

Remove from pan and enjoy!

Makes 1 loaf.

Jalapeño Cheese Corn Bread Muffins

The kids love my jalapeño cheese corn bread.

I love my country corn bread muffins.

So tonight I combined the two 

and used my jalapeño cheese corn bread recipe,

but made it into muffins.

Best of both worlds. 

They came out great.  

I baked them at 400 for 20 minutes,

and added a cute little jalapeño on top of each one. :-)

Buttermilk Biscuits

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup buttermilk

extra butter

Preheat oven to 450.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.

Cut in butter.

Add buttermilk and stir just until combined.

Cut out biscuits and place on parchment lined cookie sheet.

Bake 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Spread tops with melted butter.

Enjoy!