It’s already happening

 

Goodness!!

The crabapple and aspen leaves in my yard are already starting to turn!

Needless to say, I am not ready for fall. 

We’ve had a cool summer with rain and devastating hail… I hate to see our chances for warm weather come to an end.

I’ve been going through my Pinterest boards, looking for some fall inspiration. 

I need a little help this year switching to fall mode :)

Hope it is still warm where you are… have a great weekend, friends!

Scarecrow Crunch

Stirred up a batch of our favorite fall snack mix… Scarecrow Crunch!
It’s really easy.  No baking.  Just mix it together and voila :)

SCARECROW CRUNCH
4 cups Honey Nut Cheerios 
4 cups tiny twist pretzels
1 bag candy corn 
2 cups Reese’s pieces
2 boxes caramel popcorn (Crunch ‘n Munch)
1 box chocolate Teddy Grahams or chocolate animal crackers
Mix gently in a large bowl. Store in airtight container.

For being so simple, it sure is a pretty fall treat :)

Candy Corn Cookie Dilemma

I have a problem. 

And it has bothered me a lot. 

I love making candy corn cookies in the fall.  I’ve posted the recipe previously {here}. 

Now, this is not a cause for national alarm and most people don’t even notice, but it KILLS me that all the candy corn don’t look like real candy corn.  Candy corn are supposed to be yellow on the bottom, orange in the center and have a little white tip.  But, when made like my previous instructions say,  they don’t work out in the proper color order.  Every other cookie ends up with a yellow tip and white bottom.    Trivial?  Umm, yeah, but I just could not let it go.  I felt compelled to eat remove the imposters and needed to find a new way of constructing my candy corn!  

Here’s what I did: 
I started with my Grammy’s Danish sugar cookie dough (recipe below or use your favorite sugar cookie recipe).
Divide dough into 3 parts… a little more than half for orange, about one-third for yellow and the smallest amount will be left plain for the tips.  Use gel paste food coloring for the orange and yellow portions and knead it into the dough. 
Now make like it’s Play Doh and form into three “ropes.”  Stack them up in the proper color order :)  Pinch, smooth and coax it into a triangle shape: 

Refrigerate until firm.  Lay onto one of the long sides and slice thinly.  I use a thin bread knife.  But try a chef knife if that doesn’t work for you.

Dust with sugar or sprinkles.  Or not.  Bake as directed for your recipe. 

See?  Every little tip is white.  And all the bottoms are yellow.  Lovely, no?

  The birds are singing, the sun is shining brighter and now all is now right with the world…

So rest easy, friends.  I’m here, solving the world’s most pressing problems for you. 

DANISH SUGAR COOKIES

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon rind (the dried kind in a jar is fine)
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, well beaten
1 tablespoon cream
Cream together the shortening and sugar. Add eggs and whip until light and fluffy. Add cream, nutmeg, lemon rind, and baking powder and mix. Stir in flour to make a firm dough. Chill at least 1 hour. Roll thin and cut out with a floured cookie cutter. Place cookies on a lightly greased cookie sheet. If using sprinkles, add them before baking. Bake at 350, 7 minutes for thin cookies- up to 12 minutes for thicker cookies.

Scarecrow Crunch

I made my own little version of THIS recipe from Pinterest. 

Mine is a little different.  I had to change a few of the ingredients.  Mainly because I was pressed for time and could only make one grocery stop. 

Thus, I used honey nut cheerios instead of oat squares.  And they were out of chocolate teddy grahams.  So mine are plain. 

It’s still REALLY yummy though. 

SCARECROW CRUNCH

4 cups crunchy oat squares (used honey nut cheerios instead)
4 cups tiny twist pretzels
1 bag (22 ounces) autumn mix (used candy corn only)
2 cups Reese’s pieces
2 boxes caramel popcorn (Crunch ‘n Munch)
1 box chocolate Teddy Grahams (used plain animal crackers)

Mix gently in a large bowl.  Store in airtight container. 

Give it a try!

It’s that time again.

Well, actually it has been for about a week now…

Pumpkin spice is back at your local Starbucks! 

I previously have posted two different DIY pumpkin spice recipes.

While I love the Just Like Starbucks version… find it HERE… the powdered creamer is faster and more convenient. 

Plus.  Unless I have company to make it for, I always have leftover canned pumpkin in my fridge with Just Like Starbucks.  Not-enough-to-use-in-baking and starting-to-get-icky-and-dry pumpkin.   I hate wasting perfectly good pumpkin like that! 

So.  Except for special occasions or company, Pumpkin Spice Creamer it is!

PUMPKIN SPICE COFFEE CREAMER
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup powdered coffee creamer
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon vanilla

Dump all of the ingredients into a food processor and process for about a minute, or until it is powdery smooth and the texture is even.  Store in a lidded container.

*You can add more or less pumpkin pie spice and/or vanilla, according to your tastes.  Splenda can be substituted for sugar. 

**Double or triple the ingredients (quadruple?) so you don’t have to make it as often.  Just sayin’.

PS.  Don’t forget a bit of whipped cream and a dusting of spice on top!

Linking to: 

Countdown to Autumn …

Fall Frenzy …

Candy Corn Cookies

Here’s something fun to try with your kids this fall…  Candy Corn Cookies.  No real candy corn is involved :)  They were easy and always turn out so cute!

You can use your favorite sugar cookie recipe.  We always use Grammy Snelling’s sugar cookie dough.

When your cookie dough is finished, divide it into 3 portions.     Then use gel food coloring to make the orange and yellow sections.  I make a slightly larger amount yellow, then some orange, leaving a smaller portion plain white. 

They look suspiciously like play dough at this point!

 
Fold a piece of wax paper or parchment paper so that it fits in a loaf pan.  Smoosh the dough into the loaf pan… orange first, then yellow and finally the plain sugar dough.  It doesn’t have to be perfect, just get your layers in there: 

Refrigerate for 1 hour or until dough is thoroughly chilled and firm.  Remove and use the wax paper to help coax the dough loaf out of the pan. 

Carefully cut into thin slices: 

Cut each slice into little triangles.  They’re already looking like “candy corn.”  Dust with sprinkles or sugar and bake per your recipe’s instructions. 

Linking to: 

Punkin’ Toes

Autumn has been making it’s presence felt here in WY.  Actually, fall arrives here much sooner than many parts of the country :) The leaves are mostly gone and it is freezing nearly every night now. 

Pumpkins are one of my favorite fall themes and these sweet little pumpkin booties make me smile.  I’m so happy with out they turned out!

There’s even a matching hat.

I ♥ them! 

Sweet autumn punkin’ toes in sizes 0-12 months are up in the shop.

What have you all been working on this week?

Pumpkin Spice

Do you
       big puffy heart

this:

As much as me??

How about making some at home 

to get you by…

until your next Starbucks trip?

Last year I posted my Just Like Starbucks recipe here.

(PS. It’s delicious)

But this is even easier:

PUMPKIN SPICE COFFEE CREAMER

1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup powdered coffee creamer
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon vanilla

Measure all of the ingredients (even the vanilla) into a food processor and process for about a minute, or until it is all powdery smooth and the texture is even. Store in a container with a lid.

You can add more or less spices, according to your tastes.  Splenda can be used  instead of sugar. 

Double or triple the ingredients so you don’t have to make it as often.  Cuz you’ll be making it often.  :)  

Linked to:

Candy Corn Cookies

We tried something new this fall with Grammy Snelling’s sugar cookie dough.  Candy Corn Cookies.  No real candy corn is involved :)  They were easy and turned out so cute!

Use your favorite sugar cookie dough.  Then divide it into 3 portions, the orange and yellow portions are a little larger than the white one.  Then use gel food coloring to make the orange and yellow sections, leaving the smaller portion plain. 

They look suspiciously like play dough at this point!

 
Fold a piece of wax paper or parchment paper so that it fits in a loaf pan.  Smoosh the dough into the loaf pan… orange first, then yellow and finally the plain sugar dough.  It doesn’t have to be perfect, just get your layers in there: 

Refrigerate for 1 hour or until dough is thoroughly chilled and firm.  Remove and use the wax paper to help coax the dough loaf out of the pan. 

Start slicing the dough into thin slices: 

Then cut each slice into little triangles.  Now you can see the little “candy corn.”  Dust with sprinkles or sugar and bake per your recipe’s instructions. 

Aww.  They’s so cute! 

Linking to: 

Pumpkin Spice Latte

There it is. Isn’t it gorgeous? Sigh. Oh, how I love thee Pumpkin Spice Latte. Warm and yummy. Definitely pumpkin-y, But not too pumpkin-ish. Cinnamon. Whipped cream. What’s not to love? Even my kids do (and they despise coffee).

One teensy problem- I only go to Starbucks when I happen to have a gift card to “spend.” Which is seldom in the fall. And that happens to be the only time Starbucks offers the delicacy known as pumpkin spice latte.

It soon became apparent that the only way some pumpkin spice would cross my palate would be if I made it myself. After searching for a recipe that closely resembles it and combining several, this is what I came up with.

Just Like Starbucks Pumpkin Spice LatteMakes 1-2 servings

Ingredients:
2 cups milk
2 tablespoons canned pumpkin
2 tablespoons sugar or sugar substitute – adjust to taste
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup strong brewed coffee (or 1/4 cup of espresso if you have an espresso machine)

Directions:In a saucepan stir together milk, pumpkin and sugar. Cook and stir over medium heat until steaming. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and pumpkin pie spice, transfer to a blender and process for 15 seconds or until foamy. I don’t usually bother with the blender and just whip the mixture really well with a wire whisk.

Pour into a large mug or two mugs if you decide to share. Add the coffee or espresso on top.

Optional: (But don’t even think about skipping this step. I mean it). Top with whipped cream and sprinkle pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, or cinnamon on top.

mmmmm. Can you smell that? Because I can and I need another one.
Please visit Tasty Tuesday and Tempt My Tummy Tuesday for lots more fabulous recipes.

Easy Peasy Harvest Mix

I'm not generally a fan of candy corn, but I heard about this mix tasting like a PayDay candy bar and had to try it. Guess what! It really does! Just make sure each bite contains both peanuts and candy corn.

Now I buy a bag of candy corn every fall, just to make this mix. 2 ingredients. Effortless to make. Easy peasy lemon squeezy!

Harvest Mix

2 cups salted or dry roasted peanuts
2 cups candy corn

Mix together. Serve.

That is all.

Please visit Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and Tasty Tuesday for more great recipes!

Crafter's Stimulus Plan

I'm participating in The Weekend Boutique at Pretty Organized Palace again this week. Pretty Organized Palace encourages us to "Come see... come shop... come buy from women and moms who could use the extra cash for their families." So click on over to the Weekend Boutique and get a jump on your Christmas shopping!

I'm highlighting a few items from PrairieCottageRose for you today.

Not so scary scarecrow table runner... Easy care runner for Halloween through Thanksgiving.

Hand crocheted luxury spring violet washcloth trio. Add a few other goodies and you’ll have the perfect gift for any occasion....or just a special treat for yourself.

Soft and gentle crocheted shower puff in sunny yellow will cheerfully help you stuff those stockings:)

Punkin patch table runner. Another one that could carry you from early fall through Thanksgiving.

Candy Corn Crow... has a seriously big sweet tooth. A new OOAK design for fall 2009.

Happy shopping everyone!! And remember, it's only 96 Days, 7 Hours, 3 minutes until Christmas!

...But who's counting?