30 Days of Thankfulness-Day 2

I'm thankful, for the many shades of fall

Pumpkin & Cream Cheese Whoopie Pies

Something very unusual happened on Saturday.  I was home alone, with my two year old sister.  Boy can that girl move!  In spite of her energy, I decided to try a new recipe.  This was somewhat of a personal achievement for me.  It marked the first time I had cooked alone with a little one.  And it really went quite well.  I only had to resort to giving her my camera for the last ten minutes.

I found this wonderful recipe on one of my favorite food blogs Our Best Bites.  They were a hit all around. Definitely a keeper!

Pumpkin & Cream Cheese Whoopie Pies

Cakes:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
2 Tbsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 cup oil
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
3 cups pumpkin puree
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs

Cream Cheese Filling:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 8oz. package cream cheese
3 cups powdered sugar
3 Tbsp. maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, beat together the brown sugar, white sugar and oil.  Add the pumpkin puree and mix well.  Add the vanilla and eggs and mix well.  Slowly add the flour mixture and mix until combined.

Using a tablespoon measure (I used a cookie scoop), drop the batter onto a baking sheet (lined if possible) leaving about 1" between the batter.  Try to keep the batter as circular as possible.  Bake for 10-14 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the middle of one of the cakes comes out clean.  Remove from oven, and allow to cool for 5 minutes on pan before transferring to a cooling rack.

To prepare the filling, beat the butter on high for 1-2 minutes until smooth and fluffy.  Add the cream cheese and beat until smooth.  Add the powdered sugar, maple and vanilla and beat until combined.

Flip the cakes over onto a flat surface.  Using a pastry bag or small cookie scoop, place 2-3 tablespoons of filling on every other cake.  Top each pie with the remaining cakes.  Serve immediately or refrigerate in a airtight container. 

Makes 30 Whoopie Pies.

spices, flour etc.

mixing things up

you know it is fall when this is in the kitchen

ready for the oven

ready for assembly

YUM-O!!!

30 Days of Thankfulness-Day 1

November is a very special month for our family.  We celebrate two birthdays and our favorite holiday Thanksgiving.  We have a tradition in our family, every Thanksgiving we go around the table and share what we are thankful for.  I always have a hard time narrowing it down, so I have decided to be thankful for the entire month.  Each day I will share something that I am thankful for.  You are welcome to join me in giving thanks for our blessings, big and small. 

So without further ado, Day 1.

I'm thankful, for little faces at breakfast.

Feed on the Word Giveaway Winners

Hello everyone, I hope you are enjoying your weekend.  The weekend is about to get even better for two special ladies!

But first, I want to thank all of you for your comments.  You have given me a lot to think about and post in the near future.

And now for the winners.

It would appear that Random.org really likes the name Sarah, because our two winners are Sarah of Hope in Every Season & Sarah Belle of Simply at Home 101.

Congratulations to you both!  If you would please send me your shipping information to southernhomemaking@gmail.com I will order your serving bowl and send it your way.

Thank you again to everyone that entered.  In the past 10 months since I started this blog, there have been many times that I am overwhelmed and amazed by you.  Thank you for being the best readers a girl could ask for.  I feel blessed to count you as my (cyber)friends.

Love,
The Southern Homemaker

Fabulous Friday Find

Today I wanted to share a great book on organization with y'all.
My sweet Nana gave this to me, and I love it (and her!).  The format is great. 

There are sections for every different area that needs organizing.

Each section is then broken down into goals to accomplish that week. 
The tasks are always very manageable.

The tips are helpful, and there is a place to write notes.

I really like the "Stay Organized" sections.  It is so easy to get something organized, only to watch it become filled with clutter in a matter of months. 

After going through this book I was inspired to go on a organizing rampage.  You know, the kind when you throw open the closet doors in a way that strikes fear into the hearts of clutter.

You are welcome to join me on my organization/clutter extermination project.

 Pick up a copy of your own at Barnes & Noble and grab a garbage bag!

I will end this post with a word of warning to any clutter lurking in our house.

You can run, but you can't hide. 
I have a garbage bag, and I'm not afraid to use it! 

Feed on the Word Giveaway

The time for entering this giveaway has ended.  Thanks for your interest, and be sure to check out the rest of our site.

As I mentioned on Friday I have another fun giveaway for y'all.  So here it is.

We have the Large Pasta bowl from Feed on the Word and love it!  It has a permanent spot on our table.  And my favorite part, is that my sisters have memorized the Fruit of the Spirit by seeing this bowl on the table everyday. 

If you have large gatherings or just need a creative way to teach your children the Fruit of the Spirit, this is the giveaway for you!

I am giving away TWO Large Pasta Bowls from Feed on the Word.  Two readers will receive this beautiful serving dish just in time for all of their holiday gatherings.  35 for Thanksgiving?  No problem!

Here are all the details:

Each person can have up to 5 entries.  Please leave a comment for each entry.

1) Answer this question, "What kind of posts would you like to see on this blog?"

2) Follow "Southern  Homemaking"

3) Add "Southern Homemaking" to your blog

4) Share on your blog

5) Share on Facebook

If you already follow Southern Homemaking, or have added it to your blog, please leave a comment so you will receive all of your entries.

The winner will be chosen on Saturday Oct 29th with the help of Random.org.

Well that's all for now, can't wait to see who wins!

this giveaway is not sponsored by Feed on the Word

Fabulous Friday Find

Today I have one of my absolute favorite things to share with y'all.

Feed on the Word is a wonderful company.  Their china is simple, beautiful and a great reminder of where our true nourishment comes from.

They are also wonderful gifts.  We have sent these as Christmas gifts to friends and family out of state for the last 3 years.  And we just gave my Grandmother four place settings for her birthday.  Every time the response was the same, they loved it. 

As I wrote in another post, I love things that incorporate Scripture into the home.  We have Scripture on our walls, couch, towels and now on our table.  And I want to help you bring Scripture to your family's table too.  Come back Monday to find out how you can win some wonderful Feed on the Word china.

Till Monday,

The Southern Homemaker