Praline Topped Apple Bread Recipe

Last night we celebrated Halloween with family and a few friends who came over for dinner and trick-or-treating. It was a lot of fun, especially since out new neighborhood here in Nevada is so walker friendly. My grandchildren brought home a ton of candy, so of course they thought the night was a huge success. Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays, and this year made it all the better by sharing it with those we love.

So now that the month of November is here, I wanted to share this yummy apple dessert with everyone. There's something about November that makes me want to make cozy apple recipes, they just speak to me of home, and family.

This recipe for Praline Topped Apple Bread is from Taste Of Home Fall Baking Magazine. I've really come to love this magazine and the cookbooks too, they are filled with wonderful and easy recipes for home cooks.

I made this apple bread for my family and it was a big hit. The flavor is rich and intense, and the apples and pecans blend together beautifully. I'll be making it again for friends and neighbors at Thanksgiving, this time in miniature loaves. The little loaves are so cute, and a food gift is always special and appreciated.

Recipe for Praline Topped Apple Bread

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1cup sugar

1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream

2 large eggs

3 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups peeled and chopped apples

1 1/4 cup chopped pecans, divided

1/2 cup butter, cubed

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, beat sugar, sour cream, eggs and milk until well blended. Stir into flour mixture just until moistened. Fold in apples and 3/4 cup pecans.

Transfer to a greased 9x5 inch loaf pan. Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

In a small sauce pan, combine butter and brown sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly to dissolve sugar, boil 1 minute. Spoon over bread. Sprinkle with remaining pecan. Let stand until set.

-Post by Patricia 

Fall Field Trips and Keen Footwear #boundlesswonder

* I received a pair of Keen shoes to review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Post by-Laura

The Fall is one of my favorite times of the year. The cool air, the falling leaves, nature turning colors, it's amazing. It is also a time for pumpkin patches and trips to local farms to see all the Fall foods being harvest. We recently visited a local farm in Auburn CA on a school field trip for my son. I knew when we were getting ready for the day that it would require more than his favorite Keen sandals that I cannot get off his feet, he only wants to wear them. He tried wearing his Keen sandals in the rain the other day, I had to put my foot down on that. He did wear his new Keen Encanto Wesley High Top sneaker on this field trip.

I knew from previous years I did not want him wearing clunky rain boots on this field trip so he could run and play without burden. The Keen kid shoes offer him the flexible support he needs and with a padded collar for comfort. The shoes are okay for light rain but not puddles so I knew they would be perfect for a sunny Fall day on the farm. This is also his first big boy tie shoe that I am excited to be teaching him to tie his shoes on.

We walked all over this amazing big family farm for a few hours. We explored our way through a kiwi maze, we gathered chestnuts and ate them freshly roasted, we visited a "haunted" bathroom and explored a pumpkin patch all without the battle of him complaining boots are too heavy or uncomfortable.

He will definitely let me know if he does not like a shoe I have bought him. He will not wear one and will give a very detailed reason as to way. Over the last few years switching to Keen footwear as a regular shoe for my son he no longer complains of achy feet. I love the quality and durability of Keen footwear. My son always outgrows a Keen before he totally beats it up, to me that is a great shoe!

I loved seeing my son smiling on a beautiful Fall day exploring a family farm. We learned so much from the family farm about harvesting, planting, growing and ways to incorporate farming into our own lives.

Six Flags Discovery Kingdom Fall Season Fun #discoverykingdom

* We received complimentary tickets to attend for our visit. All opinions expressed are my own.

To celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary this Fall my husband and I decided to take our son to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom to celebrate. What a better way to celebrate our family than a fun day at a theme park all together.

My husband and I have been going to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom for about 19 years now. We have created countless lasting memories as a couple and as parents on our visits to the park. We have have taken many family members over the years as guest to share our love of the park with them. It has changed so much over the years and has become more and more exciting.

My family and I enjoy the animal exhibits the most at Discovery Kingdom. Being able to see wild animals up close and open the door to learning is to me a wonderful thing. The Shark Experience is my favorite animal encounter. Walking through the underwater tunnel with sharks, sting rays and fish swimming above you amazes me every time I see it. It leaves me in awe of the beauty of sea life. My son loves seeing the sharks up close. He will stand there for as long as we let him just watching the sharks float all around as the fish go darting by.

The Dolphin Show is a must see for us, we ran from one side of the park to the other to get to the last showing of Drench!. The theme of the dolphin show has changed over the years and it has been memorable to see the creative ideas they have. It is amazing to see the dolphins jump through the air and splash the crowd sitting close. I still have it on my list of must do things to swim with a dolphin. I am hoping next year I can accomplish that!

One of my favorite things we did for this visit was the Elephant Ride we all took together as a family. My son was so excited and I must admit I was a bit nervous. I nervously chatted with the elephant trainer for our walk, I did learn a lot but wish I would have relaxed and enjoyed it like my son and husband had. Our picture did not turn out nice enough to buy, none of us were looking in the right direction at the same time. It was a very cool moment to pet an elephant and experience a ride.

Our trip would not be complete without a trip to the Butterfly Habitat. This is another exhibit that no matter how many times I have seen it, its never the same and I always enjoy the experience. I love to sit at the bench near the waterfall and see all of the colorful butterflies all around us. It is like being in a fairyland garden.

I love going to the park in the Fall when the temperatures are cooler and the crowds not as big as the summer. I can get hot coffee to enjoy, my son can wear long sleeves and I even wore jeans. I really do enjoy the Fall at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom the most.

We had a wonderful time as a family enjoying the park and all it has to offer. Six Flags Discovery Kingdom is a great local getaway in Northern California to take the family to on a weekend. Right now they are having special deals for season passes for 2017 that include this year 2016 Fright Fest and Holiday in the Park.

They are open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in October for Fright Fest. During the day the park is family friendly and the Halloween decor adds to the fall fun. But as I have said before the night time during Fright Fest is a bit spooky and little ones may get scared. We usually leave before the spooky stuff starts to happen when we have attended Fright Fest and still have a wonderful time.

In November they are open on weekends and the 25th starts Holiday in the Park. You can follow Six Flags Discovery Kingdom for park updates, ticket specials and fun events on Instagram and Facebook.

post by -Laura

Easy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake

Did you know it's National Pumpkin Day? I love celebrating all things pumpkin, so I just had to share this super easy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake.

I've recently started being a nanny two days a week for the most adorable ten-month old baby boy. His parents are wonderful people, so it's really been a blessing for all of us to meet and start this relationship. I'd forgotten how amazing babies are and how much work they are. But I love doing this and the baby is one of the sweetest little guys I've ever met.

And all this brings me back to this yummy cake. I bake all the time, for blog posts, for family birthdays and all kinds of occasions. I really love baking. But I've been busy this last week and haven't baked anything.

Yesterday before my grandchildren left for school, they asked me if I could bake them a treat. I'm happy to be a Nana that bakes, so of course I said yes. I normally always bake from scratch now, but remembered I had this yummy, time-saving recipe.

It calls for a box of yellow cake mix, canned pumpkin, and a can of ready-made frosting. From start to finish, it only takes about 40 minutes. Bake it in a 13x9 inch baking pan and it makes about 12 servings, depending on the size of your slices.

My grandchildren loved it and so did the rest of my family. It's perfect if you need a quick dessert on short notice, or a great afterschool snack cake.

Recipe for Easy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake

Ingredients:

1 package of yellow cake mix (about 15 ounces)

1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin

2 eggs

1/2 cup water

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

3/4 cups mini chocolate chips, divided

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 container ready-made cream cheese frosting

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13x9 inch metal baking pan and line with parchment paper.

Beat cake mix, pumpkin, eggs, water, and pumpkin pie spice in a large bowl with electric mixer 2 minutes, or until well blended. Stir in 1/2 cup chocolate chips and pecans. Spread batter in prepared pan.

Bake 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool in pan completely, then frost cake with frosting and sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips.

-Post by Patricia



Making A Wecome Home From The Hospital Gift Basket For A Dear Friend

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MyCaregivingStory #CollectiveBias

If there's one thing in life I've learned, it's how valuable our friendships are, especially as we get older. Friends may come and go at certain points, but if we're very lucky, we will keep a few that are with us through thick and thin, good times and bad, and through the health problems many of us are challenged with as the decades go by.

I have a dear friend who is kind, and smart, and talented, and who always listens to me with an open heart. I know I can tell her anything and she will support me and help however she can. We also have a lot of laughs together, and I consider her an important part of my life.

Since she's in her seventies now, the last few years have not been easy for her in terms of her health. She's had some very serious heart problems and surgeries, but somehow manages to bounce back to her old self pretty quickly. I truly admire her wonderful attitude and love for life.

She recently had surgery again so I wanted to bring her a gift basket filled with things that she can use, and things I knew she would love. I've discovered that just because you are ill or recovering from illness, doesn't mean you no longer care about feeling special in the way you take care of yourself.

My friend loves to dress well, and pamper herself in small and simple ways. There's nothing she loves more than a warm, soothing bath so I decided to make her some Pumpkin Honey Sugar Scrub Cubes that I know she'll use and appreciate. 

Along with the sugar scrub cubes, I included some cards she can send, some note pads, warm socks, hand cream, a new coffee mug, and a favorite book of mine on faith.

I think a gift basket is one of the nicest things you can give someone for almost any reason, and it's a lot of fun buying and gathering things to make it special for the receiver.

I also included something that I know she needs and will really appreciate me buying for her, and that's Poise® Maximum Absorbency Pads. With all of her health problems and surgeries, it's a relief for her to have a product she can depend on to deal with her incontinence, and still feel fresh and clean.



Since a lot my friends have had to start dealing with incontinence as they get older, or become caregivers to elderly parents, we look for products we can use and trust.

Sam's Club offers Poise® Maximum Absorbency Pads that provide even more absorbency to give you the confidence and protection you need for your Light Bladder Leakage (LBL) with discreet and worry-free protection.

Look for the new packaging now available on Poise® and Depend® products that shows just how much you save by shopping at Sam's Club. I love the convenience and saving of buying in bulk, and not running out on important essentials.



I'm always so touched whenever anyone gives me something they made. It's just such a warm and sweet way to show they care about you. These easy Pumpkin Honey Sugar Scrub Cubes are super easy to make and the pumpkin spice in them is especially nice this time of year.

How to make Pumpkin Honey Sugar Scrub Cubes:

Ingredients:

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup unscented soap, shredded

1 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon honey

1 heaping tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the oil and shredded soap. Microwave on high in 20 second intervals until soap and oil are combined and melted. Add in the sugar, honey, and spice and then stir to combine.

Quickly pour the mixture into an ice cube mold and place in freezer about 30 minutes to firm up.

When the cubes are firm, store them in an air tight container to maintain their proper consistency. But for gift giving, I put them in a plastic bag and labeled them with a tag. They smell so good!

To use them in the bath or shower, take one and crush it slightly in your hand, Then rub it over your body before rinsing. They act like a pumpkin scented exfoliation and really feel great on your skin.

This recipe will make 12 sugar scrubs.



Along with Poise Maximum Absorbency Pads, Sam's Club members can also find Depend® FIT-FLEX® Underwear for Women. They are now more comfortable and feature all-around leg elastics, and a smooth, close-to-body fit.

And when you open your Depend packaging it will have a sticker inside that you can use to redeem at the pharmacy for a great caregiver sample kit. This offer is available while supplies last, so hurry in today to find your packaging with this offer!

Be sure and check out Sam's Club Family Caregiving, a one-stop destination for all of your caregiving needs, including prescription refills, personal care products, and free health screenings. This is really awesome for all members, and I know I'm going to take full advantage of it.

Be sure to download the Digimarc Discovery app, you can scan anywhere on the Depend packaging, and it will take you to the Sam’s Club Caregiver website where you can find more information.

Whether you are a caregiver for a family member, or simply care very much about someone special like I do about my friend, it feels wonderful to share in making their lives a little better. I know my friend will appreciate her gift basket and everything in it. I'm just happy to spend time with her and enjoy her company.

Do you know someone who would be able to use Poise® Maximum Absorbency Pads? Sometimes the gift of giving basic products that we need are so appreciated. Do you have a caregiving story you would like to share?

Leave me a comment below, I would love to hear from you.

-Post By Patricia