BUTTER PECAN BUNDT CAKE WITH BUTTER RUM SAUCE

 

 

This is a wonderful, can't go wrong dessert, perfect for Fall!

 

 

 

Your home will be filled with that rich, buttery pecan aroma that says

"Welcome Home"

 

 

BUTTER PECAN BUNDT CAKE

1 box Butter Pecan Cake Mix

1  3 -ounce box instant vanilla pudding

1 cup sour cream

1/2 Cup water

1/2 Cup oil

3 large eggs

1 t. vanilla

1/2 cup coconut

1 Cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Combine all ingredients except chocolate chips and coconut in a large mixing bowl.

With a hand mixer, mix to combine on low and then beat on medium for 2 minutes. Add the chocolate chips and coconut and stir to combine. Pour into a sprayed bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 25 to 30 minutes.Cool for 15 minutes before inverting onto a cake plate.

 

 

This is just so good with this Butter Rum Sauce!

 

HOT BUTTER RUM SAUCE

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup half and half

1 t. rum extract

 

Combine sugar, butter and half and half in a small saucepan. Heat over low heat. Stirring occasionally, heat until you have a gentle boil. Remove from heat and stir in rum extract. when you are ready to slice and serve your cake, drizzle over individual serving pieces.

 

SITTING PRETTY.... KITTY-KATS

Well......HELLO GORGEOUS!

They all had me at Meow......

Prosciutto-Wrapped Mango Bites...An Appetizer for A Light Affair

Football season is upon us...FINALLY! Many of us host gatherings to watch our favorite football teams and tailgate appetizers are fun to prepare, serve and savor!

I may be partial, but here is MY FAVORITE QUARTERBACK.....grandson Noah and his Coach (our number two son) Nick!

However, those creamy, dreamy cheesy dips can contain a wealth of calories! I have saved this cool, delicious and yes, HEALTHIER appetizer from Southern Living for the past six years. You may want to double this recipe, because they disappear fast! If you are a fan of Costco, I buy the large container of sliced Mangos to make these.

Another very cool thing about this recipe is that you can substitute Gala apples, cantaloupe, honeydew melon or ripe pears for the mango...simply toss the apples or pears in about 1/2 cup of lemon-lime soft drink and drain. I have made them with both apples and pears and add a thin slice of cheddar cheese!

Prosciutto-Wrapped Mango Bites

1 ripe mango, peeled

1 1/2 cups loosely packed arugula

1 (1-oz.) package fresh basil

4 very thin prosciutto or country ham slices

1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

Cut mango into 1/4- to 1/2-inch slices (about 16). Place 1 mango slice on top of 3 arugula leaves and 1 to 2 basil leaves.

 Cut each prosciutto slice lengthwise into 4 strips. Wrap center of each mango bundle with 1 prosciutto strip. Arrange on a serving platter, and sprinkle with pepper.

GRILLED MEATLOAF....IT WAS THE BEST SHE EVER HAD

Estelle's Autumn Mosaic


"What are you doing?"

"Trying to decide what to make for dinner....something  that I know he will like..."

"Hey, what about meatloaf....he always likes your meatloaf."

"Yes, but I kind of wanted to make something a little different.
What's the best meatloaf you ever tasted?"

"Actually, it was a meatloaf that Miss Irma, AKA Ohio Grandma, made last year.
She actually grilled it and I do think it was the best meatloaf I ever tasted!"

Miss Irma, A.K.A. "Ohio Grandma" and Luke

"OK, then....that's the ticket! Thanks for the inspiration!"

AUTUMN GRILLED MEATLOAF

1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 cup quick-cooking oats

1/2 cup plain bread crumbs

1/2 cup green pepper, chopped

1 egg

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 t. dried parsley flakes

1 t. onion powder

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp dried oregano

1 t. dried basil

1/2 t. pepper

1 t. salt

1-1/2 lbs. ground chuck

Cooking spray

Additional ketchup, for brushing

Combine the first 13 ingredients. Add the ground chuck and mix well, using your hands. Shape the meat into individual loaves. Freeze until partially frozen, approximately 30 minutes. Preheat a barbecue grill to medium.

Spray a grill basket or grill pan with cooking spray. Place each loaf into the grill basket and sear over indirect heat for 10 minutes. Flip each loaf and sear the other side for another 10 minutes. Flip once more and close the lid. Cook for another 10 minutes, or until the meat is no longer pink, and a meat thermometer inserted into one of the loaves reads 160°F. Brush each loaf with ketchup. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

AUTUMN FRIENDSHIP TEA....THE DECORATING BEGINS

I Served the Cake...
You Poured the Tea

Miss M and I are exchanging ideas on Fall decorating. Just a few touches here and there. I am displaying a lovely new pumpkin orange throw I bought when visiting Atlanta. I paired a new tapestry pillow I bought at Kirkland's with one of my favorite chocolate leaf pillows! The perfect comfort spot on the sofa!

Mae only shows interest in decorating when cupboards are opened and there are new nooks and crannies to explore. If ribbons appear, she's all in. If there are small baubles to bat around, she is ready for the chase. Other than that, she simply likes to be photographed. Wouldn't you, if you looked this beautiful in a sunbeam?

We frequently exchange ideas through email to bounce ideas off of each other. Here is her new crewel pillow she found at the Pottery Barn outlet! Oh my gosh....this goes beautifully with her olive cableknit throw! I simply adore crewel needlework pillows!

She also picked up this lovely pheasant pillow at the Pottery Barn outlet. The colors just popped against her Autumn orange throw! Another living room vignette which will put you in the mood for cooler temperatures and a pot of soup simmering on the stove!

She is a step ahead by purchasing a new Fall wreath..on sale at a bargain price! Temps are a tad cooler in Atlanta than they are in Texas, so on the front door it goes! I think I will just have to wait a few more weeks until those 100 degree days are behind us.......but, I am SO ready, aren't you? Have you  pulled out your faux pumpkins and gathered your pinecones yet?

Miss Judy made me this beautiful cross-stitch years ago when we lived in Dothan, Alabama. It has graced my home for about thirty years and everytime I see it, I think how lucky we are to have been sisters......it's the family thing ya' know! I think it lends itself well to the Autumn season.

Now it's time to gather more decorating ideas....

time to take a break with a lovely cup of Autumn Friendship Tea!

AUTUMN FRIENDSHIP TEA

5 individual tea bags

5 cups boiling water

5 cups unsweetened apple juice

2 cups cranberry juice

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Place the tea bags in a large heat-proof bowl; add boiling water. Cover and steep for 8 minutes. Discard tea bags. Add the remaining ingredients to tea; stir until sugar is dissolve. Serve warm~

MAPLE PUMPKIN PUDDING CAKE.....FALL'S BOUNTY

 

New England in the Fall. Imagine! Yes, it was just a short time ago, we were living in the most beautiful area of the country during my most favorite time of year. Off we went on adventures throwing caution to the wind. 

We had chosen little coastal towns we wanted to visit or walking trails to explore. We would wrap ourselves in cardigans and scarves, pull on our walking boots and motor over to our chosen destination. I would say it was a time of renewal for us. A time of being empty nester's for the first time in a long, long time......memories that light the corners of our minds.

There was nothing more comforting than to come home to The Maine House and be welcomed into Estelle's with something rich and warm! This Maple Pumpkin Pudding Cake is made with one of my favorite products from The Stonewall Kitchen. There is this darling shop in Old Port that carries an array of Stonewall products. It was my go-to store to send Maine gifts home to family and friends. What could sound sweeter than a rich fruit butter that captures the essence of Fall!

MAPLE PUMPKIN PUDDING CAKE

2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

one egg (slightly beaten)

1 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup butter, melted

1 cup pecans

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 jar Stonewall Kitchen Maple Pumpkin Butter

 Spray  a 9"x 13" baking pan with cooking spray Preheat oven to 325°F.

Excluding the Maple Pumpkin Butter, mix all other ingredients well. Batter will be firm. Spread Maple Pumpkin Butter over batter.

Bake until bubbles have risen to the top and cake feels firm to the touch, approximately 55-60 minutes. A toothpick should come out clean when inserted. Allow to cool about thirty minutes before serving.

AUTUMN INSPIRED

Look what's waiting for you..........

 

And I think to myself.........

What a wonderful world