Olive Pickin

 I love any reason for my family to get together.  Last Sunday we headed to a friends to pick olives.  It was a beautiful Fall day.

And then the real work began.  You have to soak and rinse them several times.  We crack some and leave some.

Pumpkin Spice Cookie

 I don't know about you, but I am always looking for an amazing cookie recipe.  It doesn't come along too often.  Most of the time I can take them or leave them, but once in awhile a cookie recipe comes along that you want to make again, and again, and again.  Here it is.......

Pumpkin Spice Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

2 cups flour

1 t baking powder

1 t cinnamon

1/2 t baking soda

1/2 t nutmeg

1/4 t ground cloves

1/4 t allspice

1/2 cup butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 cup pumpkin

1 t vanilla

Grease a cookie sheet.  Stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, soda, and nutmeg.  In a mixer bowl beat butter for 30 seconds, add brown sugar and beat until fluffy.  Add egg, pumpkin, and vanilla, beat well.  Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture til well blended.  Drop from teaspoons 2 inches apart onto greased cookie sheet.  Bake in a 375 degree oven for 8-10 mins.

Cream Cheese Frosting

3 oz. cream cheese

1/4 cup butter

1 t vanilla

add powdered sugar one cup at a time, beating in between, until reaching desired consistency

Add frosting when served.  Do not frost cookies before.  Keep frosting refrigerated.

This recipe will be a hit for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

Thanks to Estelle Hodges for this amazing recipe.

Fall Festival

My sons elementary school had their Fall Festival last Friday night.    No festival would be complete without a bake sale.  I just wanted to show you some inspirational pics from the booth.  We sold every last bit of our goods.  I think presentation helped us.  It always helps, and it takes no more time to make a pretty table than not.  The proceeds raised at this booth were $560.00, all from donated goods.  I think that is darn good.

Hope this inspires you come the next bake sale.

Pumpkin Fairy

Last night I was visited by the Pumpkin Fairy.  My sweet friend Don, who is a farmer, knew how much I would appreciate all of these pumpkins.  The colors and varieties are amazing.

Here is what my poor little porch looked like before.  I am soooo ashamed.

Much better.

Notice the elk antlers, and of course I had to add a splash of turquoise.

I have been wanting to do something with the these iron lanterns for some time.  I thought these lit up at night would be amazing.

And I was right.

Happy October!  This has motivated me to get my rear in gear and get the rest of my house done.  I will keep you posted.  Also, THANKS DON, I love my pumpkins.