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Saturday Shindig Weekly Linky Party #30

I am so excited that admist the chaos and stress that has been my life this week, my little sister is coming to visit.  It seems she always comes when I need her most.

Although we didn't plan it, and I didn't know when and where we would be moving when she purchased her plane ticket, I know there was a Divine plan and she's coming now when I'm stressed, worried, and needing my family.  I miss my sister and am SUPER excited to be moving within driving distance of her.  I know I'll be visiting her and the rest of my family ALOT more often in the coming years.  And that makes the sadness of moving, SO VERY much better!

So in honor of my little sister's visit, this weeks printable is about sisters!

Are you doing anything fun this week?
Show us your newest party or fun creations by sharing your favorite party themed craft, table scape, photo, favor, or whatever! I'm pretty flexible since just about everything can be used at a party...that's the great thing about us moms! We can see the potential in ANYTHING!
Linky Party Guidelines:
* Link up to your OWN project post, not just your blog, but your actual post. (We want to see it!)
*Grab a Shindig Saturday button for your post or blog page. (Hey, it benefits us all!)
*Stay and enjoy the party by visiting and commenting on other's projects. (It's fun to mix and mingle!)
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Candied Popcorn Recipe

Let me tell you...that Cinnabun Popcorn yesterday was WONDERFUL!  I ended up eating the WHOLE batch.  So now I have to make a more for Drama Queen's party next weekend.  (oh darn!)


I'm hoping that this Candied Popcorn recipe by A Mom, Not a Professional...is just as good!  I can't wait to try.  Want to try some too?  Here's the printable recipe...




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Friday Finds

This week started out innocently enough.  I though that I would find some recipes to make a complete meal.  The first thing I found was a recipe for some  pork chops.

Beyer Beware

Sarah from This Farm Family's Life guest posted at Beyer Beware on Monday and shared a recipe for this delicious looking pork chop.  Now I am not a pop drinker, but my husband has one can everyday.  I have made other recipes that called for pop, and they were very good.  This one sound really good, also.


The Pretend Chef

Then I found a recipe for some great sounding carrots. I love carrots if they are cooked properly.  Hubby not so much.  I also love cumin so this seems a perfect paring.   With the addition of a one of the potato dishes from previous Friday Finds, I would have a very tasty dinner.

I decide that I might want to make some muffins.  I found this apple muffin recipe that seems perfect for a fall dinner.

Ali N Son

So I was doing really good finding some nice wholesome food.  Then it Went All Down Hill from There.  Because I found this:

Almond Joy Bread
Wives with Knives

This wonderful bread is chuck full for coconut, almonds, and chocolate.  It is then covered with a coconut glaze and decorated with chocolate ganache.  My son-in-law loves coconut bread.  I have a favorite recipe that I make him every Christmas, but I can't wait to try this one.

And then I found this: 

Brandy's Crafts

What a concept.  Using candy to make candy.  And so easy.  Just melt candy corn, mix with peanut butter chill and dip into melted chocolate.  These are definitely going onto my Christmas platters this year.  So next week, I will make another effort to find healthier recipes.

As always, I am most anxious to see what everyone else has found this week.

Please note that all photos were taken by and are the property of the respective bloggers represented.
   
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Cinnabon Popcorn

I have always wanted to try and have a Popcorn bar at one of my parties...after all, who (other than 2 of my crazy children) doesn't like popcorn?  Since the Drama Queen LOVES popcorn, I thought this was the perfect chance to try one.

If you don't know what a popcorn bar is, it's pretty much like any other kind of party dessert bar...there are LOTS of different kinds of popcorn and guests can just pick and choose between the different types of treats to sample and enjoy.

So, for the next few days (while I work on my Garage Sale and a few BIG projects to show you next week) I'm going to share a few of the popcorn recipes that we are making for Drama Queen's Sweet 16.


Today's popcorn recipe is from Get Off Your Butt and Bake.  I was going to show you step by step how to make this


but she has already done a WONDERFUL, in depth job.  So I won't waste your time.  Instead, print off the recipe below and hop over to her blog to see great directions (with LOTS of pics!)



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12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies-No-Bake Peanut Butter or Chocolate Drops


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I am so excited to be part of 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies.  I followed along last year but was not blogging then.

At Christmas time back in the 80’s I had a cookie baking business that I ran for the people I worked with.  Every year I would scour my cookbooks and choose 12 to 15 different recipes to make.  I would write up a page with the recipe names and a description of each, hand them out to my coworkers, and  they would preorder what they wanted.  

I have never shared all those recipes, but this year I am sharing them.  A number of the recipes are ones that I have not seen anywhere on the web; and I do not want them to become “lost”.  Hopefully sharing the recipes here will help preserve them for the future.

Before I post today’s recipes here are a few tips I learned from making many cookies at Christmastime. 

1.  Make bar cookies.  There are so many different recipes out there, and you can just mix up the batter and stick them in the oven.
2.  Use cookie recipes that make big batches or double your regular recipes.  It takes the same amount of time to mix up dough that makes 3 dozen cookies as it does to mix up dough that makes 6 dozen.  Being the Cookie Monster’s grandmother, I never make recipes that will yield only 16 or 24 cookies.
3.  Make cookie recipes that can be formed into large “logs” and then sliced after baking.  Several of the recipes that I will post are this type.
4.  Make recipes that you can keep in the refrigerator or freezer and then just slice and bake. 
5.  Make “no-bake” cookies.  Saves time and you are not paying for having the oven on.

The first recipes I am sharing are "no-bake”.   A very popular “no-bake” cookie is made with cocoa, peanut butter and oatmeal.  These cookies are either Peanut Butter OR Chocolate.  I have been making these for over 35 years and no longer remember where the Peanut Butter recipe came from.  The Chocolate recipe came from Land O Lakes.

Any kind of nut can be used in the chocolate cookies.  They should be toasted for the best flavor.  A nice change is to used toasted almonds and sub 1/2 to 1 t. almond extract for the vanilla.

The method for making both cookies is the same so I will list the ingredients for each and then the method.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Drops
1/2 cup butter
2 cups light brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup milk
pinch of salt
1/2 cup peanut butter  (I like crunchy)
1 t. vanilla
3 c. quick-cooking rolled oats

Chocolate Oatmeal Drops
1/2 c. butter
1 1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. milk
1/4 to 1/2 c. cocoa
pinch salt
1/2 t. vanilla
3 c. quick-cooking rolled oats
1/2 c. toasted nuts
1/2 to 1 c. coconut (optional)

Cut a piece of waxed paper at least 3 ft. long and place on counter or table.  In a large, heavy saucepan combine butter, milk, white or brown sugar, salt and cocoa if using.  Bring mixture to a full-rolling boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.  Without stirring, let mixture boil for 3 minutes.  Immediately remove from heat.  Stir in peanut butter (if using) and vanilla.  Stir until peanut butter is melted.  Add oats and mix well.  Stir in nuts and coconut if using.  Using two teaspoons drop mixture onto waxed paper.  Use one spoon to scoop up mixture and the other to slide it onto the waxed paper.  Let set until firm, about 30 minutes.  Makes about 4 dozen.

If you have an eagle eye, you may have noticed that there are no nuts in the chocolate cookies in the photo.  I forgot to put them in.

Linking to:  Fall Blog Crawl
I'm Lovin' It
Ingredient Spotlight



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Pumpkin Chip Bars

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It is the time of year when I want to make things with pumpkin.  I recently tried a new pumpkin bar recipe, and it is a keeper.  I was looking through some of my cookie cookbooks (I won’t confess how many of those I have) and found this recipe in Better Homes and Gardens Cookies for Christmas, 1985.

The recipe has many of the things I like:  It is a bar cookie, uses vegetable oil (but not a lot) and fills a 15x10 inch pan which means it makes a big batch.

The recipe originally called for semi-sweet chocolate chips, but I didn’t have any on hand.  I did have Nestles’ White Chocolate Chips so I used them.  For whatever reason, most of the chips melted as the bars were baking.  That was OK because left behind were little holes of sweetness.  I am anxious to try other flavors of chips in these.  The cinnamon/sugar topping adds a nice finishing touch to the cookies.

In the future, I will probably add nuts to these.  These are great without them, however, so would be good for people who don’t like or cannot eat nuts.

I think that these would make a great dessert, cut into larger squares with some caramel sauce poured over them and topped with ice cream.

Pumpkin Chip Cookies
4 eggs
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
2 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate or other flavor baking chips
3 T. sugar
1/2 t. ground cinnamon

Place eggs in a large mixing bowl.  Beat well.  Add pumpkin, oil, and sugar.  Mix thoroughly.  Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.  Mix well.  Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and mix until just moistened.  Stir in chips.  Spread in an ungreased 15x10x1-inch baking pan.  Combine sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over batter.  Bake at 350 degrees 25 to 30 minutes or till done.  Cool.  Cut into bars.  The recipe says 36 cookies, but I easily got 48.

Linking to:  Cast Party Wednesday
These Chicks Cooked
Whisking Wednesdays
Full Plate Thursday
It's a Keeper Thursday
Get Your Brag On Link Party
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Skipping through Blogland and Stopping at The Better Baker

Recently Marsha at The Better Baker invited me to stop by her blog.  She is another blogger "of a certain age" and has been blogging since 2009.  If I had run across her blog a couple of years ago, I might have started blogging sooner myself.

Marsha's cooking is a lot like mine.  She makes good American comfort food.  When I asked her to suggest any particular posts from her blog, she said that Baked Waffles with Raspberry Cream Cheese and Slow Cooker Chocolate Pudding Cake were two of her most popular posts.  I thought that I would check them out for myself.


Baked Waffles with Raspberry Cream Cheese  Don't these look delicious?  I love that these can be made ahead.  Raspberries are one of my favorite fruits.  Marsha says other fruits could be used as well.  She used frozen waffles in this, but the waffles could be made from scratch also.  I am adding this to my special breakfast ideas list.


Slow Cooker Chocolate Pudding Cake  I love a dessert that can be made in a slow cooker.  It is so nice when your oven is busy cooking something else.  This one uses cake mix and also includes toffee bits and chocolate chips.  Yum, Yum.  Just mix the ingredients, pour into a slow cooker and be willing to wait a few hours.  That is the hard part.


Cream Cheese Coffee Cake  This is a recent post, but like she says Yeah! Baby!  Just keep some crescent rolls and some cream cheese in the fridge, and you can make this up anytime.  This is another breakfast that can be made ahead.

Well, after finding the three luscious recipes above, I figured that I should look for some soup, veggies, or main dish recipes.


Marsha has posted 15 different soups on her blog.  I have some chicken I need to use, and this soup caught my eye.  Cheesy Chicken Chowder  Oh, Boy does this look good!  This has everything that a good chowder should have:  Chicken, potatoes, celery, carrots, milk, and cheese.  I will be making it this week.  It is perfect for this early fall weather.  The only thing I might add to this is some chopped red pepper, but then I've mentioned how I put it in everything I can get away with.


Next I looked for some veggie recipes.  Marsha certainly has a number of different recipes, but this simple one looks good.  Sugared Asparagus sounds delicious.  I will have to wait until next spring to enjoy this, but that will give me something to look forward to when asparagus season rolls round again.


Stew is such a wonderful comfort food, and this Old-Fashioned Beef Stew can be made ahead and then cooked in a slow cooker, which gives it two pluses for me.  This is another recipe that is going on my "Try Very Soon" list

Marsha cooks for a diabetic so many of her recipes are suitable for people following those diet restrictions.

Marsha also blogs at Country Cooks Across America, has written her own cookbook (available on her blog), and won a recipe contest at American Profile, that magazine that many of us get with our paper each Saturday.

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit at The Better Baker, and was reluctant to leave, but I came away with great new recipes to try.  I subscribed to the blog and will check back often.

Note:  All photos in this post were taken by Marsha, used with her permission and remain her property.

If you are reading this and would like me to make a stop at your blog while I'm Skipping through Blogland, just send me an email.  I do all the work, you get all the credit.  How easy is that?
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Blue and Green Chevron Birthday Invitation

Since my daughter wants to invite some 50 people to her 16th birthday party, we made our invitations as easy as possible.  She told me she didn't share my love of anything polka dotted, but instead liked stripes.  So I used stripes to make a chevron background in blue and green with pink accents.

Then I used my graphics program to design up 4 to a page in postcard size.


Quick and easy.

Probably the only thing that will be for this party.  Hopefully I have a few really fun projects to show you in the next week IF they all come together as I hope.  Cross your fingers for me.  I'm braving new territory here.

In the meantime, here's a blue and green chevron background free printable for you to use as you need.

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Cooking with the Journal-Pumpkin/Oatmeal Drops

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This is a cookie that positively oozes autumn.  The taste of pumpkin bread in a cookie with the addition of wholesome oats and the crunch from the nuts.  These smell wonderful while baking and keep well, but at our house we do not have to worry about that.

Because the smaller cans of pumpkin now have only 1 1/2 c. pumpkin in them instead of 2 c., I have adjusted this recipe to use 3/4 c. pumpkin instead of 1 cup.   Any nut can be used in this recipe.  I especially like walnuts or pecans.  Be sure and toast them.  It makes all the difference in the world.

These will not spread much, so if you want them bigger drop a larger amount of dough and bake them a little longer.  As is, they are great to serve on a tray of assorted cookies.  This is a soft cookie that contrasts nicely with crisper ones.

Pumpkin/Oatmeal Drops
Homemade Cookies
Farm Journal Books, 1971

3/4 c. butter or margarine, softened
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
3/4 c. canned pumpkin
2 T. water
1 t. vanilla
1 1/2 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. ground nutmeg
1/8 t. ground cloves
1 1/2 c. quick-cooking rolled oats
1/2 c. flaked or shredded coconut
1/2 c. chopped, toasted nuts

Cream together butter and sugar.  Beat in eggs; add pumpkin, water, and vanilla.  Stir together flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and spices.  Stir into creamed mixture.  Add oats, coconut, and nuts.  Drop by teaspoonfuls 2-inches apart onto greased baking sheet.  Bake at 375 degrees about 12 minutes.  Remove cookies and cool on racks.  Makes 6 dozen.

Linking to:  Tuesday Talent Show
Tuesday Time Out
Tasty Tuesday
Totally Tasty Tuesday
Show Me What Ya Got
Tip Me Tuesday
Ingredient Spotlight
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Neon Glow in the Dark 16th Birthday Shopping

"Drama Queen" is turning 16.  Heaven help us.
I can't believe where the years have gone.  It seems like yesterday we found out that we were going to have her...and here she is ready to drive...and date...and break a few hearts.  I'm so not ready.

But she is.
And so now we are planning a big birthday party to celebrate her Sweet 16.  She doesn't want a "theme" party, but instead wants neon colors and lots of lights at a nearby park.

To get us started, here are a few shopping ideas from the small businesses of Etsy to get us brainstorming in our party planning.

 

'Neon Glow Party' by ChocolateBoxTreats

All the favors, treats, and decorations you'll need to throw a Neon BRIGHT Glow in the Dark Party

$35.00
$45.00
Blank Cake Shooter Pops, set...
$10.00
Mason Sun Jar Solar Night Li...
$18.00
Alphabet letters for scrapbo...
$3.00
Rustic Silver Vintage Inspi...
$235.00
Blue and Green Paper Straws ...
$10.00
Word Banner - NEON and BLACK...
$15.00
Girls Neon Sanding Sugar Spr...
$9.00
Organza Bags 3x4 inch 60 mul...
$9.00
Neon Colors Skinny Candles -...
$1.75
Bright Stripes Cupcake Liner...
$3.75
31 feet Fabric Garland Banne...
$34.00
80s party Water bottle label...
$5.00
Mason Jar Chandelier Mason J...
$275.00
Custom Printed Mini Paper Pe...
$7.00
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DIY Groceries-Spreadable or Diet Butter

Good Monday to all.  Thank you for following my blog.  I hope that you find the information that I post here useful.

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Spreadable butter is a nice thing to have on hand to put on bread, etc.  Unfortunately spreadable butter is a little pricey at the grocery store.  It takes a little time, but it is very easy to make spreadable butter at a fraction of the cost.  All it takes is butter and milk or water.  Merely mix softened butter with some warm milk or water and the result is spreadable butter.  Use water for making diet butter.

I probably should have posted this before I did the flavored butters posts.  Alas, I did not.  Any of the flavored butter seasonings can be added to this recipe when the butter and milk/water have been mixed together.  The seasoning amounts need to be doubled as there are two sticks of butter used here.

Spreadable or Diet Butter
1/2 lb. (2 sticks) butter, salted or unsalted
1/4 c. milk or water, warmed but not hot
1/4 t. salt (if using unsalted butter)

Leave butter at room temperature until very soft or soften in the microwave in 10 second intervals.   (I usually do the latter.)  Place in bowl and add milk or water.  Mix together until well combined.  This can be done with a hand electric mixer or with a rubber spatula.  Add salt if using unsalted butter.  Turn into a covered container and store in the refrigerator.  Take butter from fridge and let set out a little while before using. Makes slightly over 1/2 lb. spreadable butter.
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Cooking from the Blogs-What I Made

I recently made a couple of desserts from the blogs.  Both were very good.


If you still have an abundance of zucchini, MAKE THIS!  This is from At Home My Way and the recipe title says it all:  Zucchini Cobbler Just Like Apple.  It really, really does taste just like apple.  You will amaze your family and friends.  I took this to work and called it Mystery Cobbler.  Everyone that tried it guessed that it was apple.  I don't know what the magic is, perhaps cooking the zucchini in the lemon juice.  I used the trick she suggested and sliced the zucchini to look just like apple slices.  I thought that there was too much crust for me personally, but everyone else proclaimed the crust just right.


When I came home from work Friday night, hubby said that a neighbor had brought us some peaches and tomatoes.  Upon checking the peaches out, I found that they were very ripe and needed to be used soon.  I decide to make a peach crisp with them yesterday.  I have several recipes for peach crisp, but always like to look through the blogs to see what I can find.  I was scouting around and found Sriracha Peach Crisp over at Budget Bytes.  I really wanted to make this one, but wasn't sure how well it would go over with hubby.  Well, she just happened to have Peach Almond Crisp on her blog also.  I chose to make that one.  I doubled the recipe as I had a lot of peaches to use up.

This recipe uses softened butter in the topping instead of firm.  I may have softened mine a little too much.  The topping will be more clumpy and the taste more caramely than a topping with firm butter.  It was a nice change.  This is a new-to-me blog.  She gives the costs of her recipes, kind of like $5.00 Dinners.  Her cost was $3.37 for the entire recipe or .42 a serving for 8 servings.  I figure that, even though I doubled the recipe,  my cost was much less since the peaches were free.

I will definitely be making both of these dishes again.  Thanks gals for two great ones.
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Shout Out Sunday


A few of my favorite party ideas from around the web...

 
Giverslog shared this Bubble Wrap Hopscotch.  What kid doesn't like bubble wrap?  What kid doesn't like hopscotch?  Who would have thought to combine the two?  So clever! I can see this as a MAJOR hit at any birthday party.

Maddycakes Muse shared these Baby Rattle cupcakes on her facebook page this week.  I LOVE fun, easy, cute cupcakes and these are just the best.  I could totally see these being the star of the show at a baby shower.  I can't wait to throw one now just so I can make them.

Mommy Minded shared her Spooky Family Fun Night.  What a great idea!  We have a family home evening every week, but its such a fun idea to kick up the evening a notch and turn it into a mini party just for your family.  I think I will definitely try and do this once a month to really thrill the kids.

The Sweetest Occasion shared these Washi Tape flatware.   What a cute and fun way to dress up your silverware.  I'm not sure how it's done since I've never played with Washi Tape myself, but I am certainly going to find some now.  This would be great way to your tableware.
Craft Addiction shared these Cupcake Stands.  I know we've seen these before several times, but I just LOVE how she has found a way to be able to change and reuse the stands and plates.  So very clever!  And don't you just love this green and black stand?  It would be perfect for a Halloween party!
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