Cupcakelicious!

Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes

from Country Living Magazine

Have your cake and cupcakes too!

One recipe yields chocolatey pumpkin

spice cupcakes or a triple-layer cake.

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Chocolate Pumpkin Cake

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 1/2 cup(s) all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoon(s) all-purpose flour
• 1 cup(s) good-quality cocoa
• 2 tablespoon(s) good-quality cocoa
• 1 tablespoon(s) baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon(s) baking soda
• 2 1/4 teaspoon(s) ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon(s) fresh-grated nutmeg
• 3/4 cup(s) buttermilk
• 1 1/2 cup(s) pumpkin purée
• 1 1/2 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 stick(s) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cup(s) (firmly packed) dark brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cup(s) granulated sugar
• 5 large eggs

DIRECTIONS:

1. Prepare cake pans: Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter three 8-inch cake pans and fit each bottom with an 8-inch circle of parchment paper. Lightly butter the parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Make the batter: Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl and set aside. Combine the buttermilk, pumpkin, and vanilla in a medium bowl and set aside. Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl, with an electric mixer set on medium speed, until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, until the mixture is smooth and light. Alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture, blending well after each addition.
3. Bake the cake: Divide the batter among the pans and bake until a wooden skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean -- about 35 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pan for 20 minutes. Remove cakes and cool. (For cupcakes: Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Place cupcake liners in standard cupcake tins and fill each with 1/4 cup of batter. Bake for 22 minutes.)
4. Assemble the cake: Trim each of the layers. Place one layer on a cake plate and top with one third of the frosting. Repeat with the second and third layers. (To ensure that the cake layers do not shift, cut three skewers to 1/4 inch shorter than the full height of the cake and insert them before icing the top layer.) Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Yields: One 8-inch 3-layer cake or 36 cupcakes

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Orange Cream-Cheese Frosting

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 package(s) (8-ounce) cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup(s) (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 tablespoon(s) fresh orange juice
• 1 teaspoon(s) grated orange zest
• 1/2 teaspoon(s) pure vanilla extract
• 4 cup(s) confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) orange food coloring

DIRECTIONS:

1. Blend the cream cheese, butter, orange juice, orange zest, and vanilla in a large bowl, using an electric mixer set at medium speed, until smooth.
2. Add the sugar and continue to beat until light and creamy -- about 3 more minutes.
3. Add the food coloring and gently stir until the color is uniform.
4. Chill the frosting until ready to ice the cupcakes or cake.

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I've been

 sewing up a storm and there are

New "Halloween" goodies at 

Pineapple Hill Etsy

 "Little Pumpkin" Bloomers

Boo! Bloomers

Canvas "Trick or Treat" Bags

Check it all out  

HERE

Sweet Sale

It's the annual

SWEET SALE

Coupon Code:

BOO 

20% Off entire order

(minimum order $35.00)

HURRY

Offer Expires: October 31, 2010~ Halloween!  

Start Shopping!

Celebrate Halloween 

with our new

Halloween Banner!

Go 

HERE

Halloween Candy Jars

 Halloween 

Candy Jars

 Cute Candy Jar Labels to Print

from Martha Stewart

Tuesday Tip - Toothpaste

via Heloise's Hints

Clever Uses for Toothpaste 

• Clean chrome: Shine sink fixtures (rub over faucets with a wet sponge)
• Eliminate cooking smells: Remove garlic or fish odors from your hands
• Polish silver: Clean silver jewelry in a pinchBanish blemishes: Get rid of a pimple
• Soothe skin: Relieve itch from a mosquito bite.

Note: Toothpaste comes in many formulas -- gel, whitening, baking soda. It's best to use a dab or two of the regular white paste

Ghostly Halloween Cake

Super fast and not at all scary—these whimsical ghosts gather ever so sweetly around a purchased angel food cake. Use any sort of Halloween candy or favor you like to complete your presentation.

Host of Ghosts Cake

(from Cakes for Kids, by Matthew Mead)

Epicurious  | October 2008

by Matthew Mead

yield: Makes one 9-inch cake; serves 12 to 16

 Ingredients:

• One purchased 9-inch angel food cake
• 2 recipes Seven Minute Frosting , at room temperature
• Small sugar candy eyes, 2 for each ghost

Equipment:

• 10-inch cake plate, for serving
• Small offset spatula
• Disposable decorating bag
• Assorted eggcups and salt wells, for serving

Preparation:
1. Place the cake on the cake plate. Reserve 1 cup of frosting to make additional ghost figures. Using an offset spatula, fill the hole in the center of the cake with frosting and then spread frosting over the top and sides in a wavy pattern.
2. Add the reserved frosting to the decorating bag; snip off the tip of the bag to create a 1/8- to 1/4-inch opening.
3. Referring to the photo, pipe as many ghosts as you like onto and around the cake and into the eggcups. For each, apply pressure to squeeze out some frosting for a base, then lift the bag slowly, decreasing the pressure until the ghost is the desired size; stop the pressure and lift off the bag. Add 2 candy eyes to each ghost.


Print a Shopping List

It's beginning to look like

some

Halloween Tricks & Treats

Tricky Treats

 click

 Got Treats? Sign 

click

 

 Halloween Clown Boy  

click

 

 Fritzy Witch

click

Just some cute ideas to make this Halloween fun!

Brownie Goblins

Prepare brownie mix as label directs but bake in 15 1/2" by 10 1/2" jelly-roll pan only 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool brownie in pan. When cool, cut out brownie using ghost-shaped cookie cutter.
To decorate, melt white candy coating as above; use to pipe outline on top of ghost cutout. When outline is set, fill in interior with additional melted candy. When set, pipe on brown eyes and mouth. Let set.

Download some fun Family Night goodies.

Family Fright Night Halloween Recipes 

Yummy Mummy Dogs 

More Halloween Recipes

Carve out a pumpkin to Chill Beverages!

(I can't remember when I saw this picture for the life of me and have searched everywhere to find it again. Sorry.)

Click HERE for some fun Halloween Labels
Like These!

More great labels HERE

Lots of Great Halloween Recipes and ideas

Have Fun!

Tuesday Tip - anti aging

Best Anti Aging Foods

     by Colleen Moody

Age may just be a number, but it’s not one we like to give out willingly. Knock a few years off by tweaking your diet with these foods proven to be full of anti-aging properties. Plus, they'll help you reap the benefits of a smaller waist, too.

Avocados

Guacamole, anyone? According to Paula Simpson, BASc, RNCP, the oil found in avocados works to toughen your skin while also hydrating it. Another perk? "Avocados are full of monounsaturated fatty acids," says Robyn Flipse, MS, RD. "This is the healthiest type of fat for the cardiovascular system because it doesn't promote inflammation."

Berries

Stocked with antioxidants, these yummy snacks neutralize damaging free radicals, says Simpson. They also help the body manufacture collagen, leaving your skin firm and smooth.

Carrots and Tomatoes

The more colorful the better, says Flipse. These bright veggies are stocked with phytonutrients and antioxidants, both of which protect against damaging free radicals. The beta carotene and lycopene found in them also protect your skin from sun damage and repair skin cells, says Simpson.

 Tofu, Soymilk, & Edamame

These nibbles favored by vegetarians contain natural phytoestrogens that help keep skin resilient and may even actually slow down the aging process, Simpson says.

Dark Chocolate

Some say, "Too good to be true," but Flipse says, "Resveratorol and flavanols." These two compounds are the good stuff in dark chocolate that promote circulation and can even protect against moderate sun damage. Just make sure to choose dark chocolate over milk, as the dark chocolate is more beneficial to your health.

 Kiwi-fruit

Eating kiwifruit will not only help maintain clear skin, it will also promote healthy bones. Drayer says one cup peeled kiwifruit contains more vitamin C than the equivalent amount of oranges. Plus, it neutralizes free radicals that could lead to things like cancer and heart disease

WALNUTS

"Walnuts are one of the only nuts that contain a high amount of omega-3 fatty acids," says Drayer. "This has been shown to protect against high blood pressure and heart disease, and increase bone strength." Their anti-inflammatory perks also relieve skin diseases such as eczema and even asthma and rheumatoid arthritis.

You can learn about additional "Top Foods"

HERE