...jennydoll

We have an annual Halloween Family Get Together. This year I made the dessert. I made dark chocolate cupcakes with whipped cream icing. I also made brownie pumpkin bites. The bites are usually with cream cheese and these are but I added pumpkin to it. The decorated graham house was made in my class. I roasted a butternut squash and made cupcakes with chocolate chips & pecans and dusted the tops with cinnamon. Dinner for Dave and I: breaded porkchops, lemon green beans, and saffron rice. The dark chocolate cake with buttercream icing was my final cake decorating class project. Recipe for BUTTERNUT SQUASH MUFFINS courtesy of Michele Herndon: 1 c. sugar 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1/2 c. margarine/butter/butter crisco, your choice 1/2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. vanilla 1 egg 1-1/2 c. flour 1/4 tsp. baking powder --- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 tsp. nutmeg 1/2 tsp. cloves 1/2 tsp. ginger powder --- you can use any of the below to make your muffin of choice... 1 c. mashed banana-cinnamon and clove ...

This is my third class project that samples some more of my new decorating skills. Clown figures, teddy bears, and flowers. I really like the clowns with the bow ties!

Here's a photo of my first project from my Cake Decorating Class. Turned out pretty good, I think! Dark Chocolate cake with Buttercream Icing. Yummy! BUTTER CREAM ICING (this is for icing the cake and you will have some leftover) 2 lb. powdered sugar 1/2. c milk 1 tsp. butter flavoring 1-1/2 c crisco shortening 2 tsp. clear vanilla dash of salt Place most of the powered sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the liquid ingredients and start mixing on low speed. Add the shortening a little at a time; continue mixing at low speed. Add the remaining powered sugar and mix at medium speed until smooth and creamy. *The above recipe will give you pure white icing. I use butter crisco so I eliminate the butter flavoring and substitute another flavor if I choose. I also use real vanilla, which is brown. This does affect the color of the icing and makes it an ivory color.

Sunday afternoon dinner of fresh lemon green beans, creamy chicken and wild rice casserole, garlic toast and fresh garden salad. Ooh, don't forget the lemonade! RECIPE FOR CREAMY CHICKEN AND WILD RICE ~courtesy of my cousin~ 3 boxes Uncle Ben's Wild Rice (original) or substitute 3 c. long grain white rice 1 stick of butter 2-3 c. veggie or chicken broth thickened with flour 1 quart half & half (I use fat free) Cook rice according to box directions in a large stock pot. Once it is finished, combine butter, rice, half & half and stir until butter is melted. In separate pan bring broth to a boil and add flour water paste to broth until it thickens like a gravy. Add to the rice mixture until it is a creamy consistancy. Not like a soup! This makes A LOT! It does freeze well!

These are a variation of the "regular" Cinnamon Roll. I found a recipe online and tweeked it a bit to my liking. The pumpkin is a great change of pace. A great fall breakfast treat! Lovely orange hue! :-)

I made these for my mother. These were the dessert for a Girls' Night. They are homemade mocha cupcakes with whipped cream icing, chocolate sprinkles, and handmade dark chocolate swirl candies. There was an Irish Cream filling inside. These look like little coffee drinks with steam escaping. They were yummy!

These are the different stages of home-made cinnamon rolls which I adapted from my first attempt. This second batch has double the cinnamon and sugar and cream cheese icing - and are delicious!