Mini Red Velvet Bundt Cakes + FREE Printables

When I have an idea, it's only a matter of time before it's executed.  I had a grand idea to make mini bundt cakes for my husband to take into work for his birthday, but unfortunately the idea came too late.  A few weeks ago, while shopping at Bed Bath and Beyond, I found this glorious mini bundt pan and once again, there in the store...the ideas started flowing.  Mini bundt cakes for Christmas.  So we threw the pan into the cart, checked out with our 20% off coupon and headed home.  I debated over flavors for a few days and landed on red velvet because, hello, it's Christmas!  As I thought how I'd package these cuties together and what the tag would say, the phrase "We hope you have nothing bundt a Merry Christmas".  It may not be new to some of you, but it was new and original to me!  Sure I could have sent in plain un-packaged mini red velvet bundt cakes to work with my husband, and sure they would have appreciated them.  But you know how I am about my packaging, and for good reason. So I took my time roaming up and down the aisles of Hobby Lobby until I settled on my plan.  The result was well worth it!  My husband's co-workers RAVED about how adorable they were and how delicious the bundt cake was.  A gift with-in a gift.

I had a blast making these tags, so much so I couldn't leave well enough alone.  I never do.  I made tags that could be used for birthdays, thank-yous, teachers and even realtors.  (If I had emoji's on my keyboard I'd insert the laughing-so-hard-I'm-crying one here).

I layered the tags with a coordinating polka dot tag underneath.  Adding a second layer to the tag adds a whole other dimension of cuteness that I couldn't pass up.

When I saw it all come together, I was a giddy little school girl.  They all turned out so dang ca-ute!

I know what you're thinking, do I have to make my own bundt cakes?  Can't I buy them?  Yup, of course you can!  If you have a Nothing Bundt Cake store around, I'd swing buy and pick them up!  I have to say I was really tempted to do so, but you know me.  I love a challenge.

Let's break these cuties down.  

The recipe I used came from Over Time Cook. This recipe made about 29 mini bundt cakes (30 if I scraped the bowl in desperation....but I wasn't desperate so I didn't).  I used my small cookie scoop to measure batter evenly.  Each was filled halfway with batter.  My frosting recipe is my own, I honestly never really use a recipe (surprise, surprise) but I this time I wrote it down!

Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 oz cream cheese at room temp

2 sticks butter at room temp

1 T vanilla extract

1/4 t almond extract

2-3 cups of powder sugar

Whip until fluffy and scoop into a piping bag with the end cut off.  Easy and delicious.  I try not to make mine too sweet because usually the baked good it's going on is rich, so I try to keep the sweetness to a minimum.  Start with less sugar and then add more until it's to your desired sweetness.

 Once the cakes were cool, I piped a dollop of frosting in the center.

I placed a jumbo sized cupcake wrapper in the snack cup to prevent oils from soaking into the cup. It would have ruined the whole thing, so I'm glad I did!

I very gently, shimmied the cup into the bag.

The next series of pictures, runs through how I attached the spoon and the tag to the bag.  It was a tedious process! 

Loop twine around spoon.

Add tag.

 Loosely tie tulle ONE time.

Loop tag and tie.

Tighten tulle and tie a second time.

One down, 23 to go.

The cups and wooden spoons came from Hobby Lobby.  They were both on an end cap for a burlap themed party.  They also have wooden spools with a chevron design on the handle.  (I used those in my Oatmeal Raisin Froyo post).  They also have a variety of colors of snack cups, but for Christmas I went with plain brown and added color with the tulle and tag. 

These were absolutely so fun to make and I hope you end up making them for someone too!  Whether it's for your child's teacher, a co-worker or a client these will bring a smile to their face! And by all means, if you're not a baker, buy a bundt cake!

See what I mean about oil spots?  How horrible would it have been if the cups would have been soaked?  It would have ruined the whole thing!  So please line the cups!

FREE PRINTABLES:

For the printables, I included only a .pdf of my Christmas tags but made .png files of the rest.  That way you can create your own sheet in a document program and even make your own stickers just by adding the image onto the template.  Click on each picture to download!

Christmas Tag PDF

Christmas Tag Polka Dot PDF

I hope you have nothing bundt a Merry Christmas!

White Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Granola

Today is the first day it has actually felt like fall!  I debated whether or not to hop in my car drive to my favorite coffee joint and indulge in a pumpkin spice latte.  But I didn't.  But I did go to Hobby Lobby and pick out fabric for my Christmas tree garland.  I can't wait to get started on it and show you!  I think that's why I love fall so much, because I spend the whole season in anticipation for the most wonderful time of the year!  I just finished up a few gift wrap ideas I'll be sharing with you too.  But I'm getting off track.  Today is about fall.  Fall decorations and fall treats!  While I didn't get my pumpkin spice fix in coffee form, I did get it in the form of this delicious homemade granola.

I know what you're thinking.  Is it clean?  Umm, sure.  There is one ingredient you can adjust to make it clean...the sugar!  I used brown sugar in this recipe which you can easily exchange for either more maple syrup, raw sugar or stevia.  This is such a delicious recipe, you're gonna love it!

Ingredients

2 cups old fashioned oats

1 cup almond slices

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup coconut oil

1 T vanilla 

1 t pumpkin pie spice

1 t cinnamon

1/4 cup pumpkin puree (one heaping 1/4 cup that is...so maybe 1/3 cup for you exactos)

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup white chocolate chips

Directions:

1.  In a sauce pan, bring syrup and sugar to a simmer for 2-3 minutes.  

2.  Turn heat off and add coconut oil, stir until melted.  Add pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon and vanilla and whisk until smooth.

3.  In a bowl, add oats and almonds.  Pour pumpkin mixture over and stir to coat evenly.

4.  Spread onto baking sheet and cook at 325 for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.  

5.  Let cool completely and add cranberries and white chocolate chips.  

Serving suggestions...ice cream, yogurt, in a bowl with cereal...basically with any white form of dairy is good ;)  I loved this over yogurt with a little honey.  I've been on a granola and yogurt kick for breakfast lately and the store bought kinds just aren't cutting it for me!  Too much sugar or too much cardboard. 

This is perfectly sweet!  I absolutely love pumpkin with white chocolate.  You're gonna think I'm crazy but this is the first year I've tried the combination and IT BLEW MY MIND.  I know most people like chocolate and pumpkin but the thought repulses me.  Please do not bring me pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, ever.  But pumpkin white chocolate cookies?  Yes, please. 

Now are you ready for some fall decor? I have a few fall decor items but what I generally do is take something I already use and add a fall flare.  I snatched these flower pots from a shelf in my entryway and wrapped them with what I call "wreath fillers", or the "little colored ball things".  You may have a more sophisticated name, but I do not.  In place of the pots in the entryway, I have a few fall knick-knacks.

What looks to be like a crate is actually 3 wooden frames I was making.  As I was cleaning up after an afternoon of working in the garage, I stacked them on top of each other and thought, "Hey!  I like how that looks!" So I made a new set for my table.  All it is is 1x3s glued together, how easy is that?  I was going to glue all 3 pieces together, but decided to keep them separate so I can use them in different ways. 

Believe it or not, I actually made the sign ;)  I saw something similar at Hobby Lobby one day and came home inspired to make one of my own.  I painted the stripes then used my wood transfer technique to transfer on the design, then painted over in gold.  I should have been patient and used a Silhouette to create cleaner lines but I'm still happy with the outcome. 

I absolutely adore this chevron burlap my MIL gave me.  I used it to make a wreath for my front door and had just enough left over.  I love chevron.  I always try to fit it in somewhere.

This was my first wreath I've ever made!  I liked the simplicity of having just the burlap.  I don't like a lot of foo-foo stuff so I kept it pretty traditional, which works perfectly on my front door. 

I've only recently begun decorating my front porch. I have had so much fun these past few months adding pops of color to create a welcoming appeal. For a second, I thought to paint my chalkboard a more fall color then decided against it.  I love the color and just didn't have the heart to change it!

I keep adding and rearranging here and there.  Do you ever do that?  I was just talking with one of my favorite people about how we arrange something, walk by, stare at it, arrange it, walk away, turn around and stare at it, leave it, walk by again and rearrange again.  There should be a support group for people like us.  

So, this is what fall at my house looks like.  Nothing too fancy, just enough to make it feel like Christmas is coming!

Oatmeal Cream Pies

Hello Fall! 

Today was a day of baking and making.  I haven't baked and cooked and prepped so much in such a long time and it felt wonderful to be in my kitchen doing just that.  I didn't intend to make so much in one day but I was just on a roll which resulted in pumpkin oatmeal, pumpkin spice creamer, frozen cookie dough bites, lots of grilled cheese, buffalo chicken strips and a few other miscellaneous items.  Before our morning play dates arrived at 8:30, I had my first batch of baked pumpkin oatmeal in the oven.  Oh sweet Lord almighty, they were heavenly.  The pumpkin oatmeal was the perfect way to start the season but this post is about something even sweeter with a trip down memory lane.   

As I'm sure they were for you, these were such special treats for us growing up.  I remember so many times when my dad would bring home a box for us or devouring them on road trips.  It's been so long since I've had an original Oatmeal Cream Pie, and this recipe is to blame. 

I love making goodies for my husband to take to work and these are extra special.  They disappear within minutes of his announcement of a homemade version of one of America's favorite treats.  These aren't sickeningly sweet like the store bought versions are which make them even more enjoyable. While the cookies are crispy on the edges and soft in the middle with hints of cinnamon throughout, it's the cream that sends these babies over the top.  

I have been making this recipe for 4 years now and haven't deviated from it once and they are perfect every time.  When I first started making these, there weren't a whole lot of recipes out there but now there are quite a few and after comparing them, this one takes the cake....or the cookie.  And no, they aren't "clean" like a lot of my recent recipes have been but I will be coming up with a clean version to share with you soon!  For now, enjoy these babies adapted from Nosh With Me (via The Craving Chronicles.)

Ingredients

Cookies:
1 cup butter
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 cups quick oats

Filling:
2 teaspoons hot water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow cream
1/2 cup shortening
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

1.  Cream butter, sugars, molasses and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer.  Mix in eggs one at a time.
2.  Add flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon.  Mix until just combined.  Stir in oatmeal.  Make sure you scrape the edges and the bottom of the bowl to make sure the oatmeal is incorporated throughout the whole batter.
3.  Using a small cookie scoop (or tablespoon) drop onto cookie sheets 2 inches apart.
4.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes (I usually do 10 minutes exactly).
5.  Once you take the cookies out of the oven, let cool for 2-3 minutes in the pan and then transfer to a wire rack. 
6.  While cookies are cooling, make the filling.  Dissolve salt in hot water and let cool.
7.  Whip shortening and marshmallow cream, add salt water, sugar and vanilla and whip until combined.
8.  Once cookies have cooled, spread cream on the bottom of one cookie and place the other on top.
9.  Try not to eat them all.  Unless that's why you made them.  And then contact me about a Beachbody program to help you lose the weight you gained from eating the Oatmeal Cream Pies.

Notes: Yes, hot water for the filling is necessary because the salt is necessary.  If you try to add the salt to the cream by itself, it won't fully incorporate into the cream.  If you have ever had an improperly seasoned sweet, you'll understand the importance of salt in sweets!  They are bland.  I hate when I forget the salt.

When I made this batch, I made a double batch which meant a long baking time because I had so many trays.  I let the batter sit on the counter and as a result, the butter melted due to the heat of the oven (makes our house hot!) and when I put them in the oven, they completely spread out and I ended up losing my last two trays of cookies.  So, keep the butter at a softened state by refrigerating the batter in between baking times.

 

Happy Fall, Y'all!

 

Chicken and Farro Soup

Well Merry Christmas, Happy New Year and whatever other holiday I may have missed!  I've been very busy behind the camera the last few months which caused me to put the blog aside.  Hopefully I'll be able to start posting more regularly now that the holidays are over.  Here is a sneak peek of the fruits of my labor!  You can check out my photography website at www.mlfotography.com.

 

 

 

Aside from photography, I was busy preparing for the Holiday Extravaganza and Christmas itself!  I shared a little bit about the HE in my post about Christmas Stove-top Scents.  In addition to making scents and printables, I made several gifts that can be made on a budget.  These can be used at any time of the year for birthday gifts, teacher or employee appreciation or just an old fashioned thank you gift!

If you know me, you know that gift wrap is a big deal to me.  Whether it's Christmas, birthday or a get well gift, I love spending time making sure each detail of the wrapping is perfect.  I think it makes the gift even more special.  For this year's gift wrap I just used Google Images to find my favorite Christmas chalkboard printable and hand copied the print onto a gift that was wrapped with butcher paper using a chalkboard marker.  Pretty cute huh?  I'm in love with it, so if you receive a gift from me in the near future you can guarantee it'll look similar!

Now for the good stuff.

I've made lots of yummy things recently but I blame poor lighting for not being able to take pictures to post them.  Oh and also time.  And sick babies.  But yesterday I made a batch of homemade chicken stock that had so much flavor I had to make a soup right away and share it with you.  For the stock I put celery (with the leafy greens), carrots, garlic, onion, parsley, bay leaves and thyme in a pot, placed 3 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts on top and covered with water and simmered for about an hour and a half.  I do have to tell you that they weren't whole breasts.  We had bought bone-in breasts a while back and cut the breasts off and I froze the remainder for the purpose of making broth.  There wasn't a ton of chicken left on there, but just enough for a small batch of soup.  If you use whole bone-in breasts, it may take longer.  Because I didn't have very much chicken for my soup, I used farro to create a more hearty and satisfying soup.

You're probably thinking far-what?  Farro.  It's becoming more and more popular and is starting to appear on restaurant menus and on recipes around Pinterest. When I first read it on a menu I have to admit I thought it was a cheese.  Haha!  I quickly learned otherwise.  It looks really similar to barley when cooked and is nutty in flavor.  All you need to know is that, yes, it is delicious!

So from a random thought to make stock, this recipe was born.  And it's delicious.

Ingredients:

3 small carrots, diced
1/4 onion, diced
1 T olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
6 cups of homemade chicken stock
1 cup of shredded chicken
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup uncooked farro
2 stocks of kale, chopped

1.  In a dutch oven, saute onion and carrots in olive oil for 2-3 minutes.
2.  Add 1/2 cup of white cooking wine and simmer for 1 minute.
3.  Add stock, chicken, farro and bay leaf.
4.  Simmer for 10-15 minutes or until farro is finished
5.  Cut the kale leaves away from the rib and chop.  Add to soup and turn off heat and recover for 5-10 minutes or until kale is wilted.

This soup was delicious when I served it but had even more flavor the next day.  The stock was incredible rich in flavor and adding the white wine only added to the incredible amounts of flavor that was happening.  I didn't need to use many aromatics in the soup because I had already done so when making the stock.  If you are using a box or canned stock or broth, you may want to add celery, garlic and thyme to your base before adding the broth.    

Be happy.  Be healthy.  Enjoy!