Pumpkin Pie from Fresh Pumpkin

Yes, it's just about that time of year again.  Batten down the hatches moms, it's time for the annual school trip to the pumpkin patch!

Don't worry dads!  This trip could be fun (theoretically).  :)  

Usually I give pro tips at the end of a post.  In this case i'll give it at the beginning.  If you have to, need to or want to go on the school field trip to the pumpkin patch here's the best tip of all :  DRIVE YOUR OWN CAR!  You can listen to the music you like, make phone calls or simply enjoy some much needed peace and quiet!

Tip #2 - Get the kids to pick small pumpkins!  They're cute and more easily portable!

Fresh Pumpkins

Cooking your pumpkin

I’ll be honest, the main reason I want the kids to choose a small pumpkin so that I can cook it later.   Smaller pumpkins are easier to cook! 

Cook small to medium pumpkins in the crock pot!

CROCK POT Method

Remove the stem.  Place your [uncut] small/medium pumpkin in the Crockpot with about ½ cup water.  With the lid in place, set the pot to high and cook for 3 hours (cook for 6 hours on low).  Once the pumpkin is fork tender it’s ready.

Removing the pumpkin can be tricky.  I usually stab it with 2 forks and pull it out.

Use 2 forks to lift pumpkin fro Crock Pot

OVEN Method

If the pumpkin is small/medium, rub it with oil and place it/them [uncut] in the oven.  Bake at 350 degrees until soft.

If the pumpkin is large you may need to cut it in half.  When it’s fork tender, it’s ready.

Once it cooked:

Cut the pumpkin in half and remove the seeds and strings from the center.  Scoop out the flesh and mash with a potato masher.

Pumpkin flesh can be lumpy or stringy.  For making soup, pie or baby food run the pumpkin flesh through the food processor or blender to make it smooth.  

Cut cooked pumpkin in half

Scoop out seeds and strings

This is all that's left of the pumpkin once the flesh is removed!

Mash your pumpkin

Fresh Pumpkin Pie 

(adapted from Mrs. Sigg’s Fresh Pumpkin Pie recipe on allrecipes.com)

Fresh baked pie!

1 medium sugar pumpkin  

2 readymade pie crusts

2 eggs

1 cup brown sugar OR (1 cup white sugar + 3 tablespoons molasses)

1 tablespoon all purpose flour

½ teaspoon salt

2 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 (12 oz can) evaporated milk

Cook pumpkin (in oven or slow cooker) until soft and puree in a blender or food processor.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.  Mix well.  Pour into 2 pie crusts. 

Bake in 350 degree oven for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted into the center of the pie comes out clean.

This recipe makes 2 pies!

I don't have time or patience for homemade crust.

  

Tips:

• The batter will be thin.  Don’t worry, it bakes up just fine!
• If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice, don’t panic.  You can make your own!
• Pumpkin pie spice = (1 ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, ¼ ground ginger, 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves)

Super Pro Tip:

Add cooked (unmashed) pumpkin flesh and all other ingredients to blender (or food processor bowl).  Blend until smooth, pour into pie crusts.

Fresh from the blender!

Matching Family Pajamas - A Complete Shoppers Guide

I love the idea of having matching family pajamas on Christmas morning.  The reality of finding them is an entirely different story!

This blog post of born out of my own research and frustration!

We are a family of 5 + 1 adorable pup.  My concerns are price and availability.  We need a lot of different sizes.

This is what I have found:

SHOP EARLY!!!!!  It's true what they say, you have to shop early for the best selection.  That's REALLY, REALLY true in this case.  Lots of people love these matching sets so if you don't shop early you might be out of luck!

Pricing:  The prices I quote are for 1 adult female set, 2 adult male sets, 2 boy (sizes 8 & 12) sets and 1 small dog set of pj's.
Style:  The price and availability I'm quoting are for NON-footed pajama pants (unless otherwise indicated) and a long sleeve t-shirt.  Nothing is personalized. 

The Children's Place has some amazing sales on matching family pajamas and their quality is good.  Though variety can be limited, most families will find a style they like.  Sign up to be on their emailing list and get 25% off your first order.  Regular price for my family of 5 (not including the dog) was $119.85 (free shipping).  Sale price was $71.50 (free shipping due to a sale)!!!!  In the end my husband didn't really go for the matching pj's idea so the cost (during the sale) for 3 kids' pj's is $35.00 (free shipping due to sale).

Snug as a Bug has a pretty good variety, but didn't seem to have all the sizes I needed in stock.  Price to outfit our family was $324.75 + shipping.  (FOOTED PAJAMAS)

Pajamagram has LOTS of colorful, fun options in a wide variety of sizes.  $279.94 + shipping

The Company Store/Company Kids  had about half a dozen styles plus a mother daughter set.  The pictures show pj's for pets but I didn't see any on the website.  Price to outfit my family $301.00 + shipping

Walmart.com has matching sets but nothing for the dog. Sets can be personalized with initials or names.  Price to outfit my family $219.88 free shipping to the store.

Hanna Anderson has a nice selection of sets.  There were several options for pets.  Price to outfit my entire family $390 + shipping

Sleepy PJs aka MatchingSleepware.com  has a limited selection and the options are not necessarily holiday themed.  Most sets are solid colors or stripes  There are options for pets and people of all sizes. Price to outfit the entire family $161.00 + flat rate shipping of $6.75.  No pet pj's.  PURCHASE THROUGH AMAZON.com.

Chasing Fireflies has a limited selection of very festive Christmas options in stock.  Price to out fit my entire family is $297.50 + shipping.

SleepHeads.com has nice looking sets and LOTS festive of styles.  For a family of 5 (no pet pj's available) the cost is $170.00 + tax.  Shipping if free for orders over $75.

FootSteps Clothing is a  great option for pjs that match but are not too holiday specific.  This site offers sets that you can wear all year!  Lots of solid colors that can be embellished with festive themes.  They have an amazing amount of variety and the prices are pretty good.  For a family of 5 (+ 1 small dog) the price is $205.00 + shipping.

Macy's says that they have family sets but is was too much of a chore for me to sort if all out.  You have to go to each section (men's, women's and children's) and find the right sets.  Their prices seemed ok, but frankly it was too much work!

Etsy has lots of people who make sets.  I received quotes from several crafters.  Specraftular was especially nice and helpful.  She quotes me a price of $440 + shipping for my family.



Sew Your Own:  Because I know how to sew, the final option for me is to sew them myself.  I'm sure that I have a pattern somewhere around the house for pajama pants.  If I don't have one i'd make a pattern, so there is not expense to purchase one.  In terms of sewing my own pants for the family, that is always an option.  Since i'm just looking for a plain long sleeve t-shirt i'd likely buy that and not sew it.

So the price to sew my own breaks down like this:  Assuming 11 yards of flannel @ $6.99/yard.  The cost for fabric is $76.89 (assuming I have no coupons).  Joann ALWAYS has 40% off coupon so, $46.13 with a coupon.  Another $15 for elastic and notions.  I could make everyone matching pants for $61.13 + $40 to buy long sleeve t shirts.  So approximately $101.13 to sew pajamas.

Sew Your Own Using Bed Sheets: I'm a hard core crafter been playing with the idea of making clothing items out of bed sheets.  The pros of bed sheets as fabric are that they're light weight, easy to find and fairly inexpensive.  If you tend to be hot/sweaty cotton sheets do a nice job of wicking moisture away from the body keeping you cool.  You can buy "seconds" (imperfect sheets) for greater savings.  The down sides:  finding enough matching sheets to make as many pj's as you want.  We have sons and they wear out the knees of pajama pants very quickly.  I worry that the sheets would be quickly worn out.

An alternative would be to make pajama pants out of sheets and custom embellish t-shirts that you buy from the craft store.

If you live in the NY tri-state area Marburn Curtain has MANY varieties of flat sheets on sale for EXCELLENT prices.  Go into the store - don't buy online.  You can pick up king size sheets for approximately $12/each.  They have shelves and shelves of them.  If you're outside of NY check your local curtain or bedding store.  Mom and Pop stores are a great resource for discounted sheets.  You can buy a sheet set or single sheets.  Sewing my own using sheets will cost me an estimated $70 for a family of 5.  I can use the remnants to make the dog a shirt!


Semi-Homemade Option:  I found sweatpants and sweat shirt "bundles" on walmart.com for $11/set.  I'm sure that you can find matching sweatshirt and sweat pants fairly cheaply anywhere.  Buy matching sets for the entire family.  Then embellish the shirts with an applique, family initial or something festive (like a holly sprig, menorah or Christmas tree).

Custom Embellished Shirt

The cost to outfit my entire family with this method is approximately $80.

PRO TIP:
If you are shopping online before to google the store name plus "coupon code."  I googled "children's place coupon code" and for a code for 20% off my entire order.

SUPER PRO TIP:
Retail Me Not is an excellent source of coupon codes (they did not pay me to say that).  I like them because you don't have to sign up or sign in.  I just jump on their site and poof, coupon code!

Blog Post Courtesy of Mocha Kathy

Wellness - Healthy Mind

It is very important to keep your mind healthy, in addition to your body, to sustain a healthy life.

How do you create a healthy mind? Meditation, mantras, affirmations, positive thoughts, reading, praying, and focusing our mind are all ways to keep it healthy. Keep negativity far away and not give it any energy, by focusing on positive thoughts or affirmations. Sayings in which you can repeat to yourself in the mornings and in the evenings, when you are most at peace. 

As women, we don't encourage ourselves enough on a daily basis. Build your own confidence, uplift yourself, don't look for gratification from others, make yourself happy!

Say these powerful affirmations until you feel what they say. It will improve your quality of life!

I am vibrant, healthy, and full of energy.

My beauty is radiant.

I am a calm and patient parent.

Today I will relish the small things.

Today I will make my home beautiful.

I choose to eat healthful foods today.

I can remain effortlessly in the present moment.

My creativity is inspiring.

I can get through any situation with grace.

No matter what happens today, I will cultivate inner peace.

I love and approve of myself.

I trust in myself to make the right decisions.

All is well.

Here is a link to find more affirmations: http://www.prolificliving.com/100-positive-affirmations/

Choose a different affirmation each day or repeat the same one until it resides in you. Let it be your constant reminder of your thoughts for the day. Light a candle, slow down, give yourself this time to organize your thoughts. 

Have a beautiful day! We will have a beautiful day! 

This post is courtesy of Mocha Tiffany

Party Favor - Angry Birds Goody Bags

I wanted to make cute fabric goody bags for my son's birthday party but was shocked to discover that Angry Birds fabric is hard to come by.  So, I improvised.

The design is pretty simple and is based on a picture i found for Angry Birds Space.

The process was pretty simple.  Here's what i did.

Total cost for a dozen goody bags was $8.  I bought 1 yard of plain red fabric (on sale), several pieces of felt, red ribbon.  I also used a glue gun.

I ended up not using the thread and opted instead to use a glue gun.  It was MUCH faster than sewing!

If your artistic, you can probably free hand draw the pattern.  If you're not so artistic, here's how you make a pattern.

So that i would have perfect circles, I used a bowl and a shot glass.

I used a bowl and a shot glass to draw the circles.  I made the triangles and the diamond without any help.

Next, cut out the shapes.

The large circle will be used for the eyes and the body.  Cut the large circle in half.

Next make the background for the eyes.

Fold a half circle in half and mark point.

Now for the body.  Take the other (uncut) half circle and fold it in half. 

Mark and cut this circle as pictured. 

This is what your circles should look like.

Now find the small circle.  Mark and cut as pictured.

This will be the white of the eye.

For the top of the beak, mark and cut the diamond as pictured.

Now your pattern is all ready.

If you are making 1 goody bag,

Cut:

1 - black eye piece

1- brown body piece

2- white eye pieces

1- gold lower beak (large triangle)

1- purple tongue (small triangle)

1 - gold upper beak (diamond)

Cut 1 square of red fabric for the goody bag.

Next, lay everything out to make sure that it looks good to you.

Adjust everything so that it's sitting just right then sew or hot glue it all in place.

In terms of placement , i centered the face on the center front of the bag.  I sewed the ribbon tie just above the eyes.

Next, fold the angry bird face in half and sew the back seam.

sew the back seam

Next, adjust the bag so that the face will be flat.  Sew the bottom seem.

sew the bottom seam

Turn the bag, inside out.  Finish the top edge.

Now fill with goodies!!!!

This post is courtesy of Kathy W.

Motivation - BELIEVE!

 

 

Happy Monday!

A little Monday Motivation for us! 

"It takes the same amount of energy to worry as it does to believe."

So this week, no worries, let's just BELIEVE!  

Have a great week!

 

This post is courtesy of Tanisha D.

Wellness - Red Wine is Good For You!

DRINKING A GLASS OF RED WINE IS THE SAME AS GETTING AN HOUR OF EXERCISE, SAYS NEW STUDY AND OUR WILDEST DREAMS....

Dear red wine drinkers: I have wonderful news. A new study says that drinking a glass of wine can equate to an hour of exercise. I repeat: Drinking a glass of freaking merlot could be just as good for you as an hour of working out at the gym. Feel free to commence rejoicing at this time. 

The researchers responsible for the glorious study — which was published in Journal of Physiology in May — discovered that resveratrol, a “natural compound” found in certain fruits, nuts, and (you guessed it) red wine, could actually “enhance exercise training and performance.” But there’s more. Jason Dyck, the principal investigator for the study, tells Science Daily that resveratrol can also offer the same benefits working out does: 

“I think resveratrol could help patient populations who want to exercise but are physically incapable. Resveratrol could mimic exercise for them or improve the benefits of the modest amount of exercise that they can do.” 

(Applauds.) 

The only bad news? Not-red wines don’t count (sorry, Chardonnay-lovers), and it only works with one glass — so chugging a bottle a week doesn’t equate to four to six gym sessions. But don’t let those little, itty bitty downsides take away from the bigger picture here. 

So if this is true, what are all of the other benefits only sweet, sweet wine, red or otherwise, can provide? We’re all aware that wine is one of the healthier choices you can make when consuming alcohol, but just how healthy is it? 

According to Leah Kaufman, a registered dietitian, wine is the “most calorie friendly” alcoholic beverages, adding up to only 100 calories in a typical five-ounce glass. Kaufman mentions that wine also contains antioxidants and can help prevent heart disease, as well as lower bad cholesterol and the formation of blood clots. Another bonus? Apparently red wine acts as a mouthwash because the flavan-3-ols in it can reduce “bad bacteria” found in your mouth. I’ll just give all of the Olivia Popes out there another moment to continue rejoicing: 

Other than the fact that red wine still qualifies as an alcoholic beverage, which isn’t exactly the greatest thing you can put into your body, it’s still good to know that indulging in a little red vino can do more than just make your teeth blue. An hour’s worth of cardio more. Cheers to that! 

Thank You Michele G. for this wonderful article on Facebook!! I love that red wine has some health benefits!! Great reminder for the upcoming holiday season! Which also explains that sudden spark of energy we sometimes get after a glass or two for sex!! (another great way to burn calories btw) ;-)

Have a great day!  

This post is courtesy of Mocha Tiffany

http://www.bustle.com/articles/41340-drinking-a-glass-of-red-wine-is-the-same-as-getting-an-hour-of-exercise-says