A New Family Favorite

It all started with a trip to a small apple orchard. See, the Flynn's in our ward (church congregation) here in Omaha have the sweetest little orchard. Every Fall they invite our ward members to come and harvest some apples to take home and some to make (on-site) fresh cider with. It is something that families look forward to every year. This year we took our Young Women to pick apples and make cider. The pie apples didn't have such a great year, but the Red Delicious were plentiful. I picked a modest sized grocery bag to take home to my family and then jumped in with the ((leaders)) girls, cutting and washing the apples to go into the apple press. We cut apples for what seemed like hours....not because we weren't having a good time chatting and catching up on each other's lives...but because after gripping that many apples to cut out worm holes and bruised spots (these are organic apples after all) my hands ached!! Whining aside we got enough apples into the press for all 30 some girls and leaders to get about half a gallon or so of cider. Success. While we were chopping and such one of my sweet friends told me about her family's favorite apple cake. They all like it so much that they even request it for birthdays! ((Insane, in my thinking....aren't ALL birthday cakes chocolate??)) She said she had made this apple cake using some of the fresh apples she got from the Flynn's little orchard and it was so good. Well, why not...So I asked her for the recipe. I read through it and was totally confused. It's a bundt cake and has a caramel sauce that goes over it. The recipe says to pour the sauce over the cake while it is still hot in the pan. In my mind I just could not figure how the yummy sounding caramel was to get to the top of the cake if you put it all over the bottom...I know...But that was my thinking. I was doing at least ten other things when the first cake came out of the oven. I forgot the instructions and inverted the cake on a cooling rack...cause that's what you do with cake....and finished the other things that were filling my day. By the time I got back to the cake it was mostly cooled. Rats....Not wanting to miss out on anything caramel AND apple, I went ahead with the sauce and poured it over the cool cake.....and scooped it up and poured it again, and again. Yep. I did that. My family loved it. We all did. It was that good. Well three days later (yes....three....don't judge) I tried again. This time it was 6:00 in the evening and we were looking for something yummy.....Caramel Apple Cake was whipped up and put in the oven. This time I was on top of the caramel sauce-on-the-still-hot-cake-still-in-the-pan. The only problem this time was the lateness of the hour. See, we are early risers around these parts and eating cake at 8:00 at night just isn't what we do (very often). As soon as the caramel sauce was on the second-attempt-cake (just because cake #2 just doesn't sound good at all) I put it in the fridge so it could cool faster....and we could cut into it faster. The only problem with that logic is that the caramel sauce cooled too fast.....Meaning, it stayed on the outside of the cake instead of soaking into the inner deliciousness of the apple cake. It still tasted fabulous....Oh my, did it ever. Fast forward a week to today. Sunday. I started earlier in the day and by 6:00 p.m. we had eaten half of the dang thing between the four of us. Yes, it is that good. I've never done an actual food post with pictures and everything....and today is no exception....But I will give you the recipe (including the changes I made for my family).

Apple Mountain Cake (the original name)
Caramel Apple Cake (what we call it around these parts)

3 eggs
1 1/2 c. oil (I substituted 3/4 c.oil for 3/4 c. unsweetened apple sauce)
2 c. sugar (I used 1 1/2 c.)
3 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. soda
2 tsp. cinnamon ( I added 1 tsp nutmeg also)
2 tsp. vanilla
3 c. chopped apples
1 c. chopped pecans (I leave these out because half of my family are haters.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix eggs, oil and sugar; blend well. Add flour, salt, soda and cinnamon to egg mixture. Add vanilla, apples and nuts. Pour into greased tube or bundt pan. Bake 1 hour and 10 minutes. While cake is still hot, pour hot topping over it in pan. Let cool. Remove from pan.

TOPPING:
1 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. milk
1/2 c. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
Combine all ingredients; boil slowly 2 1/2 minutes. Pour immediately over cake in pan.

Here it is. It's a pretty easy recipe. But man-oh-man is it good. Jim has even asked for it for his birthday cake. I hope you make this cake....A big shout out to Marjorie....Thanks for the recipe. It has changed our lives.....*wink*

Spooky Wreath

It's been a while since I made a wreath. I love the sock wreath I made last year. It hangs on the inside of the door that leads to my garage. But I needed something a little bigger for the outside of the front door. I saw this little number the other day. I loved it SO much. I didn't want to fuss too much with it so I dumbed it down a bit. I started with a straw wreath form from the depths of the Project Room. I didn't want it to show through the tulle, so I covered it with some fabric from my stash.
Then I just cut some strips of tulle....I'll tell you...I used about 40 yards for this project. Then I started to tie them around the wreath form. I did double the tulle for a fuller look. I did five of one color and then five of the next. Simple...

I tried to keep the knots uniform and also the length of the tulle...but maybe it looks better with a few imperfections...At least that is what I'm telling my self.

About half way done and it looks like a head piece for a Vegas Show Girl. Funny visual for me....anyhoo....

When I was finished tying knots I laid it flat and lined the knots up along the sides a bit.

Then I glued a little thingie I got at Hobby Lobby onto it and there you have it!! I made it while watching one episode of The Biggest Loser. Quick and easy....my kind of project. And I know you are asking your self how many I have made so far.....

So far just two....so far......*wink*

I am linked up with Motivated Monday. Stop over and check it out!

Quick Project

This is one of the projects I made yesterday. It was so quick and easy. I have seen cute, embellished clipboards around for quite some time....but I've never needed one. Until now. I am going to use it to hang pictures and inspirational quotes in my "Project Room". I like the way that sounds.....Project Room....Anyway....You don't really need a tutorial for this one.

It was way easier than pie. You just take paper, some ribbon and some sort of semi-flat embellishment, grab your Mod Poge and get to work. The key is to work backward. I put the cute stuff on the bottom side of the clear clipboard so if I ever needed to use it for it's intended purpose....no sweat....

I put the paper flowers down, then the ribbon and then the paper. I followed it up with several light layers of Mod Poge and let it dry over night.


I did a project similar to this using 12x12 (not clear) clipboards. My dream is to find clear 12x12 clipboards. My life would be complete. Yes, my needs are few.

I am linking to the Strut Your Stuff link party. Check out the fun we are having!!

Wordless Wednesday

Button, Button, Who's Got the Button?

I have a jar in my craft room. It is special to me. It is filled with old buttons that my Grandma has collected over the years. Some are big and some are small. Some are old and obviously used, others look brand new and shiny. I have pulled out a button here and there for a craft project so it isn't as full as it once was. Waste not, want not...right? I was in a fabric store the other day and I saw a magazine with the cutest "softies" on the cover. (A softie is a doll or animal or whatever that is made from fabric and filled with soft stuffing.) I fell in love with them and decided to try to make them (the magazine was $15 and there were no patterns in it!) at home. The picture had the cutest buttons on the "softies" for one of the eyes and for the nose.
Well, what a perfect project for some stray buttons. But as soon as I started to sort through the buttons I was lost in nostalgia. I was a little girl again sitting in my Grandmother's blue sewing room. The warm sun was coming through the window and I was listening to the whir of her old sewing machine as she whipped up a dress for me from some fabric from her stash. I started to wonder where the buttons had come from. She had obviously cut some from clothing. Was it a shirt she had worn and when it out lived it's usefulness as a shirt.....did she cut it into squares for a crazy quilt. Did some of the tiny buttons come from clothing she made for my Mom, Aunts and Uncle when they were small?
Did she scan her pile of useful things and create something using only what she had in that magic sewing room? I like to think so. I like to think that I am a lot like her. I know my fabric stash will never be as varied as hers and the seams I sew are never as straight.....but I can go into my craft room and make something using the supplies on hand. As I use my imagination and stretch my creative muscles to create a pattern for these "softies" I can picture my nieces loving on them and I smile. If they get even half of the joy I get from a hand made gift from my Grandma, then it will be worth the effort.
I am still working on the finished product....there have been some "firsts" completed. When I get the final draft ready to go....I'll show you. Until then, do you have a stash? Do you love to feel that rush of creativity when you see a stack of fabric and a pile of old buttons? Maybe it's just me. I'm crazy that way.

Birthday Time

My baby girl....Happiest of Birthdays to you as you turn 18 today. I just wanted the world to know how very proud I am of you. You are one of the most amazing people I know. You are smart and brave, kind and strong, you look out for your friends and you are truly the best daughter in the whole world.
(with her Great Grandma)


When you were born I was so over-the-moon excited. My family was complete because of you. You have been the laughter and joy on many a dark day. I love that you collected old people where ever we went. You were so funny that way. Grandma Eva, Grandma Mangum and Joan have loved you like their own.

You had a rough time finding your way in your tween years. I hope I was a light for you to follow. You made it through, better than ever.
You've always been so loyal to your friends and family. No one is allowed to mess with us (except you). I love that your heart is so tender. It makes it rough because it is easy to break, but you never give up on those you love.
Your smile, your laugh......your freckles......My hearts melts when I hear you giggling with your friends. When you smile, I smile. I love you so.
So, my darling daughter, as you jump into this new adventure (because that is what being 18 is all about, right....)I just want to give you a few last pieces of advice (HA! Who I am kidding....I'll be lecturing and badgering and nagging you for the next 40 years!) Never give up on love. Always make time for family. Be kind. Stick to your standards.

You are set to conquer the world. This IS your year. Go out and set the world on fire.....I know you want to.

Pumpkin Obsession

I have a bit of an obsession with pumpkins. It's probably bordering on hoarding. Maybe. I pulled them all out the other day. I was feeling Fall-ish. The kids are in school, the days are shorter and a little cooler....so why not. I put them all on my table and then decided what I wanted to go where.
On the bookcase.....
These were a gift from a friend.....I love them.
The mantle.....no more summer time fun here.
On my favorite little bookcase I kept it simple.
I put most of my favorite pieces here in the entry. Honestly....I put this buffet here so I'd have a flat surface to decorate. But don't tell Jim. I told him it was strictly for extra storage.
Have you decorated for Fall? What is your favorite?