Easy As 1, 2, 3 Apple Cake

I have to start making smaller portions of meals and desserts, now that two of my kids are back in college and the other is working all the time.  On most nights, it's just me and the hubby.  I have never in my life cooked or baked for just two people, and that my friends is hard when you are used to cooking for five or more.

So, I am getting on the ball and changing the way I cook.  I don't mind having something leftover, but I don't want enough leftover to feed and army of people.  I have to rethink the way I cook and bake, so as to not waste food.  Smaller portions, make a smaller me and the hubby!

I started last week with the Filet Mignon I made, check out that blog on September 18.  This week I made an Easy Apple Cake for dessert.

Recipe Below.

To print recipe, click, highlight and print.

To view pictures in a larger format, click on them.

I always start my baking by getting everything out and at my fingertips so I don't forget anything.  Here, I sliced my apples and sprinkled them with cinnamon sugar, and measured everything out.  So, apples ready and eggs and sugar ready to be mixed.

Beat eggs and sugar until light and fluffy.

They should be a pale yellow color.   Then add the flour 1/2 at a time...... 

......and mix after each.

Pour into a grease and floured baking pan, I used a round one.

Top with the cinnamon apples and just gently press them in a little.

And off to the oven it goes!

Almost done and the house smells fantastic!

And how good......

 does this look?  Dust with a little powdered sugar and.....

......a little scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and caramel sauce finishes it off.

Easy As 1,2,3 Apple Cake

Ingredients

2 medium size baking apples, McIntosh, Granny Smith are good

1/4 cup of cinnamon sugar

3 large eggs

1 cup of sugar

1 cup unbleached flour

1/4 teaspoon of cardamom, optional  or use 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract (see note)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Leave the skin on the apples and core and slice them.  Toss with the cinnamon sugar, set aside.  Spray a round baking pan with Bakers Joy, or just grease and flour the pan. Beat the eggs and the 1 cup of sugar in a medium mixing bowl, until almost white and fluffy.  Add 1/2 the flour and mix until combined, then add the other half and mix well.  Add the cardamom or the vanilla and mix completely.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan, and arrange the apple slices in pattern of your choice, gently press into the batter, don't press all the way in you want to be able to see them.  Bake for 35-40 minutes (all ovens are different), or until a cake tester comes out clean.  If it doesn't get brown on top, I changed the setting on my oven to broil for about 1 minute to brown the top, be careful you have to watch it!  Serve with vanilla bean ice cream and caramel sauce. Makes 6-8 servings.

NOTE:  Cardamom is a strong and aromatic spice, and is commonly used in Swedish baking for cookies and cakes. It has citrus and herbal overtones.  It pairs well with cinnamon, nutmeg allspice, lemons and oranges.  It is on the pricey side, so if you don't want to purchase for this recipe just use vanilla.  

Color Changing Decor

I am sad to say Summer is over, the house is in my Fall/Winter decor. I started with the first floor and am now on the second floor. I just switched the colors in the Master Bath, took out the coral and switched it with aqua and white, it tones it down a little for the darker months ahead.  It didn't take long, cleaned and scrubbed everything including the windows, and now I can say the house is done!  Not to say I don't have to clean the house, but with all the heavy work done, I can rest now until Spring!

                                       Before                                                  After

                                      Before                                                    After

Saving up for my new shower door, it's about $4000 because it has to be custom made, so the

 shower curtain will have to do for now!

Fashion Monday! Getting Ready for Fall Outfits

I haven't posted a fashion blog for a while, so here is one to get you ready for Fall dressing.  I didn't do alot of clothes shopping this year, because Lord knows I don't need anything.  But I did pick up a few things at the end of Summer, with coupons and discounts of course, I don't shop any other way.  I paired some of my new finds with things I already had in my closet.   Having  a few new articles of clothing updates my wardrobe and makes me feel good!

Dark Wash Skinny Jeans and Olive Lace Top - Dressbarn

Camel Strap Heels - Marshall's

 Dark Wash Skinny Jeans and Multi Color Pumpkin Top - Dressbarn
Taupe Wrap Strap Boots - Target

 Black Skinny Jeans, Multi Color Top and Pumpkin Military Style Jacket - Dressbarn

Black Open Toe Shoeties - Marshall's

 Black Skinny Jeans, Multi Color Chevron Print Top, Dark Green Faux Leather Jacket - Dressbarn

Black Strap Shoeties - Dressbarn

Black and Blue Floral Print Sheath Dress - TJ Maxx

Black Platform Heels - Marshall's

Ivory, Aqua and Gray Clutch Bag - Dressbarn

 Black Color Splash Wrap Dress - Gabriel's

Studded Clutch Bag - Charming Charlie's

Black Strap Shoeties - Dressbarn

So, I Took A Butternut Squash......

......and made Roasted Butternut Squash with it.  Butternut squash has a flavor similar to pumpkin, has a yellow-orange skin and orange flesh inside.  To make it though, I took the lazy way out, and purchased my squash already peeled and seeded, so all I had to do was cut it to prepare it.  Butternut squash is a good source of fiber, vitamins A, C and E, magnesium and potassium.  What that means is, it's good for you.

To have it as a side dish, I had to make it so my family would eat it, so I decided to make a sweet version of it.  I have served it before, roasted with other vegetables and herbs as a savory side dish, that was also very tasty (check it out on this blog 3/13/14).  I was serving a pork roast the other night, so what a better side dish than roasted butternut squash with honey and cinnamon.  It was fabulous!  

Recipe Below.

To print, recipe, click on it highlight and print.

To view pictures in a larger format click on them.

On to a cutting board and cut them in half.  You need a sharp knife, but be very careful, keep your fingers away from the blade, because they are a little difficult to cut.

 Then cut into bite size chunks and drizzle with olive oil.  My roasting sauce was cinnamon and honey.

 Wow, it's looks amazing already!

 Roast in the oven for 35 - 40 minutes.

It's so scrumptious it's like a dessert!

Roasted Butternut Squash

Ingredients

1 whole butternut squash, peeled and seeded

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cut the squash into bite size chunks and put onto a baking sheet.  Toss with the olive oil to coat.  Drizzle the honey on the squash and then sprinkle with cinnamon.  Roast for 35-40 minutes in the oven and as always, all ovens are different. Toss once during roasting time. The squash is done when it is tender in the middle and lightly browned on the outside.  Makes 4 servings.

Visual Differences

I took these two before and after pictures in the same spot, when I started the paint job in the living room. I wanted to see the visual differences in the room.  To my surprise it looks like a totally different room.  It's amazing what a little paint can do.  The furniture is the same except I slip covered the sofa and love seat, still have cats and kids at home, so for now they will have to do.  I also used some of the same pillows, just used pillow slips on those too.  It doesn't cost alot of money to transform a room, even if you only paint the walls and ceiling it's relatively inexpensive.

                                 Before                                           After

Simple Dinner

I was on a trip to the grocery store, and realized I forgot to take something out of the freezer for dinner, and thought I would pick something up that was easy to cook.  As I was passing the meat department, I was looking at beef, these little babies caught my eye.  When I saw they were Filet Mignon, my curiosity peeked about the price.  Now, I usually don't go near this cut of meat, too expensive for my pocket book, but what I really wanted to see was the price, and daydream about how the other half lives who can afford this meat.  Well, to my surprise these 2 cuts of beef were only $8.98, and yes that was for both of them!  They were the portion size that you would get in a restaurant.  It truly was my day because I only needed 2 of them.  I couldn't believe the price, so I checked to see if my eyeglasses were clean, they were, so I took them home with me.

I made a simple dinner that night, you don't need much to go along with Filet Mignon.  It was raining, so instead of putting them on the grill outside, I used my grill pan inside.  I added 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter and heated the pan over medium-high heat until the butter melted.  Salt and peppered both sides of the meat, and got them grilling.  Then I added a small box of baby bella mushrooms into one side of the pan.  After I got nice grill marks on one side of the meat I turned both pieces to the other side.  Toss those mushrooms so they get nice and brown.

These were restaurant quality in looks and taste.

I served my simple dinner with a tossed salad and Parmesan cheese crisps sprinkled on top.  

This whole meal, including the salad, cost about $7 per person, it certainly beats the restaurant prices and was just as good!  So we ate our meal, with a glass of wine, joking to "please pass the Grey Poupon".  It was fun until we were done eating.  Reality sets in fast, dishes and cleanup had to be done, no maid service, oh well..........