Mini Pumpkin Pies

It has become a yearly tradition for my little Lords and Ladies to make personal mini pumpkin pies to celebrate Thanksgiving. I almost forgot to make them this year and they were all quick to remind me that we had not done them yet. Luckily I happened to have all of the supplies on hand. 

Ingredients needed:

- Pie Crust

- 1 15oz can of Pureed pumpkin

- 1 Tbsp Pumpkin Pie spice

- Sweetened Condensed Milk

- 2 Eggs

I always buy the refrigerated pre-made pie crust. I should probably someday learn how to make my own, but for now, pre-made works just fine for me. If you cut the dough just right, there is just enough dough to make 12 mini pies, plus a little extra left over to make fun little leaves to garnish the pies. I used a plastic storage bowl as a template. I found one that fit over the mini pie tin so there was enough dough to cover the rim. If you don't have mini pie tins, you could use a muffin pan.

Next, I rolled out the leftover dough and used a fun leaf shaped cookie cutter to cut out my leaf garnishes.

For the filling, mix the pumpkin, pie spice, eggs and sweetened condensed milk together until well blended. This is usually where I have my little Lords and Ladies help. It's a really great way for the little ones to practice counting and older ones to practice fractions. 

Once the filling is mixed pour enough filling into the pie crust to almost reach the top. Then place the leaf garnish on the top of the pie. 

Place the pie tins on a cookie sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. Then reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes.

Once the pies are finished baking, let them cool for at least an hour or two. 

Enjoy!

    

DIY Washer Necklaces

All princesses love jewelry, really who doesn't? The only thing more fun than wearing jewelry is making jewelry. My Princesses and Little Ladies all made washer necklaces today. These easy creations are perfect for birthday party crafts, BFF gifts, Christmas gifts or just to make for themselves.

Most of the items needed to create these necklaces are probably already sitting around your house. All you need are some metal washers, we happened to have two sizes (though I can't tell you what sizes, they were the ones sitting in the plastic tub in the garage), fun colored nail polish, some ribbon and wax paper.

Place some wax paper on the table to protect it. And unlike regular paper, the wet washers won't stick as much. 

Then let your Little Ladies go to town painting the washers with the nail polish. I prefer using nail polish over paint, because there are more sparkly options and it gives the necklaces a shine that paint just can't achieve.

Once the nail polish is dry use a piece of ribbon to create your necklace chain.

My Princesses and Little Ladies had so much fun making these and I enjoyed listening to them talk about who they were giving each necklace to as a gift. I do love these generous girls. 

Enjoy!

Snowman Pancakes

Today was the first snow day of the school year. To celebrate I decided to surprise my Princesses and little Lords and Ladies with snowman pancakes for breakfast. Snowman pancakes are a lot like regular pancakes, the only difference are the warm hugs you get afterwards.

Ingredients needed:
- Pancake Mix
- Vanilla
- Cinnamon
- Chocolate Chips
- Fruit Loops
- Powdered Sugar

To start follow the directions on the pancake mix just like you were going to make regular pancakes. Then add a splash of vanilla and sprinkle in some cinnamon and mix thoroughly. These additional flavors give it an awesome and almost magical taste. 

Then using a preheated griddle, pour a small amount of batter to make the head and then overlap the first circle with a larger amount of batter to make the snowman body. I find using a 1/4 cup measuring cup works great to pour your batter onto the griddle. However, I did not use a full measuring cup of batter.

When the batter gets all bubbly, flip the snowman over to cook the other side.

When the snowman is fully cooked, place it on a plate and decorate it. I sprinkled powdered sugar "snow" on top. Then the kids used chocolate chips for the eyes, mouth and buttons and an orange fruit loop for his nose. 

This was a really fun and easy way to start our day. I realize this isn't a recipe totally from scratch, this recipe isn't about the pancakes, it's more about the smiles you get from your Lords and Ladies and the memories you make on a day where you are snowed inside. 

Enjoy!

For more breakfast ideas, check out how to make homemade instant oatmeal

Crockpot Butternut Squash Soup

This past year my family joined a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm where every week we would go to the farm and collect our share of whatever vegetables were ripe that week. We had so much fun doing this. Now that fall is here the harvest was bountiful and we received a lot of squash. This led me to comb the internet in search of a great squash soup recipe, and this is what I found (slightly altered to fit our tastes.)

Ingredients needed:
- 1 Butternut Squash
- 3-4 medium sized potatoes
- 2 apples (any flavor)
- 1 medium to large onion
- 2-3 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- salt and pepper to taste

First cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. 

Then peel and chop the squash, apple, potatoes and onion into 1 inch chunks and place in a crockpot.

Add 2-3 cups of broth to the crockpot. Then cook on low for 6 hours.

After 6 hours, add salt, pepper and pumpkin pie spice. Use a hand blender to blend and puree the soup. 

Enjoy! 


This recipe was featured on a local TV show called EightWest, to view the segment click here.

To purchase the Thirty One products mentioned in the segment go here.

Apple Duff

When I think of fall desserts, Apple Duff is the dessert I look forward to the most. This recipe was my grandmothers, and to me, this is what fall tastes like. Most of the items needed for this dish are already in your cupboard. 

Ingredients needed:
- 5-7 Apples (any kind)
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 1/3 cup flour
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 tsp baking powder
- cinnamon & sugar to taste

Peel and slice apples into an 8x8 pan (you can use a 9x13, but double the recipe) until the apples reach the top of the pan. 

Sprinkle as much cinnamon and sugar as you would like. I say the more the better. 

Mix remaining ingredients together. This will be a thicker batter. 

Pour over apples.  Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes or until the top is brown and a toothpick comes out clean. 

Serve with vanilla ice cream or a splash of milk.

Enjoy!


This recipe was featured on a local TV show called EightWest, to view the segment click here.

To purchase the Thirty One products mentioned in the segment go here.

Cranberry Stuffing

Every year at Thanksgiving time I get asked one of two questions. I always get asked if I am making "The Stuffing" or if I will give the recipe out. I love making this recipe. It tastes and looks beautiful and complex, but it is incredibly easy to make. 

The ingredients you will need are:
- 2 cups chopped celery
- 1 medium sized chopped onion
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 bag Herb Seasoned Stuffing (about 3-4 cups)
- 1 box Stovetop Cornbread Stuffing
- 2-3 cups chicken broth

Saute the celery, onion, cranberries and garlic in butter until tender in a large skillet.

Place both stuffings in a large mixing bowl. Combine the sauteed mixture and the stuffing. Add as much chicken broth as needed to moisten everything.

Put into a covered baking dish and bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes

Enjoy!


This recipe was featured on a local TV show called EightWest, to view the segment click here.

To purchase the Thirty One products mentioned in the segment go here.

Homemade Instant Oatmeal

When the weather is cold, one of my favorite comfort foods for breakfast is oatmeal. We go through a lot of instant oatmeal in our house in the colder months. Sometimes a full box in less than a week, which can really add up.

While I was searching through Pinterest I found several pins about how to make your own instant oatmeal, I decided to give it a try. And I have to say I'm hooked. Sorry Mr. Quaker, but you are no longer welcome in my house. Homemade instant oatmeal tastes so much better than store bought, it's more filling and you can be a little creative with the fruit you add to it. 

To make your own instant oatmeal you will need:

1 - 18oz can of Quick Oats
1/3 cup - Dry Powdered Milk
1/2 cup - Brown Sugar
2 tsp - Cinnamon
1-2 cups - Dried Fruit (raisins, cranberries, etc...)

Add your ingredients to a resealable container and mix it all together. I used an old lemonade pitcher that I never use anymore, it's just the right size for a double batch (a single batch is shown).

Instead of boring old raisins, I used dried cranberries, pomegranates and blueberries. I found all of these fruits in the produce section at my local grocery store.

When you are ready to make breakfast, mix 1/2 cup oatmeal with 1/2 cup water and microwave it for 2 minutes. It will be thick so you can either use a little more water, or add some milk when it's done cooking. This amount will make just as much as using 2 packets of the store bought instant oatmeal.

To make this ready for on the go, just scoop your desired amount of the instant oatmeal mix into a zip-loc bag and take it with you and add the water later.

Enjoy!

For more winter breakfast ideas check out how to make Snowman Pancakes