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Sunday, October 21, 2012

PUMPKIN-STREUSEL COFFEE CAKE

 
 
PUMPKIN-STREUSEL COFFEE CAKE 
Courtesy of Nancy Larson Adkisson
 
 
 
Okay, let's face it folks the Holidays are here.  Whether you choose to believe it or not "it" has already begun as evidenced by the Halloween, Thanksgiving AND Christmas displays that are simultaneously up at all major retailers across America. 

So while stores are already displaying thier Holiday wares, we here in the random Jolls house have already begun the baking.  There have been several loaves of bread and just today we made some sugar cookies...And, plans are on tap for some Cinnamon Rolls later in the week. Ah yes the Holidays are indeed here and it is time to share the love.

It is really the foods of the Holiday season that brings it all together for me.  Holiday foods equal a happy tum tum; okay yes a fatter, lazier tum tum but a happy one damn it!  And, what is January 1st for anyway if not to set goals and start a diet?  I don't want to break tradition at this point...

So send me your recipes and pics and I will post them for all to enjoy this Holiday season.  First up is a fabulous looking Fall coffee cake courtesy of Nancy Larson Adkisson.  Thanks Nancy!

Okay, your mission peeps it to make it, to enjoy it and then to let me know if it is as delish as it looks m'kay?

Shells.


INGREDIENTS:

1/2 c. butter
3/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 c. sour cream
1 3/4 c.  to 2 c. pumpkin
1 egg
1/3 c. sugar
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

 STREUSEL:
1 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. butter
2 tsp. cinnamon
 
DIRECTIONS:
Cream butter, 3/4 cup sugar and vanilla; add 3 eggs beating well. Combine flour, baking powder and soda. Add to butter mixture alternating with sour cream. Combine pumpkin, 1 egg, 1/3 cup sugar, and spice. Spoon 1/2 of batter in 9 x 13 pan. Sprinkle 1/2 of streusel over batter. Spread pumpkin mix over streusel. spread remaining batter over pumpkin. Sprinkle remaining streusel on top. Bake at 325 degrees for 50-60 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Serves 12.

I added a simple powdered sugar glaze to the hot cake at the end!!
 
 



Saturday, October 13, 2012

Papaya Thai Cuisine

 
 
Papaya Thai Cuisine
916 787-0505
5015 FOOTHILLS BLVD. ST 3 ROSEVILLE, CA
 
 
OMG, soooooo goooooood, let's just get that out of the way right off the bat!  Papaya Thai Cuisine, the little restaurant that no one knows about...Yet!
 

 
So sis and I were out last weekend drumming up raffle prizes from local businesses for a pancake breakfast fundraiser.  While I was hitting up a local Mr. Pickles my sister went into a new biz called Papaya Thai Cuisine.  She gave them her spiel and I guess the owner told her they were struggling a bit but he offered her a $20.00 gift card towards lunch or dinner; which I found really generous! 
 
The owner's comments about struggling got my sister and I talking about how we really need to support local small business more and I told her I would love to try the place and spread the word...The bottom line is either you are good or you are bad right? 
 
Papaya Thai Cuisine is good, really good!  I walked into the place not expecting much (the exterior is a very generic cookie cutter strip mall) and got quite the surprise at the sweet and calming interior.  The colors are dark woods with hints of golds and greens.  White table cloths provide a beautiful atmosphere and give a feeling of elegance.  My overall impresssion was that Papaya Thai Cuisine is quietly intimate but not at all cramped.  There is a beautiful centerpiece bar along the back wall and lovely music that automatically makes you feel both relaxed and welcome.
 
I ordered the chicken Pad Thai (family size) and for $8.00 received a HUGE to go container of noodley yumminess!  The smell wafting from the container got me at about two steps from the door and I opened my lunch up and dived in like I was a homeless person.  Yes, I admit it I was standing on the sidewalk scooping noodles, and chicken, and peanuts, and onions into my mouth with my fingers (which I now find amusing because I was asked if I wanted a plastic utensil set...And, silly me thought I would be eating this at home and I said no) and I didn't care that I was scarfing food on the street... I DID NOT CARE people, because it was that good!
 
 
 
I have added some pics I found on the Papya Thai Cuisine website because ummm, well I kinda devoured my dish before I thought about taking a picture.  But, honestly it was as lovely as the pictures before I got my grub on.  And, well let's be honest here I got my grub on, and my grub all up in that Pad Thai dish...LOL, and I liked it!
 
 
 


 
Check out Papaya Thai my friends and let me know what you think.  I think this place is fabulous and a small local business worth your time.
 
Shells