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Archive for the ‘Entertaining Ideas’ Category

Announcing fall has arrived!

There is no denying the fact fall is upon us.

Who’d want to anyway… that would be denying all that delicious apple and pumpkin goodness just waiting to be tasted as well as the spicy smell in the air, the crunch of leaves beneath your feet and the glorious turning of the leaves.

If you really want to make your home feel like autumn inside, think about some wonderful fall scents.

Through candles or wall-plug-ins, you can create the most wonderful, inviting atmosphere inside your home that says “Ahh, autumn is here.”

Just think about walking into a home where the scents of pumpkin, apple, cinnamon or spices fill the air. It makes you think about fall and hayrides and pumpkin pie and all sorts of wonderful, comforting experiences.

My favorite, favorite scent right now is Apple Pumpkin from Yankee Candle. A couple of friends came over recently and one of them was convinced I was baking some decadent treat. Nope. It was just the candle – but my gracious, it packs a lot of scent.

The main thing to remember as you fill your home with the scents of fall is to stick with one scent at a time.

If you’re burning a sweet pumpkin candle in the kitchen, don’t light a heavily spiced candle a few feet away in the family room. Before you know it, you’ve got warring scents and quite possibly a headache.

When possible, I try to buy the same scent in varying sizes (a few big jar candles for larger rooms and votives for smaller areas).

Have fun finding your signature fall scent and see if the warm smell doesn’t make you (and everyone else who comes through your door) smile.

She Who Is Off to Light Her Candle

 

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dining out cookbook If you’ve ever wished you could have a recipe for a dish from your favorite restaurant, check out the  CopyKat.com’s Dining Out at Home Cookbook 2 by Stephanie Manley.

This cookbook has everything from the Olive Garden’s much coveted salad dressing to the yummy Cinnamon Honey Butter from the Texas Roadhouse.

If you love Starbuck’s Pumpkin Spice Latte, Dairy Queen’s Peanut Butter Parfait Bars or KFC’s Coleslaw, this book has got the scoop on how to create these at home.

You’ll find Drinks, Appetizers, Soups, Main Dishes, Sides, Desserts, Breakfast, Sauces & Dressings, and Favorites. She also share a conversion chart and recipe index, sorted alphabetically and by restaurant.

Manley is the creator and author of CopyKat.com. Since 1995, she has written recipes for restaurant-style dishes that anyone can create at home

Published through Ulysses Press, CopyKat.com’s Dining Out at Home Cookbook 2 retails for $14.95.

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sunflower cupcakes finished

As the finale for the sunflower themed party I hosted last week, I made sunflower cupcakes.

I started with a basic chocolate cupcake (you can make whatever flavor you like) then mixed up a bowl of buttercream frosting (see recipe below) and tinted it yellow.

sunflower cupcake base coat

Cover the cupcakes with a thin layer of frosting then fill a decorating bag or tube with frosting. I used Wilton Tip #101.

sunflower cupcake petalStarting in the center, pipe “petals” all around the cupcake. Just keep layer them one on top of another going around in circles.

sunflower cupcake frostedIt will use a lot of frosting, so be prepared.

sunflower cupcakePlace a mini Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup in the center and ta-da! You are ready to go!

Buttercream Frosting

1 cup butter

5 cups powdered sugar

1 tbsp. vanilla

4 (or so) tbsp. milk

Beat butter on medium speed until light and creamy. Slowly incorporate four cups of sugar. Add in vanilla then mix in two tablespoons of milk and beat for about three minutes. If the frosting is too stiff, add more milk. If it seems thin, add more sugar.

She Who Had Too Much Fun Making These

 

 

 

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Peach Smoothie

For my sunflower themed party, I knew I wanted a fun, colorful drink.

Peach smoothies seemed perfect.

They were so easy to make and quite yummy (unless you ask Captain Cavedweller, but we aren’t giving him a vote in this particular instance).

The girls liked the drinks and I loved the straws!

Peach Smoothie ingredients

The ingredients are really simple (and I forgot to put ice in the photo – sorry!).

Dump everything in your blender, let it crunch and grind until it’s smooth. Pour in chilled glasses and garnish with a slice of peach.

Okay, here is the recipe…

Peach Smoothies

2 cups milk

2 cups frozen sliced and peeled peaches

1/4 cup orange juice

1 cup ice cubes

2 tbsp. sugar (optional)

1 fresh peach, peeled and sliced (optional)

Mix milk, frozen peaches, orange juice and ice in a blender. Mine has a smoothie setting. Use whatever will crunch up the frozen peaches and ice and get a nice smooth blend. Since I like things sweeter than normal people, I added a little  sugar to this, but you can skip if you want since you get some sweetness from the orange juice.

While the smoothie is mixing, set some glasses in the freezer to chill.

Once the smoothie is done, pour into glasses (six small or four large). For added panache, you can set a peach slice on top and finish with a fun straw. Mint leaves would also make a pretty garnish.

She Who Could Eat Peaches Every Day of the Year

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