Love Languages in the Home, DIY Pumpkin Pie Spice and Desserts

“Of all the music that reached farthest into heaven,

it is the beating of a loving heart."

~ Henry Ward Beecher

Love languages in the home…

- freshly baked desserts

- coziness (throw blankets!)

- a welcoming smile

- freshly picked flowers or greenery

- diffusers running

- tidiness

- a gentle squeeze

- meals together

- candlelight

- folded laundry piles

- pie (savory and sweet)

- a bedtime story

- prayers

- hugs

- encouragement

- your undivided attention 📵

“Let all that you do be done with love.”

~ 1 Corinthians 16:14

Pumpkin pie is my husband's love language or pumpkin desserts in general! And to have a nice supply of pumpkin pie spice makes baking day a bit more smoother. If a pumpkin related recipe calls for a bit of ginger, a bit of cinnamon and/or a bit of cloves, etc., I simply add up all the ingredient amounts and conveniently use that total in "pumpkin pie spice". It takes less time for me to individually measure out each one and less time to dig up the individual spices in the cabinet.  

Pumpkin Pie Spice Recipe:

— 1/2 c. cinnamon

— 1/4 c. ground ginger

— 2 tbsp. nutmeg

— 2 tbsp. ground cloves

Stir ingredients together until combined.

Yield: approx. 1 cup

For the printable recipe, please visit HERE.

And dessert doesn’t have to be unhealthy. This clean eating recipe is from The Transformed Wife and uses maple syrup (or honey) as a sweetener and coconut milk for creaminess. My husband absolutely loved it. She shares her recipe HERE if you’re interested. The nicest thing is that it is so easy to make! All the ingredients go into the blender and then poured into the pie shell. 

Note: She has since shared an alternative to the recipe which includes these changes which I made: I used maple syrup in lieu of honey, used only 1/2 c. of coconut milk (per a change she made when using maple syrup) and I added 1 tsp. vanilla. I also used 1 1/2 rounded teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice in lieu of the spices shared. 

I’ll also point out that I’m not the best at making “beautiful” Pinterest-perfect pies but I continue to post pictures of them because my family thinks they’re wonderful ☺️. We are often our own worst critics and yet, when we do these kinds of things in our home (“flaws” and all for our family), they are so grateful! They don’t require perfection from us, just simple acts of love or simply love in general.

Here is another healthy pumpkin recipe for pumpkin cake which I shared long ago. It uses honey as a sweetener and whole wheat flour. It is nice and moist and with your favorite cream cheese frosting, everyone will love it! You will find the printable recipe HERE.

Lastly, in the event that you have no fresh eggs, milk and/or butter (or are trying to economize), you can still make a delicious and moist cake thanks to our Depression Era ancestors who came up with the crazy cakes. It is also dairy free for those who have allergies. This cake is easy to make, doesn't make a mess and is surprisingly good! You will find the recipe HERE.

You can use pumpkin or butternut squash or any other orange-fleshed gourd in any of these recipes. But one thing is necessary, your homemade pumpkin pie spice! 😉

It may seem simple (though sometimes it can be "oh-so-hard"), but it is a beautiful life, full of love and for that,  I am grateful.

"Thank God, O women for the quietude of your home, and that you are queen in it. Men come at eventide to the home; but all day long you are there, beautifying it, sanctifying it, adorning it, blessing it. Better be there than wear a queen's coronet. Better be there than carry the purse of a princess. It may be a very humble home. There may be no carpet on the floor. There may be no pictures on the wall. There may be no silks in the wardrobe; but, by your faith in God, and your cheerful demeanor, you may garniture that place with more splendor than the upholsterer's hand ever kindled."

~ T. DeWitt Talmage

Happy autumn homemaking,

♡ JES

P.S. I got behind once again in my newsletters, I am wondering if they are still worth publishing? Would you rather have a long post or none at all? I know time is valuable for everyone and I am not sure this blog is useful anymore with all the information that has already been posted all over the internet. It feels like there is nothing new under the sun as Solomon says.... I do appreciate your feedback. ♡ JES

Autumn Crazy Cake (No Butter, Eggs, Milk or Mess) ~ Inspired by the Depression Era Recipe (aka Wacky Cake) w/ GF Option

“The magic of autumn has seized the countryside; now that the sun isn't ripening anything it shines for the sake of the golden age; for the sake of Eden; to please the moon for all I know.” 

~ Elizabeth Coatsworth, Personal Geography

With each season, I am determined to make a crazy cake to compliment it... Because they don't require milk, eggs or butter, they are a perfect (and frugal) recipe to keep on hand for a rainy day or have ready in the spirit of preparedness or make for someone with food allergies or simply because they are an "everything from the pantry" creation (which you know I am obsessed with)! With items not always being available at the supermarket these days, I love to have these kinds of recipes as beautiful back up. So far I have shared Apply Crazy Cake, Banana Crazy Cake, Zucchini Crazy Cake, Chocolate Banana Crazy Cake, Carrot Crazy Cake, Lemon Crazy Cake and Orange Crazy Cake. May I now present to you the crazy cake that can be prepared with either pumpkin or butternut squash puree? You can make them with a canned good from the pantry or pick a pumpkin from the patch! Either way this cake is an ode to fall and is a perfect seasonal treat.

To begin, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease an 8 by 8 inch square baking pan. I was fortunate enough to find this pumpkin shaped pan for a dollar at the thrift store and I couldn't resist it! 

Dry Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 c. + 2 tbsp. flour (all purpose or gluten-free flour blend) 
• 1 c. white sugar 
• 1 tbsp. Pumpkin pie spice (use only 1-2 tsp. if you're not into those kinds of spices)
• 1 tsp. baking soda (use 1 1/2 tsp. is using gluten-free flour blend) 
• 1/2 tsp. salt 

Wet Ingredients: 

• 5 tbsp. vegetable oil (we use sunflower) 
• 1 tsp. white vinegar (use apple cider vinegar for gluten-free version) 
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract 
• 1 c. water 
• 1 c. Pureed pumpkin or butternut squash 

Measure out and mix all the dry ingredients together in your prepared baking pan (or in a large baking bowl if you have an odd shaped pan like I used). Make three wells in the baking pan, making sure one is large enough to contain the oil. (You will find more detailed pictures in the apple crazy cake recipe in case this is a new concept for you.) Pour the oil into the largest well and the vinegar and vanilla separately into the other impressions. Pour water over all the contents, add the puree and carefully mix your ingredients until combined and smooth. 

Bake for 35 - 40 minutes (it is finished when a toothpick inserted inside the center comes out clean). Cool on wire rack. Once it is completely cooled, you may frost it.

I used the recipe for icing from Sally's Baking Addiction and simply opted for the version using one cup of powdered sugar, 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract and 3 Tbs. heavy cream. This had a thicker consistency when using cream (rather than milk) which I liked for the heavy drizzle effect I desired. The nuts of course are optional but I felt the pecans added a pretty touch.

While I did include a printable link for this recipe HERE, some people have been having problems accessing our printables so I inserted a picture of the recipe below. Perhaps it can be printed directly from the picture? I would love some feedback to see if this works... or if you are able to access the file and print it via Google Docs with my recipe link. Either one I would be quite curious about! 

Now, this recipe can go inside your basic recipe book. It can also go into your preparedness notebook as it is a purely pantry recipe that can definitely come in handy. Or, it can go into your garden cookbook under winter squash. Decisions, decisions! What are your thoughts? To be honest, I will place it in all three as I don't like having all my eggs in one basket. 

“I would rather sit on a pumpkin, and have it all to myself,

than be crowded on a velvet cushion.” 

~ Henry David Thoreau

And that is all there is to it my friends. This recipe comes together in minutes and is so very moist. I do hope you give it a try as baking is what autumn is all about in my world... As well as a cozy sofa full of throw blankets, hot cups of creamy liquids, candles, warm sweaters... I could go on and on! But I know you have much to do so I will leave you with a "happy homemaking"! 

Easy Custom-Made Chocolates ~ Romantic Homemaking Series

You don’t need millions of dollars to create a happy home.

just millions of seconds...

to make millions of sweet memories.

(Hot cocoa, steaming coffee and cups of tea, piles of  blankets, homemade desserts, hugs, kisses, books, forts and plenty of prayers.)

“So teach us to number our days,

That we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

~ Psalm 90:12

♥️ 

Sometimes you want to do something special for your family but don't have a lot of time. Here is an easy recipe project that is fun, festive and fairly fast! It can also be customized to everyone's special diets! Plus, it includes chocolate and I personally find that very romantic.

First, you will need to have a mold. I found mine at the thrift shop but you can also use a cupcake tin or even just the cupcake liners. Silicone molds will work beautifully too. I didn't grease mine as when the chocolate solidifies, it just pops out (give a little tap on the pan from upside down).

Place your favorite add-ins such as nuts, seeds, dried fruit, coconut, flavored baking chips, granola or trail mix inside your chosen mold. I used the Lily's butterscotch chips and white chocolate chips which are less sugar -- you can find them in healthy grocery stores or even Walmart. I also used salted nuts and unsweetened coconut flakes.

Pour melted chocolate over each one (again we used the Lily’s stevia sweetened chocolate chips -- affiliate link). Place them in the refrigerator and pop them out once solid to reveal the special treats.

For fun, you can serve them in a tin for that old fashioned feel... but I do recommend refrigerating them to keep the chocolate from deteriorating. I left one batch out on the sink for a few days and it didn't fare too well.

“All you need is love.

But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt.” 

~ Charles M. Schulz

Romantic Homemaking Series:

Romantic Homemaking Series Introduction

My List of My Beloved and Beautiful Homemaking Books

The Inspired Home "Junk" Journal ~ Free Printable

DIY Vanilla Rose Room Spray

Embellish Ordinary Kitchen Linens with Lace

Orange Crazy Cake (No Butter, Eggs, Milk or Mess) ~ Inspired by the Depression Era Recipe (aka Wacky Cake) w/ GF Option

Pretend there is no eggs, butter or milk but that mother has a pantry full of dried provisions and that old orange tree growing in the backyard... Why yes! She can still prepare a tasty cake for her family without those fresh (and often expensive ingredients)! She will serve it on grandmother’s old dish and ice it with a bit of confectioners sugar and some juice from her same seasonal oranges. Making do the old fashioned way...

You see, I am a collector of frugal, use it up, pantry-only, ingredient types of recipes. I keep them in a separate notebook (my preparedness notebook) as you never know when you would need something (using no butter, eggs or milk) for a crisis or you simply run out of eggs and company is on the way for tea (and yet another crisis)! A homemaker who learns from history can be prepared in all kinds of circumstances... she does not fear for the future (Proverbs 31:21). Hence the reason I am crazy for crazy cakes! I have had these citrus versions on my to-do list for some time and am just thrilled with the results! 

This is another crazy cake I adapted for the winter season based on the Depression-era recipe. Though it has no eggs, butter or milk, it is quite tasty! Like the lemon cakes before it, it is prepared with fresh juice and zest instead of the traditional crazy cake recipe which uses vinegar (and I used more orange juice than the vinegar called for). The result is a deliciously moist cake with subtle orange flavor and a brighter burst of orange in the icing.

This recipe is basically a hybrid... it’s a seasonal, use-it-up, frugal pantry specimen 😉 🍊

Please visit HERE for the printable recipe!

Happily homemaking,

🧡 JES

For other recipes featuring PANTRY ONLY/SEASONAL ingredients, you may also be interested in our Apple Crazy Cake, Zucchini Crazy Cake, Chocolate Banana Crazy Cake, Banana Crazy Cake, Carrot Crazy Cake, Lemon Crazy Cake, Old Fashioned Pie Crust and for more inspiration -- Frugal Homemaking Lessons from the Great Depression.

 

Depression Era Legacy ~ Lemon Cake Recipe ~ Frugal Pantry Ingredients

When going through difficult times, I often think of my great-grandmother who lived during the Great Depression. I think of the things she left behind that we still enjoy today. Hand-embroidered sheets, hand-crocheted curtains, lovely lace shawls, flowing floral skirts and a strong faith in God. Though she endured one of the most trying times in history, she didn't leave behind memories of bitterness... but an abundance of beauty. It is what I hope and pray my family inherits from me... that I may leave behind lovely legacies during any unprecedented time we may find ourselves in.

"The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places;

yea, I have a goodly heritage."

~ Psalm 16:6

I have baked up some lemon cupcakes which are adapted to magnify the beauty of the winter citrus season (and to use up the basket of homegrown lemons on my sink). The crazy cake recipes (also called wacky cakes) are passed down from our Depression-era ancestors and don't require the use of butter, milk or eggs. Surprisingly, they are a very moist and delicious cake! Perhaps my revised recipe using fresh lemon juice and zest (in lieu of the original version using vinegar) can be a humble little legacy I leave behind for my family... 

“Mother’s Loving Lemon Cakes” anyone? ☺️ 💛

It is easy to make in seven steps -- and it is also quite frugal, egg-free, butter-free, milk-free and can even be made gluten-free. For a complete picture tutorial on the concept of preparing the crazy cakes (in case it is foreign to you), you will find step-by-step instructions here: Chocolate Banana Crazy Cake, Carrot Crazy Cake, Banana Crazy Cake, Zucchini Crazy Cake and Apple Crazy Cake.

For my printable recipe which can be placed in your recipe book, visit HERE! I hope you enjoy the idea of seasonal baking and using what you have in the cupboard at the same time! It's a matter of a fresh winter lemon and the ingredients in your larder and you are one step closer to being Ma Ingalls 😊 

Happily homemaking,

♡ JES

P.S. The concept of the lemon peel rose is found in our Ebook 💛

#vegan #dairy-free lemon cake #wacky cake

Baking Peanut Butter Chocolate S'more Cookies ~ Happy Homemaking Scenes

"As you go forth into the world to begin the prodigious work of life, it is my greatest wish that you find success and happiness in creating your own home.

 

I have no doubt in your ability to accomplish this. For in all of you, I find that the great lesson I have striven to impart to you, is well learned -- 

the most exquisite pleasure in life, is giving pleasure to others. As the good Lord taught us, the finest quality of greatness is service."

~ Mrs. Dunwoody's Excellent Instructions for Homekeeping -

Timeless Wisdom and Practical Advice by Miriam Lukken (affiliate link)

rolling...

melting...

creating...

serving.

There is so much going on in the world that can distract us from our home. And when we are distracted from our duties, we are (sadly) helping to contribute to the problems that cause us grief in the first place. For it is my belief that if there were more true homes, there would be less sorrow in the world. It all begins in the home... or lack of a home. But I digress...

Baking is one such way to serve in a simple sense which brings comfort to the home. It feels safe when something good comes from the oven. Home feels cozy and secure when something smells amazing. Our homes are mini-bakeries and who doesn't love to walk into one!

These "Peanut Butter Chocolate S'more" cookies look nothing like Sally's but they are still beautiful to our household. When something isn't perfect, I call them rustic and suddenly they are perfect! 

It is also enjoyable to put your own creative spin on recipes. My special versions included using graham cracker crumbs as sprinkles and using white chocolate for half of my cookies. What would you do with yours?

(This very fun recipe can be found here.)

Homemakers are artists. Homemakers are comfort-givers. Homemakers are servers. Homemakers are ultimately... love.

"Beloved, let us love one another,

for love is from God,

and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God."

~ 1 John 4:7

Apple Crazy Cake (No Butter, Eggs, Milk or Mess) ~ Inspired by the Depression Era Recipe (aka Wacky Cake) w/ GF Option

“In Heaven, it is always Autumn".”

~ John Donne

This is my most favorite of our crazy cake creations yet! The brown sugar sinks a bit to the bottom giving the cake a "layered" caramel apple taste of fall! And what better way to use up those mealy apples than in a seasonal surprise for your family! It is easy to make in 7 steps -- and don't forget that it is frugal, egg-free, butter-free, milk-free and can even be gluten-free (meaning you will most likely have all the ingredients in your basic pantry!).

Dry Ingredients: 

• 1 1/2 c. + 2 tbsp. flour  (all purpose or gluten-free flour blend)
• 3/4 c. white sugar
• 1/4 c. brown sugar
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. baking soda (use 1 1/2 tsp. is using gluten-free flour blend)
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Wet Ingredients:

• 5 tbsp. vegetable oil (we use sunflower)
• 1 tsp. white vinegar (use apple cider vinegar for gluten-free version)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 c. water
• 1 1/2 c. shredded apples

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease an 8 by 8 inch square baking pan.

Measure out and mix all the dry ingredients together in your prepared baking pan. Make three wells in the baking pan (making sure one is large enough to contain the oil). Pour the oil into the largest well and the vinegar and vanilla separately into the other impressions. Pour water over all the contents, add the shredded apples and carefully mix your ingredients until combined and smooth. 

Bake for 35 - 40 minutes (it is finished when a toothpick inserted inside the center comes out clean). Cool on wire rack. Once it is completely cooled, you may frost it. Recipe can be doubled – just use a 9 by 13 inch baking pan.

You will find your free printable recipe HERE! Happy homemaking!

For other recipes featuring PANTRY ONLY ingredients, you may also be interested in our Zucchini Crazy Cake, Chocolate Banana Crazy Cake, Banana Crazy Cake, Carrot Crazy Cake, Old Fashioned Pie Crust and for more inspiration -- Frugal Homemaking Lessons from the Great Depression.