Tag Archives | 2013

Halloween Display, Printables and More…

October 26, 2013

Halloween TREATS! I like to put together simple, fun and not too scary Halloween display for the kids. See the previous year {here}. This theme is all about creepy crawly critters like spiders, frogs, snakes, and bugs. For the next few posts from now till Halloween, I will put together in detail “how to’s” for … treats, paper pumpkins and packaging shown above.

Paper pumpkin treat packages are too cute and easy to make. Flameless candles is the ideal way to add a soft glow and they won’t burn the delicate cobwebs. I also used bare branches in a tall vase to give height and texture to the display.

packaged Halloween treats

Test tubes filled with M&Ms chocolate candy pieces {fresh rat hearts}. Free printable “specimen No 3” label & more at Paging Supermom {print here}.

chocolate pretzel spider web treats

Have fun using this Halloween printable that I’ve created from an assortment of spider and insect images in black and white. In the above picture, the printed image had papers layered beneath it with torn edges for a rough organic look. To give it depth, I lightly smeared soft black charcoal and diluted black watercolor paint on the paper leaving a few paint droplets to drip down. Little black plastic spiders were added with double-sided tape for a 3-D effect. The wooden frame covered with spider web and one giant spider cut-out perched at the top corner tied it all together.

Free Spiders & Insects Printable {print Here}

. . . . . . . . . . . .

PACKAGING HALLOWEEN TREATS

SUPPLIES

gummy treats ⎜ clear resealable cello bags 5 7/8″ x 4 1/2″ ⎜ parchment paper liners ⎜ double-sided tape ⎜ scissors ⎜ spider & insect printable labels

DIRECTIONS

1. Cut parchment paper liner to fit inside the cello bag and insert it into the cello bag.
2. Place the gummy treats in the cello bag on top of the paper liner.
3. Remove the plastic strip off the resealable adhesive near the top of the back, fold it over and press the adhesive firmly against the back of the bag to seal the opening.
4. Attach the Halloween treat label to the cello bag using double-sided tape.

Free Halloween Printable Labels/Tags
with description “Creepy Crawler Treats” {print here}
without description {print here}

1.printable / spiders & insects 2.printable labels & tags / spiders & insects 3.chocolate pretzel spider web treats 4.packaged treats in paper pumpkins 5.packaged treats in test tubes 6.packaged treats in paper bags

Come back soon to see more Halloween how-to projects!

{all printables are for personal use ONLY}

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posted by: Kay

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Fall Love… Duck hunting, Firewood, NFL Red Zone

October 19, 2013

Getting to know Bill and me on a little ~~deeper~~ maybe more on the weird level since our kids have told us often that we are “weird parents”, so we must be. The things we look forward to during the Fall Season may not always be high on many people’s lists of priority: hunting, firewood and the NFL “Red Zone”.

To be out hunting or fishing is Bill’s ideal thing to do this time of year. The opportunity came and he took it without any hesitation. Last week was the first day of duck season. He and a friend went out at midnight to their hunting spot to prepare and set up duck decoys. Seven o’clock in the morning couldn’t come fast enough for the guys. That was the official opening time and knowing Bill, he probably was completely awake the whole night with excitement. Opening day was a success for the guys. They got a total of eleven ducks that day.

Watching Duck Dynasty might be as close as I will get to any duck hunting, even though the guys on the show really don’t show a lot of duck hunting. Duck Dynasty has become one of our family’s favorite shows to watch.

I feel like a squirrel collecting nuts for the winter, but it’s firewood. To see a LARGE stack of firewood in the backyard to last us from winter into spring makes me truly happy. I will gather and stack them and with Bill’s help when needed. The warmth of a fire during the winter just feels right. Winter brings with it unpredictable weather and power outages. In having a wood stove as the source of heat, a place to cook and bake, we can withstand those situations a little easier.

This cut timber came from our property and is soon to be firewood for the next winter. See how the guys took down these trees last year. {here…}

“NFL RedZone delivers all of the touchdowns, key moments, and nonstop action that NFL fans want to see every Sunday afternoon,” said Matt Lederer, Director of Sports Marketing.

Football Season is definitely kicking into hight gear. Our newest cable channel that we can’t be without is the “NFL RED ZONE“. It’s on Sunday between 10:00am and 5:00pm from September till the last NFL game in January. When I discovered this at my brother-in-law’s house a few years ago, it was literally love at first sight! {weird??} I was able to see the games in real time without commercials, timeouts, delays etc… No more of having to click from channel to channel and possibly missed out on a great play. If you are a football fan check the Red Zone out. Go Broncos!

What do you love about the Fall Season?

image/sources: Facebook.com/duckdynasty ⎜ NFL Red Zone

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posted by: Kay

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It’s Pumpkin {Squash} Season

October 12, 2013

Pumpkins are here! Every year there is a temptation to buy just one more pumpkin and add it to the growing collection at home. And I give in, one too many times! There are many varieties to choose from at the grocery stores and local markets. At this time of year, the local farms are bursting with fresh fruits, vegetables, and pumpkins. Out in the fields is where I love to go in search of pumpkins and squash, especially when they are still attached to the vines and ready for picking.

This beautiful Cinderella pumpkin {Rouge Vif d’Etampes} peaked out from beneath the vines and dead leaves to reveal its bright orange/red color.

What a sight to see, Green Goblin Pumpkins {Marina Di Chioggia} with knobby skin are quite a unique squash with yellow/orange sweet flesh. They are great for baking and a source of vitamin A.

Have you ever seen a yellow pumpkin as bright as this one!

The Blue Hubbarb Squash is teardrop-shaped with a hard outer shell and orange sweet flesh. They are great for pies, and soups.

Fairytale Pumpkins {Musque de Provence} originated from France, they will start out green and gradually turn brown/copper in color when ripe.

The striped pumpkin {Kakai} is popular for hull-less deep green seeds. The seeds have a wonderful nutty taste for snacking and for oil to be used in cooking.

A field full of orange pumpkins is a sight I never get tired of at this time of year.

Arrival of the fall season brings with it pumpkins. Place them outside at the front door {see it here…} or scatter them throughout the house. A large bright pumpkin could stand alone as the center piece of the table or on a mantle. Group similar color/size pumpkins together in a bowl, platter or other containers to brighten a room. Here I’ve gathered some simple and easy ideas to decorate with pumpkins.

Kim at Simply Domestic used little white and striped pumpkins to decorate her kitchen and dinning room . {see more…}

A few orange pumpkins placed in the middle of the kitchen island gave this neutral kitchen a nice pop of color.

A collection of pumpkins and squash with other items of similar green color brought cohesiveness to the display on the shelves.

This large wooden cake stand with two pumpkins stacked together created a wonderful display.

Have fun finding pumpkins and decorating with them!

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posted by: Kay

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Chicken and Rice Soup

October 5, 2013

Chicken and Rice Soup is our family “Comfort Soup” when feeling sick and under the weather. It won’t cure the stuffy nose, the coughing or the achiness, but it will soothe the body with warmth, nourishment and makes everything ok for a little while. The cold season definitely is here and our family have felt it with just a month into the school year. When sickness hits home, Chicken and Rice Soup is on the menu. I’ve made it twice last week and froze some for later.

The recipe is simple to make using basic ingredients. It has been the same for the most part with a few changes made through the years since my first child was little. During those younger years it was hard to feed them anything when they were sick. Any food or liquid I could get into their little bodies was a huge accomplishment. A simple broth soup with soft creamy vegetables and protein came about. They loved it then and {maybe more} now.

6-8 serverings
{ print recipe Here }

Ingredients

10 cups chicken stock or canned chicken broth
2 cups cold water
2 cups leek {1 med leek}, white and tender green only, chopped 1/8 inch thick
1 1/2 cups carrots {2 med carrots}, shredded {use the coarse side of the cheese grater}
1 cup celery {2 celery stalks}, chopped
3/4 cup white rice, washed and rinsed {not cooked}
1 1/2 cups cooked chicken, shredded
1/2 cup scallions, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon sesame oil
salt and pepper to taste

. . . . . . .

Shred carrots on the cheese grater and chop leek and celery.

Wash and rinse white rice with cold water a few times to get rid of most of the starch {the water will look milky during the washing}. Stop washing when the water is almost clear. Add the white rice along with carrots, leek and celery to the pot.

Pour chicken stock and water into the pot.

Turn the heat to High and stir occasionally until the soup comes to a boil. Turn the heat down to Low and cover the pot with a lid, leaving a little opening for steam to let out. Cook it for about 1 – 1 1/2 hours, stirring it occasionally.

After 1 – 1 1/2 hours of cooking, all the ingredients will be soft and tender with a creamy broth.

Add cooked shredded chicken, green onions, sesame oil, salt and pepper to the pot.

Stir all the ingredients together and let it cook for about 5 minutes longer then serve.

A few things I did differently to serve this soup to my kids when they were little:
1. The vegetables were chopped smaller.
2. Left the green onions out from the ingredients just because it has a stronger taste.
3. Added extra chicken broth to their soup bowls to make it easy for them to eat/drink.

Soup in mugs is a great way to serve a crowd or just for one sitting on a comfy sofa with a warm blanket.

After all the kids were healthy and well again, it was my turn to get the runt of it … actually a Triple Dose of it! They were pretty much over and done with their colds in 3 days where I would be just getting started.

What is your “comfort food” during the cold and flu season?

{ print recipe Here }

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posted by: Kay

5 comments

Gift Wrapping & Gift Tags {using magazine/catalog pages}

September 28, 2013

The idea of using newspaper, an old book, magazine or catalog pages is popular and an easy solution to wrapping gifts or for other purposes {i.e. tags}. A few months ago I received a Big stack of catalogs from Restoration Hardware in the mail {see pic above} that was almost 2 inches thick. The pictures were beautiful and the colors were soft and earth tones. After having gone through the catalogs numerous times and found all the inspirations I needed, it was time to let them go to be recycled. There are many ideas on Pinterest to turn old books, newspapers, and magazines into useful, fun and creative projects. Wrapping little gifts and making gift tags are basic, easy and inexpensive to do and that’s where I decided to try. Tear a page out, wrap, tape, tie it with twine and … Done! One other great thing about this is not having black ink on hands and fingers {from newspaper}.

magazine / catalog pages ~ gift wrapping & tags

Gift wrapping little gift / jewelry boxes only needed one page each from the catalog to wrap. They look like regular (maybe designer) wrapping papers!

Filled empty toilet paper rolls with small favors / treasures before wrapping each one with a page from catalog {twice around} and tie the ends with twine.

All purpose/generic gift tags, cut plain card stock paper into long strips {2 1/2 ” wide by 4 1/4 ” long}. Fold about 1/2 inch down from the top and secure it with glue then punch a small hole in the middle for a string to go through. Cut an image from the catalog and glue/tape it to the card stock. Write a message and attach it to a gift.

Holiday catalogs will be arriving in your mailbox soon, have fun reusing them!

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posted by: Kay

2 comments

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Tag Archives | 2013

image/sources: Facebook.com/duckdynasty ⎜ NFL Red Zone