German Apple Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

I don't know about you, but Halloween sort of exhausted me this year. Between cooking and baking, and parties and trick-or-treating, I needed a rest. Of course, these are all things I love doing and love spending time with my family, but it's a nice lull right now before the Thanksgiving madness starts.

I've been wanting to make this German Apple Cake for awhile now, ever since I saw the recipe in one of my Taste Of Home magazines. The combination of apples and walnuts are one of my favorites, especially during this time of year. The recipe actually calls for pecans, but since I had just bought a giant 5 pound bag of shelled walnuts, I used them instead and it worked out great.

I like this cake as one you can take on a fall picnic, or tailgating at the game, or to someone's house. It's sturdy and smells and tastes just like fall. The cream cheese frosting is one of my favorites, and absolutely worth the effort to make it. I really don't like the taste of already-made frosting anymore even though it's convenient in a pinch. But honestly, there's nothing like homemade.

Recipe for German Apple Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

3 large eggs

2 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 cups chopped and peeled apples

3/4 cup pecans (or walnuts)

For frosting:

1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened

2 teaspoons butter, softened

2 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla. Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt; add to egg mixture and mix well. Fold in apples and nuts.

Pour into a greased 13x9-inch baking dish. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and butter. Add confectioners' sugar, beating until smooth. Spread on cooled cake.

Makes 12 servings.



Turkey Pumpkin Sliders for Game Day Dinner and Giveaway #FosterFarmsGameday

* I was sent product coupons for my recipe. All opinions expressed are my own.

I must admit I am a bit of a bandwagon kinda gal when it comes to football. I know this may cause some die hard fans to gasp but I am a football fan and that is all that matters to me. I like to root for many teams and have a favorite of the 2 teams that are currently playing each time. I will always root for home teams near me out of loyalty to my area of course first. This time of year we like to watch college football sometimes more than NFL since it is people in school earning degrees and doing sports I find it an inspiration to my son to watch

A big part of football watching for many families is the food they eat during the game. There are many go to recipes for burgers, wings and dips that are traditional at a game day gathering. I wanted to try something a little more Fall inspired for my burgers this time. I found inspiration in one of my favorite Fall treats pumpkin spice! I added onions and pickles to help balance the sweetness of pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice.

Turkey Pumpkin Sliders Recipe

1 lb. Foster Farms Ground Turkey
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup diced red onions
1/2 cup diced dill pickles
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
dash of salt and pepper

Directions:
Combined all ingredients in a bowl. Form into small round patties. Place in pan to bake in oven at 350 degrees F. for approximately 30 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. Your oven may vary on time. Allow to slightly cool and add toppings per guest taste.

Serving sliders at a Game Day gathering makes it easy to grab and eat while still sitting on the couch and watching the game. I serve two at a time to my family and let them add the toppings they like. I enjoy cooking with Ground Turkey for the lower fat content and variety of ways I can use it in everyday recipes. Foster Farms Simply Raised Ground Turkey is 100% natural*, California-grown with no added hormones, steroids or antibiotics ever. Visit fosterfarms.com for delicious and easy party meal ideas.

Foster Farms Gameday Sweepstakes

How you do Gameday with Foster Farms Simply Raised Ground Turkey?

Tweet/share a photo or video (less than 2 minutes) with #FosterFarmsGamedaySweepstakes and you could win a $100 retailer gift card this week, plus be entered to win a $1000 GameDay Party or VIP trip for 4 to the Foster Farms Bowl in Santa Clara, CA. For Foster Farms Game Day Sweepstakes official rules visit https://www.fosterfarms.com/fosterfarms-gameday-sweepstakes/

To enter, users simply need to share a photo or up to a 2-minute video demonstrating how they tackle their chicken come game day – whether it’s dressing up corn dogs or stuffing strips into wraps to satisfy the whole family long past kickoff. 

Entrants will qualify to win weekly gift cards worth $100, a First Prize of a catered home viewing party, plus the Grand Prize: a VIP trip for two to the Foster Farms Bowl! Plus, every video submitted generates a donation of 50 meals to local food banks – turning your Foster Farms fandom into real help for the hungry.

Giveaway for $82 worth of Foster Farms coupons for one winner.

1 Winner (US Only) they would get: ($82 in value).

1 of the $6.99 Foster Farms Turkey Tray Pack Item Coupon

5 of the $9.99 Foster Farms Frozen Cooked Chicken Coupons

1 of the $25 Foster Farms Free Whole Turkey Coupon

a Rafflecopter giveaway


*Limited to US residents 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts November 2, 2016 and ends on November 11, 2016 at 12:01 am PST. Winner will be emailed and has 48 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize.

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