Saturday, November 06, 2010

Canning Applesauce

The first bite of an autumn apple picked from a nearby orchard is delish!
mmmmmm
Each year we roll up our sleeves to preserve this yummy-ness for the winter months.



6th Annual Apple Adventure
Canning applesauce has become one of our family traditions.  
It is the only canning I consider fun!
My kids really enjoy it and are expert applesauce makers now.


We couldn't have done it without this awesome ancient Victorio Strainer.
I remember using this exact one as a child making applesauce with my siblings.
Good memories.



This is what it looks like all set up.
It will mush the apples and remove the seeds and peels at the same time.



Here is our assembly line...
1.  prep apples
(take out of boxes)


2.  wash with warm water and a teeny bit of soap
3.  rinse in sink full of water with 1/2 cup of vinegar



4.  cut apples into fourths


5.  keep them face down to make picking up much easier
(no need to peel or core)




6.  fill up pots with apples- add a cup or two of water and steam
(the house smells heavenly)



7.  enlist in helpers (the waiting list is always full)
8.  put the cooked apples in the white bowl and strain away



The applesauce comes out one side and all the other stuff comes out the other end.


9.  taste testers


10.  can bottles in the garage in double batches


Check out the different colors of sauce using three apple varieties we mixed.
mmmmm
7 people + 8 hours = 83 qts of applesauce
AMAZING!
(thanks to the 2 canners)

Because I'm lazy I don't believe in re-inventing the wheel... here's a great site that gives step by step instructions on the canning part, Make it Do.


What's just as nummy as applesauce?  
Canned peaches!




Wednesday, November 03, 2010

Thanksgiving Printables


I LOVE it when people are sooo giving with their talents.
THANK YOU! 
Here are some printables that you can print off and and make quick decor just in time for Thanksgiving!



I got these printables from here at Craftily Ever After.
I sent them to Costco photo lab and got 5x7 prints.



Yeah!  I already had frames waiting to be used and just the right color too.



Stuck them in the frames.



And placed them on my plate rake.
I love it!


This awesome Thanksgiving subway art printable can be found here at Betty Crocker Wannabe.
I just replaced my Halloween subway art with this.  


Sunday, October 31, 2010

Happy Halloween

We celebrate the spookiest night of the year with our traditional Halloween dinner.


Dinner in a pumpkin.


What's a pumpkin dinner without spider bread?
Yum!


Mama Spider with all of her baby spiders.
Where's daddy spider you ask?
I ate him.

Happy Halloween!


Thursday, October 28, 2010

Trick or Treat Plate Decor

Why buy Tai Pan when you can make your own decor plates?
Here's an easy and cheap way to make trendy plates.


Supplies
-plates from the Dollar Store
-choice of paper
-print words onto cardstock
-mod podge


Cut paper out into circles.

Use a little paint to give the font a spooky aged look.


Mod Podge circles onto the plates.



trick or treat  --  smell my feet




Linking up to....
Fireflies and Jellybeans
Frou Frou Decor
its so very cheri

Monday, October 25, 2010

Witchy Spells



Here's a project that used a different medium - wood burning tools.



Take a piece of pine left over from an old project.


I printed this picture from the GraphicsFairy and mod podged it onto the wood.



I traced the paper onto the wood to leave an indention for the letters.  
Then I used a wood burning pen to write the words.
I finished it by torching the edges.
It was way fun!



Tied a cute orange ribbon around the board.
Toped it with black wire for a hanging.


Witchy Spells - 5 cents
Hexes - extra


Saturday, October 23, 2010

Autumn Friends

I love autumn!  
I also love to glimpse what my crafty friends do with their craftiness.
Take a look....





I love the pumpkin turned on it's side.



Check out this adorable autumn village.


I love it!





Creepy eyes made out of black paper spy out the windows of this house.


It's really spooky at night with the inside lights turned on.


Painted jars.
Save them all!


Personalized haunted house cross stitched with love.


This huge pumpkin is darling!


Witchy witch wall hanging!