Sugared Pecans

Oh how I love to bake and cook and the weather and season are just right for being in the kitchen.  I hope to post more about what is coming out of my kitchen this holiday season.  What are your favorite sweet treats?

Sugared Pecans

For 2 lbs. Pecans
Combine 3 egg whites and 3 teaspoons of water...beat with mixer until frothy
Combine 2 cups sugar, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, and 1.5 teaspoons salt....stir until well blended.
Put pecans in egg white mix and stir until moist.
Put moist pecans in sugar mix and stir until well coated.
Spread on buttered shallow cookie sheets and bake for 60 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes until dry at 225 degrees. Remove from pan and let cool.

Felt Christmas Pillow

 

I've had an extra throw pillow for about a year with no cover on it so I wanted to splash a little Christmas here and there and this is what I came up with.

Materials:

1 - 20x20" pillow

6 - 9x12" felt pieces (.25/each), cut into 2, 3 and 4 inch strips

1 - 30x30" piece of felt (used for the back - $2.99)

tread

sewing machine

Sewed the strips together to make to panels for the front - no real pattern just as long as they measure 24".  Sewed the two panels together, cut down the solid piece of felt for the back and sewed it so there was a raw edge and then snipped the edge to make the fray around it.  Pretty easy and I am happy with it.

The Turkey is a Funny Bird

 Noah and I have been working on some Thanksgiving crafts for our Thanksgiving table.  Everyone has seen the handprint turkey so really it is pretty much explains itself.  We mounted the cardstock on colorful construction paper to make placemats for our family and guests.  Quick and easy for little hands.

Paper Bag Pumpkins

Easy afternoon craft for kids.

Materials:

brown lunch sack

newspaper

orange paint

paint brush

green curling ribbon or green pipe stem cleaners

Optional:

black paint or black construction paper

Have the kids ball up the newspaper and stuff the bag (1/2 to 3/4 full) tape up the top to make your pumpkin stem.  Let the kids paint.  When the paint dries tie your ribbon or wrap the pipe stem cleaner around the stem to make a vine.  Easy.  If you want to go a step further cut black shapes out of construction paper or what for the paint to dry and give the kids black paint to make their pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns. 

Halloween Costume: Firefighter

Materials:

Plastic Firefighter Hat (Dollar Tree)  $1

Black Shirt (Old Navy - and bought it two sizes larger than what Noah normally wear in case we need to layer up due to weather)  $6

Black Cargo Pant (Wal-Mart)  $7

Yellow Duck Tape (Wal-Mart)  $3.96

Reflective Silver Duck Tape (Wal-Mart)  $3.96

Iron-On American Flag Applique  (Wal-Mart)  I think it was $1.99

Iron On Yellow Letters (Micheals)  I think $4.99

Firefighter Rian Boots (not shown and borrowed from a friend, otherwise we were just going to use his snow boots)

Total Costume: approx. $30.00

 After some online searching of firefighter costumes, etc.  I decided on one stripe around the legs, two stripes around torso and 2 around the arms.  I had to remove one of the arm strips on one arm to fit the American flag applique onto the shoulder.  It was a fairly simple process.  All I had to do was cut the duck tape to the size of the garment and rap it around.  The silver duck tape I ripped in half the long ways to go down the center of the yellow.  One tip learned:
Do the iron ons BEFORE doing the duck tape on the arms because you have to turn the shirt inside out.

Pipe Stem Cleaners

So probably not a new thing to many of you but in the middle of the summer ideas are hard to think of when children are at your feet wanting something to do even though there is a play room, bedroom and let's face it every part of your house littered with toys.

Pipe stem cleaners, comes in tons of colors, and you can make just about anything with them.  Noah is sporting some fabulous bunny ears made by momma!  I also made him some glasses (just like mom and dad wear) but he didn't want to wear them.  Figures, I don't want to wear mine either.  So anyway: fun, easy, inexpensive.  Make a:

chain

string beads or cereal (great hand/eye, small motor dev. and the pipe cleaner stays in place unlike yarn or string for those little ones that are just getting the hang of it)

twist them together make bracelets and necklaces

let the creative juices flow

This is also a staple in our 'esturant bag.

Upside Down Berry Cornmeal Cake

This is super yummy and great with fresh basil and fruit!!

2 - 2 1/2 cups fresh berries (blueberries and red raspberries are our top choice)
1 1/3 cups flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 T. basil
2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt

Grease 8" round pan and arrange 1 1/2 cups berries. Combine these dry ingredients in a large bowl.

2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup milk
1/3 cup oil

In a second bowl whisk these ingredients.  Add to flour mixture.
Pour mixture over berries.  Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.  Cool.  Loosen sides, put serving plater on top of pan and flip.  Top with remaining berries and whipped topping!

It is a summer favorite in our house, enjoy! (Ignore the spot that didn't get berries)