Season's Must Haves

I am posting a recent photo of me in one of the season's hottest items: Orange Gear. It is available in sizes S-M-L-XL and found at most sporting goods stores. Its flamboyant color offers security and high visibility when out walking in the deer country. These coats and hats are insulated for warmth. An added benefit to owning this outfit is using it early in the season as a Halloween pumpkin costume. Only a green stem is needed to be sewn at the top of hat to complete the look. I know it can work, since my husband did wear it one Halloween!
The second hot item of the season are arm warmers. They are both functional, stylish, lightweight and scrunchable. These chic sleeves have a finished thumb hole and are available in different textures and color choices. In addition, these arm warmers can be mixed and matched depending on the look you want to achieve. Please refer to a recent photo I posted of a fairy labeled Some Wishful Thinking. This sock fairy is enjoying wearing her new pair.
Several blogs back I did alert readers that with the fall and winter seasons approaching, fairies are busier than usual. Which means for you, more socks could be missing. Fairies have been spotted as of late, snatching socks and hurrying off to the sock bank. I suspect sock fairies spend many evenings by the fireside making arm warmers, leg warmers, sock monkeys, and other sock accessories. It has been thought that fairies can fashion at least 3-4 arm warmers from one adult sock for themselves or their fairy friends. Perhaps when fairies gather for their nightly meeting, they exchange their wares with one another.
So... if you happen to find any of these new sock accessories around your house just maybe... you are the recipient of a fairy's good deed. I would like to add in case you are impatient waiting for arm warmers to magically appear, they can be purchased at a local Macys store or online at sockdreams.com
I am cooking again trying out another recipe I might serve for Thanksgiving. Let me know what results you get if you try it.

Apple Cake with Penuche Frosting

Ingredients for frosting

• 1/3 cup butter
• 2/3 cup brown sugar (packed)
• 3-5 TB milk
• 2 cups confectioner's sugar (sifted)

Directions for frosting
For best results use a whisk

• Melt butter in saucepan
• Stir in brown sugar
• Boil and stir over low heat 2 min.
• Stir in milk
• Bring to boil, stirring constantly
• Stir in confectioner's sugar
• Additional milk can be stirred in a few drops at a time to get the correct spreading consistency

Cake Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup water ( could substitute apple juice)
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. allspice
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 3 apples cut in 1/2 chunks (use Haralson or Granny Smith)
• 1 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Directions:

• Grease a 13x9 pan
• Heat oven 350
• Use a whisk for this recipe not a mixer
• In a bowl whisk together- buttermilk, oil, water, brown sugar, eggs, baking powder, baking soda,salt, spices, vanilla until smooth
• Whisk in flour
• Stir in apples and nuts
• Bake in glass pan 13x9 for 40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean from center
• Cool before frosting