Pilgrim Hat Cookies

 

NGREDIENTS

16 chocolate wafer cookies (such as Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers)
1 tube of orange frosting with piping tips
16 small peanut butter cups

PREPARATION

1. Place cookies on work surface; squeeze a dime-size dot of frosting in center of each.

2. Unwrap and invert peanut butter cups on frosting, pressing down gently.

3. Using the round piping tip, pipe a "hat-band" with frosting around peanut butter cup and a square "buckle." Let frosting set before storing. Planning Tip: Can be made up to 3 days ahead.

A Night of Candy Candy Candy

Ode to the Fireplace…

Toilet Paper Pumpkin

Found this on pinterest and couldn’t resist sharing!  We’ll be making these next year during our Halloween Bash!

Supplies: a roll of toilet paper per child, an orange piece of tissue paper per child, green tissue paper pieces, raffia, black pumpkin face cut out of black paper or foam per child (optional)

Have each child roll up their toilet paper in a sheet of orange tissue paper. Then have them tuck the ends of the tissue paper into the cylinder inside the toilet paper roll. A part of a piece of green tissue paper can be twisted and tucked into the top along with some raffia. As an optional addition, you could cut out jack-o-lantern faces ahead of time or have the children cut out their own from black paper or sticky foam. Have them glue or tape the faces onto their pumpkins.

Tomb Watch Today

Just in case people forget, there are amazing soldiers standing at the Tomb through this craziness.  This is a picture from this morning….Hurricane Sandy!

Bye bye, baseball

"It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone."

-Bart Giamatti

Congratulations, Giants!

It was an amazing game!  We’ll see everybody next spring!

Harvest Sweet Potato Cupcakes

 

Sweet Potato Cupcakes

2 Cups All Purpose flour
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 C butter, softened
1 1/4 C sugar
3 eggs
1 pound sweet potatoes, roasted, peeled and mashed
1/4 C milk
1 tsp vanilla
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Mix first 5 dry ingredients, set aside.
2. Cream butter and sugar, add eggs one at a time.
3. Add sweet potato, milk and vanilla. Mix until combined.
4. Add flour mixture beat until just combined.
5. Fill 24 paper lined muffin tins 2/3 full.
6.  Bake for approx 18-20 minutes or until tops spring back when touched.
7. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, remove and cool completely on wire rack.

 

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
¼ cup soft butter
½ cup baking cocoa
8 ounce cream cheese (room temperature)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar
.
The butter needs to be really warm, but not melted. Stir the cocoa into the butter and mix well; whip in the cream cheese & add vanilla, scraping the sides of the bowl frequently so that you get a nice smooth butter-cocoa-vanilla-cream cheese mixture. Beat in the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating until really smooth in between each cup.

Buttermilk Syrup ----Thanks Julie

This is it…..make this syrup and you will have a smile for the rest of the day!

I hate giving my family any of the high-fructose maple syrup substitutes available at the mass market, and a bottle of real maple sets you back $8-$10- which is too rich for my budget these days. Thankfully, my Daughter-in-Love  gave me this recipe, which has quickly become a family favorite- and I mean, to the point that everyone is jump up and down and clap when we make Buttermilk Syrup. It’s real sugar, real butter, and real buttermilk. In our house, our favorite method of consumption is over cinnamon egg whole french toast …now made with Challah Bread!   OMG!!!

HOMEMADE BUTTERMILK SYRUP

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup fresh buttermilk

Melt together in a medium saucepot over low until butter is melted, then bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute.

Remove from heat and stirring with a wire-whip, add:

1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda

The pot will froth and foam up when you add the soda- don’t worry- that’s what’s supposed to happen. Continue whipping for a few seconds and the froth with mellow a little bit. Serve immediately over french toast, waffles or pancakes. Be amazed at how much everyone loves it.  You’re welcome!

A Campfire

 

We gathered around the campfire
On a chilly October night
Don’t tell me those spooky stories
In the pale moonlight….it gives me such a fright!

We added some more logs,
To make the fire bright,

Marshmallows and hot dogs

really were a delight

And when the fire flickered
and embers began to form.
We hurried into the cabin to get all cozy, tired, and warm.

It’s the Weekend

Long Road Trips take their toll!

 

Falling down the stairs with Little Man in my arms hurts like ……. I’m so thankful he doesn’t even have one bump!  I’m sad that it will take many days to heal my body!

 

Butt….the scenery was so beautiful in every direction!

 

 

The Campfire was perfect for marshmallows!

The tire swing quickly became King Kendry’s property….don’t even try to swing in it if he is anywhere close!

The morning sunrise ….was definitely “Purple Mountain Majesty”!

Blankets of leaves cover the canyon floor!

Thank you family and friends for “A Weekend to Remember”  XOXO

Weekend Goodness

 

Only two of the meals that were so delicious this weekend….Friday night Chicken and Rice, Saturday morning French toast with Challah Bread…..

Cookies – Pacifier??

Yes, I will trade you my bobo for a handful of animal crackers! 

Halloween Early

Our friends and family had a pumpkin carving party at the Buffo Bungalow this weekend.  Nothing beats a big bowl of potato soup or chili…in bread bowls, dessert, and some pumpkin carving to get you in the fall spirit.

What happened to the days of triangle eyes and mouths with three teeth? The standard ole pumpkin.... Do you think we'll ever see that guy again? I'm not sure.... With pumpkin patterns, pumpkin knives, pumpkin saws, pumpkin picks, and pumpkin artists... the days of triangle eyes may be gone. They have for our family for almost 10 years!

After a few cries of disappointment, pumpkin guts all over the basement floor… cramps in the hands from making all of the little holes around the pattern, and after sawing away at all of the little curves... The outcome is always pretty darn amazing, what do you think?

and here we are the morning after……….doesn’t get any better! 

I Love Doterra Oils….Seriously!

25 Ways to Use Peppermint Essential Oil

doTERRA's Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade Peppermint essential oil is an incredibly potent and highly effective oil that I personally have used to relieve headaches, cold/flu symptoms, reduce fevers and much more.

1. Rub 4-6 drops in the palm and rub over stomach and around the navel to relieve indigestion, flatulence and diarrhea.
2. Add a drop to herbal tea, to aid in digestion and relieve heartburn.
3. Massage several drops over on the area of injury, to reduce inflammation.
4. Apply it immediately to an injured area (bruised shin, hit on the foot or hand) to relieve pain.  If there is a cut, apply it around (not on) the open wound.
5. Apply a drop topically on unbroken skin, to stop itching.
6. For poison ivy or poison oak, apply on location.  
7. Inhale before and during a workout, to boost your mood and reduce fatigue.
8. To relieve a headache, rub a drop on the temples, forehead, over the sinuses (being very careful to avoid the eyes) and on the back of the neck.
9. To stop hiccups, apply a drop on each side of the fifth cervical vertebra (up three notches from the large vertebra at the base of the neck).
10. Place two drops on the tongue and rub another drop under the nose to improve alertness and concentration.  (Note: be careful not to swallow right away; allow the oil to completely dissolve on the tongue before swallowing.)
11. Diffuse in the room while studying, to improve concentration and accuracy.  Inhale while taking a test, to improve recall.
12. Rub 4 drops on chest and stomach, to relieve travel sickness.
13. Place a drop on the tongue and inhale into the nose and sinuses to relieve congestion from a cold.  It may also be applied over the sinus areas (or to the sinus Vita-Flex points on the feet).
14. Add to food as a flavoring and a preservative.
15. To deter rats, mice, ants or cockroaches, place two drops on a cotton ball, and place along the path or point of entry for thesepests.
16. Mix one 15 ml bottle into a 5 gallon can of paint to dispel the fumes.
17. Place a couple of drops in a cup of hot water, and enjoy in place of coffee.
18. To kill aphids, add 4-5 drops to 4 ounces of water in a spray bottle, shake well and spray the plants.
19. Drink a drop mixed in a glass of cold water, to cool off on a hot day.
20. Rub on joints to relieve arthritis or tendonitis pain.
21. Place a drop on the tongue to stop bad breath.  May also be massaged over the liver, if the bad breath is liver related.
22. Inhale the fragrance to curb the appetite and lessen the impulse to overeat.
23. Remove ticks by applying a drop on a cotton swab and swabbing the tick.  (Wait for it to unhedge its head before removing from your pet.)
24. Mix in a footbath to relieve sore feet.  (Keep water agitated while soaking feet.)
25. Put in a spray bottle with water to mist your body to cool it down on a hot day.

Just for the Weekend:

Allow yourself a weekend filled with the beauty of the sunrise and the tranquility of the sunset.

Look for the positive in all those new endeavors and let the past stay just that! 

 Keep the door shut very tightly against the anxiety that weakens you and embrace the friends in your life who truly care about your happiness!

Let the trouble and hardship and disappointments pass you by.

Enjoy the kudos and best wishes true friends send your way.

May your weekend be filled with harmony!

Candy Corn Cheesecake

While candy corn is not my favorite….cheesecake is.  So today we stopped at Orson Gygi and bought a great cake pan to make this cheesecake that immediately brings to your mind the Halloween candy…but tastes much better…just my opinion!   The results are, of course,  a look of candy corn with the rich taste of cheesecake.  Taking that first piece out of the pan is always tricky and my photography skills are not always great!  I’m an “Old” rookie!

Ingredients:

• 2 batches favorite no-bake cheesecake recipe
• Yellow food coloring
• Red food coloring….Orange if you can find it!

Makes:

Cheesecake serves 12.

Tools:

You definitely need a checkerboard cake pan

Instructions:

step 1

Prepare 2 mixes of cheesecake batter following package directions. Prepare 1 crust and place in bottom of pan following package directions.

step 2

Position Batter Dividing Ring in pan. Fill center ring with batter to 1/4 in. from top of ring, level with top edge of pan. Tint remainder of batter yellow. Fill outer ring with batter. Tint remaining yellow batter orange and fill middle ring. Smooth each section with spatula dipped in warm water. Carefully remove ring and smooth again with spatula if needed. Refrigerate for 1 hour

step 3

Be good and only eat your share!

Come Friday Morning

 

May God Bless You both now, on your Wedding Day and the rest of your life together as a married couple.

Marriage is a beautiful thing, embrace it with love together. There will be times for better or worse, don’t forget the love and commitment for each other at the end of each day!

Congratulations on this beautiful October day.

Sofa Cushion Fun

The sofa is really suppose to be the main focal point in any living room……….

 

  Ours has many purposes other than seating!

Instructions

1. Clear an area next to the sofa

2. Prop sturdy sofa cushions near the sofa  to form the walls of the tunnel.

3. Build the roof by draping blanket over the walls.

4. Put a smaller pillow on the floor between two upright sofa cushions to construct a door.

5. Let it crash down and start all over again!   Hours and Hours of Fun

Pumpkin Biscotti

We have been really enjoying a few pumpkin recipes already this season ……….and with the pumpkin shortage that happened a few years back,

I can’t seem to help myself, with a few extra cans….which always seem to make their way into my grocery bag whenever I pass by them in the store.

Apparently my subconscious is worried I might have to go another ………two months without pumpkin this winter.  There are worse addictions…right?

Without further ado….here is the recipe for Pumpkin Biscotti!

Ingredients:

5 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Dash ground cloves

1 1/4 cups pus 2 tablespoons sugar

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

1/2  (15-ounce) can solid pack pumpkin

2 tablespoons water

1 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup chopped pistachio nuts

White Chocolate Chips drizzled…….

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.   Line cookie sheets with parchment paper

2. Combine flour, baking powder, salt cinnamon, ginger, and cloves in a medium bowl.   Beat sugar and butter in large bowl with electric mixer at medium speed until fluffy.   Add pumpkin and water, beat until well blended.   Stir in cranberries and pistachios,

3. Shape dough into 2 logs, each about 14 inches long and 4 to 5 inches wide, on prepared cookie sheets.   Bake about 40 minutes or until firm to the touch.  Remove from oven; cool 20 minutes.  Transfer logs to cutting board, cut into 1 inch thick slices.  Arrange slices on cookie sheets, cut sides up; bake 20 minutes or until dry and lightly browned.  Remove to wire racks; cool completely.

4.  Melt chocolate chips in small microwavable bowl on High 30 seconds or until melted.  Drizzle over biscotti.

I CAN DO IT MYSELF

 

Speechless…………….Priceless…worth his weight in gold!