Brown Sugar-Pecan Coffee Cake

Southern Living has this phenomenal coffee cake recipe I thought I'd share. Nothing says "holidays" like getting in the kitchen and having wonderful baked creations for all of the family and friends this time of year. Or you can keep this goodness to yourself. Enjoy!

photo courtesy of southernliving.com

• 
  
• Ingredients:
• 2 cups all-purpose flour 
• 2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup butter, cubed
• 1 cup sour cream 
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Preparation: 

1. 1. Stir together flour and brown sugar in a large bowl. Cut 3/4 cup butter into flour mixture with a pastry blender or 2 forks until crumbly. Press 2 3/4 cups crumb mixture evenly on the bottom of a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch pan.
2. 2. Stir together sour cream, egg, and baking soda; add to remaining crumb mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Stir together granulated sugar and cinnamon. Pour sour cream mixture over crumb crust in pan; sprinkle evenly with cinnamon mixture and pecans.
3. 3. Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean.

Happy Holidays!

November love

Can you believe it? We are in the middle of the last week of November.

Here at the house we celebrated Thanksgiving with lots of laughs, love and family that traveled from Kansas, Ohio and North Carolina. We have so much to be thankful for this year.

With lots of helping hands, we had a delicious Thanksgiving meal.

I'm trying to take time to look around more. Fall is slipping away very quietly this year.

Soon our home will be filled with the scents of pine and cinnamon, our ears with the sounds of music and laughter, and our hearts will be filled with the ever growing love for one another.
So excited for what is to come.

We hope you all have a great giving season...what it's all about...

"Let us not be satisfied with just giving money. Money is not enough, money can be got, but they need your hearts to love them. So, spread your love everywhere you go."

-Mother Teresa

cabin escape

We set out and headed up to the north Georgia mountains last weekend. Mark and Jess's birthday fall on the same weekend, so we decided to take full advantage by renting a cabin in Blue Ridge, GA. It was beyond words...beautiful. And far too short a stay.

A few pictures of the weekend.

i could get used to mornings out here, sipping coffee

We had so much fun, Jess and I decided that we are going in on a cabin together...we are already collecting cabin decor ;-)

We walked around the cute town of Blue Ridge and saw the famous "Express" train. Around this time of year it is transformed into the "Polar Express" complete with hot chocolate and visits from Santa. May have to check it out sometime.

On the way out of mountain country we had to stop by an apple orchard. These apples were so good we bought a "peck"-they were so fresh we smelled them in the car through the entire ride home. And the cider we bought only lasted a few days.

We also stopped in Ellijay to do some window shopping. Outside of this window was a vet playing music and collecting money for the hurricane victims. He invited Katelynn to come sit for a while and play his guitar. Of course she couldn't say no!

We had a great weekend! I think we'll be doing it again next year, the birthday buds had a memorable time :)

Day 30

Your choice.
And I end my 30 day photo challenge with a photo of my newest project.

Hope you had as much fun as I did-it was a good run :)



"We are masters of the unsaid words, but slaves of those we let slip out."
-Winston Churchill

Happy Halloween and Day 29

Day 29.

Surprise!

Nothing more surprising than this bunch last night...

our very own zombie and Barbie popstar...spooky :)

A few nights ago we got creative with our pumpkins.

the masterminds behind it all...look at Katelynn's face

Lots of fun and laughs. And the final result...

We hope everyone had a fun, safe and Happy Halloween.

Now time to come off our sugar rush...



"Imagine all the people living life in peace. You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you'll join us, and the world will be as one."
-John Lennon