We had a busy time of it with kid activities, grocery shopping, church and BUNK BED SHOPPING!
About once a year, we Chocolatiers decide there is yet another piece of furniture this house needs. So, we pack up the van (and in this case, car, so we had enough room to bring all the furniture AND kids home. The stores seem to frown upon leaving any children there for any length of time.)
And of course, no yearly trip is complete without the Dad/kids on cart photo.
After going out to lunch we headed on over and purchased bunk beds for our almost birthday boy. They will hopefully be assembled by next weekend.
I've done a marathon food/household shopping over the past 48 hours, so hoping that will hold us over for at least the next 1.4 days. I'll let you know how it goes.
With this dreary winter weather in full force, I was in the mood for a festive, comfort food type of meal. So, I cooked up one of these....
and served it up with mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, and oven-roasted green beans.
But I would have traded all that for this....
My "Sort of" Healthy Pumpkin Cake. It was SOOOO good. I think I have posted the original recipe somewhere on this blog, but I thought I would try to "healthify" it (word that my 12 year-old used when I was somewhat "busted" after everyone tried it. Kids and their dang developed palates!)
But, in all seriousness, there is not much in the world that cannot be cured by piling on plenty of cream cheese icing (ere go, "sort of" healthy." So, here is the modified recipe. It's maybe even okay to serve for breakfast!
Mindy's Modified "So healthy, have a second slice" Pumpkin Cake:
1 cup sugar (down from 2 cups)
1/2 cup oil (down from 1 cup)
2 small containers (snack size or about 1/2 cup from a jar) cinnamon applesauce (important replacement for the oil)
1 15 oz can pure pumpkin
4 eggs
2 cups flour (I used 1 cup white, 1 cup whole-wheat white)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
Mix together sugar, oil, applesauce and pumpkin. Add eggs, one at a time. Combine dry ingredients, mix well. I used a bundt pan, you can also use a 9x13. Bake at 350 25-30 minutes. Spread liberally with cream cheese icing. And, if you're like us, cut a slice and then add a personal dollop more!
Cream cheese icing - just enough for this recipe:
1 8 oz block cream cheese, softened (I used the "light" version)
1 stick softened butter (used the full strength;)
2 cups powdered sugar
2 - 3 tablespoons milk
1 tsp vanilla
Blend butter and cream and vanilla together, slowly add sugar and milk. Add the sugar first, you may not need much milk depending on how thick you like your icing.
I'm currently making up a batch of stuffed shells for tonight's dinner, so with my extra time this afternoon (that's 2 hours and 20 minutes for those who are counting;) I'm debating between the gym or the episodes of "The Firm" and "Pan Am" that are currently in my DVR. I'm still in that new love/fascination stage of getting out and GOING to the gym, so hopefully that will win out. Though I do need to be up to speed on The Firm since my husband watched that one last night while I pulled a Rip Van Winkle at 8:20 p.m. And I'm not too ashamed to share that.
I'm going to blame the turkey with all its tryptophan. Or maybe the simple carbs in the cream cheese icing.
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