I had my first taste of Fireball whiskey a couple of years ago. No, I wasn’t at some crazy college party or throwing it down with a group of young party people. I was getting ready for an adult league tennis match of all things! One of my teammates offered everyone on our team a shot of fireball to take the nerves off before our match. And it worked.

I can’t claim that Fireball improved my tennis game, but I will say I won the match AND haven’t missed a pre-match Fireball shot since!…

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Today I feel like being random then sharing this awesome recipe with you. So here are my random thoughts from today…

When you wear a blazer as part of your outfit but the weather gets colder than blazer weather, do you wear a jacket or coat over your blazer? What’s the right thing to do there?

Why do people at airports stand up and wait in line to get on the plane before their zone is even close to being called? Do they not understand that we are all getting on the same flight? Just because you get on the plane first doesn’t mean you are going to get there any faster than the rest of us?

Curious – text on food photos… do you like it, does it bug you, or do you not care either way?

My friend Stacey posted on Facebook the other day that she read the next hair trend would be a throwback to the 80’s. For me the 80’s was all about big bangs and Aqua Net. Can we all just agree that we do NOT need to revisit the 80’s hairstyles again? I don’t think our ozone could take it!

In case you are wondering, she is as awesome in person as she is on her blog. Love that girl!

What’s your favorite flavored creamer to put in your coffee?

Can cap sleeves just die, please?

Finally, who are The Kardashians and why exactly are they famous or always on the front of all the supermarket magazines?

OK, that’s it for my randomness! Now onto this great recipe my friend Jenny shared with me from a Gold Medal Flour booklet. Her version was and amazing apple cake with nuts and raisins, but I decided to do pear without the add in’s. Enjoy!

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Frosted Spiced Pear Cake

A taste of fall in a delicious, moist spiced pear cake. Adapted from Gold Medal Flour

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups finely chopped pears about 2 medium
• 1 cup granulted sugar
• 1 egg beaten
• 1/2 cup butter melted
• 1 1/2 cups Gold Medal all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Dash of cinnamon
• Dash of ground nutmeg

For the glaze:

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 tablespoons milk

Instructions

• Heat oven to 350°. Grease rectangular pan, 13x9x2 inches.
• Mix apples and sugar in a large bowl; let stand for 10 minutes. Stir in egg and butter. Stir in remaining ingredients (except vanilla glaze). Pour batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Spread with vanilla glaze while warm.

Vanilla Glaze:

• Mix all ingredients until smooth and spreadable.

Disclosure: This blog post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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No, I didn’t make doughnuts today, but I did make Hot Apple Cider Funnel Cakes… yes I did… with a cinnamon and powdered sugar topping. Mmmmmmm.

Good day turns questionable when the kid keeps yammering… “Where are the doughnuts, mom? Can I have a doughnut?”

Then you have to break it to the poor little one that 1 – you didn’t make doughnuts and 2 – you made funnel cakes but they are all gone. Yes, all gone, as in none left for the after school kids to eat. Ooops. That’s a fun one to share… you get to smell the deliciousness of what we had to eat today, but sorry… you don’t get to have any!

Luckily, they are really easy to make. Once my jeans fit again, I’ll definitley make some more, to share.

These are similar to my Pumpkin Funnel Cake Minis that I made last fall, but normal funnel cake size and smack full of cinnamon apple flavor. Make some for your kids today – or eat them all yourself and break their heart. It’s up to you.

Enjoy!

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Hot Apple Cider Funnel Cakes

Funnel cakes take on fall with this Hot Apple Cider Funnel Cake recipe!

Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup Green Mountain Naturals Hot Apple Cider cooled (brewed at 8oz setting)
• 1 cup milk
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla
• 3 cups all purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon Allspice
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• vegetable oil for frying

For topping:

• ¼ cup powdered sugar
• 1 Tablespoon cinnamon

Instructions

• Beat eggs, sugar and vanilla together until creamy. Next, add the Green Mountain Naturals Hot Apple Cider and milk slowly – beat until well combined.
• In a separate bowl combine flour, salt, cinnamon, Allspice and baking powder. Slowly add to the wet ingredients, blending until smooth and creamy.
• Heat vegetable oil in a 2 inch deep skillet on your stove. You’ll know the oil is hot when you place one drop of batter into the pan and it cooks quickly.
• Using a funnel or fill an empty squeeze bottle (like a clean ketchup bottle) with batter. Pour the batter into round, funnel cake shapes, cooking one at a time. Once browned, carefully flip and cook the other side (1 minute total at the most).
• Carefully remove from hot oil using tongs or a spatula. Drain on a dry paper towel.
• In a small bowl combine powdered sugar and cinnamon. Using a sifter, sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture over the funnel cake. Serve hot.

Disclosure: I have partnered with Green Mountain Naturals to create recipes using their product. All opinions expressed are my own.

The post A Good Day {Recipe: Hot Apple Cider Funnel Cakes} appeared first on Dine and Dish.

Growing up, we used to frequent the restaurant Long John Silvers on occasion. I used to love going in and getting a token for the treasure box, running around with my cool pirate hat on, eating the hush puppies and…. I’ll admit it… eating the little “crispies” you’d find in the bottom of bag of battered fish. You know, the fried batter crispies? Those were the best….

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This is my Friday night. A spiced chai tea latte with a little indulgent whipped cream, a stack of books to choose from, candles lit, and three sweet girls lying on the floor of my room engrossed in a Disney movie. The boys are out on the town at a baseball game, and at 6:30pm my girls and I are tucked in for a cozy fall night.

Ten years ago if you would have asked me if I would be content… happy, if you will… sitting at home on a Friday night doing absolutely nothing, I probably would have said not so much. Now? Girls night in on a Friday night, especially when the weather is cooler and we can be snuggled up under quilts with comfy PJ’s on, is my Friday night of choice. I look forward to low key Friday nights. I crave them and treasure them.

Whatever your Friday night looks like, I hope you are happy and find contentment in whatever season of life you are in.

Oh – and if you want a delicious recipe for Spiced Chai Tea Latte and a gorgeous blog to go along with it, head over to The Sprouted Kitchen. Enjoy.

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This giveaway is now closed! The winners, chosen by Random.org, of the Cooking Light Magazines subscriptions were: Ria from Rias Collection, Megan from Megans Cookin‘, and Dana (Drsalbghir). Hilary Gercken won the Perfect Portions scale! Congrats everyone and thanks for participating!

The pumpkin biscuits with the orange-honey butter I made yesterday were certainly a big hit around my house. We gobbled them up in no time, and my kids were wondering “Pumpkin muffins one day, pumpkin biscuits after that…what’s next, mom?” Well, I couldn’t disappoint them. In fact, I had a half a can of pumpkin leftover because the biscuits only use 1/2 a can. What pumpkin treat could I make that would work with only a half a can of pumpkin?

Later in the day when I was thumbing through the November 2010 issue of Cooking Light magazine I happened across a recipe for Pumpkin Pie Pudding requiring only a 1/2 cup of pumpkin. I instantly knew what I would be making with my leftover pumpkin. Let me tell you, these little beauties did not disappoint. (Just found out that this recipe is from our very own food blogging friend, Susan from Food Blogga! I love seeing my blogging friends in print. Great recipe, Susan!)

Another thing that never disappoints me is Cooking Light magazine. As someone who writes for magazines, I know how hard it is to put a magazine full of great recipes together and they seem to hit the mark with each issue. Every time I open an issue of Cooking Light, I seem to run out of post-it note sticky flags because I have page after page after page marked with recipes that I want to add to my I Will Make This Someday List.

I’m giving 3 lucky readers the chance to win a 12 month subscription to Cooking Light Magazine. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post.

And, if you are into lighter cooking or just measuring out your food, I have a Perfect Portions Kitchen Scale to giveaway as well. I’ve been trying out the Perfect Portions scale for a couple of weeks now and I am a huge fan. If you are concerned about portion control, this handy scale needs to be a part of your kitchen. Read all about the Perfect Portions scale on their website. To win a Perfect Portions scale, leave a comment on this post as well.

So, my friends, you have the chance to win 1 of 3 Cooking Light 12-month magazines subscriptions and the chance to win 1 Perfect Portions kitchen scale. Leave a comment on this post by midnight CST next Friday, October 29th. Make sure to include a way for me to contact you. All invalid entries will be removed.

The folks at Perfect Portions have given me the opportunity to share their product with you since I love it so much. The Cooking Light magazine subscriptions are from me because I love their magazine so much!

Disclosure: This blog post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

The post Cooking Light & Perfect Portions Giveaway (Recipe: Pumpkin Pudding) appeared first on Dine and Dish.

One bite was all it took for me to be sitting around our dining room table in my childhood home, nylons still on my feet, shoes off, my parents nagging at me that I’m ruining my nylons because I am not wearing shoes… “Do you know how much nylons cost? You are running around the house with them still on with no shoes, ruining them.”

Church had just gotten out and upon returning home, my mom had baked the wheat bread that had been rising while we were gone. Fresh from the oven, we all gathered around the table for the first slice. The first slice was always the best… smothered in her homemade honey butter and still warm to the touch. “Don’t ruin your lunch,” my mom would say. But she knew better. Attempting to keep us from ruining our lunch was fruitless. We couldn’t help ourselves. One slice simply was not enough and our family would eat her bread until we couldn’t take another bite. As often happened on those Sunday’s, a loaf of bread would be be our lunch.

These biscuits are not my mom’s homemade wheat bread nor is the honey butter just any plain old honey butter, but even still…upon first bite the food time machine took me away to days already gone. What food transports you on a time machine back to your childhood?

If you are looking for something incredibly special to put on your table this holiday season, this recipe for Pumpkin Biscuits with Orange-Honey Butter is certain to enhance your holiday table. With flavors so subtle and rich at the same time, this is one combination that is sure to make a lasting impression.

Pumpkin Biscuits with Orange-Honey Butter from My Recipes and Cooking Light

Yield:  12 servings (serving size: 1 biscuit and 1 teaspoon butter)

2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup fat-free buttermilk
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
Cooking spray
1/4 cup Orange-Honey Butter

Preheat oven to 450º.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour and next 6 ingredients (flour through nutmeg); cut in chilled butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Combine buttermilk and pumpkin; add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead lightly 5 times. Roll dough to about 1/2-inch thickness. Cut into 12 biscuits with a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter. Place the biscuits on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450° for 11 minutes or until golden. Serve warm with 1/4 cup Orange-Honey Butter.

Orange-Honey Butter

Yield:  1 1/4 cups (serving size: 1 teaspoon)

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended.

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When I was growing up, I was convinced that the only reason my parents had me was to be their servant. I was the human remote control, getting up to change the channel anytime they wanted to watch something different on TV. I was their dishwasher and dish dryer…who needed to buy a dishwasher when there were kids to do the job? Life, in my mind, was truly rough because I always had more chores than my friends did…taking out the trash, vacuuming, picking dandelions (we lived on a farm, for goodness sakes… do you KNOW how many dandelions are out on a farm? Who in the world cares if dandelions take over the yard?) Anyway, I felt like I was given a huge disservice by having to do any work around the house. I’d go around the house singing “Cinderella! Cinderella! Wash the dishes, scrub the floor, see who’s knocking at the door.”

Now that I have kids of my own, I have to swallow my pride and say “Mom and Dad… you were right!” Oh my gosh, how nice is it to have kids old enough to help get things done around the house? If you are on the fence about having kids, let me tell you… they are a lot of work, but once they are old enough to actually do work, it is so well worth it! <tongue in cheek people…relax (but it is kind of true!)> I wouldn’t recommend having kids simply to have little servants around your house, but I would encourage you to put your kids to work if you have them. Giving kids chores teaches them to be responsible and makes them better long term contributors to society. They’ll have to do things their whole life they don’t particularly like or want to do… better do your part to help them get used to it!

My 8 year old is the dishwasher loader and unloader in our house. He is usually pretty good about doing it but every once in awhile he grumbles about having to do it. That’s why, on nights when we eat something like these Stuffed Squash Boats, I get to be Mom of the Year because he pretty much gets the night off of dish clean up. You see, with this Stuffed Squash Boats recipe, your dish is your dinner. It is truly a delicious recipe. Find your kiddos a different chore for the night, because cleanup from this dinner is a breeze.

Stuffed Squash Boats

2 medium spaghetti squash (2 to 2-1/2 pounds)
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 small Roma tomatoes, diced and seeds removed
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1. 1.  Cut squash in half lengthwise; scoop out seeds. Place squash, cut side down, in a baking dish. Fill pan with ½ inch of hot water. Bake, uncovered, at 375°F for 30-40 minutes or until tender.
2. When cool enough to handle, scoop out squash, separating strands with a fork. Set the shells and squash aside. In a skillet, cook beef, onion and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink and vegetables are tender; drain.
3. Add mushrooms, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add diced tomato; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add squash; mix well. Cook, uncovered, until liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Fill shells; place in shallow baking dish.
4. Bake, uncovered, at 350°F for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese; place back in oven and bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Looking for other “eat your dish” dinners? These bloggers have some interesting ideas:

• Broccoli Cheddar Soup in a Bread Bowl from Sugarcrafter
• Soup in a Pumpkin (S.I.P) from What We’re Eating
• Parmesan Cheese Bowls from my old Dine & Dish blog
• Oats in a ‘Loupe from Iowa Girl Eats

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