I hope that everyone has a fun and safe Halloween weekend! We are going to watch scary movies and eat good food by candlelight. Read Full Story

This is a festive twist you can take on your favorite fudge recipe with the use of cookie cutters. My all time favorite is Fantasy Fudge. It is smooth, creamy, and full of chocolate goodness. It is a classic recipe and is on the back of the Kraft Marshmallow Cream jar if you should ever need it. I did a similar recipe to this for Christmas last year, which is great to do if you want to include the cookie cutter as a gift with the fudge.Cutout Fantasy Fudge3 cups sugar3/4 cup margarine1 can (... Read Full Story

This is a very cute idea I got from Martha Stewart. It would be a fun project for children, too. Here is the picture from her website:They are funny and festive, but some seem lackluster in character and personality. The two on the right look a little on the manic side. So, I decided to do my own twist on the pumpkin people.Materials Needed:1 jarHalloween candy1 tiny pumpkingoogly eyesribbonsmall piece of candy (for nose)doll hairtiny, bendy twig (for mouth)white glue (I prefer Alene's tacky ... Read Full Story

Autumn is such a cozy time of year. I love to decorate with pumpkins and warm colors. I like to place pumpkins in various rooms around my house. Our mantel is very prominent, so I give it the most attention. I also wanted little touches of warm light around the pumpkins, so I crafted some candle holders covered in tissue paper. I loved the result! The best part is how easy they were to make.Supplies Needed:tissue paper in various colorswhite gluesmall paint brushwax papersmall glass candle h... Read Full Story

This is a recipe I have had for years. It is an easy and delicious way to take advantage of strawberries while they are in season. I made mini muffins and took them to work, but you can also make them in a regular muffin tin.Fresh Strawberry Muffins2 - 1/2 cups flour2/3 cups light brown sugar1 tsp soda1/2 tsp salt1 cup chopped fresh strawberries1 cup sour cream1 stick butter, melted1 tsp vanilla2 eggsbrown sugar for sprinklingCombine ingredients. Divide evenly into greased or paper lined muf... Read Full Story

For all of you Michael Bublé fans, this CD will be in stores tomorrow! Read Full Story

Melinda Smith is having another pumpkin patch party! She has the most beautiful, unusual, and best-priced pumpkins I have ever seen. You can purchase beautiful pumpkins to decorate with.This year she is hosting it for two days instead of just one, which should make it easier for everyone to have an opportunity to attend. Delicious food will also be served.Dates: Friday, October 2 from 11:00-2:00 Saturday, October 3 from 11:00-2:00477 Lake Road (Chandler Mountain)Steele, AlDirections: ... Read Full Story

I prefer to bake cake from scratch. But that doesn't mean I always do. Sometimes a box cake is good, too. A few weeks ago, I was in the grocery store line and the person in front of me didn't get all of their groceries. They left their Betty Crocker Pound Cake behind and the checker put it in with my groceries. I didn't realize it until I got home. So, I put it away to use on a day when I wanted to fix a quick and easy dessert. If any of you try to tell me that you would have returned it to t... Read Full Story

Taco Salad is an easy dinner idea to fall back on when you are busy. I decided to make one for last night, and while I was shopping for ingredients, I noticed these Azteca Salad Shells at Walmart. I have seen them for years but have never used them. They are in the cold section.(Please forgive the graffiti. The damage was done before I had a chance to take a picture. I will not mention who did it).The shell kit comes with tortillas and cardboard formers. The instructions say that the formers ... Read Full Story

My niece, Kellie is having a baby at the end of October and I wanted to buy a gift for her baby shower. I really like to give people gifts in containers they can reuse, so I bought several small items on her registry and grouped them together in a basket. I have posted similar gifts to this before, using the same wrapping technique, but this one is a little more personal.I grouped everything in the basket with some shredded paper:I laid the basket on a baby blanket:Then I folded the sides fir... Read Full Story