littleindiana.com » autumn

Only in a Small Town

Jessica Nunemaker — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:30:21 +0000

Only in a small town can you take a tractor-pulled hayride right on Main Street (and beyond)!

Would you believe that someone actually took our picture as we went by? I guess I wasn’t the only one who thought the downtown/hayride trip was funny!

Have you ever had the chance to do something that was so completely “small town” you just had to laugh?

Does This Make Me Strange and Creepy? I’m Okay with That.

Jessica Nunemaker — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:30:25 +0000

In keeping with the Halloween Spirit, I have a confession to make: I love wandering around old cemeteries. Is that strange?

I like the way they look, the quiet. From the incredibly grand headstones to the time-worn simple gravestones, I just find it all so interesting. Who were these people? What did they want out of life? Most importantly, did they get it?

Fascinating, don’t you think?

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Pumpkin Muffins

Jessica Nunemaker — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:30:18 +0000

Autumn and pumpkin go hand in hand. We eat a lot of pumpkin: it’s hubs favorite. I’ve only ever used canned pumpkin for these though I suppose I could have used one of my pie pumpkins. I’ve even subbed pie filling when I didn’t have solid pack pumpkin and they still turned out. These pumpkin muffins are fuss-free and a regular in our house year round.

Pumpkin Muffins
12-14 muffins

1 cup canned or fresh pumpkin
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup oleo, melted
1 3/4 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1. Blend pumpkin, eggs, water, and oleo in a large bowl (I use my Kitchen-Aide for this).

2. Sift together remaining ingredients and add to pumpkin mixture.

3. Fill greased muffin cups 3/4 full.

4. Bake 350* or until muffins feel “set” when touched.

Fresh Picked Apples + Homemade Caramel Sauce = Yum!

Jessica Nunemaker — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:30:12 +0000

Who doesn’t love Indiana in the Fall? The air smells so good, the leaves are brilliantly hued, and it’s apple pickin’ time! October is National Apple Month and National Caramel Month, so I’m going to share my favorite seasonal treat (which was also popular with the kid’s preschool class last year): homemade caramel sauce!

Forget that pricey junk at the store…this is 100 times better and so easy! Best of all? No unwrapping those tiny little plastic-wrapped squares!

Caramel Sauce
makes about 4 cups caramel sauce

1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1 (14 oz can) sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated!)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pinch salt

Combine butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and condensed milk in a saucepan. Stir, over low, until brown sugar is fully incorporated (trust me, you have to taste it – it may look dissolved but taste gritty). Stir for approximately 15 minutes or until sugar is dissolved.

Add in vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Stir to mix.

Keep refrigerated.

Not only does this sauce taste great with apples (or right out of the jar with a spoon – awesome!), I have used it in place of store-bought caramel sauce in many a recipe without a hitch.