Fall Recap & Playlist

(Pretty pumpkins galore at the Central Market & Whole Foods in Austin last month.)

I can’t believe that tomorrow is already December 1st! So crazy how fast fall came & went, isn’t it? While I’m so ready to start decking the halls and enjoy my favorite holiday, I must admit I’m a little sad to see fall go. So I thought before I officially go Christmas crazy I would recap some of the lovely & fun moments of the season.

And in true me fashion… below is a very late, totally last minute fall playlist lol. I couldn’t help myself… so just indulge me, okay? ;) These songs were my fall in music form.

In October my family and I took a trip to Le Cordon Bleu in Austin (where God willing, I will be attending in the very near future). They were having a fall cooking demo & open house. We got to watch the chefs make food, hear them talk about cooking & the school, ask questions, and sample the food! Then afterwards take a tour of the school. This was so fun for a foodie like me!

The first chef made breaded & fried goat cheese with fig preserves… which I ate every bite of before I even thought about taking a picture lol. But trust me, it was delish! The next chef made the soup pictured above. I honestly do not remember the name of it lol, but it had butternut squash in it and cilantro… it was really good! The food was great and everybody there, the chefs included, were so friendly. I loved just walking around & looking at the awesome Halloween cakes the students made! I kinda love this place!

Also from our trip to Austin: a guy outside the Central Market carving these crazy awesome pumpkins (very impressive). Pretty & yummy pumpkin spice cupcake from the Central Market. Dinner at Magnolia Café (really liked this place, will do a review soon). And owl cookies from Whole Foods (how cute are they?!).

Lots of fall baking (pumpkin rolls, pumpkin chocolate chip cupcakes), fall crafts (wreath, glitter pumpkins, & painted pumpkins), way too many pumpkin spice lattes, and our Halloween spread (chicken salad sandwiches, dip, my dad’s traditional green punch, popcorn balls, cupcakes, and turtle apples).

My sister just got to come visit all the way from GA! We were over the moon happy she got to come, we miss that girl like cray! She stayed for 6  days, which went by way too fast, but somehow we managed to fit in just about all the things we had planned. We celebrated my birthday with lunch at The Cheesecake Factory (tamale corn cakes… amazing!) and cupcakes & macarons at The Sweet Boutique (my favorite bakery) in Sugarland.  We watched tons of Gilmore Girls, did some crafting, baking, cooking, shopping, and smashbooking.

The Christmas bulbs my sister, my mom, and I painted and decorated! Such masterpieces, aren’t they? lol They were a lot of fun to make… mostly cause we made them together.

So yes, ladies and gentleman, they laughed, they scoffed, they said it couldn’t be done… but we did it! We made tamales!! My family (namely my sister & dad) have been talking about making tamales for at least a couple years now, but everyone we would talk to would try to talk us out of it. Telling us how hard & awful the whole process was. My grandma & aunts used to make them all the time on New Years Eve when we were growing up. It was a family tradition. Now that my grandma is gone we usually just order them. But using an amazing recipe from my aunt, we decided to give it a shot while my sister was here.

It was a family affair. My sister and I were spreading the masa on the corn shucks while our parents filled them with the meat and rolled them up. We were nervous about the outcome but they could not have turned out better! They were so flavorful and delish! And... easy! I honestly don’t understand what all the fuss is about. They were a little time consuming but one of the simplest things I’ve ever made. Will definitely be making them this New Years Eve instead of ordering them!

My sister and I may be half breeds but we felt like true Mexican's that day (or Latinas :D)... but then we made Creme Bruelee for dessert (yep, now that's our white side coming out ;)).

Family photos! Some of my sister and I, a family photo outside the mall in Sugarland, my sister, my mom, and I in our front yard, and one of my favorite photos of us with our cousin Pam and her adorable son, Elijah! 

And last but not least, our Thanksgiving spread! My mom and I cooked the feast… we were so tired, but it all turned out amazing… so I guess it was worth it.

Turkey, my grandma’s recipe for dressing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, rice & broccoli, and homemade cranberry sauce! And my dad made his traditional dessert… it’s his creation he’s been making since I was a kid. There’s no name for it but it has strawberries, Chips Ahoy Cookie crumbs, cream cheese, whipped cream, and marshmallow cream. It’s no bake and really good!

This fall season was not without its stresses and anxieties but there were also so many good moments that made up for it. All in all, it was a time of making a lot of happy and fun memories. Hope you all had a really lovely fall season as well! Now may the Christmasing commence! :D

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes & Halloween Playlist

I can’t believe Halloween is tomorrow! Feels like it just snuck up on us. I couldn’t let this fun holiday pass without making some Halloween cupcakes! Plus, I had these super cute cupcake liners, sprinkles, and picks that I had to get some use out of, right? ;)

One of my favorite fall dessert combinations is pumpkin and chocolate, they are just a match made in heaven. So when I came across this recipe I knew I had to give it a shot. I decided to make two different kinds of frostings for a little variety: Maple Buttercream Frosting and Chocolate Buttercream Frosting. These cupcakes just taste and look like the season to me.

So put on the Halloween playlist below the recipe and bake some of these lovelies for your trick or treaters! But if you decide to be selfish and keep them for yourself, I won’t judge!

Happy Halloween! :)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Maple & Chocolate Buttercream Frostings -

(Recipes adapted from: here & here)

These cupcakes are light, fluffy, and super moist. The warm flavors of the pumpkin, cloves, ginger, and pumpkin pie spice pair perfectly with the sweetness of the chocolate chips.

Both frostings are a great compliment to these cupcakes. With the maple frosting, I left out the cream cheese and just added a whole stick of butter instead. It turned out just as good, very creamy, and fluffy. The maple flavor didn't come through as much as I was hoping but I'm pretty sure that's because I didn't have any maple extract and had to rely solely on the syrup. But it was still really delish! Very much the taste of fall. Though a little on the sweet side, I will say.

The chocolate frosting is my go to recipe. It's basically an adaption of Hershey's one bowl buttercream. Over the years I just started doing it this way and liked it better than the original. But feel free to use your favorite chocolate frosting recipe. It’s so good on these cupcakes! As I said before, chocolate and pumpkin are just meant to be. And while the maple rocked, I think I like them better with this frosting. It's rich, creamy, chocolaty, and fluffy.

I was going to go more elaborate on the decorations. I was very ambitious and had planned to make these cute white chocolate spider webs & chocolate spiders for the top. But alas, it was not to be. It looked so easy but mine were either turning out too big or too weird. Probably because I was trying to use a piping bag and tip instead of a squeeze bottle. So I got frustrated, threw the first batch in the garbage, made them again, got even more frustrated, threw the second batch in the garbage... and settled on sprinkles, candy corn, and little candy pumpkins for garnish lol.

In spite of that, I still think they turned out pretty cute & festive! Hope these cupcakes make your Halloween even more delish!

Cupcakes -

Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
pinch of ground cloves
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups canned pumpkin
1 cup mini chocolate chips
candy corn, candy pumpkins, and sprinkles for garnish (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pans with paper liners.

In a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer, beat butter at medium speed until creamy. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground ginger, and cloves. Set aside.

Gradually add both sugars to mixing bowl, beating well. .Add eggs one at a time, beating well and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Gradually add flour mixture, beating just to combine. Add vanilla and pumpkin beating until blended.

Stir in chocolate chips. Divide batter between muffin cups. (You should get approximately 18.) Bake for 18 to 20 minutes and let cool.

Maple Buttercream Frosting -
Ingredients:
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon maple extract
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
4 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions:
Cream together the cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add the syrup, extract, pumpkin spice and sugar. Mix on low for a minute and then on high until creamy. NOTE: If your frosting is too thick you may add water but only a teaspoon at a time. This recipe is only for 12 cupcakes. Double recipe if needed.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting -
Ingredients:
1 stick butter
3-4 tbsp. cocoa powder
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1-2 tbsp. heavy cream or half & half

Directions:
In a medium bowl beat butter till light & fluffy. Add in cocoa and beat till incorporated. On low speed, beat in powdered sugar, one cup at a time. Add in vanilla and heavy cream and beat 2-3 minutes till fluffy.

Pipe or spread chocolate & maple frostings onto cooled cupcakes. Decorate as desired.

Halloween Playlist -

(Source)

What is Halloween (or any holiday for that matter) without some awesome tunes? I wasn’t sure if I was going to make another Halloween playlist this year. I was pretty proud of the one I made last year (which you can listen to here) and I thought I might be just repeating a lot of the same songs. But I started to think of and find so many good ones! Thus, volume two, if you will, for your Halloween pleasure!

“Fall” EP by Jon Foreman (revisited)

This beautiful collection of songs by Switchfoot frontman, Jon Foreman, may be 7 years old but it’s definitely a gem worth revisiting! Especially since we are in the fall season it’s the perfect time to pull out these lovely tunes once again.

I remember downloading this EP, Jon’s very first solo project, right when it was released at midnight in November of 2007. I had been anticipating this EP for a while so there was no way I was going to wait till morning to buy it. Needless to say, I instantly fell in love.

Six songs all reflecting everything I love about Jon’s songwriting. Songs filled to the brim with so much depth and meaning. But this time somewhat softer and more sparse in sound with cello, clarinets, harmonicas, acoustic guitar, and soft piano. A little different than what you typically hear on a Switchfoot album.

Jon said that since his favorite season is fall these songs ended up reflecting the that. And you can definitely hear the season floating in between every single note.

"The Cure For Pain" is an honest, somber tune about facing the pain in your life, "Heaven knows, heaven knows I've tried to find a cure for the pain. Oh my Lord, to suffer like you do. It would be a lie to run away". The romantic & reflective "Southbound Train" features Jon on harmonica and acoustic guitar as well as the talented, Keith Tutt, on cello. The creative use of a pillow and breathing for percussion gives the song a train like sound.  "Lord, Save Me From Myself" is an acoustic, harmonica infused plea to be saved from the traps of this world, "My eyes have seen the glory of this hollow modern shell. And sex is a grand production but I'm bored with that as well. Ahh, ahh, Lord, save me from myself".

"Equally Skilled" is a folksy tune with lyrics taken straight from the scriptures in Micah. "Moon Is A Magnet" is my personal favorite. This song with its beautiful bass clarinet and somewhat odd time signature just steals my heart everytime. Its jazzy sound & quirky lyrics make me smile. Closing track, "My Love Goes Free" is a soft piano tune about letting go. You can hear the heartbreak in Jon's voice as he repeats the line, "If you love her let her go". A perfect ending to this lovely project.

I'm continually inspired and amazed at Jon's songwriting as well as his heart for God and people. He’s sort of a hero or role model of mine, if you will. But I’ll spare you any more of the cheesy stuff lol and just say that whether it be in Switchfoot, his solo music, or in his side band, Fiction Family, he writes honest songs filled with so much beauty and truth.

This was the first of Jon's seasonal EPs released over the course of 2007 & 2008. To purchase "Fall" click here. To purchase "Winter", "Spring", & "Summer" click here. Do yourself a favor and check them out. Trust me, they're all amazing.

"In this way I feel like the creative process brings me closer to God. As a creator of a song I get to take all these broken fragments of failure and chaos and weave together something beautiful and meaningful. Decay. Death. Pain. Fall. And if God is a songwriter then these fallen leaves of mine can be redeemed." -  Jon Foreman

Glitter Pumpkins (An Easy Fall DIY)

Fall crafts have become one of my (many) favorite things about this time of year! There are just so many fun DIY’s on Pinterest to get your house all ready and decked out for the season. This is the second year I’ve made these cute glitter pumpkins and I’m sure I will keep making them every year. They are so fun, festive, and super easy peasy.

 

I made these lovelies with my sister over Skype yesterday. Skype crafting, baking, and cooking sessions are kinda like a new tradition we started. It’s become our thing since she now lives in the peach state so we can keep doing all our favorite hobbies together. I think we both loved how our pumpkins turned out! And it was the perfect day for some fall crafting since we Texans finally got some cool, breezy weather! Hallelujah!

If you want to do this project all you need is: Pumpkins – we used real ones but you could probably use fake ones if you want. Modpodge, fall colored glitter, and sponge brushes.

 

Just cover the pumpkins with a layer of Modpodge and coat with your choice of glitter. Let dry, shake off any excess, and give them a place in your home!

So pretty and could not be simpler! :)

Pumpkin obsessed?… Just a little.

Think it’s safe to say that fall is upon our home lol. ;) Hope you’re enjoying this lovely season!

Fall Bits & Pieces & Playlist

Can’t believe Thanksgiving is less than a week away! Crazy! Where did the time go?  I must say, as much as I am ready to deck the halls and let the Christmas-ing commence, fall has been such a fun season I’m sad to see it go. It’s truly my favorite time of year for so many reasons. The cool, crisp weather … which finally moved into Texas (thank God), leaves falling & changing colors, lots of Pumpkin Spice Lattes (way more than I should have had), pumpkin baked goods, Halloween, and… my birthday!  So I thought I’d share some fun fall memories with y’all today as well as a fall playlist! :)

Halloween ~

Spent Halloween with my family, watching "It's the great Pumpkin Charlie Brown", and enjoying our traditional goodies we make every year. Like my dad’s green punch! It simply wouldn’t be Halloween without it.

Yummy chicken salad sandwiches & buffalo chicken dip! 

Popcorn balls are a Halloween must! And I also couldn’t resist making some Pumpkin Chocolate Cupcakes with Pumpkin Spice Buttercream. They were delish if I do say so myself!

A fairytale pumpkin! These are my favorite, so pretty!

My Birthday ~

I’ve always loved that my birthday is in the fall! On Nov. 5th I turned 28, and to celebrate the day, I went out to dinner at the Cheesecake Factory with my parents.  And even though I begged them not to, they told the waitress it was my birthday … so moments later I was sung happy birthday by the Cheesecake Factory staff. Isn’t that always oh so awkward? Or maybe that’s just me. But on the upside, this peanut butter cup cheesecake was to die for!!

It’s funny though, not only did they spell my name with a C instead of K, but they left out the S. Ha! Didn’t realize that until later. So apparently to them I am Crytal. Nice, huh? ;)

After cheesecake, I did a little shopping and stopped off at Williams Sonoma… oh how I could freakin’ live in that place! It’s like a baker’s dream. I picked up some cute cupcake liners (can never resist them) and some really pretty sanding sugar.

Yummy chocolate cupcakes I made a few days later just so I could use said cute cupcake liners and sanding sugar. ;)

And to top off the birthday festivities…oh yes, my awesome parents bought me this beauty!! It came in the mail a few days before my birthday and I was freaking out! A stand mixer has been on the wish list for some time now, so I could not have been happier. Isn’t it pretty?! The best birthday gift ever!

Though when I used it (ahem, like an hour after I got it) I realized a slight problem with it. Don’t know if any of you who have stand mixers have the same issue, but it doesn’t mix everything evenly. It mixes what’s in the middle of the bowl but misses everything on the sides. I googled this problem and apparently it’s pretty common, it’s called beater to bowl clearance. They said that at the factory they adjust the beaters to clear the batter from the bowl (which makes no sense to me) so that’s why it doesn’t mix properly. I read how to re-adjust it yourself but am a bit scared to do it. If any of you have had this problem would love to know what you did about it.

Fall Crafts ~

Finally did a few little fall craft projects! Like these glitter pumpkins! They were so fun and easy to make! Messy (was covered in glitter) but fun! They made for a really lovely fall display.

This super simple leaf garland; just made out of some fall scrapbook paper and yarn.

And last but not least, I made these jar lanterns! I made 12 of these things for my sister’s wedding last month, so I could pretty much make them with eyes closed now lol. So I made a few to put around the house but this time slipped in some scrapbook paper to give it a fall touch.

Fall Playlist ~

Here’s a fall playlist I put together of all the songs that sound like the season to me and have been keeping me company on these pretty autumn days. May I suggest listening to this with your windows open letting the cool fall breeze float in while enjoying a pumpkin spice latte? Hope you enjoy, loves! :)

(Source)

Halloween Playlist!

Hey friends, thought I’d stop in today and share a fun little Halloween playlist with y’all!

I don’t know about you but there’s just something about Halloween that always makes me feel like a kid again. And maybe that’s because it makes me feel very nostalgic. It makes me nostalgic for trick or treating with my sister and cousins, dressing up in cute costumes, for family gathering at my grandparent’s house for sandwiches, chips, popcorn balls, and my dad’s special green punch (as was our every year tradition).

It makes me smile to think about how serious my sister would be about her costume every year. It makes me smile to remember the couple times my parents decided as Christians we shouldn’t be trick or treating… then later on feeling so bad that we missed out on all the fun. And it makes me laugh to think of Halloween 2001 when my dad would not let my sister trick or treat because of the whole anthrax scare…yeah, she was not a happy camper. ;)

It was always such a fun time of year and as an adult I still enjoy it! And even though times have changed, my grandparents are gone and my sister has moved away, tomorrow I will still be enjoying sandwiches, chips, popcorn balls, and green punch with my parents. Hey, ya can’t buck tradition, right? :)

Halloween Playlist -

Here’s a playlist of songs, Halloween jams if you will, to rock out to tomorrow as you pass out candy or you know, toilet paper a house or two.  Happy Halloween! :)

Bits & Pieces

Hey loves! Thought I’d stop in tonight to share a few photos of bits & pieces of life and what I’ve been up to lately. Hope you enjoy! :)

Craft projects for my sister’s upcoming wedding: hanging mason jar lanterns and chalk board labels for the dessert table. It’s been fun and I think they’re turning out good, if I do say so myself. And let me just say, I now have a love affair with chalk board paint…I want to cover every surface of my house with it. :D

Love lettering. If you haven’t heard of the amazing organization The World Needs More Love Letters, please check it out. To get involved is simple, write a sweet and encouraging “love letter” to a complete stranger and leave it in places such as cafes, stores, libraries, dressing rooms, ect. for people to find. Sometimes we all need a sweet letter to brighten up our day and give us hope, that’s exactly what More Love Letters aims to do.

I’ve been meaning to get involved for a while now but kept putting it off, until these past couple weeks. I have finally started writing and leaving love letters and I can’t tell you how much I love it! There’s something so joyful and fun about writing letters of encouragement for someone you’ll probably never meet. Leaving them in random places like the makeup section at Wal-mart (the location of my first letter) and taped to the bathroom mirror at Hobby Lobby…hoping that just the right person who needs that letter will find it. I really have fallen in love with doing this and I hope you’ll check it out and start spreading the love yourself! :)

A pretty new journal I bought last week. No, I did not need it … I don’t know about you but I have a really hard time resisting cute journals. There’s just something about a brand new journal with all it’s pretty blank pages that feels full of possibilities.

One of my favorite cool weather meals, Chicken & Dumplings. We had a few really amazing fall weather days in the 50’s & 60’s, felt like heaven! So I took advantage of it by cooking this up for lunch on Sunday after church. Sadly, the fall weather has gone bye bye for now and we Texans will be seeing the return of 90 degree weather for the rest of the week…ugh! I swear, TX, sometimes you really disappoint me.

A homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte! Yes, I have been in pumpkin everything mode. I made this last night…and after a little bit of tweaking, it was rather delish! Recipe to come soon! Now, if that cold weather would just hurry back…it’s no fun drinking hot fall drinks in 90 degree weather. ;)

Hope you’re having a lovely week so far! And enjoy your fall weather if you are lucky enough to have it! :)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I’m happy to report that fall baking has commenced in my kitchen! There’s just something extra special about baking in the fall as well as around the holidays. With all the lovely seasonal ingredients you get to use such as pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves (this recipe has ‘em all, btw), baking takes on an even warmer aromatic experience. And as bakers we all know that by the time your done baking your treats, not only does your kitchen take on these aromas, but so do you. And that’s perfectly fine with me as I don’t really mind smelling like cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. Ah, the signature scent of a baker, right? ;)

I had bought a can of Libby’s Pumpkin for a recipe that I didn’t end up making and I of course just couldn’t resist finding another use for it a.s.a.p.. But what to make?…I mean on Pinterest you can only find like, oh say thousands of pumpkin recipes. There’s pumpkin pie, pumpkin bars, pumpkin cake, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin roll, pumpkin donuts, even pumpkin ice cream sandwiches! And I don’t know about you but I tend to have an incurable case of indecisiveness if given too many choices.

But I had the itch to make something with pumpkin and chocolate so when I saw these cookies on Pinterest I just knew, that was it. And I was ready to bake my pumpkin lovin’ heart out.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies -

(Recipe found @ http://www.sporkorfoon.com)

These cookies are the taste of fall, let me tell ya! They are so light and chewy… and I’m told healthy (hmm, wonder if that still applies after your 3rd one in a row ;)).

First, start out by mixing your dry ingredients together; including all the lovely spices that will make it seem like fall is having a party in your mouth…mhmm, ignore that lame description. But really, just do something for me… take a whiff of each spice as you put it in; your cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Then mix it all together! You have to savor the scents of the season, after all. :)

Mix your eggs and sugar together till smooth and light in color; then stir in the pumpkin. And watch as the whole mixture surrenders to the beautiful orange hue.

Stir in the dry ingredients and last but certainly not least, add the chocolate chips! Always the best part. Drop your cookies by 1/4 cup measurements and bake!

The pumpkin with the warm flavors of the spices, and chocolate chips is the perfect fall taste combo. Really pumpkin and chocolate were just meant to be. The texture of these cookies are almost like a cross between a cookie and a cake. They’re not cakey though just really light, airy, and soft.

If your looking for a great pumpkin recipe to bake on a breezy fall day, give these lovelies a try! :)

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup canola or corn oil

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup chocolate chips, or any chip you like

Directions:

Position a rack in the middle of the oven . Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and butter the paper.

Stir the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices together in a medium bowl and set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the eggs and sugar until smooth and lightened in color, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl as needed during mixing. On low speed, mix the oil, pumpkin, and vanilla until blended. Mix in the flour mixture to incorporate it. Mix in the chips.

Using an ice cream scoop with a 1/4-cup capacity, scoop mounds of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies at least 2 1/2-inches apart. You could also simply use a 1/4-cup measuring cup if you don’t have a scoop. Use a thin metal spatula to smooth and flatten the rounds.

Bake the cookies one sheet at a time until the tops feel firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry, about 16 minutes. Cool them on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then use a wide metal spatula to transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Dust the cooled cookies lightly with powdered sugar, if desired. The cookies can be stored in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 4 days.