finally repurposed

this cedar log that my dad carved out of 5 holes for vases for our wedding reception which had an engraved gold plaque on it has been parked in front of our fire place for months now and i have finally used it for the first new thing...christmas tree scraps which look amazing under the fireplace...carrie would be proud [or so i hope]!

pumpkin spice cupcakes

so if you don't know by now, joe & i are very fond of the sweet girls down the street. they are so precious and recently made joe & i some goodies which they have shared the recipe to and i brought for thanksgiving in lieu of pumpkin pie...enjoy! 

pumpkin spice cupcakes
what you need...
2-1/2 cups all purpose flour
3 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
16 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 sticks @ room temp)
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1-1/2 cups pumpkin puree
2 Tbsp honey
1/3 cup hot water


what to do...
preheat oven to 350 degrees. line cup cake pans with liners. sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and salt. set aside. beat butter in mixer until fluffy on medium speed. add sugar & mix until well incorporated. add eggs, one at a time, mixing slowly after each addition. mix in pumpkin puree & honey. reduce speed to low. add 1/3 of the flour mixture, then add 1/2 of the hot water. add the remaining flour & water after the initial third is well mixed. mix until just combined. fill cups 2/3 of the way ful. bake for 25-30 minutes. transfer to wire rack to cool completely before icing. 

now for the cream cheese frosting...
what you need...
8 Tbsp butter (1 stick @ room temp)
1 tsp vanilla extract
12 oz cream cheese (1/3 less fat is best @ room temp)
8 cups of confectioner's sugar
1/2 cup pure maple syrup (optional...i hold off on this)


what to do...
toss all the ingredients in the mixer and beat until well combined on high speed for at least 2 minutes to ensure frosting is light and fluffy! then ice the cupcakes making sure to have someone lick the bowl! 

this is what happens when the frosting bag explodes!

top 10 christmas songs

here are my classic all time fave christmas songs (& artists...no cracking on the boy bands either) that i can now openly admit to listening to & have been since mid-november...

1. Joy to the World sung by anyone... I still get chills & teary eyed when this plays at church...no christmas is Christmas without joy to the world on Christmas Eve service
2. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays--N'Sync (who would have ever thought)
3. 12 Days of Christmas--Bing Crosby & especially love if EJoye & I are doing the hand motions for this one
4. Where Are You Christmas--Faith Hill
5. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas--Colbie Caillat (or Judy Garland)...means even more when my besties are so far away
6. Oh Come All Ye Faithful--Nat King Cole
7. Hark the Herald Angels Sing--Amy Grant
8. Grown-Up Christmas List--Amy Grant
9. All I Want for Christmas--Love Actually Soundtrack version
10. Ho Ho Ho & A Bottle of Rum--Jimmy Buffett

cranberry fave

Clean and dry the cranberries. Mix cinnamon and sugar to your liking and use an amount that will be generous to cover all the cranberries. In another bowl stir an egg white until very frothy. (You usually do not need to use the whole egg white just enough to lightly wet them.) Mix with cinn and sugar and lay on wax paper to air dry........Enjoy (but make sure to put in the fridge when you aren't enjoying them)

give thanks

my sweet things does it again...when you need your next cake, cupcakes, cookies, or more for a special event go get on Facebook and reach out to Kathi @ My Sweet Things...she always makes our special events even more special!