Pinterest Test #1: Pumpkin Spice Cake!

Ahh, Fall in Mississippi. The 80 degree days. The 50 degree days. It is rare that we ever actually have a true fall. Usually, the temperature fluctuates to either end of the scale until winter hits in full force some time in January. Many times, I've found myself kind of creating my own fall with pumpkin picking, fall festivals, and of course, pumpkin spice anything!

Now that November has hit, we are in the holiday hustle as I call it. We will be going non-stop until next year with parties, activities, shopping, cooking--oh, the cooking! Last year, I cooked so much that my poor pregnant self had to call in to work the next day! Well, I'm not letting that happen this year. I am going to simplify everything. I'm planning to finish everything ahead of schedule this year-- we are taking Christmas pictures this weekend, and I vow to be done shopping by Cyber Monday!

In the spirit of simplifying, I have tested out a Pinterest recipe that I'm sure if you have spent any time on the site, you've noticed floating around: the "two ingredient pumpkin spice cake!" It was actually three ingredients, and delicious! What really makes it, though, is the delectable buttercream icing--to which I added cinnamon and nutmeg. This cake was so simple and quick, I had to keep checking myself to ensure that I didn't miss a step!

All you need for the cake is three eggs, one can of pumpkin puree, and one box of spice cake mix. For the frosting: 4 ounces of cream cheese, teaspoon each of vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, two cups of powdered sugar, 1/3 cup of cold butter, and a tablespoon of milk. That's seriously how simple this is. I was terrified to try this frosting, because the last time I tried to make buttercream, it literally melted. But this time, I figured out where I went wrong: I used room temperature butter and cream cheese. So, make sure your ingredients are COLD, but not hard. Just barely softened. For the cake, be sure not to over-cook it or it will become dry quickly, and grease your pan very well with either butter and flower, or cooking spray. I originally wanted to make this a two-tier cake, but I'm glad I didn't because the cake and frosting would not have held up. So be sure to do this in a sheet cake pan or 9x13 dish.

I totally cheated on my diet for this. Worth it.

For the cake: 

3 eggs

1 can pumpkin puree

1 box spice cake mix

For the frosting: 

4 oz cream cheese

1/3 cup butter

2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tblsp milk

Pre-heat oven to 350. Grease pan with butter and dust flower on top. Mix together eggs, pumpkin, and cake mix. Pour into baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted comes out clean. Allow cake to cool completely before frosting it.

For the frosting: 

Cream together butter and cream cheese. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and blend together. Mix in milk. Refrigerate until ready to use. 

Comfort Food: Quicky Red Beans and Rice

    Until I became pregnant with Anniston, I never really had a go-to comfort food. Don't get me wrong, I loved food--always have, always will--but I hated it when I was asked what my favorite food was. When I met my husband, one of the first things he clued me in to about himself was his love affair with homemade, Velveeta mac and cheese. So, now I know what to make for him when he's sick, or having a rough week. But it occurred to me-- what about me? What do I like? What's my go-to? What is the one food that, without fail, will put a smile on my face and a warmth in my belly? 

         It took getting pregnant, but I finally found my comfort food. And it's not just one dish-- it's two. I discovered two wonderful recipes when I was pregnant, and fell in love: quick red beans and rice, and crock pot beouf bourguignon. There's something about that gravy in beouf bourguignon--that deep burgundy juice flowing over steaming mashed potatoes. Juicy little jewels of baby bella mushrooms and gems of carrots nestled in between tender pieces of meat. Yeah, I'm going to have to share my secret recipe with ya'll at some point. But, I digress. To the recipe at hand: quick red beans and rice.

Mouthwatering, I tell ya.

       When I found this recipe, I was around six months pregnant, and having one of those off the wall cravings for red beans and rice. I was never, ever a red beans and rice eater until this point. All the recipes I found for authentic red beans and rice involved soaking dried beans over night and stewing the pot for hours on end. Well, as any woman who has ever been hungry and pregnant can tell you, "Ain't nobody got time fo dat." Finally, I stumbled across DeepSouthDish, and my world as I knew it changed forever. You can find the original version here. This recipe is super quick, super easy, and so, so delicious. I'm telling you, there is absolutely nothing better to warm a cold body on a chilly day than a big bowl of this stuff. Ah, just typing about it makes my mouth water! I literally stood over the pot with my spoon and had second helpings as I attempted to pack my husband's lunch. This stuff is my weakness, hands down. Okay, that's been enough gushing. But seriously, you just have to try this out.
So, I've changed only a couple things from the original recipe--I omitted the bacon this time for my budget's sake, used a teaspoon of minced garlic, and used a cup of frozen mirepoix blend instead of fresh. I usually prefer to chop my own fresh veggies, but with Anni going through a "hold me" phase, I just don't have enough hands to do all that. Also, if you can't find cream style red beans, just mash a can of red beans until it looks like refried beans.
You might be wondering what a mirepoix blend is. This is what the coon heads down in Louisiana call the "Holy Trinity": celery, onion, and bell pepper. Sometimes, it is celery, onion, and carrot. It just depends on the recipe. Mirepoix is the building block for most Cajun recipes, and is usually the base for stocks and sauces. Now, on with the recipe.

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound Andouille sausage, or other spicy sausage

1 cup frozen mirepoix blend, or: 1/3 cup each of chopped onion, celery, bell pepper

1 teaspoon minced garlic, or two cloves of fresh garlic, chopped

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning, or to taste. Go easy on it-- it's salty. (I used Slap Ya Mama, but Tony's might be easier to find.)

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 bay leaves

2-3 cans of light or dark red kidney beans, undrained

1 can Blue Runner brand Creole cream style red beans

1 cup of low sodium chicken broth

Cut up sausage on the bias. Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large pot (I used a dutch oven), and saute sausage until slightly golden. Add mirepoix and cook until soft. Add seasonings. Stir in all the beans and chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook uncovered for about 20 minutes, until slightly reduced and thickened. Serve over white rice on a cold, fall day! 

That's it for this week. I've started a diet, and I'm allowing myself to have one indulgence a week, so it looks like this is it! Next week, I'm thinking about trying something from my Duck Dynasty cook book--it was a gift, don't judge! Alrighty, see ya'll next week!

Love and Cornbread, 

Amber

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!