Making a new place feel like home.

"Home is where the heart is."  "Home is where love is."  I'm sure there are about a zillion ways people describe what "home" is to them.

For me, it's not "home" until I've baked bread in the new place.  The familiar, comfortable aroma that fills up the soulless space in a new home has always been my go-to as a sign of settling in and maybe, just maybe... exhaling.

I moved The Sunflower to Burbank, CA not far from the old location but far enough to have a significant change in garden soil, which is VERY exciting!!!  

Sadly my pumpkin vine didn't survive the trip but I'll be planting in the early Spring for, what I expect to be a wonderful crop of pumpkins for NEXT Autumn!  

Fellow pumpkin grower and gardener extraordinaire, Deirdra Vierra, brought over a monster zucchini from her garden the other day.  After combing through cook books and discussing with some other veggie type folks I thought perhaps Zuch Parmesan and some Ratatouille was in order.  I had made some earlier in the summer, with MUCH success in my old kitchen, seen below.

It's true, although the temperatures during the day are well over 100F, you can feel Autumn in the air at night here in Burbank.  It really is my favorite time of year and I tend to start thinking about pumpkin season and all that goes with it.

This is near my sister's place up in Central Ontario, Canada.  

With the transition of Summer into Fall always comes the need to cook and bake more; the need to make soups and stews and all things with cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.  I came across this recipe this morning and wanted to share it with you.  Although tomorrow IS Waffle Friday here at work, I am also going to bring in this fabulous coffee cake!  My poor staff... just when they thought they could start getting back into shape!

Pumpkin Butterscotch Coffee Cake

1 cup butterscotch chips

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 3/4 cup white sugar

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup pure pumpkin

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Streusel

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup chopped pecans

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Top the cake with a sprinkling of powdered sugar.

Make it:

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a regular-sized Bundt pan. Melt 1 cup of butterscotch chips over low heat on the stove or in the microwave, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. (You can also melt them in a glass bowl in the microwave at :30 second intervals).

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and salt. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, oil, eggs, vanilla and melted (and cooled to room temperature) butterscotch chips. Gradually stir the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture, stirring until well combined.

For the streusel, in a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, chopped pecans, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice.

Pour half of the cake batter into the Bundt pan. Toss the streusel mixture evenly over the cake batter. Pour the rest of the cake batter over the streusel. Bake at 350° for 60-65* minutes, or until toothpick or cake tester comes out clean. Remove from oven, turn the Bundt pan upside down onto a cooling rack and let cool for 15 minutes before lifting the pan off the cake. When cake is completely cool, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

You know you want to try it AND you know it'll be DEEEEELISH!!

xo The Sunflower