pick a pumpkin; day three . . .

This is it!  Today -- Day 3 --  is *my* day for the Pick a Pumpkin Blog Hop and a giftaway!

Of course, there is a whole lineup of bloggers participating today, so be sure to visit them all:

Just Let Me Quilt

Count it *all* JOY! (you are here!)

MaryMack's Blog

DesertSky Quilting

Melva Love Scraps

Hazel’s Daughter

Adventurous Applique and Quilting

Beaquilter

If you know me at all, you know that I absolutely adore pumpkins.  So when I saw the post announcing this hop, I jumped right on the pumpkin train!  That being said, many thanks to Carla at Creatin' in the Sticks for organizing this happy hop!!

Before I introduce my project, I wanted to keep up my runof the past few days and share another pumpkin-themed Kindle freebie.  Today's offering is Pumpkin Desserts Super Value Pack I – 450 Recipes For Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Cake, Pumpkin Bread, Muffins, Torte, Fudge and More (The Ultimate Pumpkin Desserts ... Desserts and Pumpkin Recipes Collection 1), by Pamela Kazmierczak.  This one is new to me, but I loved the cover, so I grabbed it. Oh my goodness -- there are TONS of wonderful pumpkin desserts, including cheesecakes, brownies, muffins and SCONES! Grab a hot pumpkin spice tea and bake a pumpkin scone! ♥ 

This book is NOT a freebie, but I have the hard copy of this pumpkin book, and my daughter and I have absolutely loved it!  The Pumpkin Cookbook, 2nd Edition: 139 Recipes Celebrating the Versatility of Pumpkin and Other Winter Squash by DeeDee Stovel.  Though it's not free, it's a pretty palatable $2.99 as a Kindle read, so I just thought I'd share it as a bonus, today. You're welcome!

Also, in keeping with my two prior Pick a Pumpkin posts, here's your pumpkin joke of the day (because I know you'd be sad without it, and laughter does good like medicine):

Q:     Why was Cinderella not very good at softball?

A:     Because her coach was a pumpkin.

Hahaha!  I think that one may be my favorite!

And today's fun pumpkin fact: Most pumpkin varieties take 85 to 125 days to mature and about 80% of the U.S. pumpkin supply is available in October. Hooray for October and pumpkins!

Whew ... got all that out of the way, now let's get down to PUMPKIN BUSINESS!

I wanted to do something fun and a little funky. I knew I had a pumpkin project in me--oh yeah, I knew--but I wasn't sure where I was going to land.  Then I happened to visit Carole at From My Carolina Home and saw the cute pumpkin blocks she featured in her Autumn Jubilee quilt along! I opened up my trusty EQ software, resized the blocks, and made something a little more in keeping with our RV home . . . 

EQ Rendition

The Actual Finish!

A window valance! I love changing up our decor (especially seasonally) and especially enjoy covering the RV 'window treatments' with quilted projects.  

This four-pumpkin valance was just the perfect size to hang over my window. I thought about doing the pumpkins Andy Warhol style, but decided I liked the ratio of one purple pumpkin to three oranges ones. I'm the purple pumpkin. LOL!

I even managed to label it with pumpkins ... many thanks to Janet for the prim pumpkin labels! It was a perfect fit. :)

But somehow, just a valance wasn't enough. (I'm a procrastinator, a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants crafter, *and* an over-achiever. Do you know what kind of storms that combination causes?!) Carole to the rescue again; she had also featured some maple leaf placemats in her Autumn Jubilee series.  So again, I opened up my trusty EQ and replaced the leaf with a . . .

EQ Rendering

Pumpkin, of course!

One purple and one orange ... one for me and one for Todd!  These placemats are really clever . . . 

They have built in silverware pockets!  Isn't that nifty?? So fun and easy! 

I finished both projects pillowcase style -- no binding -- which speeds things up a bit.  I also added ribbon ties to the valance -- that way if Todd and I are having dinner on the new deck, I can tie our valance to the rails and put out the placemats and we eat al fresco in pumpkin style! (It was too dark when I got in last night -- and again too dark when I left this morning -- to get a deck pic, sorry.)

So there you have it -- my picked pumpkin(s) -- color me done! Except for the giftaway -- interested?  Leave me a comment telling me your favorite thing about pumpkins, a pumpkin joke, or a tried and true pumpkin recipe, and I'll randomly pick a winner on Sunday (11/11) for this fun trio of Harvest teas from The Republic of Tea, including Pumpkin Spice! Please make sure you leave a way for me to contact you! ♥

So, be sure to comment and be sure you visit with the rest of today's participants and have a blast; tomorrow's the last day!

:)

pick a pumpkin; day two . . .

Were you able to check out all of yesterday's participants in the Pick a Pumpkin Blog Hop? Such creativity!

Today is Day Two and there's a whole new set of blogs to check out today:

Life in the Scrapatch

Clever Chameleon

Songbird Designs

Kathy's Kwilts and More

VroomansQuilts

Vicki's Crafts and Quilting

Super Mom No Cape

Quarter Inch Crafter

I found another Kindle freebie to share with y'all today, too.  (Aren't I nice?)  Simple & Easy Pumpkin Drink Recipes by Hannie P. Scott.  I've gotten a number of her cookbooks and they're fun. The book description reads, "Are you looking for delicious holiday drink recipes your party or family gathering? This simple pumpkin drink recipe cookbook has 20 step-by-step tasty pumpkin recipes, Thanksgiving treats and fall recipes for anyone looking delicious and nostalgic treats!"  There ya' go.  There were a couple of alcoholic drinks (which I don't bother with), but enough non-alcoholic drinks (lattes, smoothies, hot chocolates, etc.) to make it worth it for me. :)

Today's pumpkin joke is courtesy of Reader's Digest . . .

Q: How do you fix a damaged jack-o-lantern? 

A: You use a pumpkin patch!

Fun pumpkin fact:  Pumpkins have been grown in North America for about 5000 years. Wow! Really??

Finally, a couple more past pumpkin projects I've had the pleasure of creating in years past . . .

Wool Pumpkin Candle Mat (Ellie has her first stitch in this one) - 2013

My football-themed display was such fun to create.  Roll Tide! - 2013

Quilted Pumpkin for Mini-Stand - 2013

Pumpkin Pie!!! This is from 2014, but it's my fave and I make it EVERY year!

Monogrammed Pumpkin Door Hanger - 2014

White Pumpkin Wool Mat - 2014

Okay -- that's enough from me today.  Be sure to visit all of today's pick a pumpkin participants -- and have a pumpkin party!

:)

pick a pumpkin; day one . . .

Hurray! Today begins the Pick a Pumpkin Blog Hop!  Here are today's participants:

MooseStash Quilting

QuiltFabrication

Elizabeth Coughlin Designs

Just Because Quilts

Made By Marney

ShirleyC

Words & Stitches

Tu-Na Quilts, Travels, and Eats

Take time to visit each one and sure to ooooh and aaaaaah over their pumpkin offerings!  Oh, and don't forget to come back on Wednesday for my pumpkin offering!

Since we are celebrating pumpkins, I thought it would be appropriate to share this Kindle freebie link:  Pumpkin Recipes: The Ultimate Recipe Guide.  I can't promise how "ultimate" it is, but it's free and worth a shot! How funny that it would be available as a freebie this very week we're holding this blog hop ... the pumpkin seeds have aligned!

Here's a little pumpkin funny to make you smile . . . 

Q:   What do you get if you divide the circumference 

       of a pumpkin by its diameter?

A:   Pumpkin pi.

Fun pumpkin fact: Pumpkins are a member of the gourd family and are also considered winter squash.

My engineer son-in-law really likes that one--LOL! I also thought it might be fun to share a few pumpkin projects from pumpkin seasons past--to all the pumpkins I've loved before, so to speak--so here goes:

Cinderella Pumpkin Stitchery Door Pillow - 2009

Fabric Pumpkins - 2011

Pumpkin Appliqued Mug Rug - 2012

Pumpkin Turkey - 2012

Pumpkin Stitchery Mug Rug - 2012

That's it for today . . . hope to see you tomorrow!!

:)

guest blogging biscotti . . .

If you have a chance, and if you're interested in the recipe for my Holiday Biscotti:

Head on over to Sew Crafty Angel and check out my guest post on her page!  This biscotti really stands on its own as a cookie and tucked prettily into a cellophane bag makes a great holiday gift for lots of occasions...if you can stand to give it away!  Ha!

I tried Almond Ginger Biscotti this past weekend . . . I'll share that one next, if anyone's interested!

This recipe is a little more like traditional biscotti cookie, very crunchy, but has lovely bits of candied ginger in it along with slivered almonds.  Very definitely a 'dunking' biscotti!

:)

cream cheese mints . . .

Gracious!  The week's nearly gotten away from me and I've yet to post that recipe for cream cheese mints. Well then, without further ado, here 'tis . . .

These melt-in-your-mouth mints are a simple, classic candy that make any table look elegant! Here's the ingredient list:

1 4-ounce block of cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1/8 teaspoon of peppermint oil (not extract)

5-10 drops of food coloring (more or less, depending on desired color)

1 to 1-1/2 pounds of confectioner's sugar

granulated or decorating sugar for rolling

Now for the process:

In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, butter, peppermint oil and food coloring. Use mixer and beat until well blended and food coloring is evenly distributed. Add confectioner's sugar, one cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.  At some point, the mix will become too hard to use mixer and it'll be time to 'dig in' and mix by hand. Continue to add confectioner's sugar and knead by hand until mix is smooth and doesn't stick to your hands anymore. Be careful not to add so much sugar that it becomes stiff and dry. To this end, to keep the bulk of the candy pliable while I work with it, I keep a just damp paper towel over the mix.

~Take a break and rest your hands and get comfortable.  It's only just begun! The next part of the process is a marvelous opportunity have something mindless to do with your hands while you watch a movie or something.~

I have a rubber flexible candy mold that I use -- and have had terrific success with. I actually have several different shapes (it comes in *tons*) . . . leaves, daisies, hearts, etc., but this rose shape is the one I get the most use out of.

Of course, you can also make them without the molds. I have a friend who rolls them into balls and then uses a fork to flatten them, with the tines criss-crossing. The rubber mold is my preferred method and I've purchased mine from a local cake decorating shop for under $2 a mold. They're also available online -- do a search for 'rubber candy mold' and you'll get lots of options!

Roll the candy mix into approximately 1" balls. Oh, and for the record, I don't really recommend that you make these over your laptop keyboard! (Whoops...don't tell my hubby!)

The diameter is approximately 1" because it differs depending on the mold I'm using.  For the rose, it's actually a little smaller.  (Hint:  I don't make all my 1" balls ahead of time -- they get too dry and don't pick up the decorating sugar nicely.)

Next, roll the ball in the decorating sugar, to cover the entire top half of the ball. The red sugar on the pink candy was a little much ... normally I would have used a pink or an opalescent, but I was out.  So red it was.

Now we're going to press the ball, sugar side down, into the rubber mold:

Press it in completely and smooth out the top (a couple of thumb strokes should take care of this nicely).

Now it's a simple matter of popping the candy out of the mold.

Voila! Repeat this process about a hundred billion times. Seriously. No, not really! But this recipe does make about ten dozen, so be prepared to repeat the process about 119 times. Buy a handful of the same mold and you've got a great activity for a group of bridesmaids to help with while watching a romantic comedy, right?!  

I place my finished flowers on wax paper and allow to sit overnight (no more than twelve hours). After that, keep refrigerated in an air tight container. If you're making these up well in advance of a party/reception, they can be nicely frozen.

Typically if I'm layering the candies in a Tupperware container, I'll layer them with a sheet of wax paper to keep them from sticking to each other.

And that's all there is to it!  Please feel free to leave questions and I'll answer them "lick"ety-split!

****Edited to add:****
Chocolate mints are easy enough to make. Just sub out 1/4 cup of cocoa powder for and equal amount of confectioner's sugar. A couple of drops of red will make the "cocoa" color a little more intense. Use the mint or, if you prefer, use a couple of drops of almond oil or chocolate oil for a twist on the flavor! Everything else is the same.
******************

:)

decluttering the foods we eat . . .

Okay.  So yesterday I talked about the decluttering process and how that's going.  This morning I spent an hour pouring over blog I found via my sweet daughter-in-law, called 100 Days of Real Food.  Basically, it talks about eliminating all processed foods from your family's diet.  Extreme, right?  Or is it?  When I think about the last 13 weeks--the amount of time I've been working the South Beach diet--I realized we have been eating very little of processed foods.  You know why?  Because they're not on the SB plan.  You know why?  Because they're not good for you!  That was a proverbial "face-palm" moment for me!  

This subject seems to be bombarding me on a regular basis lately.  I read a post just yesterday from Keeper of the Home (my decluttering source) about "The Well-Planned Breakfast".  In that post she talks about how the cereal industry has essentially packaged junk food and placed it on the grocery store shelves as nutritious and healthy.  And I know that's not the case with every kind of cereal, but it probably is more often than not.  In her post she goes on to give lots of great ideas for easy, truly healthy breakfasts.

I digress . . . back to the real food blog.  I'm both a little fascinated and a little afraid of this kind of challenge.  Because processed foods have been a part of my eating -- and cooking -- for a long time.  So again I go back to the last 13 weeks ... where most of what I've been serving/eating is whole foods ... and I don't feel like I've suffered or done without and I've lost over 33 pounds (which, if you do the math, averages to just over 2.5 pounds per week -- not too shabby).  I feel good, I feel nourished (I'm obviously energized, or I wouldn't be so bent on this decluttering thing) . . . maybe there's something to this.  Haha ... ya' think?!

Lisa, the blog owner, has done a very good job of defining real food, providing recipes and resources, sharing her kitchen essentials (appliances, gadgets, cookbooks, etc.), essential items for her pantry, refrigerator and freezer, some terrific, practical real food tips, and even some free meal plans -- she has four available, two that target spring and summer, where fresh produce is readily available.  Her meal plans are practical for on-the-go families and budget-friendly, too.  She's got a 100-day pledge ... but for those who are a little intimidated by that idea (like me!), she's also got 100 days of mini-pledges and, for us really slow starters (like me!), she's got a short 10-day pledge ... something to allow you to get your feet wet and decide if the whole thing is for you, without having to make a three month pledge!  Some food for thought, so to speak.

Anyway, all that said ... how about my favorite Chicken Salad Recipe?  I've made it several times this summer and it fits nicely into the whole foods category -- and it's a yummy, summer comfort food!

2 cups cooked, chopped chicken

1 stalk celery, diced

1 dill pickle, finely chopped

3/4 cup diced apple

3/4 cup green grapes, cut in quarters

1/4 cup scallions, very finely chopped

1/4 cup pine nuts, coarsely chopped

1/4 walnuts, almonds, or pecans, coarsely chopped

dash of nutmeg

dash of celery seed

1/3 cup of mayonnaise (just enough to bind it all together)

Mix all the ingredients together.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve on lettuce or in a tomato bowl on between two slices of whole grain bread.  Yummy!  Bon appetite!

Linking up today with Living Well Wednesdays!

And, if you've hung in with me this far, here's a happy tip -- Connie at Quilting by the River is having a marvelous "batik surprise giveaway" -- you *definitely* want to check it out!!

I'm headed over to Ellie's house to play!  Yay for me!!  

:)

pressing spray and fireworks . . .

I had found a recipe for pressing spray that I was very interested in trying.  Then I realized it had liquid starch in it and I had a most difficult time finding liquid starch.  So I googled it and found several recipes for that, as well (of course I did)!  So first I set about making my liquid starch.  I used the recipe from this link as my basis, but because I just wanted enough to use in my pressing spray, I cut the amounts.  I still ended up with more than I needed, but you can only cut down so much, right?!

I brought to a boil 1 cup of distilled water.  I then mixed 2 teaspoons of cornstarch with 1/3 c. of distilled cold water -- and mixed it well.  I added the cornstarch mixture to the boiling water, mixed some more and brought it back to a boil.  I added a couple drops of lavender essential oil to my mix and allowed it to gently boil for about two minutes.  I turned off the heat, whisked it well, and set it aside.

Then I got ready to made the pressing spray.  I used the recipe found HERE as the basis for it.  I mixed 2 cups of distilled water, 2 ounces of alcohol (she uses vodka ... but you can also use Isopropyl alcohol which is considerably cheaper at 99¢ per 16 ounces -- just make sure the alcohol content is 99%, the alcohol is what keeps the essential oil playing nicely with the water), 10 drops of lavender essential oil (which can be found in the soap making aisle of Hobby Lobby or most any craft store, or in an organics store, like Earth Fare), and 1/2 cup of the homemade liquid starch.  Her recipe calls for 1/3 cup -- I wanted a little more crispiness.  I mixed it up well and poured it into my empty spray bottle.

Then I got ready for the test!  I pulled out a piece of fabric and heated up my trusty Reliable.  

Gave the bottle a couple of shakes and then the fabric a good spritzing and zipped it with the iron.  So far, so good!

Then I thought I'd try the store-bought stuff and see if I good "feel" the difference.  I gave a new section of the fabric a good spritzing and brought the iron down again.

At first I was startled by how different the lavender scent was between the two. 

And then I remembered that I'd purchased a refill bottle of spray at a great price, but they were out of lavender, so I got cherry blossom.  Whew!  I truthfully could not tell the difference between where I'd used the two different sprays.   I think this is definitely a Go/Win for me!!  That makes me smile, because I tend to be a little stingier with the spray than I'd care to be.  The essential oil is the most expensive ingredient I used, and I'll be able to make gallons of pressing spray with it.  Most cost effective, I think!

I had a lucky capture yesterday out the back window ... my primary-colored birds, all in one shot!

It happens all the time ... it's just that I can rarely pull out the camera before one flies off! 

We had a marvelous time of family yesterday afternoon/evening!

It's hard to get everyone looking at the same place at the same time ... at least one of us is smiling!

Sawyer had a blast with his glow sticks ... he was such a character!  I'm so grateful for this camp and being able to have a place where he can just let loose!

Ellie was having a grand time, herself!  Especially once we traded her little outfit for a bib.  She thought that was grand!

Evidently Bear thought she was quite grand, too.  Grand tasting, that is . . .  

Boy did he get her good . . . her whole face was washed by that tongue!

Remember that cute, cuddly puppy James and Kim brought home a couple of months ago?  Here he is!  Sixteen weeks old.  Almost.  He's HUGE!  But he's got the sweetest disposition.  

As is evidenced here by Sawyer's headlock ...errrr... hug.  :)  

Soon it was dark enough that the sparklers came out . . . 

I think we all played with the sparklers ... except maybe Todd.  And Sawyer.  Not that Sawyer didn't want to play with them.  Oh he tried, all right!  Gracious.  

And here's Jason, doing his air traffic controller imitation! 

Finally it got dark enough that we could start setting of the big rockets!  We had an eighteen-rocket show.  James set 'em off, and Jason photo-captured them all!  They make a great team.

As soon as the noise started, Sawyer choose to view the fireworks from the comfort...and safety... of his mommy's lap!

Bear choose the safety of underneath his mommy's chair.  (LOL!  He was fine, I promise ... he handled the whole night pretty well.)

And Ellie, for her first 4th of July fireworks?

She slept like a rock through the entire thing!!!  


:)