What are you thankful for?

A great video to get you thinking about what you are thankful for.

My Home is a Temple

My friend Lori posted a link to this story on Facebook and I really enjoyed it so I am passing it along to you. It is easy to get overwhelmed by the daily household chores but I do believe that by creating a warm, loving home environment we increase the spirituality of our home and family.

Thanksgiving Place Holder Ideas

Thanksgiving is three weeks from today! Can you believe how fast this year is going? For those of you hosting, I have a three ideas for place holders for your table.

This first idea I used two years ago when I hosted. I saw the idea in Woman's Day and loved it. Each person gets a little paper sack turkey with their name on it and you can fill it with fall candy or whatever you'd like.

Idea #1: Turkey Bags


You will need:
Mini brown paper sacks (found at most craft stores)
Colored card stock paper
Red piping (not sure what it is exactly called, but it is what I used for the gobbler)
Candy to fill the sack

Trim sacks a couple inches. Trace your hand print and then cut out to make turkey feathers. I did a hand print in red, orange, yellow, and brown paper for each turkey. Make a pattern for the head, beak, hat, and front wings and cut out on desired color of paper. Glue everything in its correct place. Cut the gobbler from the piping and curl and glue. Draw eyes using marker. Write the name of each of your guests on the hat of the turkey. Fill with candy and place turkey by the place settings.



Idea #2: Party cracker, Martenelli's, and Ribbon



You will need:
Party Cracker for each of your guests (purchase at party store or make your own)
Ribbon to tie around each plate
Mini-bottle of Martinelli's for each person
Cardstock

Decide your color scheme and then purchase matching or coordinating ribbon to tie around the plates. My sister-in-law did this last year using maroon and gold. She had cranberries in clear vases with candles, as you can see in the picture. I apologize for the terrible quality.

Place the party cracker on top of each plate tied with ribbon. Place a mini bottle of Martinelli's next to each place setting. Cut a small square (about 4"x4") and fold in half. Write the name of each person on the card and place by the Martinelli's.

Idea #3: Indian Corn and Ribbon


You will need:
Ribbon
Mini indian corn
Cardstock

Again, wrap the ribbon in colors that coordinate with indian corn - the traditional Thanksgiving colors - browns, oranges, reds, and golds. Place two ears of mini indian corn on top of each plate. Make a small name tent out of cardstock and stick on the plate by the corn.

November Must Read: The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

If you haven't read any of Shannon Hale's books, you are missing out. She has several young adult fairytale books as well as two books for adults.


My favorite of her fairytale books is probably The Goose Girl, although Princess Academy is right there as a favorite. The Goose Girl follows, Ani, a crown princess, who learns at an early age that her special gifts are not those valued by her queen mother and her future subjects. She is eventually sent to marry a prince in a different kingdom, but along the way is overthrown by her lady-in-waiting. Ani becomes a servant, tending geese, while she searches for a way to return to the marriage and throne that is rightfully her own.

Some other Shannon Hales books that you should check out.

Miri would love to join her father and older sister as a miner in Mount Eskel's quarry. However, she finds herself rounded with many of the other local girls in town to go to the Princess Academy where she competes for a chance to marry the prince.

Dashti, a maid, and Lady Saren, her mistress, are shut in a tower for seven years for Saren’s refusal to marry a man she despises. When supplies run low, Dashti finds away to escape which takes them on an adventure that changes their lives.

This is a creative twist of the fairytale of Rapunzel. It reads comic book style and has the cheesy comic book humor. Great artwork. Fun story.

This book was extremely cheesy most of the time, yet I still really enjoyed it. I listened to the audio book and I loved the narrator. I may have to listen to more audio books. Laying on the couch listening to a story is really relaxing!

Jane is a 32 year single woman ready to give up on love since no one can live up to Mr. Darcy from Pride in Prejudice, whom she is obsessed with. Her great aunt picks up on this obsession and sends her on a three week vacation to England where sh...more This is one of Shannon Hale's novels for adults. This book was extremely cheesy most of the time, yet I still really enjoyed it. Jane is a 32 year single woman ready to give up on love since no one can live up to Mr. Darcy from Pride in Prejudice, whom she is obsessed with. Her great aunt picks up on this obsession and sends her on a three week vacation to England where she lives in "Austenland," as she calls it. She lives and interacts with characters as if she were living in the time of Pride and Prejudice. I loves the twists in plot and loved the cheesy lines. Along the way, Jane also discovers herself. Fun, fluffy read.

Creating Customized Calendars

Christmas is fast approaching and if you are planning on doing a customized photo gift, now is a good time to start. The last two years I have made customized calendars for several family members. Grandparents love a calendar full of their grandchild(ren). I have mine printed at Costco. I found they have the best prices; however, there are lots of other great sites you can use.

I design my calendar pictures in my design program just like a scrapbook page. See this post for more info. If you don't have a design program, you can still do custom calendars, you'll just have to use the sites pre-made templates.

Here are some calendar pages I've done in the past to give you some ideas.

Using Photo Effect in Picasa

Picasa has some effect options that allow you to customize your photos. Here are some of my favorites.

The Focal Black and White
Once you open Picasa, double click on the photo you would like to edit. Then select the "Effects" tab. The Effect tab has 12 effect options to choose from. Most of you know the standard sepia and black and white. In the photo below I choose the "Focal B&W" option.


Once you select the Focal B&W a green pointer shows up on the picture. Place the pointer in the area you would like to have a pop of color. You can adjust the size of the color in the photo by moving the "Size" button up or down. In this wedding photo I just highlighted my bouquet of flowers. Soft Focus
Another option is the soft focus. Pretty self explanatory...looks like the photo below.

I love sepia effects, too. They look really good for portrait shots. Have fun playing around with your photos and checking out the effects.

Blogging break

I am still alive I just am taking a blogging break...this time of year gets so busy and I haven't had the time to blog. I will be doing occasional posts but not sure if I will get back to regular ones until after the holidays.

Hope you are all enjoying the fall.

Free 8x8 Shutterfly Book

My friend Heather just let me know about a free 8x8 Shutterfly book deal going on...here's the scoop.

Shutterfly is offering a free 8x8 photo book. I've made a couple of them & love them! This is a great deal. You usually just have to pay for shipping which is about $8. Offer is good until mid Nov. Follow the steps on http://www.utahdealdiva.com/ Scroll down to where she talks about it.

I had to try clicking the link a couple times for the code to pop up, but it finally did and it worked.

Religious Freedom Being Threatened

Yesterday, Elder Dallin H. Oaks spoke to a group of BYU-I students regarding religious freedoms being threatened in this country. Click here for a full transcript and here to see his Q&A session. I've listed a blurb from his speech below.

It was the Christian principles of human worth and dignity that made possible the formation of the United States Constitution over 200 years ago, and only those principles in the hearts of a majority of our diverse population can sustain that constitution today. Our constitution’s revolutionary concepts of sovereignty in the people and significant guarantees of personal rights were, as John A. Howard has written,

“generated by a people for whom Christianity had been for a century and a half the compelling feature of their lives. It was Jesus who first stated that all men are created equal [and] that every person . . . is valued and loved by God.”[xviii]

Religious values and political realities are so interlinked in the origin and perpetuation of this nation that we cannot lose the influence of Christianity in the public square without seriously jeopardizing our freedoms. I maintain that this is a political fact, well qualified for argument in the public square by religious people whose freedom to believe and act must always be protected by what is properly called our “First Freedom,” the free exercise of religion.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 cup pumpkin
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 bag chocolate chips

Cream the butter and sugar. Mix in the egg, pumpkin, and vanilla. Mix in dry ingredients. Add the chocolate chips. Bake at 350 for 11-13 minutes.

Each of us can do something to help someone

Last week, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints held its semi-annual General Conference. I didn't hear all of it, but I am working on listening and reading what I missed. The archives are available now and you can download them to listen to on your mp3 player or you can read the text.

I loved Jeffrey R. Holland's talk on Safety for the Soul. Very powerful! Today, though, I thought I would share the words of our prophet, Thomas S. Monson on helping others.

I am confident it is the intention of each member of the Church to serve and to help those in need. At baptism we covenanted to “bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light.”⁸ How many times has your heart been touched as you have witnessed the need of another? How often have you intended to be the one to help? And yet how often has day-to-day living interfered and you’ve left it for others to help, feeling that “oh, surely someone will take care of that need.”

We become so caught up in the busyness of our lives. Were we to step back, however, and take a good look at what we’re doing, we may find that we have immersed ourselves in the “thick of thin things.” In other words, too often we spend most of our time taking care of the things which do not really matter much at all in the grand scheme of things, neglecting those more important causes....

...My brothers and sisters, may we ask ourselves the question which greeted Dr. Jack McConnell and his brothers and sisters each evening at dinnertime: “What have I done for someone today?” May the words of a familiar hymn penetrate our very souls and find lodgment in our hearts:

Have I done any good in the world today?
Have I helped anyone in need?
Have I cheered up the sad and made someone feel glad?
If not, I have failed indeed.
Has anyone’s burden been lighter today
Because I was willing to share?
Have the sick and the weary been helped on their way?
When they needed my help was I there?¹³

That service to which all of us have been called is the service of the Lord Jesus Christ.

As He enlists us to His cause, He invites us to draw close to Him. He speaks to you and to me:

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

“For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”¹⁴

If we truly listen, we may hear that voice from far away say to us, as it spoke to another, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant."

Tomato Basil Bisque

One of the reasons I love the fall is because it is the start of soup making season. I occasionally make soup in the summer but it isn't as satisfying as eating it on a cool, fall day. One of my favorites is this Tomato Basil Bisque. I've adapted this from the Lion House cookbook.

Tomato Basil Bisque
Four servings

Ingredients:
7 Roma tomatoes
2 cans (10.5 oz) reduced sodium tomato soup
1 1/4 cup cream
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup beef broth
1/2 bunch basil (about seven leaves) or 1 T dry basil
Salt and pepper to taste

Line a cookie sheet with foil and place whole Roma tomatoes on it. Place in the oven for 1 1/2-2 hours at 350 degrees. Tomatoes will be done when the tops begin to blacken.


Let tomatoes cool enough to peel off the skins. Place tomatoes in a blender with the basil. Blend until pureed.

In a large pot add the tomato soup and chicken and beef broth. Add the puree. Bring to a simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Then add the cream and salt and pepper. Simmer a few more minutes and then serve. We love to eat this with grilled cheese sandwiches.

Pumpkin & Cream Cheese Cake Roll

Today for the 'Gotta Love Pumpkin series, I will be sharing my husband's favorite fall treat. The Pumpkin and Cream Cheese Cake Roll. It is delicious! Isn't anything with cream cheese is divine? So, here goes...

Ingredients
4 eggs
1 1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp lemon juice
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt

Cream Cheese Filling
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
6 tbl butter
8 oz cream cheese, softened
3/4 tsp vanilla

Directions

Beat eggs with mixer on high for five minutes.


Gradually add in the sugar. Stir in the pumpkin and lemon juice. Mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt and add to the pumpkin mixture.

Line a cookie sheet pan with wax paper. Grease the paper and then pour batter onto the pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes.


Turn the cake onto a kitchen towel coated in powdered sugar and roll and let cool.


Once cool, unroll and frost with cream cheese filling. For the filling, mix the softened butter and cream cheese. Then add the vanilla and powdered sugar.


Once the inside is frosted reroll and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Cut and serve. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired.

Two Ways to Live Life

"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.
-Albert Einstein

Mini Caramel & Chocolate Covered Apples

If you are like me, your favorite part of a caramel apple is the caramel topping. Caramel apples are really hard to eat. That's why I think mini caramel and chocolate covered apples are the way to go! You can pop them easily in your mouth and the topping to apple ratio is much higher!

Below are the supplies needed to make your mini apples:
2 apples (pick your favorite kind)
Melon baller
3/4 cup chocolate chips
1/2 bag carmel candy
Chopped nuts, sprinkles, chopped candy bar, etc.
Popsicle sticks


Instructions: Wash your apples well and leave on the skin. The skin will help the caramel stick. Take your melon baller and take a piece out of the apple. I must warn you these will look misshapen. Don't get frustrated because they won't be a perfect circle. That's okay because once you add the topping they will look round. Once you scoop your "mini-apple" it will look more like a semi-circle. Place on piece of wax paper and stick a Popsicle stick in the apple gently so you don't break the apple. You should get at least 12 mini apples from two apples. As you can see below, I got more than that from the 2 1/2 apples I used.


Next, melt the caramel and chocolate. I just melted my chocolate chips in the microwave for 30 seconds and stirred and for about 15 more second after that. It may take longer if you just pulled them out of the freezer. I then spooned the chocolate on the apple and then rolled in the chopped nuts and sprinkles I had laying on a plate. I set the apple back on the wax paper to harden. The chocolate takes awhile to harden so I suggest placing in the fridge to speed hardening. Next, melt your caramel. You may melt in a saucepan or microwave. Follow package instructions. Unlike the chocolate, the caramel hardens quickly, so you need to work fast. Coat apples with caramel and roll in sprinkles or nuts. The caramel slips a bit on the part of the apple with out a peel but I found it I kept spooning it on it eventually stuck on just fine.

That's it! Once the caramel and chocolate harden you'll have tasty mini-apples that are easy to just pop in your mouth! Yum!


These would be great gifts. Just wrap up individually in plastic wrap with a cute bow. You could even put them in these sacks.

October Must Read: The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck

Nobel Prize winner Pearl S. Buck traces the whole cycle of life: its terrors, its passions, its ambitions and rewards. Her brilliant novel — beloved by millions of readers — is a universal tale of the destiny of man. -Pulisher comments on The Good Earth

I read The Good Earth by Peral S. Buck last summer and it was one of those books I couldn't put down. I absolutely loved the book! I am fascinated by China and I loved learning more about China from a common man's perspective in the time of the last emperor. This book was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for the Novel in 1943 and the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1944.

From the very first page I was drawn into Wang Lung's life as he excitedly, yet timidly prepares to wed a slave from the Great House of Hwang. I immediately loved Wang Lung's wife, O-lan and her wisdom and work ethic. I triumphed with Wang Lung and O-lan as they had a good harvest and felt their pain as they were destitute during the famine. I felt their joy and relief when they were able to go back to their land and again have a good crop.

As Wang Lung's wealth grew, I was saddened by the bad choices he made. He grew idle and immoral and in turn raised sons who were caught up with the ways of the world. It was interesting how many more problems came into Wang Lung's life when he stopped working the land himself and got caught up in his wealth.

This was a moving story and I highly recommend it. Once you read the book, I recommend you watch the movie The Last Emperor. It takes a look at the time period of the last emperor of China.

Preventing Mold on Bath Toys

My son has a bag full of bath toys that squirt water. I often forget to squeeze all the water out of the toys. When I remember the next day there is sometimes a grayish substance that squirts out that is probably mold. Here is a plan to prevent that from happening.

1. Preferably don't buy toys without a hole in them that squirt water. If your bath toys have holes, make sure to drain all water out of them after bath time.

2. Frequently rinse toys in a bucket of white or apple cider vinegar. Scrub toys with a cloth to remove any film. If your toys have holes, suck up the vinegar and let it sit inside the toys for 10 minutes. Squirt out the vinegar and then fill with clean water and squirt the water out. This should rinse out the vinegar.

3. Hang toys in a mesh bag to dry. Don't allow them to sit in a bucket where water can accumulate.

I suggest purchasing or making a bath toy net to allow toys to properly dry. Below are instructions on how to make your own bath toy net. I've listed the supplies below and how much they cost at my local Wal-Mart.

Supplies needed:
Netting - 1/4 yard (20 cents)
Bias tape ($1.44)
Two suction cups ($1.76)
White thread (had on hand)
Sewing machine or serger


First you will need to cut the netting to the desired size of your bath toy holder. The netting is found in the fabric section and you take it to the counter and have it cut. I bought a half a yard of fabric which was way too much, so I suggest 1/4 yard. As you can see above, it is extremely inexpensive.

You are not able to sew netting together without fabric on both sides--this is why I bought bias tape. If you have a serger, however, you won't need bias tape. You'll be able to surge the netting together. I don't have a serger, so I used my machine. I folded the mesh in half so I didn't have to put binding on the bottom of my bath net. I then pinned the bias tape on the other sides and sewed it on. I was lazy on the sides of my bath net and rather than folding the bias tape over I just used put a piece of the bias tape on both sides and didn't even fold--time saver! I didn't have enough to do that on the top pieces, so I did fold those over. That is why the side tape is thicker than the top.


I found that you need to sew quickly or the stitches get uneven and you get some skipped stitches. This is why pinning is so important. I had a little bias tape left over in which I sewed them on as loops to attach to the suction cups. See the finished product below.


If you would prefer to purchase a bath net, below are links where you can do so.

Amazon
Amazon Toy Hammock

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

I look forward to this bread every fall. It is my favorite pumpkin treat of the season, so I decided to start with it for the 'Gotta Love Pumpkin series I'll be doing the next few weeks. Note: If you are going to give one of the loaves away, wrap it up before you start eating the other loaf because once you start eating this bread it is hard to stop! Let's just say neither of our loaves made it out the door.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

Makes two large loaves

Wet Ingredients

5 eggs

16 oz can pumpkin

¾ cup applesauce

¾ cup canola oil

Dry ingredients

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

1 large package (4.6 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1 bag chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray to bread pans with cooking spray.

Mix eggs, pumpkin, applesauce and oil in large mixing bowl. Mix flour, sugar, salt, soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add to large mixing bowl. Mix until well blended. Stir in the pudding mix and chocolate chips. Pour into greased bread pans.

Bake for 65-75 minutes. I always do the toothpick check 10 minutes before it should be finished to make sure I don’t over bake.

Lifelong Learning

“Lifelong learning is essential to the vitality of the human mind, body, and soul. It enhances self-worth and self-actuation. Lifelong learning is invigorating mentally and is a great defense against aging, depression, and self-doubt.”

-Robert D. Hales

I am a big believer in being a lifelong learner. My husband and I both would both be professional students if we could. We look forward to retirement and taking college courses in subjects that we would like to learn more about that we just didn’t have time to when working on our degrees. However, I have a long way until retirement so I enjoy learning now through ways such as reading, learning new skills, watching documentaries and attending cultural events.

I am a huge fan of the local library. It is a free way to learn on about any subject you would like. I love the site Goodreads and have a list of books I want to read so before I head to the library I find a couple of books on my list and put them on hold at the library. That way I always know the book I would like is available.

I also enjoy attending theater productions. It isn’t something I get to do often, but I try to go at least once per year. You don’t have to spend a ton of money either. You can go to the high school productions, community theater, or get discount tickets the day of the production. I recently saw Wicked and absolutely loved it!

Movies and documentaries are also a fun way to learn. The local library is a great place to get educational or classic videos. Again, a free way to learn. I love movies with stories that get you thinking about the people and the time period and their struggles. Not only are they entertaining but educational. I’ve listed some of my recommended movies to watch below. Make sure to leave a comment with your suggestions! Click here for Top 100 movies of all time.

Singin’ in the Rain

Oklahoma!

The Last Emperor (fascinating look into China)

Pride and Prejudice (BBC version)

Sound of Music

Ten Commandments

Gone with the Wind

Fall Apple & Pumpkin Gift Bags

Today, I will be showing you an easy, inexpensive way to create fall gift bags to give goodies and gifts to your family, friends, and neighbors this fall.

First, you'll need your supplies.


Supply List:
Brown paper lunch bags
Red, Orange, Brown, and Green craft paint
Apple
Small paint brush
Hole punch
Raffia

You can make both your apple and pumpkin sack using the same apple half. First, you'll make your apple bags.

Cut your apple in half and paint with red paint.


Stamp painted apple half on bottom of brown bag. Reapply paint and stamp another apple above the first one. Continue this pattern until you have created desired amount of apple sacks.


To make your pumpkin sacks, cut the same apple half you were using off another 1/4". Make sure you can no longer see the core since you won't want a core in your pumpkin.


Paint with orange paint and stamp on brown bag just like you did with the apple bags.

Next you can paint the leaves on the apples. I didn't have brown paint so I drew the stems on my apples and pumpkins using a brown marker. You can also paint the stems.



Fill your bags with the goodies or gift and then fold top of bag down. Punch two holes in the sack and thread raffia through the holes. Tie a bow. You are finished! You have adorable fall gift sacks!

The apple gift sacks would also be great to give to teachers at the end of the year.

Better Than Robert Redford

I didn't get to finish the post I had in mind, so you get another yummy recipe today. Many of you have probably had some version of this and if you haven't, you really should try it. It is delicious! The main difference in my adaptation is that it uses real whipping cream instead of cool whip. I really think the name of this dessert needs to be updated, since Robert Redford isn't really that young and hip anymore. Any suggestions on who this dessert should now be named after?

Better Than Robert Redford

Crust (1st layer)
1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup chopped nuts

2nd layer
1 pint heavy whipping cream (save half for top layer)
1 8 oz cream cheese
3/4 cup powdered sugar

3rd layer
1 large package instant vanilla pudding
1 large package instant chocolate pudding
4 1/2 cups milk

4th (Top) layer
Other half whipping cream
Grated chocolate bar, nuts, or chocolate chips to sprinkle on top


Instructions:

1st layer: Mix the flour, melted butter, and chopped nuts. Press into the bottom of a 9"x13" pan. Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes. Place in fridge to cool.

2nd layer: Whip the heavy cream with a hand mixer or kitchen aid with powdered sugar. Remove half the whipped cream to use on top layer. Once hard peaks form add in the cream cheese. Carefully spread over the crust. You must be extremely gentle or it will pull the crust apart.

3rd layer: Mix milk and both pudding mixes with a mixer. Beat until firm. Pour over the 2nd layer.

4th layer: Spread remaining whipped cream over 3rd layer. Garnish with grated chocolate bar, nuts, or chocolate chips.