Time For ME

Once again an extremely busy weekend. I had 2 photo sessions, cleaned the house, winterized the pool and yard, hung all the gourds,

cooked all weekend

and now I'm ready for a little ME time.   Hummmm, I'm not sure I know what that is anymore. Next weekend I plan on spending the entire weekend on the road. I want to see lots of fall colors and visit Kathy's Pumpkin Patch. Speaking of pumpkins, Bonnie, no pumpkin mini cakes on Monday, maybe one day this week. Time to hit the couch and watch The Proposal.

Yummmy!!

I have figured out why stores place magazine racks at the checkout lane. Who could resist a cover like this!

Don't those muffins look yummy! I will be making these over the weekend. ( Bonnie I hope you like pumpkin, 'cause you will have one Monday morning!)

If you see this in the store, pick it up! It's packed with tons of great recipes and decorating ideas for the Fall season.

 Mini Pumpkin Cakes

Yield


Makes 8 pumpkins

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter, softened

1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened

2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Caramel-Rum Glaze*

Or Vanilla Glaze

Caramel Stems, Leaves, and Vines (optional, instructions below)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Stir in pumpkin and vanilla.
2. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients; gradually add to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended. Spoon batter into 2 lightly greased pumpkin-shaped muffin pans, filling three-fourths full.
3. Bake at 350° for 24 to 26 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 5 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely (about 30 minutes).
4. Cut rounded tops off muffins to make them flat. Invert top muffins onto bottom muffins, forming pumpkins. Drizzle Caramel-Rum Glaze over pumpkins. Decorate with Caramel Stems, Leaves, and Vines, if desired.

*Vanilla Glaze may be substituted.
CARAMEL STEM: Press 1 caramel between fingers, lengthening to 1 1/2 to 2 inches to form a stem. Curl stem gently.
CARAMEL LEAVES: Roll caramels into 2-inch squares on a flat surface, using a rolling pin. Cut into leaves, using a paring knife. Gently press tips of leaves to flatten, if desired. Score leaves, using a paring knife. Pinch bottoms of leaves together.
CARAMEL VINES: Cut 1 caramel into 3 equal pieces. Squeeze each piece gently to flatten, and roll between hands or on a flat surface into a long thin rope. Twist ends to curl

Fall or Winter?

I have completely finished my Fall decorating. The neighbor gave me a bale of old hay (for a dozen chocolate chip cookies) and with a few cans of spray paint ....walla...it's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown! Check out the stem on top!

I moved all my outdoor plants in yesterday and finally have my botanical garden complete inside. They say plants are healthy to have indoors so we should be in good shape!

After finishing my pumpkin I came back inside to warm up in the garden when I looked out and saw it snowing. What is this crap!! I just got done decorating for Fall and the Winter is here. I'm about ready to pack up and head South. Maybe when we retire we can be snowbirds!

Help me decide what to do!

Well, I have to start on my new addition to my dining room- does anyone have any crafty ideas? If so I would love  to hear them!!

My Morning Visit with Jack

Jack Frost that is! It is way to early for that stuff. I'm definitely not ready for cold weather and here in Iowa, it gets pretty darn cold! So when I woke up at 5:00 this morning there was a nice coating of frost in the field. Once the sun came up there were a few does roaming on the frost.

Brr, don't that just send shivers up your spine!

Now mentioning deer, they seem to send shivers up Rick's spine. I came home from work the other day looking for him when all of a sudden I noticed him up in the tree. He's getting ready to take the big buck down, I just know it!

The porch is done with decorating for the season. Here's the final addition.

Tomorrow I will be getting one more thing, it's for the yard 'cause it's way to big to fit on the porch. I will post it tomorrow night, considering I get it finished. It will cost me 2 dozen chocolate chip cookies but will be well worth it. So are you curious?

Well, I'm outta here for the day. Taking off for some Fall foliage pictures. I have to hurry before the rain, wind and Jack takes them all off the trees.

This waether map explains it all!

Porch is ready for Fall

Well, almost. I worked on my porch this weekend and have almost finished. After seeing Jess' porch I couldn't wait any longer to share my craftiness. With a little article called  pumpkins with pizazz from an old issue of Souther Living magazine I was able to get a great idea. I have one more crafty thing up my sleeve to put up tomorrow. Have to wait on the glue to dry! (dang glue)
Drum roll please..................

and now for a night shot .........................................................

and now for a look at the whole front porch........................

now don't be looking at the picket fence locking thing on the left, it's history tomorrow night when I get my new decor up.

BTW- what's up with eblogger- I love the new way of posting pictures! Finally I don't have to drag them all over the page!

Well, it's time for a cup of hot cocoa and a little Drop Dead Diva followed by Army Wives! I will post a complete front porch view tomorrow.