Fall Blog Hop Day 5 - It's Treat Day!

Welcome to day five of our fall blog hop! Our hop will consist of several things: giveaways, fun posts, and an opportunity to leave your link to your fall post! Please share the hop with your friends!

Make sure to follow the guidelines for the hop. Make sure to thank the link participants when you visit their blog!

Enter below to win today's giveaway!

Today's Giveaway:

Seasons at Home Magazine 2013 Subscription

Download Coupon - $14.95 value From Stacy Farrell at Homeschool Adventure - The Wise Woman with Literary Analysis Journal Questions - with George MacDonald -
The Wise Woman enchants readers while it contrasts the ugliness of pride, selfishness and conceit with the beauty of humility, sacrifice, and compassion. By offering 16 to 24 literary analysis questions per chapter, this 160-page spiral bound edition provokes meaningful discussion and teaches critical thinking in a way that is engaging and transformational. 
Read More...

It's Saturday... and we have some deliciously fun 

recipes for you to make today!

Salted Caramel Rice Crispy Treats

I have seen lots of recipes for these floating around, but most of them have way too much caramel in and on them! This is our lighter version of a delicious fall treat.
AND OH WERE THEY GOOD! From Theresa :)

Butter a 9" x 13" glass casserole dish and set aside. In a large pot melt: 

5 tbsp. unsalted butter

2 tbsp. half & half 

2 tsp. vanilla extract

30 unwrapped Kraft caramels

1 10 oz. bag of mini marshmallows

Melt together over medium heat, stirring constantly until smooth. Add 7 cups of crispy rice cereal and stir to coat. Press mixture firmly in buttered pan. Sprinkle with about 1 1/2 tsp. of sea salt or flaked sea salt. Flaked sea salt is wonderful for this, but I used our regular sea salt! 

You can drizzle 1/3 cup of caramel topping over the bars before sprinkling them with salt, but I found them to be perfectly sweet enough! Cut the rice crispies into bars, and enjoy... 

~ Makes about 18 treats ~

Apple Butter Pie Pops

These were fun, and the children enjoyed them! We cut them out with acorn-shaped cookie cutters. You will need cake/cookie pop sticks.

I used my recipe for Apple Butter that I made in the fall issue of Seasons at Home. But you can you use any apple butter, homemade or store-bought, they will still be good! You can also use apple pie filling, but I would blend the filling in the food processor slightly to chop the apples a little finer.  

Cinnamon Pie Crust

In a small bowl, combine the following:

1 cup butter, cold 

2 tbsp. sugar

pinch of sea salt

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 1/2 cups unbleached white flour

Use a fork or a pastry blender (a pastry blender will make fast work of this!), cut the butter and flour together until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. 

Drizzle with 1/4 cup of very cold water. Bring the flour mixture and water together with the fork, then use your fingers to form a dough. Do NOT knead the dough, just press the mixture until a dough forms. Chill for 30 minutes. 

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roll the dough 1/4" thick between wax paper. Cut out shapes with a round, other cookie cutter. I would try to use rounder shapes, not shapes with a lot of points, like leaves. 

Place cut-outs on the lined baking sheet, and remember when you position them that you need to have room for the cookie sticks! Fill the center of each each one with 1 tbsp. of apple butter or pie filling. Place a cookie stick in the center as shown. 

Cover with another crust cut-out and seal the edges by lightly pressing with your fingers and crimping with a fork. Brush with an egg wash or melted butter and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown. Cool and serve! For a party, tie each pop with colored ribbon!

Cinnamon Glazed Pecans

Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside. 

In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat 2 egg whites until frothy. Add 1 cup of sugar and beat for 1-2 minutes, until thick. 

Add 2 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. sea salt, 1/4 cup melted butter. Mix until smooth. Stir in 3 cups pecan halves. Stir until completely coated. 

Spread evenly on baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees stirring every 10 minutes, for about one hour or until dry and crunchy.

 YUMMY!

We hope you enjoyed the Fall Blog Hop!! Thank you so much for visiting and come back! Sign up for our newsletter and watch for our upcoming Holiday Hops!

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PUMPKINS! Fall Blog Hop Day 4

Welcome to day four of our fall blog hop! Our hop will consist of several things: giveaways, fun posts, and an opportunity to leave your link to your fall post! Please share the hop with your friends!

If you leave a link, make sure to follow the guidelines for the hop by providing a back link to us. Make sure to thank the link participants when you visit their blog!

Enter below to win today's giveaway!

Today's Giveaway:

Seasons at Home Magazine 2013 Subscription - 3 Issues

 AND

Too Many Pumpkins - by Linda White - Our featured fall book!

AND WOW!!

A One Year Membership to Schoolhouseteachers.com!

SchoolhouseTeachers.com is a members-only website by The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine. Each month members have access to exclusive lessons from our Schoolhouse Teachers; have access to AppleCore for planning and tracking; have access to the TOS digital back issues; access all five of our exclusive Schoolhouse Planners; and access our recorded Expos-To-Go. Come do your homework with us! It is as easy as: Point, Click, Teach. One winner will receive a one-year membership to SchoolhouseTeachers.com valued at $99.
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Today's Post features our October book giveaway, Pumpkin Yarn Craft and some pumpkin recipes!

Too Many Pumpkins by Linda White is one of our favorite fall books! 

Rebecca Estelle does not like pumpkins! When a truck comes by at harvest and dumps one into her yard, her attitude must change.

This part is when my 5-year-old gasps and says, "PUMPKINS!" How did all those pumpkins get there? What will Rebecca Estelle do with all those pumpkins? You'll need to find out! Once you read the book, make the pumpkins below, bake pumpkin cookies, roast pumpkin seeds...Have fun!

Today's craft: Yarn Pumpkins

Supplies: Orange yarn, clear glue, green pipe cleaners, balloons

1. On the balloon you want to create sections with the yarn. Start by tying the yarn around the knot on top of the balloon. Bring the yarn down and up the other side, and again wrap the yarn around the knot.

Continue until you have at least 8 sections around the balloon, tie at the top. I had to do this for them.

2. Take a paintbrush and paint glue over the sectioned yarn.

 3. Now the messy part! I don't love messes but it's necessary here. Take a length of yarn that is easy for the child to work with, at least as long to go around the balloon once. I would say 10"-15". Soak this in glue, and squeeze down the glue back into the cup.

 4. Now it's a matter of wrapping the glue soaked yarn around the balloon and repeating until the balloon is well covered.

 


You might want to keep little wipes handy for them to occasionally wipe the glue off.














5. Let dry. We hung ours outside with yarn to dry in the air. It took several hours, and don't rush. If it feels slightly wet, it is. Overnight is probably better but they couldn't wait for the best part. When dry, pop the balloon.

 6. Don't panic if your creation caves in! They can be shaped back out to a round pumpkin shape. Carefully get the balloon out, you'll need to cut it off the inside top. Don't cut your pumpkin! Re-shape if needed. The time consuming part is getting all the glue off the yarn to make it pretty, but do this after you re-shape.

7. Now twirl some green pipe cleaner and tie onto the top knot.

How cute is that? Too bad you can't do this in orange fire-proof material, because I think a candle would look swell in there. You can hang these or shape them to sit on a table. On day two, they were a bit sturdier.

Bake up some of the softest pumpkin cookies ever! This was our one of our little ones very first cookie. They don't need the frosting, but you'll miss a real treat if you leave them plain!

 

 

Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Soak 2 cups of raisins in hot water for 15 minutes. Drain and set aside. 

In a mixer combine: 

     2 1/2 cups butter, softened

     1 cup sugar

     1 cup brown sugar

     2 large eggs

     1 tbsp. vanilla extract

     1 15 oz. can of pure pumpkin

Beat on high speed until fluffy. Add: 

     1 1/4 tsp. sea salt

     1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

     1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

     1 tsp. baking soda

     1 tsp. baking powder

     7 cups soft wheat flour

Let the cookie batter sit for 10 minutes. Drop by rounded tablespoons on to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Cool on a rack. Frost with Butter Frosting! 

Butter Frosting

In a bowl, combine: 

     1/4 cup melted butter

     2 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

     2 tbsp. half & half

     2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

     

Whisk together until smooth.

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 Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

1 Tbsp. oil
1 Tbsp. Worcester sauce
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/4-1/2 tsp. salt
pinch pepper

Mix together in a bowl and bake at 350 degrees, stirring every 7-10 minutes. These are done in about 30 minutes.   

We hope you enjoyed today's fall hop!

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Fall Blog Hop Day 3 - Make an Indian Dress!

Welcome to day three of our fall blog hop! Our hop will consist of several things: giveaways, fun posts, and an opportunity to leave your link to your fall post! Please share the hop with your friends!

Make sure to follow the guidelines for the hop. Make sure to thank the link participants when you visit their blog! And always read to the very bottom. You never know what you might find.

Enter below to win today's giveaway!

This post was shared on... The Self Sufficient Home Acre

Today's Giveaways:
From our guest blogger today, Tonya Chapa of The Virtuous Wife! This comes from her business - Fruitful Vine Creations! WONDERFUL lettering - Visit and sign up for her MyFruitful Deal!

A chalkboard print, 11" x 14" in size, unframed. Printed on lustre paper! Beautiful!! 

Another opportunity to get this year's issues! Seasons at Home 2013 Magazine Subscription - 3 Issues

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AND The Fall 2012 Joyous Home Journal!

2012 Fall Joyous Home Journal

Today's Guest Post is from Tonya Chapa - The Virtuous Wife! Drop by and visit her blog and see what she is up to. She has Godly wisdom and encouragement to share today!

Calming the Storm of Our Hearts

  As mothers, we have such a huge responsibility to bring up our children in the fear and admonition of Christ. It's staggering to consider the importance of our job as we look at the big picture. I'm sure we've all heard the phrase: "the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world."

Thankfully, the Lord gives us this job in little bites. Called days.

  We don't have to accomplish all the teaching and training required to raise a human being in one day. We have time. Years. And with God's mercy and aid, we can do this task He has set before us little by little. Tweaking here, adjusting there. Repenting, forgiving, rejoicing together as we walk this road we are on.

  I'm sure we've all been there: out shopping with our children and we see that angry mother yelling at her children. She has obviously had a bad day. I always wonder what it must look like in private if her public face is so scary. Has she lost all self control, and just doesn't care anymore? Or, is she nicer in public than she might be at home? And my heart breaks for those little children.

  I often wonder how she got to this place of anger. I don't think most women dream about the day they will be mothers so that they can yell at their kids in Walmart with a venom that spews from hatred. Is this a multi-generational curse that she is living, without an understanding that it doesn't have to be this way? Or, are her burdens just so heavy that she is about to break, and it is coming out on those in her life who are the weakest and unable to fight back? My heart breaks, not only for the children, but for the mother. I want to reach out to her and tell her that it doesn't have to be like this. But I'm a big fat chicken.

But I guess I can write about it safely from the comfort of my home. Maybe that mother will happen across this post. Maybe we all can use a bit of encouragement, even if we aren't the crazy lady in Walmart, but are just a little bit crazy at home.

  Our children are gifts to us from the Lord. We get them for such a short period of time. It's fleeting. I know we all hear that from the day our firstborns enter the world. But, I have found out that it is true. Where have all the years gone? And we are not only raising them so that they don't annoy us while they are in our house, but we are raising them for a much greater purpose. Did you know what you signed up for when you started having children?

We are raising them to love and serve the Lord. We are raising them to raise our grandchildren. And we are raising them to contribute to society at large. We don't live in a bubble or a vacuum, or any place where we don't effect others. And what we say and do, and how we behave will have a major impact on who our children become.

  So how does this work? How can we raise our children to turn out like we hope?

I think it starts by loving the Lord with all our heart and mind and strength. And then pouring out our lives for our children so that they see that love in the way we diligently teach them. If we keep our eyes on the big picture as we work through the mundane tasks of the day, it helps. If we get bogged down with today, we are much more apt to blow it.

  Today can be such a big deal in our minds. We get annoyed at the toys that are STILL on the living room floor, the towels in the bathroom, the unmade beds, the breakfast dishes in the sink at lunchtime... And on it goes. These little people (and big ones as they grow) make our neat and tidy lives such a mess! It can be maddening! And the blood pressure rises. And we forget to be thankful. And so the screaming ensues. And the joy flies out the window as we become tyrants and dictators and frustrated mothers.

  Precious women, I want to encourage you to look at the big picture often. Hourly. Yes, our children need constant shepherding, correction, training. But they aren't going to be perfect little robots to make our lives easier. Please don't get it in your mind that you prefer the robot over the squishy, huggable gift from the Lord who gives you slobbery kisses. But with the squishy kid comes attitude and personality that challenges authority as they get older. Laziness sets in. Disdain for work. Record keeping (I did the breakfast dishes, it's HER turn to do lunch!).

  Glance at the big picture. Who do I want this person to be when they are no longer under our authority? And work towards that goal. Don't look at the distraction of the current crisis. Look beyond it. See it as an opportunity you can use to get to the goal. And with grace and patience show them the love of Christ as you patiently correct and teach them to serve.

  I find myself forgetting the goal so often. I look at the moment because we are late, rushing out the door, tired, whatever...and forget to look at the big picture. Sharp words are spoken. Harshness instead of longsuffering. And it cuts me to the quick. Eventually. But, here again, God gives us a great opportunity to teach and love. Repentance. To our children. Even though they were wrong in their behavior, we have no excuse for the wrongness of our reaction. Forgiveness is so sweet. It's so important that our pride doesn't get in the way of repentance. How will they ever learn what it truly looks like if we don't model it for them. We have ample opportunities for repentance with our children.

It's not an easy road, raising children, rocking that cradle. But it is a rewarding one. Scripture says:

"Nevertheless she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control." 1 Tim 2:15

  That pretty much sums it up, doesn't it? What a beautiful verse for mothers in the trenches. It never promises an easy road of perfect children. Obviously the self-control issue is there because we NEED to be reminded to have it. Our flesh really is an ugly thing when left to itself.

  Dig in the Word, cry out to God for strength for the days, while keeping your eyes on the big picture. Our days of yelling will not produce the sweet fruit in the long run. It's the constant dose of faith, love, joy, patience demonstrated to them that will truly make the impact we hope for. You can do this. With God's help. If you are surrounded by short people, it does get easier. They grow taller, stronger, able to help more. But you are building a foundation today. It is imperative that you build it carefully, for the rest will stand on it. It's much easier to start well than it is to have to undo the mess you've made and rebuild with less pliable children. Not impossible if you are past that stage, but more difficult. God is the God of miracles after all.

  Obviously, God has given you who you have in your home. And He will equip you to do your job well, if you will trust Him and not your own strength. If you will have faith that He has orchestrated your days for you. Stop fighting Him. Rest in His arms, and serve your family. It's very hard some days. I know that as much as anyone else does. But it is not impossible. With God, all things are possible. Right? Even calming the raging storm of our hearts.

Blessings, Tonya

How encouraging! Thank you so much for sharing with us Tonya!

We aren't done yet!! Ready for a cute Thanksgiving dress project?

Make some Indian Dresses!

This project was featured in our Holiday 2007 issue, our very first issue of Seasons at Home Magazine. Try this easy project with your girls! They will have hours of fun playing dress-up!

You'll need:

• 2 T-shirts per dress - one size bigger than their normal size, any color - or tea stain a white shirt
• fringe or trim (optional)

1. Put the first shirt on the girl and measure for the length. Add 3" to this, and cut off that amount from the bottom of the second shirt. This is your dress bottom. (You can make a t-shirt dress from the discarded top! Just add a skirt!)

2. To attach the bottom, turn the cut piece inside out. Insert it into the bottom of the shirt, matching the raw edge with the finished edge of the t-shirt. Pinning is easier if you shake the two pieces together and get them to hang freely, and then pin.

3.  Sew 3" above the bottom, all the way around. This will give you some fabric to fringe for the middle!

4. Before turning the bottom out, snip the ends with pinking shears for a fast look or regular scissors and toss in the dryer to 'rag' the ends.

5. Mark in 1 1/2" on the top from the sleeve to the neckline on each side. Mark the sides from under the arms to the thread where you attached the bottom. Do not go over the attached piece seam line, but continue with a new line for the bottom. I forgot to do this for the picture!

 Sew the dress together at your marked lines. You don't really need to mark it, you can just follow your sewing machine markings.

See how I stopped sewing right before the seam for the attached bottom?

6.  Now do the same as you did for the middle - fringe all the way around but do not cut your seam lines!  Now, you can easily add a piece of trim to the collar. 

CUTE!! This is not hard regardless of the pictures. If you need help understanding, just email me!

Have fun!! Do you have a link to share today?

 Theresa

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