Pumpkin Bread and Pumpkin Muffins

The leaves are falling here in Ohio and tomorrow is Halloween.  Autumn is a beautiful season.  It's also the time for pumpkins!  In the two care packages I sent out a couple of days ago, I included pumpkin bread and pumpkin muffins.  Here's my recipes.

Pumpkin Bread
1 16 oz can pumpkin (be sure this is pumpkin and not pumpkin pie starter)
4 eggs
1 cup oil (I use grapeseed oil but any mild oil like canola, safflower, sunflower will work)
2/3 cups cold water
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups sugar
3 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or all purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Mix together all the wet ingredients (pumpkin, eggs, oil, water, vanilla).  Sift/mix the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl (sugar, flour, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, salt).  Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix.  Pour into two greased bread pans.  Bake at 350 for 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool and enjoy!

Pumpkin Muffins

These were very simple.  I just took a yellow cake mix.  Added the water and eggs but substituted a 16 ounce can of pumpkin for the oil and added 2 tsp of pumpkin pie spice.  I cooked the cupcakes according to the cake box instructions.  When they were cooled, I iced them with white icing.  They came out nice.  The recipe made 24 cupcakes.

I'm still on a pumpkin kick (and my family loves pumpkin also)!  I anticipate more goodies from my kitchen in the future!  Happy October!

Triplicity KAL (Knit Along)

Yea!  I'm finally getting around to starting the Progressive Needles KAL (knit along) from Michelle Hunter.  She is a seasoned teacher and all of her patterns are incredibly easy to follow.  She also has the most amazing videos that explain knitting techniques.  So, when you have that brain cramp and you can't remember how to say, make one left, just hop on over to her website, find the video and watch it for that refresher....and ultimate "aha" moment.

For more information, visit her website at

http://www.knitpurlhunter.com/

This KAL is sponsored by Skacel and there will be all sorts of prizes and give aways.  For information on the prizes along with entry forms go to the skacel website at

http://www.skacelknitting.com/

So, here is the color I've chosen for Triplicity shawlette.

This KAL started October 6 but it's been a crazy month and I haven't been able to start until today.  I'll keep you posted on my progress!  Have a great day, everyone!



Halloween Care Packages

Last weekend I had all my "babies" at home.  Yes, all 3 of my children were home and it was great seeing them all!  That was definitely a treat. 

Speaking of treats, it's almost Trick or Treat time!  It is always amazing to me that Halloween is the one holiday that brings out the kid in all of us.  Kids have fun trick or treating when they are young and then as they get older, Halloween parties become "cool!"  Jumping on the band wagon, I decided to get some care packages together for my daughter, older son, and my mother-in-law.

My daughter is a Residental Assistant (RA) in her dorm.  I thought it would be fun to send her items that she could share with her residents.  Almost like a Halloween party in a box.  Here it is

I created a halloween bingo game for her  at http://www.dltk-cards.com/bingo/ .  The candy corn can be used for cover pieces. I baked 24 pumpkin cupcakes for all to enjoy.  At Meijer, I found chocolate mint marshmallows that I thought would be fun to add to some hot cocoa and I also found some glow in the dark nail polish!  Then, just for Sammy, I have a bag of Almond Joys!

My son's box is not meant to be a party in a box but just goodies for him.  Here it is.

He loves homemade pumpkin bread so I had to bake him some.  Billy also loves pistachios and 100 Grand Bars.  While at Meijer I also found Chocolate Royale marshmallows and thought they would be a great addition to his hot chocolate.  I hope he says, yum, when he opens this!

Finally, for my mother-in-law, a box that is a blend of my two kids:  a party and homemade goodness.

I printed off the Halloween Bingo from http://www.artsyfartsymama.blogspot.com/  (here is the link http://artsyfartsymama.blogspot.com/2011/10/halloween-bingo-free-printable.html)

and used candy corn for markers again.  Then I sent her the 2nd loaf of pumpkin bread that my recipe made!

I sure hope all my guys love their surprises!

I am on a pumpkin kick!  Look for my recipes for the pumpkin bread, pumpkin cupcakes, and more in the next couple of days!

Halloween Bingo!

October is alreay halfway over...CRAZY!  One of the blogs that I follow is kim-toomuchtimeonmyhands.blogspot.com.  She does some amazing things with pallets and has an amazing eye for "shabby chic"! Anyway, on her post today, she refrenced an amazing halloween bingo game from aother blog:  artsyfartsymama.blogspot.com



Doesn't this look fun?  Here is the link so you can print this out and have fun!

http://artsyfartsymama.blogspot.com/2011/10/halloween-bingo-free-printable.html

I think this just may be part of a care package for someone special! And check out these two blogs.  Both of them have tons of great ideas!

Annie's Afghan

After a long day, my hubby and I like to have a quiet evening at home, often times watching Law and Order, Criminal Minds, or another "crime solving" show.   I enjoy knitting while I watch TV.  My time is spent "productively decompressing" rather than being wasted!

Anyway, I have been meaning to marry a simple knitting pattern with some inexpensive yet beautiful yarn:  perfect TV knitting.  I found the perfect match!  The pattern is the "reversible afghan" pattern.  You can find it at:   http://www.knitpurlhunter.com/  It is a very quick knit (2 hours a day for 2 weeks = completed afghan!).  This is the pattern, now how about the yarn?  The yarn I chose was Crystal Palace Kaya in color 105.  It is a bit expensive when knitting an afghan (20 balls), however, at http://www.littleknits.com/ it was marked down and I believe I only paid $44.00 for 20 balls!  My mother-in-law is always cold so now I have a trifecta:  perfect pattern, perfect yarn, perfect recipient.  Here is how it turned out!

The finished dimensions are 3 feet by 5 feet.  Perfect for her to snuggle under!  And look.....

it really is completely reversible!  I hope that every time she snuggles under it she remembers that her Ohio family loves her!

4you

Niagara Falls

My daughter is a member of Ohio University's Marching Band, the Marching 110.  They recently traveled to Buffalo, NY for a football game.  While they were there, they stopped by Niagara Falls.  Look at this amazing photo she sent me.

I am always amazed at mother's nature's splendor!   My breath was taken way by not only this picture but by the fact that my daughter thought to send me this while on her trip with friends!

This had me thinking how special this was.  If this lifted my spirits, then doing the same would probably help other's days.  So, I decided to forward this picture out to my family along with some other pictures on my camera that have been "waiting" to be distributed.

Let's make everyone's day without spending a penny but letting them know we are thinking of them with an e-mail!

More Pesto!

The weather here is turning back into typical fall:  drizzly, overcast, leaves falling.  Thankfully frost is still not in the picture so I haven't had to harvest all of my remaining basil, tomatoes, and such.  However, knowing my garden is on its last legs, we did have pesto again for dinner last night.  I decided to make the following:

Pesto Chicken and Whole Wheat Penne with a Mexican Twist

1 12 oz. package of whole wheat penne

1 pound chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Recipe Pesto with a Mexican Twist (see below)

Place a pot of water on the stove to boil and cook the penne according to the directions on the package.  Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a skillet and saute the chicken breast until it is cooked, then set aside.  When the penne is finished cooking, drain the pasta and then place in a large serving bowl.  Transfer the chicken to this serving bowl and toss with the pasta.  Finally, add the Pesto Sauce and toss until evenly distributed.  Serve immediately.  (Note, regular pesto works well with in this recipe also.)

Pesto with a Mexican Twist

1cup fresh basil leaves, firmly packet

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, firmly packed

1/3 cup grated romano cheese (or parmesan)

1/3 cup roasted almonds (or pine nuts or walnuts)

1/3 cup olive oil

1-2 cloves fresh garlic, peeled

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground cayenne

1 tsp salt

Place all of the above ingredients in a food processor or blender.  Process until smooth.  It will be a beautiful bright green but will oxidize quickly so be sure to use as quickly as possible.

Pesto!

We have had the most amazing weather the past week here in Ohio:  highs in the 70s, low in the 50s and low humidity!  The leaves are just beginning to change which tells me these beautiful days will get a bit nippier here soon.  So, I had better begin my final harvesting of my garden.

This may sound a bit sad, like it's the end of all of summer's splendor but on the contrary.  It's now "Pesto Time"!  Both my husband and my youngest have a soft spot for fresh basil and pesto.  We always do a final harvesting of our fresh basil, make tons of pesto, package it in 1 cup portions (zip lock bags), and freeze it for a taste of summer in the middle of winter!

Now if you are not familiar with Pesto, you may be wondering what this is.  It is a wonderful fresh basil "sauce" you can whip up in minutes and stir into fresh cooked pasta, use in place of pizza sauce, toss warm veggies in.....just yum.  Here's what you need.

Pesto Recipe:

1 cup firmly packed fresh basil leaves (no stalks please)
1/3 cup roasted almonds (or pine nuts, or walnuts)
1/3 cup shreadded romano cheese (or parmesan)
1/3 cup olive oil (I prefer virgin)
1 clove fresh garlic, peeled
dash of salt and pepper (to taste)


Place all ingredients in a food processor (or you can use a blender if you do not own a food processor), fitted with the large blade.

Now, just put your lid on your food processor (blender) and process until smooth.

Isn't it a beautiful shade of green ? You should smell it....YUM!  If you make pesto, it will oxidize quickly and it's beautiful green color will diminish.  So, quickly dump this on your pasta or whatever you choose to do with it....it is also great mixed in alfredo sauce (my daughter's favorite)!

Tonight, I'm using it on homemade whole wheat pizza crust with fresh mozzarella and fresh sliced tomatoes. I must love my guys!

Spy Fox

I've been unable to find the USB cord for my Kodak Easyshare Camera.  Hence, I have been unable to upload any pictures...until now, that is!  I went out to purchase a new cord and just purchased a Promaster card reader instead.  It's pretty sweet.  It's like a flashdrive with the one exception.  You take your SD card and insert it into the card reader and voila!  Your computer reads the card just like it would read documents off your flash drive!  Pretty sweet.

Anyway, I have been putting together a care package for my mother-in-law.  Here's what I put it in.

Yes, those are some crispy rice treats!  You will also see some Spy Fox and Freddie Fish computer games, by Humongous Entertainment.  These games, along with Pajama Sam and Putt Putt were favorites of my kids.  They are mystery games where our hero/heroine has to gather clues and supplies in order to solve the riddle and win the game.  My mother in law has alzheimers and I thought this might be a fun activity for her to do while exercising her brain.

My older son and I just fell into this at.  We we at a local Goodwill and ran into the Spy Fox set, new in its original packaging, for only $3!  Of all the Humongous Entertainment, Spy Fox was geared toward older grade school aged kids and Freddie Fish was toward a younger crowd. Don't think this is too crazy.  My grown kids still think these games are the best!  Let's hope she enjoys this type of mind exercising.

Andy's size 14s!

My wonderful hubby, Andy, is tall with long arms and legs.  This also translates to him having long rather slender feet:  14Bs to be exact.  He has never had socks that really fit him and the toes are always relatively quick to blow out.

One of my hobbies is knitting.  The problem is, no one in my family likes sweaters..but they all wear socks!  So, it's time to marry my love of my husband with my love of knitting.  Socks to fit his 14B feet!  One of the challenges of socks is the second sock syndrome.  I felt I would be faced with this even more so with the long foot.  So, I decided to tackle this challenge on number 2 (2.75 mm) needles instead of my regular number 1sock needles.  I also went on a search for a 6 ply sock yarn and found some online wellness 6 ply sock yarn at www.littleknits.com.  My husband said they fit like a glove! Here is how they turned out!

BINGO!

What is a game that everyone can play regardless of age?  BINGO!  I have played this game numerous times and in numerous ways.  There is the classic game that you can purchase from any discount store, I can't even count how many times I've played this version.  Then, I remember playing a mather version in school called "QUIZMO".  I have also played a Christmas version where you looked for various pictures.

For many years, I have been a volunteer working with youth and I have also volunteered for the Activities Director of a nursing home.  You can always play traditional bingo buy why not make their day a little special by creating a game specifically for them?

At http://www.dltk-cards.com/bingo/ you can create and print your own bingo cards and call out sheet for a holiday using pictures or numbers.  This site also gives you hints on playing bingo in a large group (15 or more players).

At http://print-bingo.com/print-bingo-cards.php you can create and print customized bingo cards with words or phrases.

Both sites can create a fun game with your specific audience in mind.  Show someone that you thought of them by creating a game just for them!  Have fun!

More Crispy Rice Recipes

Well, It's Saturday morning, the first day of October but it feels like November.  My daughter and older son are both away at college and each have friends visiting them this weekend.  So, I decided to get another "care package" together for each of them.  My oven still is not working so I'm experimenting with more crispy rice treats.  I decided to have Mounds Bars and Andes Mints inspire me.  Here is what I came up with.

Mounds Bars Crispy Treats

4 Tbsp Butter
1 pkg mini marshmallows
6 cups crispy rice cereal
1 tsp coconut extract/flavoring
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups grated coconut
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips

Line a 9x13 pan with waxed paper and set aside.  In a large pot over low heat, melt the butter.  Once the butter is melted, add the marshmallows and stir until melted.  Take the pot off the heat and working quickly, first stir in the coconut flavoring and vanilla extract.  Still working quickly,  add the crispy rice and grated coconut and stir until coated.  Then add the chocolate chips and fold them in.  Once all ingredients have been added and folded together, transfer the contents to your 9x13 pan.  With another piece of waxed paper, spread the contents to fill the pan (also press down to ensure everything has stuck together).  Let this sit until set, at least one hour.  Cut into 24 pieces and enjoy!


Andes (French Mint)  Crispy Treats

4 Tbsp Butter
1 pkg mini marshmallows
6 cups cocoa crispy rice cereal
1 tsp peppermint extract/flavoring
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips


Line a 9x13 pan with waxed paper and set aside.  In a large pot over low heat, melt the butter.  Once the butter is melted, add the marshmallows and stir until melted.  Take the pot off the heat and working quickly, first stir in the peppermint flavoring and vanilla extract.  Still working quickly,  add the cocoa crispy rice and stir until coated.  Then add the chocolate chips and fold them in.  Once all ingredients have been added and folded together, transfer the contents to your 9x13 pan.  With another piece of waxed paper, spread the contents to fill the pan (also press down to ensure everything has stuck together).  Let this sit until set, at least one hour.  Cut into 24 pieces and enjoy!