3 Easy Halloween Cupcakes

I have a really fun recipe to share with you today!

It's one cupcake mix that can be made 3 different ways.

Here's the recipe:

1 box of vanilla cake mix

1/3 cup oil

1 cup sour cream

3 eggs

1 tsp. almond extract

Idea #1

Pumpkin in a Cupcake

I made a batch of Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie mix and then colored it orange and green.

Then form little pumpkins out of the dough.

Then put a scoop of cake batter in the cupcake liner.

Put your little cookie dough pumpkin in the cake batter.

Then put another scoop of cake batter on top to cover it.

Since the cupcakes had to be really full to cover the cookie dough, I bake them a little longer than usual.  I kept them in about 20 minutes at 350.  Cooking times and temperatures depend on your oven and altitude.

But...I think they turned out pretty cute!

My kids got a kick out of the "secret" inside the cupcake :)

Idea #2

Candy Corn Cupcakes

First, make the cake batter and then divide it into two bowls.

Color one yellow, and the other orange.

Then, put a scoop of yellow batter in the cupcake liner, and then a scoop of orange on top.

Once they are baked and cooled, swirl some white buttercream frosting on top. 

When you cut them in half...ta-da!

Candy corn colored cupcakes :)

Idea #3

Harvest Cupcakes

For this last idea, I just baked the vanilla cupcakes in the harvest cupcake liners from Wal-mart.  Then I topped them with vanilla buttercream frosting and candy-corn-colored sprinkles.  The cupcake liners came with these darling little pumpkins and leaves.  Super cute.  Super easy.

Make sure to check out where we link :)

Apple Orchards and Caramel Apples

 Every week, Bridger and I go to "field trip Fridays".  

A group of moms in my neighborhood get together every Friday to do an activity that represents a letter.  

Each week, we talk about the letter with our kids, and then do an activity to represent that letter.

For example, we went to a FARM for the letter "F".

And last week, we went to the apple ORCHARD for the letter "O".

Bridger and I had so much fun learning about apple orchards.

The farmer let Bridger take a bag and pick some of the little apples that were left on the trees.  

They were the small, lumpy, ones, but they were perfect for Bridger.

Even Dalton got to pick an apple and eat it :)

He also showed us how to make apple juice, how to store and sort apples, and even talked about the different kinds of apples.

The farmer even let the kids ride in his apple crate :)

 

Since we had all of these little, tiny apples, we decided to make caramel apples.

Most of the recipes that I found for homemade caramel were exactly the same.

This is the one that I used though: 

1 stick of butter

2 cups of brown sugar

1 cup of corn syrup

1 can of sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp. vanilla

First, wash the apples really well.  I washed them in hot water and scrubbed them a little to roughen them up so that the caramel will stick.  Then I dried them and put a craft stick in each one.

Next, melt the butter in pan, and then add the sugar, corn syrup, and milk.  Stir constantly for about 30 minutes until it reaches 248 degrees.  

Then, I let the caramel cool for a few minutes.  I read somewhere that it works better with slightly cool caramel.

Next, dip each apple in the caramel and hold it up and let the excess caramel run off.  Then place it on a sheet of wax paper.  I dipped the bottom of each apple in either crushed Oreos or crushed Butterfinger.  That way it didn't stick to the wax paper.  Then I stuck them in the fridge to harden up and keep the apples cool.  The great thing about homemade caramel is that it doesn't get crunchy in the fridge.  It stayed nice and soft and chewy.

Last comes the fun part:

DECORATING!  :)

We made a Jack-O-Lantern face, a ghost, a Frankenstein, etc.

I let my kids come up with the ideas :)

Here's baby cakes helping himself to his own caramel apple:

And Saxon finishing off his:

Nothing says "fall" like homemade CARAMEL APPLES!

DIY Phineas and Ferb Costumes

Disney Channel's Phineas and Ferb is a HUGE hit at my house.

And, I'll admit it...I like it too.

They remind me of Saxon and Bridger.

I looked online for some costumes, but all they had were huge Phineas and Ferb heads, where the face opening is in Phineas and Ferb's neck.  They were really expensive and not cute.  We decided to make our own.

After a trip to Wal-mart and a trip to Goodwill, I found everything that I needed to transform Saxon and Bridger into Phineas and Ferb.  And of course Dalton has got to be Agent P.

Here's what you need:

Cowboy accessory kit from Wal-mart ($4.98)

White polo from Wal-mart ($5)

Perry the Platypus shirt from Wal-mart ($7)

Girl's purple sweats from Wal-mart ($4)

Orange striped shirt - already had from Target during the summer.  

(I did see some at Wal-mart though...)

Blue shorts from Goodwill ($1)

yellow/orange tights and ducky feet

(borrowed from a friend who bought the baby chicken costume from costco)

Colored hair spray from Wal-mart ($1.29)

Black ribbon, safety pins, hot glue (already had but can get from anywhere)

-I started by wrapping the black ribbon around the cowboy had to make the Agent P hat.

-Then I measured the sweats on Saxon to the length that I wanted and cut them off.  Since sweats don't fray, I didn't even hem them :)

-I bought Dalton's Perry shirt in Saxon's size so that Saxon could wear it after we use it for Halloween.  There are lots of tutorials about how to turn a shirt into a romper, but since I wanted to keep the shirt, I just rolled it up between his legs and pinned it from the inside with a big safety pin.

And now, I'd like to present:

FERB

PHINEAS

PERRY the PLATYPUS

and the whole cast...

These were the perfect costumes for them.

Two crazy, smart, adventurous brothers

pretending to be

two crazy smart adventurous brothers.

Perfect!

Of course since we were at the park, we had to act out the cartoon.

I was assigned to be Candace and Aunt Brittany was assigned to be Isabella.

Every time they tried something new, I was required to scream

"You are SO BUSTED!"

Onlookers were probably starting to wonder about us...(LOL)

And Baby Dalton/Perry the Platypus had to keep up with all the action.

 

 So...what do you think?

Also, be sure to check out "Where I Link" to find where this post is linked up to.

Dinner in a Pumpkin

Have you ever made dinner in a pumpkin?

SO FUN!

I decided to aim high and try dinner in FOUR pumpkins :)

I wanted to try Jambalaya in a pumpkin,

but my cousins who were coming over, don't like shrimp.

So, I also made a traditional beef dinner in a pumpkin.

My kids wanted their very own, so I made two individual sized dinners.

First, I picked some pumpkins from the garden and washed them.

 Then, clean them out and put them in on a tray in the oven to bake at 350.

The pumpkins will start baking while you prepare the rest of the dinner.

Recipe #1:

• 1 medium pumpkin

• 1 box Zatarain's jambalaya rice mix (mild) 

•  2 1/2 C. water 

•  2 T. vegetable oil

• 1 kielbasa or other comparable sausage, cut into bite-sized pieces

• 1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined

• 1 1b. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

• ½ C. celery, diced

• 1 medium onion, diced

• 1 green bell pepper, diced

Just put all of the ingredients in a skillet, bring to a boil, then simmer for 25 minutes.
The recipe link has a great step by step picture tutorial if you want to check it out.
Once the rice mixture is done, take the pumpkin out of the oven, fill it with Jambalaya, and put it back in the oven to bake.  It's already been in the oven for a while now, so it should only need another 15 minutes or so. 

Recipe #2:

• 1 medium pumpkin
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 lbs ground beef
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 (4 ounce) can sliced mushrooms
• 1 (15 ounce) can cream of chicken soup
• 1 1/2 cups cooked rice
• 1 (8 ounce) can sliced water chestnuts

First, brown the ground beef.  Then, drain the fat and add the onions.  Let them cook for a few minutes and then add the rest of the ingredients.  Stir the mixture on low for a few minutes.  Once it's ready, scoop it into the pumpkin.

My kids LOVED having their very own mini pumpkin to eat out of...

This was a little more time consuming that I anticipated, but very fun!

I am definitely going to make this one again.

My favorite was the Jambalaya.  Definitely.

My cousins only ate the beef so that got their vote.

My baby loved the pumpkin!

 I scooped off chunks of pumpkin and put them on his tray and he loved it :)

Success!

*side note:  One of my favorite things about the Jambalaya recipe is that it is adaptable for different diets.  My Grandma is allergic to dairy, and gluten.  So, this one works for her.  Half of my family is vegan, and if we leave out the meat, it works for them as well.  So, this was a recipe that I shared with everyone!

Linking up to:
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Damask Pinboard - Tutorial

I've been loving burlap lately and decided to try out a burlap pinboard.

Here's what I started with:

Frame

Clip

Corkboard

Burlap

Paint

Brush

First I painted the frame gray,

then I picked a stencil (damask)

and centered it on the burlap.

Then I painted on the design.

And pulled off the stencil...

I love painting on burlap!

Then I sprayed the corkboard with spray glue.

I did that because the burlap wants to bend and move around in the frame since there isn't any glass holding it in place.  Just a little spritz of spray glue and my burlap stayed right where I put it.

Then I assembled it and put it back in the frame.

The corkboard is a little thicker than the glass, so it was hard to attach the back of the frame.  My husband, Nate, put a few tiny nails in the corners to keep it in place.  If you buy a frame with those bending metal tabs, it would probably be easier.

I wanted to attach the clip with hot glue.

I love hot glue and I think it works for everything!

Nate, however, was feeling kind of crafty and wanted to help.

He decided to get a rivet gun and rivet the clip into place.

So, this is now one sturdy and well made frame LOL.

If you don't end up recruiting the help of a crafty husband,

just whip out the glue gun.

I think it will work :)

I use my pinboard to display Saxon's artwork from preschool.

Sometimes school artwork has a tendency to take over my house.

This gives me a nice place to put it.

The newest piece of art goes in the frame.

Of course, you can make this in any size, so you could display multiple things at once.

This one is only 8 X 10.

Sometimes I pin sports pictures, photo booth pictures, postcards, and school pictures.

All the little things that take over my fridge :)

Or, my favorite yet...

I use it to hold up my recipes :)

Easy and fun.

Go make one and tell me what you think :)

Linking up to:
Blue Cricket Design
Somewhat Simple
Tip Junkie
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"The WITCH is in" frame - tutorial

Since my kids are all geared up for Halloween,

(we are growing our own pumpkins and they already have their costumes)

I thought I had better start decorating.

So, I came up with this,

I hope you enjoy it!

Step #1 Start with a wood frame and some burlap.
Step #2 Take everything out of the frame (glass, cardboard, etc).
Step #3 Choose your colors.  I chose orange and black for true Halloween.  :)
Step #4 Paint the frame in the first color.  This is the bottom color and the finished frame  will only have small touches of this color.
Step #5 Paint the frame in the second color.  This will be the main color of your frame.
Step #6 Let it dry completely.  Luckily, acrylic paint dries really fast.  If you are really in a hurry, try using a blow dryer to speed it up.

Step #7 Lightly sand the frame.  If you sand too much, you will see the original color of the frame.  Just barely sand to get the top color off and let the bottom color show.  I accidentally sanded through to the original frame color in a few spots, but I actually like it.  It just makes it look more rustic.
Step #8 Once you like how your frame looks, coat it in a protective sealer.
Step #9 To measure the burlap, I used the glass from the frame and outlined in with a permanent marker.
Step #10 Just cut out the burlap along the lines that you made.
Step #11 This step depends on what you have available.  I borrowed a Silhouette and used it to cut out a stencil of the design that I wanted.  You could also cut it out on cardstock for one time use.  If you don't have a Silhouette, you could buy letter stencils and place them on one at a time and paint them.  Or, you could try stamping the letters straight on the burlap.  Or...(this is the really old fashioned way, but it still works) you can print out your design on paper and place a clear sheet of stencil on top.  Then, using and exacto knife, cut out your letters to create your own custom stencil.  My Grandma taught me this method because that is how she used to create her own stencils LOL.  Once you have your stencil ready, center it on your piece of burlap.
Step #12 Paint your design on the burlap.  Fabric is really fun to paint on because it is pretty forgiving.  It doesn't really leak or bleed and it takes a few layers to get enough paint.  I used a wide stencil brush on mine.  REMEMBER: use a dry brush.  Don't get your brush wet first or it will bleed.  Use a dry brush and only a little paint at a time.  Just continue to layer it until it is dark enough.  Mine only took 2 coats.

Next comes the really easy part :)  I just used spray glue and sprayed it on the glass.
Then I stuck the piece of painted burlap on to the sticky glass and put it back in the frame.

What do you think?

I made this one to sit on my front door by our pumpkins.

You can use this same method to create any design that you want.

Linking up at:
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