Pumpkin Dump Cake

So today I want to share another recipe I recently picked up from my mom. She didn't make it while we were growing up, but I wish she had! It is called Pumpkin Dump Cake. I would describe it as something like pumpkin pie cobbler. :-) I've never been a big fan of pumpkin pie, but this, I like. I want to incorporate it into our Thanksgiving tradition to replace said pie, but the Professor is too big of a fan of the pie. I can't eradicate it completely. HOWEVER, he is also a very big fan of this cake and I think he's going to be willing to let us rotate back and forth from year to year. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Happy baking!

Ingredients
1 large can (appx. 29 oz) of Pumpkin
1 can (12 oz.) of Evaporated milk
3 eggs
1-1/2 cups of Sugar
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 yellow Cake mix
3/4 cup melted Butter or Margarine

Steps
Lightly grease 9 x 13 pan
Preheat oven to 350*
Combine all ingredients except cake mix and butter. Pour into pan.
Sprinkle cake mix lightly onto mixture. (The mixture can be thin, so if you plop too much at once it could very well sink in.)
Drizzle butter all over the top (also do this carefully, for the same reason as the last step.) The butter will mostly cover the top of the cake.
Bake at 350* for 60 min or until done.
Allow to cool enough for the pumpkin mixture to set.

Is good to serve both warm or cool. Tastes good with cool whip on top. Enjoy!

Cake Mix Doctor - Stacy's Chocolate Chip Cake

Sorry for the posting break. I was knocked out with a cold for several days and then the Thanksgiving celebrations got a little busy. My presence might be scarce for the rest of the Christmas season as well. We will see. But for today....

I want to share with you a super duper yummy recipe. I got a terrific cook book from a friend called The Cake Mix Doctor. When you open it, there are pages in the front with pictures of ALL the delicious recipes and looking through those is enough to inspire a week-long baking spree. :) I have not normally been much of a fan of cake, but the kinds this book turns out are terrific because they are embellished with all kinds of good ingredients. :)


Today's recipe is Stacy's Chocolate Chip Cake.

It doesn't look all that impressive in it's picture, and it wouldn't have been my first choice to make, but it was the only one I had all the ingredients for one day. WOW, I was surprised at the incredible outcome. Made it twice and it is delicious! It's not super sweet, so it almost reminds you of a muffin, but yummier. Everyone who's had it so far loved it and usually needed a second slice. :) So here it is. Enjoy!

Serves: 16

Preparation Time: 15 Minutes

Baking Time: 58 - 60 Minutes for a Tube Pan; 50-52 Minutes for 8 in. loaves

(I've actually made mine in a bundt pan, following the tube pan guidelines. Worked fine.)

Items Needed:

Vegetable oil spray for misting the pan

Flour for dusting the pan

1 bar (4 oz.) German Chocolate -I've used all kinds of chocolate

1 pkg .(18.25 oz) plain yellow cake mix

1 pkg. (3.4  oz) vanilla instant pudding mix

1 cup whole milk -I've used 2%

1 cup vegetable oil, such as canola, corn, safflower, soybean, or sunflower.

4 large eggs

1 pkg. (6 oz; 1 cup) semisweet chocolate chips. -I follow this guideline casually. More chocolate is always better. :)

Steps:

1. Place rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 325 F. Lightly mist a 10-inch tube pan (or three 8-in. loaf pans) with vegetable oil spray, then dust with flour. Shake out the excess flour. Set the pan aside.

2. Break the chocolate bar into four pieces. Grate the bar using a food processor or hand grater until the bar is finely grated. (If you are using a food processor, insert the steel blade and drop the chocolate pieces into the processor one at a time.) Set the grated chocolate aside. -I also grated a regular Hershey's almond bar once. Another time I just used already shaved chocolate that is for super good hot-chocolate. It worked great and was easy. I've seen it particularly in the check-out aisles at places like Marshalls HomeGoods or TJMaxx.

3. Place the cake mix, pudding mix, milk, oil, and eggs in a large mixing bowl.

Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute.

-Stop the machine, fold in the grated chocolate, and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

-Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping sides as needed.

-Fold in the chocolate chips. The batter should look well blended and the chocolate chips should be evenly distributed.

-Pour the batter into the prepared tube pan (or divide equally among the loaf pans) smoothing it out with the rubber spatula. Place the pan in the oven.

4. Bake the cake at 325* until it is golden brown and springs back when lightly pressed with your finger, 58-60 min. for tube pan (50-52 min. for loaf pans). Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool 20 min. for a tube pan (5 min. for a loaf pan).

-Run a long sharp knife around the edge of the cake and invert it onto a rack, then invert it again onto another rack so that it is right side up. (I just do whatever is pretty)

-Allow cake to cool completely, 30 min. more, then serve. (Cool loaves out of the pans on their sides.) I have followed these directions, and the cake is usually still warm. It makes it a little crumblier when you're cutting it, but the taste is LOTS better. I actually recommend warming it up just touch -maybe 7 seconds for a slice- any time you are going to eat it. The warmth brings out the flavor alot better.

Store the cake covered in aluminum foil or plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 1 wk. (I've also used a plastic cake holder with a snap-on lid and it worked great, cake stayed moist.) Or freeze it, wrapped in foil for up to 6 months. Thaw the cake overnight on the counter before serving.

Wilton Armetale

OK, so not everything on this blog is philosophical. Some is just fun, and today is one of those days. I want to introduce you to Wilton Armetale. This stuff is COOL. :)

When I was registering for my wedding, I was blessed to be recieving a set of china from my grandmother. However, it is an older set that I could not match, so I needed to find serving pieces that would complement it. I ran across Wilton Armetale at the store and loved the idea of silver-colored pieces, so I signed up for them without examining the product to closely.

Well, much to my delight, when ladies went shopping, they looked at it alot more closely and they liked what they saw! So I recieved tons of the stuff and it has been fabulous so far. WHY is this stuff so amazing, you ask? Ok, well I'll tell you. :)

It is versatile!

Yup, that's it, the favorite word of a cook, particularly one who hates dishes. :) The pieces are lightweight, but still sturdy. They are made to edure heat and cold, so you can use them on a grill, stovetop, and in the oven as well as in the freezer. The metal element of the dish keeps hot food hot when it is being served, and it keeps cold food cold. Envision with me a moment.... You have a piece of meat. You can oil the dish, put it on the stove and heat it up, add the meat and sear it. When you are done, you can pick up the dish and put it into the oven. When it is finished, you can take the dish to the table and keep your meat piping hot. The salad that you tossed up earlier in the day in your beautiful bowl has been kept in the fridge and now you can set it out on the table as well and the cool bowl will help keep your leaves fresh. You can also just set out food on a regular tray that isn't hot or cold, and it looks very nice.

If you want to go to their website, you can even watch a demo video where they cook an entire meal in these dishes. Regardless, just wanted to share with you the product because I love it. Might be time for you to update that Christmas list! ;-)

The Plan for the Professor NO Family

This will conclude my discussion on staying at home vs. being at work. Many of the points I have referenced do reflect the obligations brought about by the needs of children, but I don’t have any. So why not work till they come?

I have already mentioned the desire to invest in our marriage during its beginning stages, which is a big part of that. Two people becoming one isn't all that simple! But in addition, there are other factors.

• One is that I really am playing part-time secretary to the Professor. As he seeks to develop his career, he needs my help with more than just keeping house. If I join with him he will get much further than he will if I'm busy with my own work. The further he gets while I can help him, the better off our family will be in the long run.
• Additionally, we want to ensure that we do not count on my income to meet our monthly budget. The arrival of children is not always expected and it is tough when you are in a position where you are obligated for more payments than one income can support, thereby forcing a new mom to work even though her hearts desire is to be with her child. We are staying aware of that possibility and are striving not to be caught in that position.

After getting settled into the new swing of things and developing a routine, yes, I’m open to part-time and occasional work. We feel that we can fit it in around the regular routine without detracting from our home, and saving some extra money will also help our long-term family stability as well as relieve financial stress. But it is, and always should be, secondary to my first job as a wife.

Observations of the Proverbs 31 Woman and Work

As a Christian, I believe that all things should be considered through the lens of Scripture. Proverbs 31 is considered to be the classic passage that describes the Virtuous Woman, and it has a lot to say about work. In fact, we find out that this Virtuous Woman is VERY industrious and hard-working.

She works willingly with her hands, she brings food from afar, evaluates a field and buys it, plants a vineyard, she made fabric and clothing and sold it, and the list continues.

But in addition to those things, we also see that that the heart of her husband trusts in her safely, she does him good and not evil, she looks after the ways of her household, her children arise and call her blessed, and her husband praises her. In short, there is a broader context of her identity and her work in that it relates to her home and her family.

We can clearly see in this passage that a woman should be hardworking and skilled, she should develop the talents she has, but she should also remember that those things should complement her role as a wife and mother, (if she is one) and not detract from it.

And most importantly, as verse 30 says, “Favor is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.” A God-fearing heart is much more valuable than all of the skills.

Ultimately, I can try to do all of the practical things in the world to invest time and energy into my family, but without the Lord, it will not work. God is truly the One who can build a family and keep it together.

Psalm 127:1 Except  the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it

Benefits of the Housewife Path

A family is designed to function as a single unit and therefore the home can be a wonderful place. It can be a safe-haven and respite from the ever-present tumult in the world around us. It should be a place where family members can lean on each other, share joys and sorrows, and walk through life together.

But…

It is very difficult to do these things when family members hardly even know one another, which is how so many homes function today. The family is the foundational unit of society but it is in crisis all over America. Spouses are at odds with one another if they are even still married, parents and children are constantly fighting with one another, and the family is in turmoil. There is very little unity.

When my husband and I were dating and engaged, we felt many times like we were being pulled opposite directions. He had his responsibilities and obligations for work, I had mine, and the two didn’t always seem particularly compliant. My work required my focus and energy, and his did the same. I longed for the day when I could set my job aside and take up the work of supporting him and working WITH him, as a team. Joining forces in a supportive network, rather than having each of us flounder along on our own. We are thankful to have reached the point of being able to do this.

When we look to the future, it is also our desire that I can also be at home to invest in our children. To teach them God’s Word at HOME, not only leave it up to the schools and churches. To impart to them our core family values and a strong work ethic. To know them personally, understand what makes them tick, and help them when they are struggling.  We do not want to be Mr. and Mrs. Banks, from the classic Disney film, Mary Poppins. You remember them… they are the couple who has breakfast with their children in the morning, kisses them on the head, then heads off to everything else and leaving the children under the care of the nanny and domestic staff. At night the parents see the children for another hour then send them off to bed. Our society has substituted schools and daycares for Nannies, but otherwise, we are often the same.

There are other points to consider about staying home. One is that it isn’t as expensive as people think. There is lost income, but there are also lost expenses. Maintaining a wardrobe for work can cost more than people expect and car expenses pile up with mileage, gas, and maintenance that is needed more often. The convenience of eating out is in high demand when both parents are on a busy schedule, but with a little bit of practice, it is amazing the costs that an average wife can save by shopping some grocery sales, watching for coupons, and cooking most things at home. Many times the income change isn’t nearly as drastic as it is perceived to be.

Another reason we chose for me not to work full-time is that it gives me much greater flexibility in ministry. The Professor and I are actively involved in our church and there are people within that church that have needs. There are ministry opportunities that are waiting for volunteers to help. By freeing up the weekly schedule, I am in a better position to prepare for ministry events, as well as fill in when people are unavailable for their regular ministries. The church is God’s primary tool to organize believers to do His work, and having more flexibility to be involved with that is wonderful because my identity is that I am a Christian and my calling is to share the Gospel. 

Again, this is just a peek into our reasoning process and the points that we considered when making this decision. Let me please repeat that this is not a tirade against women in different circumstances. But I do believe that homemaking, when done diligently and intentionally, is an important and respectable skill that leads to many beneficial results within the home and family.

Have you considered its possibilities for your family?

A Working Wife for Professor NO?

When the Professor and I evaluated our future, we recognized that when I chose to marry, I took on a new job title.

A Wife.

That was my primary, number one job. The Bible describes the role of a wife as one of a support and a help to the husband so that, in a nutshell, was my job description. Any work that I did outside the home was to be my second job. Therefore, it must work around and not detract from my first job. When looking at the reasons that wives do work outside the home, we concluded the following things:

The reasons seem to be boiled down to about five categories:

1. Financial need – The bills must be paid. Current obligations/debts may be high, or sometimes the husband is not present or cannot physically be the breadwinner.

While the Professor’s income isn’t large, the most basic of our needs are met and our debts are paid so we do not have a dire financial need for me to be working full-time.

2. Personal fulfillment – utilizing schooling/training, making a difference in the world, being helpful/useful/important.

Biblically, my personal fulfillment should come from my position as a Daughter of the King and a child of God. I am complete in Christ. Therefore whatever role or job he calls me to should be fulfilling because in that role God has seen that I have an opportunity, in some way, to work out my part of the Great Commission to go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature. If I have agreed to be a support and a helpmeet to my husband as my primary job, then I can be fulfilled in that role, regardless of the education I have and the skills that I have gained that are useful in the workforce. I also need to develop a few skills that are useful in my home! J

 

3. Helping others – Some people have compassionate hearts and they want to teach, heal, or help the less fortunate or the injured, and they are skilled in those particular areas.

Helping others is a wonderful thing, but the first priority I have is to help my husband. Therefore I cannot help others at the cost of neglecting my own home. At this foundational stage, my husband is still developing his career and he needs my help with some things because his free time is very limited. Later in life, when more efficient daily routines are settled and established, I may have more room to consider an option for this reason, but it would depend on what stage our family was in, whether we have children, etc. There are also many outlets for a helpful heart through church ministry and charity that don't have the weight of a full-time position.

4. Desire for personal possessions – increase the standard of living.

We’d love to raise our standard of living, but if doing so means that our marriage will be built on the foundation of two people who come home from a long day of work only to have to split the workload of keeping the home, preparing meals, and managing our affairs, then it isn’t worth it. Such things hinder our ability to find the time and energy to invest in our new marriage relationship, to talk out the disagreements that arise without major tension and short tempers, and to spend time strengthening the bond that was sealed at the marriage alter. With a huge percentage of marriages ending in divorce, we don’t take it for granted that a healthy marriage happens without intentional investment. Divorce is not a word allowed in our house, but there is still a difference between just a lasting marriage and a thriving one. God designed marriage to be a good thing, and we want to experience the full blessing of it. The price of risking that simply for nicer things, just isn’t worth it.

5. Distraction / impatience – The family members drive them crazy or there are problems at home they don’t want to think about.

The need for a distraction isn’t an issue right now, but if it ever became one, running away from problems isn’t a solution.

If you are a wife, or if you have a wife, what about you? What is your philosophy? Do you have a reason for why you work? Is it a true financial need? Or does it just provide nice material perks? If it is not a need, is it worth the price that it requires from the wife’s first job?