Every year we make applesauce cinnamon ornaments for Christmas. This year we’re getting a head start because we’re selling them at the craft fair. This batch that Richard and Rel are making is strictly for their own use though. Not to sell unless they want to.

With this project Richard learned math and he also had a chance to exercise his fingers which still tend to tire easily. For this reason it is hard for him to write manually but he just flies on the computer keyboard!

Here’s the recipe we used for this batch. It makes a small batch enough for one child and 12 large ornaments.

1 c ground cinnamon
1 tbsp allspice
1 tbsp nutmeg
2 tbsp white glue
3/4 c applesauce

Here’s Richard adding the dried ingredients in a separate bowl. The recipe said to use ground cloves but we improvised and used Allspice instead. You can do that, you can substitute ingredients but make sure you use ground cinnamon.

Mix all the spices up good.

Add the glue to the applesauce.

And blend really well.

Now add the dried ingredients to the applesauce and glue.

Richard has to knead the applesauce cinnamon dough to a sticky like consistency. If the dough is too wet he adds more spices and vice versa.

Roll the dough out to a 1/4 inch thickness.

Use cookie cutters to make shapes. Here Richard is using a Gingerbread Man cookie cutter. He also used a prim heart, start, and small pumpkins.

Rel decided to make a snow man so we’re trying it out to see how it dries. We used beads for the nose, eyes, and buttons. We used cinnamon sticks for the arms. As I write this the bottom and middle balls are cracking so now Rel and I are figuring out how to fix that. It’s really cute. Just look at the next picture.

Rel has her heart set on selling this at the crafts fair. It really smells so warm and Christmassy!

Yes, I finally started on my new CafePress Store – Stik2itevness…

focusing mainly on stickers!

I have 3 “Happy Halloween” designs all ready to go.

Measures 10″ x 3″

Clik on my link on the right hand side to take you to my store!

I couldn’t sleep so I fiddled with Paint.net and made a Halloween pumpkin wallpaper background. It’s still very amateurish but I had fun anyway and wanted to share it with anyone who takes a liking to it.

This can be used on MySpace, Twitter, Yuwie, Tagged, CafeMom.

Anyway, here’s the pic. Just right click on your mouse and save to your computer.

Happy Halloween!

Here’s a printable pumpkin patch recipe card I made and I also included a recipe from one of my all time favorite recipe blogs – The Pioneer Woman Cooks – this is her Pumkin Cake with Whiskey Whipped Cream recipe. You can click on the link and it’ll take you to her site where she shares tons more scrumchalicious recipes!

There’s also a plain card to use as additional as most recipes take more than one card.

You can write the recipe on the cards or type if you know how to use Paint.net or a like program. Put a hole on the top left hand of recipe cards and tie together with hemp string or ribbon. Buy the ingredients and package it any way you like, arrange it in a basket and it makes a beautiful gift for someone you know who loves to bake.

You can take the recipe card pumpkin and cut to size and use it for a gift tag if you like too.

To use the recipe card just right click on the image and save to your computer.

PW’s Pumpkin Cake with Whiskey Whipped Cream

1 cup golden raisins
1 cup whiskey (optional)
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 stick of softened butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 1/4 cup plain, unflavored yogurt
1 cup canned or fresh pumpkin puree

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Spray 9 x 13 inch pan with baking spray. Combine whiskey and raisins in a bowl and allow to soak for awhile.
Sift together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
Add butter to a mixing bowl and beat. Add sugar and beat. Add in eggs 1 at a time, beating after each egg.
Add yogurt and pumpkin and mix gently until just combined.
Add flour mixture in increments, beating until just combined.
Drain raisins and stir in by hand.
Pour batter into pan and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until set. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

When cake is cool, make Whiskey Whipped Cream:

1 cup heavy cream, very cold
2 to 3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons whiskey

Combine ingredients and begin mixing immediately on high speed until stiff, about 4 minutes. Spoon over cooled cake.

Eat extra cream with a spoon, if desired. I won’t tell anyone.

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Posted with pumpkin-yogurt-whiskey-cream love, Ree Drummond

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Craft:>D WAHMs that Love to do crafts with their children or make goodie bag treats for children here’s an idea I got from ABC Teach – Pumpkin Themes

PUMPKIN PENCIL TOPPERS
This is a cute and simple Halloween gift idea. A class can give a set to
another class; students can make several to give to their friends; these
can be handed out as Halloween treats…
Materials Needed:
• Large wooden beads (with openings big enough for a pencil to fit
into)
• orange acrylic paint
• fine-line black marker
• pencils
Directions:
1. Paint the beads orange and let dry thoroughly.
2. Use the fine-line black marker draw the eyes, nose, and mouth of
the pumpkin.
3. Slide the bead over the top of the pencil.

Happy Halloween!

Oh my God! I’m making this for Christmas Dinner for me and my children! Yummmmmmmmm!

Link for more delicious and scrumptious recipes:

The Pioneer Woman Cooks

Grilled Ribeye Steak with Onion-Blue Cheese Sauce

Sep. 5, 2009

Good grief.

Help me.

Help me now.

This was delicious.

Good steaks do not need sauce. But they’re every bit as delicious with a good sauce as they are on their own. And as much steak as we eat in our household, I like to change things up. This sauce is actually almost a “side dish”—substantial and delicious.

You’ll absolutely love it.
Grab a large onion. Very large.
Cut it in half from root to tip…
Then peel off the outer layer and make relatively thick slices. Not huge, but definitely not thin.

Melt 1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) butter in a heavy skillet over high heat.
When it’s all melted…
Throw in the sliced onions.
Stir them around, then let them sit and cook over high heat. Stir them only occasionally; we want them to get nice and brownish/black.
Meanwhile, grab a ribeye steak—whatever thickness you like.
Heat up the grill outside, or be lazy like me and heat up a grill pan. Add lots of butter so it’ll get brown.
Since the sauce is so flavorful, all we need to do with the meat is season it with salt and pepper.

Throw it diagonally on the grill pan, and season the other side. Watch the steak and turn it as it cooks to get the nice grill marks.
While the steak cooks, go ahead and make the (very easy) sauce.
Turn the skillet with the onions down to low heat…
Then pour in 3/4 to 1 cup heavy cream.
Ask for forgiveness while you’re at it.

You’re gonna need it. This is a crime.

Heat it all up…
And stir it gently as it cooks. Slowly the white cream will take on the color of the caramelized onions and your soul will sing.
You want to cook it for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the sauce thickens and reduces by about half. If it gets too thick (it shouldn’t), you can splash in a little beef broth.
Ahhh. Perfect.
But I’m about to go one better. Dump in 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese.

Please do this, even if you think you don’t like blue cheese. Please? Blue cheese? Please?
Now stir it around while the cheese melts and makes the sauce even more creamy than it was before.
Oh my gosh. Oh my…my…gosh.
To serve, make a nice, generous bed of sauce on a large plate.

This dish is for, shall we say, hearty appetites.

Then place the steak, which is now grilled (medium rare) to perfection, right on top!
Press down slightly to get the sauce to spread to the edges of the steak.

I want my mommy.
I want my mommy now.

Can I tell you something? This was so good, I almost cried. The medium rare steak was good enough…
But the sauce was absolutely sublime.

Make this for your sweetie or best friend this weekend!

They’ll love you even more than they already do.
Grilled Ribeye Steak with Onion-Blue Cheese Sauce

2 ribeye steaks
2 tablespoons butter
Salt
Pepper
4 tablespoons butter
1 very large yellow onion
3/4 to 1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

Salt and pepper both sides of the steaks. Grill in 2 tablespoons butter until medium rare.

Saute onions in 4 tablespoons butter over high heat. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until dark and caramelized. Reduce heat to simmer and pour in cream. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until reduced by half. Stir in blue cheese until melted. Serve steaks on generous portion of sauce. Faint.

Repeat as often as needed.