Yummy in Your Tummy-- Pumpkin Chip Muffins

Howdy, Sisters!

One of my favorite things to do this time of year is to dig out my old issues of Taste of Home in preparation for our big Thanksgiving and Christmas meals. My mother-in-law gets me a subscription every year for one of my Christmas gifts. I just love this magazine! I use it way more than my Better Crocker Cookbook (Sorry Betty!) I found the yummiest recipe for Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins so, I thought I would pass the recipe on to you! I love to cook, but baking is not.my.thing. So, if I survived this recipe, then, so can you! :) (Christmas cookies have literally brought me to tears in years past...) This recipe really is super easy and delish! Thank you Taste of Home (and Mom G)! :)

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

"This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.
It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness."
Lamentations 3:21-23

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To Browse other recipes..... http://www.tasteofhome.com/

Its Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas at the Seven Sisters

Every year the seven sisters get together around Christmas time and do our annual cookie exchange. It is great because we all have to make only one kind of cookie, but get to go home with many other kinds to present to our guests on Christmas. This year the cookie exchange is at my house which requires me to decorate..decorate...and decorate!!! I found a cute little Martha project at the craft store which is sure to make my guests tickled pink!!! It was so easy and turned out so cute.

With the cookie exchange being at my house this year I wanted to think up a cute and festive seat placement/favor for my sisters to take home with them. All to set the mood in my house this year because the theme is going to be 'homespun' at Mar's. (I am also taking into account that I will have a one year old running around so all the Christmas decorations have to be childproof!!!) So this year the theme is PINE CONES!!!! My Christmas tree this year will consist of pine cones of all shapes and sizes, strung popcorn, and any other large item I can put on the tree with out it becoming a choking hazard to my one year old. (Hint of future blog to come).

I put together a little tutorial for my favor and I'm sure yours will come out just as adorable!

They turned out so cute!

Linking to:

♥'s full of thanks...

Happy 2 days after Thanksgiving...i just wanted to savor this holiday..because we immediately dive into the the next, the very next day...welcome to chaos...so just for this weekend, forget about black Friday (who wants to wait in line all night in the freezing cold anyway to save a couple bucks?)...forget about the gift list, the cookie plans, the joann fabric coupons that would save us 203 percent of our total purchases... and take a while to reflect on what you're thankful for...I have plenty to ponder...♥



Lord, so often times, as any other day
When we sit down to our meal and pray



We hurry along and make fast the blessing
Thanks, amen. Now please pass the dressing




We're slaves to the olfactory overload
We must rush our prayer before the food gets cold





But Lord, I'd like to take a few minutes more
To really give thanks to what I'm thankful for




For my family, my health, a nice soft bed
My friends, my freedom, a roof over my head




I'm thankful right now to be surrounded by those
Whose lives touch me more than they'll ever possibly know




Thankful Lord, that You've blessed me beyond measure
Thankful that in my heart lives life's greatest treasure





That You, dear Jesus, reside in that place
And I'm ever so grateful for Your unending grace





So please, heavenly Father, bless this food You've provided
And bless each and every person invited





Amen!

~Scott Weseman~

ps. the hubs strikes again...wanna know how to cook a hunk a meat?!?
he's the guy to ask...the bird was moist & delicious...
check out the recipe he used here
ps. check out the craft blogs where i got all these great Thanksgiving ideas!!

♥ give thanks banner ...atsecondstreet.blogspot.com♥
♥ pumpkin candle centerpiece ...bhg.com♥
♥ dinner menu ...bhg.com♥
♥ printable place cards & table settings ...freeprettythingsforyou.com♥
♥ napkin rings ...marthastewart.com♥
♥ printable bible verse ...cheepideas.com♥

Ode to Cranberries

Happy Day After Thanksgiving! I hope everyone ate some delicious food and you are now standing in line for the deal of the century!
This is my tribute to cranberries...I get so excited to see you in the grocery store, your time is so short. I do love your pretty red color and your tart taste. You are the star of my favorite muffin and oh! be still my heart, you are in English Muffins and bagels...for a limited time only... as per the package. I will make the most of our limited time together. Why can you get blueberry bagels anytime of year but can only get cranberry right now? Seems like a conspiracy.
I do love to eat cranberries...I made a new pie recipe this year and since I am actually writing this on Tuesday, I haven't actually tasted it yet but it smelled and looked pretty yummy. The recipe was kinda involved so hopefully it will be worth the effort.

Cranberry-Pear Crumble Pie

I also have been known to decorate with cranberries. My holiday centerpiece is a glass bowl filled with cranberries floating in water and a floating candle. The cranberries have to be switched for fresh ones after a week or so but it looks really pretty. And it provides a new and exciting water source for our 3 cats. (Yes, I am a bad cat owner, they jump up on the table but please don't tell).



How about a lovely lunch of crispy romaine lettuce, a sprinkling of craisins and just a little blue cheese dressing...yum yum. I do love cranberries!

Lulu's smile for the week: getting to drink sparkling grape juice! Yum! ☺
Lulu's frown for the week: missing our kitties

Nel's smile for the week: the girl scout cookies have all been delivered! ☺
Nel's frown for the week: Can you hire someone to decorate your Christmas tree?

Giving Thanks: 4 years

Every Thanksgiving for the last four years, it's been quite easy to remember what I'm thankful for. My husband! That's what happens when you get married in late November. :) Next year our anniversary will fall exactly on Thanksgiving, but this year, it's today!

So, please excuse the regularly scheduled crafty-seasonal-food-related posts for a mushy gushy one.

My husband is the most wonderfully caring, loving, strong, funny, patient, plaid-shirt-wearing, mustache-bearing man I have ever loved on this earth. I wish I had the time and patience to tell our story because it's a good one and it's a reminder to me of how long God's love is. Looking back now, I can see how orchestrated my life was for me to meet my husband, for us to make each other stronger, and to take leaps of faith even when I didn't know where I was leaping to. God started work early on us and oh, it shows.

The longer I'm married the more I have learned to trust in God's promises, the power of prayer, and the truth of Ephesians 5...."Wives, submit unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord" and "Husbands, love your wives"...aka...the keys to marriage are as easy as respect and love.

I am so thankful for my husband and our four years of marriage. I wouldn't write "four blissful years" of marriage because of the time he came home with regular flour instead of gluten free flour and other such mishaps. We're not perfect, but we're still in love like it's 2006. (Nay, 2004 ♥).

So, happy anniversary to my husband....4 years, none of which I would change, even the "for worse" part has made us better. I love you.

So ladies....gentleman....what's one thing that makes you thankful for your loved one today?

The Cutest Magnets.... Ever!

Happy Tuesday, Peeps!

I confess..... I have an absolute addiction to crafting and decorating blogs. The only problem with my addiction, is that I find WAY too many "things" I want to make. Usually, I just file the ideas away in my mental crafting filing cabinet (and never get around to doing them.... ). But, last week, I found the most ahhdorable thing ever on http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/.

These little jobbies.....

Say it with me.... "CAAAUUUUUUUTE!"

So, "J" and I took a (4 hour) trip to Joanns to get all the supplies. Is it possible to even go in there and stay on task? I. think. not.

Anyway.... The magnets are SO easy to make...

Materials: Glass Disks (found in the floral dept.)

Scrapbook paper

Mod-Podge

Foam paint brush

Magnet

Step One: Punch out a circle from the scrapbook paper of your choice.

Exhibit A:

Step Two: Apply Mod-Podge to the back (flat side) of the glass disk. (Do these things even have an official name? Heaven knows...)

Exhibit B:

Step Three: Position circle in desired position--face down. (I have double-sided paper.)

Exhibit C:

Step Four: Use your fingers to push out any air bubbles... So, the Mod-Podge will dry smoothly. Also, the Mod-Podge is white at first... but, it dries clearly, I promise! :)

Step Five: Apply Mod-Podge to either side of the magnet and place on the back of the glass disk.

Exhibit D:

and finally.....

Note: This magnet was hot off the press-- so the Mod-Podge doesn't look as clear as it will when it dries.

So stinkin' cute and easy! Wouldn't these be so great as shower favors? I made some that spell out my daughter's name for one of her Christmas gifts. The pefect addition to the Art Easel that we're getting for her room.

Check out Thrifty Decor Chicks's magnets: http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2010/11/hidden-memo-board.html

"In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

1 Thessalonians 5:18

Happy Thanksgiving!! Only 2

days left... I better get cleaning!

linking to...

Giving Thanks: Girls Pilgrim Bonnet Tutorial

I just love love love stitch witchery. As I have said before I have no sewing skills whatsoever. Someday I would absolutely love to learn, but as for right now I'll have to stick with my fabulous stitch witchery.

Little L spent a wonderful day with her Aunt S yesterday. They spent the day playing fashion designer!!! How Fun!!! Little L drew a picture of a dress that she wanted to wear, picked out the fabric from Aunt S's fabric collection, and then patiently waited while Aunt S sewed it all together for her. (Without even having a pattern for a dress... props to Aunt S!!!) Little L couldn't have been more thrilled. It turned out looking like an adorable pilgrim dress. Which was perfect because Little L had her Thanksgiving party today at preschool. When Little L got home from Aunt S's yesterday I thought it would be so cute if she had a little pilgrim bonnet to match. However, I didn't have the right size paper to make her a paper bonnet. I did however, have leftover fabric that matched the kind S used. The only problem is I can't sew, but I did have stitch witchery. Problem solved!! From start to finish this fun project only took me 18 minutes to complete.

To begin:

First measure your fabric and make cuts as shown

(I cut my fabric a little bigger to make room for the hem, see below )

Once the edges are all hemmed advance to the next step.

Once it is secured the two folds will be connected to each other with the stitch witchery

After folding the bottom up fold it back down again to form a band so that the front side of the fabric is facing you. See below.

Once completed hot glue ribbon into place and viola project complete

*Tip for using stitch witchery: Make sure your iron is really really hot and your towel is pretty damp, it is all the hot steam that activates the stitch witchery. You'll know if your iron isn't hot enough or your cloth isn't damp enough because the stitch witchery won't turn into a glue and stick.