Pumpkin Cranberry Bread - weekend recipe

Pumpkin bread is very tasty this time of year especially when cranberries are around.  You can use whole berry cranberry sauce left overs to make this also, instead of the frozen cranberries.

Pumpkin Cranberry Bread

3 cups all-purpose flour

5 teaspoons Backyard Patch Cinnful Dessert Blend
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 cups granulated sugar
1 (15 ounce) can Pumpkin Puree
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup orange juice
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans. 

Combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Combine sugar, pumpkin, eggs, vegetable oil and orange juice in large mixer bowl; beat until just blended. Add pumpkin mixture to flour mixture; stir just until moistened. Fold in cranberries. Spoon batter into prepared loaf pans. 

Bake for 60 to 65 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

For 2018 the monthly recipe themes will be:

   January - Chicken Soup (ChickJan)

   February - Beef Stew (StewFeb)

   March - Jambalaya (JambMar)

   May - Ham and Shrimp Dishes (ShrHamMay)

   June - Bread recipes (BreadJun)

   July - Grilling (GrillJul)

   August- Garden Delights (GardAug)

   September - Salsa, Corn and Jelly (SCJSep)

   October - Squash Dishes  (SquashOct)

   November - Pumpkin Recipes 

   December - Herbal Cocktails 

Succulents for Holiday Decorating

Today is the last day to enter the Cash for Christmas gift card giveaway-- 

   If you missed the post earlier this month check it out here:

Cash for Christmas Giveaway 

Succulents for the Holiday

This year succulents are all the rage for the holidays.  You can use them as a table decoration.

This is from a great Etsy shop with wonderful succulent wreaths

This is the Thanksgiving arrangement I made at the Garden Club meeting just a week ago.  We will be using it as a Hostess gift as we are having a Friendsgiving celebration this year!

Garden Club memebers each made our own arrangements and they looked amazingly cool!

You can use succulents to make a Christmas tree, by covering a foam cone with moss and chicken wire, or cutting floral foam into a cone as the base into which one pokes the succulent stems.

On WGN I saw a decorated tree where they put living succulents in little pots into a faux tree and it was an amazing effect.  I think I will be trying it myself.  Using succulents in Holiday Tree decorations was made that into a decorating challenge back in 2014 at  DIYSHOWOFF.com where you can see how they meld wonderfully in a natural scene.  I think they will look great with my pine cone tree decoration theme.

Care of Succulents
The best part of using succulents indoors in winter is that they are mostly dormant and do not mind the dry weather of a heated home.  Don't over water them.  Only about once a month is needed in winter and only if the leaves start to show some withering meaning they have exhausted the soil moisture and the water reserve in their leaves.  No more frequently than every two weeks is recommended, just make sure the soil is completely dry before you wet it again.  A sunny location is perfect, but they do not need direct sunlight.

Pumpkin Cheese Cake in a Glass

This no-cook style cheese cake is made seasonally perfect with a pumpkin flavor.

For the crust

1 sleeve graham crackers (about 9 crackers)
4 tablespoons butter (1/2 stick), melted
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar

For the filling

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
3 teaspoons Backyard Patch Cinnful Dessert Blend
1 1-ounce package sugar free cheesecake-flavored instant pudding mix (or 1/3 of a non-sugar free instant pudding may be used)
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 12-ounce container frozen whipped topping, plus extra for garnish if desired

Directions:

Place the graham crackers in the bowl of a food processor and pulse the crackers into fine crumbs. Add the melted butter, sugar and brown sugar and pulse until combined.

Spoon the crumbs into individual 9-ounce plastic cups (or other individual sized cups for serving). Place in the refrigerator to set while you are preparing the filling.

Beat cream cheese until light and creamy. Add the pumpkin, Cinnful Dessert Blend, and pudding mix and beat until completely mixed, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure that all ingredients are well combined. Add the sweetened condensed milk and mix again until well combined. Change your stand mixture attachment to the wire whisk. On slow speed, fold in the in the tub whipped topping until light and creamy.

Allow the mixture to sit in the refrigerator for about an hour to firm up. Using a large pastry bag with a large tip, or a spoon, top the graham cracker crust in each cup with the pumpkin mixture and refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with additional whipped topping if desired.

To find any recipe featured this month - use the search box and type: PumpNov

To find any theme recipe from this year type: recipe2018

For 2018 the monthly recipe themes will be:

   January - Chicken Soup (ChickJan)

   February - Beef Stew (StewFeb)

   March - Jambalaya (JambMar)

   May - Ham and Shrimp Dishes (ShrHamMay)

   June - Bread recipes (BreadJun)

   July - Grilling (GrillJul)

   August- Garden Delights (GardAug)

   September - Salsa, Corn and Jelly (SCJSep)

   October - Squash Dishes  (SquashOct)

   November - Pumpkin Recipes (PumpNov) 

   December - Herbal Cocktails 

Time for Cash for Christmas Contest / Giveaway

Time again to get Cash (gift cards) just in time for Holiday Shopping!

We have participated in this before and there are a variety of hosts you can find at the bottom of this post.  To get you in the Christmas Spirit, I have a great easy craft for scenting Pine Cones you can try.  There are two different methods, so scroll down to find all the fun!

Method 1

Cinnamon Essential Oil Spray

Add about 20 drops of cinnamon essential oil to the spray bottle.  Add a small amount of water to the bottle -- about 1/8 cup. Shake well.  Put pinecones into resealable plastic bag and spray lightly with the solution.  Shake the bag to help distribute the fragrance. Repeat this step two more times, making sure that all the pinecones have been sprayed. Take care not to over spray! You don't want them too wet.  Finally, seal the bag and leave the pinecones to fully infuse the scent. I suggest leaving them for 4 weeks for maximum effect, spraying again with the oil solution again after two weeks.

It's time for a Christmas giveaway! Are you getting geared up for the shopping season? Do you need extra cash for Christmas?? Don't we all!

 We are so excited to be giving away $360 in cash prizes for you to use starting this Thanksgiving weekend. Here are the prizes: 1 - $150 Amazon Gift Card 1 - $100 Target Gift Card 1 - $50 Walmart Gift Card 1 - $50 Kohls Gift Card And a $10 Starbucks gift card as an extra bonus winner!! There will be 5 winners in this giveaway. Each winner will receive a gift card code to use on the online store or in the actual store. Now its time to meet our wonderful co-hosts who have made this giveaway possible. 

Starting at the top row we have: Teresa - Sweet Farmhouse Dreams | Kristin - White Arrows Home | Audrey - That Recipe & Munofore | Susan - Culinary Envy | Carrie - Curly Crafty Mom | Tammy - Creative K Kids | Linda - A Labour of Life | Kenyatta - My Design Rules | Gladys - Moms To Grandma | Carol - The Red Painted Cottage | Emily - Domestic Deadline | Kara - Phoenix Mom Blog | Sinea - Ducks 'n a Row | Whitney - Beauty, Baby, and a Budget | Meredith - The Mom of the Year | Gina - Money Savvy Living | Trish - By Trish Sutton | Habiba - Craftify My Love | Marcy - Backyard Patch Herbal Blog | Marilyn - Marilyns Treats | Terri - Christmas Tree Lane | Jamie - As For Me and My Homestead | Debi - Life Currents |Marie - The Inspiration Vault | Donna - Blog By Donna | Tammy - My Life Abundant | Michelle - Our Crafty Mom

Please stop by and say hi to these wonderful ladies and their blogs. The giveaway will end midnight on Wednesday, November 22nd, the night before Thanksgiving. You will have 48 hours to respond to the email claiming the prize. If you respond right away, we will get you the gift card code promptly so that you can shop with it on Black Friday! If we don't hear in 48 hours, we will have to choose another winner. 
Open to anyone who can receive gift cards from Amazon, Target, Walmart, Kohls, and Starbucks a Rafflecopter giveaway


Method 2
Ground Cinnamon and Glue Pine Cones

If you want instant results (rather than waiting weeks), this glue-on method takes far less time -- although a little bit messier! Using a disposable craft brush, thoroughly coat one of the pinecones with a thin layer of glue. Work fairly quickly so that the glue remains tacky and doesn't dry out before the next step. Sprinkle the entire glue-coated pinecone with cinnamon evenly all around and in between the crevices. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for all pinecones. Remove the excess cinnamon by individually shaking each pinecone, or placing all of the pinecones in a sealed container and shaking gently. Once the glue has dried, your cinnamon-scented pinecones are ready.

Warm Milk and Cookies Bath Salts - Monthly Bath Recipe

This bath salt mixture looks as lovely as it smells and makes for a silky-scented bathing experience. Great for a foot soak too! The recipe mixes up in just minutes and is easy to multiply if you want to make a bunch to give as several gifts.

1 cup Epsom salts
½ cup Dead Sea salt
½ cup dry nonfat milk powder
1 Tablespoon Orange peel, dried
1 Tablespoon Ginger Root, dried
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon chips
5 drops organic Orange essential oil
5 drops Ginger essential oil

Combine the salts, milk powder, and dried herbs in a glass or stainless steel bowl. Add essential oils and stir well to combine. Store in a jar or bottle with a cap.

To Use: Add 1/8 to 1/4 cup of mixture to a cotton muslin drawstring bag, hang bag over faucet, and run warm water through for a soothing bath. You can also toss the bag into the water while you soak.

Pumpkin Marinara with Spiralized Zucchini - Weekend Recipe

This easy pumpkin flavored marinara is especially good with noodles made from zucchini or spaghetti squash.  it will also give you a reason to use up the end of the season zucchini.

For the Sauce

2 (14.5 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
6 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup finely diced onion
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup red wine

For the Zoodles

2 medium zucchinis, spiralized (if you don't have a spiralizer, just julienne the zucchini)

15 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

For the Sauce

In a food processor place stewed tomatoes, tomato paste, chopped parsley, minced garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth.

In a large skillet over medium heat sauté the finely chopped onion in olive oil for 2 minutes. Add the blended tomato sauce, wine and pumpkin. And bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.

For Zoodles

First heat a tablespoon of olive oil to medium/high heat in a large sauce pan. Then, add in garlic and cherry tomatoes and sauté for about 3-5 minutes.

Add in spiralized zucchini and sauté for an additional 5ish minutes, making sure not to cook them too long. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.  

Serve sauce over zucchini.

To find any recipe featured this month - use the search box and type: PumpNov

To find any theme recipe from this year type: recipe2018

For 2018 the monthly recipe themes will be:

   January - Chicken Soup (ChickJan)

   February - Beef Stew (StewFeb)

   March - Jambalaya (JambMar)

   May - Ham and Shrimp Dishes (ShrHamMay)

   June - Bread recipes (BreadJun)

   July - Grilling (GrillJul)

   August- Garden Delights (GardAug)

   September - Salsa, Corn and Jelly (SCJSep)

   October - Squash Dishes  (SquashOct)

   November - Pumpkin Recipes (PumpNov) 

   December - Herbal Cocktails 

Pumpkin Pie Squares start the new monthly recipe theme

I am starting this month’s recipe theme, which is PUMPKIN recipes, with a more traditional item Pumpkin Pie.  With a monthly theme we will share recipes all month on the theme including as much variety as possible. To find all the recipes of the month this month search PumpNov and to find all the recipes from each month check out the bottom of this post or search "recipe2018." 

These little squares are easy to make and the perfect size to slip into your lunch or afternoon snack to get you ready for Thanksgiving.  Store them in the refrigerator for a week or more of tasty treats.

To craft this wonderful recipe, I recommend my very popular Cinnful Dessert Blend.  If you do not have this or your own pumpkin or apple, use 1 tsp gr cinnamon, 1/2  tsp gr ginger and 1/4  tsp gr cloves.

Pumpkin Pie Squares

1 15-ounce can pumpkin

1 12-ounce can low-fat evaporated milk

2 eggs

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 3/4 tsp BYP Cinnful Dessert Blend

Crust

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ cup old fashioned oats

½ cup packed brown sugar

½ cup butter softened

Topping

½ cup chopped pecans

½ cu packed dark brown sugar

2 Tbls butter

Whipped cream topping

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F grease a 13x9 inch glass baking dish

To prepare crust, combine flour, oats, brown sugar, and butter. Using a pastry blender or fork, stir until crumbly.  Press into prepared pan and bake 15 minutes or until partially set.

To prepare filling, combine pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, granulated sugar, salt, spices. Pour over crust and bake 30 minutes.

To prepare toppings, combine pecans, brown sugar and butter.  Remove pan from oven and sprinkle topping evenly over filling.  Bake another 15 to 20 min. until filling is set.  Cool completely on a wire rack before cutting into squares.  Serve with whipped cream if desires.  Makes 30 squares.

 

To find any recipe featured this month - use the search box and type: PumpNov

To find any theme recipe from this year type: recipe2018

For 2018 the monthly recipe themes will be:

   January - Chicken Soup (ChickJan)

   February - Beef Stew (StewFeb)

   March - Jambalaya (JambMar)

   May - Ham and Shrimp Dishes (ShrHamMay)

   June - Bread recipes (BreadJun)

   July - Grilling (GrillJul)

   August- Garden Delights (GardAug)

   September - Salsa, Corn and Jelly (SCJSep)

   October - Squash Dishes  (SquashOct)

   November - Pumpkin Recipes (PumpNov) 

   December - Herbal Cocktails