Saturday, October 29, 2016

Pumpkin Cornbread with Cinnamon Honey Butter


Every autumn the pumpkin craze starts up again and we find pumpkin in anything and everything. I must admit that I'm a crazy pumpkin fanatic too. Pumpkin Spice Latte, Pumpkin Spice Cherrios Cereal, Pumpkin Soup, Pumpkin Roll, Pumpkin Pie and ... PUMPKIN CORNBREAD with CINNAMON HONEY BUTTER!
It's wonderful! Both the cornbread and the Cinnamon Honey Butter. Put them together and they are quite the feast!

You know you want to try it! Here is the recipe:

Pumpkin Cornbread with Cinnamon Honey Butter

INGREDIENTS

Cornbread:
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup cornmeal
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1.2 teaspoon salt
  • 1.2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar
  • 1.4 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 2 large eggs

Whipped Cinnamon Honey Butter:
  • 1/2 cup salted butter
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1/4 confectioner's sugar (powdered sugar/icing sugar)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:
  1. For the cornbread:  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
  2. In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves for 20 seconds.  Make a well in the center of the flour mixture then set aside.
  3. In a separate mixing bowl, add brown sugar and break up sugar with fingertips until no clumps remain.  Add in melted butter and pumpkin and whisk to combine.  Mix in sour cream and eggs until well blended.  Pour mixture into well in flour mixture then fold with a rubber spatula and just until combined and no streaks of flour remain.
  4. Spray and 8" by 8" baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and pour batter into pan.  Spread batter into an even layer and bake in a preheated oven until toothpick inserted into center comes out free of batter, about 25 - 30 minutes.  Cool slightly on a wire rack and then cut into squares.  Serve with Cinnamon Honey Butter.
For the Cinnamon Honey Butter:
  1. In a mixing bowl whip butter with an electric mixer until smooth.  Add in honey, powdered sugar and cinnamon and mix on low speed until combined, then increase to high speed and whip  until light and fluffy, about 2 - 3 minutes.
Recipe source: http://www.cookingclassy.com/2015/10/pumpkin-cornbread-with-cinnamon-honey-butter

 
Until next time,
Cheers!
 
Jennifer
 
 

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Monday, October 17, 2016

Memory House by Bette Lee Crosby



Memory House grabbed my attention and didn't let go until I turned the last page. The combination of women's friendships, a mystical "gift" to be discovered and passed on, combining past treasures with present and modern day problems with relationships, and work place issues made this book a winner.

Bette Lee Crosby creates characters that you come to love, and some for whom you never wish to meet!  That is part of good story telling and character development.

I highly recommend Memory House and look forward to reading more in this series.


I had the privilege of reading Memory House through ibooks and given the opportunity to given an honest review.

Until Next Time,
Cheers!
 
Jennifer
 
 

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Glass Etched Flour Canister


I like to bake bread and not just plain white bread.  I have a lot of different kinds of flour ranging from whole wheat, multigrain, rye, buckwheat, graham...the list goes on.  I use a lot of whole wheat flour and I needed another canister to store it in.  While rummaging around in the basement I came across a couple of huge, gallon+ size, glass pickle jars.  You know...the kind that food service and vendors have that their pickles and condiments come in.  That's when I decided to upcycle the jars into flour canisters.
 

The clear glass was perfect for trying my hand at a little decorative glass etching.

 
For the lettering I cut out my own lettering stencil to spell our FLOUR in a fun script.  Then I used a Martha Stewart floral design stencil beneath the word FLOUR.  I taped the stencils to the glass jar and applied the Martha Stewart Glass etching liquid with a foam brush over the letters and design.
 
 
Then being very careful, I removed the stencils, washed away the excess etching compound and...
Voila!
I created a canister for more flour. 

 
The lid is looking a little shabby covering the pretty jar so I think perhaps I'll cover it with either a pretty fabric or I'll paint it.  It's fun giving new purpose to discarded 'junk'.
 

Until next time,
Cheers!
 
Jennifer
 

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Saturday, September 10, 2016

A Wave From Mama

I received an Advance Reader's Copy of A Wave From Mama in exchange for an honest review.



A Wave From MamaA Wave From Mama by A. Robert Allen

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


A Wave from Mama is the second novel in A. Robert Allen’s series, Slavery and Beyond. An historical fiction novel that begins in the year 1863, following the Draft Riots, in Weeksville, New York where former slaves find refuge in the camp where they found refuge and yearned to start a new life. It is a history lesson in post civil war tense relations between Blacks, Irish immigrants, gangs and police corruption and incorporated in the story is the historic importance of the building of the Brooklyn Bridge.

The reader is immediately introduced to the central characters, Venture Simmons who is a socially awkward and physical small but very agile boy who witnessed the rape and murder of his mother, and the man, Moses Brown, who would become Venture’s confidant and best friend. Venture promises his Mama’s memory to all with the shouts, “You killed Mama, and you’re all gonna pay!”

The story of Venture is touching with the love and friendship of the people who would become his family who take him in as their own family (Esther, Thomas, Mabel and Horace Washington), his friend Moses, the young girl Grace who would eventually become his wife, and John Singleton and most importantly Venture’s love and devotion to his Mama’s memory. This love and friendship all in the midst of the tumultuous time in history.

A Wave from Mama is a history lesson of events that I wasn’t aware of; that is the Draft Riots, the clash between the Irish and Blacks and the history and significant importance of the building of the Brooklyn Bridge. I was immediately drawn in to the story. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and thank the author, A. Robert Allen, for teaching me about these aspects of post civil war history and slavery that I knew little about in a most captivating novel.

Historic fiction is my favorite genre of fiction and this novel did not disappoint.

Until next time,
Cheers!
 
Jennifer

Friday, September 9, 2016

Infant and Toddler Summer Sun Suit Rompers

Someone very special to me had her second baby girl this summer.  The newborn has a 2 years old big sister, so I thought it might be fun to make the little girls matching Summer Sun Suits.  

 
 I just love browsing digital sewing patterns on Etsy and I found this darling pattern that would fit sizes from Newborn to 24 months at My Childhood Treasures Etsy shop.

 
 The pattern does have a ruffle pattern piece, but I decided to use up some of my lacey ruffles, satin ribbons and satin rose buds and embellish in my own way.

 
These were so fast to sew up and I had just the best time making them. 

 
 Nothing more sweet than seeing little girls in ruffles and bows, ribbons and rosebuds.

 
 For the infant romper, since it was so tiny, rather than using three rows of the wider eyelet lace, I chose to use five rows of a narrow lace.


Of course I had to match the satin ribbons and rosebuds to the big sister version of the sun suit.

 
The fabric is from Tanya Whelan.  I just love her romantic fabrics. 
 
 

Until next time,
Cheers!
 
Jennifer
 

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Wednesday, September 7, 2016

Art...Soul...Life



It's been ages since I've inked up stamps and made a card or two and I've really missed it.   I decided to take advantage of this week's Mojo Monday #464 card layout shown below:




I was cleaning and putting away supplies in my craft/sewing room and discovered some very old supplies.  Do you remember the FASCINATOR stapler?  It was all the rage about 10 years ago.  I decided to put it back in use to attach the ribbon tape.  And the Designer Paper is some very, very old Anna Griffin paper.  I always have loved Anna Griffin supplies and this floral paper was one of my all time favorites.  I had a scrap just large enough to use for this card.  And the Sentiment Stamp I've had for years and years and....well, YEARS!


Card Recipe:
Stamps:  Hampton Arts
Ink:  Versamark, Versacolor in Green Tea, and Color Box in Cranberry
Designer Paper:  Anna Griffin
Accessories:  Clear Embossing Powder, Fascinator Stapler and Staples, Nestabilities Square Die cut and Embossing Folder



Until next time,
Cheers!
 
Jennifer