A Couple of Free Printables

One blog post last week, more this week - promise. While battling the flu and finishing assignment two for school, I definitely didn't make it to the blog… or the craft pile. But enough is enough, this girl has got to get her butt in gear. People are already decorating for Christmas and my table is full of ornaments I need to get sold! So, it's Monday, a new week and a new opportunity to just go for it. While I plug away at getting things in order, here are a couple of free printables I stumbled upon on Pinterest while cooped up on the couch last week. I absolutely love them!


Printables: Foxy Bookmarks (Lonnie Jacobsen)

Printables: Foxy Bookmarks (Lonnie Jacobsen)

Printables: Foxy Bookmarks (Lonnie Jacobsen)

These printable foxy bookmarks by Lonnie Jacobsen are absolutely adorable... and come in two fun colors - orange and blue (click here to get them). I think I need to print them off and finish reading the 50 Shades of Grey series. Yes, I'm that pathetic... I haven't had time to finish reading them yet and I'm dying to know what happens. Shh... don't tell!


DIY Paper Popsicle Memory Game (Eat Drink Chic)

DIY Paper Popsicle Memory Game (Eat Drink Chic)

When I saw these on Pinterest I fell in love. I may not have any kids yet, but I'm definitely printing them off and keeping them around for the nieces and nephews - they are adorable. These colorful printable popsicles are from Eat Drink Chic and can be downloaded here. Perhaps a great stocking stuffer for the little ones in your life?

All of this excitement and I forgot to say… Happy Monday! (I'm trying to be optimistic) Okay, how about - Yay to it almost being over! :o)


Have fun with these great freebies. Talk soon - promise!

Our Trip to Philadelphia...

Wow, what a crazy weekend. First of all, I need to apologize for the lack of blog posts for the past week or so. With a planned trip for a weekend away, I was concentrating on everything but what I enjoy most! :o) Anyways, I'm back and did we ever have an amazing weekend... well for the most part. The weather was perfect, the hotel (off of Hotwire - I always have success with that) was located in the historic part of the city, just a quick walk from the Liberty Bell, and the Dallas Cowboys won!!

The Liberty Bell (martha.anne)

So, the trip started on Friday and not off on the right foot. The hubby got a speeding ticket... oops! But, after deciding we weren't going to think about it for the rest of the weekend, everything else couldn't have been better. We started Saturday off with a quick tour of the historic district and got to see the Liberty Bell. Then we took a walk down to the shopping district and went to Tiffany's (a girl can dream right?), Lacoste and more. After heading back we got into the car and set out for Pottery Barn - they have an amazing dish set I have my eyes on. Unfortunately they didn't have all the pieces so it looks like I'll be ordering it online. After that - the Premium Outlets! Shop, shop, shop. Followed by an amazing dinner at Chima (a brazilian steakhouse) and it was delishes. Saturday was a complete success - a definite turnaround from the day before.

Tony Romo (martha.anne)

Then, came Sunday. The whole point of the trip. Back in September I had given the hubby a pair of Dallas vs. Philly tickets as a surprise for his Birthday. For those of you who don't know him, he's a die hard Dallas fan. And, after Sunday, I can say I am absolutely in love with football as well. The experience was ten times better than any hockey game. We had a blast. And, although we got warned about trekking around the city and game in Dallas gear, most people were really nice and even nicer when they discovered we were Canadian. And of course the most important part - the Cowboys Won!!

Dallas Cowboys (martha.anne)

An amazing town. Amazing people - one of the nicest places we've travelled. And, an all around amazing weekend. What more could we have asked for? Anyways, I'm back and I have a busy few weeks ahead as I near the end of a University Course and I still have two assignments and an exam to complete. But, I promise to keep on blogging and hopefully get the Etsy Shoppe online - I know I keep making that promise but the shipping costs and packaging are still scaring me. If you want to see more pictures from the trip, be sure to stop by Facebook.

Anyways, chat soon!

Simple Pie Crust Recipe | Fresh Pumpkin Puree Recipe | Thick Pumpkin Pie Recipe

I hope you had a great Halloween! We had just over 130 trick or treaters - and sadly there weren't too many little ones. All in all though, it was a great night and the decorations have been put away for another year and the pie pumpkins are waiting for me to bake them.

Did you save your pie pumpkins? Other than the amazing pumpkin cake I make, this pumpkin pie is the next must on the fall dessert list. But, before I can share it, I must share the best crust recipe and baked fresh pumpkin puree recipe. No pumpkin dessert is complete without some fresh pumpkin.

Simple Pie Crust Recipe

2 1/2 Cups Flour
1 Cup Margarine/Butter
1 Egg Yolk
2/3 Cup Milk

Mix flour & margarine until it is crumbly. In a separate bowl, mix egg yolk and milk and add to flour mix. Stir until the dough peels away from the sides of the bowl. Roll out dough. Makes 2 crusts and it is absolutely delicious. My mother-in-law even asked me for the recipe over her time tested family ones! :o)



Baked Fresh Pumpkin Puree Recipe

All you need is a pie pumpkin. I usually use three larger ones.

First preheat the oven to 350º F. Cut the pumpkin in half and clean out (Yuck!) Cover a baking sheet with tin foil, brush butter on the edges of the pumpkin and then lay them cut side down on the sheet. Cook for an hour or until pumpkin is soft.

When the pumpkin is soft, take it out of the oven and let it cool. Remove the skin (I usually do this while it is still hot and I nearly burn myself every time). Cut into pieces and blend or put through a processor until mixture is smooth. Now you can use it right away or store it in the freezer for later!



Now, one last recipe...

Thick Pumpkin Pie Recipe

1 1/4 Cups Pumpkin Puree
3/4 Cup Sugar
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/4 Tsp Ground Ginger
1 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
1 Tsp All-Purpose Flour
2 Eggs, Lightly Beaten
1 Cup Evaporated Milk, Undiluted
2 Tbsp Water
1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Unbaked Pie Crust

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Combine pumpkin, sugar, salt, spices and flour in a mixing bowl. Add eggs and mix well. Next, add evaporated milk, water, and vanilla. Continue to mix well and pour into a pie crust. Put in oven for 15 minutes and then reduce heat to 350º and bake about 35 minutes or until the center is set. For me it usually takes about an hour and a half and I always make sure to cover my pie edges in tin foil so they don't burn (but they always seem to get pretty crispy anyways). If you know a better technique to bake it quicker, be sure to let me know.

Now while the hubby watches duck dynasty (what is with that show?), I'm going to read some "Quit Your Day Job" posts on Etsy. A little motivation as I ramp up to open the store. Speaking of which, I actually bought some more product supplies today for some new products I have in mind!  Getting excited, I just need the time to get it all set up and shipping costs figured out. Then, I'll be good to go. If anyone has an Etsy Shoppe and wants to offer some advice, please let me know!

Have a great night, tomorrow is finally Friday to what seemed like the longest week of my life!

Pin Attempt - Halloween Pumpkin Carvings

Happy Halloween!! Can you believe it is already the end of October and Christmas stuff will be hitting the shelves at midnight tonight? Although I love Christmas, I'm not sure I'm ready for it to be here in two months. So, for today, I'll concentrate on Halloween and the pumpkins we carved last night - two of them are from a Pinterest pin I did a while back (found here). And I must say they (this pin attempt) turned out great... of course, I drew and I had the hubby carve out all the hard parts... so I can't take full credit!

Safe trick or treating tonight! And be sure to save your pie pumpkins... I will be sharing my fresh pumpkin and pumpkin pie recipes soon.

Popcorn Ball Recipe with Marshmallows

Mmm Mmm Good! My absolutely favorite part of Halloween is popcorn balls made with marshmallow. As a kid, there was a lady around the corner who we could always count on getting one from every year. A couple of years ago, I was taking my niece around Trick or Treating and we stopped at her house. A handful of candy was given out until she realized it was me. She quickly disappeared into the kitchen and came back with two popcorn balls - one for me! I was thrilled, I didn't expect any candy let alone a popcorn ball. It was like heaven and a little piece of childhood restored in me.

The next year, I didn't want to miss that great taste I always had… so I decided to make my own. And, without a doubt, they are still the greatest treat ever. So, I warn you now, they are very messy to make but well worth the taste. Here's the easy popcorn ball recipe made with marshmallow I dug out again this year and used:


Marshmallow Popcorn Ball Recipe

1/2 cup of un-popped popcorn kernels
6 tbsp butter (I used buttery becel)
5 cups of marshmallows (tiny ones are easier to work with)

Pop your popcorn! You may use a paper bag in the microwave, some oil in a pan on the stove or, what I did, a popcorn maker. When finished, put popped popcorn in a 9x13 pan. Be sure to avoid putting any un-popped kernels in with it. Next, melt the butter in a sauce pot on low heat. Once melted, add marshmallows and continue to stir until they are melted. Remove from heat and pour mixture over popcorn. Now, comes the messy part. Mix the marshmallow mixture and popcorn until coated well. Then, cover your hands in butter and form popcorn balls. The recipe I used says it will make 8, but depending on the popcorn that turns out, some batches only made 6.

Now enjoy! And, keep it quiet that you made them or else you'll have unexpected guests knocking at your door for some! :D