Tag: pumpkins

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Boys and Girls, It’s “Boo” Time!

I am in the mood for Fall with its smells, colors, baking, soups, etc. You name it, I’m in it!I haven’t done as much cooking/baking as I have crafting. Let’s get caught up!

Recipes

When I started traveling to Massachuesetts with my friend, Darcy, I fell in love with Portuguese Muffins or Bolo. They are on the order of English muffins but a bit sweet and denser. We just went up to Mass and all I could find to bring home with me were 2 muffins! I decided I needed to make some. They were yummy and I learned some of what not to do.

Portuguese Muffins (cookingwithmichael.com)

  • 1 package yeast 2¼ teaspoons
  • ¼ cup warm water add a pinch of sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 2 cups milk warmed
  • 7.5 cups flour
  • ¼ cup butter melted

Re-hydrate the yeast by adding it to a bowl with a pinch of sugar and ¼ cup of warm water (105-115°F). Set aside

  • Warm the milk to about 115°F. The milk should feel warm but not hot to the touch. This will help speed up the time it takes for your dough to rise.
  • Mix together eggs, sugar, salt and milk. Stir to combine. Add in flour, re-hydrated yeast, and butter. Stir to combine, using your hands if needed to incorporate all the ingredients into a wet dough. It will be coating your hands or spoon.
  • Knead the dough for 5 minutes. Let it proof, or rise, until it has doubled in size. This will take any where from 1½-2 hours depending on the temperature of your ingredients and the temperature of the air.
  • Generously coat the countertop with flour. Once the dough has doubled in size, knead again for 3 minutes. After kneading, shape the dough into balls about the size of tennis balls. Flatten the balls slightly into discs about 3 inches in diameter. Place them on a floured baking sheet. Leave room in between each bolo so they have room to expand. Let them rise for about 1½ – 2½ hours
  • Cook the bolos on the stove top in a pan over medium-low heat, about 5 minutes on each side. Then transfer to an oven preheated to 325°F, for 10-12 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 190°F. This will allow the exterior to brown slightly and develop a slight crust and then the interior will finish cooking in the oven.

*I learned that my “medium low heat” for the stove top was not low enough. They mean pretty darn low. I also learned not to let my dough rise to 3-4 times its size. I have double the muffins. Still yummy!

Kale Chips (tastesbetterfromscratch)

I was given kale and I am not a fan so I figured making them into chips would a good treat. I mean, you know, chips. They did have a very good flavor and if you like kale, this is for you.

  • Remove large stems from kale. Chop into chunks and wash well. (I use a salad spinner, which works really great for removing all the water from the kale.) Dry really well! This will make all the difference in allowing the kale to bake up crispy, instead of “steaming” because of water droplets.
  • Place kale in a large bowl. Toss with olive oil, sea salt, and garlic. 
  • Lay flat on a large baking sheet. For best results, don’t overcrowd the baking sheet. (Make these in two batches if necessary).
  • Bake at 300 degrees F for 10 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until crisp. Allow to cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet, then sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
  • Serve warm or store in an airtight container to save.

New “Fresh Pet” Style Dog Food (with all the nutrients a dog needs)

3 pounds of ground turkey or chicken

1 small bag each of frozen sweet potatoes, carrots and peas, and spinach

1 cup of rice

2 cups of water

2 cups of bone broth

Put all ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low until veggies are done, rice and meat are cooked.

*I had to sub mixed veggies for the peas and carrots this time as the store was out of them.

Craftiness of All Sorts

Denim Coasters

Remember my denim wreath of a previous post? I had the pockets from the jeans I used leftover and of course, I had to save them since they just might come in handy. I made them into coasters.

I cut the entire pocket out of the jeans and not just the front. I cut plastic lids from containers like Cool Whip to fit inside the pocket. Then I sewed them shut when I added the jute like edging. Finally, I added a little ribbon detail. I think they are cute as a button!

Skeleton Candle Ring

I used netting, black leaves, a wreath form, a black charger and the skeleton heads from the Dollar Tree. First I wrapped the netting around the wreath form so I would have a good base to hot glue the leaves on. I then added the leaves until they were nice and full. The skeletons were glued on next and I place the whole thing on the charger. I found the candle at Big Lots and it was the perfect one for this spooky display!

Embroider Hoop Jack-O-Lantern

I had an old metal embroider hoop in my craft room that I used. It was small but I was having trouble finding a book page to fill it as I saw in the example on Pinterest. I ended up using newspaper instead. I simply put the newspaper in the hoop as you would fabric. For the face I used a black ink pad to color some newsprint and then cut the mouth and eyes out. One dab of glue each and it was assembled. This would be a great craft for kids of all ages.

Witch’s Broom

All you need for this project is a plunger and 2 packages of rope from the Dollar Tree. Oh, and hot glue. I am going to insert the link below from the video I used.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNi-03V3-RMhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SNi-03V3-RM

Here is my finished product.

Stamped Kitchen Towel

I stamped a plain kitchen towel with an apple and red paint. I put the stamp in each of the four corners. I used fabric paint so that the towel would really be able to be used. I found that after you cut the apple in half it is better to let it sit and dry out a little before stamping. You just coat the half apple with paint and stamp on the fabric. If anything isn’t as clear as you would like or didn’t get enough paint on the fabric you can fill it in with a paint brush. You can use almost any fruit or veggie to stamp. I think I will try a canvas tote next time with a variety of veggies that I could use at the Rarmer’s Market to bring my goodies home.

Wine Glass Witch

I had a Dollar Tree wine glass on hand (does that surprise you? lol). I painted the inside of the goblet portion with orange paint. The stem and base were painted on the outside with black paint. The face was done with the black paint on the outside also. I added a couple of pieces of ribbon to the stem and an LED tea light from (all together now………….) Dollar Tree so the face glowed.

Fall Tree

We made these in our Home Bureau meeting last month. I used a Dollar Tree candle holder for the base. The tree itself was made from a 15 inch styrofoam cone that I ordered online. The Fall leaves I had on hand but you could find them “you know where”. Using hot glue we attached the fall leaves to the cone and any adornments that we wanted. The final touch was to add the little fairy lights.

Spooky Clock Face

You know how I collect things for “just in case”.I had picked up this clock face from a little shop probably a year or two ago. I cut out hands ominously pointed near midnight, added the skeleton hands and some spiders. I have it resting on a little shelf.

Hacking Life One Idea at a Time

  • Pro-tip, if you like condiments like I do you might like this. Heinz is making a pickle flavored catsup. It is YUM!
  • Credit card companies make all their money on outrageous late fees. Set a reminder on your cell phone calendar so you don’t miss a due date and give them some of your hard earned cash.
  • If your insurance company gives you money to spend on OTC items make sure you use them and not let them expire.
  • Keep your block cheese fresh by wrapping the block in a paper towel that has been dampened with white vinegar before you put it in that ziplock bag. The moisture prevents the cheese from drying out and the vinegar’s acidity fights off mold and bacteria.
  • Keep track of National Food Holidays like National Pizza Day which is February 9 and National Coffee Day which is September 29. Many stores and restaurant apps offer specials on these special days that you can take advantage of. On Pi day this year I took advantage of a special for 2 slices of pizza or $3.14 at a local convenience store (with great pizza) and I got my free medium coffee from my favorite coffee shop on National Coffee Day.
  • Go on Facebook and put in the name of your town or county and the words “buy nothing”. Chances are you’re going to find listings of items that people are just trying to give away.
  • If you’re going to travel at Christmas this year, lock in your savings in early October. Average prices for flights bottom out 71 days before mid December. You’ll get your best deal!

I love reading comments to leave one if you can. Hope you found something of use in this post. See you next month!

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Fall Is My Favorite!

I love the smells, the colors, the spices, the recipes, the harvests, and the decorating,basically everything about Fall. What is your favorite season? Do you tend to really do it up big when it arrives? As you will see, I do!

Recipes

Peach Dump Cake (shesnotcookin.com)

2 pounds peaches, peeled and sliced

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans

1 box (15.25 oz.) Yellow Cake Mix

1/2 cup melted butter

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
  2. Peel and slice peaches. (I like to leave one with the skin on and peel the remaining peaches).
  3. Add sliced peaches to a small mixing bowl. Add in brown sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and cinnamon. Stir well to combine.
  4. Transfer peach mixture to prepared baking dish.
  5. In a separate mixing bowl, combine melted butter and cake mix. Use a pastry blender (or clean hands) and stir until a crumbly dough forms.
  6. Sprinkle on top of peaches in baking dish. Top with coarsely chopped pecans.
  7. Bake in 350°F oven for 40 to 50 minutes, until top is light golden brown and peaches are bubbling at the sides.
  8.  Serve with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Sweet Potato Muffins (goodinthesimple.com)

  • 3 cups of mashed sweet potato, see below for instructions
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ¾ cup vegetable oil
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ½ cup ground flaxseed meal, optional
  • To prep the sweet potatoes (this can be done a day or so ahead if you want to break up the muffin-making process): Pierce the potatoes with a fork and place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 45 minutes, or until the inside is soft when poked with a fork. Remove and let cool. When the potatoes are cool, peel off the skin and mash the sweet potato filling with a fork or masher until any big lumps are gone. Measure out 3 cups worth of filling.
  • To make the muffins: In a large bowl combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and then add the sweet potato.
  • Pour into muffin tins/cups. If using flaxseed, sprinkle on top of the muffins. Bake at 325 for approximately 30 minutes.

White Chicken Chili (deliciouslysprinkled.com)

  • 2 large chicken breasts
  • 1 can black beans drained and rinsed
  • 1 can corn undrained
  • 10 ounces can Rotel tomatoes with green chilis undrained
  • 1 packet ranch seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 Tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ cup water
  • 8 ounces cream cheese
  • Spray bottom on crockpot with nonstick cooking spray.
  • Place the 2 chicken breasts on the bottom of the crockpot.
  • Add black beans, corn, rotel, ranch seasoning, cumin, chili powder, onion powder and water. Mix everything.
  • Place the block of cream cheese on top. DO NOT MIX.
  • Cook on low for 6-8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours. 
  • Stir and shred chicken. Serve and top with toppings.

Notes: This was so delicious that I would have eaten it with a straw until I burst! I didn’t have Rotel so I used diced stewed tomatoes. You can top with anything such as avocado, sour cream, fresh tomatoes, or shredded cheese. My pro tip would be to use chili cheese Fritos! It was to die for.

TikTok Viral Breakfast Wrap

You need to watch this video and try it! Quick and yummy.

Crafting Like it’s My Job

Denim Feather Earrings

Ghost With Wine Glasses

I bought two wine glasses and two multi-colored skulls at Dollar Tree. I turned the glasses upside down and glued the skulls to the bottom of the glasses. I am going to put LED candles in the bottom as soon as Amazon gets them to me. I have them on either side of my tv and not where pictured in this photo.

Skull Sunflowers

I bought sunflowers from Dollar Tree and then glued skulls in the center for a spooky bouquet. I used a clear glass vase filled with black stone.

Pink Ghosties Bouquet

I found these white leaves at Dollar Tree and cut little pink ghosties out of felt. I glued the ghosties on wooden skewers and viola!

Ghost and Candy Corn Stuffies

I used muslin and cut our several ghostly shapes with pinking shearers. I sewed them together leaving an opening. I then stuffed them with fiber fill, sewed up the little opening and put a face on with a black fabric marker. For the candy corn I used burlap cut in the shape of the candy and used the same process to sew and stuff. I used acrylic paint to put the traditional colors on.

Dragonfly

I used a table leg and painted it black. To cover the metal screw at the top and to make a head, I used a plastic bottle roughly in the shape of a lightbulb, painted it black as well and glued it to the top of the leg. To add some bling, I painted a couple of areas on the table leg with gold paint. I then went to work on four discarded ceiling fan blades. The fan blades were cleaned and dried thoroughly. I used 3 different colors of spray paint to jazz them up. Finally I screwed the fan blades onto the table leg. I used paint to cover the heads of the screws. To make a hanger I stapled some wire to the back of the dragon fly about 2/3 up the leg.

Hacks

  • Fruit flies are a particular problem this time of year. I put a little wine or vinegar in a small dish. To that I add a little dish soap. The bugs are attracted to the wine or vinegar and the soap kills them. Works like a charm.
  • Preserving your pumpkins is easy. Fill your sink with water. Add about a cup of white vinegar. You know you have enough when you can smell the vinegar. The ratio is about 10 parts water to 1 part vinegar. Place your pumpkin in the mixture. Clean it and then let it sit in the mixture for ten minutes. If your pumpking couldn’t be fully immersed in the sink, just turn it over and let the side that hadn’t been covered now soak for ten minutes.
  • If you want your house to smell like Fall you need look no further than your slow cooker. Fill the slow cooker with water. To that add a handful of cinnamon sticks, rind from 2 or 3 oranges, 2 tablespoons of whole cloves, and 3 to 5 whole bay leaves. Simmer away on low!

Hope you found some fun ideas and please make that chili! I guarantee it will knock your socks off! See you next month!

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Fabulous Fall Fun

It has been a busy time for me and I am sure everyone else is right there with me! Since it has been over a month since my last post I have quite a bit to share. Here’s hoping you find something of use and by all means, please share your recipes, hacks and craftiness with all of us in the comments.

Recipes

You might get the idea that I frequent fruit stands during harvest time when you look at these recipes and you would be correct!

Cold spaghetti Salad

1 lb. spaghetti noodles (broken in halves or thirds) black olives (chopped or sliced) cucumber (diced) red onion (diced) green pepper (diced) cherry tomatoes (cut in half) parmesan cheese Italian dressing

I cooked the pasta el dente and diced all the veggies. I didn’t put amounts here as I just put in as much as I wanted. When it looked good to me, I stopped. I put the noodles, once cold, in a bowl and then added the veggies. To that I added the Italian dressing and the parmesan and tossed. I reserved some dressing to add just prior to serving as so much gets absorbed.

Breakfast Burrito the Easy Way

I am attaching a link as it is so much easier to watch than to explain. I tried it for my son and it came out great! Side note, you should follow the Pun Guys and their wives on any of the social media. They’re great!

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?extid=NS-UNK-UNK-UNK-UNK_GK0T-GK1C&v=797095441297711

Corn and Zucchini Fritters *gonnawantseconds.com

  • 2 cups zucchini grated with skin on
  • ▢1 cup corn cooked corn kernels or canned sweet corn
  • ▢2 large eggs
  • ▢½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ▢1 cup cheddar mild or sharp, grated
  • ▢1 medium garlic clove minced
  • ▢¼ cups green onions or chives chopped
  • ▢1 teaspoon salt
  • ▢¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ▢½ teaspoon sweet paprika
  • ▢¼ teaspoon cumin
  • ▢½ teaspoon seasoned salt
  • Grate the zucchini and transfer it to a colander. Season with a teaspoon of salt and let stand for 15-30 minutes. Press down on the zucchini (2 cups) to remove as much liquid as possible. Lay zucchini out on a clean dish towel and wring towel to squeeze out more moisture, Repeat with another clean towel until no more liquid comes out.
  • Transfer zucchini to a large bowl and add all the rest of the ingredients. Stir until thoroughly combined.
  • Heat a little cooking oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add about 1 heaping tablespoon of batter to the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side or until crispy and golden brown. If you want more uniform shapes, spread out the batter quickly with the back of the spoon and even out the edges into a round shape. Cook fritters in batches and keep warm in a preheated oven at 400°F until ready to serve.
  • Serve warm with parsley or green onions, sour cream, or ketchup.

Zucchini Bread *foodcharlatan.com

Everyone has access to some version of a recipe for this item but this is the first one I tried that had sour cream and it was DELISH!

Bowl 1

  • 2 cups all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 & 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon cardamom, optional
  • 2 cups shredded zucchini, 12 ounces, about 2 zucchini

Bowl 2

  • 1/2 cup butter, (1 stick) melted
  • 1/4 cup neutral oil, vegetable oil, canola oil, light olive oil, etc
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar*, packed
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla

Optional

  • 1 cup chocolate chips, I used half mini, half dark chocolate chopped
  • 3/4 cup toasted walnuts, or pecans
  • 1 tablespoon raw sugar, or granulated sugar, to top bread
  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line one 9×5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper, or grease well with nonstick spray.
  • If you plan to add nuts to your bread, toast them now. Spread about 3/4 cup chopped nuts on a dry baking sheet. Toast at 350 for about 5 minutes. Stir the nuts and continue baking in 2 minute intervals, stirring every time, until the nuts are browned and very fragrant.** Set aside to cool.
  • Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl combine the dry ingredients: 2 cups all purpose flour (spooned and leveled), 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon cardamom. Whisk together and set aside.
  • Mix the wet ingredients. Add 1/2 cup butter (1 stick) to a large microwave safe bowl. Melt the butter in the microwave.
  • Add 1/4 cup oil, 3/4 cup brown sugar*, 1/4 cup sour cream, 2 eggs, and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Whisk together until combined.
  • Add the zucchini to the bowl of dry ingredients and stir together. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix only until just combined.
  • If you plan to add (1 cup) chocolate chips*** or (3/4 cup) nuts, add them to the batter before the flour is even all the way mixed in, see photos. Then stir together with a spatula with as few strokes as possible. Over mixing the batter will result in tough bread.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Top your loaf with 1 tablespoon raw or granulated sugar, or a scatter of chocolate chips (or both! But use sparingly, if you add too much it will weigh down your loaf so that it doesn’t rise well.)
  • Bake the bread in the center of the oven at 350 for about 60 minutes. The bread is done when a toothpick or skewer inserted into the center comes out with no batter on it.You may need to bake the bread for up to 70 or even 80 minutes, so prepare to be patient. Do not take it out of the oven until a toothpick comes out clean. (Be sure that you’re not seeing chocolate if you used chocolate chips) Cover your bread with foil as it finishes baking if it is getting over browned.
  • Let your bread cool in the pan set on a wire rack for 15 minutes. At this point, if you used parchment paper, lift your bread out of the pan and let finish cooling on a wire rack. If you didn’t use parchment paper, let cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Then flip the bread into your hand or a plate, then transfer back to the cooling rack. Let finish cooling on it’s side for extra crispy edges.

Veggie Pinwheel Appetizers *peasandcrayons.com

  • 1 cup chopped veggies: broccoli, carrots, red bell pepper
  • 4 oz cream cheese (softened)
  • 1/3 cup mayo
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp dried dill
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp black pepper
  • 2 large burrito-sized flour tortillas
  • 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
  • 2 TBSP chopped green onion
  • Choose and chop your veggies. I mince mine extra small so there’s a little bit of everything in each tasty bite.
  • Allow cream cheese to soften for easy mixing. In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, mayo, garlic powder, dill, salt and pepper.
  • For easy rolling, microwave tortillas for 15-20 seconds first. Spread on cream cheese mixture and sprinkle evenly with veggies, cheese, and chopped onion.
  • Start at the edge of the tortilla and roll it, tightly, until you reach the opposite side.
  • The cream cheese will help it stick. Fasten with a toothpick or two and chill in the freezer for 20 minutes to set.. Feel free to chill overnight in the fridge (tightly wrapped or in a storage container) if making these in advance for easy. meal/snack prep.
  • All that’s left is to slice into pinwheels and serve!

*when I made these I just used 3 colors of bell peppers diced instead of the veggies listed. So I think you could use any combo you would like.

Crafts

I used a skull drinking cup and flowers from Dollar Tree for this. I removed the cap and straw rom the cup and put black ribbon around the neck. Before placing the flowers in, I filled the cup 2/3 full with uncooked rice to weight it down. Then I just added the flowers and there you go!

I went to a few thrift stores and collected two bundt pans and a large jello mold. I spray painted them all a burnt orange. I tied ribbon through the middle and made a big loop for hanging. Then it was just to embellesh as I desired. All the ribbon, flowers and leaves came from Dollar Tree and most I had on hand. This one wreath was made for less than $5.

Who remembers Cousin Itt from the Addams Family? I love this little guy! This summer I had purchased 2 grass skirts from Dollar Tree in anticipation of doing this project. I also bought the sunglasses there. The hat was another story. I had to buy it for $12.99 from the Spirit store. All together this cost $16. I hot glued the skirts inside the hat and put the hat ontop of a tall candle stick I had. I put glue on the nose of the glasses and the hinges of the bows. I held it in place a couple minutes for the glue to set and “Itt” was done.

All of us girls have to take a bath now and again! This stylish lady is wearingg a black turbin (made out of tulle and glued in place) and has an orange bath pouf (also made with tulle). I purchased the tub at a thrift store and filled about 2/3 of it with tissue paper. Ontop of the paper I spread 2 bags of glass beads from Dollar Tree. I ordered the skeleton from Amazon as I needed one where all the joints were moveable and I couldn’t find one locally. She is divine!

I used a twelve inch wreath form from Dollar Tree and wound the loopy orange yarn (purchased from Amazon) around it. The yarn was anchored with a knot at the beginning and the end. I used hot glue to attach the embellishments that I already had on hand.

This didn’t take much craftiness at all. I just found the perfect Fall orange vase at a thrift store and used the colorful sunflowers I had on hand to fill it. The flowers are anchored in floral foam. The best part is not only that it is pretty but it only cost $2.

This guy right here ties with Cousin Itt for my favorite item! I picked up the frame a long time ago really cheap. I spray painted it black. I tied an orange ribbon like a bow tie for this cool fella. He is holding a sign that I had in my stash and wrote on with a chalk pen. The flowers, bow and jack-o-lantern were all items from Dollar Tree that I had on hand. The only thing I spent money on was the skeleton and mini Corona bottle from Amazon. He greets all my visitors!

Hackity, Hackity, Hacks

*If you are like me and use your coffee grinder for things other than coffee like spices here is a trick to clean it. Just use Cheerios! Grind them in the grinder maybe one batch and possibly a second and your grinder is clean as a whistle!

*Grilling season is all but over but I discovered a little trick that I want to share. I always start a grease fire when grilling burgers. I have tried lining the grate withw foil but I usually poke a hole in the foil when turning the burgers. A cheap foil disposable pan from Dollar Tree was the solution! i grilled them in the pan until nearly done and most grease was out. Then I put them on the grate to get some grill marks.

*I bet you’re like me and sometimes forget to take butter out of the frig to soften and desperately want to butter your bread. Usually microwaving it melts a little too much of it. You can use your box grater right over the item you want to butter and grate the end of your stick of butter until you have the desired amount on your bread. Presto, change-o! buttered toast or bread

*Have you ever been dinged with a late fee on a credit card or other bill? Usually by calling or emailing customer service you can have the fee waived as a courtesy, providing it is not a frequent thing.

*If you want to read books free, download the free Libby app to access your local library. Download books on your phone, tablet, computer or ipad.

*Stop paying for subscriptions you forgot you had. Download the Truebill app. The app will locate all your subscriptions and list them for you. If you see any you no longer want Truebill will cancel them on your behalf.

*Make Thursday night a pantry night to save on food waste. Use the items you have on hand to create your dinner. Americans waste 30 to 40% of their food supply by not using it until it is inedible. Thursday pantry nights can help lower that percentage.

* Going along with that last hack, create an “eat me first” section in your refrigerator. Use this section for things like little end nubs of cheese blocks, a lemon that needs used soon, a half serving of leftover pasta, etc.

*Check local gas prices on your phone with apps like GasBuddy orWaze. You can compare prices and head where the best price is (providing you don’t have to drive too far).

* Share streaming services. Check the ones you have and have your family members do the same. Usually, these services allow a certain number of “household members” or “family members”. See how many you can have and share services and cost.

Hope you enjoyed this post and I will see you next month with more “stuff”. Keep warm and dry!

Posted on

Favorite Fall

I actually find appealing things about all four seasons but I have decided that the things about Fall that I love outweigh the others. There is the warm days, the cool nights, the coziness of early evenings, soups and chili, warm spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, baking pumpkin bread, beautiful colors and the fun of decorating for Fall. I know there are more things I love about Fall but those are just the things that come to mind first.

What is your favorite season? Leave a comment and let me know which season and why.

Of course, I have been busy decorating since that is one of my favorite things to do. The front of my house is covered with mums and different color and shapes of pumpkins. Now that we are in October I am going to bust out the Halloween items. Generally, I refrain from jack-o-lanterns and such until October. However, now we are full-on skeleton and spooky!

I got together recently with my cousin, Linda, and we had a crafting afternoon. We had seen a wreath in a craft store that was very high in price and we thought we could make it much more cheaply and it wouldn’t be hard to create.

We set a date and each purchased our own supplies. After a nice lunch of chili and cornbread muffins we went to work!

For the wreaths we each purchased a wreath form, black and white yarn, black, white and orange felt. Armed with our hot glue guns we set to work. (Linda had purchased thicker yarn than I did feeling that it would require less wrapping around the wreath form. She was probably right but both wreaths looked good in the end.)

We wrapped the yarn around the wreath form, alternating black and white at regular intervals. To keep from having to stop and measure with a measuring tape we each just pulled the yarn out to our maximum wing span and cut it. That was a time saver! As we did each section we used our hot glue guns to secure the end of one piece of yarn and the beginning piece of yarn.

Next we created our felt flowers to accent the wreath. Linda had done some research on Pinterest to see how they were done. She found you cut the felt in a spiral and then roll up the resulting felt. I checked online and found that you could use a cd as a pattern to cut a circle and then proceed to cut your spiral.

When we had cut all our spirals and wrapped them to create the flowers we hot glued them on the yarn wrapped wreath. Below is the result.

We were both very pleased! Mine is on my front door as I write this.

The one that we saw in the craft store was about $50. I figured out my supply cost and it was approximately $13. Sweet, right?

Tips

  1. I found out a little trick while making my cornbread muffins for the above mentioned lunch. After mixing the batter you should let it rest for 3 to 4 minutes and then give it a quick stir before placing in the muffin pan. This creates a higher, really nice looking crown on your muffins.
  2. The holiday season, which we are approaching, can be filled with stress. If you need a little stress relief there is something to help. It is a musical piece called Weightless by Marconi Union. It lowers the heart rate and has a calming effect. You can find it on YouTube. Below is the link.                                                                           https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfcAVejslrU
  3. In the cold months I always struggle a little with dry and/or cracked heels. I have found a home remedy that really works. You need a tub to soak your feet in. The foot soak is a mixture of 2 cups of hydrogen peroxide and 2 cups of water as hot as you can handle. Soak your feet for 30 minutes. After you remove your feet from the tub dry them and use a pumice to gently slough off the dead skin. Then put a nice moisturizing cream on your heals and put some socks on. Give it a try!
  4. Speaking of hydrogen peroxide, there are just a lot of different ways to use it around the house. To name just a few; removes stains and odors in clothing, kills mold, whitens grout, finger nails, and teeth, aids acne in healing faster, disinfects wounds,  sponges, lunch boxes, shower curtains, cutting boards, counter tops, toilets and the toilet cleaning brushes, aids in healing canker sores. That is just a few.
  5. I am not sure about you but I always wash and  save containers from foods I buy that would make good leftover containers. This works great when sending food home with others. They don’t have to worry about getting containers back to you and you don’t have to worry about them bringing them back. The down side is that all these different shaped and sized containers really junked up my cupboard. In a moment of clarity I took all of them out of my cupboard and placed them in a garbage bag with a drawstring and hung them up in my pantry. Now, whenever I need a container to send something home with a guest I go to the bag and grab a container. No more messy cupboard for me!
  6. As you know from a previous post, I make Ice Box Pickles. They always taste better to me when stored in the refrigerator in a glass jar. I don’t can so I was considering buying some glass canning jars for that purpose. Then I noticed a salsa jar I just had emptied. I washed it thoroughly and saved it for my next batch of pickles. After that I noticed spaghetti sauce jars and jelly jars were a good size and would work too. It is nice not spending extra money.

Recipes

It is zucchini season and I wanted to try a different way of using it.

Zucchini Crisps

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. I used parchment paper to line my baking sheet.

2 medium zucchini sliced 1/4 inch thick

2 Tablespoons of olive oil

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs (you can season your own if you don’t have them pre-seasoned)

salt and pepper to taste

Put the olive oil in a medium bowl with a lid. Add the zucchini slices to the bowl, cover and shake gently to coat. In a second bowl place all the other ingredients and mix thoroughly. Then dip each crisp in the dry mixture. Place the covered slices on the baking sheet. bake for 18 to 22 minutes.

Caprese Skewers

I used mozzarella, basil leaves and cherry tomatoes to make these skewers as an appetizer for my daughter’s wedding. I used 4 inch skewers to create them. When finished I arranged them on a tray and drizzled dipping oil lightly on them. You could also use a balsamic reduction.

I hope you have a fantabulous October!! Make the most of whatever it is you personally enjoy about this month. Kick some serious Fall action and take prisoners!

Let me know in the comments your thoughts on anything in the blog.

 

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