I'm feeling a "Slow Cooker Night"

Crockpots should be one of the amazing wonders of the world. Seriously.. you can throw a bunch of ingredients into a slow cooker and leave your house, come home 6 hours later and voila- you have dinner! I often wonder why I don't use it more. It's a huge time saver when you have young kiddos. Even better for people like me who are a little short sided in the cooking skills department!  We have two slow cookers in my house! You heard right... we have a small Rival one, and we have this All-Clad one...

I call it my Mercedes Benz of slow cookers.  The inside pot is made of cast iron/ non stick material, so you can actually brown meat on the stove in it and then put it into the slow cooker compartment and away you go! It holds a very large roast, or amount of soup.  In the fall I have one favorite slow cooker recipe that I just love and my family does too! The secret ingredient is pumpkin pie spice...maybe you can try making it this week and tell me how it went.  I would love to know if you and yours like it as much as mine does!

Pork Roast with Peach Sauce

{adapted from family circle magazine}

Ingredients

1   boneless pork loin roast (about 3 pounds), the recipe says to tie it, but I never do. 

      (You can also use a pork tenderloin as well.)

1/4 teaspoon  onion salt

1/4 teaspoon  black pepper

1 can  (15.25 ounces) sliced peaches in heavy syrup...(I use the can with light syrup, turns out great, & saves some calories!)

1/2 cup  chili sauce

1/3 cup  packed light-brown sugar

3 tablespoons  apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon  pumpkin pie spice

1 dash of red pepper flakes if you like a little kick!

1 tablespoon  cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water

  Cooked egg noodles, optional  (I serve mine over rice!)

Directions

1. Coat a 6-quart slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray. Place roast into slow cooker; season with onion salt and black pepper.

2. Drain peaches, reserving the syrup. In a bowl, whisk syrup, chili sauce, brown sugar, vinegar and pumpkin pie spice. Pour over meat; scatter peach slices over the roast.

3. Cook 3 hours on high or 6 hours on low.

4. Remove meat and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Spoon out peach slices and reserve. Place liquid in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in cornstarch mixture and cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds until sauce thickens.

5. To serve, slice meat and scatter reserved peach slices over the top. Serve with sauce on the side and egg noodles or rice.

Enjoy!

Lovin Pumpkin

I am lovin me some pumpkin
How about you?
Deep, rich, amazingly bright orange color...
seeds that you can roast and sprinkle with cinnamon and salt...

There is so much you can do with pumpkins. It's no wonder it was a crop of choice by settlers.  The antioxidants it provides alone are worth the half of loaf of decadent pumpkin-chocolate chip bread I ate, no inhaled this past weekend!

Chocolate and pumpkin, must have it! Must give to thy neighbors!

Cutest Halloween printables, you can get them for free over at Gywnn Wasson Designs,

love her stuff and her blog, you will too! I especially love people who share, so here is the recipe for  the best pumpkin bread ever!

Pumpkin-Chocolate Chip Loaf

{recipe adapted from Williams Sonoma}

Ingredients

-3 cups flour

-3 cups sugar

-2 teasoons baking soda

-1/2 teaspoon baking powder

-1 teaspoon salt

-1/2 teaspoon cloves

-1 teaspoon allspice

-1 teaspoon cinnamon

-1 cup oil

-4 eggs

-2/3 cup water

-2 cups canned pumpkin

-1 12 ounce package chocolate chips

Prepare

Step 1) Mix together all ingredients except pumpkin and chocolate chips.  Blend Well

Step 2) Add pumpkin to mixture and then fold in chocolate chips.

Step 3) divide mixture between 2 greased and floured 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pans.

Step 4) Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour, 15 minutes.

Cake Bunting

See it, Create it, Inspire others...

I am so excited to share this great tutorial I came across at Tom Kat Studios!

Cake Bunting is the new cake topper! It is super cute and very easy to do, and now you can get free printables to make your very own cake bunting here at the Tom Kat blog.  This is a great way to dress up any cake and make a statement. I can't wait to make my daughters carnival one for her 4th birthday coming up!

And if your in the mood for a craft, this is a great way to make your own super cute and affordable cake stands!

Check out Jenni of " A Well Crafted Party"   tutorial she created for these incredibly easy cake stands below.

Change of Perspective

I have been needing a new perspective...
A new outlook from a different angle...
A scrap that and redo it attitude...
So I broke out the fun balls and let the girls go at it! So glad I did, and that I decided to stick my camera lens in the little opening at the top of the blow up ball pit and catch these moments! 

Maybe it was timing, maybe it was the colorful balls, but the girls were so into this little mommy made photo-shoot the other day.  

Every time I pick up my camera I ask myself, is this the only way I could take this picture? Can I get lower, higher, angle my camera??

Most times I think I am just getting really lucky, but other times I am seeing that following the tips I have been reading about is paying off in my photos!

I think there is something magical about tons of colorful plastic balls...Daddy couldn't resist joining in the fun as well! A new perspective is exactly what I got!

Fabulous Find Friday!

PINK = Awareness

October = PINK

Show off your awareness with this very cute pink pie pan by Emile Henry; $45. 

10 percent of the sale of each of these clay pie pans will go to Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition.  

{photo credit: amazon.com}
 

I am always on the look out for great pie pans, this one is 9 inch and can go from freezer, to oven, to table.  Plus buying this cute pink pie pan supports a worthy cause as well!

Go get one! 

Just to be nice how about a recipe for a Pumpkin Meringue Pie...can you say yummy!

Pumpkin Meringue Pie

{Recipe from: Bon Appetit/November 2002}

For convenience, you can begin making the crust up to two days before you plan to serve the pie. Maple sugar is available at some supermarkets and at natural foods stores.

Yield: Makes 8 servings

Crust

1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour

14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup ice water

Filling

1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin

1 1/4 cups whipping cream

3/4 cup maple sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 large eggs

Meringue

3 large egg whites

1 2/3 cups powdered sugar

For crust:

Combine flour, butter, sugar, and salt in bowl of electric mixer. Place bowl in freezer 15 minutes. Using electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat mixture on low speed until pea-size clumps form. Drizzle 1/3 cup ice water over mixture and beat just until dough comes together. Gather dough into ball. Flatten into disk. Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate at least 8 hours and up to 1 day. Let dough soften slightly at room temperature before using.

Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 13-inch round. Transfer dough to 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Trim overhang to 1 inch. Fold in overhang, forming double-thick sides. Crimp dough edge decoratively. Refrigerate crust 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425°F. Line crust with foil. Fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until sides are set, about 20 minutes. Remove foil and weights. Bake until golden brown, placing aluminum foil collar around edge of crust if browning too quickly, about 15 minutes. Cool completely. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.)

For filling:

Preheat oven to 325°F. Whisk pumpkin, cream, maple sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and salt in large bowl to blend. Whisk in eggs. Pour mixture into crust. Place aluminum foil collar around edge of crust. Bake until filling is set and knife inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool to room temperature.

For meringue:

Preheat broiler. Whisk egg whites and sugar in large metal bowl until combined. Place bowl over saucepan of simmering water and continue whisking until mixture is just warm, about 5 minutes. Remove bowl from over water. Using electric mixer, beat egg-white mixture on medium-high speed until stiff and glossy, about 5 minutes. Spread meringue atop pie, mounding in center. Place pie in broiler and broil until meringue is brown, about 1 minute. Cool to room temperature. (Can be made 8 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)

Real Party: Pinwheels and Pearls Babyshower

Awhile back I posted a DIY tutorial on how to make the cutest pinwheel and pearl invitations.  I wanted to share some of the photos from the actual shower that day with you... Kara designed the cutest dessert candy table complete with pinwheel cupcake and tiny pearl candies!

Everything had pinwheels, from the gifts to the flower arrangements!

She even had pinwheel napkin holders

I love how some of the pinwheels had pearl centers and others had purple gem centers.

Guests took home these cute brown boxes with pinwheels on top filled with candy and goodies!

These cupcakes were the perfect touch! She ordered lemon and chocolate cupcakes with white and purple frosting form a bakery then added the pearl candies and pinwheels herself! So creative and cute!

Beautiful job Ms. Kara! 

Do you have a party you are proud of and want to showcase? 

Email submission( about 5-7 photos) to sugarfootdesigns@gmail.com 

Cake POP extravaganza!

I like to think of myself as gutsy, a little bit mouthy, a lot generous, too much of a realist, passionate, and just a tiny bit obsessive compulsive. I am taking this year and trying new things, things that before I wouldn't have time for, or felt they were "out-of-my-comfort-zone" type things.  I am working my way up to have the nerve to go for a ride with my hubby in a hot air balloon. It might take all year but I will get there. Cooking is one of these things. Who cooks when they are married to a 5 star chef?? Crazy, I know. so I bake, I bake a ton, because he doesn't, and I am pretty good at it. Cake POPs were out of my comfort zone at first. Have you seen a cake pop? 

They look like this:

{photo credit: Bakerella.com}

Tiny, little 3 bite sweeties of heaven. They look so deceivingly simple, yet are just enough tricky to weed out the serious committed baker from the not so one. I decided to try my hand at these for a little jewelry party I had.  I had the best intentions, the highest hopes, the most confidence.  Even so mine were no-where near as perfect or cute at these, they were very tasty though. In the end I guess the taste overrides the look anyway. 

So want to see a picture of mine? 

Here they are:

Things I learned while making cake-pops:

1) roll slightly smaller than a golf ball size- I was trying for golf ball but they were more ping-pong ball size, a little to big

2) put sticks in the balls then freeze for an hour or so before dipping

3) MUST add crisco to the chocolate before dipping, I added about 1 tablespoon for the bag, it thins it out so it is not so thick.

4) If you want them to be perfectly round they have to dry standing up- you must purchase a styrofoam block and stick them into it to dry, I thought they looked just as cute with sticks up. Your choice!

I ended up putting some in plastic treat bags and added a sticker to see what they would look like as a gift

Not bad for my first attempt...I will be making these again. I did use a store bought cake mix, and frosting. Hey I'm a busy blogging momma what can I say!

If you want to try your hand at these visit Bakerella.com and follow the recipe on her site, but remember my tips.  Good luck!

Winner of Episencial Giveaway...

Happy Friday and first day of October!!! I can't wait to share all my spooky ideas this month! My daughters christening is this weekend so I won't be posting again till Monday. Wishing everyone a great and happy weekend!
Thanks to everyone for entering the Episencial giveaway. The winner, chosen by random, is comment number 2:
Jennifer said... 
What a wonderful product! I checked out them all and was immediately attracted to the sunscreen. These days there are so many unhealthy additives to children's products that it's hard for a mom to choose safe products. Glad you found these products, Marianne!

Congrats, Jennifer!