Bring on October. These last two weeks of September through October are my favorite of the year.
The weather in ATL has been kind of rainy – but definitely cooler. Thanks to the gym my jeans and other clothes are fitting better. And I’m getting to wear lightweight scarves. Both of my boys were born within 4 weeks of each other (different years of course) and my mister and I celebrate our anniversary in between their birthdays. It is full and packed with love and fun celebrations and highlights of the year for sure.
This week here is what’s going down in the kitchen. Right now it is a total mess because we’ve had my parents here as a vacation follow-up so we’ve done more and I’ve not felt like cooking. Hello Monday. Time to declutter.
Fall equals apples to me. And I had a reason to make a cake today: because I had a bag full of apples. And I had a spice cake mix so all I had to do was run to my neighborhood Publix and get some cream cheese. Because we all need some good creamy rich cream cheese frosting every now and then right?
This is simple and moist and definitely a winner. Enjoy tonight!
Spiced Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Recipe Type: Cake
Cuisine: Dessert
Author: kd316
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 12
Moist, perfect fall cake with a thick layer of cream cheese frosting
Ingredients
1 boxed spice cake mix
3 eggs
1 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 cups chopped, peeled gala apples
1 8oz package of cream cheese
2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
4 1/2 T unsalted butter
Instructions
Mix cake according to box instructions.
Add in apples before baking.
Spray pan and cook according to box instructions.
Let cool.
Mix cream cheese and butter.
Add in vanilla
Add powdered sugar until frosting is smooth.
Frost cake.
Eat.
I cut circles out of the cake and just set a double layer and made naked cakes with just layers of cream cheese frosting. Sprinkled some cinnamon on top.
This week is vacation week mostly – for our little family (and my parents, otherwise known as Mimi and Pops). We are heading about 90 minutes north of us and retreating to a place we went to while we were growing up (yes, my Mister went too though we didn’t know each other). It will be great to go as a new family!
So, while I won’t be cooking in the Charming South Kitchen, we will still be cooking because the cabins have full kitchens.
Mom is bringing taco soup
I’m making this cake to celebrate both of the boys’ birthdays with Mimi and Pops.
I missed last’s week’s Sundays in the South installment. For the first time in over a month my mister had a Sunday afternoon off – so we enjoyed that time together. I usually don’t get on the computer when he is home – because I want to be about doing life with him, not blogging. So, what I need to get better at is writing blogs and posting them to be live on those days that he is off – that way I would still be posting regularly.
The Fall is always a time of celebration for our family and this time we are including a family vacation and the boys and I are taking a trip to Little Rock. With celebrations comes food.
And today, Sundays in the South is brought to you by a new food for me: I just finished reading my latest edition of Southern Living, and I saw a Dutch Baby (which is an oven pancakes). I have everything – so I am going to head on into the kitchen to make it. We will see how it turns out!
Mexican Food. Easily my favorite comfort food. Give me a big bowl of fresh guacamole and some tortilla chips and I’m a happy camper. You can’t go wrong with anything Mexican. I do like making it at home, but don’t usually – I guess I would rather go out and get it.
We had a date the other night – and I love cooking for our babysitters. I decided to make homemade enchiladas and hoped the recipe turned out well since I didn’t even try it before we left the house. Half the pan was gone by the time we arrived home – great amount for a meal’s worth of leftovers for us the next day.
Rotisserie chickens are good and all from grocery stores, but I also like making my own roasted chicken. Especially for recipes like that – because I usually can’t find a tex-mex flavor rotisserie chicken in the deli. This one was so easy and I did it the night before while the mister and I were watching one of the our favorite summer shows.
You can serve this with red or green enchilada sauce and whatever side dish you want – we chose black beans (which I doctored up with lime juice and some avocado)
Roasted Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Recipe Type: Casserole
Cuisine: Mexican
Author: The Charming South Kitchen
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4-6
Mexican comfort food at its best!
Ingredients
1 whole chicken
taco seasoning
6 whole wheat tortillas (medium size)
1 1/2 cans red enchilada sauce)
1 can refried beans
1 onion
1/2 cup canned corn, drained
1/2 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
1 small can chopped green chilis, drained
3 cups mexican blend shredded cheese
Instructions
Preheat oven to 450.
Rinse and pat dry a whole chicken. Remove inner parts of chicken if any. Put in a pan and drizzle olive oil on top. Sprinkle (ok, a lot) of taco seasoning on top.
Cook for about an hour or until done. (depends on the size of your chicken)
Let rest and cool then shred the chicken.
In a pan on stove, heat more oil.
Cook onion for about 3 minutes, then add corn, chilis, and beans to heat through – about 3 more minutes.
In a 2 quart casserole, start layering with enchilada sauce, then tortillas (I tore mine to fit the pan I used),
Then refried beans, chicken, onion mixture, cheese.
Repeat layer one more time for a total of two layers.
Top with tortillas, sauce, and cheese.
Bake for about 35 minutes on 350 until all the cheese is melted.
We have a HUGE week ahead of us in the Charming South kitchen household. Can’t wait to share it with y’all. The biggest event is my older mister turns 2 on Friday! TWO! Can’t believe it. So much has happened in two years. Two years ago we were living in Durham and now we live in ATL with Little Rock in between us and another baby. Wow – God has a purpose in all of this!
Juicing (because I have been feeling so bloated the past few weeks and need to feel comfortable in the skirt I want to wear to Elijah’s party (hopefully)
Burgers, Crescent Dogs, cupcakes, a school bus cake, and side dishes for the big party on Friday.
Jiffy Corn Waffles
Tuna Noodle Salad (a box – my mister loves it)
When I have one big thing that I need to cook for : I like to try to find shortcuts for the rest of the week. Leftovers, freezer meals, and some easy semi-homemade foods are a great fit. That way I don’t burn myself out in the kitchen (believe me it happens) before the big event!
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