Perfect Pumpkin Pie

This is by far the best recipe for pumpkin pie, ever! Cooks Illustrated has it right with this one. We tried it out for the first time last Thanksgiving and this year we knew just what recipe to use again. It has just the right balance of flavors. It's not too spicy like many and it's so creamy. I use a different recipe for the crust though. The Cooks use vodka in their crust because it makes it more flaky and there is no way I'm buying vodka for a pie crust or at any time. ha! I used Aunt Alora's Pie crust from LeAnn over at The Modest Homestead.

That recipe called for a cup of shortening and a cup of butter for the crust but I didn't have shortening on hand so I just used 2 cups of butter and it turned out delicious.
I also used a mini pumpkin pie crust cutter from Williams Sonoma to adorn the edge of the pie. WS sells a set with a pumpkin, leaf, acorn and turkey in their cookie cutter set here.

COOK'S ILLUSTRATED Pumpkin Pie

Filling

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

3 large eggs plus 2 large yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree

1 cup drained candied yams from 15-ounce can 

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon table salt

Instructions

While pie shell is baking, whisk cream, milk, eggs, yolks, and vanilla together in medium bowl. Combine pumpkin puree, yams, sugar, maple syrup, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in large heavy-bottomed saucepan; bring to sputtering simmer over medium heat, 5 to 7 minutes. Continue to simmer pumpkin mixture, stirring constantly and mashing yams against sides of pot, until thick and shiny, 10 to 15 minutes. 

Remove pan from heat and whisk in cream mixture until fully incorporated. Strain mixture through fine-mesh strainer set over medium bowl, using back of ladle or spatula to press solids through strainer. Re-whisk mixture and transfer to warm pre-baked pie shell. Return pie plate with baking sheet to oven and bake pie for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 300 degrees and continue baking until edges of pie are set (instant-read thermometer inserted in center registers 175 degrees), 20 to 35 minutes longer. Transfer pie to wire rack and cool to room temperature, 2 to 3 hours. Cut into wedges and serve.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

 

If you are going to be one of the many cooks in the kitchen today...remember not to get stressed and Happy Thanksgiving!

DIY Turkey Applique Shirt

I found this great tutorial by Lindsay over at The Cottage Home for an adorable turkey shirt. It doesn't take much time to put it together. I used some scrap material laying around and all I had to buy was a packet of Steam a Steam fusible interfacing. Check out the instructions here. 











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Starbucks Caramel Frappe Cupcakes

These cupcakes have been so popular recently on Pinterest and many blogs that I decided it was time to try them. I first saw this recipe on pinterest via Pixie Crust. It is very time consuming but worth the effort. I made the cupcakes, coffee mousse and swiss meringue butter cream but I just cheated and bought some Smuckers caramel syrup instead of making that as well. It really does save time. =) I also left out the coffee liquer in the coffee mousse and it turned out delicious anyway.

If you're wondering if I went into Starbucks and stole some coffee sleeves and straws you're wrong. I asked the barista if I could purchase some (I made the cupcakes for a church activity) and the sweet lady said I could just have them. She even gave me some mini straws that worked wonderfully. So, if you ask nicely at your local Starbucks chances are they will give you some sleeves and straws for free. =) Check out the recipe HERE!

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www.itssoverycheri.com

Happy Saturday =)

We're having some of our church family over tomorrow night for 'heavy' snacks. So, I need to get baking and cleaning but I love having a movie going while I work around the house. I just love Roman Holiday with Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck. If you haven't seen this movie, you're missing out! It's a classic love story and who doesn't love Audrey?! 

 

Thanksgiving Printable

I found this free Thanksgiving printable via pinterest. If you're looking for an extra fall decoration before next week comes, check this out. I found a frame at Hobby Lobby and ta-da! (I love that store b/c everything is bound to be 50% off at one time or another)

Children's Thanksgiving books

I love November. I enjoy making fall crafts, baking all kinds of comfort food and teaching my kids about Thanksgiving. Although gratitude should be an attitude we practice every day.  =) In November thankfulness is highlighted by many but let's not forget to have thankful hearts all year long. I think it's important for my kids to know their country's history and why we have a holiday called Thanksgiving and who are we thanking anyway?! God is the one who has given us everything. The Pilgrims came to the new world on the Mayflower seeking religious freedom and were thanking God for his provision and care that first Thanksgiving.  Here are some of our favorite books.

• A Pilgrim's First Thanksgiving
• Thanks for Thanksgiving
• The Very First Thanksgiving
• The Story of Thanksgiving
• Thanksgiving is for Giving Thanks

Texas-Sized Pumpkin Muffins

I came across this awesome recipe on pinterest...where else?? =) These muffins were super easy to whip up for breakfast. The recipe suggests using a six cup muffin tin with paper liners but I just used a normal muffin pan without liners and came out with 10 large, delicious pumpkin muffins. 

Pumpkin Muffins
Texas-Sized Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 cup canned 100% pumpkin 1/3 cup vegetable oil 2 eggs 1 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice 1 1/4 cups sugar 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350.
Line a Texas-sized 6-cup muffin tin with 6 paper liners and spray each liner with a nonstick spray. Or you can use a standard 12-cup muffin tin, but you’ll get about 10 muffins.
In a medium-sized bowl sift together the flour and the baking powder. Set aside.
In a large bowl whisk together the pumpkin, oil, eggs, spice, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Whisk until smooth.
Whisk in the flour mixture until combined. Do not over-mix.
In a small bowl mix together the sugar and cinnamon.
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, sprinkling the cinnamon-sugar on top of each muffin.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
Cool for 5 minutes before turning them out onto a cooling rack.


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Thank you, Veterans! 11/11/11

Liebster Blog Award

It was so sweet of LeAnn over at The Modest Homestead to award my blog the Liebster Blog award for up and coming bloggers with less than 200 subscribers. Thanks for thinking of Delightfully Random. ;) Liebster is German and means sweetest, kindest, nicest...

Here are the rules:

1.Thank the person that awarded it to you and link back to their blog.

 

2. Choose 5 up and coming bloggers and pass the award onto them and notify them on their blog.

 

3. Post the award on your blog.

 

4. Hope the people you passed it along to will pass it on even further!

Here are five wonderful blogs that I enjoy reading and I know you will too! Check them out!

 

 

1. Our Small World: A Mom's View

2. The Mud Pie Makers

3. Digging to China...and stops along the way

 

4. A Solas con Dios

5. Procraftination Station

"Mile High" Banana Bread

After moving to a higher altitude I was a little worried about baking but so far, so good. During the frequent snow days here in Colorado, I've enjoyed making crock pot meals and baking. I thought I would share this recipe for banana bread that I nicknamed, 'mile high'. I just had to. =)
I bought a new type of flour called, High Altitude, Hungarian Flour. The story goes like this:

"In 1875, J,K. Mullen brought the "Hungarian Patent" process to the high country of Colorado. His was the first "Hungarian" flour west of the Mississippi. By using his exclusive milling process with the hard wheats from the hardy wheat country of Colorado, the Dakotas and Montana, Mullen produced the finest bread baking flour ever available. This has long been and still is the finest flour you can buy for superior bread baking flavor and quality."

Now here is the recipe for the banana bread. You don't have to use 'Hungarian Flour' for it to turn out super yummy! Give it a try sometime.

Mile High Banana Bread

1/3 cup butter

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

1-3/4 cups flour

1 cup of chopped walnuts

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3-4 ripe mashed bananas

Preheat oven to 350

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar; add eggs and vanilla extract and beat well. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda and add to creamed mixture; stir until mixed. Stir in bananas and nuts, blending well. 

Pour into well greased 9x5x3 inch loaf pan, bake at 350 for about 50 minutes, or until done. Remove from pan; cool on rack. Wrap and store overnight. 

Fall Fun

 Since we are still getting to know our new neighborhood we didn't take our young kids Trick or Treating this year. We did however take them to a fall festival that was held at one of the shopping centers here in Loveland. The kids had a great time and got plenty of candy to fill their buckets. =)They were such cute little beggars.

What I've been up to

 So, if you're wondering why there haven't been many posts lately...we were in the process of moving our family to the beautiful city of Loveland, Colorado. Let me tell you, moving a family of 4 and a cat from South Carolina to Colorado is no easy task! But we finally got all our belongings halfway across the country. We are extremely thankful that the only thing broken was a coffee mug. So, now that life is getting back to normal and we're getting settled, hopefully you'll be seeing more posts from me. =)