How to Make Your Own Holiday Apron For Less Than $10

 I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving! This is the perfect time to move onto all the Christmas fun, decor and baking if you haven't started already.  I am, truly, so excited at this time of year, so much to do, so much beauty to see, family and friends all around and so much to be thankful for!  I love it, even more, that you can deck your halls from top to bottom and spend very little doing it!

This year, I thought I would start by making a Holiday Apron (that I've been meaning to do for quite a while)!! It really couldn't be much easier.

Happy Thanksgiving

Last one just out of the oven!

How happy I am to wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!!! 

I pray that you are with Family and Friends enjoying the day, or maybe for some, the football! 

For me, I will Thank the Lord with all my heart for all the Blessings He has bestowed on me every day.

(source)

May you all be Blessed beyond all your expectations.

~Theresa

My "Gratitude" Tree

Happy November! Boy, I am getting excited and very into the Spirit of the Season this year!

Yes, I know!.... this early?!  You bet!  I've been working hard, bargain hunting and putting the last touches on several projects, that I will soon be sharing with you! 

On this one, I will admit,  I completely copied the idea! Yes, I'm honest enough to admit it and, actually sorry,  I hadn't thought of it on my own, first.  However,that being said,  they are drastically different. The idea is all that is similar.  Have you ever made and kept up a Gratitude tree?  If you have, Yay for you.  I am impressed! I keep up a Gratitude journal, but I have never before made a Gratitude tree, one started in the beginning of November so it can be added to daily!

What an awesome way to remind ourselves, and all that visit, how very Blessed we truly are, as we ready are house and cupboards for Thanksgiving!

This is how my Gratitude Tree came together!

I rather like it a lot! It makes me smile and "count my blessings" several times throughout the day, as I pass by it.  I have even taken to asking friends and family to fill out a tag of whatever they are grateful for and to add it to my tree. So far, everyone was pleased to do so!  There you go, another thing I'm grateful for!

If you Google "Gratitude Tree" or "Thanksgiving Tree" you will see, there are as many different ways to make one as there are things to be thankful for.  So, this is my way! 

A Christmas tree is only a Christmas tree if you decorate it to be such. This cute little burlap wrapped pine tree I thought fit the bill just perfectly for my little Gratitude tree! I hope you and enjoy it and find some way to remember all that you have to be thankful for. If you don't find yourself in a thankful place, well then, you have my sympathy and prayers.

Many Blessing to you, Friends!

~Theresa

So happy to tell you that this post was featured by Richella @ her beautiful Party Grace At Home!



I'll be sharing this post with:
Courtney @ French Country Cottage, Cindy @ My Romantic Home, Natasha's Say G'day Saturday, Kerryanne @ Shabbilicious Friday , Sherry@ The Charm of Home  Alison @ Nancherrow's Fridays Unfolded  Ramona @ Create With Joy's Friendship Friday  Sarah @Holiday Frugal Tips  What Mommy Does'Weekend Wind Down Jamielyn @ I Heart Nap Time Beverly @ How Sweet The Sound   Aimee@ It's Overflowing  Cheri @ It's So Very Cheri Vanessa @ Nifty Thrifty Things    Kim @ Savvy Southern Style: WOW us Wednesday   Marty @A Stroll Thru Life
Pamela @ From My Front Porch to Yours:Treasure Hunt Thursday  Nici @ Posed Perfection: Creative Ways  Richella @ Imparting Grace: Grace At Home

File under: #thanksgiving, #gratitudetree Thanksgiving, Gratitude Tree Thankful DIY thanksgiving tree crafts decor holidays seasons celebrations faith

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins~A Healthy Twist

Happy November!  Are you enjoying the Fall? This time of year is so exciting for me. I'm loving the cooler weather and all the changes that come with it! I hope you are enjoying it, as well. Ok,  on with Recipe! You know, there all kinds of fancy desserts on the internet, and heaven knows I am tempted to go for the WOW factor, as well.  The truth of the matter is that the best recipe I have to share with you in this month's Peanut Butter challenge, or for the Fall weather for you and your Family to enjoy, for that matter, (as mine does) is a muffin.

It's my own recipe, I have tweaked here and there over the years. It is really quite simple. No appliances necessary, just a good, hot oven. 

I am always trying to find different ways to eliminate the use of oils and fats in recipes, yet still get that rich tasty flavor. This one really does deliver that. That being said, my entry to this months Peanut Butter Bash challenge, for Peanut Butter and Pumpkin is a really yummy, fairly light Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffin!

I know what you are thinking...there's no peanut butter in that title! Right?!  Well, yes, you are right. But, may I just say many of us use peanut butter as an ingredient often, and it doesn't always have to be the star of the recipe, but it sure does help make a great end result.  My "go to" on almost all my muffins is:

 1 cup Oats

1 cup Buttermilk

1 cup flour 

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

Now, understand that is the base for a great muffin that uses 1/2 the flour and lowfat buttermilk.  I do tend to embellish it quite a bit.  I LOVE Pumpkin everything, almost. I am especially partial to Trader Joe's Organic canned pumpkin puree

So, I'm just going to get right down to this recipe! You may think it sounds a little wonky, but I guarantee you you will love it and so will your friends and family!

First of all, bake in a hot oven... Preheat your oven to 400F.   So as I stated above:  Soak 1 cup of Oats, Quick or Regular, in 1 cup of buttermilk with 1/2 cup of Applesauce. For this Recipe add 1 cup of Pure pumpkin puree, combine well and set aside.

In a separate bowl whisk together, not to much, though. just combine.

2 large eggs

1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract

2 large Tablespoons of creamy Peanut Butter

1/2 cup each white and brown sugar

(A little UPDATE here: if you are not a fan of Peanut Butter, you can easily do without that addition, and substitute with 1/3 cup of canola or vegi-oil)

Add to your Oat mixture, combine and set aside.

Over a nice size piece of wax paper, in your sifter (if you don't have a sifter you can combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, I do recommend that you whisk them until combined and aerated. 

1-1/2 heaping cups of All Purpose Flour

1-1/2 teaspoons of Baking Powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

pumpkin spices to taste.

 

I really like Trader Joe's Pumpkin Spice mix (and no, I don't get compensated by Trader Joe's) LOL

I use 1 large Tablespoon of their pumpkin spice mix.(so, if you are a leveler, 1-1/2)

If you don't have any pre-made spice mix, here's a great combination of spices to get you the same flavor combine  Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves and Ginger. Personally, I  use more cinnamon and nutmeg then cloves and ginger, because I buy them fresh and in bulk, so the flavors are strong. But, I believe you could do equal portions of each and get a great flavor, just the same.

Combine dry ingredients with wet.

I'm showing you this picture for one reason.  I firmly believe that Most every muffin and/or biscuit or scone is 10 times better when you combine the wet and dry ingredients By Hand. And, I don't mean a rapid stir, just a gentle kind of folding things together, just until combined.  

Now you are ready to fold in your Chocolate Chips. I use 1-1/2 cups, usually, but if there's a lot of kids around, I add a whole 12 oz bag! You get the idea?! It's very flexible. I've added chopped walnuts before and it was wonderful. For my parents, I pour enough batter to make 6 muffins aside before adding the chocolate chips, because they prefer Pumpkin, Raisin Walnut Muffins. anything goes! Fill your prepared muffin tins 2/3 of the way and bake for 8-10 minutes. That's it!  

I hope you enjoy my humble offering and give it a try! They are great to have in the house and wonderful and easy to make & share with Friends and Family!  They also just scream Autumn's here!! 

If you want to join in on the Peanut Butter Bash Fun, Contact Miranda, by email @cookiedoughandovenmitt.com  or join our Facebook group Here

I hope you all Fell back gently last week and that you are enjoying a Blessed week! Thanks so much for popping by! More to come soon! 

~Theresa

If,  Heaven forbid,  My Recipe was not your cup of tea, please check out all the wonderful creations below.

An InLinkz Link-up

I'm sharing this post with:

Katherines Corner     From My Front Porch To Yours     Posed Perfection    The Shabby Art Boutique's Simply Shabbalicious    French Country Cottage's Feathered Nest  
The Charm of Home      My Romantic Home's Show and Tell    Inspire Me Monday @ Create With Joy   Crafts a la Mode: What to do Weekends    Gator Mommy Reviews    Natasha In Oz: Say G'Day    Sunday Wrap-Up @ Cookie Dough and Oven Mitt    Treasure Box Tuesday Savvy Southern  Style's WOW Us Wednesdays  Moore Or Less Cooking Food Blog   What Mommy Does   It's So Very Cheri    Nifty Thrifty Things

#peanut butter bash, autumn treats,, goodies, peanut butter, muffins, pumpkin, chocolate chips, healthy, reduced fat treats, homemade recipes #gatormommy #saygday