The Results are In...

You still have until then end of the month to enter the cinnamon ginger challenge. We have had an increase in entries this month. Last month only 2, this month 4! :) Its great. So... you still have time! So far everything has been extremely tasty. This one is going to be tricky! Results will come at the end of December.

Nativity Set

There are 4 more days until Christmas! For the rest of the month, I am going to be posting picture of Nativity sets that you send in! Email me a picture of your favorite Nativity set and I will post it on my blog! It will be fun for others to see how many different sets are out there. Leave a comment on this post if you need to know my email address. :)

ALSO- I want to remind you about this month's Iron Chef challenge. You have to make something with cinnamon and/or ginger. The winner gets a kitchen item!

Cookie Cutters

Soft Molasses Cutout Cookies

1 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 cup dark molasses

5-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking soda

1 teasopoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon slat

1/2 cup water

In a large bowl, cream shortenig and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in molasses. Combine the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with water, beating well after each addition. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours or until easy to handle.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut with 2-1/2 inch cookie cutters dipped in flour. Place 1 inch apart on greased baking sheets.

Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes or until edges are firm. Remove to wire racks to cook. Frost or dust with confectioners sugar if desired.

So fun! You might have made just ginger cookies before, but have you ever made a gingerbread man? This is the perfect recipe to do so. Or you can uses any other Christmas cookie cutter like angels, trees, snowmen, or stars!

Christmas Tree

After decorating your tree with lights, beads, and ornaments, it still isn't complete until it is topped. A star or angel, whatever you please. It just completes the whole thing, the tree doesn't look done until you have it topped! Do you have a star or angel on your tree? Answer on my pole to the left!

Lights

Ok, so in a nutshell... don't be a grump. :)

I don't know if any of you have ever driven on Christmas Street, but it is really cool. It is a whole big circle and every single house has lights and moving things and blowups and it is just plain fantastic. At the end of the circle though, there is one house that has zero lights. Nothing. Not even a wreath. Every year there are no decorations on that house! My family and I have nick named them, "the grumps". I mean come on! Why could they not put lights up when the rest of there circle is going full out????

I am not saying you have to go full out. I am simply saying to spread the Christmas spirit with others by putting something outside. As simple as a wreath on the door, to a light up santa on the roof.

December Iron Cheff Ingredient:

It is Finally December! What a great month. I am telling you, this is the best month to decorate your home. Don't wait another day! There are some darn cute decorations out there and you might just as well get them! It is also a great months for baking. So why not challenge yourself, and enter the contest!

The secret ingredient for the month of December is: cinnamon and/or ginger

I am so excited to see what everyone comes up with!!!

Butterscotch Chip Challenge Winner

Thank you so much for all those who took on the challenge this month! :) It was a very, very close call. Infact, I almost had to call it a draw. But, there can only be one Iron Chef Champion of the month.





The Happy Homemaker Iron Chef Champion
for the month of November is...




drum role please

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RICHARD SORENSON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


With his homemade butterscotch chip ice cream!!!!
Congratulations Rico. :)


Again, thanks to all who made something for this.


A 2nd place prize goes to Corinne Sorenson with her homemade
applesauce butterscotch chip bread. Very tasty.

The contestants did a great job this month. I am very pleased with the creativity I saw. For the month of December, I want more of you to take the challenge! Remember, the Champion gets a prize!! Stay tuned until December 1st to get next month's challenge.

Black Friday

Its coming up! Black Friday...the day after Thanksgiving! AMAZING deals, only draw back.... waking up in the middle of the night!! :) Just think how much you could get done!

Christmas shopping....done. Now thats a relief. Plus, great prices! Clothing stores aren't the only places giving deals.

Some furnishing stores are as well, and it just so happens one of my favorites is in! IKEA!!!! That's right. They are selling gift wrap, bags, and ribbon for really cheap, as well as other furniture.

Take a nap after Thanksgiving...you'll need it!

Iron Chef Update

I hope you are all doing the Iron Chef challenge! The challenge: Make something with butter scotch chips. So far I have heard from a few of you that you will be making something for this, and one persone has already completed this and given me a sample of their food. However, I cannot tell you what it was yet until I get everything in.

Remember, the winner will get a brand spaken new kitchen item!!!

Home Accents

Home accents are in a way, more important then the big pieces of furniture. What would your house look like without its clocks, mirrors, candles, rugs, picutres, vases, plants, and all the other little accents? Well it would look really boring. They add so much to a home.

So now, take a look around your home. Is there any completely blank walls? Does the end table have too much stuff on it? Is there anything you can move to another room? It is a very crucial home detail. Have some fun with it! There are all sorts of cute mirrors and vases, you just have to look!

Sorry there are no pictures, the program is not uploading photos right now.

Acorn Wreath

I found this fun craft at kaboose.com. It looked really simple and fun for kids!

You will need

acorns

wicker wreath

hot glue gun

glue sticks

newspapers

flowers

or other decorations

How to make it

First, spread the newspaper on a flat surface

Lay your wreath down flat

Heat your glue gun

Next, starting in the middle of the wreath, begin gluing bottom of the acorn. Place the glued part of the acorn in the middle of the wreath and stand the acorn straight up.

Make one row in a straight line going all the way around the wreath.

Repeat the process from top to bottom with the wreat laying flat.

Then decorate with flowers, bows, or even holiday ornaments. Be sure not to leave any open spaces exept in the back. The back of it shouldn't have any acorns on it so when you lay it down its flat.

TIP. A wreath hanger is recommended because its heavy.

Iron Chef Cookoff

This will happen once a month on my blog. If you have ever seen Iron Chef, you know that the cooks are given a specific ingredient and can make anything out of it. I will tell you an ingredient, and you can make anything you want with it! I would really appreciate it if everyone who reads this participates. :) Thanks!

The secret ingredient for the month of November is: Butterscotch chips!
I look forward to seeing what you make!

The winner will recieve a kitchen gift of some sort. You have until the end of this month to make something. Thanks!

Try this New Recipe

I have a new idea for my blog. Who wants to try this recipe out? I will have readers try out some recipes if they want it, and then give me feedback. I think it would be fun.

This is a recipe for Pumkin Cinnamon Chip Scones. They look really good. If anyone wants to make these and then post your feedback as a comment, that would be great! I found this recipe on mybakingaddiction.com

Ingredients
Scones
2 cups all-purpose flour
7 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
6 tablespoons cold butter
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
3 tablespoons half-and-half
1 tsp vanilla paste
1 large egg
1/2 cup mini cinnamon chips

Powderered Sugar Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
2 tablespoons whole milk

Spiced Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
2 tablespoons whole milk
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 pinch ginger
1 pinch ground cloves

Lamps

Lamps make a room warm and cozy. Table lamps and standing lamps, both are great. It's a small detail, but can make a big difference in the room. There are lamps for every style! Retro, modern, traditional, - you name it! They are great for reading too. Sometimes it's nicer to be surrounded by dark and have a light just by you. I will show you some different styles of lamps.

This one is more of a modern lamp.

And this one, more traditional

As for table lamps, well they come in all shapes and sizes.

Then theres "accent lighting". These are a bit more fancy, but if you place it in the right spot, it looks super!

While you probably already knew all of this stuff, its just a quick little reminder on how to make your home look that much better.

Scarves

I love scarves. They can be worn in so many different ways! They can be used for style and/or keep you warm. :) Fall is the perfect season to wear them too! For example, one way to wear them is something like this.

(JC Penny)

OR THIS

(Charlotter Russe)

You can even wear it as a belt!

Thanks! Go get some scarves!

November

It's November 1st!!! Another great month. Oh the things you can do to your home in November. :) Turkeys, acorns, leaves, pumpkins, cornocopias, - all sorts of November 'symbols.' Looking for new decorations for this month? Well I would suggest hitting Pottery Barn. They have very cute dinner items that would be great at Thanksgiving. Like this acorn salad plate!

Or you could decorate the top of your piano, mantel, or coffe table with any of these selected at Pottery Barn.

DO NOT over decorate though. Too much decorations make the room feel crowded, but just enough is warm and cozy. If you ever find yourself in the situation where you are about to buy a decoration, but can't quite make up your mind, consider the following.

Ask yourself, "Where will I put this when I get home?"

If it replaces something you already have up, ask yourself which one you like more, which one is better quality, if you can move the first decoration somewhere else, or give it away/throw away.

If you don't have room for it, don't get it!!!!

HAPPY NOVEMBER!!!!!!!!!!!!

Trick or Treating Advice.

As a present trick or treater, I know what houses I enjoyed visting and the ones I didn't.

-First of all the ones with lights on always atrack trick or treaters. Wheter its halloween lights or lights inside your home, let them know you want them to come to your door.

-Second is, don't be a grump about the candy. I know it cost money and you don't want them taking handfulls, but at least give them the choice. The worst is when someone at the door has a gigantic bowl of lots of candy, and picks one out and gives it to you. Its all about their choice.

So just remember, don't be a grump, be happy, asknowledge their costumes, and wish them a Happy Haloween. I know you're probably thinking, "Well why does it matter if they liked my house or not? They won't remember it!" -FALSE.

I always walk away smiling and remember that house for years to come.

Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies!

I made these cookies the other day and loved them! I have been have a craving for peanut butter chocolate chip cookies ever since I got back from a trip where I had one at
Pacific Cookie Company. It tasted just like heaven. Ever since then I have been searching for a good one. I finally found one! I took pictures as I made them. The recipe will follow.

-1 cup of peaunut butter

-1/2 cup brown sugar

-1/2 cup white sugar

-1 egg

-1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking soda

-3/4 cups chocolate chips

-MiX iT uP

-What it should like when done

-before baking

-after baking

-ENJOY WITH A COOL GLASS OF MILK!

Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup sugar (I used 1/2 cup brown sugar & 1/2 cup white sugar)

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 cookie sheets with cooking spray.

2. Mix the peanut butter and sugar together until creamy and smooth.

3. Add in the egg and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.

4. Stir in the salt, baking soda, and chocolate chips.

5. Spoon dough into balls, about 1 Tablespoon of dough for each cookie. Place them on the cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart.

6. Smash with a fork and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Let them sit on the cookie sheet for a couple of minutes. Move to a wire rack and cool. Make sure you don't over bake. They will set up and you want them to be soft.

Z Gallerie

I just went to a really neat home furishing store called Z Gallerie at the Gateway. It was very neat. They have really cute stuff for your home, from pictures to couches to lamps to tablewear. It was really modern and cute! I took a picture of these sparkly pumpkins that would be cute on a shelf or table.

Here they are used as a table setting.

They have really modern furniture if you like that style. Like these cabinets and shelves for example.

Many people aren't into this style, and rather prefer traditional. This just happens to be my kind of furniture, but if you don't like it thats okay. May I just add that it is a very high quality store! Thank you.

Cinnamon Brownies

I made cinnamon brownies the other day, and oh were they good! Its easy too, all you do is add cinnamon to a box of brownie mix, follow the mix as directed, and WAH-LAH! I added a bit of ground ginger too, which made the texture delightful.
1 box of brownies
ground cinnamon
ground ginger

Mix the brownie mix as directed.
Add cinnamon while you stir.-There is not a certain amount, just when you feel you have done enough.
Add just a touch of ground ginger
Bake!
Wait.
Cool.
Eat.

Leaves...in your home? Yes.

Fall leaves...gotta love em'! They are so pretty. Especially when you go up the canyon. It is amazing the colors some of them change. Well, you can bring the beauty of the outdoors, and bring it into your home! For example, you have seen a bowl of water, and candles floating on top? Well why not throw in some leaves!?

You will need a clear open top bowl, water, floating candles, and 3 or 4 beautiful leaves that you found outside.

Granted, it won't last that long. But you can keep changing the leaves as often as you need if they start looking old. Or you could do it without the candles, and just a mix of Fall leaves.






















Note: I apologize for not having a phot of the finished product, as this was my idea. So I was only able to get photos of the materials needed, since I have not yet uploaded pictures, but it turns out darling.

Pumpkin Seeds

Don't throw away those pumpkin seeds! They can make a great snack for around the home or at a party. They can be salted or spiced, however you like. The shells on pumpkin seeds are edible, and a good source of fiber. There are so many different way to try them! Below are a few short recipes for roasting and toasting pumpkin seeds. :)

Oven Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients:
Pumpkin seeds
Cooking spray, olive oil, or butter
Optional: Salt, garlic powder, onion powder, seasoned salt, or other seasoning of choice

Preparation:
Rinse pumpkin seeds. Use your fingers to remove all the pulp. Drain pumpkin seeds and discard pulp. Spread out on a cookie sheet to dry overnight.

Preheat oven to 250 F. Line a baking sheet with non-stick foil. Toss pumpkin seeds in olive oil, butter, or spray with cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt, garlic powder, onion powder, seasoned salt, cayenne pepper, or your choice of seasonings.

Toss to coat. Bake about 1 hour, tossing every 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown. Cool pumpkin seeds before eating. Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 months or refrigerate up to 1 year.

If you like your toasted pumpkin seeds extra-salty, soak overnight in a solution of 1/4 cup salt to 2 cups of water. Dry an additional day, then proceed as above.

Fun Fact: Pumpkin seeds are also known as pepitas.

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients
One medium sized pumpkin
Salt
Olive oil

Directions
1 Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut open the pumpkin and use a strong metal spoon to scoop out the insides. Separate the seeds from the stringy core. Rinse the seeds.

2 In a small saucepan, add the seeds to water, about 2 cups of water to every half cup of seeds. Add a half tablespoon of salt for every cup of water (more if you like your seeds saltier). Bring to a boil. Let simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and drain.

3 Spread about a tablespoon of olive oil over the bottom of a roasting pan. Spread the seeds out over the roasting pan, all in one layer. Bake on the top rack until the seeds begin to brown, 10-20 minutes. When browned to your satisfaction, remove from the oven and let the pan cool on a rack. Let the seeds cool all the way down before eating. Either crack to remove the inner seed (a lot of work and in my opinion, unnecessary) or eat whole.