It's The Great Pumpkin ..... (Recipe Collection that is)

Halloween will so be here, so I have a collection of great pumpkin recipes to share with you today.

First check out this cute one for Halloween Pumpkin Bars:

recipe link:  http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/halloween-pumpkin-bars

And this looks delicious!

Deluxe Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust
http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/deluxe-pumpkin-cheesecake

How about some Pumpkin Nutella French Toast?

Link: http://soupaddict.com/2013/10/pumpkin-bread-pudding/

 A "Paula" pumpkin recipe (so I'm thinking it must be good)

Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/pumpkin-gingerbread-trifle-recipe.html

Pecans are never a bad idea...

Caramel Pecan Pumpkin Bread Pudding
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/caramel-pecan-pumpkin-bread-puddings

Neither is chocolate!

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Pound Cake
http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/chocolate-chip-pumpkin-cake

This double layer pie looks yummy!

Dutch Apple Pumpkin Pie
http://www.meals.com/recipe/pumpkin-dutch-apple-pie-28641

As does this additional streusel topped recipe.

Pumpkin Steusel Cheesecake Bars
http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/pumpkin-streusel-cheesecake-bars/35777889-f94f-413d-91cc-e02a009eca2e

Speaking of streusel....how bad could Pumpkin Bourbon Pecan Pie be?

link:  http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/bourbon-pumpkin-pie-with-pecan-streusel

Lastly, a muffin and a cake recipe that look delicious

Pumpkin Pecan Crunch Muffins
http://www.onceuponachef.com/2010/10/pumpkin-pecan-crunch-muffins.html

Pumpkin Pudding Cake Link:  http://babblin-brooke.com/2012/02/12/pumpkin-pudding-cake/

You know until I started searching these, I never knew so many delicious pumpkin recipes existed!  I need to stock up on some pumpkin before the Thanksgiving rush!  Seriously, the other year stores on the East coast ran short of canned pumpkin and it was nearly impossible to get.  And yes I know I could carve up my pumpkins from my step and scoop out their filling but (shamefully) I must admit I rather just have a can...

It Was Starting To Look A Lot Like Fall ... Then Came The WInds

Every year I end up having to get new outside Christmas decorations (and every year I swear this is the last time I am going to buy anything for outside) because we always manage to have a Nor'easter or Coastal Storm before Christmas arrives and it tears them to bits.  Living on an island you can be subject to some pretty strong winds.  So last weekend I started decorating the front of my house for Halloween / Fall.  Can you guess what happened this week?

Yep, blown to bits.  Moving on.....  On Thursday I was happy to get my door decal I had ordered in the mail.  Since things had quieted down a bit, and I was really excited to see how it would look, I came home from school and set to work fixing up once again.  If you remember from a previous post, I got the idea for a door decal from this picture.  This is from a blog I like to follow, Thrifty Decor Chick, and her door looks a very similar color to mine.

I decided to go with the saying "Blessings".  Here is a pic from me having glued things back to my wreath and trying to spruce it up, while applying the decal to my door.  We recently had to change the deadbolt too, so my door paint needs a touch up, too.  But it's been a little too chilly and rainy this week for that.

Decal going on.......and the finished product:

I bought one of those Command hooks so that I won't have to use the wreath hanger, but I haven't tried it yet.  So, from Thursday evening til Saturday afternoon my house looked like this:

But I should have know something was up when I pulled back for a long shot and saw these gray clouds gathering...

'Cause guess what it's like at my house this morning.  I haven't even gone outside yet but I think my flag has blown out again.  Other people have flags in my neighborhood but mine always takes off.  (I have had to chase this flag all over my yard, the neighbor's, and once - my neighbor Katie will swear it's true - up on my roof).  And I am not in a hurry to look at my wreath.  At least I am pretty sure my door decal has stayed put.  LOL.   Happy Sunday everyone!

No Carve Decorated Pumpkins

Last year was my first year to try a painted pumpkin.  I tried a paisley monogrammed version patterned after a picture I saw on Google.  It turned out pretty cute - especially after I dressed it up with a big black bow on the top.

You see "no carve" pumpkin ideas popping up more and more on blogs, Pinterest, and Google.  This year there are a ton of ideas that I want to try.  Here are a few example pics I have collected.  All are from Google image search:


Lace Wrapped Pumpkins:

Spray Painted and Stencil Painted:

Push Pin, Button, and String Decorated

Hopefully a few of these ideas will soon be showing up on my front step.  What are you going to do with your pumpkin this year?    I saw this recipe while searching pumpkins and it looks delicious, so while I am sharing things to try with pumpkins, why not try this?

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread Link from Taste Of Home

Busy, Busy, Dreadfully Busy

When N. was little he loved to watch the "Veggie Tales" cartoons.  

They always had a good message told in an interesting way, and really catchy songs.  In fact I can still sing several of the songs today!  They are the kind of songs that stick in your head and won't go away.  One of the ones I still sing to my self is "The Busy Song" (although "Oh, Where Is My Hairbrush" and "The Cheeseburger Song" are my personal favorites).  The Busy Song goes a little something like this:

I'm busy, busy, dreadfully busy

You've no idea what I have to do

Busy, busy, shockingly busy

Much, much too busy for you

For the past couple of days I have been really busy.  If you read my post yesterday, you know we spent the weekend off the island on a little trip.  Trips are great, but they sure put you behind on Monday when it's time to start the workweek again.  As of last night I was still trying to unpack and put away stuff, as well as cook dinner, do homework, think about my lesson plans for the week, catch up on laundry and dirty dishes, read all the facebook posts I missed the weekend, etc. 

Continuing from yesterday's post I'll share with you a few things about the rest of our weekend.  First let me suggest you try IHOP's Bananas Foster Brioche French Toast.  N. had it Saturday morning, and let me say as a person who doesn't even like bananas, I though it was the bomb!  

In Salisbury the IHOP is in the same parking lot as Hobby Lobby, so you can guess where I went next.  N. stayed in the car with his iPod, too stuffed to move.  LOL.  He drove me around the rest of the day and got in some "weather driving" hours toward the requirements needed to change his learner's permit to a permanent license.  He dropped me off at several more stores before we went to one that was more up his alley - Wink's Sporting Goods.

Wink's was having a customer appreciation day with specials on hunting and fishing supplies (which N. loves).  And on this one day a year he also puts on a really great food treat to share with his customers.  A few of the things we had were pulled pork, deer roast, meatloaf, sausage, and bbq brisket, (there was supposed to be deep fried turkey and goose but we missed it) baked beans, fries, brownies and cookies among other things.  They really put out a spread!  

We finished our time before catching boat with a big shopping run at Food Lion, a popular East coast grocery chain.  Then came the fun part...getting an entire car filled with stuff sorted out and crated up into storage totes and giant trash bags and loaded onto the boat for the trip home.

It took two golf cart loads to get it all from the boat back to my house in Canton.  I just had time to get it all in the house and my cold grocery items put in the fridge before heading back out for a bridal shower for my neighbor and former student Whitney.  It was a wonderful evening and she got lots of really nice gifts.  Congrats and best wishes, Whitney!

Vacations are nice, but it's good to be back home too. And that's where I spend most of my Sunday.  Besides all the unpacking, cleaning, and laundry that went on, I also had a few minutes to start some new craft ideas (and watch a link someone sent me of the latest episode of Downton Abbey that just aired in the UK).  

Love my girl Edith!   Maybe this year things will finally go your way (but not likely).

This week I am looking forward to my husband getting home off his two week tour on the tugboat, and some family time together.  And also for things to slow down a bit and not be so busy.  Fall is such an enjoyable time of the year, I want to take some time to do just that.  

While I think of it let me share this recipe link to a delicious pumpkin spice cake.  It's R.s birthday, and I think besides Rice Crispy Squares (his favorite) I'll also make this.  I usually put a few raisins in mine as well.  If you decide to, make sure to soak them in a little water first to plump them up.  And for a change from the usual you can also try chocolate frosting on a spice cake instead of cream cheese.

http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/incredibly-moist-pumpkin-spice-cake-with-cream-cheese-frosting/c8ce831f-e933-425d-b8c6-a2335705f63a

And now I will leave you with a link to "His Cheeseburger" the Veggie Tales Cheeseburger Song.  Give it a listen and then I dare you not to hum it the next time you order a cheeseburger.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahUXCdXZ96s

More Thrift Store Fix Ups

Last night I decided to clean up the mess on my kitchen table by doing some crafts.  Funny but true! A lot of the stuff on the table was craft supplies that came in the shipments I got earlier this week. Let me say again how much I love online shopping.  When you live on an island and can get things shipped right to your door, instead of having to take a 45 minute boat ride, then a car ride to the store, lug the packages around with you, load them on a boat, and bring them home in a golf cart it's a blessing!  

You might remember some of these items from my Hospice Thrift Shop post (picture 1) and Good Will Finds post (picture2)

I have been posting a little along as I get them fixed up and repurposed.  It's still a work in progress, but things are starting to come together and many of them are showing up as part of my fall decor.

This pic shows some of the supplies I need to find a place for so my table can be used to eat once again.  Hmmm, why spend time searching for a place to shove store them when you can just make a few crafts and use them up instead.  Plus crafting is so much more relaxing after a hard teaching day than cleaning, so I deserve it.  (Sounds good doesn't it).

So here were go...

Here is the black stoneware vase from Good Will, filled with some red and brown berry stems and sporting the bow that tied up the box of acorns and pinecones in the picture above. I think the vase was $4, the berry stems were $2.99 and the bow was free.  I think its pretty cute for less than $7 and is actually much bigger than it looks in the picture.  It's going on the bottom shelf of my console table.

The rest of the little box of acorns and pinecones and some of the straw (which I got on sale for 60% off so less that $5 ! ) went into the little mixing bowl on my buffet.  The blessings chalkboard tray was one of those from the Hospice Shop I spray painted with Rust-oleum antique copper and chalkboard paint.  The little ceramic pumkins were a Dollar Tree score at $1 each, the flower and fall leaf picks were also from Dollar Tree, I wrapped the stems in some jute twine. The Welcome sign and ceramic gourd goose are down from the attic.  They both came from Terry's Village a couple of years ago.  I LOVE that goose.

Next I went to work on the wall pocket I found at Good Will.  I got a lot of fall florals on sale from Joann's online and if you spent a certain amount you got free shipping.  Needless to say, I spent that certain amount, and it was really easy to do, too (am happy to have found Joann's).  I was just starting to arrange them in the wall pocket when I finally remembered I was supposed to do a before and after.  So here is a (semi) before and the after.  

I  had planned for this to go on my front door like this pic from a blog I love Thrift Decor Chick.  But I really liked how it turned out and I noticed it matched the colors in my breakfast room really well, so can you guess where it is now?

The twin iron candle holder I decided to leave "rustic shabby" for now.  It looks nice on my hall bench some of my other attic treasures.  Picture 1 shows the cleaned up cropped version of the photo, Picture 2 shows the real bench scene with all our shoes and usually a few book bags thrown underneath.  

Don't you love fall decorations?  I think they are my favorite. Well I better get back to crafting I mean cleaning.  Bye for now!