Natural Homemade Living

                                                                          It's officially fall and suddenly I am hungry for pumpkin bars with cream cheese frosting! SO you know what I have to do...make some pumpkin bars and post my pumpkin bars recipe.  😉 Ingredients : 1 c vegetable oil 1 c brown sugar 1/2 c white sugar 4 eggs 1 15 oz can of pumpkin puree Mix the above ingredients together until combined. 2 c flour 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 1 T pumpkin pie spice or 2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ginger, 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1/2 tsp cloves Add dry ingredients and mix well. Pour into a parchment paper lined 11x15 baking sheet with sides. Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool on a cooling rack. Cream Cheese Frosting : 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature 1/4 stick butter, room temperature 1-2 T heavy cream or half and half 1 tsp vanilla extract 4 cups powdered sugar Mix frosting and spread on cooled pumpkin bars. I cut mine int

Delicious! When you're short on time and ingredients you can make a delicious, rich chocolate cake from a boxed mix. This has become a favorite at our house and it's so easy to make.   Ingredients: 1 box chocolate cake mix 1 package instant chocolate pudding (small) 4 eggs 1 cup sour cream 1/2 cup vegetable oil or 1/2 cup melted butter (cooled slightly) 1/2 cup water or milk Preheat oven to 350°. Mix all ingredients together and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour batter into a 9x13 greased or parchment paper lined pan. Bake 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes our clean. Let cake cool before frosting it.  Chocolate canned frosting is perfect if you don't have time to make frosting. Add 1 tsp vanilla to the frosting and mix it for 30 seconds with your mixer. It tastes better that way 😋 Enjoy! Love and peace, Tammi 

My favorite fall scents and flavors are cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves. One of the reasons I love making apple bread is that your home will be filled with the best fall smells! This bread reminds me of coffee cake that my grandma used to make. It was the perfect choice this morning since our weather is cooler and fall is on the way! 😊 Ingredients for Bread : 1/2 c butter, room temperature 2 eggs 2/3 c white sugar  2 tsp vanilla extract 1 2/3 c flour 2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp ground cloves 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1 tsp cinnamon 2/3 c buttermilk or add 2 tsp lemon juice or white vinegar to 2/3 c white milk, let it sit for at least 5 minutes, then add it instead of buttermilk.  2 medium apples, I used honey crisp apples, peeled and chopped into small pieces. Ingredients for Topping: 3 T brown sugar 1/8 tsp cloves  1 tsp cinnamon  Mix it together with your fingers or a fork and sprinkle over the top of the bread batter. Directions: On low speed beat butter and sugar until smo

Creamy Macaroni Salad Another favorite summer salad with many variations is our creamy macaroni salad. You can add your favorite veggies and even canned tuna or chicken. It doesn't take long to put it together but the flavors come together when you refrigerate it at least a couple of hours before you serve it. Ingredients: One box elbow macaroni, 16 oz size 1 c mayonnaise 1 T yellow mustard 2 T dill pickle juice 2 T milk 2 T white sugar 1 T ketchup 1 c chopped celery 1/2 c diced dill pickles 1 medium cucumber, diced 1 medium tomato, diced Cook macaroni according to directions on package. Cool and drain by running cold water over it after it's cooked. Mix the rest of the ingredients together and stir in with the macaroni in a large bowl. Salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Prior to serving add a little milk if the salad has soaked up the liquid ingredients. Makes 8-10 servings. Enjoy! 😊 Love and peace, Tammi and Angie