Two Great Pumpkin Recipes ~ Pumpkin White Chocolate Chunk Cookies & Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

If you are looking for some lip smackingly good pumpkin recipes--look no further! I've taste tested both of these fabulous recipes and either one of them will make you a pumpkin cookin' hero.


First up, a Pumpkin White Chocolate Chunk Cookie recipe from Foster's Market.
Moist and delicious with a butterscotch kick, these are a new neighborhood favorite.

And if the cookies aren't enough to satisfy your craving for pumpkin treats, be sure to give Martha Stewart's awesome Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Cream-Cheese Filling a whirl!


I gobbled these up with my morning coffee--DIVINE!

Enjoy!

~The Lemonista

2011 Fall Fashion & Winter Wardrobe Updates

Everyone can use a few wardrobe updates to freshen things up, but in today's economy it's important to make every purchase count.  Here are the items I've updated my closet with this season.  Fitting with my classic style (in a trendy sort of way), these basic items are neutral in color allowing them to easily work with my existing clothing. 

It's been a while since I've done a fashion post, so...
Let's get to it.

Boden Uptown Pumps (which are really flats *grin*)
These also come in both Mushroom and a Navy color that are great basics!
I bought these in Navy. They are smart, comfy and I know I'll wear them a ton.



Gap 1969 Lightweight Corduroy Leggings
I bought these in Navy. They are flattering and feel like butter against my skin. Pure LOVE!


Ann Taylor Perfect Long Sleeve Shirt
This is the perfect everyday shirt.  You can dress it up or dress it down.  Wear it tucked in or un-tucked.
I bought this in both French Blue and White.

*Please check the link on this one as I couldn't copy the picture. grrrrrrrr I hate websites that are all photo stingy that way :-(

LandsEnd Canvas Women's Necktie Belt
Love this belt with my Gap navy skinny cords and jeans! It coordinates great with the Ann Taylor shirt in this post as well and the Boden flats!



True Religion Brand Billy Indigo Super T Jeans
Okay, so these were super spendy but they gave me the tush of a teenager.
'Nuff said.


 
Now for the stuff I'll probably live in 'till spring.
Drum roll for the Mom Uniform..........

Aeria Flare Slim Gym Yoga pants
These are, hands down, my favorite yoga pants.  And for $19 bucks, girl, you can beat 'em.



Old Navy Lightweight Hoodies
Love these lightweight hoodies.  Combine this hoodie with some yoga pants and this momma is good to go.


Or if you prefer a scoop neck style pullover hoodie to layer over a tank.
This one also comes in lots of fun colors.
Old Navy Lightweight Pullover Hoodies


So that's what I've got for today. I'd love to hear your great Fall/ Winter fashion finds!  Please post them in the comments so we can all check them out.

Thanks!
~The Lemonista

Caramel Apple Muffins

Nothing stirs the comforting feelings of fall like the smell of cinnamon and apples baking in the kitchen.  Add melted caramel to that wonderful aroma and you might just envision yourself in a Norman Rockwell painting.

I mean who didn't love caramel apples as a kid? 

As an adult, a caramel apple still sounds wonderful but I'm not really up for the effort and sticky face that comes with eating one.  I thought of how good the caramel apple flavor would taste with my October morning coffee and I began hunting for Caramel Apple Muffin recipes.  I tried several and in the end, blended many ideas from different recipes to create my own.  Here's what I came up with.

You will need:


In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.










In another bowl, whisk the egg, milk and vanilla.






Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.


Now stir in melted butter.




Fold in chopped apples. (chop yours smaller than I did here).


Cut 12 Kraft caramels in fours with kitchen shears and toss them in 1 teaspoon of flour.








I found that the foil baking cups work best for these muffins.




Combine topping ingredients with a fork.




Fill paper-lined muffin cups 1/2 full with batter, place four pieces of cut caramel in batter, then top off with batter to equal 3/4"ish" full..






Sprinkle 1 Tablespoon of topping over each of the 12 cups of muffin batter.


Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the cake portion comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.
Serve warm.

Can't you just taste the ooey gooey caramel......

Caramel Apple Muffins

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup chopped peeled green apple
12 Kraft caramels, cut in fours and tossed in 1 teaspoon of flour

TOPPING:

1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
2 Tablespoons quick-cooking oats
2 Tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl, whisk the egg, milk and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Now stir in melted butter. Fold in chopped apples.

Cut 12 Kraft caramels in fours with kitchen shears and toss them in 1 teaspoon of flour.

Combine topping ingredients with a fork.
Fill paper-lined muffin cups 1/2 full with batter, place four pieces of cut caramel in batter, then top off with batter to equal 3/4"ish" full. Sprinkle 1 Tablespoon of topping over each of the 12 cups of muffin batter.

Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the cake portion comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Serve warm. Yields 12 muffins.

Enjoy!
~The Lemonista

Velvet Pumpkins 101

The first time I walked into a store and saw these beauties I gasped!


Velvet pumpkins! What a fantastic idea.  However, I gasped a second time when I read the price tag. 
Made with real silk velvet and real dried pumpkin stems, a group of these gorgeous pumpkins would set me back a pretty penny.  Unless...I could figure out a way to make my own.


It wasn't long before my very crafty friend Laurel, of Petal Pusher Accessories, eye spied these pretties. She and I got to talking about duplicating them and we decided to join forces to tackle the task. 

While Laurel researched patterns and gathered supplies, I solicited my retired parents for any gourd stems they could find in their garden and tracked down silk velvet fabric in various colors.

When crafting day arrived, Laurel and I set down determined and armed for battle. I have to say, while I knew we'd find a way to make a cute velvet pumpkin, I never expected them to turn out as fabulous as they did.  I am so impressed with these and I know you will be too. 


These were not hard to make. Honestly, if you can sew on a button, you can make these pumpkins! So let's get started.

*In full disclosure, I an not a seamstress, so I do apologise for my abysmal use of sewing terminology.

Supplies:
Silk Velvet Fabric (a fat quarter of fabric will make around one large pumpkin, or two medium pumpkins, or 4ish small pumpkins or several tiny pumpkins).
Dried gourd stems (from pumpkins, acorn squash, spaghetti squash, etc...)
Dried navy beans
Poly fill (pillow stuffing)
Needle and strong thread
Hot glue gun

1. Cut your fabric in desired size circle.
We used just about every round item we could think of around the house to trace our circles on the fabric.  In this photo we are using a trash can.  To give you an idea of scale, a circle of fabric 11" in diameter makes a grapefruit sized pumpkin.


2. Thread your needle, knotting the end so that the tread is 2-ply and then sew a basic stitch by hand around the edge leaving 1/4" inch lip.




3. Once you've got your stitch underway, start gathering as you go by gently pulling the thread to pleat the fabric.  Be careful not to break the thread or you'll have to start sewing all over again.


4. When you've sewn completely around the circle, hold off on gathering the last few inches of fabric until after you've filled your velvet sack with beans and poly fill.  I poured the beans in first and then used the poly fill to get the desired shape I wanted.





5. Now gently pull the thread to close the hole.




6. Sew a few stitches across the hole to make sure it is tightly closed.
Knot off your end and cut the thread.


7. Apply hot glue to the bottom of a dried gourd stem and stick it on the velvet pumpkin to cover your sewing, pressing down on the pumpkin until the glue hardens/cools.


8. Sit back and admire you're amazing creations!


Repeat this project until your heart's content.




How cute is this tiny pumpkin I made with some of the scrap fabric?


These look so great on my kitchen table.  I couldn't be more thrilled.  I've already put in an order for more stems from my parents for next year. 




I purchased all of the silk velvet for this project from the following etsy seller:
silkfabric

***See how I used one of my velvet pumpkins in my 2012 Spooky Halloween Mantle.

Thanks again to Laurel for figuring out how to make these and for a fun afternoon.

Enjoy!
~The Lemonista

Linked to Feathered Nest Friday
Linked to At The Picket Fence
Linked to Show of Saturday