The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year

I have been baking all day. The girls helped me make some sugar cookies, and I made some peanut butter chocolate ones for my dad. I am also making brownies and cupcakes to take to my sister's house on Christmas.

Do I have to tell you how good my house smells?

Junior walked in from work and started drooling, and sampling all the cookies.

I was sampling, too, and they are all soooo good!

Home Baked Gifts

Lack of money means I am giving baked goods as gifts this year. Check out the yummy banana bread with cinnamon crumb topping I made this morning. Don't they look delicious?

It is taking all of my willpower NOT to go in there and cut into one. What was I thinking not making one for myself?

Come On, Drool With Me

This is how I spent my morning...making yummy peanut butter cookies topped with melted milk chocolate. Tonight we are headed to Missy's house for a little pre-Thanksgiving turkey dinner, and I made this to bring along. I am also making a macaroni and cheese, and a vegetable of some sort. I can not wait to eat, and hang out with some of my favorite people in the whole world!

It's Okay To Drool

devil's food cake....peanut butter mixed with powdered sugar....chocolate fudge frosting

Trust me when I say this; you could not eat this whole piece. You would go into sugar shock. I don't think I ate even a third of that piece. BUT, the little bit you would eat is like a little slice of happiness.

Well, if you are a peanut butter/chocolate fan like we are.

I'm Feeling Kinda Like A Pirate

Junior has been after me for years to make him a rum cake, but since we don't drink, there hasn't been rum in the house. He decided today to stop on his way home and get some, so this is what I made:

It looks yummy, right? Well, he loved it, and I couldn't swallow the one bite I took. I am not a rum girl, that's for sure. For those of you who are, here is the recipe I used:

Cake:
1 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped
1 pkg. yellow cake mix
1 pkg. instant vanilla pudding
4 eggs
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup rum

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour 10 inch tube pan or 12 inch bundt cake pan. Sprinkle nuts over bottom of pan. Mix all ingredients together and pour over nuts.

Bake for 1 hour. Cool, invert on serving plate, and prick the top of the cake.

Glaze:
1/4 lb. butter (1 stick)
1/4 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup rum

Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in water and sugar. Boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in rum. Pour over cake.

Let me tell you. If you make this, be careful adding the rum to the sugar mixture. It does something pretty funky. I also used a whisk to mix the glaze, and that worked really well.

Now, you might be wondering why I didn't post this recipe on my new foodie blog. To be honest, I couldn't figure the darn thing out. I am thinking of just doing one here on blogger, if I can find the time in the next few days. I'll let you know.

My New Cake Pan

A couple of weeks ago, I was browsing through oriental tradings online catalog, looking for cheap Halloween stuff for Ryan's party next month. I found this cake pan for $3.99 I think. I know it was on clearance.

My order was delivered today, and I am so excited to make and decorate little pumpkin cakes.

I think I might try and make some before the party, just to see how they turn out. I don't want to wait until right before, and find out I can't do a good job. If that happens, I will give my mom the pan and tell her to make them. :)

Look...They're Yummy!

Look what I just made...yummy peanut butter cookies topped with chocolate.

Okay, stop drooling. I shared the recipe here.
Trust me, they are the best peanut butter cookies I have ever made.
Or eaten!