Month at the Museum 2!

I'm a Month at the Museum Finalist!!!!!!!! The competition is fierce! Please, please, please vote for me once a day until Oct. 3 at 5pm, repost as your status, and tell everyone you've ever met to do the same! :)  Sooooo excited!!!! http://www.msichicago.org/matm/finalists/katie-duff/

Pumpkin Butter Squares

These are one of the hubby's favorite fall treats.  It is made with Muirhead Pecan Pumpkin Butter which is available on their website as well as at Williams-Sonoma.  It's a bit pricy so I like to wait until the week or two before Thanksgiving when it's on sale and buy as many as I can.  I made them for him this week and he shared them with his office and according to him they were a big hit.  So for everyone that asked me for the recipe, here you go!

Muirhead Pumpkin Butter Squares
Makes one 9x13 pan

• 1 box of yellow cake mix, divided
• 3/4 cup of butter, divided
• 3 eggs
• 1/8 cup of milk
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1/4 cup of sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

To make the crust:

1. Take the box of yellow cake mix, reserve 1 cup, and mix remaining cake mix with 1/2 cup of melted butter and one large egg.
2. Press lightly into the bottom of a 9x13 pan.

To make the pumpkin layer:

1. Mix one jar of pecan pumpkin butter with 2 eggs and 1/8 of a cup of milk.
2. Pour over crust.

To make topping:

1. Mix and crumble the remaining 1 cup of cake mix with 1 tablespoon of flour, 1/4 cup of sugar, 1/4 cup of soften butter, and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon.
2. Spread over the top of the pumpkin layer.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes until golden.

Just like Starbucks Passion Tea Lemonade

Well this little baker has gone back to the classroom so there are a lot more papers to grade and a lot less time for baking.  I love bringing something yummy with me to work like a fancy flavored ice tea or an iced coffee to make the day go by faster and the middle schoolers easier to take at 7:30 in the morning.  I love Tazo's passion tea and was thrilled to see an iced version for the summer.  Paired with lemonade, it's an awesome treat but at over $3, it's a bit pricey.  I decided to scour the web for some imitation recipes and after some tweaking, decided that this is pretty darn close.  For another yummy iced beverage, check out my dear friend's recipe for an iced mocha at Memories by Christine.

On a totally unrelated note, check out my friend Sarah's new blog called Monday's Love.  Both the author and the blog are completely wonderful.

Just like Starbucks Passion Tea Lemonade
Makes approx. 2 quarts

• 4 Tazo Passion Tea bags
• 6 Cups of water
• 1 12 oz can of lemonade concentrate
• 1 teaspoon orange extract
• 15 oz of simple syrup

1. Heat 3 cups of water to boiling.  Remove from heat and add in tea bags and allow to steep for at least 6 minutes.
2. In a pitcher combine lemonade concentrate, remaning 3 cups of water, orange extract, and simple syrup and place in the refrigerator.
3. After tea has cooled, add to the pitcher and stir.
4. Serve over lots of ice.