Signs of Autumn! Hello October!

Wherever you are, you're probably feeling a little chillier temps, maybe shorter daylight time (sigh!) and possibly decorating your home and gardens with autumn colors. Don't ya just love the cooler nights to sleep with the windows open! Ahhhh, the fresh air does a soul good!
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I stepped outside my classrooms and kitchen yesterday to snap a few shots of some signs of fall on the acreage. I'll cook something up later this weekend, but for now I'm just in the mood to savor the beauty and the splendor of Mother Nature's slowing down outside.
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Who doesn't love mums in the fall? This huge monster of a mum was planted last year and came back even bigger!

Hello Yellow....the blooms looks so happy and this is my favorite mum color of all!

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Next stop on the acreage, a photo of our garage turned into barn . . . we only have a stable for the horses, so our cars stay outside in the winter while the horses' hay stays dry in the garage! We have to stock up on hay to get the horses through the winter months when the grass goes dormant in the pastures.

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And lastly, some of those gorgeous tall grasses! These have a slightly "Italian" name: Adiago! Sort of close to Asiago (cheese). They are so shimmery and wispy when the breeze sweeps through them. We know that autumn is here when these plumes are displayed in the grasses.

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Well, that's my welcome post for October . . . it will only get more beautiful as the month goes on.....yes, the colors do change down here in the Carolina's....and although it may not be as vivid as the colors in the Northeast, its still pretty stunning!

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"Blog of the Week" Recognition

I want to give a BIG SHOUT OUT to Wanda over at her blog, "Only Cookware Blog" http://www.only-cookware.com/ for her kind recognition of my little blog, by selecting it as "Blog of the Week".... if you haven't visited her blog, you really must check it out. So many tips, recipes, and cookware reviews for all of us foodies to help us in our cooking and baking! I just wish I could get everything she recommends!

Here is her generous write-up:

Blog of the Week – La Bella Vita
Sunday, September 20th, 2009 at 11:02 pm
http://www.only-cookware.com/blog/2009/09/20/blog-of-the-week-la-bella-vita/ .

"Recently I was doing some research on cooking blogs and came across a cluster of absolutely wonderful blogspot recipe blogs that I will be bringing to you over the next little while.
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Now this week I have another dream of a site for you to check out.
La Bella Vita – The Beautiful Life, is chock full of mouthwatering recipes that you are just going to want to dive right in and try.
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Last week I was taken with the Peach Melba and Raspberries and I was going to talk about this recipe this week when I added La Bella Vita as our blog of the week.
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However, when I went back in I was captivated by the Triple Chocolate Fudge Cake. In fact you could say that this recipe is a dream come true for a chocolate cake lover like myself.
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The recipes are well set out with beautiful photos to accompany each one. There are tips and hints to help you out where the author has found something doesn’t quite work in the original recipe, plus there are interesting snippets about life on country acreage in the Carolina’s.

So my advice is to get out those baking pans and start cooking up a treat that you and your family are just going to love."
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So Wanda, here's a big hug and "mwah" for being such a sweet, kind bloggin' friend! You've got a great blog going on too! Pin It

An Italian Cream Cake for Blogoversary!

Well, it's hard for me to believe that it was just one year ago today that I said hello to all of you beautiful friends in the blogosphere. I have had just a great time meeting new friends and sharing my thoughts on recipes and the beauty of life around us. It's been simply a wonderful, rewarding experience.

So for this memorable day, I decided that the one and only birthday cake to make and enjoy is the very special Italian Cream Cake. This cake is very near and dear to Southerners' hearts and I can't quite figure that out, because there are so few Italians in the region, at least there's not many in South Carolina! But no matter, the recipe is a real treat, and Southerners have the best food taste and skills to boot! .

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Although many of you have your own versions of this delectable goodie, my recipe is straight from Southern Living magazine (I don't remember which issue, but it is also featured in many of their cookbooks). I have never seen a recipe for this cake in any Italian cookbook -- Italians don't use cream cheese or coconut in Italy, so it's my humble little hunch that this cake is really Southern in origin and not from Italy. Set me straight on this origin, anybody. . . I hate to speak incorrectly.

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The only adjustment that I make is to DOUBLE THE FROSTING!
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Italian Cream Cake

Here's what you need to make the cake and frosting:

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Cake

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1 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

5 eggs, separated and at room temperature

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 cup milk

2/3 cup finely chopped pecans

1 (3-1/2 oz) can flaked coconut

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

6 Tbsp light rum

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Cream Cheese Frosting

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1 (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 (16 oz) package powdered sugar, sifted

1 cup chopped pecans2 tsp. vanilla extract

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Here's what you need to do:

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For the cake:

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Grease and flour three (3) 9" round cake pans. Line with wax paper and then grease the paper also.

Cream the butter; add sugar, beating well with an electric mixer at medium speed.

Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating after each is added.

Combine the flour and baking soda.

Add to creamed mixture alternating with milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.

Stir in pecans, coconut and vanilla.

Beat the egg whites (need to be at room temperature) on high until foamy.

Add the cream of tartar; beat until stiff peaks form.

Gently fold beaten egg whites into batter.

Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes.

Remove from pans; peel off the wax paper, and let cool completely on wire racks.

Sprinkle each layer of cake with 2 Tbsp. of rum.

Let stand 10 minutes.

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For the frosting:

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Combine cream cheese and butter, beating until smooth.

Gradually add powdered sugar and beat until light and fluffy.

Stir in pecans and vanilla.
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This cake is just OH SO EXCELLENT!

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