Mixing it up…

I love to bake and prefer doing it from scratch but.. now and then, there just isn’t enough time and I scoot into the pantry for a cake mix which works well for last-minute yummy cookies and these easy, tasty, cake shortcuts…

                                             
                                                                       

Apple Spice Cake

  • 1 pkg  Spice Cake Mix
  • 3 large Eggs
  • 1 can Apple Pie Filling
  • 1/3 cup Vegetable Oil
  • 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
  • 1 cup Chopped Nuts * optional

Preheat oven to 350 ºF. Grease and flour a 13×9-inch pan.

Combine cake mix, eggs and oil in large bowl. Beat at medium speed with electric mixer for 2 minutes then..stir in apple pie filling until well-mixed.  If using, stir in nuts. Pour into bake pan.

Bake at 350 ºF for 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool in pan 15 minutes.  Once cooled, sprinkle with powdered sugar, cut into squares and serve.

This recipe is great using a Devil’s Food cake mix and 1 can of chocolate pie filling, a Lemon cake mix and 1 can of lemon pie filling or a Yellow cake mix and 1 can of fruit filling of your choice.  Adding 1 cup of nuts, coconut or chocolate chips to compliment whatever cake flavor you choose is optional.  Just follow the same measurements/baking time and, of course, that powdered sugar at the end which sets the cake off very well or….any other topping you prefer.

                                                  

No one will believe you didn’t slave for hours baking these goodies!

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A quiet moment…

Not much to say on this lazy Sunday but this…..if they could stay like this for a little longer…….

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Moody and blue….

“The night is darkening round me, The wild winds coldly blow; But a tyrant spell has bound me And I cannot, cannot go. The giant trees are bending Their bare boughs weighed with snow. And the storm is fast descending, And yet I cannot go. Clouds beyond clouds above me, Wastes beyond wastes below; But nothing dear can move me; I will not, cannot go.” – Emily Bronte, Spellbound

The “blahs” have hit, full-force; not just in my boring life but in the lives of almost everyone I come into contact with of late.  Maybe it’s the smothering cold blanket of Winter or our own little demons of unhappiness jabbing us at every turn.

Friends dealing with their own issues of depression are trying to cope in the best ways possible; others just seem to be throwing their hands up in complete surrender to the Gods of Discontent.

I don’t have any pearls of wisdom to share, no helpful insight that will grab hold and make everyone’s “blues” just disappear; wish I did have such enpowerment.  Hell, I can’t even climb out of my own writhing snake pit of anger, frustration and disgust with life, of late, in general.

Through blogging, we attempt to be funny even when it’s the last thing we feel like pounding into our keyboard before we hit that “publish” button.  Some understand, others sit back and criticize.  Well, tough toenails to everyone who wants to read only about white lace, promises and everything perfect…and unreal; life doesn’t work that way.

In defense of a friend and outstanding blogger, I feel the need to lash out at anyone who can sit back and hurl their mundane opinions regarding someone “not being funny” on a given day.  Grow the eff up, will you?  Every picture that someone paints through their writings isn’t always going to skirt the issues of real life and leave you with a warm, snuggly feeling inside.  Respect those who don’t hold back and share the down side of their existence and possibly learn something about the humans who dwell behind these blogs.  If you can’t do that…feel free to take that proverbial hike down some yellow brick road.

Nuff said……

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