Making Pumpkin Puree

The other day I was getting things ready to start decorating for Christmas and had so many pumpkins that I had no idea what to do with. Throwing them out felt like such a waste, so I decided to make some puree for pies and breads.

Here are a few of the pumpkins...the two on the left are from our garden:)

Cut open the pumpkin.

Scoop out the seeds and guts with an ice cream scoop.

Save seeds for roasting! Yummmmm:)

I didn't take a picture of the next part, but I cut up the pumpkin and baked some of it at 350 degrees for about an hour. I had both ovens full and had to steam some as well. Steam small chunks with skin on for about 20 minutes. Pumpkin is ready when you can easily pierce the skin with a fork.

Remove the skin and mash. I wasn't too worried about making it super smooth as I don't know what recipes I will be using it for. I can always puree it more later if the recipe calls for it.

I scooped 2 cups of puree into each quart size ziplock bag and stacked them in the freezer. I now have 14 bags of pumpkin puree to use in recipes! Yay! Free and fresh. Gotta love it!

If Travis still ate pureed food I would have also put some into ice cube trays for easy food servings of baby food.

DT Hurricanes

What do you do when it's 2am and you are up with a sick kid?

CRAFT!

I made my daughter a bed on the couch and turned on a Christmas movie for her while I crafted in the kitchen! When else was I going to have time to do this?

Fuzzy Slippers? CHECK!

3 Dollar Tree candlesticks

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3 Dollar Tree fluted vases

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Radtastic craft glue

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3 Hurricane Vases for about 6 bucks!

I saw these fluted vases awhile back at the Dollar Tree and thought that they looked so silly and would look so much better with a stand. 

After that I saw this genius craft on about a thousand different blogs and was like "DUH!" I bought the supplies several weeks ago and just hadn't had time to make some until my late night with a sick little the other night.

I also made some with the straight vases and a short candle holder from the DT as well. I love them. My daughter said that they looked like I bought them from a store that way:)

God bless 7 year olds!

Linking up to these blog parties:)

Note: Usually I put a link to where I got the idea for something from, but this was on SO many blogs and I have no idea which one I saw it on first. So if you were the first one ever to think of this idea please let me know and I will give you credit:)

Christmas Traditions

Marni from Sassy Sites posted a blog with several questions about holiday decorating and traditions and instead of answering her in a comment I am going to do it here!

-How do you transition yourself from one holiday to the next?
I have never really though about it! When I was younger there was a box or set of boxes for each holiday and when the holiday was over that box was packed back up and the next set was brought out. Now I do more of a gradual change and I tend to move things around the house to keep it fresh.


-When do you put up your Christmas decorations?
Our Christmas decorations start going up the day after Thanksgiving, and continue all through the month of December.


-Do you wrap all the presents throughout the month and put them under the tree, or do you wait until Christmas Eve?
If I wrap the presents too early, then I forget what I have bought and end up overbuying. Instead I like to group each family members gifts in my closet where I can see at a glance what I have and what I still need to get for people. I also keep a list on my Blackberry of what I have bought so that when I am out shopping I don't duplicate anything.


-Do you warn your kids that Santa might NOT be bringing them what they want for Christmas this year?
Yes! Sometimes what they want is just too expensive, is the "gift of the year" and is nowhere to be found, or is something that I know they will play with/use for all of 17 minutes before they are on to the next thing.

I am not a fan of all the walking/talking/pooping dolls and the like. In my experience, kids will play much longer with a plain simple doll than they will with a flashy doll. They have to use their imagination more and are not told "how" to play with the toy.


-Do you decorate your Christmas tree with colored lights or just white?
We are a white light family; On the tree and on the house. I think it makes the ornaments stand out a little more. I do like seeing colored lights during the holidays, but I just like the white ones in my home.


-Have your children watched all the old Christmas movies that you watched when you were little?
Oh yeah! Miracle on 34th Street(both versions), and It's a Wonderful Life are holiday staples around here. I have tried to find the original Babes in Toyland with no luck. Boo!


-Do you let your children open a gift on Christmas Eve?
Yes. We go to my parents house for Christmas Eve and they always get the kids new pj's that they open and wear that night. It's the only time that my kids wear something new without it getting washed first;)


-Does everyone have the same stocking each year, or do you purchase new ones every Christmas?
Do people seriously buy new ones each year? That's crazy! We have had our current ones for 6 or 7 years now and I would love to replace them but feel like these are still too new! ;)  Ours are silver and we bought them at Pottery Barn, but now I think that they are too boring and would love to make some with bright colors. I think we were trying to be all sophisticated when we purchased them, but have now come to accept ourselves for the colorful people we are. Maybe this will be the year I replace them.


-Does your Christmas tree have a different theme each year?
Nope. Not really a theme at all. We just hang up ornaments that we love and have collected over the years. This year I would love to try to stick to our more colorful ornaments, but who knows!


-Artificial tree or real?
Real and super fresh! We drive into the mountains with hot chocolate and a box of cuties and cut down our own tree. They last so much longer and then we have a great memory of the hunt.



Okay, now it's your turn! Here are the questions so you can copy and paste them easier:)

-How do you transition yourself from one holiday to the next?
-When do you put up your Christmas decorations?
-Do you wrap all the presents throughout the month
and put them under the tree, or do you wait until Christmas Eve?
-Do you warn your kids that Santa might NOT be bringing them what they want for Christmas this year?
-Do you decorate your Christmas tree with colored lights or just white?
-Have your children watched all the old Christmas movies that you watched when you were little?
-Do you let your children open a gift on Christmas Eve?
-Does everyone have the same stocking each year, or do you purchase new ones every Christmas?
-Does your Christmas tree have a different theme each year?
-Artificial tree or real?

If you do these, then post a link to your blog in my comments section so I can come over and read your answers!

Dining Room Buffet

My sister in law has been asking me to see pictures of the refinished dresser, hereafter known as the "buffet" in it's new home and I realized that I had not posted about it yet. 

Before it came into the house I decided that the kitchen walls needed a fresh coat of paint. It had been about 2 years since the room was painted and it just needed it. I knew that if the buffet came in, the painting would never get done. This way there was a reward for completing the paint job! Yay!

I stayed up way too late painting and then as soon as the walls were dry had the husband help me carry the very heavy buffet into the dining area and then nagged enthusiastically encouraged him for days until he rehung all the wall stuff I had him remove when I painted.

It's a good thing he loves me...I make him do lots of random stuff:)

Here is the buffet in it's new home. That tree candle holder is only temporary. I am thinking that I want a large mirror there. What do you think? I am still not certain about it. Any suggestions for what I should do with the wall space?

For "just because" here's the other side of the dining area.

P.S Anyone know how to get that box around my new signature to go away?

Gathered Clutch

I finally made Noodleheads Gathered Clutch!

This one was made for my sister Angie's 26th birthday.  

I love these fabrics! They are so soft and the print is just gorgeous.
I may have to make myself one like this one:)

 This one was given to my 18 year old sister Sarah for her birthday.

 This one I kept for myself...mostly because it was my first one and it didn't come out very well. I didn't read the directions all the way on the zipper step and my zipper was too long which messed up the final sewing stage. Oh well, live and learn! It works and I love the fabrics, so it is in my diaper bag right now.

 Along with the bags I also made each sister a matching crayon roll, and made some for my niece, nephews and my two youngest siblings. The middle kids all want one now, so I will be sewing up some more before our next visit at Christmas.



I am linking up with some of these Rad-tastic blogs:)