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More Fall Fun With Pumpkin

LB loves pumpkin flavored goodies and I love making them for him.

A few weeks ago I found a recipe for pumpkin pound cake and successfully created that cake.  I posted about that cake here.  The pumpkin pound cake has long been devoured, so I decided to tackle another recipe.

The notable

Pumpkin Roll

It is easier than you think.

It all began with 3 eggs.  I cracked them into my stand mixer and beat them for 5 minutes.

While they were mixing, I set the oven to 375°.  Then I sprayed a 10×15 inch sheet pan with no stick cooking spray, lined the pan with parchment paper, and sprayed it again.

After the eggs were very well beaten, I added 1 cup white sugar, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 2/3 cup pumpkin puree.

I’m not sure what I’m going to do with the rest of that can of pumpkin.  Send suggestions if you have any.

In a separate bowl, I combined together 3/4 cup all-purpose flour and 1 teaspoon baking soda, then added flour and baking soda to the pumpkin mixture and blended some more.  Every recipe I researched had a very small amount of flour, which was surprising to me.

Then I spread the mixture over the prepared sheet pan.

I popped it into the oven and set the timer for 15 minutes.When I removed the cake from the oven I turned it out onto a CLEAN dish towel that I had sprinked with confectioners’ sugar.  After it had cooled enough to handle I peeled away the parchment and rolled the cake inside the towel, and left it seam side down to cool.

I made a mess with the confectioners’ sugar when I dropped my cake onto the towel.  SLOB.

The filling is a typical cream cheese frosting that is made by blending together butter, cream cheese, more confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla extract.  When cake cooled, I unrolled it and spread the cream cheese filling.   Then rolled it up again (without towel, obviously).

I have no more pictures of the process because at this point I had become more interested in licking the bowl after I emptied it of the frosting.

It turned out perfectlyLB is thoroughly enjoying his pumpkin roll.

I think I’ll make another for my Sunday Before Thanksgiving Dinner.

 

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2/3 cup pumpkin puree
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

For the frosting/filling:

  • 5 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 8 ounces cream cheese
  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°.
  2. Spray a 10×15 inch sheet pan with no stick cooking spray, line the pan with parchment paper, and spray again.
  3. In a mixing bowl, beat 3 eggs for 5 minutes.
  4. Add 1 cup white sugar, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 2/3 cup pumpkin puree to the egg mixture.
  5. In a separate bowl, mix together 3/4 cup all-purpose flour and 1 teaspoon baking soda.
  6. Add flour and baking soda to pumpkin mixture and blend until smooth.
  7. Spread the cake mixture over the prepared jelly roll pan.
  8. Bake 15  minutes in the preheated oven. Remove from oven and allow to cool enough to handle.
  9. Remove cake from pan and place on cotton towel. Roll up the cake by rolling a towel inside cake and place seam side down to cool.
  10. Prepare the frosting by blending together 5 tablespoons butter, 8 ounces cream cheese, 1 cup confectioners’ sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract.
  11. When cake is completely cooled, unroll and spread with cream cheese filling. Roll up again without towel. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve. Sprinkle top with confectioners sugar and slice.

 

Trunk Club Tuesday

Trunk Club is an experience that I learned about while reading a post from one of the blogs that I follow and more since visiting the Trunk Club website.  It was originally started as a resolution for those who are overwhelmed and inconvenienced by shopping for clothing in a store.  I don’t fully comprehend the possibility of being overwhelmed or inconvenienced by shopping, but I supposed anything is possible.

Trunk Club carries a variety of high quality inventory for both men and women including weekend wear, work wear, formal wear, outerwear, shoes, bags, and accessories at various price points.  There are women’s sizes ranging from petite to plus, and styles for the trendy, classic, and even the expectant.  It is a convenient, custom, personalized, and just plain fun way to help you dress your best.

The Trunk Club stylists are real people, as I learned last week while chatting with my stylist Ann-Claude.  It is my understanding that the stylists go through extensive training to know which colors, sizes, styles, and brands will look and fit best on each customer.

An overview of the plan here explains

How Trunk Club Works

but I can review it quickly here:

  1. Create a style profile:  Answer some questions about your size, style, and budget.  There is also an option to share Pinterest boards of your favorite styles.
  2. Converse with your assigned stylist:  You can talk on the phone or chat in the trunk club messenger app.  When the items for your trunk have been selected, you’ll be able to review them via digital preview.
  3. Review your trunk:  You have 48 hours to approve or make changes to your trunk preview.  Once approved, your trunk will be delivered via UPS.
  4. Try everything on:  Take 5 days to decide what to keep and what to return. A $25 styling fee will be charged, but credited toward your purchase. Returns are free with the included shipping label.  The process is very convenient.
  5. Reorder when you want.

At this point I have completed each step with the exception of “Reorder when you want”.

This is what my stylist, Ann-Claude picked for me to try:

 

My “trunk” came on TuesdayI opened it upand proceeded to

try everything on

 From the beginning I told Ann-Claude that I wasn’t sure about the dress.  But I wanted to keep an open mind and would try it despite my lack of enthusiasm.

Tah Dah

The black V neck tee is just a plain top, but I like it, I need it, I kept it.

I love the Vince Camuto mock choker neck top!

And kept it too!

The gray sweater was cute and fit well.  It had buttons down the back which I tried to show in the mirror.  My picture taking skills are lacking.   I decided to send it back because I have something similar.

Obviously I have the jeans on in nearly every picture.  And I had fun modelling for myself (hee hee).  I loved the way they fit and the appliqué.  Maybe I’m old fashioned (or just plain old), but I couldn’t bring myself to pay $98 for pants that were fashionably torn in several places.  I’m holding out for some that are not.

The navy lace blouse was simply not my style.

And transparent.

Don’t look too closely.

The pink blouse was not going to work due to my need for a  form-fitting undergarment.  This blouse requires more support than it has the ability to hide.

It was really cute!

Although they were a little heavy, I really liked the earrings and probably should have kept them.While cute, the booties were not impressive enough for the $90 price tag.(only tried one of them on)

I appreciate Ann-Claude’s effort in selecting items she felt would be just right for me.  She was very attentive and did a great job.

Ultimately I returned everything except the two black tops.

Elvis and I are looking forward to my next trunk!

Customer Service Week 2017

The International Customer Service Association started Customer Service Week in 1984 to take time to recognize the great people who deliver great service and value to their customers. In 1992, President George Bush signed a proclamation that stated:
“A business will do a better job of providing high-quality goods and services by listening to its employees and by empowering them with opportunities to make a difference” (source)

Customer Service Week is an international celebration of the importance of customer service and of

The People who serve

and support customers on a daily basis.

I am one of those people who serve and support, and my company participated in Customer Service Week again in 2017.

Monday, October 2

was “Be Proud of Your Selfie” Day.

The idea was to dress up in your workday best and make use of the photo booth.Okay so I wasn’t in my workday best.  LB and I had delighted in a four day vacation and returned home just hours before.  Obviously I completely forgot about Customer Service Week.  In this picture I am styling my new Hall & Oates tee shirt because I was too tired to put a decent work place outfit together.  As it turned out, the week would be laden with tee shirts, so this one was appropriate enough.

POW!

Tuesday, October 3

was “Be Proud of the Brand” Day.

The company provided tee shirts for everyone to wear on Tuesday. We took the opportunity to take a team picture for the sake of posterity.

Wednesday, October 4

was Appreciation Lunch Day.

The company arranged a complementary lunch for everyone. Each team was provided a platter of sandwiches. In addition, we took the opportunity to participate in Breast Cancer Awareness Month by donning pink clothing, ribbon pins, etc. I posted about it here.

Thursday, October 5

was Team Tailgate Day.

The idea was to wear a shirt or jersey representing a favorite sports team.

The picture was just weird.

I Can’t Even.

Friday, October 6

was Entertainment Proud Day.

I don’t know what that means… but we were given another tee shirt.and popcorn.How about that!It was a relatively festive week.

Time to go on another diet.

Better Late Than Never

I’m about six days late for this post, but as some wise Latin speaking individual once said

“potiusque sero quam numquam”

translation: it’s better to do something late, than to never do it at all.

And now that we’ve had our Latin lesson, on to the real topic of the day…

Fall Q&A

So… here are MY answers…

1. Favorite Fall Sweet Treat?  Halloween candy2. Red, Yellow or Green Apples?  Any… as long as it isn’t crisp.  I like my apples gritty.  Don’t judge.3. Favorite Fall Sport to Play? Not
4. Best Drink for Fall? Although it is ALL ABOUT PUMPKIN when fall comes around, apple cider comes to mind. I make sure we have a warmed pot ready at our annual ‘Sunday before Thanksgiving dinner’, and a few other times before year end.
5. Favorite Fall Activity? Vacation! It typically happens sometime in October. LB and I will hit the road and head for the Blue Ridge Parkway. There will be foliage, festivals, and fabulous fun along the way.

OH! And let’s not forget shopping!

It will happen!

6. Must Have Fall Purchase? Sweaters, Boots, Jackets
7. Pumpkins: Pick your own or store bought? Sadly, I’ve never been to a pumpkin patch.  So store bought it is. WalMart here we come!8. Real or Fake Pumpkin? Both.  WalMart has everything you need for fall home decorating.  But if you want to get fancy, Pier One is the place!
9. Favorite Halloween Costume? I have dressed up as Captain Hook, “I Dream of Jeannie”, a Cowgirl, Sandy (from Grease), a pirate wench, Poison Ivy (a Batman nemesis), a 20’s Flapper.  I think my favorite was the 1920’s Flapper Girl.Goofing around in the Halloween Store is also a good time!
10. College Football or NFL? There are only 2 football games that I watch during the year: The Super Bowl and the Florida/Georgia Game.  I’m not a big football fan.
11. Fall or Halloween Décor? With the exception of one big Jack-O-Lantern at the front door and a small one just inside the front door, the house is all decked out for fall! I posted about it here.
12. Raking Leaves or No Leaves to Rake? There are definitely an influx of leaves during the fall months, but LB manages them with the lawn mower.
13. Favorite Soup?  Probably Chicken Corn Chowder.  The recipe came from Mama.  I’ll eventually get around to sharing it on the blog.  Very tasty!
14. Favorite Fall Candle Scent? Spiced Cake. I recently purchased two from Pier One and they smell delicious… even when they aren’t lit!
15. Love or Hate Pumpkin Spice? Love it! And I think it is amusing that it is blathered about it incessantly!
16. Short Booties or Tall Boots?  short now, tall later, have both!
17. Favorite Halloween Candy? M&Ms peanut and Reese’s anything
18. PSL (Pumpkin Spice Latte) Yes or No?

Yes!

19. Hayride or Corn Maze? Never had a corn maze experience, so I suppose the answer is hayride.
20. Favorite Fall TV Show?  It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown

 Love the Season!

Breast Cancer Awareness

On Wednesdays We Wear Pink

came true today!

To bring awareness to the fight against breast cancer, our team members each attempted to do their part by wearing pink (or a version of pink) to work today.Okay, so as a “team” we totally missed the pink mark… but some of us tried! And my girl Geraldine aka Mrs. G, is styling a pale pink top.  It was difficult to capture the color on camera (as it was with a few other shirts/tops), but without a doubt, it was pink!

Although there isn’t an official Breast Cancer Awareness Day, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month is observed in October. Breast Cancer Awareness Month, is an annual international health campaign organized by major breast cancer charities every October to increase awareness of the disease and to raise funds for research into its cause, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure” (source).

There are many ways to take part in raising money for breast cancer research.

For example, in Jacksonville there are road races such as the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure which I know as a 5K that takes place in downtown Jacksonville during the month of October.  What is especially precious about the Susan G. Komen foundation is the fact that it was started by Susan’s younger

Sister

Nancy.

Nancy promised Susan that she would do everything she could to end breast cancer, and founded the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation in Susan’s memory in 1982.

Nearly everyone in some way been touched in some way by breast cancer, whether it be a friend, family member, or oneself.  My experience involves family members.

Two of my Mama’s younger sisters have fought breast cancer.Linda (left) and Sharon (right)

They are both very strong and have been brave in their battles against this disease.  I am glad to report that they are both survivors.

On the other side of the family, my Daddy’s mother (Mema), whom I posted about here, was diagnosed several years before her death.  She took steps to fight the disease.She is thought of daily and dearly missed.

We can all take steps to fight cancer.  The American Cancer Society recommends maintaining a healthy weight and avoiding excess weight gain.   By monitoring diet and maintaining a physically active lifestyle there is evidence to prove a reduced risk of breast cancer.

 

 

 

 

Weekend Whirlwind

We had such a good time at the Hall & Oates concert last Thursday that I wrote a post about it and published it on Friday. LB was sitting close by as I played through the different YouTube videos that I shared in that post. He was happy that I was enjoying myself and was formulating a plan for a weekend whirlwind trip.  In addition, he decided he would surprise me again by purchasing tickets to a second concert to see my favorite duo…

Saturday Night!

In Charleston, South Carolina.

So we headed out Saturday afternoon and hit the road. Destination: North Charleston Coliseum, 5001 Coliseum Dr.
Since we arrived early for the concert there was time for dinner at

– you guessed it –

a Mexican Restaurant. Conveniently right across the street from the concert venue.LB enjoyed his chips and salsa!I was just happy to be out of the car.

But I did enjoy the chips and salsa, too.

The concert was great… didn’t make any new friends this time. But I managed to acquire a tee shirt!

The first day of October

began with a pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks then a tour of downtown Charleston. It was a beautiful day, unlike the day my fellow Floridians were experiencing.  Each time we checked the security cameras it was raining at our house!  If ever there was a good time to take a whirlwind trip, [even if for no other reason than to follow the sun] it was this weekend!

We walked through Charleston Waterfront Park and back up the street along Rainbow Row towards the Historic Charleston City Market

Where LB was able to collect a few items he found to be interestingYes that is dehydrated okra.  And it is actually pretty good!

Hall & Oates Concert

This post is dedicated to my jealous nephew Clayton Rigdon.

Clay is a talented musician and a fan of my favorite 80’s Duos…

Daryl Hall & John Oates

They were in concert at the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena on Thursday, September 28th.

And I WAS THERE!

EARLY!

I’ve been looking forward to this since I found out about it last May.

Nowadays the guys look more like thisSince my Mama has no idea who they are…

or what they sing…

Some of their greatest songs are:

“Rich Girl”

“Kiss on My List”

“Private Eyes”

“I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do)“

“Maneater”

“Sara Smile”

“One on One”

“You Make My Dreams”

“Say It Isn’t So”

“Everytime You Go Away“

“Out of Touch“

How about that animal print suit!?!

“What’s Going On“

and last but not least, by Daryl Hall…

“Me and Mrs. Jones“

The concert did not disappoint!

We had a great time singing along!Making new friends(that’s cranberry juice y’all)

And she was hilarious!

I’ve attended many concerts and among my favorites have been the Eagles and Garth Brooks.  But I have to say that I have never enjoyed a concert as much as I did last night.  These guys are SO talented and their songs are great.  Daryl Hall has a program called Live from DARYL’s HOUSE and John Oates will either be touring with his solo show or with Daryl.  John along with his wife and son also spend time in Nashville, TN or at their rescue ranch in Colorado, caring for dogs, emus, peacocks, llamas and alpacas.

 

If you’re so inclined, watch This episode of VH-1 Behind the Music

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