Grace in Style: Autumn

Showing posts with label Autumn. Show all posts

October 8, 2014

KITCHEN STORY: BAKED APPLE CIDER DONUTS

Fall is here. And while I can stomp my feet & pout all I want like a terrible two (or three) that Summer has come and gone, it will not make Summer come back. So I've decided to embrace the colder weather and find joy in the things that make Fall enjoyable. That means indulging on anything containing apple or pumpkin.

For myself, Fall rings in the time to drink a hot cup of apple cider. Yum! I love drinking hot apple cider while spending quality time with the school books & I always add some Biltmore Wassail Spice Blend to the drink. It's so delicious & really adds to the yummy flavor of Fall.

I went to my local grocery store in search of some apple cider and came across some made with Honeycrisp apples. I have to admit, I'm not on the Honeycrisp apple bandwagon. Most of my friends rave about it, but I'm more of a Fuji or Gala girl. To each their own! But I decided to give this cider a chance. It was so yummy and I immediately was reminded of the delicious cider & donuts I had inhaled during my college years at Michigan. (Cider Mill donuts anyone?)

That was it. I had to make myself some donuts! So I went back to my simple & basic Baked Cinnamon Sugar Buttermilk Donut recipe, tweaked it a bit and what happened were apple cider donuts!! Mmm...the taste of Fall...

Ingredients:
Donut:
1 and 1/4 cups apple cider
1 Tbsp Biltmore Wassail Spice Blend or any other spice blend (optional)
2 cups flour
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
3/4 cups milk
2 Tbsp butter, melted
2 tsp vanilla

Topping:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degF with the donut pan in the oven.

In a small saucepan, boil down the apple cider for 15-20 minutes. Pour 1/2 cup of the cider into the measuring cup and chill in the refrigerator.

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, white sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together. Add the egg, milk, butter and vanilla and mix with a fork.

Once the apple cider is at least at room temperature or cooler, add it to the mixture. Mix the ingredients well. The consistency will be like pancake batter. Pour the batter into a large Ziploc bag or into a large piping bag.

Carefully remove the donut pan from the oven and spray the pan with cooking spray. If you're using a Ziploc bag, cut off a small bottom corner and pipe the batter to fill the donut pan 3/4 full.

Bake for 10 minutes. Remove the donuts from the pan and let them cool completely.

Mix together the white and brown sugars and cinnamon in a small bowl. Brush melted butter on the donuts and quickly dip the donuts in the cinnamon sugar mixture.

How delicious do these look? I promise they will be gone in an instant if you share them with friends and family! For the best taste, serve fresh the same day the donuts are made. Enjoy friends! Happy Fall!

PS. DON'T FORGET TO ENTER THE J.CREW $250 GIVEAWAY!! It ends 10/17! Enter daily for extra entries and more chances to win!!

Linking up with:
October Linky Party

Munching Mondays | Create Link Inspire
Time To Sparkle

April 17, 2014

Style Story: Chambray & Polka Dots

"I'm a tad bit polka-dot obsessed." Understatement of my life.

I've always loved polka dots, so when it came back into style, my obsession ~~worsened~~ now seems only slightly ridiculous. Which leads to this style story...

Life Story: Friday Firsts

HAPPIEST of Fridays to you!!!

Sorry (I'm not sorry), I'll tone it down a notch. I have officially passed the 8 month mark of M3 year and it blows my mind. But really I'm most excited about my first real break I've had for a whole year! And I get a whole month of it! (Cue happy dance!)

Alright, now that that's said, I'm sharing about 5 "first times" that happened this past month or are happening this coming month.

Life Story: Thankful Friday

Happy day after Thanksgiving friends!

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family & friends! I certainly did especially since I got to spend it with great friends & we feasted on amazing food.

Since I'm on call tonight and need to sleep, I'm keeping this High Five for Friday short & sweet! I'm linking up with Lauren today!

5 reasons to give thanks this year (by no means a complete list):

Style Story: Fall Frocks

My favorite thing about fall is that fact that I can have more fun styling my dresses. I love the look of a cute frock paired with riding boots, leggings and/or a chunky sweater or coat.

The major plus of Fall layering is transitioning Spring and Summer dresses into Fall so they get more mileage! I've worn all of these adorable dresses in the warmer months and I don't have to hide them until Spring comes around again!

However, not all dresses can be transitioned into colder months. So when you set your eyes on a cute frock that you want to wear year round, the most important detail to consider is the color. Single color dresses are the simplest, especially in a neutral or jewel tone. If you find a patterned dress, make sure that the predominant color is a darker neutral.

Here are a few Fall looks with some of my year-round dresses to give you ideas for what kinds of dresses you can search for and how to dress them up!

Kitchen Story: Simple Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins

I have finally had a moment to breathe and attempt a few Fall recipes just in time for Thanksgiving! Who else is as excited as me for the excuses we have to stuff our faces this time of year? Specifically, stuffing our faces with Fall flavors. One of my favorites is pumpkin. PSL anyone? If you aren't up to speed on Starbucks lingo, that stands for the pumpkin spice latte. Yum.

I came across this recipe and had to make them! They are so delicious, quick, simple & perfect to serve at parties, church, etc.

And while I say this recipe is quick, it really is, but be careful and read the labels on your spices or else you might be adding a few tablespoons ground black pepper to your batter instead of cinnamon...oops! (I scraped off the top layer of the batter and lost a couple muffins.) This is why early morning baking is not for me. If you don't make a similar mistake as mine, these will be delicious & will disappear in no time!

Style Story: Fall Sister Style

When life is a constant marathon and you don't have time to notice nature's beauty around you, it's a problem. When the leaves just started changing this Fall, it took me a week to notice the obvious beauty of some climbing vines in the city alley behind our house. Cue the realization that I need to slow down and stop being so absorbed with the lists of things I need to get done and instead, take the time to soak in the beauty of God's creation.

I love how the colors of these vines bring life to the usual drab of our little alley. Jess came up with this brilliant idea to use it as a backdrop, so sister style part 2 came to be.

Style Story: Work Appropriate Friday

Hello friends! Here is my Friday addition of my mini work outfit style series! I'm linking up with Lauren again for High Five for Friday.

I hope all my styling tips this week have been helpful & given you ideas of how to put together what's in your wardrobe and/or the new investment pieces you plan to buy. Check out tips #1, 2, 3, & 4, if you haven't yet! If you've made it this far, I think it's time to make things trickier but more fun!

Tip #5: Mixing patterns can go all kinds of wrong (oops! guilty here!), but with practice, it becomes easier. With trial & error I've learned that, while it's okay to mix multiple bold patterns in a magazine photoshoot, it's more difficult to wear it in reality. The trick is to start with one loud printed item and pair it with a simpler pattern. Loud prints are usually those with multicolors, non-repeating patterns, etc; while simpler patterns typically translate as two-toned stripes, polka dots, etc.

Hope this helps! And remember, "One of the most important responsibilities in life is to care about others, smile at them, and be a friend to the friendless." (James Dobson)

Top: The Limited | Skirt: Forever 21 | Cardigan: White House Black Market | Shoes: DSW

Top: Loft | Pants: Old Navy | Shoes: DSW | Necklace: gift | Bracelet: c/o ILY Couture

Bracelet: c/o ILY Couture | Ring: JewelMint

SHOPPING SUGGESTIONS:

Patterned tops:

Patterned skirts:

Printed pants:

Leave a comment below if you have any questions or suggestions for another mini style series!

November 14, 2013

Style Story: Work Appropriate Thursday

To catch up on my mini work appropriate style series, just click here to view Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday's style tips.

Tip #4: Brighten up a chilly day with a fun, bold colored and/or printed skirt. Pair it with warmer neutrals (black, navy, grey, tan, etc.) and top it off with a conversation necklace or chunky scarf. Then warm those feet with leggings & cute boots.

Scroll down to my shopping suggestions to support and find out more about an amazing cause, livefashionABLE, that empowers women in Africa.

And remember: "let us always meet each other with a smile, for the smile is the beginning of love." (Mother Teresa)

SHOPPING SUGGESTIONS:

Bold Skirts:

Conversation necklaces:

Fall scarves & they support a great cause! From livefashionABLE! Read more about their mission. It's amazing.

November 13, 2013

Style Story: Work Appropriate Wednesday

If you didn't read Monday or Tuesday's post, you can get them here & here to get a better understanding of this style mini-series. I hope you all are finding these tips to be helpful and trying them out!

Tip #3: For one of the warmer Fall days, wear a simple maxi dress and add a neutral cardigan with ruffles, patterns, sequins, etc. to add a bit more jazz to this outfit. If the day happens to be a bit chillier, use one of my favorite tricks & wear leggings or footless tights underneath to warm up.

And remember, "a kind heart is a fountain of gladness, making everything in its vicinity freshen into smiles." (Washington Irving)

Dress: Hong Kong | Cardigan: J Crew | Necklaces: old | Flats: Old Navy

SHOPPING SUGGESTIONS: (click on image to go to source)

Cardigans

Maxi Dresses

November 12, 2013

Style Story: Work Appropriate Tuesday

If you didn't read yesterday's post, you can read it here to get a better understanding of this style mini-series.

Tip #2: I love peplum since it dresses up what-would-be a plain outfit. Adding conversation pieces, like this emerald necklace or metallic accessories, gives the outfit an extra sparkle.

And remember, "Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony." (Colossians 3:14)