No Cans Allowed

I have a bucket list per say of things I would like to learn how to do that I think would make me be a more rounded housewife. They're just silly things like learn how to make candy or eventually have such a bounty of fruit and veggies growing in my yard that I have to can them. I think we all have secret wishes of being a little more fabulous in the kitchen and our homes. I know I do.

One of the items on my list was to learn how to make a pumpkin pie from a pumpkin. I tried it for the first time last year and, lo and behold, it actually worked and tasted good! If you've always wondered what goes into making a pumpkin pie sans the can then read on and I'll take you on a fantastic journey. Okay, okay, maybe not fantastic but interesting nonetheless!

First you need one of these bad boys, aka a sugar pumpkin. Sugar pumpkins are small (about the size of a grapefruit) and you may have doubts that one of them could make a pie (I did) but rest assured there is enough fleshy goodness to indeed fill a pie shell. Last year when I made my pie I set a goal for the next year to first grow the pumpkin before I turned it into a pie. Did I meet my goal?

Eh, sort of. I grew pumpkins but not sugar pumpkins. I opted for jack-o-lantern pumpkins this year for the kids. I'm still counting it! So after you've obtained your pumpkin (which can be found at any grocery store this time of year), the next thing you have to do is cut it in half, cut the stem off and get to work scooping out the seeds. Honestly, this is the hardest part of the whole thing. Sugar pumpkins seem to be very attached to their guts but it is very important to make sure all the strings are out otherwise you'll be sifting them out later when you mix everything together which is not cool. Last year I did it alone. This year I enlisted my husband and his strong man hands to finish the deed. Ah, much better.

After all the guts are out, cover each half in aluminum foil, place on a cookie sheet and pop them in the oven at 350 for one hour. The pumpkin should be tender when pierced with a fork and that's how you'll know it's done.

After it's all cooled, use a spoon to scoop out the pumpkin from the shell. This part is easy. The pumpkin literally just falls out of the shell with minimal pressure. Piece of cake (or should I say pie?)! One you've got your pumpkin scooped out, mix it and the other ingredients together (make sure you have a big bowl because once all the ingredients are in there it's very soupy and tends to splatter when being mixed) and pour into the pie shell. Yes, I said pie shell. I don't make my own pie crusts. I know how but they never turn out pretty and make me angry so I opt to let my good friends at Pillsbury make one for me.

After your pie has baked for the allotted time it should look something like this. Isn't it purdy?! You won't believe the difference between a pie from a pumpkin and a pie from a can.

The best part of this whole pie experience is that I really felt like I learned something. So many of the things that our grandmothers did have gotten lost in the hustle and bustle of modern living. It was so refreshing to take my time and make something with my own hands. There's a lot of love that goes into this kind of baking and I know that's why my grandmothers' cooking always tasted so good too.

What's on your "inner pioneer" bucket list? 

*Oh and the reason I didn't post the recipe is that it (and the all the instructions for making a pie) can be found on the bottom of the pumpkin when you buy it. If for some reason you need it, just shoot me a comment and I'll post it for you. :)





"Fall"ing in Love

I've not had time to devote to this blog lately and I apologize. To my loyal followers, thank you for hanging in there with me as I've tried to get the hang of having three kids in schools this year and a napping baby too. :)

Happy Fall! Today is the first official day but in my book, fall begins on the very first day of September. We have gorgeous falls around here and I love the sunny days with a soft cool breeze blowing lazily around. I love the crisp mornings and the way the azure sky suddenly gets a little deeper. I love how everything smells cinnamony and homey. I love watching the leaves change, antiquated by the long hot summer, yet refusing to give in to winter without going out in a blaze of fiery autumn hues.

Ah! Autumn is my favorite time of year! And because it is my favorite, I like to do it up right in my home decorating. Each year I try to make or buy something new to adorn my abode with. Here's the things I've added this year:

First I set about making my front porch look festively fall-ish by wrapping autumn leaf garland around the banisters and adding white twinkle lights. This is going to look even cuter come October when I add my friendly ghost and candy corn lights I bought to go around the door! Fun!

I found this large metal pumpkin at Hobby Lobby and fell in love. I put it up where I had the seashell wreath I made for summer. It seemed lonely so I bought two wreaths from the dollar store to go on either side of it. The were super easy to make: I simply spray painted them brown spray paint and tied strips of fabric around them. I added felt sunflowers to the top for some more visual interest. Total, they cost me a whopping 3 dollars!

The Happy Harvest sign was my fall purchase from last year and it's great. The real thing I'm excited about in this picture though is the paper pumpkins on the mantle behind it. I bought them on clearance the year we moved to Utah and they have been in their bag since. I just couldn't figure out what to do with them. I think they look cute interspersed with the autumn leaves, don't you? Next year I hope to find something to put up in place of the "Home Rules" sign at the back that will match a little better. The best part about this display is it keeps us all from stacking clutter on the mantle like we usually do! :)

Being a wife and a homemaker can sometimes be dull, monotonous, and hard. It's easy to lose sight of the little things that bring us joy in each day. Decorating for fall is so fun for me! It makes me happy when I look around and take it all in. Add to that a spicy smelling candle and there is nothing better.

It's just what I need to bring a smile to my face when I've had a stressful day. What brings you joy about fall?

Keeping Mornings Stress-Free

Now that it's back to school time for kids again it's time to think about ways to keep the mornings running smoothly. Here's a couple of tips to get you started!

Every Sunday night I make my way up to my three older kids' bedrooms and set out the clothes they will wear during the school week. My kids are all still young enough that they don't really have an opinion of what they wear and this way I make sure all of their clothes are being worn equally. If you have some opinionated kids then I suggest you have them in the room with you helping so they can make sure they're wearing what they want.

You could buy a fancy-schmancy clothing organizer doo-dad but I have found that the tops of my kids' dressers work just fine. I made some labels on the computer, laminated them with my trusty mini-laminator, and taped them to the walls using painters tape. Cheap, easy, and practical is what I'm all about.

It's my kids' responsibilty to get dressed when they wake up and because of my system it works great! Everyone always has something to wear and no one is frantically searching for an article of clothing.

I made this check list for my oldest back when she was in kindergarten. Back then I had a toddler and a baby to manage as well and so it was important to have the one who was capable of doing more things to be independent. Now I have a 3rd grader, a kindergartner, a preschooler, and a baby. The older three all have different school schedules so having a check list has become all the more important.

Instead of me hollering at my kids to get ready, they do it themselves. I have one of these lists posted on the fridge and another up in my girls' room so they can refer back to it as needed.  I also have added the times my older two go and come home from school along with the number to the school. That way mom doesn't forget anything either!

Getting your kids ready in the morning doesn't have to be a chore.

All it takes is a little planning ahead!

Super Easy Turkey Meatball Stir-Fry

Okay so apparently, I am in a recipe sort of mood on this blog lately. :) This year I have planted a garden and am so excited to cook with some fresh veggies that I grew all by myself! This recipe is a favorite at my house and is perfect for garden goodies. I thought I'd be nice and share it with you all too!

Here it is:

What You Need:
1/3 pkg of pre-cooked frozen turkey meatballs.
2-3 cups of your favorite fresh veggies (chopped). Last time I made this with pea pods (halved), yellow squash (sliced), carrots (chopped), bell peppers (diced), and baby corn (halved). I always just put in whatever I have on hand.
1/4 cup apricot jam
1/4 cup Catalina dressing
2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2-3 cups cooked brown rice

Make It:
 Combine all ingredients in a large skillet.
Cook on medium high heat, 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve over brown rice.

Tips to Make it Work Great!
* I adapted this recipe from a recipe found on kraftrecipes.com. However, I have found everything cooks a little more evenly if I take the meatballs and zap them in the microwave for a couple of minutes so they're a little thawed before adding them to the skillet.

*While the meatballs are cooking in the skillet I take my trusty wooden spoon and break them into fourths. This is just a personal preference but I like to have a little bit of meat with each bite of veggies instead of one big meatball.

*The original recipe says to cover the skillet while everything's cooking but I like my veggies to be more crisp so I leave the lid off.

*This recipe can also be made using a package of frozen stir-fry vegetables so it can be used in the winter time as well when fresh, good quality veggies are harder to come by.

I hope this recipe becomes a favorite of your family's too!

Root Beer Float Cake

Since it's summer it's a must at my house to have yummy Root Beer Float Cake. I saw the recipe when I was home visiting my mom a couple of years ago on her Gooseberry Patch calendar. I was a bit skeptical but it turned out so yummy! The frosting tasted like the foam on a root beer float. It was very fluffy and held up well. I was worried it would absorb into the cake but it set just fine.

Here's the recipe:

Root Beer Float Cake

18-1/4 pkg white cake mix

2-1/4 c. root beer, chilled and divided

1/4 c. oil

2 eggs

1 env. whipped topping mix (Dream Whip)

In a large bowl, combine cake mix, 1-1/4 cups root beer, oil and eggs; beat until well blended. Pour into a greased 13"x9" baking pan. Bake at 350 for 30-35 min.; cool completely. In a medium bowl, combine remaining root beer and whipped topping mix; beat until soft peak forms. Frost cake.

Beauty Is...

I used to dread art class when I was a kid. It seemed no matter how hard I tried I just couldn't make my hand create the beautiful picture I envisioned in my head. I hated looking around and seeing, what seemed to me, everyone doing their art projects with ease while I struggled and struggled. Even now as an adult I avoid the arts and crafts activities our church has because I don't like drawing attention to my inadequacies as an artist.
It's funny I tend to feel this way because I am not one of those people who can't make anything. In fact, I am very crafty. Most of the wall hangings in my home are things that I've created. The difference is, I guess, that I've made these things my own way, on my own time. There's been no one to look over my shoulder and critique my art or give me a bad grade.

Instead, I grade my own work and judge whether or not it's worthy to adorn my wall. That makes me happy. I love beautifying my home and improving myself in the process.

I painted this picture recently. It's mediocre, in my opinion, but I put it on my wall anyway. Why? Because I kinda like it, actually. I've always wanted to be a painter and although I know I'll never be a Monet, I am trying.

And so, even though my art teacher never gave me an "A", I'm giving one to myself. An "A" for effort and a "+" for taking the time to do something for myself and beautifying my home at the same time.

To me that's what beauty really is.

She Sells Sea Shells

Being summer and all I've been in sort of a beachy mood so when I came across this seashell wreath in my mom's Woman's Day magazine, I knew I had to make it. I think it turned out great and I love the eclectic feel it has mixed with my other decor. The only thing I wish now is that my wall were painted a different color so the shells would really pop. A project for another day perhaps... :)

Here's the instructions if you'd like to make your own wreath.

To make the one I made you have to modify Woman's Day's version a little.

-Instead of a 16 inch foam wreath I used a 14 inch one. The 16 inch one was just too big

-They call for 5 bags of shells which is way too much in my opinion and way too expensive. If you make the 14 inch wreath you can get away with two bags easily.

-I also added glass jewels in colors that match my decor. I think it makes the wreath a little more funky and a little more colorful.

Making things for my home makes me happy!