Leaf peeping

Hi my Blog Friends 

This week and next my blog will be a little light on posts. The Hubby, the Puppy, and I are taking a well deserved 2 week vacation in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. We plan to do some leaf peeping, eating some great food, and kicking up our feet and relaxing. Keep checking back as I hope to post some spectacular pictures. You can also follow me on Instagram. 

Have a great week.

Friday's Fancy

There is no better feeling that taking this down from the attic!

TGIF!

Recipe... Chicken Corncakes

Happy Hump-Day!

If you work full-time like me, then you know there are days when you come home and you can't imagine having to cook tonight's dinner. I am always on the look out for simple recipes that not only tastes good but the time from stove to plate is lickety split. I also love recipes that can take left overs to a new level. If this sounds like you, then today I am sharing that type of recipe. It uses left over roasted chicken or you can use store bought rotisserie chicken and staples from your pantry. These are tasty, versatile, and easily adapted to different flavor styles. 

Chicken Corncakes

Here's what you will need. 

Base Ingredients: 

• 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken 
• 1 (8 ounce) can Corn 
• 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs 
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese 
• 1 tablespoon sour cream 
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper 
• 1 large Egg 
• Oil for Sautéing 

You can really seasons these any way you like. 

Keep it simple with adding garlic and parsley or add cumin, paprika, and cilantro for a southwestern twist (this is the way I make them). 

Toppings: 

• Simple: chopped tomatoes and grated cheese 
• Southwestern: salsa, chopped tomatoes, sour cream, and sliced avocado

Instructions: 

Mix together chicken, corn, 1/4 cup of the panko, cheese, and next five ingredients in a large bowl. Shape into 2" balls. In a shallow dish add remaining panko breadcrumbs, press ball into panko forming a 3" patty, flip and dredge other side into panko, slight pressing. 

Cook patties in hot oil in a large skillet, over medium-high heat. Sauté 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden. Repeat procedure with remaining patties and oil. Serve with desired toppings. Makes about 8 patties. 

Hoping this helps you whip-up a mid-week meal that is tasty and easy. 

Enjoy!

Autumn Mason Jar Crafting

Hi All! Hope you had a wonderful weekend.

Today I have another mason jar craft project for you. As I have mentioned before, I love mason jars and their versatility, see how I created jack-o-lantern mason jars here. This one today is easy peasy and can be used as part of your autumn decor. It will only take you 10 minutes to create. 

Here is what you'll need:

• Mason Jar(s)
• 2 different widths ribbon
• Glue gun
• Decoration of your choice 

I first wrapped the thicker ribbon around the center of the mason jar and secured it with my glue gun. Then I took the thinner ribbon, wrapped it around the jar in the center of the other ribbon, and secured it with my glue gun. Then I added the decoration. I used a small cranberry sprig. 

See easy peasy. You can now add a flameless candle or fill with goodies.

Stay tuned to see how I use it in my home decor. 

Have a great week!

Friday's Fancy

My Favorite Time of Year... Fall!

Have you started decorating? I have been adding little touches here and there.
Stay tuned for a full blog post on what I've done.

Have a fall-tastic weekend!

Nothing Says Fall Like Apple Picking!

This weekend we spend a great Sunday with our good friend and her son at Lyman Orchards. The weather was perfect, absolutely fall like. The orchard is owned and operated by the Lyman Family since 1741, Lyman Orchards is recognized as the twelfth oldest family-owned business in America. We started with breakfast on the deck that over looked the property and pond. 

After our belly's were full of delicious pancakes we ventured into the corn maze. This years theme, The British Invasion Corn Maze, salutes the legendary bands of the 1960s! Here are some stats on the maze:

   • 4-acre maze

   • 2 miles of pathways

   • Challenging design

   • Fun trivia questions 

Did we get lost? Maybe just a little, but we had an amazing time and met some great people along the way! The cool thing is $1.00 of every admission is donated to the American Cancer Society. 

Next we did a little shopping in their unique market! The enticing aroma of fresh baked products fills the market all day long. From fresh pies, to apple cider donuts, muffins, cookies, breads, pastries, and more are made in their Farm Kitchen Bakery. Now you know we had to come home with some goodies like homemade jams, fudge, cheddar cheese, and of course apple crisp from the bakery... Hmmmmmm! 

We loaded up the car with our goodies and headed to the pick-your-own part of the orchard. First we picked some apples (macoun, they are my favorite). My girlfriend's son got so excited when he spotting an apple, I have to say we all got pretty excited. 

Next we headed down the road and picked peaches, the last of the season. These were a little harder to find but we did. 

We visited the pumpkin patch, just to take a few pictures. We plan to pick our pumpkins later in the season. 

The property is so beautiful, with lot of rolling hills. I took this picture from where we picked peaches on top of one of the hills. What a fantastic day! We vowed to make this a tradition. 

What are your favorite falls events?

Hooray it's fall!

Crafting with Milk Bottles

Hi Friends! Today I have a fun and easy project for you.

I love strolling around a craft store. I find myself there at least once a week. I can spend hours strolling the aisles, there are so many wonderful creative things to be found. We'll to my excitement I read that a new Hobby Lobby store will be opening up in the town near I work (there is already one in the town I live in). I am so excited by this news, though I can't say my hubby is, you see, my lunch hours will never be the same! On one particular stroll thought the aisles of Michaels I came across these milk bottles.

They are so cute they had to come with me. Now you know I love mason jars for decorating (read it here), I wondered could this be the next new thing? 

Here is what I did with them. Using my DecoArt Americana Chalk Paint, I mixed Romance with a little nit of Relic to make a deep red color. 

I taped off the bottle just bellow the neck using frog Tape. 

Then I took my dubber and using the red I painted the bottom half of the bottle. 

I removed the tape before to was completely dry. Then I set them aside to dry thoroughly. 

Once dried I added some twine cord along the top rim and a wooden button. To finish sprayed them with satin enamel to protect the paint. Aren't they just adorable? 

Have you found these little milk bottles in your craft store? If so how have you used them? 

Happy crafting 

Friday's Fancy

Oh My Word! 

Bruschetta made with our home grown tomatoes. Simple and Delicious. 

Have a fantastic weekend!

 

Jack-o-lantern Mason Jars

Hello Friends! With September arriving I am thinking of fall, my favorite time of year, and with canning season in full force there are lots of mason jars available. This calls for some mason jar craft creations. I love the mason jar, they are so versatile. If you look them up on Pinterest there are hundreds of ideas on ways to use a mason jar. Over the next month I will be highlighting some of those projects. 

This weekend I created jack-o-lantern mason jar luminaries. They were easy and fun. Here is how I did it. 

Gather up the following:

• Mason jars (I use 3) 
• Roll of orange crepe paper streamer 
• Mod podge (Yes, a flashback from your school years!) 
• Black paper (I used sticky back vinyl from my Silouette America Die-Cutting Machine) 
• Green paint 

Start by measuring the height of your jars and cut the crepe paper streamer to that size.

Paint Mod Podge, a section at a time, onto the outside of the jar. 

Lay down a strip of crepe paper and smooth it down well. Then, move onto the next section. Overlapped the strips of paper to make it look more like the ridges of a pumpkin. Don’t worry if it’s a little wrinkly, it doesn’t show once it’s dry. 

Keep going till you get the jar covered. 

Then, it is time to work on cutting out the faces. You can download faces off the web or create your own using black craft paper. (I created mine on my Silhouette Machine.) Just make sure you size the face according to the size of your jar. Apply the faces to the jar either by gluing the pieces or using sticky back vinyl and paint the tops with some green paint. 

Now you can do 1 of 2 things to seal the pumpkin:

  1. Brush on a coat or 2 of Mod Podge 

  2. Can of spray enamel (this is the method I used) 

The finishing touch... add a flameless votive/tea light candle or a string of lights. 

Oooooooh how Scary!!!!! 

Now go get your craft on and make some scary jack-o-lantern mason jars ! 

Unlocking a Mystery

Hi All! I hope you had a fabulous weekend! We did, the weather started off hot and humid but by Sunday it was in the 70s and dry. I was busy getting my craft on all weekend long. I completed some projects that I will display in the coming days.

Today, I wanted to share with you a little skeleton key love. There is something about an old key I find intriguing. Did it come from a far away place? What kind of door did it once open? Was it a door to a house or a gate to a yard? Did it unlock a great treasure hidden inside a trunk? I wonder what stories those keys would tell if they could speak. 

When walking around the North Haven Flea & Farmers Market, I came across a vendor that had some old keys for sale. I was drawn to them immediately, and since he only wanted $10.00 for all 4, they were coming home with me. 

Aren’t they just gorgeous? I was told the large key at the top was a key to a gate. But the others are a mystery....

Now I am hoping these keys will unlock a unique and creative idea to re-purpose them in a decor piece. In what ways have you used skeleton keys in your own home? I’d love to hear about it! 

Have an inspired day!

Friday's Fancy

For All the Times you made us Laugh... We Thank You.

Your Legacy Lives On...

RIP

It's County Fair Time

This weekend we spent a great day with our good friend and her son at the 102nd Haddam Neck Fair. I have lived in CT all my life and it was my first time at this fair. It was a real treat. There is something about a county fair that screams fall is coming. My favorite time of year. At the fair we experienced great fair food, played some carnival games, checked out all the vendors and agricultural entries. This was our first fair of the season and you can be sure we will be visiting more. 

Here are some facts about the Haddam Neck Fair from their website. Rated as a major agricultural fair, it is known for the family friendly atmosphere in a beautiful setting. The many events offer somethings for everyone including tractor and truck pulls, horse and oxen pulling contests and a horse show. Exhibits of rabbits, poultry, sheep and goats are popular. Exhibitors are encouraged to enter arts and hobbies, vegetables, flowers, canned goods and hand work. There are contests offered throughout the weekend including women's skillet throwing, beard, multiple birth and children's contests. Live music on the bandstand on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. 

Do you love attending county fairs? What is your favorite part? I love all the food they have to offer. 

Here's to looking forward to fall.