Bundt Cake Season & Pinterest Poser Challenge

There's something about fall that makes me sentimental.  It makes me want to nest and bake and hold tight and take care of everybody.  Spring is all clean up and clean out every closet you have kind of change.  Fall is all take stock and be grateful for everything, gather around a fire and make a bundt cake kind of change.

Every September I watch the same movie, One True Thing based on the amazing Anna Quindlen book.  I read the book when I was in my early 20s and related with the up-and-coming young woman with mother issues trying to go for her dream.  Now I relate with the kind-hearted, well-meaning, homemaker mother.  In the movie, the mother is played to perfection by Meryl Streep (of course).  It's kind of a heavy, sad movie.  I watch it every September not because I want to cry, but because I love the value Meryl's very flawed character puts on taking care of people, being a homemaker.  There are a lot of other things going on in the movie, but this "homemakers are people too" theme really speaks to me this time of year.

I'm not jumping into a debate about what any mother should be doing or which way they should be leaning.   But here is what I am feeling...sometimes homemaking can feel trivial, silly, unimportant.  Sometimes I feel like the laundry I am doing, the schedules I am making, the crafts I'm crafting, the traditions I'm forcing are stupid.  And then I watch Meryl and I feel better.  I usually feel better when I watch Meryl in any movie.

Spoiler alert, this movie is sad.  If you have a heart, you will cry.

Yesterday, I watched the movie in my kitchen.  I made homemade soups for my family's dinner because half of them were getting over sore throats and I want them to feel better.  I made an apple bundt cake because cake is always a good idea.  I put up fall decorations because it looks good.  I did all these things because I like it and it makes my home feel more homey and I am a homemaker dammit.   These are some of the things that my kids will remember when they think of their childhood.  These are some of the things that will bring comfort and peace to their little worlds right now.  I love my family, I love my home and it's fall so I made bundt cake and all of that matters. 

And now to this week's Pinterest Poser Challenge.** Bundt cakes, soups and fall decorations.
**In an attempt at not being a Pinterest Poser,* every week I  detail a new Pinterest challenge whether it be a new recipe or a craft.   *My definition of a Pinterest Poser is someone who is all pins and no substance. 

Apple Cream Cheese Bundt Cake 

Click here for the recipe.  I followed the recipe word for word and step by step, except I just used all gluten free ingredients.  Where it called for all-purpose flour, I used gluten free flour. I double checked all the spices and extracts and was good to go.  
The whole family liked this recipe.  And don't be afraid of the long list of ingredients and steps, it really was quite simple.

Creamy Pumpkin Soup Recipe

3 cups gluten free chicken broth
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups pumpkin puree
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 clove garlic, minced
6 whole black peppercorns (I bought one of those new cheap, convenient pepper grinders and couldn't open it to get the whole peppercorn out, so we made it with just a bunch of grounded peppercorns.)
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

4-5 pieces of cooked bacon
sour cream

Directions:
Combine the first 10 ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes uncovered.
The original recipe called for quite a bit of blending and pureeing, but I didn't have time for that so I skipped those steps.  I just stirred quite a bit, added the heavy cream and let it simmer for another 30 minutes. 

I put the bacon, sour cream and a little extra fresh thyme on mine. 
It's really delicious.


The pureeing probably makes it even smoother, but it works without all the blending too.
Original recipe pinned from The Comfort of Cooking.

Gluten Free Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe
4 cups gluten free chicken broth
2 cups water
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp of fresh thyme
3-4 gluten free chicken bouillon cubes
1 box of gluten free spaghetti noodles
(Carrots and other veggies would be delicious in here, my family happens to be a little particular about their chicken noodle soup and they don't like the veggies so I left them out.)
Shredded chicken (I roasted a small rotisserie-size chicken and then shredded it.)

Directions:
I cooked the chicken and the noodles before making the soup.
Put everything in the pot and bring to a boil for 10 minutes.
Turn down heat and simmer for 40 minutes.

Original inspiration for this recipe pinned from Glutenista.com.

Inexpensive Fall Decorations
3-D Pumpkin Art
This project took 15 minutes and it's sort of cute.  Lucy picked leaves up while taking the dog for a walk.  We slapped some glue on them and bam, cute 3-D pumpkins and a pretty inexpensive decoration.  Total cost: $1.50 for the pumpkin.

Sharpie Pumpkin Art
Yeah, sure, you'll see a lot of painted pumpkins on Pinterest, but we do Sharpies around here.  Actually, it really wasn't even a planned activity.  We bought pumpkins a couple weeks ago to start being autumn-y and the kids took it upon themselves to make faces for them. I usually regret leaving a Sharpie within a child's reach, but this time it worked out just great.  I love being greeted by Lucy's winking pumpkin every morning.  
Total cost: $4 for the pumpkins.

Free Fall Printable
Pinterest and bloggers/artists are cool like that, they share free printables.  Go to livelaughrowe.com for this one, click here.  I found an old frame, slapped it in there and now my kitchen is fall-y.
Total cost: Free.

Have you made something from Pinterest lately?  Had any great successes? Or advice?  Or warning about a project that's a total waste of time? Do tell.

Please share whatever you're working on in the comments here or over on Facebook.  Come on over and follow my Pinterest boards.

Here are some of the projects I've already attempted, the good and the bad:

Gluten Free Pop Tarts- click here
Front Porch Kid Art Display- click here
Door turned into Table- click here

Summer Wish List Chalkboard-click here

Peanut Butter Nutella Cookie Sandwiches-click here

Painted Mason Jar Vases-click here

Cinco de Mayo Paper Flowers- click here

Earth Day Cupcakes- Click here

Nail Art-click here

Homemade Photo Booth Fun- click here

Fake Bangs- click here

DIY Subway Art- click here

Furniture Painting and Bench/Chest Makeover- click here

Thanksgiving-y Project/Gratitude/Holiday Countdown- click here
The Smoothie-click here

The Free Printable Turned Artwork in a Boring Hallway- click here

The chalk board-click here
Seven Layer Dip in Individual Cups (my favorite so far!)-click here
The pumpkin address-click here
The Kitchen Dancing Sign--click here

Come play with me on Instagram @jumpingwithmyfingerscrossed.

Oh yeah, and come follow me on Twitter @AngelaYBlood and subscribe to my MomPulse YouTube channel here.