Baking with Pumpkin

[Photo] There is something so comfortable feeling in the fall as the smell of pumpkin and spices cooking. I baked some pumpkin chocolate chip bread and had left over pumpkin so I decided to make some cookies too. They smelled so yummy and the kids love coming home to the smell of something baking. I am keeping this one short since I need to go make some grape jelly out of the juice I was given as a gift for my grapes which will make another yummy smell. I am glad my mom taught me these skills to bless my family with. They enjoy home made more than from the store.Apparently I can't count, I just noticed I only tagged six (can you tell my mind is pretty overwhelmed these days?) So I am adding Bryan P (i'm sure you'll have fun with this, can't wait to read it).

Denim Bag

Instructions:
Start with and old pair of jeans and cut them into a pair of daisy duke shorts. Unpick the inseam (crotch) and turn inside out. Cut off the edges that curve out so you have made straight sides.
Bag:
Take and sew the sides to complete the straight line being enclosed for the side of the bag. Use the zig zag or finishing stitch along the bottom and any unfinished side edge to prevent fraying. Turn bag making bottom edge facing up and is now folded angled to the stitch. With the straight stitch on the machine sew across the corner making a triangle. This will allow for the bag to have the flat bottom. Turn bag right side out. At this point attach the finished straps to the bag so that one strap starts and finishes on one side of the bag. (this way the bag lays flat so one strap is only on the front of the bag and the 2nd strap is only on the back of the bag.)



Straps:
Take the legs of the pants that you cut from the top portion and unpick or cut the seam from the side. I suggest cutting along the seam it is much faster than unpicking and you don't miss the minor fabric that was cut off. Cut in half preserving the length of the denim. Turn each piece so right sides are folded together lenghtwise and sew the long edge using the zig sag to prevent fraying. Then turn denin back so the seam is on the inside, finish the edges with the zig zag and change stitch on machine to do 4 finishing stitches on the straps. You can use a brighter thread for eye pop, or contrast to brighten up the straps also. This is mostly for eye appeal, however it also serves to give a nice flat finished strap.

Found this fun idea through the idea room and loved it for its simplicity, but also its adorable finished look. M helped me since it is for her. She picked out the fabric, and ribbons and I sewed some ribbon on ribbon to add more detail. We painted an old frame we had brown, trimmed some left over sheet metal to fit in the frame and got some old padded fabric from an old christmas project for the padding, taped it all together with duct tape and it was that easy. M wasted no time adding her bows once we hung it.

Crochet flower hair clip

Adding ribbon with hot glue to a hair clip makes for a cute easy hair accessory. These can be clipped onto hats, bags, baby headbands and so much more.

crochet flower

There are so many pattern for flowers online it is almost hard to choose. I recommend looking on Etsy where lots of moms supplement incomes by posting and selling patterns. These were very easy and just minutes to do. You can add them to almost any project you do.

Apron

I bought this fabric 2 years ago and made aprons for all of M's friends for Christmas. Of course I left her's until the last and it didn't get done. So I have noticed a lot of you are doing aprons lately so it motivated me to get it done. Of course it took all of a half an hour to do so I am so shamed for not having gotten to it sooner. And it fits perfectly and will work for a few years still. Yay! It is a reversable apron with the floral print for the other side.

School Glue (Clear or White)
Borax solution (1/2 cup borax to 1 liter water, best mixed in an empty pop bottle)
Food coloring
popcycle sticks

Directions:

Pour aprox 1/4 to 1/2 cup glue into a disposable plastic cup.
Put in a few drops of food coloring.
Pour 1/4 to 1/2 cup water (plain old water) into the glue
Add only a very small amout at a time of the borax solution and stir, the solution will soon start to thicken and adhere to the stirring stick.

The original recipe for this that I found through Amy says equal amounts of glue to water make sure you do that step right and small amounts of the borax solution. I added just small amounts at a time of the borax as needed while stirring until it was the right consistency. you will want to stop while it is still sticky as you roll with your hands the slime forms nicely and what was once stuck on your skin works itself back into the main ball of slime you are now holding.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge to prolong its stability.

My first attempt I used the 1/2 glue and 1/2 borax solution and it thickened really stiff and was kind of a bouncy ball except broke really easily when bounced a few times. Here's what it looked like.

Video tutorial

Bouncy Balls

Thanks Amy for sharing this.

2 Tbsp water
1/2 tsp borax
Mix the 1st 2 ingredients in a small paper cup label this cup borax and stir.

In another small paper cup mix and label this cup ball.
1 T glue
1 to 3 drops food coloring
1 tsp cornstarch

Add 1/2 tsp borax solution to the ball cup and let sit 10 to 15 seconds without stirring to allow chemicals to bond initially then stir until too stiff to stir then use your hands to roll into a ball shape. Keep rolling until ball holds shape and is no longer sticky.

Ball will keep in and enclosed container for a couple of days, just remove and roll round again.

Playdough

For scouts this week we needed a medium to work with like clay. I found a really great recipe for playdough and I thought it was worth sharing. It has a very good texture and elasticity that a lot of salt playdoughs that I have tried don't have and no gritty salty mess on your hands.

1 cup flour
1/4 cup salt
2 Tbsp cream of tartar (using cornstarch if you don't have this works just as well)
1 package unsweetened kool-aid or other flavored powdered drink
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup water

1. Mix flour, salt, cream of tartar and kool-aid in medium saucepan and stir to mix.

2. Add water and oil.

3. Stir over medium heat 2 to 5 minutes.

4. When mix forms a ball remove from pan and knead with your hands until fully smooth.

5. This is a fragrant dough and colors can be bright depending on which drink mix you choose. Fragrance diminishes over time.

6. To store put in plastic bag remove air and place in refridgerator.

7. This dough can last past 1 1/2 years if stored properly. If dough dries any just add a little water and knead it into dough until soft and workably smooth again.

Hair Barrettes

I put together some bows on barretts for a cute lady in my ward that I visit teach. She is expecting a baby and I made these for her new arrival. She has a couple of boys already so she is starting all over with getting new girly things, fun!

Tip for removing wallpaper paste

Once the wallpaper has been removed from the wall try this tip. You can buy the commercial product or try windex. The vinegar in the windex or other window cleaner helps to dissolve the glue. Take a flat spatula or other scraping tool with a flat edge to scrape the majority of the glue from the wall. Use hot water and clean cloths to remove the final residue.

Teacher appreciation gift

This year I found a cute idea that made a personalized gift out of a useful item. I made a personalized soap dispenser for my kids teachers. It turned out cute and was super easy. So you can see the steps to complete the project pictured above.

1. Get the label off the bottle you choose peel it off then to remove the residue use goo be gone or a similar product.

2. Type up what you want printed on your label and size it according to your bottle and print.

3. Put your printed copy into a copier and make a copy onto transperancy film and be sure to print on the side that is not glossy.

4. Cut to shape and size and leave enough room on the bottom to have the wording high enough in your bottle.

5. Roll up the transperancy film with the words facing the front and slip into mouth of bottle and use the pump stem to push the plastic sheet to the front of the bottle.

6. Tie a ribbon around the bottle and your gift is complete.

Homemade jam

Mmmm Homemade Jam [Photo]
Use the recipe for Freezer Jam on the pectin instructions.

I made some jam yesterday. I had a window of time to make my jam in and after I realized I had no pectin and had to go get some by the time I got back my window was halfway closed. I hurried and was doing two batches at one time and in my haste I forgot about 1 cup sugar from one of the batches. One batch is more jelled than the other, but I am happy to report they taste good and I am not sure which one I left the sugar out of. So I guess you don't have to stress the recipies as much as I did, there is still hope if you mess it up.
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