I have found so many yummy recipes lately that it has been hard to choose which ones to save. This cake just sounds so good I'm going to make it this week for sure. Enjoy....

Maple Apple Upside Down Cake

 

 

• 11 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
• 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 3 to 4 apples , peeled, cored and thinly sliced
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup whole milk

 Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Flour and butter a 9″ cake pan.
1.  Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a small pan over medium heat; add maple syrup and brown sugar and cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil and cook for another 2 minutes; remove from heat and set aside. When mixture has cooled a bit, pour it into baking pan and arrange apple slices in an overlapping circle on top.
2. Beat remaining 8 tablespoons butter and the sugar until light and fluffy.  Add vanilla and eggs, one egg at a time, beating until smooth. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.
3. Add flour mixture to butter mixture in three batches, alternating with milk; do not over mix. Carefully spread batter over apples, using a spatula to make sure it is evenly distributed. Bake until top of cake is golden brown and edges begin to pull away from sides of pan, about 45 to 50 minutes; a toothpick inserted into center should come out clean. Let cake cool for 5 minutes.
4. Carefully invert cake onto a cake plate or serving platter.  Be careful!  The topping is still hot!
Serve warm or at room temperature.
http://sweetrevelations.wordpress.com/2012/03/12/maple-apple-upside-down-cake/

SUPER CUTE idea for boot socks

This is a great way to get a trendy look for cheap.

Here's what you need:

Materials:

-extra wide elasticized lace

-thread and needle

-sewing machine or serger

-scissors (not shown, why do I always forget one thing??)

-optional: buttons, bows, ribbon, etc.

 

 

Steps:

1) Wrap your lace around your calf, just under your knee.  Don't worry about doing it over top of your pants, you're going to wear these on top anyway.

 2) Cut two lengths of lace to fit.

 3) With right sides together, sew or serge the raw edges of your lace together.

 

 

 4) Iron your seam towards one side and turn right side out.

If you want to stop now you can and there you go, you've completed the whole thing in about 60 seconds flat!

If you want to add a little bit more interest, read on.

 5) Decide if you want your seam to be on the inside of your leg or at the back and then add some pretty buttons or bows or other embellishments.  Just make sure to keep it towards the top of the sock so that it won't cause any discomfort inside your boot.  Flat buttons work best.  I put mine on the side but you could put them right down the seam at the back too!

 

http://etcetorize.blogspot.ca/2012/09/lace-boot-socks.html

 

Pear Butter

This is an awesome way to use up some of Fall's fruits.

PEAR BUTTER

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons pureed pear preserves
• 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

Preparation

Stir together softened butter, pear preserves, and rosemary. 

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/pear-butter-50400000124708/

SCARY APPLES

I don't get on here as much as I'd like to but I'm trying to post things that are amazing and feed your psyche with tantalizing ideas. These scary apples were a surprise treat.

Red & Black Candy Apples
8-10 medium sized apples
8-10 wooden twigs, twimmed
3 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 cup of water
several drops of cinnamon flavored oil
1/4 teaspoon of red food coloring
1/4 teaspoon of black food coloring
Clean and dry the apples. Try to remove as much of the wax as possible. If you purchase them from your local farmer’s market then chances are they have not been treated with the food grade wax that makes then shine. Remove any stems or leaves and insert a twig into the end of each apple. To facilitate easier twig entry you can carefully sharpen the end of the twig or use a candy stick to create a guide hole. Set apples aside.
Heat and stir sugar, corn syrup and water in a saucepan until sugar has dissolved. Boil until the syrup reaches 300 degrees on a candy thermometer. Don’t go over 310 degrees or your candy burns and then you’ll be sad.
Remove from heat and stir in flavored oil and food coloring.
Dip one apple completely in the syrup and swirl it so that it becomes coated with the melted sugar candy. Hold the apple above the saucepan to drain off excess. Place apple, with the stick facing up, onto a baking sheet that’s greased or lined with a silpat. Repeat the process with the remaining apples. If your syrup thickens or cools too much, simply reheat briefly before proceeding. Let the apples cool completely before serving.
A note about the black apples: Lighter colored apples (Granny Smith, Golden Delicious) work well in making the red appear bright and glassy; darker apples like red delicious help the black candy appear as dark as possible. Muy spooky!
Also, Adam made one batch with red food coloring and after he had a few red apples he reheated the candy mixture and added black food coloring. Adding black to red will make it darker. He repeated the dipping process. Black food coloring can be found online or at specialty baking stores.

Matt’s Winter Cocktail
I only call this winter because it has the flavors of pomegranate, apple and pear. Other than that it’s really just a sweet excuse to get drunk. The pinch of pumpkin pie spice in the drink gives it a holiday flair but it’s subtle. You can use dry ice to make it spooooky if you make a large batch of it but I don’t recommend putting dry ice into an individual glass if you want to keep your lips. Serves 2.

2 oz Pama Pomegranate Liqueur
2 oz Pear Vodka
4 oz Apple Cider or Juice
tiniest teensiest pinch of Pumpin Pie Spice
Add ingredients and crushed ice to a shaker and blend well. Empty drink and ice into a glass and get your drunk on.

http://mattbites.com/2011/10/05/adams-scary-apples/ 

UNIQUE DECORATING IDEAS

I recently came across these while searching for something else (isn't that always the way) and got sidetracked. I thought these would make fabulously unique props for the fall season. The perfect color of ripe plums and wine ready grapes. They can be filled with a multitude of natural material such as pinecones, acorns, twigs, moss crytals and stones to display. Don't forget to toss a pinch of glitter on for that magical touch.

Needless to say I am hooked. I have found another item to collect. Let the hunt begin!

FOR THE LOVE OF FALL

FALL is the time to be thankful for all life's little pleasures. Apple picking, hay rides, walks in the woods to collect treasures from nature to artfully display, the earthy smells and scents, wearing costumes and getting away with it, and FOOD. It's a time to try new recipes to share with family and friends.

PUMPKIN LENTIL SOUP

 

Ingredients

1 pound pie pumpkin or winter squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes

1 15 ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained

3 medium carrots, sliced 1/2 inch thick

1 cup chopped onion (1 large)

1 cup red lentils, rinsed and drained

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1/4 cup chopped peanuts

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Plain nonfat yogurt or greek yogurt (optional)

•  Directions
  

  1. In a 3-1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker, combine pumpkin, chickpeas, carrots, onion, lentils, tomato paste, ginger, lime juice, cumin, salt, turmeric, and pepper. Pour broth over all in cooker.

  2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours. Top each serving with peanuts, cilantro, and if desired, yogurt. Makes 6 (1-1/3 cup) servings.

AUTUMN PORK CHOPS

 Recipe

1 T vegetable oil

4 pork chops (bone in or boneless) 1/2 inch thick

1 can Campbell's condensed cream of celery soup 10 3/4 oz.

1/2 cup apple juice (or water)

2 T spicy brown mustard

1 T honey

dash of ground black pepper

Directions

1.

Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook until well browned on both sides.

2.

Stir the soup, apple juice, mustard, honey and black pepper in the skillet and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until the pork is cooked through. Serve the pork and sauce with the noodles.

3.

Serving Suggestion: Serve with a sauteed squash medley: zucchini and yellow squash with red onion and garlic.


BROWN SUGAR APPLE CHEESECAKE

For the Crust
30 gingersnaps
2 tbsp light brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
1/2 stick (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted

For the Apples
1/2 stick (4 tbsp) unsalted butter
3 large Golden Delicious or Fuji apples, peeled, cored and cut into eighths (I used Honeycrisps)
2 tbsp (packed) light brown sugar

For the Filling
1 1/2 pounds (three 8-ounce packages) cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar
6 tbsp sugar
3 tbsp apple cider
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tsp ground cinnamon
3 large eggs
3/4 cup sour cream
1/3 cup heavy cream

Caramel Sauce for Drizzling