PINT - Anatomy 101

Where's Think Tank Momma?

I am guest posting today!  SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

That One Mom let me high-jack her blog today and post about HOT HOT HOT HOT men!  So go over there and check them out!  You won't be sorry.  I promise!

Well, what are you waiting for?

Go!

Now!

BYE!

Share a Spoon Theme - Squash It!

Happy Saturday Smackers!

THEME TIME

Gourds

Well, not really gourds, because gourd actually means the dried shell of the fruit, but squash of any flavor and pumpkins in all those pretty colors.

This week's sweet and savory theme is brought to you by That One Mom from Only Parent Chronicles.

So break out those recipes.  What do you do with your butternut, buttercup, summer, cushaw or hubbard squashes?  Zucchini?  PUMPKIN?

We will do another week specifically for Pumpkin confections in the next few weeks, not to worry.  Many of you have asked for pumpkin as a theme.

Also, I thought I would just take a brief minute to Share how Share a Spoon works again.  We have some new folks joining in, which is AMAZING!  I am so happy to have more participation.

On Saturdays I post the theme for the week.  I usually have requests for themes from another blogger.  When I do, I spotlight and link to that blogger on Saturday and again on Thursday.

The link is open for a week.  If you can't post on Thursday, no worries.  Post when you can anytime that weekend/week until Wednesday.  I check the link throughout the week, and I always visit each and every recipe and comment.

I often tweet about recipes that sounds amazing.  If you tweet your post I will always RT.  I usually tweet several times on Thursday about #SaS or #ShareaSpoon and often over the course of the weekend.

Also, if you want to SHARE a recipe but do not want to post it on your site, or do not have a blog, email it to me: adrienzgirl@gmail.com

I will Share your recipe over at Momma B's Kitchen which is http://shareaspoon.blogspot.com/

So, see you this Thursday for some squashy goodness!

Father doesn't know best...listen to your Mother!

You know as a Mom to boys your responsibilities to teach them things is easy.  You teach them how to talk to women, appreciate women, be kind to women, love them, etc.


But girls?  Girls need more than boys.  We have to teach our girls all the fine points of being women.  So, I am starting early with my little Monkey Princess.  It's actually become a point of contention with BDC.  


You see, BDC and I seem to have some differences of opinion on what is important to women.  I tell him it's pointless to argue with me, I mean, I am a woman.  I'm pretty sure THAT makes me an expert.


So here is BDC's rub this week, and our, shall we say....disagreement.


BDC is ridiculously protective over his baby girl.  I mean to the point where it's past the point of cute, it's almost nauseating. 


I think that it is very important to teach my little darling the importance of looking beautiful and sparkling.  So with that in mind...I took the Princess to get some bling.

So, as you can see....in his mind, according to the photographic evidence, I hurt his baby.


I tried to argue that I just taught her a lesson in the finer things in life, ya know, like BLING BABY!  However, he thinks I did her a disservice.  Whatever. Those earrings are so dang cute!  She cried for about 15 seconds.  Until I showed her how pretty she looked in the mirror.


Then it was all smiles!  Score!  


Me - 2 points   BDC - 0


(Before you leave me nasty comments about what is and is not important in life and what I teach my children.  If you don't know me than just keep moving.  This post is all in good fun and my Smackers will know that.)

Share a Spoon - Apple Nut Spice Cake

<img src="http://i636.photobucket.com/albums/uu81/Adrienzgirl/Share%20a%20Spoon%20Warm%20the%20Heart/ShareaSpoon5.jpg" border="0" alt="Think Tank Momma"></a>

Happy Thursday Smackers!


Lick those lips and rub those bellies cause I made dessert today!


It's APPLE season.  When you walk into the grocery stores this time of year you just smell apples and cinnamon.  *SIGH*  Makes me hungry even when I have just eaten.


I was so thrilled when Andrea over at Good Girl Gone Redneck asked for APPLES.  I love apple crisp, apple dumplings, fried apple pies, caramel apples, brandied apples.  I just love apples.  Period. 


When I was little I used to watch my dad take a Granny Smith, a paring knife and a salt shaker from the kitchen.  He would cut his apple up and salt each slice.  What?  Salt on apples?  Don't knock it until you've tried it. 


So this week I knew I wanted to make an apple spice cake.  I searched my recipes.  I searched my collection of dessert magazines and books.  I searched the go to websites.  I found nothing I thought sounded good.  So....what's a girl to do?


Take the best parts of several recipes of course!


Here's my end results.


APPLE NUT SPICE CAKE


Cake Ingredients:

4 Apples (I used 2 granny smith and 2 honey crisps) diced

2 Tablespoons of apple juice or cider

2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract

1 Tablespoon Cinnamon

In a bowl combine all ingredients above and set aside.

2 cups granulated sugar

1 1/4 cups canola oil

3 extra large eggs

3 Tablespoon apple juice or apple cider

3 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1/4 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon all spice

1/2 cup walnuts

1/2 cup pecans

Cream together sugar, oil, eggs and apple juice.  

In another bowl mix flour, spices, salt and soda.  Make sure all the ingredients are well blended and then add to the creamed sugar mixture a little at a time until completely combined.  

Fold in the nuts and the apples.  The batter is really thick.  Work the apples in as gently as you can, but it will take some work.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Prepare a bundt cake pan with cooking spray or shortening and flour.  I use cooking spray and I liberally spray the pan to make sure the cake will release easily.  

Cook the cake for 90 minutes.  Seems like a long time, but it should take pretty close to that.  Let the cake cool almost completely before turning it out onto your cake plate.

Apple Butter Cream Glaze:

1 cup Confectioner's (Powdered) Sugar

2 Tablespoons melted butter

2 Tablespoons Apple Juice

1 Tablespoon Heavy Whipping Cream
splash of vanilla extract

Whisk the all the ingredients for the glaze together until the glaze is smooth.  Drizzle over the cake.

ENJOY!


Happy BAKING Smackers!


Leave me some love and let me know what you want to see on Share a Spoon.

PINT - "A" is for rAndom

STICKY LOVE DAY!
with
THAT ONE MOM!

Share a Spoon Theme - Bring me a Bushel Johnny

Share a Spoon
THEME

Does anything say FALL HARVEST like a bushel full of freshly picked apples?

Fall means carnivals and festivals full of the best smells, sweet treats and candied or caramel apples.
This week's theme is brought to you compliments of my favorite former New Yorker!
I had the pleasure of working with the most amazing group of extraordinary women last month through Friends You Love.  One of those friends was Andrea from Good Girl Gone Redneck.  She is such an amazing caring woman, and I am proud to have worked with her and all the talented women who shared in the International Women's Friendship Month we celebrated.
When Andrea asked for an APPLE theme I was elated!  Apples are so versatile and it allows you bakers out there to participate.

This week's theme allows for savory recipes like stuffing, pork chops and applesauce, etc.  I expect muffins, cakes, cookies, tarts, pies and the like.  If you have a great mulled cider recipe break it out.
Whether you drink it, stuff it, slurp it, dip it, candy it or eat it, I just want you to bring it!
See you Thursday!
Bring your apples!

(All Images provided via Google Images.)