Fall is in the Kitchen

I love fall for so many reasons!  One thing about this time of year that I really enjoy are the fall recipes that only seem acceptable this time of year.  This past weekend I had my kitchen smelling yummy with Pumpkin Cupcakes, Butternut Squash Soup, and Homemade Applesauce....mmmm mmmmm deliciousness!

The Pumpkin Cupcake recipe that I used came from here.  It was a super easy recipe to make and didn't take me any time at all.  AND I had all of the ingredients on hand which was a bonus!

Pumpkin Cupcakes

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together, brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter, and eggs. Add dry ingredients, and whisk until smooth. Whisk in pumpkin puree.
3. Divide batter evenly among liners, filling each about halfway. Bake until tops spring back when touched, and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes, rotating pans once if needed. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely.

I made a cream cheese frosting to top the cupcakes with once they were cooled and added some candy corn for some color.  I need to work on my frosting skills - they tasted better than they looked:)

FALL - My favorite season

I LOVE fall!  I love the fresh crisp air.  I love watching the leaves change color to provide a colorful landscape all around.  I love the smell of fall candles.  I love pulling out my leggings and sweaters for the first time since spring.  And I love the additional baking options there are with fall produce.

Aside from making my typical apple crisp and zucchini bread, this fall brought a whole new experiment as my sister and I have attempted the art of canning.  After a couple of sister dates and trips to the farmer's market, we have successfully mastered the art of canning.  Since neither of us have the space to have our own gardens, the farmer's market is the way to go, especially this time of year when all of the produce is at its peak.  Neither of us have ever attempted to can before, we have never watched anyone can before, and we didn't have any of the supplies we needed, but none of that stopped us from trying!  After watching a few youtube videos and borrowing some canning supplies from our aunt and grandma, we began the experiment.

Our first canning attempt was salsa.  We made 2 dozen cans (3 batches) of salsa and I'd have to say, it turned out pretty darn good!  We tweaked the recipe here and there so one of the batches is a little spicier than the others.  My husband is pretty darn excited to enjoy the salsa all winter long (or as long as it will last)!  Here is a picture of our finished product:

Our second canning attempt was dill pickles.  We made about a dozen and a half cans and this process went much quicker since there was less to chop up.  We still aren't sure about the taste, since they have to sit 10 days before trying them, but they look good so far!  Here is a picture of the finished product:

We are debating whether we are going to try canning any more salsa or pickles, or try something like applesauce.  We'll see if we are able to make the time in the next couple of weekends.

If I've learned one thing about our canning experience, it's that it's a lot more fun to attempt experiments like this with someone else.  I can't imagine trying to do all of what we did by myself...I would've spent the entire weekend in the kitchen!  I'm grateful for the sister bonding we had and the finished product that we'll get to enjoy all winter long.  

What's your favorite thing about fall?  Do you have any "must-have" canning recipes?

Montana fishing trip

In August we went on a family fishing trip with my husband's entire family.  We stayed on the Gallatin River just outside of Bozeman.  It sure was a treat to get away from the every day hustle and bustle of city life and enjoy the peace of the flowing river and fresh mountain air!  Jesse's family has a tradition of going fishing in Montana almost every year, and this was my first time experiencing it.  He warned me that they would spend the entire day on the river fishing.  I was so thankful the cabin was right on the river so I was able to join the crew for a few hours each day - I don't think I would've enjoyed it as much had I spent 8+ hours a day out there:)  Here are a few pictures from my few hours out there:

 I caught some trout!

 Jesse's brother and sister-in-law

 Jesse's parents

 Our keep one day...

I can't imagine going to the mountains without actually being in the mountains and hiking, so we did spend a little time hiking and it was beautiful!  Here are some pictures from our hike on the Lava Lake Trail.  It was a gorgeous hike and at the top we were spoiled with a beautiful lake and the Spanish Peak mountains in the distance.

The next morning  we did a much shorter hike on the Hyalite Creek Trail and saw some beautiful waterfalls.  

We enjoyed our long weekend getaway!  What a great way to refresh and rejuvenate before fall comes...