OH NO! Baking Season has arrived!

I think it’s time to sign up for another Fitness Boot Camp; Holiday baking has begun in my house. I know, I know it’s only the end of September, and some of you are holding on to the last bit of sunshine you can. But me, well I am ready… bring on the overcast weather, sweats, boots, soups, bake goods and artsy decorations.

My motivation for baking so soon…Seeing all the goodies this past weekend at the Bishop Ranch Pumpkin Patch. (which by the way is beautiful in every sense)

To kick the season off right I went with my Pumpkin Bundt Cake. If I was a food writer I would call it Simple Decadence. It’s very simple to make and requires just a few easy ingredients. The cake is moist on the inside with slightly crispy edges. It’s just perfect and has gotten the seal of approval from the pickiest of eaters, and the J man LOVES it! Now that I have teased you with all these adjectives, I guess I will include the recipe. :) It will be a hit at your next gathering, promise.


Ingredients
• 1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
• 1 (3.4 ounce) package instant butterscotch pudding mix
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• Powdered sugar, Whipped cream or ice cream (optional)
Directions
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. Beat on medium for about 4 minutes. Pour into a greased and floured bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 50-55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 15 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Now that baking has started, you know what comes next, oh yes, glue gun burns, modge podge fingers, and trails of projects in progress. Yup you guessed it, time to start the holiday crafting… Hey, just think only 2 months til Christmas! I love the Holidays. Do you?

Let's get this Party Started!

Two years ago I had this vision to start a blog after I got married and write about the life changes that had come and document the adventure Jeromy and I had set out on together. Well… It’s September 21, 2011 and I am a little behind. So I will catch you up and get this blog going.

On May 5, 2009 we received keys to our new home we purchased, what a surreal, gratifying, and exciting moment! Short of 2 months later on July 4, 2009 I was walking down the aisle to marry my main man Jeromy. (aka “J”) It was a hot day, somewhere in the mid 90’s, beautiful blue skies and Down Town Sacramento was the back drop. The event went off with out a hitch, well there was one hitch. But you get what I mean… As many Brides would say, the day went by incredibly fast. I so wish I could go back to the same wedding and be a guest, to really see the details, I had put together for the previous 8 months. Anyone else feel that way?? The day was filled with friends, family, drinks, dancing, singing, smiles, tears, and most of all LOVE. I thoroughly enjoyed the wedding planning process, and I could seriously be addicted to getting married, each wedding would be different… Different seasons, different dress, different colors. Maybe I can convince Jeromy we need a winter wedding also. Hmmm.

After getting married, turbo mode kicked in. Every minute was spent working on our new house, (with a little travel in between, I will post that later) although it had been renovated on the inside, it had no backyard and the white walls and lack of character drove me/us crazy. So the next couple years would be Mission Backyard, Painting, and Crown Molding. Now 2 years later it is looking almost complete and we have been enjoying the progress. Trust me I still have a Wish List, but one step at a time.

I would feel horrible if I did not mention… We added an addition to our 2 member family shortly after getting married. Her name is Dotty Bea, she is now 2 years old and she is the smartest, biggest attention hog, sweetest, and almost human like Springer Spaniel you will ever meet. She IS the real Boss around the house. But I don’t think we would have it any other way.

Now that we are up to speed in a nut shell, I hope you will stick around for my post to come. I will share life stories, craft projects, business ideas, and everything in between. If you would like to read more about me, check out the “About Me” section.