Apple Cider Margarita

Let me say this from the beginning...I hate Apple Cider in its purest form. I just cannot drink it by itself. So last year when some friends asked me to create recipes using cider for the holidays, I was slightly apprehensive as to how I was going to go about it. and then I discovered something..

If you mix apple cider with just about any other flavor...I will instantly become a fan. haha First up last year was this apple cider sangria, followed by this apple cider mimosa and now, this year...I came up with a margarita version and then after I thought it up, my pinterest feed decided to humble me and let me know just how unoriginal my thought process really is. But, I will say that after looking through them, most of them have cinnamon or nutmeg and I stayed away from those.

This is really simple to create. The only tip I would give is to try and buy legitimate apple cider, if you don't have a local apple orchard, at least go for the for the jugs at the store that have obvious apple "bits" floating around.

Ingredients

4 oz apple cider

1 1/2 oz silver/gold tequila

1 oz triple sec

1 splash lime juice

sparkling cider/wine(optional)

Place all ingredients in shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Pour into a chilled glass and garnish with apple slices. If you so wish, top with sparkling cider or wine. In case you had yet to ascertain this little diddly about me...I am a lover of the bubbly. 

This is perfect for the upcoming holidays and you could easily swap this to make it a martini by using vodka in lieu of tequila.

Pumpkin Butterscotch Bars With Heath

I think I was almost surprised by how much I loved these and I should mention the torture I had to endure as they cooked. It was my birthday. and it was smack in the middle of my 2 week no sugar binge.

Yes, let's all take a moment to wonder what in the hades I was thinking. It was torture. The smells emitting from my kitchen were ridiculous. and I wanted them so bad and I was so good. and then, two days later...I had one. One measly serving. Gah.

But that one serving more than made up for the previous 12 days.  I think most of you know how much I love my bourbon and my bacon...but I also adore heath bar and butterscotch. and oh, they paired so extremely well with the pumpkin. 

My dad thought they were best in the morning, with his coffee. He had them two in a row, so I think he was semi serious about it;)

and they were so simple to make!

Ingredients:

1 Box pumpkin cake mix

1 Small box instant vanilla pudding

1/4 Cup water

1/2 Cup vegetable oil

2 Eggs

1/2 cup heath pieces

1/2 cup butterscotch chips

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Combine cake mix, pudding, water, vegetable oil, eggs & butterscotch in a large mixing bowl.

Pour the batter  into a greased 10x13 baking dish. Top with the heath pieces. I sprayed it with non spray cooking oil and I have also used parchment paper.

Bake your bars for 20-25 minutes (if you want them a little crispier, you could cook for 30 min)

You want it to still be slightly gooey in middle, but if the edges are browning, it is just about right.

If you can't find pumpkin cake mix, you should be able to sub a yellow cake mix and add pumpkin pie spice, about a tsp. and for recipe sake, I said water, but you can use flavored coffee creamer, gives it a little more flavor punch.

Linking up with Jessica & Ashley

Spiced Banana & Caramel Bread Pudding

I have been planning this recipe in my mind for awhile, tweeking it, going back and forth the small details I wanted to complete it. And then, as I spotted this month's spiked ingredient...I knew. For whatever reason, this was the first recipe idea that popped into my mind when deciding what I should make for the contest.

I was intrigued as to how the spice of the rum would play off the sweetness of the banana and the caramel...and it was love at first bite. And...I make that declaration while simultaneously pointing out that I am not the biggest banana fan. Actually, I just lied. I am the antithesis of a banana fan, But for whatever reason, I seemed to enjoy them in this dish.

I can say that truthfully because I may be eating the left overs as I write this. It is late. It was only fair I have it as dessert to give you another option instead of just brunch..which was how this was devoured the first go round. and, uh, I may have added a big ole scoop of coffee ice cream.

Ingredients

8-10 slices of bread(cubed)

1 banana (diced)

3/4 cup cream (or milk)

2 oz spiced rum

3 large eggs (4 regular)

4 tbsp caramel sauce

cut the bread into cubes and place in a baking dish(make sure to butter or spray with non stick) Sprinkle bananas throughout and on top. In a separate bowl,  whisk together eggs, milk, rum and 1 tbsp of caramel sauce. Pour over bread. I like to use the tips of my fingers to press the bread down to make sure all of it is submerged in the egg mixture. Cover and place in fridge overnight(or at least 8 hours) Keep in mind it will rise when it bakes, so only fill the dish about 3/4 way full. Sometimes, there is liquid left over, if so, I save it and pour it over the bread in morning, right before I pop into oven.

preheat oven to 350 and bake for 30-45 minutes or until baked through. The bottom should be creamy and the top crispy. Top with caramel sauce.

***Notes.

Here are a few tips for making your best version of this dessert.

 For this particular one, I used this yummy bread.

 It made it sweeter, so if you want to minimize that, use any bread you want. These slices are small,  if you choose a different bread, you may not need as many slices.

I used flavored coffee creamer instead of milk. It gives it a creamier texture than just regular milk. I almost always substitute flavored creamer for milk when I am making a sweet dish.

 I love using them to make puddings also. You can change in boring old vanilla or cheesecake into multiple flavors. Flavored coffee creamers may be one of my favorite ingredients...except in coffee. I hate coffee. My husband still doesn't understand;) and yes, you did read the part about me adding coffee ice cream earlier...and no, I  don't always make sense. I am aware..

Linking up for the Spiked Challenge with This Gal Cooks and Frugal Foodie Mama

Pumpkin Caramel Affogato

This is one of those simple drinks that makes me feel like a genius. And trust me, make this for yourself and you will understand what I am tooting my horn loudly over here about. Or really, you will probably only feel that way after you add the bourbon...but still. Besides, this is perfect without the bourbon and as a simple dessert/after dinner drink

One of my husband's favorite drinks to order is an affogato. This normally consists of vanilla gelato or ice cream topped with espresso(sometimes coffee) The espresso melts the gelato and it melds into this yummy thick concoction. I do not drink coffee, but this got me the first time I tried some of his. 

And so it got me to thinking- how could I play around with this recipe that was just fine without any tampering...and I came up with a version that is perfect in this fall weather. Even if it has still been in the 90's this past week in North Carolina. October means pumpkins. No.Matter,What.

Ingredients

Caramel gelato

pumpkin coffee

1 tbsp bourbon(optional)

Place the gelato in a glass and pour the hot, brewed coffee over the gelato. It will start to melt down into a glass of pure yummy, this is where you can make it better and add a little bourbon. You will not be sorry. This I promise you.

And thanks to my bestie for taking some photographs of my pictures this weekend and for giving me lots of tips. If you want an amazing instagram to follow, check out Shining Brightly Photography

Linking up with Riverton Housewives Roundup,Busy Monday show me your plaid, sweet sharing monday, your whims wednesday  Inspiration network,  family home life sugar bee life, tell us tuesday.wonderful food wednesday, Happy Hour Friday

Pumpkin Caramel Poke Cake

So, are you familiar with  The Country Cook? Oh. My. Goodness. If you're not, do yourself a favor and check her out. She has such a sweet personality and I love her recipes. And more than likely you have pinned one of her recipes and not even known it. My favorites are her "poke cakes." Hence...my title and what I whipped up.

As I have always said...I get my ideas for recipes from lots of different people and sites...but most I make up are completely on a whim and all mine. Obviously, I didn't originate whoopie pies or mudslides...but many of the flavor combinations are all my own and that's the case w/this cake. When I first stumbled upon a caramel cake mix and a pumpkin pudding, the idea was pretty immediate. It is rather tasty and I hope you enjoy.

Ingredients

1 box caramel cake mix

ingredients used to make cake(eggs, oil & water)

2 boxes pumpkin pudding mix(if you can't find, check my notes & I'll have alternate)

2 cups caramel coffee creamer

2 cups milk

1 container whipped topping(the cinnamon one was perfect for this) or 1 cup whipping cream

1 package heath bar bits

Prepare cake according to directions for a 9x13 cake, allow it to cool for a few minutes. Then, w/a handle of a wooden spoon or something similar  poke holes in the cake. They should be big, so the pudding can "poke" down in there...but really there is no rhyme or reason to this.

In a separate bowl, whisk together pudding using the coffee creamer & milk, then pour directly over the cake into the holes, reserving a 1/2 cup into the fridge to set up. Once you have poured into holes, making sure to "seep"  down into the holes, use the back of a spoon to spread it out evenly and place in fridge to set up, at least 2 hours.

To make "icing" use remainder of pudding and mix w/a container of whip cream. Sprinkle some heath bar bits over the cake and top with the "whipped icing"

Set back in fridge till ready to eat.

***notes.

if you want to use all milk, feel free. I just am a big fan of using flavored coffee creamers to completely change up the flavoring of something. I rarely make pudding w/out one. If you can't find the pumpkin pudding, you could always use cheesecake/or vanilla pudding and use pumpkin spice coffee creamer to make it instead. and the second time I used this...I just got an extra packet of pudding and mixed the dry packet it/w a cup of whipping cream to make my "icing" really easy and so tasty!                                      

Now...if only I could get mine to be as pretty as hers! Or I can just be content in what my inadequacies are;) haha and yes...my recipe varies a little from hers. It's b/c I did hers from memory and I was a little off...but mine came out great too. or so I decided.

Funny story...the whole time I was typing this as I was reading to myself, pudding sounds like "puddin" I am a word nerd. I love words, ones that are interchangeable  I get made fun of so much for this...So when my accent creeps in, no matter how hard I try, I can't squash it. 

The reason I am so amused is b/c just this weekend a friend of mine from TX and I were talking. She said something to the effect that when she pictures "my South" it's "debutante balls and big dresses" and "her South" is "daisy dukes and cowboy boots" I howled and laughed till I almost cried...

Yes, I love MK and Kate Spade, my Frye boots, and Paige denim. I love fancy restaurants and good wine. I adore fruity martinis and I have worn high heels to grocery shop on more than one occasion...but

~I grew up on a tobacco farm in the middle of nowhere

~if the boondocks had a backwoods, Gladys, VA would be it!

~I learned to drive in a 25 year old jeep and a tractor

~my nearest neighbor was almost 3 miles away

~the only store we had was "Burls Market" 

~I am pretty sure the "penny candy" was original to it's 1943 store opening

~I am fully aware that camo serves a purpose & it isn't a fashion one

~I love cowboy boots

~I prefer bourbon/whiskey to wine and I like it hot...and straight out the bottle;)

~Wide open spaces rock my world

~I realize that everything just tastes better in a mason jar

~I know the difference between a ruger and a remington

Just funny how in life...even our friends can have a completely different picture of us than we do of ourselves!

linking up today with Jessica & Ashley

Salted Caramel Mudslide

Since it is Fall, I wanted to revisit a drink I had made on my other blog last year. and I have revamped it quite a bit and it is so much easier now. Well, actually they were both quite simple, but this way is much easier to parlay via written word!

Ingredients

2 scoops salted caramel ice cream

1 tbsp Baileys

1 tbsp Kahlua

1 tbsp whipped vodka

 Heath bar topping(optional)

Place all ingredients in a blender with ice and blend till desired consistency. Pour in a glass(add caramel syrup to the glass for added flavor) Top with whip cream and heath bar pieces.

***Notes. I used this instead of ice cream

 You could use baileys caramel flavor or even vanilla vodka, cake vodka or the new caramel vodka. However you choose to make it, you can't go wrong! And I actually added a little caramel coffee creamer to make it a little creamier the second time. 

I also made caramel whip cream by using 1/2 cup cold whipping cream and adding 2 tbsp caramel syrup once stiff peaks began to form and continued whipping till completely stiff. 

linking up for Tell Us Tuesday