Jack-O

When the spooks have a midnight Jamboree
They break it up with fiendish glee
Ghosts are bad, but the one that's cursed
It's the Headless Horseman, he's the worst

...

So when you're riding home tonight
Make for the bridge with all your might
He'll be down in the hollow there
He needs your head, look out, beware

With a hip-hip and a clippity-clop
He's out looking for a head to swap
So don't try to figure out a plan
You can't reason with a headless man

Lyrics borrowed from The Headless Horseman song from Disney's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow cartoon

This is one of my all time favorite Disney cartoons - so fun to watch at Halloween, and scary! Plus Bing Crosby narrates and sings - awesome nostalgia!

To wrap up the week, I'm sharing one of my kid's pumpkin crafts... turns out you can make a pumpkin or jack-o-lantern out of just about anything!


This lovely pumpkin is made from orange cloth wrapped around a full roll of toilet paper. The stem is brown construction paper folded and rolled up. Ta daa!




And check out this cool carved pumpkin trailer from BH&G...



But wait - stop by Marcy Hatch's Mainewords. They have an awesome pumpkin carving fair and she treats us to some great shots of them! Check these pumpkins out from a couple years ago.

People get more creative every year with their carvings. Minions are prevalent again this year. And I love carving - usually mascots from my boys' favorite teams... What jack-o's have you seen?

Happy October!

Peter Peter, Pumpkin Eater

Had a wife but couldn't keep her.
Put her in a pumpkin shell,
And there he kept her very well.

Time for some tasty pumpkin treats!

I was so excited when I found this recipe that I had to make these special Pumpkin Brownies right away! They were delicious! (we had to try them before I even took a picture!) And they came out close to the picture in the magazine. (from Southern Living)

And to show you my lazy housewife side, here's the recipe from the magazine. See the blue lines? Instead of using those 50 ingredients to make the brownie batter, I used a brownie box mix and followed the pumpkin portion. SOOO much easier!

Another pumpkiny-goodness recipe is from my sister-in-law for pumpkin bars - the cream cheese frosting is to salivate and drop dead for! And they're easy enough for me to make more than once =) Here's the recipe (from Taste of Home)

CREAM CHEESE FROSTED PUMPKIN BARS
1 can (15oz) pumpkin
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1/2 cup veg oil
2 cups biscuit mix
2 tsp cinnamon
raisins (optional, I don't use them)

Frosting:
1 pkg (3oz) cream cheese
1/3 cup butter
1 Tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups confectioner sugar

Beat pumpkin, sugar, eggs, and oil. In separate bowl, combine biscuit mix and cinnamon then add to pumpkin mixture.

Pour into greased baking pan. Bake at 350 for 25-30 min. Done when toothpick comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.

Meanwhile, beat cream cheese and butter till fluffy. Add milk and vanilla. Beat in confectioner sugar till smooth. Spread over bars. Store in fridge.

Sorry, no pic. I can't make more than one recipe a month, week.

And then there's the easiest pumpkin treats - grocery store bakeries have an abundance of pumpkin cakes, muffins, and cookies.

Then there's Starbucks with the PSL - but I make my own at home with a little pumpkin creamer, sugar, and if you like whip cream, give it a spritz then top it off with a dusting of pumpkin pie spice!

I also love to go to Target this time of year - they find all the delectable flavors of the season - in creamers and candy! Mmm mmm!

I even like pumpkin seeds!


Do you love pumpkin? I actually found a couple of people who don't. I had to unfriend them (JK!!) What's your favorite fall flavor? (I must say, Apple is a close second for me.)

Five Little Pumpkins Sitting on a Gate

The first one said, "My it's getting late."
The second one said, "There are witches in the air."
The third one said, "We don't care!"
The fourth one said, "Let's run! Let's run!"
The fifth one said, "Isn't Halloween fun?"

Ooo, went the wind.
Out went the light.
Those five little pumpkins
Rolled fast out of sight!

That is my favorite pumpkin, Halloween, fall poem. And this is my favorite season. It has the best flavors and scents - like pumpkin!

Scents make a house homey.
Whether you're hosting a party, showing your house to sell, having some company, or just need a comforting boost - adding a scent to the air will transform your mood and extend a welcoming hug to those who enter. (Was that a bit thick? Oh well!)

A few years ago, I had a neighbor with three daughters whose house was spotless and smelled heavenly no matter when I popped over... she made me sick!

Since my boys are wandering lumps who shed clothes and trash everywhere as they walk through the house, I'm on my own for cleaning and gave up on that perfection. So I totally stole her idea to warm my own house with yummy scents.

Here are some ways to spruce (a nice winter scent! ha!) up the air in your house with pros and cons:

• Candles - most scented candles don't give much fragrance as they burn, but they do have good scents without burning and they're decorative
• Wax Tarts - I like these. They're reusable and they give a lot of aroma. **TIP: To remove a cold tart, put the whole thing into the freezer for 3-4 minutes and the wax will slide right off!
• Plug-Ins - These are great for bathrooms or other stinky rooms and they last a good long time (a month or more)
• Reed Oil Diffusers - stick you put in oil. Oil is messy and gets on your fingers then your fingers smell strongly of the oil for a long time. This can be a problem with some of the oil plug-ins too, yes I found out the hard way. But these sticks work well. I think they're easier to find refills for now.
• Bake sweets! - You've probably heard this one before, but the smell of baking is the most inviting smell there is!

My favorite scents:
pumpkin anything!
apple anything
acorn? I have a really inviting candle and it says it's acorn
candy corn
vanilla, the old stand by
cookies
most fruits - especially orange & cranberry
coffee anything
caramel
wines
citronella!

Bad scents, to my sensitive nose:
herbs - I just don't like them
linen
autumn anything - just doesn't work
chocolate
flowers are surprisingly not that sweet...
anything they try to put a scent to that shouldn't have a scent... you know

What are your favorite scents? Any nose-turning ones? Do you have another way to smell it up right?

Ah Rats!

Want a cheap pet? 

Meet Wilbur. He's a college-educated lab rat. 

My son, Caleb, got him for free at the end of his psychology clinical program. 

He had two choices: take Wilbur home or send him to the gas chamber. 

Of course, he brought him home. 

At first, I was freaked out. 

Caleb introduced us by telling me to go into his room and see what he got me for Mother's Day. My first thought was that he had a freaking snake. He knows I hate snakes. 

With much trepidation, I stepped into the room and this flash of white flew by. 

My second thought was my son had an infestation, and considering it's three guys living in a basement apartment...it wasn't outside the realm of possibility.

Then this creature, with its pink eyes, and long icky tail came right up to my feet and begged like a very small, very creepy little dog. 

Caleb was like, pick him up. 

I was like, no way! It's a freaking rat. 

He picked him up and set him on my shoulder, and Wilbur just sat there. 

So, I held him. He snuggled right in like a kitten. 

He's so lovable, you forget his kind were the cause of the plague.  

When you let him run, he comes right back when you call. As a matter of fact, he "checks in". He'll run around a while, then come back like he's making sure he still has someone to protect him from the cat. 

He's turned out to be a wonderful pet. He was free. He's friendly. He lives in a cage that needs cleaned less often than a guinea pig's. He mostly eats rat food, but also enjoys bites of apple, popcorn, peanuts, and whatever other bites of table food you have on hand. We don't give him anything with much salt or sugar because we've come to love this crazy little rat and want to keep him healthy as we can. 

Need a cheap pet that's friendly, space saving, and can eat just about anything?

Get a rat. 

Keeping It Cheap

Some things don't have to be real to be good. 

It's Wednesday, and our cheap streak goes on!!

Today, we're going to consider cheap swaps that are not only better for your wallet, but are also the healthier options.

Healthy Swaps!

*Making a cake? 

Ditch the oil. Just mix up the cake mix as directed, sans oil. You'll never miss it. Cakes may be a little less spongy, but they'll also be hundreds of calories lighter. But you will want to avoid overcooking.

*Making chili or tacos? 

Add beans to the burger. I add a can of rinsed black beans and a can of fat free refried beans in my "taco meat".

*Eating out?

Order water instead of the soda to drink. My big family of six can save an average of $12 per check. Another added benefit? My kids have grown to prefer water to sugary drinks.

There you go! That's just a few cheap swaps that are also the healthier options. You know any good tips? Feel free to share, and we'll gladly steal try them out and share them later!