Thursday, October 16, 2008

Fabulous Fall Crafts

Egg Carton Arachnids

Pumpkin Roll-This would also be a cute way to wrap stacks of cookies, wrap the cookies in plastic wrap before making into Pumpkin Rolls.

Foliage Friends

Paper Bag Pumpkin
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Fall Luminary Candle Holders

Ghost Chair Covers

Paper Bag Scarecrow

Add an eerie and festive touch with these Squash Jack-O-Lanterns from MarthaStewart.com


Or, if you don't want to deal with the mess and hassle of carving, here are cute ideas for no-carve pumpkins:


Yummy Mummy-Cute idea for goodie-giving!



Other fun Fall projects that kids might enjoy:
Go for a walk and collect leaves, then place the leaves vein side up underneath a piece of paper. Rub crayons or pencils over the leaves to make leaf rubbings.

Make lunchtime a bit more fun by using leaf, pumpkin, or any other Fall themed cookie cutter to cut slices of bread, then make pb&j sandwiches.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Fabulous Fall Recipes

First of all, how cute are these Boo-Nilla Shakes?

And these spooky cupcakes?

Here are some great recipes to get you in the Fall spirit!
*WARNING*You are about to become hungry!
Potato Soup
Contributed by Callie Hodges
Ingredients: 4 ounces sliced bacon, 12 cubes chicken bullion, 10 cups water, 1 onion, finely chopped, 10 large potatoes, peeled, chopped, 4 ribs celery, chopped, 1 tablespoon parsley flakes, 1 cup butter, 1 cup flour, 1 quart half-and-half, 1 to 2 cups shredded cheese.
Fry the bacon in a skillet until crisp. Remove and crumble the bacon, reserving 1 to 2 tablespoons drippings. Dissolve the bouillon cubes in the water in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the reserved drippings, onion, potatoes, celery and parsley flakes to the saucepan. Cook until the potatoes are tender; do not drain. Mash the potatoes coarsely in the broth. Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Stir in the flour. Cook until bubbly, stirring constantly. Stir into the potato mixture. Add the half-and-half. Cook until thiickened, stirring constantly. Serve in hollowed-out bread bowls. Top with the crumbled bacon and cheese. Yield: 10-12 servings.


Chocolate PeanutButter Candy Dessert
Contributed by Ashley Reno












Prep Time:
15 minTotal Time:
3 hr 15 minMakes:
12 servingsWhat You Need 12 OREO Cookies, crushed 2 Tbsp. butter, melted 1/2 cup peanut butter 2 cups cold milk 2 pkg. (4-serving size each) JELL-O Chocolate Instant Pudding 2 cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, divided 2 Tbsp. hot fudge ice cream topping 1/4 cup candy-coated peanut butter pieces Make It MIX crushed cookies and butter; press firmly onto bottom of 8-inch square pan.
Place peanut butter in large bowl. Gradually add milk, stirring with wire whisk until well blended. Add dry pudding mixes. Beat 2 min. or until well blended. (Mixture will be thick.) Stir in 1 cup of the whipped topping. Spread onto prepared crust; top evenly with remaining 1 cup whipped topping.
Refrigerate 3 hours or until set. When ready to serve, microwave fudge topping as directed on package; drizzle over dessert. Sprinkle with candy.

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Bread
Contributed by Diane Brinkerhoff

Ingredients:
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3 egg whites (or 2 T. dryPowdered Egg + 1/4 C. Water)
1/2 cup fat-free milk (1-1/2 T. Dry Powdered Milk + 1/2 C. Water)
1/4 cup canola oil
2 cups whole wheat flour
2-1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp. salt
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease a nonstick 9x5-inch loaf pan; set aside. Mix pumpkin, 1cup granulated sugar, the brown sugar, 3 of the egg whites, milk and oil in large bowl. Add flour, baking powder, pie spice and salt; stir just until moistened.
SPOON the pumpkin batter into prepared pan.
Bake 1 hour to 1 hour 5 min. or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Run knife or thin spatula around edges of pan to loosen bread; cool in pan on wire rack 10 min. Remove bread from pan to wire rack; cool completely.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread
Contributed by Diane Brinkerhoff-If you don't have whole wheat flour or dry milk/fat free milk the previous recipe calls for:
3 1/2 cups flour
2 Tbsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2/3 cup water
2 cups pumpkin
chocolate chips
Sift all dry ingredients together. Mix pumpkin, water, oil, and eggs. Mix all together. Pour into two well-greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 15 min. or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool before removing from pans. Sooooooo Yummy! (instead of choc. chips - you can use nuts &/or raisins)Sometimes we make this into muffins and adjust baking time.

Hot Wassail Recipe
Contributed by Kalia Bowman
1 12 oz. can frozen orange juice concentrate (or 6 oranges)
1 cup lemon juice (or 6 lemons)
2 cups sugar
4 quarts water
Put the following in a small pouch together (cotton material, or netting): 1 tsp whole cloves (or a bit more) and 1 stick cinnamon

Directions: Put water, sugar, and spice pouch in 6 qt. (minimum) pot. Bring to a boil, then add orange juice and lemon juice and bring to a boil again, then simmer for 1 hour and remove from heat (can remove spice pouch at this time or leave it in to continue to flavor punch). Serve warm. Yields ~1 gallon
*The Bowmans also enjoy making homemade Root Beer during the Fall season. This recipe can be found on the box of Root Beer flavoring.*

Broccoli Soup
*Stoker Family Favorite*

Make White Sauce:
1/2 cube margarine
2 rounded Tbspn. flour
Stir in milk and cook to gravy consistency. Season with pepper.
Add:
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 can cream of chicken or cream of celery soup plus 1 soup can milk
Add 2-3 cups cooked broccoli. I like to use the red potatoes with the skins on, cube them and boil before adding to soup.
Grated cheese and chopped are also tasty additons.


Chili & Cornbread
*Stoker Family Favorite*
2 pounds ground beef
1/2 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
2 1/2 cups tomato sauce
1 (8 ounce) jar salsa
4 tablespoons chili seasoning mix
1 (15 ounce) can light red kidney beans
1 (15 ounce) can dark red kidney beans
In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the ground beef and the onion and sauté for 10 minutes, or until meat is browned and onion is tender. Drain grease, if desired. Add the ground black pepper, garlic salt, tomato sauce, salsa, chili seasoning mix and kidney beans. Mix well, reduce heat to low and simmer for at least an hour.
Cornbread:
1 1/2 cups cornmeal
2 1/2 cups milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). In a small bowl, combine corn meal and milk; let stand for 5 minutes. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Mix in the cornmeal mixture, eggs and oil until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the cornbread comes out clean.

Pumpkin Squares
Contributed by Shanna Clayson

Crust:
1 pkg yellow cake mix(put 1 cup aside for topping)
1 egg
3/4 C. melted butter
Mix all together and put in greased 9x13 pan
Mix:
2 eggs
2/3 C. evaporated milk
1 large can pumpkin pie filling(the kind with the spices already added
Put on top of crust mixture
1 C. cake mix
1/2 C. sugar1 tsp. cinnamon
3 T. butter
Mix together and sprinkle on top of 2nd layer.Bake @350 for 50-60 min.
Serve warm with Vanilla Ice Cream or cool in fridge and serve with Cool Whip.


Taco Soup
*Stoker Family Favorite*
2 lbs. ground beef
2 diced onions
2 15 oz. cans pinto beans
1 15 oz can kidney beans
1 150z can corn
2 15 oz can stewed tomatoes, loosely chopped
1 small can green chiles
1 pkg taco seasoning powder
1pkg ranch salad dressing powder
Brown beef and onions in skillet. Drain excess oil. Add all remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 20 minutes. Serve with sour cream, chips, avacados, grated cheese, etc.

Thanks to everyone who shared their yummy recipes!

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Fabulous Fall Family Traditions

"Family traditions...help us define who we are; they provide something steady, reliable and safe in a confusing world."
SUSAN LIEBERMAN, New Traditions


*When I was in elementary school we had a copy of The Mouse On The Mayflower and every year my teacher would ask me to bring it for the class to watch and we would have a movie day, that's one of my favorite fall memories!

*My parents had a square of dirt in their yard where a garage was planned to be built and on the nights it was going to freeze, dad would run the garden hose into the dirt which was several inches lower than the grass around it, and the water would freeze. The next day we'd put on our ice skates and go to bed that night with sore behinds from all of the falling, but it's a great memory.

*Growing up we had a HUGE garden. Summer it was torture to be out in the heat, weeding the squash, cucumbers, tomatoes, and every other garden plant known to man. But when Autumn rolled around and it was canning season, we really got a feel for what our hard work had produced. It was always fun to eat the fruits and vegetables during the cold winter months that we had helped grow and can.

Other Ideas For Fabulous Fall Family Traditions:
*Hot chocolate, apple cider, or wassel with homemade doughnuts. This could be a great Family Night activity and could be combined with a movie or game night.

*City activities-some cities have Fall Festivals, Scarecrow competitions, Halloween Costume Contests, and other Harvest-time activities. Find out what's going on near you and start a new family tradition.

*We had so much fun going to the apple orchard last week, it could easily become a family tradition. When you get the apples home make caramel apples!

*Visit a Pumpkin Patch and have a family night with pumpkin carving/painting.


*On October 1st gather the family around and watch Halloween classics. Click here for ideas.

*Rake leaves at home or for an elderly neighbor.

*Roast marshmallows in the fireplace.

*Go to a Corn Maze.

*Make Halloween Sugar Cookies

*Go for a Hay Ride

*Bobbing for apples or tie a doughnut on a string and hang it up high. Have a contest to see who can eat the doughnut the fastest with their hands behind their back.

*Thankful Thanksgiving-before the holiday feast, go around the table and give everyone a chance to say what they are thankful for.

*Watching seasonal videos like 'It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown' and 'A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving'. Growing up, we always looked forward to the Peanuts Specials.


What are your favorite Fall Family Traditions that you remember from your childhood or that you've started with your own family?

Monday, October 13, 2008

Fabulous Fall Inspiration

Hosting the family dinner this year, in charge of the table centerpiece, or just looking for some easy, festive home decorating ideas? Take a look at some of the great ideas from Country Living and get inspired!

Love the corn centerpiece and the pear placemarker, this would also be cute with small pumpkins or gourds, you could tie raffia around the stems to tie the namecard on or the pin in the picture is also pretty.


More simple but pretty ideas:


Click here to make your own Ghostly bottle-gourd scarecrows.


Lots of yummy treats!

Click here for tips on creating a cozy fall outdoor setting.


Fall Wreath How-To at Country Living


Click here to tour a Storybook Fall-Inspired home!


Need more? Here are links to other blogs with fall decorating tips:
Raised In Cotton
Design Mom
My Hydrangea Home
Back Porch Mussings
Grace Violet
The Inspired Room and here also.
A Feathered Nest
NieNie Dialogues And speaking of Nie, if you want to get a jump on your Christmas shopping, click here. All royalties from book sales THIS SATURDAY go to the Stephanie and Christian Nielson Recovery Fund.
Stay tuned! Tomorrow is Fabulous Fall Family Traditions!

Sunday, October 12, 2008

Fabulous Fall Week!


"Autumn (also known as Fall in North American English) is one of the four temperate seasons. Autumn marks the transition from summer into winter, usually in late September when the arrival of night becomes noticeably earlier."

"For man, autumn is a time of harvest, of gathering together.
For nature, it is a time of sowing, of scattering abroad."
-Edwin Way Teale

Are you noticing the shorter days, the cooler nights, and the crisp outdoor air? Fall is here! And to celebrate, each day this week a new Fabulous Fall post can be found right here! Posts will include recipes, crafts, home decorating ideas and inspiration, fall fashion, and more! I hope you'll join us!

Friday, October 10, 2008

Apples!

On Tuesday Callie and Elisa invited us over to make caramel apples, something we hadn't done before. It was a fun activity but we're going to try again with a different caramel recipe because all of the caramel slid off of the apples. They were still yummy though!


Yesterday Callie and Elisa invited us to go pick apples at a local orchard. There were two huge black dogs and the boys went straight to them, Ethan is still telling me he wants one. The last thing I need around here is something else that eats and poops! I told him maybe in a few years when he's old enough to help be responsible for a dog.


The boys LOVED these wagons...now we know what to ask Santa for!


Thanks for a fun week Callie and Elisa!

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Hubby Tag

Sandi tagged me for this one:

Where did you first meet your husband?
I'd been playing volleyball at the church with some rooommates and afterwards we decided to walk over to the apartment of the guy I'd been seeing. When we got to the apartment complex where he lived, one of my roommates saw a guy from our ward so we stopped to say hi. He was over visiting some High School friends and one of them turned out to be my future husband.
What was the first thing you said to your husband?
I introduced myself to his roommate and then to him and probably said something like "Hi, I'm Holly" then he said his name was Jeff and I told him I'd remember that because that was my younger brother's name.
Where was your first date?
He took me to the Professional Bull Riding and out to dinner with a group of his friends and their dates. Afterwards we went on a walk at the train depot.
Where was your first kiss?
At his friends' apartment.
Did you have a long or short engagement/courtship?
Short! We met at the end of April, were engaged by August and married in November. So we'd only known each other 7 months by the time we were married.
Where did you get engaged?
He proposed to me at my apartment. I knew it was coming because we'd already gone to look at rings and it would be 6 weeks before the order came in. He surprised me by proposing with a substitute ring and then he proposed again when the real ring got here by sending me on a little scavenger hunt and a picnic at the train depot.
Where did you get married?
Logan, Utah. It was a beautiful but cold day!
How did the reception go?
Good, we'd been on our honeymoon for a week and still felt like we were on a cruise ship, swaying as we stood in the receiving line. But it was a fun evening and everything looked so beautiful, my mom did an amazing job of decorating, and it was nice to be surrounded by family and friends who were so happy for us.
How was the honeymoon?
We got to go on a cruise to Mexico, it was great and I'd recommend going on a cruise to anyone! We left the day after our wedding and had our receptions when we got home. We were married the Friday before Thanksgiving and we got home late Thanksgiving night so we went without the traditional feast and when we got to our apartment we remembered that the fridge and cupboards were empty because we hadn't moved in yet. Jeff, being the noble husband he is, set out to find dinner. Our Thanksgiving feast consisted of sandwiches from the Maverik down the street and I can't remember what else.

Now I tag CALLIE, AMBER, SHANNON, KALIA, SIERRA, LAUREN, MINDY, KERI, DEANNA, AMMIE, DANA, DIANE.

The hubby and I are going to Vegas next month to celebrate 5 YEARS OF MARITAL BLISS! I can't believe it's been that long already. Have you been there? Any recommendations on where to stay, what to do, etc.? I can't wait!

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

I wish my camera worked...

Because the boys have emptied the kitchen cupboars and drawers, the cookie sheets are spread across the floor, and there is noise like you wouldn't believe coming from the next room as they pound spoons, whisks, and spatulas against the pans while Ethan shouts "ROCK AND ROLL!" like a madman.
If only I hadn't dropped my camera just a few hours ago, then I could record them and give you a headache much like the one I'm feeling coming on. But, they are only little for so long and I suppose I can endure the noise. At least for a little while longer...

Monday, October 6, 2008