• Family Activities: 3 Big Pumpkins with 6 Different Faces!

    One side of the pumpkins had a Mr. Potato Head type face on it! Karlie’s “serious” pumpkin, Grandma Penny & Great Grandma Willa’s “silly” pumpkin, and Brina’s “puppy dog” pumpkin! This side of the pumpkin took a lot less time to do.  It was super easy and if you don’t want to mess with carving or cleaning out a pumpkin this is a great alternative. The girls loved picking out the pieces for their pumpkins and designing a face.

    We were super excited to have Grandma Penny and Great Grandma Willa come visit us for a few days in October.  During their visit we were able to squeeze in a lot of fun activities.  One of the activities was carving pumpkins!  The girls had a blast hanging out with both Grandmas and have a lot of great memories of their time with us.  Thankful that they were able to come visit us.  🙂

    The other side of the pumpkins had the carved version on it which was perfect for the evening.  Karlie’s “scary” pumpkin, Grandma Penny & Great Grandma Willa’s “cat” pumpkin, and Brina’s “happy” pumpkin sitting on the front porch.

    The PROCESS……

    Scooping out the pumpkin seeds

    Gross……slimy pumpkin hands!

    Karlie designed her own “scary” pumpkin face complete with eyelashes!  She drew her face on a piece of paper and Jake helped her transfer it to her pumpkin.  So proud of her scary pumpkin!

    Brina wanted a “happy” pumpkin!

    Trying to get Skip-A-Doo to pose with them in front of the pumpkins…..ha!  Skipper wasn’t quite sure what was going on, but I have to give them credit for trying to get her to cooperate for the picture!

    The girls had a lot of fun doing the pumpkins with Grandma Penny and Great Grandma Willa.  They thought it was neat having a “2 sided” pumpkin with different faces on each side.  The jack-o-lantern that they carved was their night pumpkin and the silly faces were their day pumpkins.  We used the pumpkins seeds to make 3 Seasoned Pumpkin Seed recipes.  Did you carve or decorate pumpkins?  I would love to see your pumpkins, feel free to post a link to your pictures in the comment section below!

  • Leaves + Pumpkins + Ghosts = Oh My….It’s Halloween

    Karlie and Brina raked up a bunch of leaves to “stuff” the pumpkin!

    What a difference a year makes…..so much has happened over the past few months it is hard to believe it is Halloween again!  I like to think that I have learned all the lessons I need to know by now but I find myself still trying to balance this thing called life.  At times I am torn between having fun with my family and getting things done on my never-ending and always-growing “to do” list (does anyone else struggle with this or is it just me?!).

    Sometimes the best way to get things done is to have fun doing it with your family.  For example, you can make raking leaves a game by seeing who can stuff their “leaf pumpkin” the fullest or fastest!  You get to have fun with the family plus you get a few extra leaves off the yard all at the same time.

    Last year it was much warmer for Halloween so the kids spent almost all their free time outside playing.  Only a few days ago we were wearing shorts and it was 80 degrees outside, but with the storm up north the wind has picked up, leaves are raining down on the yard, and there is an extra chill in the air.

    Two little pumpkins for my sweet “pumpkins”!

    They got these cute little pumpkins from a fall activity we did with a group of friends at a local farm.  Since these pumpkins were too small to carve we made delicious Pumpkin Dip and a small batch of Seasoned Pumpkin Seeds!

    The girls made these easy “Banana Ghosts” to take in their school lunches!

    It was cute hearing them giggle as they put together their little ghosts.  We took 1 banana, cut it in half, the girls put a dab of peanut butter (or soy butter) on it, adding raisins for the eyes, stuck a straw in the bottom and put them into bags for their school lunch.  The straw was a fun addition because the ghost would “move” (in slow circles) when they held it up which added to the excitement.  Sometimes it’s the simple things that you already have in your kitchen that bring the widest smiles!

  • Family Activities: Fall Festivals

    Jake on the spinning teacup with the girls!  The last time I went on this ride it made me so sick and dizzy I thought I was going to throw up in one of the girls pumpkins full of Halloween candy!

    One of the fun activities our family enjoys participating in every Fall is the local festivals!  The girls love getting a chance to go for a ride on carnival rides, hayrides, bouncy castles, check out ambulances, firetrucks, helicopters, pet farm animals and more (for free)!  They always have a blast at this event!

    Here are a few pictures from one of our favorite fall festivals that we try to go to every year at a local church in our area.   Although you do get a bag of candy the highlight is the fun activities (not candy).  If you are looking for a safe place to trick or treat for Halloween check to see if any of your local churches do a  “Trunk or Treat” event.

    Off they go on another ride!

    Going UP……..

    Jake and the girls flying by me on a chair swing!

    Brina flying down the slide!

    Karlie zooming down the giant slide!

    All of us went on the Thomas the Train ride together!

    Checking out the inside of the ambulance!

    They had a lot more activities going on that I didn’t get pictures of like face painting, hair glitter, carnival games and more!  Do you have fall festivals in your area that your family always looks forward to attending?  What type of activities do they have at the festival?

  • Recipe: Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins (4 Ingredients)

    As the Fall leaves continue to rain down in our yard we are enjoying some delicious treats!  These Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins are super easy to make, only contain four ingredients, and taste awesome.  The last time I made these for a group of friends only 2 came home with us and the girls begged to take them in their school lunches.  You will not have to add any water, eggs or oil to this recipe and the muffin will still turn out with a moist.

    Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins:

    • 1 box Yellow Cake Mix
    • 1 can (15 oz) Pumpkin
    • 4 oz Cream Cheese (softened)
    • 4 tablespoons Powdered Sugar

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease or line 24 muffin tins.  Mix together yellow cake mix and canned pumpkin until blended (the batter will be thicker than your typically cake mix).  Scoop evenly into muffin tins (I use an ice cream scoop) and set aside.  In another bowl blend softened cream cheese and 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar.  Drop a small spoonful of the cream cheese mixture on top of each muffin.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.  Remove from oven, cool, and sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar over the top of each muffin prior to serving.

    The last time I made these I did about half with the cream cheese and half without cream cheese.  Both were a big hit with the group, but the ones with the cream cheese went faster.  🙂

    Pumpkin & Yellow Cake Mix Muffins topped with Cream Cheese & a touch of Powdered Sugar

    Fresh out-of-the-oven Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins

    Pumpkin Cheesecake & regular Pumpkin Muffins sprinkled with Powdered Sugar and ready to be eaten

  • Recipe: 3 Easy Seasoned Pumpkin Seed Recipes

    Every Fall our family likes to pick up a couple pumpkins to carve.  One of our favorite parts about carving and enjoying some time together as a family is making toasted pumpkin seeds.  This year was even more special because Grandma Penny and Great Grandma Willa were here to join in the festivities with the girls.

    We did 3 different seasoned pumpkin seed recipes this year.  The two that we did last year were such a huge hit that we did them again plus added one more.  To make it easier on you I have all three recipes in this post.

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    Seasoned Salt Pumpkin Seeds

    • 2 c pumpkin seeds
    • 2 T butter
    • Sprinkle Seasoned Salt (or substitute a 1/2 package ranch package mix)

    Rinse the pumpkin seeds.  Saute pumpkin seeds in the butter for about 5 minutes (until they start to turn brown).  Sprinkle the Seasoned Salt on the  seeds.  Spread seeds into a shallow baking pan and baked at 250 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes or until crispy.  Stirring every 10 minutes.

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    Dill Ranch Pumpkin Seeds

    • 2 c pumpkin seeds
    • 2 T butter
    • 1/2 package Hidden Valley Dill Ranch Mix

    Rinse the pumpkin seeds.  Saute pumpkin seeds in the butter for about 5 minutes (until they start to turn brown).  Sprinkle half the pack of Hidden Valley Dill Ranch Mix (or any flavor of Ranch mix) on the  seeds.  Spread seeds into a shallow baking pan and baked at 250 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes or until crispy.  Stirring every 10 minutes.

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    Cinnamon Apple Cider Pumpkin Seeds

    The cinnamon apple cider pumpkin seed recipe was adapted from the recipe My Retro Kitchen shared on her blog.  I removed the nutmeg from the recipe but otherwise it is the same.  These seeds came out with a perfect mix of sweetness.  The other two recipes were more the salty flavors so adding this sweet one was awesome compliment to the three.  I want to make them again because mine came out a little oily (maybe they needed to cook longer or I had too much butter?).  These were a hit with family and friends, perfect for the Fall festivities!

    • 2 cups pumpkin seeds, cleaned and rinsed
    • 1 1/2 cups apple cider
    • 1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter OR olive oil
    • 1/8 teaspoon salt
    • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
    • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

    Preheat oven to 275 degrees.  Pour the apple cider in a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Add the pumpkin seeds and boil on medium heat for 10 minutes. Drain the seeds and pour them in a large mixing bowl.
    Pour the melted butter or olive oil into the bowl, along with the salt, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Mix well to coat and spread pumpkin seed in a single layer onto jelly roll pan or a baking sheet.  Bake for 1 hour, stirring them them every 10 minutes, until butter topping has dried and the pumpkin seeds are golden brown.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool and dry-out the rest of the way on the cookie sheet on top of the stove.  Store in an air-tight container.

    After cleaning out our pumpkins we had a little over 6 cups of pumpkin seeds so we decided it up three ways and made three different recipes.  These seeds were a hit with our family and friends.  The girls had a blast cleaning and carving their pumpkins!

  • Recipe: Carmel Apple Dip

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    Are you looking for a simple and tasty apple appetizer?  All you have to do is wash the apples.  Core out the middle of one of the apples.  Put 1 tablespoon of lemon juice in the middle and swish it around making sure the entire inside of the apple has been coasted  with lemon juice (the lemon juice helps prevent the apple from browning).  Pour caramel dip in the center of the apple and serve with fresh apple slices.

    You can either buy the already made caramel dip or melt caramels according to the package directions.  Make sure the caramel is cool before pouring it into the apple “serving” bowl.  This recipe is simple, easy, and delicious.  A perfect Fall treat to share with family and friends!

  • Recipe: Halloween Brownie Trifle

    In celebration of the Autumn season I brought this Halloween Brownie Trifle for Community Group last week.  My original inspiration came from a recipe called Black Velvet Halloween Trifle from Blue Bonnets and Brownies.  I decided to make my own version based off the items that I had in our pantry.  Her bottom layer was a Black Velvet cake made from scratch, however, I used a box brownie mix because I was doing it on a Sunday afternoon before our get together that night.

    The Halloween Brownie Trifle was a huge hit with our group so I decided to share it with you.  This dessert would be great for a Fall or Halloween get together with family and friends. The best part is it’s easy and delicious!

    Halloween Brownie Trifle:

    • 1 box Brownie Mix
    • 2 (3.4 oz) boxes Butterscotch Pudding
    • 1  (8 oz) container Cool Whip
    • 1 1/2 cups Candy Corn
    • Red & Yellow Food Coloring
    1. Make the brownies according to the directions on the box and cool completely.
    2. While the brownies are baking mix together the butterscotch pudding according to the directions on the box.  Stir in 1 teaspoon of yellow food color and 1/2 teaspoon of red food color.  Cover and put into the fridge until you are ready to assemble.
    3. Once brownies have cooled cut them up into 1 inch squares and layer them into the bottom of a bowl.  Sprinkle 1/2 cup of candy corn over the layers of brownies.
    4. Pour the cold butterscotch pudding over the brownies.
    5. Spread the cool whip over the butterscotch pudding.
    6. Decorate the top of the Halloween Brownie Trifle with remaining candy corn.

     

    Layers of the Halloween Brownie Trifle

  • Recipe: Candy Corn Cookie Pizza

    Our family enjoys candy corn, cookies, and pizza so this dessert is a great combination.  If you are looking for a festive Fall dessert recipe this one is always a hit with our family.

    Candy Corn Cookie Pizza

    • 18 oz Sugar Cookie Dough
    • 1/2 cup Peanut Butter
    • 1 cup Candy Corn
    • 1/2 cup Raisins
    • 1/2 cup Milk Chocolate Chips
    • 1/4 cup Vanilla Frosting

     
    Preheat oven to 350°F.   Grease a 12-inch pizza pan.  Roll the cookie dough into a 1/4 inch thickness.*   Bake cookie dough for 15 to 20 minutes or until the crust turns golden.  Allow to cool completely.  Gently remove crust from pan and place on a serving platter.  Spread the peanut butter over the crust.  Sprinkle candy corn, chocolate chips and raisins evenly over the top of the peanut butter.  Put the vanilla frosting in a microwavable bowl and microwave 10 seconds or until thin.  Drizzle frosting over the cookie pizza.  Cut into wedges and serve.

    *You can also use rolled refrigerated sugar cookie dough.  Here are the directions:  Cut cookie dough into 1/4-inch-thick slices.  Place the slices on the greased pizza pan and press down with floured hands. (the rest of the recipe above is the same).

  • Recipe: Mom’s Hot Chocolate Mix

    My Mom made the most delicious homemade Hot Chocolate Mix as kids.  Once it started turning chilly she would make a big batch for the family.  It was one of the best things to drink on a chilly winter day!  If you don’t want a large batch of Hot Chocolate cut the recipe in half.

    Mom’s Hot Chocolate Mix:

    • 8 quart Powder Milk
    • 1 pound Powder Sugar
    • 1 pound Instant Cocoa
    • 1 1/2 pound Coffemate
    • 6 tablespoons of Cocoa

    Mix all the ingredients together and put in an airtight container.  Add 1/2 cup of mix per mug of warm water or milk.

    Optional: You can add marshmallows and / or cool whip for an added touch.

    We’ll be making this great recipe to share with family, friends and neighbor during our Gift Giving: Baking Christmas Goodies day!

  • Too Much Candy!

    Hope everyone had an amazing Holiday weekend.  Halloween is a great time to create memories with your family.  The Fall Festivals, pumpkin carving, hayrides, dressing up and candy…..sometimes too much candy.  Every wonder if you’ll be able to eat, share and giveaway all the candy before the next Halloween hits.

    Dentists all over the country are participating in a Halloween Candy Buy Back Program. They buy the kids Halloween candy then donate it to the groups that send it to those in Military Service.

    • Example:  Holly Tree Pediatric Dentistry in our area is Buying Back Halloween Candy and giving the kids $1 per pound ($5 max per child) and a Treat bag.  The Buy back dates are Monday 11/1 to Thursday 11/3 between 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM.  All the candy will be donated to Troops overseas.  Also, Dr. Ann will match every dollar given and donate it to a local charity “Let There Be Mom.”

    If it is something you interested in participating in you can read more about on the FAQ page and search for locations near you!