Cranberry Pumpkin Scones

Fall is my second favorite season, after spring. I love all the warm colors and the delicious foods. All the gourds and pumpkins to decorate with. The smell of pumpkin pie cooking, baked apple pie and a cup of warm apple cider. I just might have to make Fall my first favorite season.

You gotta try these cranberry pumpkin scones. I made these yesterday for the first time and they were awesome.

What are your favorite Fall recipes?

Dried Tomatos with Basil

These little tomato's pack a flavorful punch. The basil and olive oil really bring out the robust tomato flavor. They are great in pastas, homemade pizzas and on top of salads. Delicious!


Cut the grape tomato's in half, lay them cut side up on metal cookie sheet. After cutting all the tomato's up, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle on a little olive oil and sprinkle with dried basil. I did not measure out the ingredients, just went on a fly. You can add rosemary or oregano for a different flavor.


Heat oven to 325 degrees. Bake for 45 mins or until dried. Store in airtight container in refrigerator. These will probably freeze well also, they just don't usually last that long.

Sweet Potato Soup

When you think about sweet potatoes you think brown sugar and marshmallows. Maybe you think about sweet potato pie with caramelized pecans. Sweet potatoes can be used in many different recipes.

How about soups? It's that time of year when the air is getting crisp, the leaves are turning colors and you want a warm bowl of soup. Whether it be sweet potato soup or chicken noodle soup. Soups warm your soul.

I ran across this recipe for sweet potato soup and had to try it. Oh my gosh, is it every delicious?!?! I put 1 1/2 cups of lentils instead of the 1/2 cup because I love lentils. I also used chicken broth. Laura over at Heavenly Homemakers shows you step by step on how to make your own chicken broth. Much better than store bought and pretty darn easy.


This recipe made a big batch, it says that it serves 6, but with my added lentils and maybe, more water, it defiantly made more. I would say about 5 quarts. I froze some for later cold days. Yum!

What are your favorite sweet potato recipes?

Briar Muse Candles: Eco Friendly

Do you love candles? You have to try these wonderful smelling candles from Briar Muse. They smell so fabulous. I just want to jump in the bottle and melt in the wax.

Back to the candles. Eco-Friendly candles and great smelling. They are hand poured, 100% organic wood wicks and are recyclable. Oh and did I mention, they smell awesome.

I just ordered a few for our Halloween party for prizes. I think I'm going to have to order some more, because I don't want to share. When I placed my order online, I told myself to pick one and keep for myself. The decisions are to hard.

My favorites are Cinnamon bark, Apple crisp, Violet lime and Cucumber melon. How is a girl suppose to choose????

They are offering FREE shipping through September 30. Hurry over and get yourself a candle. Don't forget, Christmas is right around the corner. Candles make great gifts for teachers, babysitters or even the mailman or mail women.

Homemade Fruit Leather

This was my first attempt at making fruit leather and it turned out great. Very easy to make, just a little time consuming.


I had some apples that I had canned last year and pureed them in a blender. If using fresh apples, just peel, core and cook until soft. It was approx. 2 quarts of sliced apples. After they are pureed it should measure 4 cups of apples. Taste the apples to see if they are sweet enough for your taste. You can also add cinnamon or nutmeg.


Turn your oven to the lowest setting, mine went to 170 degrees. Line a large baking sheet (17x12) with parchment paper. Pour your apple puree over paper and smooth out so apples are even. Bake for 10-12 hours. Your fruit leather will peel right off. Cut to size, roll it up and wrap in plastic wrap.

You can make a variety of flavors. I made pear fruit leather also, delicious. Peach is the next one on my list. Not sure how long these will keep, but I would imagine at least two weeks stored in airtight container.

Want a chance to win a Nutrimill?

Have you ever thought of grinding your own flour? It's very healthy and easy to do with a Nutrimill.

Laura at Heavenly Homemakers has paired up with Paula's bread to giveaway one Nutrimill. Head on over for your chance at getting one for FREE. The drawing will be held Monday Sept. 12. Let us know if you win. Good Luck!!!

Gratituesday: Thankful for bountiful gardens

This Gratituesday I'm thankful for a bountiful garden. I have been getting about 8-10 lbs. of green beans a week out of my garden. Tomatoes galor and now pears. If you are overwhelmed with fruit or veggies from your garden how about trading with your neighbor. A guy I work with grows watermelon but his green beans didn't do so good this year. Guess what we'll be trading??

Maybe your neighbor makes some delicious homemade bread and you have plenty of jams or jelly's. Donate your fresh fruits and veggies to your local food bank. The ideas are endless, just don't let the food go to waste. It breaks my heart to see fruit rotting on trees.

I think I'm going to try and make some fruit leather. Never made it before, doesn't seem hard, just time consuming. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Join me at Heavenlyhomemakers for Gratituesday.

No Cooking Today; Spent Time With Family

Well, I was planning on doing a lot of cooking today but things didn't go as planned. That's o.k. though, I spent good quality time with my family.

My sister had to work and mom was volunteering to help a friend so I babysat my 3 year old niece. We took a little trip to see my great aunts. They live about 40 minutes down the road. We visited Ellen in the nursing home, she doesn't get many visitors besides her 82 year old sister Erma.


I love sitting with my great aunts and hearing their stories about growing up on the farm with their 12 brothers and sisters. Erma told me today she walked one mile to school. She had to cross over rivers and rocks, barefoot. When she would see the school house she would put her shoes on. She didn't want to ruin her shoes walking. Oh how easy the kids have it now.

We went over to my aunts neighbors house and picked some pears off her tree. She told us to take all we wanted, she hates that tree. Free food??? Who could pass that up? Off we went with our buckets. 44 lbs. later we returned. Can you guess what I'll be doing next week?

Then back home to get my other 2 nieces and 1 nephew off the bus. They each grabbed a snack and off to do homework. Except for the kindergartner, Krista. Her and I went to the garden to pick green beans for dinner.

I really don't see how some people can plant rows and rows and rows of beans and pick them. They have to crawl or have no back bone left. It takes all I have to bend over them green bean bushes and pick 3 lbs. I know, I know, stop complaining. I am very thankful to our heavenly Father for blessing me with a bountiful garden.

Off to the kitchen to make dinner. We invited my mom and step dad over also. You know I "love" cooking and I really "love" to cook BIG. We had hot dog muffins, mashed potatoes, green beans, garden fresh tomatoes and canned peaches. Oh, for dessert was pumpkin roll. Yummy!