Sour Cream Pumpkin Bars

I got this recipe from a former co worker. It's a moist pumpkin treat that is a pleasant departure from the typical pumpkin seasonings. It is more like a cake than a bar.

Sour Cream Pumpkin Bars from Midwest Living
prep- 25 minutes bake- 25 minutes

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup dairy sour cream
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour (I use AP flour if I don't have wheat flour)
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (I don't use them)
browned butter frosting (see recipe) (I use store bought whipped white frosting)
chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

1. Grease a 15x10x1 inch baking pan; set aside. (I line mine with aluminum foil)

2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer for 30 seconds. Beat in sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt until combined. Add eggs, pumpkin, sour cream, milk and vanilla; beat until combined. Add all-purpose and whole wheat flours; beat until combined. Stir in 1 cup nuts.

3. Spread the mixture evenly into prepared baking pan. Bake in a 350 F oven about 25 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. (it took closer to 40 minutes in the oven in our old apartment). Cool in pan on wire rack.

4. Prepare the browned butter frosting as directed; spread over cooled bars. If you like, immediately sprinkle the frosted top with additional chopped pecans or walnuts. Cut into bars. Makes 48 bars.

Browned Butter Frosting- in a small saucepan, heat 1/2 cup butter over low heat until melted. Continue heating until the butter turns a light brown. Remove the saucepan from heat and transfer butter to a medium mixing bowl. Add 3 cups powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer until combined. Beat in additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, to make a spreadable frosting. Use immediately. Makes about 1 cup frosting.

Robert Redford

My family calls this the Robert Redford Dessert. I'm sure there are several other names- in fact I've heard some but can't think of any right now.

Oh and I don't actually measure anything except the flour and butter (and the cream cheese when I don't omit that layer). I've also made it with a package of banana cream pudding instead of chocolate (skipping the cream cheese layer). Sometimes I add bananas.

1 cup flour
1 stick butter
1 cup chopped nuts (opt)
1 cup whipped cream (I strongly prefer fresh whipping cream over cool whip)
1 8oz brick of cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1 large package chocolate instant pudding (or, as the recipe says but I've never done, 1 small package chocolate and 1 small package vanilla instant pudding)
3 1/2 cups milk
whipped cream

1. First layer crust- 1 cup flour, 1 stick butter, nuts. Mix together. Bake in oven safe pan (I use a 9x13) 20-25 minutes at 350.

2. Second layer- 1 cup whipped cream, 1 cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar. Beat together. Spread over cooled crust. Refrigerate while you're mixing up the next layer.

3. Third layer- Beat together pudding package(s) and milk. Spread over second layer. Refrigerate.

4. Fourth layer- add whipped cream on top. Refrigerate. You can also add chocolate shavings or smashed oreos or whatever your little heart desires.

The Weekend My Sister Came

(a little bit of catch up. It wasn't that long ago but feels like forever, since it was before I found out my baby didn't have a heartbeat and the day I spent at the hospital. I am learning that "the Lord God do(eth) visit my people in their afflictions." Posting might be a bit spotty for a while. Or I might go crazy and sew up a bunch of stuff like last time).





We had so much fun apple picking! It's hard to believe it was 80 degrees that day, since it snowed last week.





















Ansley flies between Conference sessions.













Cynthia, looking better in my clothes than I do.

Quilted Coat

Jessica at Me So Crazy made the cutest quilted coat for her daughter. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since she posted it! I found this prequilted fabric at Joann's and thought it would be great as a practice run before committing to quilting. Ansley picked out the fabric, biased tape, and buttons.

(Yes, we took these pictures at the same time)










Here's how I made mine. (note the fabric was stiffer than I thought. I didn't prewash it b/c of the batting that was sticking out. Next time, I'll leave more of a seam allowance and just a little bit more wiggle room). (second note- this is how I made the body and sleeves of that sweet sweatshirt)

what you need:

prequilted fabric (or quilt your own)- I used about 2/3rds of a yard for my almost 2 1/2 year old.
double fold bias tape (buy it or make it yourself)- I needed more than 3 yards (one package- should've bought two)
sew on snaps
buttons
usual sewing stuff

Find a jacket or cardigan or long sleeved shirt to use as a pattern. This darling pink cardigan is knit and is a size too large for Ansley. (it also has a hood but I pretended that it didn't). I thought the knit didn't stretch at all when I tried the cardigan on Ansley but it must've/I should've made the pattern pieces a bit larger. And my sleeves are a little bit long and are folded over in the pictures. Live and learn.



I wanted to avoid any seams that I didn't have to sew (since I finished them all with bias tape) so I cut a rectangle a bit wider than twice the bottom of the cardigan. Ignore the slight a-line/flare of the cardigan when folding. I left about two inches of overlap in the middle, making sure the armpits lined up close to the edge of the fabric.



I folded the sleeves under and traced the arm curve, leaving a seam allowance. Cut out the arm holes.



I traced the top neckline and cut it out (front layers only). In hindsight, I would've made this a little bit lower.



So this is what it looks like opened up and laying flat.



Trace your sleeves, making sure the fold of the fabric is lined up with the top of the sleeve. Leave yourself more room than I did.



Pin your bias tape around the neckline, opening of the jacket, bottom of the jacket, back up the opening of the jacket, and the neckline. This was my first time using premade biased tape and I did it wrong- the side that's a little bit smaller should end up on the top. You can sandwich yours on or you can open it up, align the raw edges, sew it on the wrong side of the fabric, then fold it over and sew it down. I highly recommend reading Dana's tutorial on how to sew on bias tape (and recommend rereading it to myself).

After pinning all the way around the jacket, I pinned the back neckline too. I'm not crazy about the way it turned out, but this was a great way to find out. I'm totally open to suggestions from you! Sew the bias tape on but leave the width of your shoulder seam on both sides. Or don't and unpick it like me.



Pin bias tape to the end of the sleeves too. Sew it on. Sew the sleeves together, right sides together. Now we're left with the batting/raw edge. I covered mine with leftover quilt binding (ran out of bias tape).



Now to sew the shoulder together (right sides together!). Unpick any of the bias tape that is in your way.



Fold the bias tape back over (here I just went with the sandwich method b/c it's such a short distance). I actually sewed through the bias tape and sewed the shoulder seam together at the same time, though you could sew the shoulder seam, then sew the bias tape back down.



Once you have the jacket turned right side out, you can tack the binding/back collar together if you want so it doesn't try to turn in. I didn't b/c the neckline turned out smaller than I thought and didn't want Ansley to feel claustrophobic.

Now sew your sleeves in (you'll be sewing on the inside of the jacket (ie wrong side) and your sleeves will be right side out. Cover the edges with bias tape or quilt binding or something. I made a loop the size of the arm hole opening (the inside side, not the outside side like the picture and like the first sleeve that I did) from my extra quilt binding. Line up the raw edges and sew. Then fold the binding up and over the raw quilt batting/fabric and sew down again, completely encasing any raw edges.



Sew the snaps on. I chose snaps b/c
a. I don't love making buttonholes on my machine
b. I didn't know what to do with the raw edges from a buttonhole (you could probably bind the button hole but I wasn't interested in that at the time)
c. they're easier for little fingers
d. I'd never used snaps before

I sewed the buttons on, covering the chicken scratchy snap stitches (I'm horrible at handstitching). I only used two b/c the package only had two that were the same size.

The whole jacket was a little stiff (straight jacket?) but softened up after I washed it. I think it might not be as bad if the jacket was larger? Would it be ridiculous if I made one for myself?

Luckily she loves it b/c it's like wearing a blanket. :) Let me know if you have any questions. I'd love to see yours if you make one!







Linked here:

About the Dress and Another Hike

Ansley must be growing b/c her clothes are getting small. I made this dress shortly after making the pink one and it was much too big. Now it's just big, which is fine since she can wear it for longer.











"wildlife". ha. I actually got scared when the whole herd stared me down.



Spooky woods, though I didn't capture the spookiness very well. (however, I have even spookier pictures for Halloween time).