Autumn in my Heart, my Home, and my Kitchen

Joel 2:23
"Be glad, O people of Zion, rejoice in the LORD your God, for he has given you the autumn rains in righteousness. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before."

The following blog post is a repost from last year, but the same feelings are in my heart, the same decorations in my home, and the same yummy dishes in my kitchen. I LOVE all things Pumpkin. In fact, I really want to take a trip to IHOP to have some Pumpkin Pancakes. My mom texted me this morning that she was enjoying some at her IHOP in NC, and I was super jealous.

As for other Autumn (specifically Pumpkin) Goodies...
If you are in the mood for some yummy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins, then just visit here:
http://butterflykissesntastydishes.blogspot.com/2009/09/muffin-madnessblueberry-cream-streusel.html


If you are a Pumpkin Fan, then you have to try my Granny's Pumpkin Cake:
http://butterflykissesntastydishes.blogspot.com/2009/11/grandparent-gratitude-grannys-pumpkin.html

Or if you prefer a Pumpkin Cheesecake then click here:
http://butterflykissesntastydishes.blogspot.com/2009/10/carolina-blue-birthday-wishes-pumpkin.html

Or maybe you would like to try some yummy pumpkin chocolate chip cookies:
http://butterflykissesntastydishes.blogspot.com/2009/10/tears-in-bottle-pumpkin-chocolate-chip.html

If you are in need of the Perfect Pumpkin Pie Recipe or perhaps some Healthy Pumpkin Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, then click here:
http://butterflykissesntastydishes.blogspot.com/2009/11/autumn-is-fueling-my-baking-passion.html

Or my personal favorite...Pumpkin Angel Food Cake with Maple Whipped Cream Topping!
http://butterflykissesntastydishes.blogspot.com/2009/11/thankful-heart.html

"Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all.” ~Stanley Horowitz

I LOVE Autumn. It makes me smile; it makes my heart smile; it even makes me do Jaythan’s happy dance. I am a Southern Girl who lived the first 20 years of my life in North Carolina where Seasons exist, and the leaves turn amazingly beautiful reds, yellows, oranges, and plums every September lasting until late November. I am convinced that the Blue Ridge Parkway in NC is a glimpse of Heaven on Earth given to us by God to make our hearts happy.

Unfortunately, where we live in far South Texas (Northern Mexico ;-)), seasons do not exist. It has been 100 + degrees here for what seems like forever. There are usually only 2-3 days per year that are “sweater worthy”. Oh, and did I mention that the only trees that we have are Palm trees? Thus, no reds, yellows, oranges, and plums to make my heart happy. But, alas, I have gotten used to the nonexistence of Autumn, and have decided that Autumn can live in my heart, my home, and my kitchen.

Even though it is only the beginning of September, I have already begun to decorate my home for the season.

In my heart, I can decide daily to allow God’s warmth and presence to fill every part of my being. I can make time to spend playing in the park with Jaythan, taking walks with my hubby, and laughing over a cup of tea with my friends and family.

As for my kitchen, Autumn automatically makes me think of apples, Hot Chocolate, Pumpkin Pie, fresh breads, mouth-watering soups, and a Kitchen that smells like cinnamon and nutmeg. How could one not love the season that contains Thanksgiving, State Fairs, Hay Rides, and Caramel Apples? Or, not to mention, my birthday ;-)! So many reasons to celebrate :-)! Thus, I am going to start posting recipes over the next 2 months that make me think of Autumn-recipes that will fill your home and your tummies with satisfying warmth. So, invite your friends or family over, make some of these yummy goodies and enjoy Autumn to the fullest! Today’s recipe is a personal creation that I entered into a cookie contest when we lived in Fort Worth. They contain all the ingredients of Fall-caramel, apples, and cinnamon; and they taste like a caramel apple explosion in your mouth. Enjoy!

Be Blessed and Love Lavishly!
Christina B

Everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn. ~Elizabeth Lawrence



Caramel Apple-Cinnamon Bars

Ingredients:
1 cup packed brown sugar
½ cup butter or margarine, softened
¼ cup shortening
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups quick-cooking oats
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
4 ½ cups coarsely chopped peeled tart apples (3 medium)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cinnamon sugar
1 bag (14 ounces) caramels)

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Farenheit. Mix the brown sugar, butter, and shortening in a large bowl. Stir in 1 ¾ cups flour, the oats, salt, and baking soda. Reserve 2 cups of the oat mixture. Press the remaining oat mixture in an ungreased 13x9 inch pan.
Toss apples, 1 tablespoon cinnamon sugar, and 3 tablespoons flour and spread over the mixture in the pan. Heat the caramels over low heat, stirring occasionally, until melted; pour evenly over the apples. Sprinkle with the reserved oat mixture, pressing lightly.
Bake the bars 25-30 minutes or until topping is golden brown and apples are tender.
Cut the bars into squares while they are still warm. Store covered in the refrigerator.
Makes 36 bars.

Lemon-Kissed Blueberry Bread

Today has been a beautiful rainy day, and I have spent my time playing Leap Frog Zippity Games, sewing custom aprons to sell for the adoption, baking my orders for the coffee shop and experimenting with some frozen blueberries and lemons. The day has been very productive-2 aprons completed, lots of laughter with my son, baking orders finished, and a new recipe for lemon-kissed blueberry bread. The bread ended up having a cake-like texture and would be the perfect baked good to serve at a fancy brunch or tea. It is simply delicious and I look forward to sharing it with my Sunday School class tomorrow. I think I may even make mini loaves and wrap them in wax paper tied with blue and yellow ribbons to give as gifts this year. One wrapped loaf placed in a basket with a jar of lemon curd or blueberry preserves would make such a nice present to give to someone having a "blue" day.

You are prayed for my dear friends and dearly loved by God!

"My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.”
And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.”
Psalm 27:8



Lemon-Kissed Blueberry Bread
Ingredients:
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Lemon Glaze:
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup white sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease an 9x5 inch loaf pan (I use Bakers Joy Spray with Flour). In a large bowl, beat together the melted butter, 1 cup sugar, lemon juice and eggs. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl. Add the flour mixture into the butter/egg mixture alternately with milk. Gently fold in the lemon zestand blueberries. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 70 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool bread in pan for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, combine lemon juice and 1/4 cup sugar in a small bowl. Remove bread from pan and drizzle with glaze before slicing. Enjoy!

Feeling Peachy

Sorry for the lapse in blogging. Life has been kind of crazy here lately. Nothing bad, in fact, we are all just peachy :). We just returned from a week-long vacation with my extended family to South Padre Island. After I returned, I had several huge baking orders to fill and lots of laundry to clean, and lots of adoption paperwork to fill out and organize. But, I am finally getting reorganized and back to my normal experimenting in the kitchen with my baking.

I tried a new recipe yesterday, and it turned out AMAZING! My hubby kept saying, "wow, this is really good!" I am personally not a fan of peaches, but I am sure if you are, then you will love this cake. I took my general pound cake recipe and tweaked it a little, adding sour cream and peaches. It came out really moist, buttery, and delish! It is the perfect end-of-summer cake :). I am sorry that there isn't a picture, but my camera went for a swim in the ocean while we were a the beach and my new camera has not arrived yet.

You are prayed for my dear friends! This song by Steven Curtis Chapman has really been speaking to my heart this week, and I wanted to share it with you guys. No matter what you are going through, please remember three things-God loves you, He is with you, and He is always in control.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoAYb8YmCwQ

~~~~
Peach Pound Cake

Ingredients:
1 cup butter (softened)
6 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons almond extract

(you could also use vanilla if you don' like almond flavor)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups finely chopped fresh peaches

(you could use canned peaches too, but be sure to drain them completely)
confectioners' sugar (to dust the top of the pound cake)

Directions:
To soften your butter quickly, place the two sticks of butter in your microwave for 15-20 seconds. You do not want your butter melted, only softened.

Preheat your oven to 350 F degrees. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in your almond or vanilla extract. In a seperate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet batter, alternating with sour cream. Gently fold in the chopped peaches. Pour your batter into a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes before removing from the pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving. ENJOY :)

This serves 12 people.

Exciting News

My hubby, son, and I have exciting news to share. We are in the process of adopting a baby girl from Russia. You can read all about it at our new blog: http://www.emmacharity.blogspot.com/
Please pray for us as we begin this exciting chapter in our lives. You can help support our adoption costs by purchasing coffee at www.justlovecoffee.com/TheBurrells

I don't think I could fully express how deeply I love this little girl whom I have never met. God has written His love in my heart for her already. How I long for the day when I can hold Emma in my arms, watch my hubby dance with our daughter, and laugh together as Jaythan plays with her.

Today, our new Pastor spoke on I Thessalonians 5. I particularly felt God speaking to me through verses 24-25:

"God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful. Dear brothers and sisters, pray for us."

This verse will be my encouragment when I worry about how we are going to afford the adoption fees, my hope when I long to hold her and grow tired of waiting, and my comfort-reminding me that our dear friends and family are praying for us.

Chunky Peanut Butter Chippers

I have previously mentioned my love for Gooseberry Patch Cookbooks. They are wonderful and full of recipes created by people just like you and me. One of my favorite cookbooks of theirs is the "Old Fashioned Country Cookies", and in it I have found an amazing Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe-Chunky Peanut Butter Chippers. YUMMY! These are soft and delish and travel well so they would be great to take on a picnic.

Enjoy! You are prayed for my friends!

Philippians 1:6

"Every time you cross my mind, I break out in exclamations of thanks to God. Each exclamation is a trigger to prayer. I find myself praying for you with a glad heart."

~~~

Chunky Peanut Butter Chippers

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup margarine

1/2 cup chunky peanut butter

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 Tablespoon water

1 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

Beat sugars, margarine, and peanut butter. Add eggs, water, and vanilla, mixing well. Add dry ingredients, blend well. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoonfuls on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes. Makes 6 dozen small cookies.

Homemade Parmesan Pizza Dough & Goat Cheese, Mushroom, & Chicken Deep Dish Pizza

A long, long time ago, when I was a preteen learning to cook, my Aunt Teri gave me the best Pizza Dough recipe ever. I still use it anytime I want to make homemade pizza. This week, I made the yummiest Goat Cheese, Mushroom, & Chicken pizza with the aforementioned pizza crust. My hubby declared it "gourmet" and "delicious".

I recently got a coupon for a free block of Chavrie Goat Cheese with Basil & Roasted Garlic, and it turned out to be the perfect ingredient to our pizza pie.

Have a wonderful weekend. You are prayed for my friends! God listens when we call to Him, always showing us His Unfailing Love.

Psalm 17: 6-7

"I am praying to you because I know you will answer, O God.
Bend down and listen as I pray.
Show me your unfailing love in wonderful ways."

Pamesan Deep Dish Pizza Dough
Ingredients:
3 cups flour

1 1/3 cup warm water

1 pkg quick-rising yeast

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon sugr

1 1/2 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions:
Mix yeast with warm water. In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, salt, parmesan cheese, and oil. Add water/yeast mixture and stir until blended. Turn your oven on at 300 degrees for 3-4 minutes. Then, turn your oven off. Open the oven door for a minute. Cover the bowl of pizza dough with a wet dish towel and place the bowl in the closed (and off) oven. Let the dough rise in the oven for 30-45 minutes. Take the dough out, sprinkle with flour, and "punch" dough down. Let rise 20-35 minutes more. Grease the pizza pan with cooking spray or olive oil. Spread the dough on the pan. Add toppings and bake for 10-12 minutes at 450 degrees.

Goat Cheese, Mushroom, & Chicken Pizza

Ingredients:

1 recipe Pizza Crust

1 8 oz can Hunts Tomato Sauce with Roasted Garlic

2 tablespoons Italian Seasoning

1 can Mushroom Pieces or about 1/2 cup fresh Mushrooms

1 5.3 oz Chavrie Basil & Roasted Garlic Goat Cheese (about 1/2 cup)

2 cups cooked and diced grilled chicken

Mozzarella Cheese (2 cups)

Directions:

Place Pizza dough on a greased circular pizza pan, covering the bottom. Spoon the Tomato sauce over the dough. Sprinkle with Italian Seasoning. Sprinkle Mushrooms over the sauce. Spoon the goat cheese over the pizza. Sprinkle the grilled chicken over the pizza. Top with mozzarella cheese and bake in a 450 degree oven for 10-15 minutes. Enjoy!

Blueberry Pie and a Reminder...

Today's Blueberry Pie recipe is easy, fresh, and a perfect Summer BBQ dessert. You can use fresh or frozen blueberries. Be as creative as you like with the top crust. Use your cookie cutters to cut out shapes or weave a lattice top. You can even use store-bought crusts if you don't want to take the extra time to make the homemade crusts. If using the store-bought, I would recommend using the boxed Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crusts that you unroll. I have also included a recipe below for a yummy homemade crust.

If you have multiple berries on hand, then I suggest making my Triple Berry Pie instead: http://butterflykissesntastydishes.blogspot.com/2010/06/triple-berrries-triple-blisstriple.html

Whichever Pie you choose to make, it is sure to be Delish! Enjoy!

Even better than a slice of pie, is the knowledge that you are dearly, unfathomably loved by your Heavenly Father. Here is a reminder of just how much He loves you...

~~~~~

Sometimes hearts get forgetful,

distracted by the busy and the hard.

So here's a little reminder...

You're loved--

high as the sky, deep as the ocean, wide as the world (Ps 103:11)

You're created--

made by God's hands, one-of-kind, soul-deep-beautiful (Gen 1:31)

You're thought of--

all day, every day, awake-asleep-and-in-between (Ps 139:18)

And there's lots more where that came from

because there's no end to the ways He loves you.

-Holley Gerth

~~~

Blueberry Pie

Ingredients:
1 Double Crust Recipe (see below for ingredients and directions)

8 cups (about 4 pints) blueberries
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Juice of 1/2 lemon (about 2 Tablespoons)
1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon heavy cream

Directions:
Place blueberries in a large bowl. With your hands, crush about 1/2 cup of berries, letting them fall into the bowl as you work. Add sugar, butter, cornstarch, flour, and lemon juice; stir to combine. Spoon mixture into chilled pie shell, mounding berries slightly in the center. Remove dough from refrigerator, and either cut out shapes or place entire crust over blueberry filling. Tuck edge of top dough between edge of bottom dough and rim of pan. Using your fingers, gently press both layers of dough along the edge to seal, and crimp as desired. You can also make a lattice topping if you prefer.

Using a paring knife, cut several vents in top of dough to allow steam to escape or cut shapes out of the crust before lying it on top. In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolk and cream. Brush surface with egg wash, being careful not to let it pool. Freeze or refrigerate pie until firm, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees, with rack in lower third.

Place pie on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until crust begins to turn golden, about 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Continue baking, rotating sheet halfway through, until crust is deep golden brown and juices are bubbling and have thickened, 40 to 50 minutes more. Transfer pie to a wire rack to cool completely. The pie is best eaten the day it is baked, but it can be kept at room temperature, loosely covered with plastic wrap, for up to 2 days.

~~~

Pie Crust for Blueberry Pie:
Makes 1 double crust

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for rolling
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

Directions:
1.In a food processor, combine flour, salt, and sugar; pulse briefly. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup ice water. Pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed (if necessary, add up to 1/4 cup water, 1 tablespoon at a time). Do not overmix.

2.Divide dough in half, and turn out onto two large pieces of plastic wrap. Fold plastic over each portion of dough; press to shape into two 3/4-inch-thick disks. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour (and up to 3 days); dough can also be frozen up to 3 months (thaw before using).

3.On a floured piece of parchment paper, roll one disk of dough to a 14-inch round. Wrap dough around rolling pin; unroll over a 9-inch pie plate. Gently fit into bottom and sides of plate (do not stretch dough). Using kitchen shears, trim dough to a 1-inch overhang all around; refrigerate until ready to use. Reserve and refrigerate remaining disk of dough for top crust.