My motto...

My motto...

I'ts Fall Break..So I'm taking the week off! Here's a re-run from last year...

It's October and you know what that means....pumpkin! These cookies are the best, they are easy to freeze, and they aren't half-bad eating them straight from the freezer. (it has been known to happen)

Pumpkin Cookies

1 cup canned pumpkin (not pie filling)

1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil

1 egg

2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon milk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 cups mini chocolate chips

Directions

1. Combine pumpkin, sugar, vegetable oil and egg, set aside. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt. Dissolve the baking soda in the milk and stir in. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and mix well.

2. Now add the vanilla and chocolate chips

3. Drop batter using a mini scoop or teaspoon onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until lightly brown and firm.

I got the recipe from my cousin Lisa so I think of her when I make them.

I'ts Fall Break..So I'm taking the week off! Here's a re-run from last year...

Light Pumpkin Muffins and some Heavy Thoughts!

My life is curious. I found a photo of these beautiful pumpkin muffins in my computer, and yet I have no memory of actually making them, ever seeing them, or eating them. I own a mini-bundt pan, that is my cake pedestal and that Fall Arrangement is from my back yard. So I must have made them at some point because I have a picture of it. It is a good thing Bloggers like to take a million pictures a day otherwise I would have no idea what goes on around here.

My neurologist wants to put me on an Alzheimer's medication, and I just say no thanks. (I have some neurological problems from a car accident. My brain hasn't healed very well.) He thinks that I have a neurological apathy problem as well. He would like to see me more focused on seeing that I have some "neurological failings" and continue to address them. I think I've addressed them enough. Wait, maybe that is called apathy, I'm not sure, nor do I care.

I know that I have some issues, but I just say it could be worse, and I'm still here right?! (He's young, I would say 30-ish so he views life a little differently than I do) I lost a friend during this process so being alive is good enough if you ask me. (he calls it apathy, I call it surrender.....or something...I can't think of the word I want...) Whatever. I'm happy, I'm sure the muffins were good, I remember some stuff and I don't get lost anymore.

Ohhh, and he had on these really beautiful socks, and I kept looking at them, so maybe I missed a part of the conversation that was important. Next time he should wear ugly socks so I can focus better!

I'm sure they were delicious. You should try them! Let me know what you think.

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin (from a 15 ounce can)

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice

1 1/4 cups plus 1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Put oven in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Put liners in muffin cups.
Whisk together pumpkin, oil, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, 1 1/4 cups sugar, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl until smooth, then whisk in flour mixture until just combined.
Stir together cinnamon and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in another bowl.
Divide batter among muffin cups (each should be about three-fourths full), then sprinkle tops with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Bake until puffed and golden brown and wooden pick or skewer inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.
Cool in pan on a rack five minutes, then transfer muffins from pan to rack and cool to warm or room temperature.

Light Pumpkin Muffins and some Heavy Thoughts!

Pottery Barn Hack

Our story starts with this lantern from the Goodwill.

As you can see it was $6.99 but I waited for the half off day and hoped that it would still be there. Hooray! There it was.



I thought that I was going to have to tape off all of the glass when I noticed that it was removable! Yessssss! (I hate prep work)
I pulled out the secret stash of spray paint.

(My husband tried to ban me from painting.

Something about turning our street multiple colors)

What a great afternoon for s'mores. Hmmmm maybe our lantern would look pretty out here.

Ohhhh it does.... I filled it with Fall Leaves from the ground and a FLAMELESS CANDLE, (they have them at Target) don't burn the house down!

Some other Goodwill Finds thrown in.

Outdoor Chandelier

Outdoor Cart

Silver S'mores Tray

Lantern

Oh is that from Pottery Barn? Why no, it is from the G-Dub!!

Not bad for $3.50 and some left-over spray paint!!

Pottery Barn Hack

What I Wore Wednesday-Goodwill Edition

I'm linking up at the Pleated Poppy.

What I Wore-The G-Dub (Goodwill) Edition....Ok that's every day.

Gap T-Shirt

Posy (I made it)

Belt (G-Dub)

Jeans (Old Navy)

Clogs (G-Dub)

Sweater NY&Co

Posy (I made it)
Mossimo Jeans (Target)

Clogs (G-Dub)

Sweater Ralph Lauren (G-Dub)

Old Navy Skinny Jeans

Perry Ellis Boots (G-Dub)

Popcorn-I was starving!

T-Shirt Mossimo

Belt (G-Dub)

Jeans (G-Dub)

Clogs (Goodwill or G-Dub as I like to call it)

Clearly I'm into clogs at the moment. Just picked up another pair! You have to wear them before the snow stars to fall!

What I Wore Wednesday-Goodwill Edition

Posy Pin Tutorial

First start with a sweater that is in the Goodwill pile.
Freehand some 5 petal flower shapes. No they don't need to be perfect.
Go with 3 different sizes.

Mark that sweater up!
Cut inside the lines so the sharpie doesn't show.

Now fold up a flower shape into fourths. You know in half, then in half again.


Trim off the tip. So it lays flat.

Hot glue onto a round sweater cut out.
Keep layering until you have this!

Hot glue a pin onto the back and Ta-daaaaa! You have a cute posy pin to wear!!

Posy Pin Tutorial

I can shake it...

Which is why I love the Zumba. I go to a class in my local rec center where the median age is about 184. There is nothing better than watching these ladies "shake it" or lack thereof. I'm seriously in Zumba heaven when I'm there.

Oh by the way, Uncle Pervy in the back wearing the sunglasses, you aren't fooling anyone you weirdo. Do I think that you just had cataract surgery? No I do not.

Do I shake it less because Pervy is behind me? No I do not.

You should go! It is fun, sweaty, and the people watching is amazing!

I can shake it...

I was under a pile..

You know the book "If You Give A Mouse A Cookie"? You know how it goes, you give a mouse a cookie that launches a chain of events that are unstoppable....well that is where I've been. I vowed to get this house cleaned up from top to bottom, do all of the laundry, see that it is all put away, iron and hang everything up where it belongs. And I Did It!
Here is what happened...as I was doing laundry I decided that I needed to pull out all of my Fall/Winter pj's launder them, fold them and put them all back. That prompted a closet unload, many trips to the Goodwill, lots of folding and stacking of sweaters. Did I mention I found a new cute sweater at the Goodwill and then had to find a spot for it. This mouse is exhausted! (but the closets are fabulous!)

Remember to donate to Goodwill OFTEN. You can't just bring stuff in. Stuff has to go out too! Then your husband can't refer to you as Fred Sanford.

I was under a pile..

Fall Deee-liciousness

I know all of you ladies get geek-ed about the candy corn/peanut thing....but what about the candy corn/peanut m&m thing. Yummmmm oh and add some peanut butter m&ms while you're at it, and just maybe a few pretzel sticks thrown in for good measure!!! I tried the pretzel m&ms and wasn't really thrilled. If you're a little crazy like me then you have to Measure out exactly 1/4 cup and put it in baggie so you don't eat the entire thing in one setting. Good thing Son #1 and his girlie friend are having dinner here so most of this will be gone tonight!
She is tiny but the girl can EAT!

Fall Deee-liciousness

Hello Again!

Hey I'm still here! I was watching "Sweet Baby" last week, and man that takes up all of your time. (I forgot about that....it has been a long time since there was a baby around here!)
So here is a little project that I was working on this morning.

I picked these little pumpkins up at the Goodwill MONTHS ago. When shopping at the Goodwill you have to buy things when you see them. I think I picked these little pumpkins up around Easter time. (whenever that was) They were $2.99 each (I picked up all four)

Pretty cute already. I want my Halloween decor to be Fall-ish. We're not really into the blood and guts thing around here.


I picked up some grocery store flowers in the marked down section. Sometimes you have to look pretty hard to find them.
$15.00 worth of flowers made 3 arrangements.


After I put the blossoms into the pumpkins, I arranged them in my glass Goodwill cheese plates that I pick up every time I see them.


Add a little candy corn to a cylinder vase.....yes from the G-Dub...add a scoop...

Fall decor from Goodwill to Fabulous!

Hello Again!