Chili, Classic Comfort Food #foodie #fallfoods

Chili is a classic comfort food that is perfect for your Super Bowl parties or tail gating anytime.
Prepare in your slow cooker so you have time to get other things done. Use a crock pot liner to make clean up a breeze.
This recipe serves 4.

INGREDIENTS (you can double or triple this recipe for a larger crowd)

1 pound lean ground beef
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 cans (15 oz.) red kidney beans, undrained
2 packages (1.25 oz.) chili seasoning mix
1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
1 can (10 oz.) diced tomatoes and green chiles

Cheese and sour cream + toppings of your choice 

DIRECTIONS
Step 1:OPEN Reynolds™ Slow Cooker Liner and place it inside a 5- to 6 1/2 -quart slow cooker bowl. Fit liner snugly against the bottom and sides of bowl; pull top of liner over rim of bowl.

Step 2:BROWN ground beef, bell pepper and onion in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until beef is no longer pink. Drain well.

Step 3:PLACE beef mixture into slow cooker liner. Combine remaining ingredients in a medium bowl. Pour over beef mixture; gently stir with wooden or plastic spoon to combine. Place lid on slow cooker

Step 4:COOK on LOW for 6 to 7 hours OR on HIGH for 3 to 3 1/2 hours until heated through.

Step 5:CAREFULLY remove lid to allow steam to escape. Serve food directly from slow cooker liner. Do not lift or transport liner with food inside. Cool slow cooker completely; remove liner and toss.

Chili recipe credit  HERE

Now you need some cornbread to go with that yummy chili:

I like to make mine in my cast iron skillet and use real butter, sometimes adding sugar to the mix to make the cornbread sweeter, since my family likes it like that.

Pioneer Woman Cornbread
from The Pioneer Woman
(Printable Recipe)

6 Tbsp shortening
1 cup yellow corn meal
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Heat shortening in an iron skillet, muffin pan, or other baking pan. Combine corn meal, flour, and salt in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, combine buttermilk, milk, and egg. Add baking powder and baking soda. Stir. Add melted shortening, stirring constantly. Pour into hot pan, smoothing surface with spatula.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown on top.

Enjoy

Autumns Tapestry A Grand Reception

Such a beautiful imagery of fall, I had to share...

The foliage has been losing its freshness

through the month of August, and here

and there a yellow leaf shows itself like

the first gray hair amidst the locks of a

beauty who has seen one season too many....

September is dressing herself in showy dahlias

and splendid marigolds and starry zinnias.

October, the extravagant sister, has ordered

an immense amount of the most gorgeous

forest tapestry for her grand reception

. ~Oliver Wendell Holmes

Pumpkin Pie Smoothies (100 cal)

http://www.ohbiteit.com/2013/09/100-calorie-pumpkin-pie-smoothie.html

 

Ingredients( for 1 smoothie)

1/2 cup Unsweetened Pumpkin Puree =40 calories

1/2 of a container of Dannon Light & Fit Vanilla Greek Yogurt =40 calories

1/3 cup of Silk Pure Unsweetened Almond Milk =10 calories

1 splash of Maple Syrup =10 calories (optional, but yummy)

One dash of Pumpkin Pie Spice =ZERO calories

1/4 cup of ice =ZERO calories

A light dusting of Graham Cracker Crumbs for topping =trace calories (also optional)

A Blender or Food Processor…no calories…lol!

TOTAL =100 CALORIES of Pumpkin Pie Yumminess!

Blend all of this together in your blender or food processor, pour into a pretty glass, sprinkle with the graham cracker crumbs and drink up!

Perfect breakfast on the go pick me up!

I am sure you can use other ingredients to your likes, to keep the sugars lower I liked this recipe. Visit the Oh bite it web site for more pumpkin deliciousness, beware it's a ooey gooey place over there...yummy.

 

 

Fall Is Around The Corner With Fabulous Decor Ideas #Fall #homedecor #crafting

I am not so sure we had a summer, it was so wet here in the NC foothills that I would call that a monsoon summer....lol. Now I am soooo ready for fall, crisp air, pumpkins, apples and the beautiful colors that signify the onset of the season. Here in NC we are blessed with mountains that seem to be painted by God's magnificent pallets of paint colors. The changing of the leaves is one of my favorite times to drive to the higher elevations and just stand in awe of His creation.

With the return of fall comes the excitement of dragging out my "fall boxes" from the garage. They are filled with various decor related to the autumn season. I also love to create more treasures to add to my autumn and holiday collections. A crafty addict that I am, I have already been perusing Pinterest for ideas. I will try to share some of my fave finds over the next few weeks if you can stand it...lol , I tend to get excited and ramble like now,lol.

Fabulous Fall Decor Ideas, I found on Pinterest and when I clicked the link, as you will do, I felt like a little girl in the candy shop, except I found a wealth of fall decorating ideas! Thank you so much The Cottage Market for compiling this list.

http://www.thecottagemarket.com/2013/09/35-fabulous-fall-decor-ideas.html

Out of all of those ideas, I think this one is my favorite since I love my animals outside too, and love to feed all my birds and squirrels. 

 http://www.robinbecksnest.com/search?q=fall+in+forks

Have a happy day~~  

101 Handmade Halloween Ideas for your crafting!

Halloween crafting is always such fun, love to decorate for this holiday. I could not resist sharing yet another list from this awesome site www.everythingetsy.com !

Make it a handmade holiday!

1. Polka Dot Witch Hat Tutorial – Craftaholics Anonymous
2. Burlap Ghost Lights – Pottery Barn Knock Off – Burton Avenue
3. Sparkle Skeleton Pumpkin – Mod Podge Rocks
4. Halloween BOO Signs {Printables} – The TomKat Studio
5. Framed Witches Hat – HoneyBear Lane
6. Cheveron Pumpkins – Tatertots & Jello
7. Spooky Burlap Table Runner – Polkadot Chair
8. Halloween Wall Display – Eighteen25/Lil’ Luna
9. Pottery Barn Skull Face Knock Off – The Country Chic Cottage
10. Giant Tape Spiderweb – Lowe’s
11. Mercury Glass Pumpkins – All Things Heart and Home
12. Eye See You Wreath – Crafts Unleashed
13. Owl Treat Bag Label {Printable} – The Graphics Fairy
14. Ghoulish Grown Up Drink Labels {Printables} – Centsational Girl
15. Lace Halloween Wreath – Craftily Ever After
16. Simple Bat Lantern – A Bit of Sunshine
17. Keep Calm and Boo On! {Printable} – The Bonjour Family
18. DIY Halloween Apothecary Jars – Craftaholics Anonymous
19. Life Size Gauzy Ghost – The Lettered Cottage
20. Batty Felt Pillow – Ameroonie Designs
21. Halloween Pom Pom Wreath – Mod Podge Rocks
22. Trick or Treat {Printable} – The Three Sweet Peas
23. Candy Corn Decorations – Thrify Decor Chick
24. Halloween Bell Jar – Stamptramp
25. If the Broom Fits, Ride It! {Printable} – Crafts & Sutch
26. Halloween Bat Frame – A Pumpkin & A Princess
27. Witch Candy Cauldron – Eighteen25/Design Dazzle
28. Halloween Party Treat Cone {Printable}–The TomKatStudio/HGTV
29. Spooky Eyeball Wreath – A Pretty Life
30. Halloween Cupcake Wrappers {Printables} – Food Art Party
31. Spiderweb Door Mat – BHG
32. Googly Eyes Wreath – The Country Chic Cottage
33. Halloween Burlap Wreath – Just Sew Sassy
34. Birdcage Silhouette Pumpkin Pattern – BHG
35. Condemned Sign {Printable} – Brookly Limestone
36. Spooky Halloween Fence from Pallets – Instructables
37. Jack O’ Lantern Magnets – Mod Podge Rocks
38. Monogram Pumpkin – Plaid
39. Halloween Goodie Bags {Printables} – Love Obsess Inspire
40. Beware Halloween Banner – Crafts Unleashed
41. Witch’s Laundry Day Decoration – Crafty Staci
42. Halloween Glam Wreath – Days of Chalk and Chocolate
43. Frankenstein Goodie Bags – Summer Scraps
44. Large Creepy Spider Decoration – BHG
45. Spider Web Wreath – Mom Endeavors
46. DIY Halloween Tombstones – Lowe’s
47. DIY Painted Halloween Door Mat – The DIY Village
48. Creepy Jar Labels {Printables} – Funkytime
49. Ghost Cloches – Chic on a Shoestring Budget Decorating
50. Wicked Witch Silhouette Pattern – BHG
51. Spooky Halloween Wreath – The Swell Life
52. Skeleton Vase – Sew Woodsy
53. Halloween Candelabra – Sawdust and Paper Scraps
54. Candy Corn Wreath – Bugaboo
55. Felt Bat Garland – The Artful Parent
56. Rope and Wire Pumpkins – Someday Crafts
57. Skeleton Wreath – Ready, Set, Craft
58. Mouse Motel Pumpkin – Martha Stewart
59. Halloween Silhouette Wall Art – The Pink Peony of Le Jardin
60. 4×4 Painted Pumpkins – Ameroonie Designs
61. Halloween Banner {Printable} – BHG
62. Spooky Paper Garland Cutouts – Country Living
63. Sparkle Button Pumpkins – The Swell Life
64. Kids Ghost Detective Game – Delightfully Noted
65. Pumpkin Balloons – Martha Stewart
66. Spooky Halloween Bottles – The Messy Roost
67. Halloween Screen Tutorial – Crafting in the Rain
68. Spider Web String Art – A Soft Place to Land
69. Halloween Bingo {Printables} – The Crafting Chicks
70. Candy Corn Onesie – The Swell Life
71. Coffee Filter Spider Webs – The Artful Parent
72. Outdoor Cauldron Decoration – BHG
73. Burlap Spider Wreath – Annelily Design
74. Chicken Wire Ghost – Wacky Archives
75. Skeleton Leggings – Westsinister Abbey
76. Halloween Mantel Banner – Finding My Aloha
77. Book Page Trick or Treat Wreath – Lil’ Luna
78. Sweet Halloween Jar Labels {Printables} – Kiki Creates
79. Bat Ribbon Party Straws – Scrapbooks Etc.
80. Spooky Lunch Box Jokes {Printables} – Peonies and Poppyseeds
81. Halloween Boo Bunting Wreath – Pretty Ditty
82. Beautiful Halloween Gift Tags – Mommy by Day, Crafter by Night
83. Halloween & Fall Pillow Tutorial – Tatertots & Jello
84. Vintage Witch Halloween Gift Tag {Printable} – Design Lass
85. Silhouette Treat Bags – Positively Splendid/Uncommon
86. Floating Halloween Candles – Crafts Unleashed
87. Enter if You Dare Wreath – Sassy Style
88. DIY Book Ghost – Cr8tive Compass
89. Vampire Pumpkins – Martha Stewart
90. Upcycled Spider Web Vase – Balancing Home
91. Eat at Your Own Risk Cupcake Toppers – Pumpkin Petunia
92. Owl In Tree Door Silhouette Pattern – BHG
93. Halloween Silhouette Board – She Wears Flowers
94. Burlap Witch Wreaths – Two Oh Two Seven
95. Slimey Halloween Party Favors – Parties For Pennies
96. Pumpkin Votive Luminaries – Maiden D’Shade
97. Spooky Plate House Numbers – BHG
98. Modern Halloween Candle Covers {Printables} – Living Locurto
99. Scrapbook Paper Skulls – Mega Crafty
100. Eerie Candlestick Display – Martha Stewart
101. Crafty Boo Necklace – Mod Podge Rocks

Wordless Wednesday~ leaves of blessings

Wordless Wednesday~ many leaves of blessings pouring out upon the ground 

Have a terrific day! think positive and throw some leaves!

Pumpkin drooling and designs~~

Fall is my favorite season because of the colors, the leaves, the crisp air and oh yes......PUMPKINS!! Eat your heart out Jenn Haggerty (my sweet pumpkin nut friend) this post is likely to drive you insane. Lets first find some delicious pumpkin foodies to enjoy and drool over. At the end is a yummy treat to warm your tummy up!

Pumpkin Roll Cake by Paula Deen  ( I love her cooking)

Ingredients 

Cake:
3/4 cup cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
6 large eggs, separated
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup golden brown sugar, packed
2/3 cup canned pumpkin, packed
1/8 teaspoon salt
Powdered sugar
Filling:
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
2 tablespoons dark rum
1 cup whipping cream, chilled
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
6 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup English toffee pieces for garnish
Additional powdered sugar, for garnish
1 1/2 cups purchased caramel sauce, warmed, for garnish

Directions

For the cake: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Line a 15 by 10 by 1-inch baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray the parchment with nonstick cooking spray.
Sift the flour, cinnamon, ginger, and allspice into a small bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until very thick. Add the pumpkin to the egg mixture and combine at a low speed until incorporated. Add the dry ingredients and beat at a low speed until mixed. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites and salt until stiff but not dry. Fold into the cake batter, stirring with a spatula, until most of the white streaks are gone.
Spread the batter onto a baking sheet and smooth out. Transfer baking sheet to the oven and bake until a tester comes out clean, about 15 to 18 minutes. While the cake is hot, dust generously with powdered sugar. Loosen the edges and turn the cake out onto a kitchen towel. Fold the towel over the edge of the cake and roll up. Cool completely, edge down, for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
For the filling: Soften the gelatin in the rum. Stir over low heat until the gelatin dissolves. Cool. Beat the chilled whipping cream and powdered sugar in a large bowl until peaks form. Fold in the gelatin and 6 tablespoons English toffee pieces.
To assemble, unroll the cake and sprinkle with 4 tablespoons of English toffee pieces. Spread the filling over the toffee. Start at 1 long side of the cake roll and, using the towel as an aid, roll up the cake to encase the filling. Place the cake, seam-side down, on a platter.
Trim the ends of the cake at a slight diagonal. Dust the cake with powdered sugar. Spoon some warm caramel sauce and the remaining toffee chips over the top of the cake. To serve, use a serrated knife to cut the cake crosswise into 1-inch thick slices. Drizzle more sauce on each slice and serve.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aunt Trina’s Holiday Pumpkin Crunch - given to Paula Deen by her aunt Trina

1 (15 oz.) can fresh pumpkin
1 (12 oz.) can evaporated milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 c. sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1 box yellow cake mix
1 cup chopped pecans
2 sticks butter, cut into pieces
FROSTING:
1 (8 oz.) pkg. softened cream cheese
1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together pumpkin, evaporated milk, cinnamon and sugar until well combined.  Add eggs and mix well.
Pour mixture into a 9X13 baking dish prepared with a non stick spray. Sprinkle cake mix evenly over entire top. Sprinkle nuts evenly over cake mix and top with butter pieces.  Bake at 350º F for 50-60 minutes.  Set aside to cool.
Prepare frosting while cake is cooling.  In a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer, whip cream cheese until light.  Add in whipping cream and continue to whip until fully combined and thickening.  Add powdered sugar and cinnamon and whip until smooth.
To Serve:  Scoop out a slice of the pumpkin crunch and top with a dollop of the cream cheese frosting, or frost the entire pumpkin crunch with the frosting.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 How about some fun printable activities for your kiddos, homeschooling or not they will enjoy these. From the website http://www.2teachingmommies.com/

Go to webpage to click on picture to download

All the printables are in one easy download. Just click the image above to download a single zip file of all the printables.  You will need to be able to view pop-ups to download the unit, as it will appear in a pop up window from the site! Last year’s printables are also included in this download.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What about decorating those cute pumpkins?? what can we do to a big orange round ball? 

Beautiful pumpkins carved so intricately with a flower/ herbal design

1 love it,!!

 Many many Pumpkins in all sorts of designs and fun creations to try!

Glitter {Pumpkin} Topiary

Pumpkins! #pumpkincarving #fall

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 And for our final "pumpkin treat of the day"

Pumpkin Pie White Hot Chocolate--- yummmmmmm!! 

Ingredients:
3 cups whole milk
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 ounces white chocolate (roughly chopped)
pinch salt

Directions:
1. Heat the milk, pumpkin puree, and spices in a sauce pan until it just starts to simmer and remove form heat.
2. Add the chocolate and stir until it has melted.
3. Pour into mugs and top with whipped cream and garnish with cinnamon.

Similar Recipes: from the Closet Cooking Website- a wonderful spot to enjoy
Pumpkin Pie Milkshake
Pumpkin Pie
Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream
Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal
Pumpkin Pie Pancakes
Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake
Pumpkin Pie French Toast
Pumpkin White Chocolate and Macadamia Nut Cookies

Enjoy all!!

Leslie aka BlockmomNC --- lover of pumpkin and cuteness