What to do with Pumpkin

I hope everybody had a good pumpkin day!

Here are a few highlights from our Halloween:

It was our kitten Ben's first Halloween. He wasn't quite sure what to make of our Jack-O-Lanterns.  It was also Preston's first Halloween.  He ate pumpkin puree (he loved it, but I don't think he's tried a food he hasn't liked yet), tried eating pumpkins whole, and slept right through trick or treating.

I think he was watching for trick-or-treaters.

Remember how obsessed with Diggers my daughter Anya is?  She drew the little red picture of a Digger on it (she did no-knife decorating first) and then I carved the Digger according to her instructions.  Anya dressed up as a pumpkin because the only thing she loves more than diggers is the color orange.

This is one of the Harry Potter pumpkins my husband carved.  Carving pumpkins is so much easier when we swipe his wood carving tools.  Seriously, it would be worth getting some just for Halloween.  I had big plans for a Gruffalo inspired jack-o-lantern, but ran out of time.  Maybe next year.

 

This was Miriam's Hello Kitty jack-o-lantern.  She drew on it first and then I carved it for her.  I'm sorry that we didn't photograph this one straight away because you can't see any of the details in this photo, but it did have a cute face and everything.  I particularly like the three tiny mice that she added to the side.

After having a fabulous Halloween, we were overflowing with pumpkin.  We've had pumpkin lasagna, pumpkin soup, pumpkin pie (both sweet and savoury), pumpkin in curry and chili and stew, and--the most popular pumpkin invention--pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.  Best pumpkin idea ever (except maybe jack-o-lanterns, but it's a close one to call).

For my recipe for pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, click here.  These are seriously addictive and my whole family LOVES them.  Plus you can feel a bit better about making cookies because they're vegetabley.  (Just ignore all the butter and sugar and remember that the pumpkin is healthy.)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
They didn't last long.

Next up: Bonfire night.  Don't you just love autumn holidays?

3 Cakes & a 3rd Birthday

Strawberry & Chocolate Chip Birthday Cake for my sister-in-law's 17th birthday.  Happy Birthday Bea!

Orange & Chocolate Cake (decorated with cars for my daughter Anya's 3rd birthday.  I can't believe she's 3 and starting preschool this week!)

Orange & Chocolate Digger Cake (for my daughter's 3rd birthday party--it was Digger themed; She had a fantastic birthday!)

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Orange Chocolate Birthday Cake Recipe:

Ingredients:

2 2/3 cup plain (all purpose) flour

1 1/3 cup sugar

4 tsp baking powder

1 1/3 cup milk

2 eggs

1/2 cup butter (room temperature)

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1/2 tbsp orange essence

1/2 tbsp orange food coloring

2 bars chopped chocolate or about 1 cup chocolate chips

Instructions:

1. Mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer until the batter is smooth and well blended.

2. Pour into greased and floured cake tins (bakes best if you make multiple smaller cakes and stack rather than one large cake)

3. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 F/350 C for about 25 minutes (baking time depends on the size tins used, so check regularly. When a knife can be poked in and comes out clean, it's finished).

4. Let cool then decorate as desired

A long overdue post on brownies...

Everyone has a stand-by recipe.  You know the kind that I mean.  A recipe that you know will turn out every time.  The kind of recipe that you don't need any special ingredients for and that can be made at any time.  If you need to bring a potluck item, this is the recipe you automatically turn to.  For me, my most dependable stand-by is brownies.  They are easy to make and turn out perfectly every time.  Brownies are always popular and you can make a lot of variations on them (like cookie dough brownies). Somehow I've never gotten around to blogging my brownies recipe, so here it is.  I hope your family loves it as much as mine does.

Brownies

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter (soft but not melted)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup cocoa
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 180 C/350 F.  Butter and flour the pan (about 6 x 6 is good, but be flexible--it just means thicker or thinner brownies if you use a different size).
2. Put all ingredients in a medium sized bowl.  Mix by hand until blended (don't over mix).
3. Bake for about 30 minutes.  I like mine still gooey in the middle.

We last made brownies for a school fundraiser.  My daughter's school has an annual summer fair as a fund raiser, and they have donated treats for a cake stand and prizes.  We go to support her school, but it's actually a great community event.  There's a different theme each year (this year was pirates), but there are always a wide variety of activities including pony rides, hot air balloon rides, bouncy castles, live music, barbecue, and much more.  Even if you don't have kids, find out if your local schools have similar fundraising events (most primary schools do).  They're a lot of fun and all of the proceeds go to a good cause.

Simple Chocolate Cupcakes

It's always good to have a few recipes for home-made treats that are relatively quick and easy to make, and you know will turn out perfectly every time.  One of the best treats is a chocolate cupcake.  They're perfect for almost any occasion (including when you just need a chocolate fix).

My daughter wanted to visit her old preschool.  She wanted them to be able to see how grown up she is in her school uniform, and to wish them a Merry Christmas.  So the girls and I made chocolate cupcakes together.  This is the kind of recipe that still turns out well when you're letting your kids do all of the measuring and mixing.

For my simple chocolate cupcake recipe, click here.

We gave them the cupcakes with a Christmas card.  We wanted to individually wrap them so that all of the teachers and other workers could bring one home with them, and wanted to make them Christmasy.  Here's what we did.

To add a Christmasy feel, we made a mint chocolate icing.  I used a piping bag without a nozzle.  To be even more festive, add some crushed candy canes into the icing and then sprinkle a little on the top.  We sprinkled edible glitter on the top because it looked festive and reminded us of snow.

To individually wrap them, we used plastic sandwich bags.  We put them in then tied around the bag with scraps of festive ribbon.  This is great because you can use up any scraps you have leftover from wrapping presents or other festive activities.  We had a mix of different red and gold ribbons.

These made a delicious and really simple Christmas gift.