Pumpkin Crunch Cake

A little thing came and went this past weekend.  You're now reading the blog of a 29 year old!  I really can't believe it-time sure flies when you're having fun!  I'm okay with getting older...I had a quarter life crisis when I turned 25.  As in, sat alone at my kitchen table in the dark with a bottle of wine and cried.  (No, Grandma, I didn't drink the whole bottle, don't worry.)  That melt down wasn't even about getting "old".  It was more about being an adult and fully grasping all the crummy things and struggles people you love go through.  Anyway, I know it wasn't my 30th on Saturday so ask me in a year if I still feel the same way.  :)

I read this a year or so ago and it really stuck with me.  Such good words to remember and it makes me thankful for all I've enjoyed this past year.  Looking forward to all that my next year has in store!

My birthday was on Saturday and you guessed it-there was a KState game to attend!  It was at TCU, so most of the day was spend in the car driving to Texas.  My parents came to Wichita from KC on Friday night in time to take Josh and I to dinner for our birthdays.  It was such a great evening! 

We tried an Italian restaurant I've been wanting to go to for months called Bella Vita.  It was delicious and deserves it's own blog post so I'll save that for another time.

My day started with a pumpkin coffee from Quicktrip.  One of my favorites!  My day ended with pumpkin pancakes at IHOP for a late dinner after the game was over.  Not too shabby.

You're probably wondering when the Pumpkin Crunch Cake recipe is coming.  I haven't had time to blog lately so I'm a bit long winded today...just catching up from my unplanned leave of absence from blogging. 

The pumpkin crunch cake was enjoyed before the game.  So, yes, I had pumpkin flavored things for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  I told you I love pumpkin.  You really shouldn't be surprised.  Anyway, my mom's friend has a son at TCU so we tailgated at his house before the game.  It was so nice to have a place to hang out and stretch our legs after the drive.  My mom's friend's dad (did you follow that?) is Italian and she made her family's authentic baked ziti that was incredible!!!!!  I realize she made it for her son, but I don't think she grasped how excited I was about it too!  For a "foodie" like me it really added to the fun on my birthday. 

My mom made me my favorite dessert.  Pumpkin crunch cake.  My friend Katie actually found this recipe last year on Pinterest and I've been hooked ever since.  It's so delicious and EASY.  Those are the only good things I can say.  It's also horrible for you, will clog your arteries, will cause your pants to get tight, etc.  Hence why I haven't made it this pumpkin season yet.  But, it was my birthday, and if a girl can't splurge on her birthday, when can she?!

Pumpkin Crunch Cake

Ingredients:

1 box yellow cake mix
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree
1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans (the original recipe called for 1/2 cup)
1 cup butter, melted

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottom of 9 x 13″ pan. Mix pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Pour mixture into greased pan. Sprinkle dry cake mix over pumpkin mixture and top with pecans. Drizzle melted butter over pecans. Bake 50-55 minutes.

**My mom taught me that many recipes can taste just as delicious with less sugar than it calls for.  She used 3/4 C. sugar instead of the 1 1/2 it calls for and you would never know.  So, at least I consumed 47 g of sugar per piece instead of 52 g.  Okay, I exaggerated a bit on the sugar content, but in all seriousness, every little way you can cut back adds up!

If you follow my blog and read my last post about Josh's birthday you're probably wondering how I'm going get back in shape after all the food I ate the past week. 

See below:

I will be so nervous for Travis I will have no problem not eating.  I'm not joking...it's so, so, so exciting, but oh, the pressure!