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Thanksgiving Centerpiece

November 11, 2011 By Rachel 2 Comments

Thanksgiving, for me, is the true beginning of the holiday season. It's a day to relax and spend time with my family while enjoying a delicious turkey feast! This year I wanted to add something special to the usual festivities my family shares, so I came up with this simple centerpiece idea. First, I gathered some pretty branches from my backyard to create a winter bouquet for our thanksgiving table. Next, I ordered some personalized hang tags with the quote, "Gratitude is the sign of noble … [read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, D.I.Y. Ideas, Decorations, Featured, Holidays, Thanksgiving Tagged With: centerpiece, decorations, handmade, holiday, party, tag, thanksgiving

Quince Paste

November 4, 2011 By Barbara 2 Comments

It’s magical here in the middle of Portland, Oregon. I am amazingly fortunate to live in the city while at the same time have a beautiful backyard to escape to. Every year I look forward to the ripening of the two quince trees that grow in my backyard. I, like others who are fortunate to possess this fruit tree, admire its flowers, pray for healthy fruit and feel guilty if we don’t harvest every last aromatic quince. Only a few make it to full ripening without blemish. Those I use for brandied … [read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Christmas & Holiday, D.I.Y. Ideas, Featured, Food & Drink, From The Garden, Holidays, Jams & Preserves, More Ideas, Thanksgiving Tagged With: canning, food, garden, gift, holiday, homemade, labels, Occasions, recipe

Mini Pumpkin Pies

October 21, 2011 By Rachel 2 Comments

After having so much fun making miniature cherry pies over the summer, I knew I wanted to try making mini pumpkin pies for fall treats. I came across a recipe for Pumpkin Pie Bites on Bakerella and fell in love with her idea of turning the mini pies into mini jack-o-lanterns! These little pies will be perfect to serve at my annual Halloween party this year. I packaged up my first test batch into cute little boxes and gave them to coworkers and friends. They loved them! Ingredients and Supplies: • … [read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Featured, Food & Drink, Halloween, Holidays, Occasions, Thanksgiving, Treats & Desserts Tagged With: dessert, fall, food, halloween, holiday, homemade, labels, Occasions, party, recipe

Acorn Cakelets

October 14, 2011 By Barbara 1 Comment

Welcome our newest guest blogger, Barbara Hayes! Barbara works as a bookkeeper in Portland, Oregon. When she's not calculating tax returns, she can usually be found tending to her garden, scouring antique stores for vintage treasures, and of course, cooking something amazing! I love acorns. I collect all things “acorn.” I pick them up off the ground as I walk through our neighborhood, bring home wooden carvings, cookie cutters, and candles all in shapes of acorns. I also love cooking … [read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Christmas & Holiday, Featured, Food & Drink, Holidays, Occasions, Thank You, Thanksgiving, Treats & Desserts Tagged With: baking, dessert, fall, food, gift, homemade, Occasions, recipe

Pumpkin Place Cards

October 10, 2011 By Rachel Leave a Comment

Every year, in addition to carving pumpkins, I like to paint mini pumpkins as table decoration for my annual halloween party. Last year I painted Day-of-the-Dead skulls on a few pumpkins for a table centerpiece. This year, I thought it would be fun to have a mini pumpkin at each table setting with each guest's name hand-painted on the pumpkin. They were so simple to make. I bought the pumpkins at my local grocery store and used black acrylic paint and a small paintbrush to add the names to each … [read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, D.I.Y. Ideas, Decorations, Featured, Halloween, Holidays, Place Cards, Thanksgiving, Wedding Tagged With: craft, decorations, DIY, favors, halloween, handmade, party, place cards

Homemade Pumpkin Loaf

November 15, 2010 By Lindsay 6 Comments

Like most people, I purchase small pumpkins every October from local grocery stores or Farmer's Markets. However, instead of carving them up and using them for Halloween decorations, I wait until the first of November to roast them in the oven for homemade pumpkin puree. Because of this tradition, I usually have enough puree to bake all of the pies I need for Thanksgiving and Christmas, with enough left over to experiment around with other pumpkin-inspired baked goods. Needless to say, I've tried … [read more...]

Filed Under: Blog, Breads, Crackers & Pasta, Christmas & Holiday, Featured, Food & Drink, Holidays, Thanksgiving Tagged With: dessert, fall, food, gift, holiday, homemade, Occasions, packaging, pumpkin, recipe