New York Crumb Cake (Also known as Christmas Crumb Cake in my family)

DISCLAIMER: If you're a food snob who has a problem with using store bought cake mixes....I suggest you leave now

I have a soft spot for cake mix.  It really saves you a lot of time and you can easily doctor them up and make them your own

I just like the idea of knowing I only have to make sure I have one box of cake mix instead of having to check to make sure I have enough flour, sugar, baking powder, cocoa powder if I'm making chocolate cake, and possibly pudding,

And they're cheap

My high school culinary arts teacher always made this AMAZING coffee cake for teachers meetings and breakfasts at the school and she would always bring back the leftovers or us to eat in class

A handful of times I gorged myself on this cake and hoped one day we would make it in class

Well....the end of the semester came and we never did.  So I walked up to her on the last day of class and asked for the recipe.  She quickly pulled out a copy from a filing cabinet and I was on my way.  Had I known it would be that simple I would've asked for the recipe months ago....but I was major chicken shit back then and I always got nervous asking people for things

I made it for my mom to take to her work a few times and it was always a huge hit.  Then I started making it a Christmas morning tradition

I find that you're so busy opening gifts, then hurrying to get ready to make the family rounds, and cooking for dinner that it doesn't leave much time for breakfast

That's why this crumb cake is so perfect.  Just make it the day before and have it with some coffee or hot chocolate and everyone will be happy

Just mix up a box of yellow cake mix according to the directions below and spread evenly in a well greased sheet cake pan.  Bake for 15 minutes

While it's baking combine all the ingredients for the crumbs.  It will form a big lump like this

After the 15 mins that the cake baked, let it cool slightly.  Then begin breaking the dough up into large crumbs to cover the top of the entire cake

Bake another 15 mins and then let cool completely before eating

Here's a bonus story (lucky you!) on the fiasco I had this year making this cake

Now, normally I am pretty good at checking to make sure I have all the ingredients before I start making something....but of course the one time I'm not.....I don't have any freakin cinnamon!  I could have sworn I had some because I ALWAYS do.  Here I am cake baked and everything in the bowl to make the crumbs, minus cinnamon.  By this time its 9pm on Christmas Eve.

I hurry to the car to see if I can catch a place before they close.  Frys:Closed. Safeway:Closed.  Even Walmart which is my go to at 3am for emergencies is closed

So I get this bright idea in my head.  Don't they have cinnamon packets at gas stations?  Near the coffee?  I only need 2 tsp....I'll just grab a handful of those.

After passing 3 closed gas stations I get to an open Circle K.  I am looking all over the sugar packet area...no cinnamon.  I walk around a little while and check again.  Still none. (as if they were going to magically appear) I can feel the cashiers watching me.  I can only imagine what they thought.  Crazy lady in her pajamas wandering aimlessly and digging through the sugar packets.

Now I fully intended on buying something if they had the cinnamon....because you can't just pick up packets and go without buying anything

If they didn't have any I planned to just leave, but I realized at this point I have made myself a suspicious target.  

I serve myself the smallest cup of hot chocolate they have and walk up to the register.  The cashier looks at me like I'm a freak and says..."that it?"  

"Yep," I say.
 "You sure?" he replies
"I'm sure"

I want to know what this guy thought of me.  I really, REALLY do.

So I drive home and pick up The Boy.  We decided to break into his parents house and steal some since they were out of town.  

But for the record, it's not really breaking and entering when you have a key.

I wouldn't want you all thinking I break into homes. That's just terrible! Geesh!

But it is still stealing

On our drive over there we noticed an open Walgreens.  The Boy ran in on a last ditch effort and luckily came out with the loot.

It saved is from being Christmas Eve thieves and I got to finish my cake

I hope everyone thought it was especially tasty this year.....they better damn it!!    

Now I'm wondering if there are any gas stations at all that have cinnamon packets.  Or was this just a crazy delusion of hope I made up in my sleep deprived head?

And for the record I didn't even drink a single sip of that hot chocolate.   Lame.

Moral of the story...check for all your ingredients.  Especially on Christmas Eve 

New York Crumb Cake (Christmas Crumb Cake)

1 Yellow cake mix
4 eggs, beaten
2/3 C. Milk
2/3 C. Oil

Crumb Topping

4 C. Flour
2/3 C. Brown Sugar
2/3 C. White Sugar
2 tsp. Vanilla
2 tsp. Cinnamon
3 sticks melted butter

Combine the cake mix, egs, milk, and oil.  Beat until smooth.  Spread in well greased sheet cake pan.
Bake for 15 mins at 350.  Meanwhile combine all ingredients for crumb topping.  

After 15 mins pull cake out and let cool slightly.  break apart crumb topping dough into large crumbs and cover the entire cake.  Bake and additional 15 mins

Let cool completely before serving

Peppermint Frappe

I love me some candy canes...peppermint is delish!  But after Christmas there always seems to be an abundance of them lying around from every ones stockings

I blame it on the fact that they take so long to eat...unlike maybe a mini Twix bar for example....which were completely devoured by somebody before Christmas night was even over. 

 Every.  Single.  One.

So while the Twix, Kit Kats, amd Reese's Christmas tree never seem to be an issue....I hate to see those canes go to waste

Fear not....I have a solution

For years now in my family it has been a tradition to make Peppermint Frappes for dessert Christmas night

This year was the first time in 6 years that I didn't get to host Christmas  

And if you were doing the math  (I know you're not cuz really....nobody cares) yes that means I have been hosting Christmas since I was 17

Again this damn "earning a living" crap is cramping my style...so since it was held at my sisters house this year the Frappes didn't happen

BUT I just made some last night for me and The Boy as I was gathering up all the leftover candy

Here's all you  need

Some Sprite "esque" soda, nilla cream cream, and your candy canes

Now this is a total Nonrecipe recipe

Do it all to your taste 

Just crush up your candies...either by whacking them in a ziplock bag or in the food processor

Then blend with your ice cream and some splashes of the soda to get it all going

Make it as minty as you like or however thick or thin you want

Some people like to suck it through a straw, I like it thick with a spoon

I haven't been able to find the top to my blender in over a year....but I keep holding out hope I'll find it.  So the blender sits in the cabinet and I used my immersion blender instead

Take a look at my mess

I want my top back!!!

Anyways....I like to hold back some of the crushed candies to spinkle on top.  I mix it through for a little added crunch

Go gather up your candy canes and get to blending!

Spice Cake Cupcakes with Eggnog Buttercream

We were having a cookie swap at work earlier this week and I decided to be a rebel and bring cupcakes instead.  

After all I am the crazy cupcake lady so it only seemed appropriate

I wanted to do something "Christmasy" so I decided Eggnog would be perfect

And then of course spice cake is the cake of the season (minus fruit cake)

 

For the cake I used Duncan Hines spice cake mix.  I added a touch more cinnamon to my taste but it was pretty good as is

For the eggnog butter cream I followed my basic Coffee Creamer Buttercream ratio

But I subbed the eggnog for the coffee creamer.  It wasn't as "eggnoggy" as I wanted so I added more cinnmaon and clove and just under a tablespoon of dark rum and a 2 teaspoons of vanilla

You can really play with it to make it just how you like....clovey....boozy.....whatever!

And here was our little cookie table.....with me being all cool and different.  Ya know....I'm a badass like that!

DIY Felt Pet Ornaments

Don't forget about the furbabies this Christmas.....after all they are family members too!

             

Every year I try to give them something small and last year I made them felt ornaments that looked like them

Meet Mimi, my oldest sisters dog

She's a Brenchie.  That's  "Frenchie" for anyone outside my family who speaks proper english. (My family has its own language largely based  on incorrect pronunciations by all the children of the family). 

And this is her in felt form

Next up is Wrigley, my second oldest sisters dog

Ain't she just the cutest damn thing you've ever seen?   And she has THE cutest bark in the world.....I'm not sure it will translate well via Bloggin but I will give it a try.  

It goes a little something like this :

Bow wow woo woooOO wooOO!  

It's so stinkin cute I find myself mimicking it just for fun.  I'm glad my husband is weird like me and doesn't mind me barking randomly

 And here is her ornament

And this is Phoebe. Also known as "Beebee" or "Beebers"  If you're thinking she looks familiar it's because she is Mimi's sister.  Yep....sisters have sister dogs.  

Even though they are sisters they couldn't be more different!  Mimi is more serious and Phoebe is that weird goofy girl you can't quite figure out.   Her lip is constantly getting caught on her teeth so we have dubbed this her "Ugly Elvis" look.  So it only seemed appropriate to pay homage to her goofy ass face

Now here comes the auntie guilt.  This sister also has a yorkie named Morty.  (Full name Mortimer Jasper)  I tried about 3 different times to make an ornament of him but was never happy with it so I threw it away and he never got one.  Now I feel bad.  Maybe I'll take another crack at it this year.  

But just so he gets the spotlight too, here are some pics of the man himself (the only male pet in the family)

He's soo cute in his xmas sweater!  Love that dog!

And last but CERTAINLY not least is my baby.  The only cat in our clan

The beautiful, the magnificent.... Mo Mo!

(look at her...a little blogger too.  Mama is so proud!)

When I unpacked it this year I noticed she lost a whisker.  I choose to believe it was for realistic effect.  After all, she does lose them in real life.  And whenever she does I pretend they are a quill pen and wish I could use them to sign the Constitution.   Is that weird?

So there ya have it...cute, easy, cheap, and personalized gifts for all the pets in your life.  Ok..so  maybe it's more for the owners...but who cares!

And they are just as easy as they look.  I  made templates out of paper, cut them out of felt, sewed them together, stuffed them a wee bit, and added the details. I used E6000 glue to glue on the eyes and noses etc, but you could use whatever glue you think works best.

   Add some thread to hang them and they are done!  Super easy...you could whip out a few in these last few days before Christmas and wow the crowds!

Your furry four legged friends will be so happy you remembered them! ;)

DIY Ugly Christmas Sweaters

With the Ugly Christmas Sweater Party growing more and more popular every year, ugly sweaters are becoming harder and harder to come by at thrift stores.

Goodwill is getting picked over super fast early in the season

I learned this the hard way last year and ended up making my own for me and The Boy

This project is perfect if you have a plain Tshirt or old sweater already.  We didn't at the time so we just bought some plain cheapy ones from Walmart 

(for the record, Walmart has some pretty hideous sweater and turtle necks already if you don't want to make them)

I bought some stockings at Dollar Tree that had felt embellishments on them  I cut them off and sewed them onto shirts

I added pom pom onto the wrists of the shirts and for the nose of The Boys reindeer.  

I bought mardi gras beads as well and sewed it onto the neckline of my sweater

Let you're imagination go wild!  The cheesier the better......and it's cheap!

Snowman Hat Headbands

When I made these Pilgrim Hat Headbands for my nieces on Thanksgiving it got the wheels turning in my head for a Christmas version

A snowman top hat instantly popped in my head

So I went and got myself some more of those little hats at Michael's (on the Xmas aisle), some stiffened felt sheets (I wanted the holly leaves to stand up nicely) and some cheap headbands, and a glue gun

I made myself a template and cut out the holly leaves and used a hole punch to make the berries quickly

Then just hot glue them on

Here's my little assembly line of hats

I hot glued them onto headbands but you could also glue them onto alligator clips or some kind of hair barette

Then put them on some cute kiddos and you're all set!

It makes any outfit super festive!