Perfect Pumpkin Cake!

Swirled with cheesecake!

This is the Best Pumpkin cake recipe! Nothing says Fall like the scent that fills your home when you bake with pumpkin! This recipe is from my mom so I don't really know where it came from.  I made the addition of the cheesecake swirled throughout because I am obsessed♥ with cheesecake and I think it really completes the cake.  I like to serve this to the boys for a special breakfast.  It is the only cake that they don't demand icing with and that's kind of a big deal around here.  

 

(Your allowed if its Pumpkin!)

Here's the recipe!

 Ingredients

 For Cake

3 1/2 C Flour

2 tsp Baking soda

3 tsp Cinnamon

3 tsp Nutmeg

3 C Sugar

1 C oil

4 Eggs

2/3 C Water

1 15 ounce container of Pumpkin puree

A large Bundt cake pan or 2 Loaf Pans

For Cheesecake

8 Oz softened cream cheese

1 Egg

1/2 Cup Confectioners Sugar

Instructions Preheat your oven to 350 Degrees

1. Combine your cream cheese, Egg, and 1/2 C Powdered Sugar. Whip together until smooth.

2. Place your dry ingredients in a bowl flour, baking soda, sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon and mix well.

3. Add in 2/3 C Water, Pumpkin, 4 Eggs, & Oil

4. Mix very well by hand or use a Mixer.

5. Pour 2/3 of your cake mix into a greased and floured pan. Spoon the cheesecake mixture over top.

6. Pour the remainder of the pumpkin mixture over top.

Bake for about an hour but keep an eye on it! You don't want to over bake it!

 

Beauty Tip # 6 DIY Complexion perfector! How to tone down redness from a blemish instantly!

Beauty tip # 6 

 A super easy DIY way to nix redness from a blemish is to apply a drop or two of redness relief eye drops.   Upon application irritated skin will be calmed and the majority of redness will be greatly reduced. Love this trick! Follow with an application of concealer(I recommend Maybelline's cover stick) and set with powder. 

Postpartum Secret Weapon!

My best advice to aid in bouncing back quickly after pregnancy is to buy a Belly Bandit! 

A Belly Bandit is a compression wrap created with the purpose to help tighten and shrink your tummy back to its pre-pregnancy size and trust me it does just that! I wish I had known about it when I had my first son but since I didn't I got to see first hand what a dramatic difference using a belly bandit does make comparing the experiences. I would like to clarify that I am by no means trying to place too much importance or pressure on getting back into shape.  I just think that any step you can take to feel like your old self again and regain your confidence is a positive one!  When I had my 2nd son I was informed about the Belly Bandit and was intrigued to try it out.  I wore it the first two nights in the hospital and could not believe how great I had felt upon leaving compared to my first pregnancy. I was a bridesmaid in my Brother and Sister in law's wedding and was able fit comfortably in a size 8 dress 10 days after giving birth!(Along with the use of a good shaper lol) I am typically a size 6.  My first experience in losing the baby weight I did pilates daily to regain my pre-baby shape.  The second time around I had very little time to devote to working out with a 3 year old and a newborn and I really owe the majority of regaining my pre-baby figure to the belly bandit. When my daughter was born there was no question I'd be implementing the belly bandit again and it worked like a charm. The belly bandit also aids in the prevention of stretch marks, supports your posture, helps your clothes fit more comfortably and reduces swelling.  If your are interested to learn more about it check out the belly bandit website http://www.bellybandit.com/HowItWorks.aspx

There are also lots of reviews and amazing before and after pictures on the site!

If you decide to get one I promise you'll be your pre-baby fabulous self in no time! 

Motivational Monday!

Sweet and Savory BBQ Chicken Grilled Cheese!

 This is a delicious comfort food style sandwich!

Ingredients:
Wheat Bread( I like Chabaso Bakery's Wheat Ciabatta)
1-2 cooked and finely chopped up Chicken Breast(Or just use perdue's chicken short cuts)
1 Cup Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce
2 TBS Brown sugar
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 TBS White Vinegar

2 TBS Butter
1/4 cup sweet onion cut into small thin slices
TBS Brown sugar

Colby Jack Cheese slices

 Instructions:
1.Whisk together 1 cup of Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce, 2 TBS Brown Sugar, 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1TBS White Vinegar in a bowl.
2. Mix your chopped chicken into your BBQ Sauce.
3. Place your 2 TBS butter and TBS of Brown Sugar in a pan.
4. Cook your sliced onions over med heat until caramelized.
Set your bread slices out on a chopping board.
Surround with your sandwich ingredients.(BBQ Chicken, Caramelized Onions, Colby Jack cheese slices)
Assemble your sandwich
First place a layer of Colby Jack cheese.
Follow with layer of BBQ chicken.
Next Add your caramelized onions.
Top with a bread slice and spread a thin layer of butter on top.

Place a pat of butter in a pan.  Brown both sides of your sandwich until they are golden brown.(As you would a grilled cheese)!

Serve alone or with a side of ranch dressing. Enjoy!