Kelsey.kowalski

Pumpkin Bundt Cake. With a cinnamon streusel layer. ARE YOU EVEN READY.

This recipe is sponsored by Wholesome!

I actually love this cake more than 400% of the other things I’m eating lately, which is why I’ve made it an obscene number of times since it first came into my life. Which, initially, was for a selfless good reason.

It started with a baby shower – my friend is pregnant and beautiful and we wanted to shower her with love, and I was in charge of making a brunch cake. So maybe it was a self-assigned kind of project. I know where I thrive, okay? This cake made its debut (after a few test rounds JUST TO MAKE SURE) at the shower for my sweet friend Ashley, along with lots of avocado beet hummus toast and berry granola yogurt parfaits in jars and advice cards for the mom-to-be and all that other adorable party-pants fun stuff.

The pumpkin bundt cake sat straight in the center of the table, between the toast platter and the colorful mason jars, looking extra gorgeous thanks to a drizzle of frosting that ran down the sides of its very fancy cake design which are, in fact, extremely easy to have in your life.

Step One: buy a fancy bundt pan with designs on it.

Step Two: bake your cake in it.

This is how I make people think I am fancy: I make bundt cakes in fancy pans. You may copy me if you wish – it’s total cake goals, I get it.

But really, besides just looking beautiful on a table, we need to talk about the flavor and texture of this cake.

THAT STREUSEL LAYER? Did you see it? It’s kind of hard to miss, being that it’s brown-sugary and crunchy-caramely and completely over-the-top awesome. It runs like a happy, delicious little ribbon of joy through the middle of the cake and bakes into gooey-center-slice perfection. It is the thing that takes this from Pumpkin Bundt Cake to NEEDZ MORE NOW Pumpkin Bundt Cake.

The texture of this: it’s buttery and dense – but not too dense – just the kind of amazing density you get from those little bakery-style lemon poppyseed or holiday pumpkin loaves at Starbucks. Or something. As if I would know. I’m just GUESSING here, okay? It’s so delicious – and call me crazy, but it might even get more delicious after hanging out in the fridge overnight. I love a good cold, dense, buttery, day-after cake at level: dangerous.

For this recipe, we are using (and adoring) several favorite members of the Wholesome! lineup:

• organic light brown sugar
• organic honey
• organic powdered sugar

You guys, I love Wholesome! for a lot of reasons, starting with this cake (hiiiii cake) and ending with a commitment to fair trade pricing, responsible sourcing, organic farming practices, AND THE ABILITY TO BUY IT AT TARGET.

It honestly might be my favorite thing about this brand – the fact that I don’t have to shop at a co-op or specialty store to buy their high-integrity, quality products is five hundred thumbs up from me.

Now friends, I know we’re getting near to the end of pumpkin season and you might be skeptical of me right now, but hold your horses.

Once you chill pumpkin out of your life for a minute, you’re going to realize what’s always been true: that pumpkin and cinnamon and brown sugar are still very much THE PERFECT CHOICE for all your basic weekend splurge needs.

I WILL make this for the first Saturday morning snow of the year. I will, I will, I will. ♡ And you will, too. And you’ll tag me and snap me how much you love it. Can’t wait.

The post Pumpkin Bundt Cake and Baby Shower appeared first on Pinch of Yum.

St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner and what better way to celebrate than with an french fry bar!

You can even call it an Irish Nacho Bar if you’d like. Basically, this is a kicked-up french fry bar with all the toppings. But since I’m from the Southwestern part of the country, you know my choice of toppings will reflect that.

I’m using pico de gallo, salsa, corn, sour cream, a few kinds of cheese, guacamole, black beans, and jalapeños … the works! Everything I could possibly want so I can build the french fry situation of my dreams.

Add to that 2 kinds of fries—sweet potato fries and wedge potato fries—and it’s a recipe for a perfect night in!

Everyone can then assemble their own creation. If your fries are still hot, the cheese will melt on its own. If you’re serving the fries at room temperature, you can add the cheese and pop the cheese-loaded fries in the oven or microwave for a few seconds before topping with the remaining ingredients and diving in! Or save yourself the trouble and just melt the cheese into a decadent cheese sauce beforehand, so you can get to the eating sooner.

This is such an easy and fun way to entertain and feed a crowd, and it’s perfect bar food to accompany all that free-flowing St. Paddy beer. Don’t have time to make your own fries? Don’t fret and just use frozen!

It’s versatile, too. Go all-American with classic burger toppings like ground beef, bacon bits, chili, chopped tomatoes, blue cheese, special sauce, and anything else you love on your burger. Want to stick to more familiar St. Patrick’s Day food? No problem! Serve toppings like shredded corn beef, spinach-garlic spread, lots of good Irish cheese, and maybe even a beer cheese sauce. Just pick your favorite theme and run with it!

You can tell just by their lifestyle choices.

Happiness is meant to be shared, but sometimes the happiest people are too busy living to tell the rest of the world how they got there. Talking about how great life is can also quickly go past humble to just bragging, especially around others who may not be having the best of times.

Happiness can often look like it’s luck of the draw or the pull of the longest straw. But whatever it looks or feels like for those who have it — contentment, overwhelmingly positive emotions, bluebirds and/or sunshine halos around our heads — there are some specific ways to be happy, even if the most joyful people are too busy digging their lives to talk about it much.

8 Things Drama-Free Girls Do WAY Differently

Here’s what happy people do (but don’t talk about).

1. They Practice Gratitude.

I’m a gratitude convert who used to think that keeping track of things to be thankful for was a stupid and contrived idea. Because, check it out: I was too unhappy to make my way to grateful. Then, during a very dark time, I agreed to try a daily gratitude list as a way to dig out of it, and it worked.

Almost three years later focusing on the good things that I always have, no matter what may be going wrong, helps to keep my perspective clear and my attitude at least partially positive. Research backs up that whether it’s expressed just to ourselves for what we have or to others for what they bring to our lives, gratitude makes us happier.

2. They Enjoy Their Own Company.

Strong social ties are key to good feelings, but a truly happy person can be comfortable on her own, too. Solitude and down time is a good chance to relax, do the things we like to do alone, and build up energy to go back out and deal with the world and its people again. Alone in healthy doses doesn’t have to mean lonely, and if I’m happy on my own and comfortable with myself, I really can be happy anytime.

3. They’re Honest and Tell the Truth.

Lying may provide some short-term reward, but it’s a complicated and inauthentic (and uncool, let’s be honest) way to live on a regular basis. Even the most honest people can lapse from time to time, but a life that includes regular dishonesty breeds stress, the fear of being found out, and the need to keep complicated stories straight as lies inevitably compound.

Honest people benefit from the happiness that comes from being real no matter what, and happier, stronger relationships based on trust and open communication — a way better approach than a string of shady stories.

4. They Make Time for Fun.

One of my friends recently carved out time to ride horses again. Another friend dedicated time and resources to follow her favorite musical artist on tour for a few months this year, and another transports rescued dogs to their new homes. Fun and joy are the bottom line in each of these activities, and the happiness is following.

Work is obviously necessary to life, but the happiest people I know regularly plan and do things just for fun and fulfillment. They make time for hobbies and vocations on their own or with family and friends, and take the time to nurture relationships away from professional obligations and chores.

5. They Make Sure to Get Enough Sleep.

Sleep is a non-negotiable human need that too many humans try to negotiate. The average adult needs seven to nine hours of sleep each night for health, performance, and safety in daily activities. Lack of sleep can disturb moods, sex drive, memory, weight, and cardiac and vascular conditions, among other things that are intrinsic to health and basic happiness.

It makes sense that rested people are happier people, or at least they’re not as edgy as anyone fresh from an all-nighter and way too much caffeine.

6. They Practice Forgiveness.

Grudges are exhausting and depressing no matter the cause, and moving past them makes wonderful space for freedom and happiness. It isn’t always easy to forgive, and it doesn’t always mean liking the circumstances of how we were treated. But if there’s a way to do it — on your own or with help from other caring people — it can help to leave old hurtful situations behind and open you up to writing a new, happier story.

Science Says: 7 Reasons Being Single Makes You Happier

7. They Help Others.

Ever notice that those tearjerker Facebook videos that you just “have to watch right now” usually involve someone doing something nice for someone else? Some of the happiest people are focused on helping others. As early as the toddler years, giving and helping are found to increase happiness in the giver as well as the getter.

Helping others is a self-esteem booster; it just feels good to do good. And when the focus is on helping someone else, it’s hard to focus on the things that may be bringing us down. Double win.

8. They Enjoy Their Work.

Adults tend to spend a lot of time working. Think of the people you know who really enjoy what they do. Their work likely involves personal strengths and interests, a good indicator of what works for the happiest people. The people who are most miserable at work may talk about it more often, and they need to get that out.

But I really love talking to people who are happy with their careers. It tends to spill over into a happier life. Makes sense.

9. They Have Good, Healthy Relationships.

Research shows time and time again that strong personal relationships are a key to happiness — more than income, race, age, or gender. The happiest people have people in their lives — partners, children, friends, colleagues, and extended family — who consistently provide mutual support, companionship, and social activities.

They can avoid loneliness and isolation, and have opportunities for connection and service on a regular basis. Happy people like to hang with happy people, and they can make each other even happier. It would be gross if it weren’t so awesome.

10. They Believe in Something.

The happiest people often have meaning in their lives from a larger purpose than the daily grind. Whether it’s a traditional religious practice or a more general spiritual framework for life, time spent in nature, or service to a cause, people with a purpose tend to be happier.

An organization, a faith, or a belief system can provide a support system for a person in stressful times, a daily structure for living, and a broader idea of the purpose of life and her place in it. That’s all happy stuff.

This guest article originally appeared on YourTango.com: 10 Things The Happiest People Do (But Never, Ever Talk About).

Rebel Wilson Kind Of Attempts To Apologize To The Kardashian/Jenner Family -- But Still Subtly Shades Them In The Process!
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Just in time to sneak into Oscar nominations, the boys are back, this time at 22 Jump Street. Everyone is white boy wasted, Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill can't stop hugging, and Rob Riggle does his best Saturday Night Live Scared Straight.

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Cinnamon is a delicious spice that, like vanilla, is often used in conjunction with other flavors and rarely gets the spotlight all to itself. It is paired with ginger, cloves and spices to make flavorful spice blends, and combined with oatmeal and nuts to enhance their nutty qualities. In this Cinnamon Layer Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting, cinnamon really takes center stage on its own. It is the main flavor in both the cake and the frosting, and delivers a fantastic warmth and spiciness that makes this cake surprisingly addictive.

I am a big cinnamon fan and found it to be very refreshing to see a spice like cinnamon stand out as the star in a dessert – and the success of this cake is inspiring me to do even more with cinnamon (and different types of cinnamon) in the future. The cake is moist and tender, with a generous dose of cinnamon in the batter. You get hints of butter and vanilla in the batter, as well, but the back up the spiciness of the cinnamon instead of covering it up. It should go without saying that the cake smells fantastic while it is baking.

In the frosting, the tang of the cream cheese is a good contrast for the heat of the cinnamon, and it adds a little extra sweetness to every bite of cake. I tend to think of this cake as an everyday layer cake. It is easy to whip up and isn’t finished off with elaborate frosting or decorations. The frosting is simply spread between the layers of cake and a little bit is put on top to finish it off. The cake definitely has enough flavor to entertain with, but it is a simple cake and you shouldn’t have to wait for a special occasion just to enjoy it.

I used freshly grated cinnamon to flavor both my cake batter and my frosting. If you don’t have freshly grated cinnamon, make sure that your already ground cinnamon is as fresh as possible (buy a new jar if yours is older than 8-12 months) so that you get the best cinnamon flavor in your finished cake. The cake will keep well in an airtight container for several days after baking.

Cinnamon Layer Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp freshly ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup milk (pref. low fat or whole)

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease two 8 or 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and creamy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, followed by vanilla extract. Mix in half of the flour mixture, followed by the milk. Stir in remaining flour mixture, mixing just until no streaks of dry ingredients remain visible and batter is uniform.
Divide evenly into prepared cake pans.
Bake for 18-22 minutes (9-inch pans will need less cooking time than 8-inch pans), until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean and the cake springs back when lightly pressed.
Turn cakes out onto a wire rack, remove parchment paper circles and allow to cool completely before frosting.
To frost, place on cake round on a serving platter or cake tray. Top with half of the frosting and spread into an even layer. Place second cake round on top of frosting and top with remaining frosting.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
4-oz cream cheese, room temperature
4-oz (1/2 cup) butter, room temperature
2 tbsp milk
1 1/2 tsp freshly ground cinnamon
1 1/2-2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar

In a large bowl, beat together cream cheese and butter until well-blended. Beat in milk, ground cinnamon and about 1 1/2 cups of confectioners’ sugar. Add additional confectioners’ sugar as needed until frosting is has a creamy and spreadable consistency.
Spread half of the frosting in between the cake layers, and half of the frosting on top.

Comedian, bluegrass musician, and national father of the bride, Steve Martin misplaced his wallet in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Martin was bicycling in the area when his wallet ditched him. The change purse contained his driver's license and credit cards.

The Associated Press reports that "a man working on a city street" discovered the billfold. Martin was in the area to perform with his bluegrass ensemble and the man who discovered the money-keeper contacted the concert hall. The comedian plans to thank the kind stranger in person.

Dear good-hearted, street-working man, may you be granted all the pennies in heaven.

[image via Getty]

Last Thursday, a woman in Charlestown, Indiana and her boyfriend stayed up all night, armed with a rifle, to hunt down whatever it was that had been attacking small animals in her neighborhood. After spotting and shooting a creature prowling in the shadows by the woman's pool, they were shocked to find that they'd just killed a leopard, an animal that's not native to North America, much less Indiana.

The woman, who didn't want to be identified, mentioned the story to her friend and neighbor Donna Duke, who then told ABC affiliate WDRB about the strange kill. Officials at the Indiana Department of Natural Resources confirmed that a leopard had been found on the woman's property. Duke said the woman was worried about a recent streak of attacks against cats and dogs in the neighborhood.

"She's got cats that are basically her family," Duke said. "She was trying to protect her babies.”

The woman contacted a local wildlife official, who told her that the attacks were probably from a bobcat.

“But it was not a bobcat,” Duke said, noting that the leopard let out a “horrible squeal” after it was shot.

Phil Bloom, director of communications for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, told WDRB that the cat had been id'd as a leopard.

"The cat in these photographs has been identified tentatively as a leopard," Bloom said. "Perhaps an immature cat about 9 months old. DNR is attempting to determine who it belonged to, or where it came from."

Bloom believes the leopard must have been someone's pet, though authorities have no idea whose. The owner of a nearby wild life refuge denied that the leopard was his. So, people living in Indiana, if you're missing your pet leopard and reading this, we have bad news.

[Image via WDRB]

To contact the author of this post, email taylor@gawker.com

Do you find your job, diet, and existence inadequate? If not, make sure to read this latest dispatch from the New York Times trend squad: the city's startup jockeys are spending day after day pressing "calorie-packed" things into their fat fucking maws, chugging beer, and taking naps. They'll also probably be billionaires.

The entire piece reads like a menu, a culinary tour through Silicon Alley. First up: Warby Parker, employer of the exposé's author:

On Monday, warm cookies from the Upper West Side bakery Levain appeared in the kitchen. Buttercream cupcakes followed; apparently it was somebody’s birthday. (It is always somebody’s birthday.) At noon, employees gathered for a catered lunch of barbecue. Two hours later, a Pinkberry station rolled into the office with the full battery of toppings. I helped myself to an incapacitating dose. By 5 p.m. my dress had grown so tight around the middle that I had to unzip it to my coccyx and put a sweater on top just to breathe.

These people are literally eating themselves to the point of physical transformation, all in an unceasing cronut-race to out-perk the competition. If you offer Pinkberry, the startup nextdoor will start putting truffle butter on the Pinkberry. Speaking of yogurt, did you know that it's possible to have a job that offers you complimentary gourmet yogurts? “I’m partial to Siggi’s Skyr, myself,” says one guy who works at ZocDoc. That's a brand of yogurt, trust me, I googled it just now.

What's to eat for a young man at Tumblr? "A plate piled with bacon. His co-workers nibbled at pastries." It's Versailles, with Real Housewives GIFs! Think of all the things they AREN'T telling the Times—champagne soft pretzels, orgies with cake batter used as prophylactics.

A dude at something called "StyleUp" says cold-brewed coffee is his "lifeblood.” Speaking of drinks, they drink! Booze! At work!

“Whiskey, tequila: it’s always available,” says a Birchbox employee “I don’t think having beer at the office is decadent,” his coworker chimes in. Decadent? Who said anything about decadent? It's terrific that, even if these companies go nowhere, they'll at least be able to live like they were acquired by Yahoo during the daytime.

(DISCLOSURE: Gawker Media has a cold-brew coffee keg, free breakfast on Mondays, free lunch on Wednesdays, and we used to have a pancake machine but I think someone broke it)

A Republican congressman from Texas who is an ardent defender of the anti-gay Defense of Marriage Act found himself inadvertently supporting gay rights at an LGBT event after he entered the wrong door.

Rep. Ralph Hall, who, at 90, is both the oldest serving member of Congress and the oldest person ever to serve in the House of Representatives, was supposed to attend a Capitol Hill reception hosted by a fellow lawmaker, but accidentally walked into the wrong room and found himself in the midst of some very confused members of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund.

Before Hall realized what was going on, he had already spent a considerable amount of time schmoozing with the enemy.

He eventually inquired where his congressman friend was, at which point he was informed of his mistake.

"At that moment I realized that this was not the reception I intended to attend, and I put down my glass, thanked the sponsor, and told him we would be leaving," Hall later said. "Many of those in attendance probably were surprised to see me walk in, but were not surprised to see me leave quickly."

Some had already ventured a guess that Hall, who co-sponsored a House bill that would prohibit federal courts from calling the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional, was indeed lost.

But maybe, just maybe, in those precious few minutes he spent on the other side, he perhaps found some heart.

[photos via @DenisDison, @JustinCSnow]

A big slice of pie is always nice in the summer, but sometimes a few small bites is all you need. That's why there's a lot to love about hand pies. They're portable, which makes them a great candidate for summer picnics or impromptu backyard lunches; they're an excellent excuse to buy more summer fruit at the market; and there's a wide variety of interesting flavor combinations you can try!