Fall Layered Cake

I know, the title is super original...pretty much just stating the obvious. A moist (oh boy, yes I used that word even though I really kind of loathe it) four layered white buttermilk cake, with cream cheese frosting! I just felt like three layers wasn't quite enough *haha.  Each layer is the color of what this Fall season represents...orange, yellow, copper, and red.

I was actually up in the Utah mountains this last week and the Aspen leaves are beginning to change. It was like the whole mountainside was on fire, and I was reminded why I love this season so very much...and so this cake just seemed completely fitting. :-)

I used this recipe for the cake part and this recipe for the frosting part. Have I mentioned how much I love frosting...it's like butter to my bread.

***also the best, most vibrant food dye is Wilton food dye. I'm tellin' ya it makes a huge difference if you want the colors to be like "wazam!". I got mine at Joannes.

disclaimer: By no means am I a pro when it comes to cake baking. I mean seriously, for anyone who bakes a cake where the frosting looks flawless...I really need you to teach me your ways. However, I did love the way the colors turned out and like I always say, cake is good for any occasion. And on this occasion, it was because it was Tuesday. :-)

^^^My little helpers. Sometimes I wish they'd rather watch...but that is just never the case ^^^

bon appétit! 

Halloween Swig Cookies

What better way to celebrate the upcoming festivities of Halloween than with a copycat recipe of the infamous swig sugar cookies?! Except, for this recipe, I made a few adjustments. Instead of vanilla frosting I made chocolate frosting; and instead of white dough I made orange dough because well ya' know that's how I ro' (I try people, I try).

Caution: These cookies are extremely addicting and as a matter of fact we gave them ALL away (well, okay not ALL but MOST) because the husband is on a "clean eating kick". Totally kills all the fun. 

***recipe is at the bottom of the post!

HALLOWEEN SWIG COOKIES:

• 
  

• Cookie Dough:

• 1 Cup Butter, softened
• ¾ C Vegetable Oil
• 1¼ C Sugar (plus ¼ cup reserved)
• ¾ C Powdered Sugar
• 2 T Water
• 2 Eggs
• ½ t Baking Soda
• ½ t Cream of Tarter
• 1 t Salt
• 5½ C Flour
• 8-10 drops orange food dye
• 
  
• Frosting:
• ½ cup butter, softened
• ¾ C Sour Cream
• 5 Cups powdered Sugar
• 1 t salt
• ¼ C Milk
• 1/2 C cocoa powder

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cream of tarter, and salt. Set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, vegetable oil, sugar (1¼ C), powdered sugar, and water. Add in eggs and food dye.
3. Slowly add in flour mixture until combined. Roll the dough into golf sized balls and place onto a non stick cookie sheet.
4. To give the cookies their signature rough edge, dip the bottom of a glass into the reserved ¼ cup sugar and press onto the cookie ball to flatten the cookie. You still want the cookie to be thicker so don’t press them to thin.
5. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the bottom is lightly brown. The cookies stay soft so do not over bake.
6. To make the frosting: Cream together butter, sour cream, and salt. Add the powdered sugar and cocoa. Add in the milk to the desired consistency. Spread over cooled cookies and store in an airtight container.

Conference and Colorful Swirled Pancakes

The first weekend in April, and the first weekend in October is always a special one for me. It is Conference weekend...and I'm always a bit sad when it's over. It is a time when we can watch on television and listen to the Prophet speak to us, as well as the leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

I am always so overwhelmed, after watching Conference, with the feelings of gratitude for this life I have here on Earth. As hard as it can be, there are always things to be thankful for. I know that the reason for my gratitude stems from the things I know to be true...and because of that knowledge I can have a clear understanding of why we are here on Earth and what we were sent here for.

With that said, weekends like these always include a special breakfast...So my partner in crime helped me make swirls of color in our cornmeal yogurt pancakes. I'm pretty sure we go through food dye around here like nobodies business... :-)

Orange Ya Glad It's Friday Candy Skewers

I'm pretty sure my favorite day has always been Friday. It means the weekend is just around the corner, which means more family time with the hubby around and maybe even a date night?! Hey, I'll take it!

Anyways we're having an "orange ya glad" party and made these little candy skewers from orange salt water taffy and peach rings! I then stuffed each one in the top of an orange and sat it on each plate setting! What can I say, we have to get rid of this candy around here somehow! :-)

Happy Friday friends.

^^^Sage had the right idea...more taffy than peach rings. I like her style :-)!^^^

Conversation Heart Necklace...cute and edible (best of both worlds)

I had this weird idea of softening up some conversation hearts, poking a hole through the center, and stringing them on fishing wire to make a necklace. So, I tried it...and it TOTALLY worked?!?! It's times like these, when my ideas DON'T go down the pooper as an ultimate failure, that I find myself smiling ear to ear with gloating glee!

Here's the how-to and a few pictures to prove that yes, indeed my three year old and I wore matching edible conversation heart necklaces...beads included! I am so glad that having a toddler totally justifies making things like this...and really she is the whole reason behind these ideas so it's a win win! :-)

DIRECTIONS:

-Line hearts (about 5-7  at a time, because they harden fast and they have to be soft to poke a hole through) on a baking sheet and put in oven for exactly 1 1/2 minutes (no more, no less...) at 400 degrees 

-Right when they come out of the oven, have your needle ready and pull it through the center

-Once they're cool, simply string them on and wear/eat to your hearts content! 

***adding beads just gives it a nice touch!

make sure you don't leave them in longer than 1 1/2 minutes otherwise this happens...

 ^^^it just brought out the kissable, lovable, infatuation they have for one another...

(don't let those faces fool you...this lasted about two secs & then Cozy was trying to eat Sage's neck off)

^^^...but i didn't mind...a kiss for a lick... :-)

My Foxy, Turkey Day Table Setting

So here it is...the plate layout for our Thanksgiving Day! I got all of the plates at Target, and for each setting it came out to be $14. However, some people don't like having multiple plates. I will say the fox plate is a must...it just ties it all in!

I love the layered look, so I figured this only happens once a year AND I can use these for other occasions too...right?!?!

main color pallett: 

gold, silver, black, orange (and if foxy was a color, I'd add that one in too) 

and since I had to google where the fork, knife and spoon goes...here is the right way to set a table ha

Thanksgiving Inspiration...

I've been perusing some different Thanksgiving ideas and One Kings Lane has once again given me a slew of ideas and things to add to my "early santa list".

I LOVED these adorable ideas using baby pumpkins...as name placement holders, as a center piece hanging from branches...or as mini holders for individual flower arrangements! 

1. centerpiece       2. serving set         3. hostess gift (candle)         4. honey pot      5. little pumpkins