Howdy Partner

Today we met with Ben's best friend Marlie to take pictures of their Halloween costumes. We wen to her grandparents house and they have horses. Ben is a cowboy, Marlie is a cowgirl (totally didn't plan it together) and Tayrien is a horsey. Tell me your favorites!

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Crochet

When I went on bed rest My mother in law re-introduced me to the art of crochet. I had dabbled in it a little before, but never got very far. I think I made my puppies a sweater and a shawl, but they were ugly. So I picked it up again. She showed me a few of her favorite stitches and I practiced. I made a little hat and vest for bens stuffed animals and a matching hat for ben. It was all ugly too. Then I thought of UTube and found this amazing lady. I love her videos. She is very good at explaining and I liked her patterns. SO I made a few hats and they looked really good compared to the others I had made.
I took Tayrien to his infant photo shoot and she used a floppy hat. I didn't really like it, so afterwords I asked her if she needed new hats. She was so excited, because she had been looking for someone to crochet things for her. So she sent me a few examples and I went to work. I am loving this project! I am trying to come up with projects to do after this one is done, so if you have ideas, please share!

Crochet video

Favorite Friday

Here are my favorites from this week!

I love this beehive cake!

Adorable skeleton and mummy cookies

Adorable homemade car mat

Cute felt flowers

Fall color cookies

How to make easy ruffles on sewing machine: Tension on highest setting, stitch length on longest stitch

Pumpkin pie recipes
(in the comments)

Chocolate Pumpkin Mini-Muffins
(makes approx 18 large or 43 mini muffins)

1 box chocolate cake mix
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin
1/2 c mini chocolate chips
2 egg whites
2 TBSP water
mini chocolate chips to garnish

Preheat the oven to 375°.
Spray the insides of your muffin liners with no stick pray, otherwise the muffins will stick to the paper. Place in muffin tins.

In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites until a little foamy.

Add in the remaining ingredients and stir until well-blended. Use an icecream scooper to fill prepared baking cups. Bake for about 18-20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

Sprinkle with a few mini chocolate chips as soon as they come out of the oven!

Remove from pans and let cool on a rack.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies

Brownie Batter:

1 prepared Brownie Mix

1 tsp cinnamon

Mix according to box adding 1 tsp cinnamon. (I use Ghirardelli or Duncan Hines)

Cheesecake Batter

6 oz cream cheese, softened

1 egg

1/3 cup sugar

2 TBSP flour

1/2 cup pumpkin

1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease an 8″x8″ square metal pan.

Mix brownie batter and cinnamon in bowl.

In separate bowl, beat together cheesecake batter.

Spread about 2/3 of brownie batter into prepared pan, and spoon cheesecake batter over top. Dollop remaining brownie batter over cheesecake batter. Swirl together with a knife.

Bake for 40 minutes, or until center is set.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese

8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 c canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp vanilla
4 TBSP brown sugar

Beat all ingredients together until smooth. Refrigerate.

Pumpkin Pancakes

2 eggs

1-1/4 cups buttermilk (*I used powdered)

4 TBSP melted butter

4 TBSP canned pumpkin

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1-1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp allspice

Preheat a skillet over medium heat. Coat pan with no stick spray.

Combine eggs, buttermilk, butter, pumpkin, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.
Use an electric mixer to blend ingredients.

Add dry ingredients to wet
ingredients and blend with mixer until smooth.

Pour or scoop the batter onto hot skillet, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake.

When the batter stops bubbling and edges begin to harden, flip the
pancakes. They should be golden brown. This will take from 1 to 2 minutes.

Flip the pancakes and cook other side for the same amount of time, until
golden brown.

Black Cinnamon Syrup

• 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
• 1/2 brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup water
• black food coloring gel

In a saucepan combine sugars, flour and cinnamon. Add vanilla and water. Bring to a boil, stirring continuously. As it heats squirt in a little of the black food coloring and mix in, add more until it's as dark as can be (it doesn't take much). Allow to boil for a few moments until the mixture has noticeably thickened. Remove from heat and allow to cool enough to put into a plastic squeeze bottle. Syrup can be made ahead and refrigerated. Warm syrup before serving by placing the squeeze bottle in a bowl of warm water(not boiling). Let each person decorate their own pancake!

There's nothing SCARY about making these pancakes!

Favorite Friday

Every day I go through all the blogs that inspire me for ideas of projects and such. I thought that I could take a post to share my favorites from this week. I think I will do this every Friday. Today I found this clever post about mason jars. I grew up with canning and have always loved the jars we use and wanted to use them in more than just food storage.

I think this is adorable to make these little pies for Thanksgiving! Go HERE for the recipe!

I think this would be cute for a sick friend!

Isn't this just so cute! You could give these for gifts too! Or line them up on a shelf for decorations!


This would be adorable in a cottage kitchen.

Benjamin vs. Tayrien

Since Tayrien has been born I have noticed quite a few differences between him and Benjamin as a baby. I thought it would be fun to compare them side by side!

Benjamin

• ate every two hours
• slept for two hours at a time
  
• had colic
  
• lots of dark hair with a cowlick and curly
• 19 in long
• 7lbs 1.2 oz
• herniated belly button
• birthmark on bum
• jaundice
• button nose
• round head
• large eyes
• did not take a binky
• did not take a bottle
• sucked his fist
• never wanted to burp
• clef chin
• no dimples
• pale skin
  

Tayrien

• Eats every 4 hours
• sleeps for four hours at night
• no colic
• long black hair with cowlick and strait
  
• 20 in long
• 6lbs 15.8oz
• no herniation or birth mark
• jaundice
• pointy nose
• thin oval shaped head
• small eyes
• takes a binky
• takes a bottle
• sucks his fist
• easy to burp
• hairy back-like an Italian man
• deep clef chin
• possibly shallow dimples
• deep voice
• long fingers and feet
• tan skin
  

They definitely look like brothers, but different. It is nice that they have their own individuality. Tayrien is a way more laid back kid. He doesn't cry, but grunts and only when he is really hungry. He is very patient with his brother smothering him with kisses and hugs. There are no jealousy issues. Ben doesn't understand why he can't nurse the way Tayrien does though. The big photos are of Tayrien and the small ones, sorry I couldn't find the big files, are Benjamin. Let me know what you think about the differences and similarities!