Fall Decorating and Pumpkin Spice Cake

Hello, Dear Friends, can you believe it is 

already October? It is really starting to feel

like fall here, with cooler days and nights, 

the smell of wood-smoke in the air, 

and falling leaves everywhere. 

We even have a resident owl. 

Hoot, hoo, who?

I've been busy with a bit of decorating

to put me in the autumnal mood......

A wreath I made a few years ago.

Can you see the moth?

Isn't he pretty?

An arrangement in my rusty basket :)

I've been playing with my mantel....

I'm sure it will change, but for now

I've added a few fall touches. 

Some fall flowers from the market. 

Such pretty colors :)

I am loving my galvanized flower buckets

that I found over the summer. 

You can see my kitchen table in the mirror :)

This little painting was a gift from my son, Gabe,

a few years ago. 

Signed by the artist. 

He bought it because it reminded him of 

a special place.......

This little house used to be my children's 

playhouse. Many wonderful memories here.....

I can see it from my kitchen window :) 

Art imitates life. 

Since the children have grown, it has been re-purposed 

into a dog's house.  It is only used occasionally

for Whitey Bear and Kai when 

 I need a safe place to secure them

when we have guests.

(They are protection dogs and don't take kindly to 'intruders')
I am alone here often while Ramblin' Man is
doing his thing. 

There is a 5 ft. high fence surrounding it with two

other doghouses used as a kennel compound. 

It has a heat lamp inside and all the houses

have heated beds :)

Speaking of my Ramblin' Man, 

he brought home these gorgeous 

roses for our recent anniversary. 

I put them in my vintage milk-glass vase. 

More galvanized goodness hold mini-pumpkins. 

He always buys me roses........

I baked him a delicious pumpkin spice cake. 

Here's the recipe :

Pumpkin Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup sugar

1+1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1+1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin

3/4 cup canola oil

2 eggs

2 tablespoons molasses

Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)

1/2 cup chocolate and vanilla chips combined

Preheat oven  to 350 degrees. 

Grease a 13x9 baking dish

Combine all dry ingredients in medium mixing bowl. 

Whisk together pumpkin, oil, eggs and molasses in large bowl. 

Add flour mixture and stir until blended. 

Batter will be very thick. 

Spread batter in prepared pan. 

Bake 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 

Cool completely on wire rack. 

Prepare Cream Cheese Frosting :

Combine 4 ounces softened cream cheese

 and 1/2 cup softened butter, beating until creamy. 

Add 2 cups powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon milk. 

Beat together until light and fluffy. 

Frost cooled cake and top with sprinkles. 

Enjoy!

xoxo

Happy October! 

Today I am linking with : 

Cooking and Crafting with J&J

xoxo