Sweet Indulgences Sunday #28

First, I don't want any of you to miss out on my Farm Chicks giveaway. If you're not familiar with the Farm Chicks, please check out Serena Thompson's blog. I know you'll love her. I'll be giving away a set of two of Serena's cookbooks: The Farm Chicks in the Kitchen and Farm Chicks Christmas. Please click here to read the review and to enter the giveaway. Deadline is November 1, 2011.

My boys had an entertaining week. On Thursday, they had their fall festival at school. The Halloween class parties were yesterday. We've got so much candy in the house this weekend that I don't think we need to even go out Monday night to trick-or-treat. But, with Ninja and Green Lantern costumes waiting in the wings, I don't think I'll be able to avoid it. I plan on staying home in the kitchen this weekend. Can't wait to see what you have all cooked up this week. I've taken some sneak peeks at your blogs and I know already that you've got some good stuff! Have a great weekend and Halloween!!

From my kitchen

Sparkling Candy Corn Cookies

Here's the top recipes from last week:

#1

Pear and Nutty Cinnamon Crumb Cake

from Catalina Bakes

Tied for #2

Oreo Mummy Pops

from The Sweet Swiper

Also #2

Bestest Chocolate Cake Ever

from Fantastical Sharing of Recipes

#3

Apple Pie Cake

from the Sweet Swiper

Thanks to everyone who linked up last week! There were so many wonderful recipes!

The Rules...

1. Please link up to the URL of your specific recipe post, not the URL of your main blog. When it asks for "Name", type in the name of your recipe.
2. Please place a link back to this post in your original post or Grab My Button.
3. Share your most recent dessert. Link up as many desserts as you would like. More is always better when it comes to desserts! 
4. Leave me a comment in this post to let me know that you've joined the party. Also, if you're having your own linky party, feel free to post the link to your party in the comment section. I would love to join your party!
5. Now, let's share the love! Please visit at least two others and comment on the delicious desserts that they've brought to the party. It means so much to a blogger to get some positive commentary!

Don't forget to enter the giveaway for The Farm Chicks in the Kitchen and Farm Chicks Christmas. Please click here to read the review and to enter the giveaway. Deadline: November 1, 2011.

The party starts here:

Reminder: Enter to Win the Farm Chicks Cookbook Collection

Just a brief reminder that the giveaway for Serena Thompson's Farm Chicks cookbook collection which includes Farm Chicks in the Kitchen and Farm Chicks Christmas is running through Tuesday, November 1.

Click here to read the review and enter to win the giveaway! This is a great cookbook package so don't miss out on your opportunity to win it. I know you'll enjoy it!

Good luck!!

Serena Thompson and The Farm Chicks: Review and Giveaway

Serena Thompson

Photo from The Farm Chicks, Serena's Web Journal

Have you met Serena Thompson from the Farm Chicks yet? If not, she's definitely someone you need to know. Well, I haven't actually met her either but I feel like I know her because I read her blog, The Farm Chicks, Serena's Web Journal and her Facebook page on a regular basis. And, through those two mediums, I feel like I've gotten to know her personally and she's definitely someone I would want to call a friend. Let me introduce her to you.

Sparkling Candy Corn Cookies

We enjoyed our county fair this past week, one of the events that we look forward to every fall. This upcoming week is an exciting one for my kids. They have the fall festival at their school on Thursday and the Halloween class parties on Friday. The days of sending home-baked goodies to school seem to be over. But, that doesn't stop me from baking fall goodies for my kids. One of the cookies that are a tradition in our home are these Candy Corn Cookies. I've been making them every year for the past several years. I use the recipe from Land O Lakes.

Sweet Indulgences Sunday #27

The county fair is in town and the boys and I went Tuesday evening. I even braved the ferris wheel for them since their dad wasn't with us to take on that task. It was the one thing they HAD to ride! I warned them both that no one was to rock the seat. My six-year-old encouraged me throughout the ride, "You see - it's not so bad." Of course, his tune changed a little later after he emerged from a rough ride on the Flying Bobs: "They should have never let a six-year-old on there; I could have been killed!" All was well as we left with a bucket of popcorn, a bag of cotton candy, and a huge cherry Icee. Thank goodness it's only once a year.

The coming week holds more fall excitement for the kids. Thursday is the fall festival at school: bouncy houses, hayrides, and cake walks. Oh, and more cotton candy and popcorn. Friday is the Halloween parties. For my younger son's class, I was assigned a seemingly impossible task to bring individually packaged candy corn and tattoos. Fortunately, my hunt for both of these ended at Walgreens. It should be an exciting week. Hope you're all having a good weekend and enjoying all that fall has to offer in your area.

Last Week's Top Recipes

#1

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

from Whisk Together

#2

Amish Cinnamon Bread

from Shugary Sweets

#3

Pecan Chocolate Chip Gooey Butter Bars

from Life's Simple Measures

Seasonal Shout-Out!

Candy Corn Striped Madeleines

from Sugar Swings!

Some of you may have missed these last weekend so I wanted to show them to you. I now need a madeleine pan.

Thanks to everyone who linked up last week! There were so many wonderful recipes!

The Rules...

1. Please link up to the URL of your specific recipe post, not the URL of your main blog. When it asks for "Name", type in the name of your recipe.
2. Please place a link back to this post in your original post or Grab My Button.
3. Share your most recent dessert. Link up as many desserts as you would like. More is always better when it comes to desserts!
4. Leave me a comment in this post to let me know that you've joined the party. Also, if you're having your own linky party, feel free to post the link to your party in the comment section. I would love to join your party!
5. Now, let's share the love! Please visit at least two others and comment on the delicious desserts that they've brought to the party. It means so much to a blogger to get some positive commentary!

The party starts here:

Upcoming Events!

I can hardly contain my excitement! If you're a fan of cookbook reviews, then you'll want to stay tuned to A Well-Seasoned Life over the next few weeks. I couldn't wait any longer to share with you that I've been busily working on some reviews for some newly released and/or forthcoming cookbooks. There will even be a few giveaways along the way - perfect timing with the holidays right around the corner!

Fox's MasterChef Coming to Savannah, GA!

Fox's MasterChef Season 3 is casting in Savannah, GA on November 19, 2011! Let the casting staff know you read about this on A Well-Seasoned Life and move to the priority line.

Pizza Roll Snacks

Now that it's officially fall, I like to sit down with my fall Gooseberry Patch cookbooks and read through them again and again. These cookbooks really put me in the seasonal spirit. I can't think of a better way to spend a quiet Saturday afternoon than reading and snacking. A Saturday afternoon is my favorite time to whip up a new appetizer. These pizza rolls were so simple to make and the best part is my younger son loved them and has eaten most of them already. This recipe is from Gooseberry Patch's Quick and Easy Autumn, copyright 2011.

Sweet Indulgences Sunday #26

Another beautiful weekend here in southeast Georgia. I had good intentions this morning. Got out all of my ingredients to make some bar cookies. Found out that my can of evaporated milk had expired a few months ago. So, I had to put everything on hold to go to the grocery store. I haven't gotten my groove back yet but will get them done before the day is over. Don't you just hate when that happens?

The blogging world is so full of beautiful fall recipes that it's almost overwhelming. I love looking at all of the recipes and photos. There are so many talented bakers and artists out there. I wish I could live in the land of autumn all year round.

From my kitchen

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

Here are the top recipes from last week! All three were tied for the top spot and represent the best of fall flavors and fun!

Best Yet! Pumpkin Bars

from Life's Simple Measures

Pumpkin Pie Truffles

from Shugary Sweets

Halloween Cake Pops

from Aunt Nubby's Kitchen

Thanks to everyone who linked up last week! There were so many wonderful recipes!

The Rules...

1. Please link up to the URL of your specific recipe post, not the URL of your main blog. When it asks for "Name", type in the name of your recipe.
2. Please place a link back to this post in your original post or Grab My Button.
3. Share your most recent dessert. Link up as many desserts as you would like. More is always better when it comes to desserts!
4. Leave me a comment in this post to let me know that you've joined the party. Also, if you're having your own linky party, feel free to post the link to your party in the comment section. I would love to join your party!
5. Now, let's share the love! Please visit at least two others and comment on the delicious desserts that they've brought to the party. It means so much to a blogger to get some positive commentary!

The party starts here:

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

I couldn't let fall pass me by without jumping on the pumpkin muffin bandwagon. I've seen so many blogs featuring pumpkin muffins and breads that it just put me in the mood to start experimenting with pumpkin recipes myself. Plus, I was heading out of town for the weekend to visit my husband who's working out of state. I felt like I couldn't go empty-handed. These muffins had just the right amount of sweetness for him and are perfect for breakfast or a snack.

The Biltmore Trip

We decided to go to the Bilmore Estate in Asheville, NC over the fall break. My kids and I had driven to Anderson, SC to meet up with my husband who was working there. On Sunday morning, we left for the 90-minute drive to Asheville. We were a little early for the spectacular fall foilage, but did see some various shades of orange, yellow, and red.

Sweet Indulgences Sunday #25

It's fall break here at our house. The kids are enjoying a four-day weekend. I took vacation days for Friday and Monday so I'm home, too. Yesterday, we went into Savannah for lunch and some shopping. My older son needed some new long-sleeved shirts. We enjoyed lunch at Macaroni Grill, overindulging in bread and salad before the meal arrived.

I'm leaving here a little later today to join my husband in Anderson, SC where he's working this weekend. It's about a four-hour drive from here. I'm hoping we'll be able to find something fun to do. He said the county fair is in town there so I know the kids will enjoy that. He's also about an hour or so away from Asheville, NC, so I would love to fit in the Biltmore Estate...maybe.

Hope you're all having a beautiful fall weekend!

From my kitchen:

Fall Snack Mix

Last Week's Top Recipes from Your Kitchens

Tied for #1

Cinnamon Bun Layer Cake

from My Little Alberta Family

Krispy Kreme Copycat

from Fantastical Sharing of Recipes

#2

Salted Caramel Butter Bars

from Faithfulness Farms

#3

Chocolate Coffee Cake

from The Pastry Chef's Baking

Thanks to everyone who linked up last week! There were so many wonderful recipes!

The Rules...

1. Please link up to the URL of your specific recipe post, not the URL of your main blog. When it asks for "Name", type in the name of your recipe.
2. Please place a link back to this post in your original post or Grab My Button.
3. Share your most recent dessert. Link up as many desserts as you would like. More is always better when it comes to desserts!
4. Leave me a comment in this post to let me know that you've joined the party. Also, if you're having your own linky party, feel free to post the link to your party in the comment section. I would love to join your party!
5. Now, let's share the love! Please visit at least two others and comment on the delicious desserts that they've brought to the party. It means so much to a blogger to get some positive commentary!

The party starts here:

October is Cookbook Month

October is a big month for new cookbook releases. I've had many cookbooks on my wish list for a while now. And, since I've waited patiently for months, I've allowed myself to finally hit the "order" button.

On the Wish List:

Here are the books I've ordered and am eagerly awaiting to arrive on my doorstep in the near future:

• Cake Ladies: Celebrating a Southern Tradition by Jodi Rhoden
• Where Women Cook: Celebrate! Extraordinary Women & Their Signature Recipes by Jo Packham
• Sugar, Sugar: Every Recipe Has a Story by Kimberly Reiner and Jenna Sanz-Agero

  

Currently on the Nightstand:

The latest books on my nightstand that are providing me with some delightful evening reading are Country Living's The Mom's Guide to Running a Home Business by Michelle Lee Ribiero and Southern Living Heirloom Recipe Book from the editors of Southern Living.

 

October is the perfect month to cuddle up on the couch with a warm throw and a good cookbook. So, tell me what you're reading these days or what you're looking forward to reading. I would love to discover some new cookbooks with you.

One Year Later...

One year ago, on October 8, 2010, my blog was highlighted on Gooseberry Patch's Featured Friday series. I can't describe to you my excitement when I was contacted by a representative from a company whose cookbooks played such an important role in my life. And, even to this day, my stomach still flips over whenever I receive an e-mail from this person who I now consider a friend. It's still exciting to be part of the Gooseberry Patch family and I'm still so very grateful that they discovered me and believed in me.

Thanks again to Gooseberry Patch. It's been a great year working with you. I can't wait to see what the next year holds!

The Winner is...

The winner of Tiny Tips for Get-Togethers is: 

Jill said... I follow you through Networked Blogs and I would love a chance to win!
~Jill (luvcooking2@yahoo.com)

Congratulations Jill!

Welcoming October with a Fall Snack Mix

It has been a gorgeous weekend here in southeast Georgia. The weather is cool and seasonal; the skies are crisp and blue. I've been busy writing my October articles for my food column so my mind is definitely on cooking for fall: cakes, dips, and snacks.

I decided to try my hand at a snack mix. I've never made one before. I'm kind of a minimalist when it comes to snack mixes. I like cereal, pretzels and a little touch of sweetness from some form of candy. I don't care for nuts in my mix. So, I gathered some ingredients that I enjoy and whipped up a brown sugar mixture for coating. Yummy!

Sweet Indulgences Sunday #24

The first day of October and it is beautiful here in southeast Georgia. A cold front moved through yesterday and the weather it nice and cool, the sky is crisp and blue. I'm already in baking mode and have a batch of whoopie pies in the oven. It's my first attempt to make them so I'm excited to see and taste the results.

Gosh, there have been so many beautiful fall treats on the internet this week. It's almost sensory overload. I've got so many bookmarked that I want to try. I'm constantly buying supplies to try to pull these off but don't seem to have the time to accomplish anything. I wish I did! So, I'm really excited to see what you've done this week. From looking at some of your blogs this week, I know you've made some great things.

Here's what you made last week!

#1

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

from Greens and Chocolate

#2

Neopolitan Birthday Cake

by The Kitchen is My Playground

Two tied for #3

Ghost & Monster Halloween Brownies

from Mrs. Fox's Sweets

Blueberry Cream Cheese Muffins

from Big Mama's Home Kitchen

 Thanks to everyone who linked up last week! There were so many wonderful recipes! And, thanks for all of the birthday wishes! It was a great day thanks to you!

The Rules...

1. Please link up to the URL of your specific recipe post, not the URL of your main blog. When it asks for "Name", type in the name of your recipe.
2. Please place a link back to this post in your original post or Grab My Button.
3. Share your most recent dessert. Link up as many desserts as you would like. More is always better when it comes to desserts!
4. Leave me a comment in this post to let me know that you've joined the party. Also, if you're having your own linky party, feel free to post the link to your party in the comment section. I would love to join your party!
5. Now, let's share the love! Please visit at least two others and comment on the delicious desserts that they've brought to the party. It means so much to a blogger to get some positive commentary!

The party starts here: