Fall Leaves Chandelier

I love it when a craft project comes together with supplies you already have on hand.  That’s how my fall chandelier came about; I was looking to add some decorations for Thanksgiving that didn’t require a trip to the store!

Supplies:

Scrapbook paper

Twine

Scissors or a cricut or silhouette machine

Twine

Directions:

If you have a cricut machine, go thru your cartridges for any leaf images. I used my gypsy to pull up several different ones. If you have the silhouette, you can download and cut your leaf images. Otherwise, draw some random leaf shapes (Remember, they don’t have to be perfect! I made this project last year with my three year old and it was adorable with her cut out leaves!) and cut out. Hole punch each of your leaves.   Cut out two-inch sections of twine and loop it through the hole in your leaves.  Tie randomly around chandelier.  That’s it! Easy peasey and makes quite a statement! I just may have to do snowflakes next month!

CopyCat Crafting 5

I love Subway art.  You can find different interpretations of what Subway art is. I've decided it's things, randomly arranged, in one place. I spend huge amounts of time choosing fonts and arrangements of things.  Thank goodness there's a wonderful blogger that's done that for us! http://bunchofcraft.blogspot.com/2010/11/thanksgiving-subway-art-printable.html She has it all ready for you to download and print. Voila!  How easy is that.  For $3 (the cost of the frame) I have this beautiful decoration.

Pumpkin Recipes from Paula Deen

If you know me well, you know that I cook like Paula Deen.  Everything is better with a cup of sugar and a stick of butter, right?  If you enjoy yummy goodness as well, try out these recipes for Thanksgiving!

Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cakes

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Cake:

1 (18 1/4-ounce) package yellow cake mix

1 egg

8 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

8 tablespoons butter, melted

1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. To make the cake: Combine all of the ingredients and mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan. Prepare filling. To make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter, and beat together. Next, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mix well. Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes. Make sure not to over bake as the center should be a little gooey. Serve with fresh whipped cream.

Pumpkin Bars

Recipe courtesy by Paula Deen

Serves:  48 small bars or 24 larger bars

Ingredients

Bars:

• 4 eggs
• 1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 15-ounce can pumpkin
• 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

Icing:

• 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy. Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth. Spread the batter into a greased 13 by 10-inch baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting. Cut into bars.

To make the icing: Combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and mix at low speed until combined. Stir in the vanilla and mix again. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars.

 Enjoy!  You may have to do some exercise after eating these goodies!

Crock Pot Pumpkin Recipes

For all my friends who love their crockpot, here are a couple of recipes to try!

Crock Pot Pumpkin Soup

2 cups fresh pumpkin (or 1 (15 oz) can)

4 cups vegetable broth

2 cups water

1 red onion. chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

2 yams, peeled and chopped

3 chopped garlic cloves

1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and grated

1 T white sugar

2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp turmeric

1/4 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp nutmeg

GARNISHES:

heavy whipping cream

chopped green onion

If you have fresh pumpkin, use it ... otherwise, open a can of pure

pumpkin and use that. Empty pumpkin into your crockpot, and add the chopped vegetables, spices and sugar. Stir in the vegetable broth and water.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Carefully use an immersible blender (or regular blender) to blend about 3/4 of the soup. Mix it back together.  Serve each bowl with a drizzle of cream and sprinkled with green onion.

Crock Pot Pumpkin Cake

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup oil

1 (16 oz) can solid pack pumpkin

2 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 cups sifted flour

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

Combine the first 5 ingredients until well blended.  Add remaining ingredients and stir until just combined. Spoon mixture into well greased crock pot.  Cover and cook on high 3-3 1/2 hours.  Serve warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

 



Enjoy!

My Favorite Pumpkin Recipes

These two recipes are my must haves for Thanksgiving every year!  Both are delicious and comforting.  I hope you will give them a try!

Pumpkin Cake Roll 

3 eggs

1 C. granulated sugar

2/3 c pumpkin

1 tsp. Lemon juice

3/4 cup flour

1 tsp. Baking powder

2 tsp. Cinnamon

1/2 tsp. Nutmeg

1/2 tsp. Salt

1 cup chopped nuts

Filling

1 cup powdered sugar

1 3oz. pkgs. of cream cheese

2 T. butter or margarine

1/2 tsp. Vanilla

Beat eggs on high speed of mixer for five minutes; gradually beat in sugar.  Stir in pumpkin and lemon juice.  Stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt.  Fold into pumpkin.  Spread in a greased and floured 15 x 10 x 1 inch pan.  Top with nuts.  Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.  Turn out on a towel.  Sprinkled with powdered sugar.  Starting at the narrow end, roll towel and cake together; cool.  Un-roll.

Filling:  Combine all ingredients.  Beat until smooth.  Spread over cake; roll.  Chill.

 

Pumpkin Marble Cheesecake

given to me by Beth W.

Crust:

1 1/2  cups graham cracker crumbs

3 T.  Sugar

3 T. Butter, melted

Combine and press into bottom of 9” springform pan.  Bake @ 325 for 5 minutes.

Filling:

3-8 oz. Pkgs of cream cheese, softened

1 cup sugar-divided

2 t. Vanilla

3 eggs

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 t. Cinnamon

1/2 t. Ground nutmeg

Beat cream cheese, ¾ cup sugar and vanilla until well blended.  Add egg one at a time, mixing after each until just blended.  Reserve 1 ½ cups of batter.  To remaining add ¼ cup sugar, pumpkin and spices.  Mix well.  Spoon alternately over crust.  Cut through batter with a knife to create marble effect.  Bake 50-60 minutes until center is almost set.  Run Knife around edge of pan, cool before removing rim.  Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

 

Enjoy!

More Pumpkin Recipes

I have more pumpkin recipes to share with you!  These recipes will get your sweet tooth going! I hope these help you plan for all your Thanksgiving activities!  Enjoy!

Pumpkin Cookie Dip

32 Servings

Prep/Total Time: 10 min.

Ingredients

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

2 jars (7 ounces each) marshmallow creme

1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon grated orange peel

Gingersnaps or vanilla wafers

Directions

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and marshmallow creme until smooth. Stir in the pumpkin, cinnamon and orange peel. Serve as a dip with cookies. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 4 cups.

Pumpkin Muffins

Makes: 12 muffins

Ingredients

 Nonstick spray coating

1-1/3  cups  all-purpose flour

3/4  cup  buckwheat flour

1/4  cup  sugar plus 2 packets heat-stable sugar substitute, or 1/3 cup sugar

1-1/2  teaspoons  baking powder

1  teaspoon  ground cinnamon

1/2  teaspoon  baking soda

1/2  teaspoon  salt

2    slightly beaten eggs

1  cup  canned pumpkin

1/2  cup  fat-free milk

2  tablespoons  cooking oil

1/2  teaspoon  finely shredded orange peel

1/4  cup  orange juice

Directions

1. Spray twelve 2-1/2-inch muffin cups with nonstick coating; set pan aside. In a medium bowl combine the all-purpose flour, buckwheat flour, sugar plus sugar substitute or the sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the center of flour mixture; set aside.

2. In another bowl combine the eggs, pumpkin, milk, oil, orange peel, and orange juice. Add the egg mixture all at once to the flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy).

3. Spoon batter into the prepared muffin cups, dividing the batter evenly. Bake in a 400 degree F oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until the muffins are light brown. Cool in muffin cups on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from muffin cups; serve warm. Makes 12 muffins.

Spiced Pumpkin Doughnuts

Makes: about 12 doughnuts plus holes  

Ingredients

2  tablespoons  butter, softened

1/2  cup  sugar

2  teaspoons  baking powder

1/2  teaspoon  salt

1/2  teaspoon  ground cinnamon

1/4  teaspoon  baking soda

1/4  teaspoon  ground ginger

1/8  teaspoon  freshly grated nutmeg or a Dash of ground nutmeg

1/8  teaspoon  ground cloves

1/2  cup  canned pumpkin

1/3  cup  buttermilk

1    egg

1    egg yolk

1/2  teaspoon  vanilla

2  cups  all-purpose flour

    Vegetable oil for deep-fat frying

    Spiced Sugar

Directions

1. In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high seed for 30 seconds. Add the 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in pumpkin, buttermilk, egg, egg yolk and vanilla until combined. Using a wooden spoon, stir in flour until well combined. Cover and chill 3 hours.

2. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to a 1/2-inch thickness. Cut with floured 2-1/2-inch doughnut cutter, dipping cutter into flour between cuts. Reroll as necessary.

3. Fry doughnuts, 2 or 3 at a time, in deep, hot fat (365 degrees F) about 2-1/2 minutes or until golden, turning once. Using a slotted spoon, removed doughnuts from oil and drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining doughnuts and doughnut holes. Coat warm doughnuts in Spiced Sugar. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes about 12 doughnuts plus holes.

Spiced Sugar: In a small bowl, stir together 1/2 cup sugar, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg or 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg. 

 

Pumpkin Pie Drops

1/2 pound butter, softened

1 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 cup canned pumpkin

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cloves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In an electric mixer, on medium speed, cream butter and brown sugar until light. Add egg and pumpkin. Mix until well blended.

On low speed, add flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Mix just until blended.

Drop dough from a teaspoon onto parchment-lined cookie sheet, spacing each 2 inches apart.

Bake 10-12 minutes, or until firm.

Remove cookie sheet from the oven. Using a metal spatula, remove cookies from the cookie sheet and place on a wire cooling rack. Cool completely.

Frost with cinnamon confectioners' icing. Place a wired cooling rack on top of a parchment lined cookie sheet. This will catch any excess frosting and make clean up easier. Using a small spatula or butter knife, frost the top of the cookie.

Let frosting dry completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Yield: 50 cookies

 

Enjoy!

What Can You Do With a Can of Pumpkin?

As soon as the temperature drops, and the leaves start changing, our menu changes too.  Watermelon, strawberries, and cantaloupe are replaced with squash.  Our favorite squash is pumpkin.  Pumpkin is one versatile vegetable.  Any vegetable that can make a yummy dessert is one worth knowing.

I'm always on the lookout for great new recipes to try.  I wanted to share a few of my "Pumpkin Favorites".

Pumpkin Dip---Here's a savory pumpkin recipe.
12 ounces cream cheese
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
2 Tablespoons Taco Seasonings
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
2/3 cup chopped bell pepper
1 small can sliced black olives, drained
1/3 cup dried beef, chopped

Cream together cream cheese, pumpkin, taco seasonings, and garlic powder until smooth.  Stir in bell pepper, olives, and dried beef.  Chill and serve with crackers and vegies.

Pumpkin Bread-This is the best pumpkin bread I've ever had.
2 2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup shortening
4 eggs
2 1/3 cup flour
2/3 cup water
2/3 cup nuts (optional)
1 3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda

Combine sugar and shortening.  Add eggs and blend well.  Blend in pumpkin and water. Sift dry ingredients together 3 times, then add to pumpkin mixture. Then add nuts.
Blend well and pour into 2 greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes.

Iced Pumpkin Cookies-This is a great recipe Lesli shared with us.
Ingredients:
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup cooked, pureed pumpkin (fresh or canned)
1 egg
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
(optional: 1 cup walnuts or 1 cup raisins)
Icing:
2 cups sifted confectioners sugar
1/4 cup butter-softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons whipping cream, fresh OJ or rum

Preheat oven to 350.  Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add pumpkin, egg and vanilla and mix well. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg,  Stir into butter mixture until well blended.  (Add nuts and raisins if using). Drop by teaspoonful onto parchment covered baking sheet, about 2" apart. Bake 15 minutes, or until golden.  Cool.

Icing: Cream confectioners sugar and butter. Add remaining ingredients and beat until smooth. (If icing is too thin, add more sugar, if too thick add more liquid) drizzle over cookies (I used a sandwich bag and clipped the corner-perfect!)

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies-Head on over to Tidy Mom for this delicious recipe.  They were so good and so easy!
http://tidymom.net/2010/pumpkin-whoopie-pies-with-marshmallow-filling/

I hope one of these inspires you to get busy in the kitchen!
Happy Fall Cooking!

Crocheted Candy Corn Bunting Pattern

I love all things Candy Corn, if you haven't noticed.  A few months back I saw an adorable Felt Candy Corn bunting from The Funky Polkadot Giraffe.  I loved it, but didn't want to spend the time cutting, sewing, more cutting and more sewing.  Instead, I went back to my elementary days and cut out construction paper and used my glue stick.  Here is a picture of my first attempt at a bunting:

I thought this was pretty cute, but as you can see, some of the candy corn turned backwards.  I also had two little boys who enjoyed hitting it.  The construction paper wouldn't last much longer.

Since I have a renewed passion for crocheting, I thought I would give it a try.  I made a simple band for all the candy corn to hang from.  If you know how to double crochet and half double crochet, this will be super easy and quick!  Here is the updated mantle and a close up:

I'm really happy with how this turned out.  This banner is more likely to withstand two little boys!  If you are interested in making your own, here is the pattern:

Crocheted Candy Corn Bunting

Yarn needed

1-    #10 Yellow Peaches & Creme

2-    #11 Sunburst Peaches & Creme

1-    #1 White Peaches & Creme

H/8 Hook

Chain 353.  Less or more depending on the length desired.  (I got 9 Candy Corn from this length)

Double crochet in third chain from hook.  Double Crochet in every chain till the end.

Row 1-Using Yellow, sl st into the 20^th st.  Ch 1, make 1 hdc in the next 25 sts.

Row 2-Ch 1, turn, make 1 hdc in every hdc st for a total of 25 sts.  Ch 1, turn.

Rows 3-5-Skip the first hdc st, hdc in remaining sts, ch 1, turn. 

Row 6-Skip the first hdc st, hdc in remaining sts. Join Orange color and ch 1, turn.

Rows 7-17- Skip the first hdc st, hdc in remaining sts, ch 1, turn. 

Row 18- Skip the first hdc st, hdc in remaining sts. Join White color and ch 1, turn.

Rows 19-25- Skip the first hdc st, hdc in remaining sts, ch 1, turn. 

Row 26-You should have two hdcs remaining.  Hdc in second ch.  Finish off.

Weave in all loose yarn pieces into coordinating color.

For those of you who love Candy Corn like I do, I have another candy corn project in the works.  Be on the lookout for that soon!