Author: cottagegreenonthelake

I hope the pictures of tablescapes, home decor, seasonal decorations, floral arrangements, landscaping ideas, "potting about the shed" and the unexpected ways I use everyday items to decorate my home on "Cottage Green on the Lake" will be an inspiration for you as you make your own little haven and nest … 4 the seasons! From my cottage to yours ~ Trenda

A “Welcome Home” … for Thanksgiving

by Trenda at Cottage Green on the Lake

The slow progression of autumn here in East Texas has suddenly quickened and the sights and sounds of  the season have become tangible.  The crickets are softly droning (a decrescendo to their summer song!) as they sing their final chorus … there is a hush in the air that is marked by a distant caw of a crow or the occasional rustle of leaves as an acorn descends through the branches … a muffled “plop” heard, when it hits the ground … and the leaves of our Ash tree, that drape over the lake, are transforming into a beautiful shade of yellow.

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The view beyond our windows reminds us that the “season” of Thanksgiving is upon us, though, like Thoreau … “I am grateful for what I am and have.  My thanksgiving is perpetual.”

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 As I “dress” our home and get it ready for the holidays, I am going to start with our front door … it is the first thing that welcomes and greets our family and friends when they visit.  The front door sets the stage of what people can “expect” to find inside your home and should be a reflection of the warmth and welcome you want to portray within your home.

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I began decorating our door by hanging this beautiful wreath that a dear friend of mine made.  Then I took a bundle of wrapped grapevine (I bought mine at Hobby Lobby in the section where grapevine wreaths are hanging) and cut the coil of grapevine in half with wire cutters – this gave me 2 sections of grapevine for each side of the door.  After cutting the 2 sections, I pulled the grapevine to loosen the taut coils.  My husband hammered nails into our door frame for me to impale the grapevine on.  At the base of the door, where the tension was greatest, I added a pipe cleaner and wrapped the grapevine around the nail, using the pipe cleaner to firmly hold the grapevine to the door frame.

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Then I began inserting leaves that I cut from an autumn swag into the twigs of the grapevine.  I also wired some pumpkins, squash, and chrysanthemums to the grapevine to add interest and fullness  … but left enough of the grapevine bare, so it wouldn’t become too “visually heavy” or overbearing.

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I placed a pumpkin (leftover from Halloween!) next to this quaint basket that I found years ago.  I’ve always thought the wooden duck looked
“right at home” here at the lake and it is always handy, near our front door and holds walking sticks, any dripping umbrellas, and a fragrant “bouquet” of eucalyptus.  Tip: Eucalyptus makes the entry to your home smell wonderful, and it is also a natural deterrent for spiders!

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Mr. and Mrs. Pilgrim greet all Thanksgiving visitors. (:  We ARE … grateful, thankful, blessed!

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Our deck has several built into benches and on this one, next to the front door, I’ve “tipped my hat” to the season and added a little whimsy with these 2 Pilgrim door greeters!  I love this chalkboard a friend made for me, with it’s rustic look and cedar framework; I use it all the time … “4theseasons” to write holiday messages on, or for keeping track of horseshoe scores! (:

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I hope these ideas will help you and that you’ll have fun creating and making your entryway and door a “welcome home” for Thanksgiving!

“I am grateful for what I am and have.  My thanksgiving is perpetual.”

“In everything give thanks.”

From my cottage to yours  ~  Trenda

Thank you so much for spending some time with me today!  I’d love to hear from you and I am truly delighted, reading what you have to say.  Please leave any questions you may have or comments, below.  Don’t be dismayed if you don’t see your comment “appear” right away.  Word Press checks everything I receive for SPAM and all have to be approved, before posting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Easy Thanksgiving favors & DIY Autumn Wreath

by Trenda

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Today our first dear arrivals are coming for a much anticipated Thanksgiving week of being t-o-g-e-t-h-e-r!  I still have too many things that haven’t been crossed off of my “To do” list, but I have finished some of those special projects that I love doing from my “wanna-do” list. (:

Look at these cute little favor bags!  They were so easy to put together, I made them the night before everyone arrived!  I love the way they look displayed in this dear, quirky turkey basket my husband bought for me years ago … the ones that didn’t fit, I tucked into a crystal biscuit barrel.

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Each little bag is filled with a sweet mixture of tiny maple cream cookies, some maple peanut clusters, Sixlets in sparkly autumn colors I found at Cracker Barrel and some darling maple leaf-shaped chocolates that Richard found for me at World Market … all in the “flavors of autumn!”

Materials and supplies needed: treat sacks, stamps, ink pad, twine, table confetti, scissors, hole punch, and ruler

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Instructions:

  1. Begin by folding over the top of each bag (I bought my treat sacks at Hobby Lobby – $2.49 for 24 count) On the folded area at the top, I stamped For You.  Then, to decorate the front of the bag I stamped another image with the words Give Thanks, Gratitude, Blessed, Hayride, Family, and Tradition on it.  (Any Thanksgiving or autumn stamp can be used to decorate your treat bag!)       
  2. Fill bag with your treats before proceeding to the next steps.
  3. Punch 2 holes in/and through the folded layer at the top of the bag, with a hole puncher.
  4. For each bag, cut off 2 1/2 feet of twine (I bought my twine at Michael’s on sale for 5o cents) and “threaded” both ends of twine through the front of my bag.  Then cross the twine in back and pull one piece of twine back over the top of the bag and the other piece of twine, wrap around the back of the bag to meet up with the twine in front.(See pictures above)
  5. From a small package of table confetti with leaves and acorns (on sale at Michael’s for $1.00) I punched a hole in the paper acorns and added the acorns to my twine before tying the two ends of twine into a bow.

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DIY Autumn Wreath

Now … the instructions I promised you in my last post, on how to make the autumn wreath that I pictured hanging over our living room mirror. (click here to see)

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This is my favorite spot to make my wreaths.  It’s in our kitchen over a little cookbook cubby that has a little counter for holding all my supplies and materials needed to make my wreath.  There’s also an outlet for my glue gun and the knob of the upper cabinet is the perfect height for hanging my wreath, while I work on it.  The first thing I do is to wrap a pipe cleaner through the back of my wreath, forming a loop to hang it from.  This pipe cleaner loop is also the hanger I’ll use to display my finished wreath.

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Making the bow …

  1.  The first step in making a bow is to pull out the ribbon needed for the “tail” of your bow.  I always “allow” a little extra ribbon since I can trim the length of my “tails” when the bow is completed and it is much easier than having to re-make my bow!  This is not a part of the bow you will be looping and twisting.
  2.  Begin working beyond the ribbon you have extended for the “tail.”  Grasp the length of ribbon (not at the end!) and loop the ribbon over your thumb and grasp the base of the small loop in your fingers.  This will be the center of your bow (the extra ribbon for tail will extend beyond this small center loop)
  3. Make your first bow loop.  This will determine how big your bow is. The larger the loop, the larger the bow.  Gather the ribbon together at the end of the loop and hold tightly in your fingers.
    Make sure your ribbon is facing right side up if you are using a single sided ribbon like mine, with printing facing up.  I slip a pipe cleaner into my center loop at this time.  It will balance there, resting on the twisted folds of ribbon, while you continue forming the bow.   bows.png
  4. Make your second loop on the opposite side, remembering to gather and twist the ribbon together in the middle where the imprinted side is facing up.
  5. Continue making loops, alternating sides until your bow is the size you want.  Make sure you have the same amount of loops on each side.
  6. When the bow is the size you want, allow extra ribbon length for your second “tail” before you cut the ribbon.  Twist the pipe cleaner in the center of your bow tightly (I use a pair of needle-nose pliers) several times to insure that it will hold your twisted ribbon; cut off excess pipe cleaner and push down the cut ends of pipe cleaner, so they won’t scratch you.
  7. Pull loops of bow to “fluff” to desired shape.

Hot glue your bow to your wreath.img_0006

I hot glued green leaves on first, as the “base” of my  wreath, making sure I kept both sides of my wreath balanced and “equal.”

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Next, I glued on my colored autumn leaves.

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Last step … I tucked in a few chrysanthemums and some grape clusters, then added my “filler.”  “Filler” is usually diminutive, compared to the rest of the arrangement, and is added to blend and unify the look of the whole wreath.  On this wreath, my “filler” is glittered orange stems and a variegated ivy.

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I hope while crossing off  all your “have-to’s” … you get to enjoy some time decorating and creating some fun special “projects” while you are getting everything ready for the ones you love!

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From my cottage to yours  ~  Trenda

Thank you so much for spending some time with me today!  I’d love to hear from you.  Please leave any questions or comments below.

Halloween Epilogue … recipes for Chili con Carne and “Cake Mix” Cookies with Candy Corn

Epilogue to Halloween collage.pngFor us … yesterday was a carefully orchestrated frenzy of driving to different places in 4 different cities and spending time with all of our family.  Adding to the enjoyment of all our Halloween activities, it was also Grandparent Day at our granddaughter’s school! (:  We were finally able to relax a while when our son, daughter-in-law and little grandson came over, that evening, and we all sat down together for our traditional Halloween family dinner, getting ready and “fueled” for the rest of the evening’s activities.

piccollage  Now … before we close the “book” to October, here’s the epilogue with 2 recipes I told you I would include in a subsequent post.  Both of these recipes were a part of our “traditional Halloween dinner.”   The Chile con Carne recipe below is from Better Homes & Garden; I have been making this same chili recipe for my husband and family for 39 years! (:

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Better Homes & Gardens Chili con carne

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. ground beef or stew meat
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 3/4 cup chopped bell pepper
  • 1 16-oz. can Petite diced tomatoes
  • 1 16 oz. can Dark Red Kidney Beans (drained)
  • 1 8 oz. can Tomato sauce
  • 1-2 teaspoons chili powder (I used only 1 teaspoon, since I wanted our 2 year old to be able to eat it!)
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  •  salt, to taste (I used 1 teaspoon Morton’s Light Salt)

Directions:

In a large skillet or Dutch oven, cook ground beef or stew meat, onion, bell pepper, and garlic until meat is browned.  Drain fat.  Stir in tomatoes, drained dark red kidney beans, tomato sauce, chili powder, basil, and salt. (to taste)  Heat to boiling.  Reduce heat.  Cover and simmer about 20 minutes.  Makes 4- 6 servings.  Ladle into bowls.  Garnish w/add’l onion, jalapenos, grated cheese, sour cream, avocado, cilantro, and Fritos.  Tip:  If using stew meat in your recipe, cook until meat is tender.

Cake-Mix Cookies with Candy Corn (pictured on right)

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These “cake mix” cookies are so easy and delicious and … the variety of cookies you can make using different cake mixes and add-ins, is only limited by your imagination! (:

“Cake Mix” Cookies with Candy Corn

Ingredients:

  • 1 box of yellow cake mix (I used Duncan Hines Yellow Cake Mix)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • orange, white and yellow candy corn

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix ingredients together and roll into 1-2″ balls.  Tip:  Candy Corn will dissolve into liquid if it comes into contact with the metal of your cookie sheet.  I added my candy corn, 2-3 per cookie, after the dough was already on the cookie sheet so I could place my candy into the batter.  Bake for 9 minutes.

 For different variety’s of cookies, just pick the flavor of cake mix you want and choose whatever you’d like to add-in.  Devil’s Food “Cake-Mix” Cookies with white chocolate morsels are “delish” … as our granddaughter would say! (:

Our little grandson eating his cupcake.  After the first bite, he broke into a huge smile! (:

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A busy, tiring, fun Halloween; October is over!  Scarecrows and spider webs are already being taken off of porches and wreaths and are being replaced with harvest decorations and pilgrims.  Because, as hard as it is to believe, in only 3 short weeks and 2 days … it will be Thanksgiving! (:

But for now …

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 From my cottage to yours  ~  Trenda

Thank you so much for spending some time with me today!  I’d love to hear from you and I am truly delighted, reading what you have to say.  Please leave any questions you may have or comments, below.  Don’t be dismayed if you don’t see your comment “appear” right away.  Word Press checks everything I receive for SPAM and all have to be approved, before posting.

“No Tricks just Treats”… by Trenda

It’s almost here … the most “spook-tacular”  evening of the year!  The days in October have slowly “peeled off the calendar” until finally, to the children’s delight, the “countdown” and last preparations for this very special night of costumes, late-night curfews, lots of candy, and fun are winding down.

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It’s Halloween Night!

Unfurl the tablecloth, set out the plates,

put out the punch bowl, if tarnished, that’s great!

Pumpkins by moonlight, a cauldron of sweets!

There’s Reese’s, and candy corn, Kit’s Kat’s galore!

If there’s not plenty, the ghosts are forlorn!

C’mon, let’s hurry … it’s Halloween night!

Giggles and doorbells, signal the start.

Small faces peering ‘neath masks, some quite scary!

Proffer bags, shouting, “Boo … trick or treat!”    

by Trenda

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Getting the “table set” for our traditional family chili dinner and desserts (before all the hay rides, dunking booths, bounce houses, and slides …at the Harvest Festival, held at our church.  It’s a “Happy Halloween” indeed when I get to see all our family and grandchildren! (:

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Pumpkins, pumpkins, pumpkins …

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I LOVE everything about these cupcake liners “Simply Baked – elegant entertaining everyday by Christy Designs, LLC.” … the playful design with scalloped edges and black stripes against the orange background; how sturdy they are compared to traditional cupcake liners, how easy it was to pour the batter in these little baking cups … and the easy clean up.  My cookie sheet was clean after baking my cupcakes!  I bought my Baking Cups (20 paper baking cups per container) at Home Goods for only $1.99!  Here they are setting on my cookie sheet, when I was filling them.  Directions on the clear plastic sleeve they are packaged in, says to fill each baking cup, 1/2 full.  Tip:  One of my favorite time savers and tricks is to use a baking funnel (I bought mine at a Kitchen Supply shop) to fill my baking cups and cupcake liners! 

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Here are the cupcakes after baking, frosted with vanilla frosting and topped with miniature bats and ghost sprinkles. Tip 2:  When in a hurry, use your favorite tub of frosting.  Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the tub of frosting for a homemade flavor, stir well to combine.  To color white frosting, use food coloring (I use Wilton’s concentrated gel for coloring my frosting, to create the bold orange color I wanted, without thinning my icing.)

Halloween sweets … Chocolate cupcakes with vanilla frosting and “Cake Mix” Candy Corn CookiesPicCollage[612].png

Our Traditional Halloween Dinner Menu

Chili con Carne with toppings … Fritos, shredded cheese, sour cream, chopped onions, and diced jalapenos (recipe in subsequent post)

Tossed Salad with Iceberg Lettuce and Fresh Spinach, diced red onions, chopped celery, chopped red onions, sliced radishes and peperoncini

Desserts:  Chocolate Cupcakes w/vanilla buttercream frosting and “Cake Mix” Candy Corn Cookies (recipe in subsequent post)

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” … the moon and the stars to govern the night; His love endures forever …”  Psalms 136:9

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Hope you have a safe and fun-filled day and evening with those that make your face and heart smile!

From my cottage to yours  ~  Trenda

Thank you so much for spending some time with me today!  I’d love to hear from you and I am truly delighted, reading what you have to say.  Please leave any questions you may have or comments, below.  Don’t be dismayed if you don’t see your comment “appear” right away.  Word Press checks everything I receive for SPAM and all have to be approved, before posting.

Pumpkin Spice Latte with Candied Spoons & Decorative Autumn Chocolates … by Trenda

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I love “the tastes of autumn” … yummy pumpkin pies and apple crisps, spicy chili’s and homemade stews, creamy hot chocolate’s and pumpkin latte’s!   This weekend you may be raking leaves, carving pumpkins, going to a Harvest Festival, or enjoying a hayride.  Whatever you’re doing, wouldn’t you love knowing you have a delicious pumpkin-spice latte simmering in your slow cooker, to enjoy after you’re finished?

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Here is the recipe for Betty Crocker’s Pumpkin-Spice Latte that is prepared in a slow cooker!

Pumpkin-Spice Latte

Ingredients:

5 cups strong brewed coffee
4 cups milk (2% or whole)
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Garnish: whipped cream topping, cinnamon or pumpkin spice, cinnamon stick

Directions:
1) In slow cooker, mix all ingredients except whipped cream topping. Beat with whisk until well combined.
2) Cover and cook on High heat setting 2 hours, stirring once after 1 hour.
3) Serve in mugs, top with whipped cream, add a cinnamon stick and sprinkle whipped cream with cinnamon or pumpkin spice, if desired.

Autumn Drink Station with White Chocolate stirring spoons and decorative chocolates …

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White Chocolate Dipped Stirring Spoons for Pumpkin-Spice Latte’s …

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I love adding little “touches” that make every occasion special and memorable.  These decadent treats will add a festive touch to any get-together!  The chocolate spoons and candied stirrer’s look charming “gathered” and waiting in a container where your latte is simmering!  They’re delicious stirred into a mug of pumpkin-spice latte or scatter the candied leaves and pumpkins on a autumn platter to nibble on!

Candied Leaves and Pumpkins …

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Instructions to make … Chocolate-coated Stirring Spoons

Supplies and ingredients needed … plastic spoons, wax paper, Wilton Melting Candy, and assorted sprinkles.  Optional: cellophane candy bags, ribbon in your choice of colors.  Pick colored spoons in your choice of colors.  I wanted my colors to be in autumn shades, so I used orange, yellow, and lime-green plastic spoons.  Pour your Wilton Melting Candy Discs into microwaveable containers. I bought my candy at Hobby Lobby on the candy making aisle and chose white chocolate colored in the same autumn colors as my spoons … orange, yellow, and lime-green.  Follow the melting directions on the back of each bag of candy.  After the candy has melted, stir until smooth and dip the colored spoon into the candy, coating the bowl of your spoon.  Set your candy-coated spoon on wax paper with  the candy side facing up.  You can leave your candy plain, or sprinkle the chocolate with your choice of decorations or colored sugars.  After my chocolate had hardened, I slipped a cellophane favor bag (found on the candy making aisle) over each spoon and tied a ribbon around it.

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To make white chocolate autumn leaves you will need a candy mold.  I bought mine at Hobby Lobby, on  sale for only $2.00!  The package I bought had 2 sheets of molds and made 16 leaves and 12 pumpkins.  Instructions for molding candy are on the back of the package. Melt your candies according to directions on the back of the bag and spoon your candy into your mold.  Note: This is not an exact process and any over-filling or spills can be trimmed away with a sharp knife, after the candy has hardened.  After you have filled your molds, tap your sheet of candy gently on the counter to help the candy settle and remove any air bubbles.  Place candy sheet in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes.  Release hardened chocolate by inverting mold and gently tapping it on the work surface.

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The leaves with lollipop sticks were made using another candy mold sheet. These special candy mold sheets have slots to insert your sticks in, before pouring the candy into the mold.

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I hope you enjoy this last weekend in October and that you have as much fun as I did making these special treats!  I’m looking forward to my cup of Pumpkin-Spice Latte! (:

From my cottage to yours  ~  Trenda

Thank you so much for spending some time with me today!  I’d love to hear from you and I am truly delighted, reading what you have to say.  Please leave any questions you may have or comments, below.  Don’t be dismayed if you don’t see your comment “appear” right away.  Word Press checks everything I receive for SPAM and all have to be approved, before posting.

 

A Sunday Drive in Autumn …… by Trenda at Cottage Green on the Lake

It was a beautiful autumn day here in East Texas.  The gray-blue clouds had been hiding the sun for most of the day and kept our temperature’s in the lower 70’s.  It was a perfect day for a Sunday drive … a Sunday golf cart drive!

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Lately, our lives have seemed more harried than usual and we were way overdue for some relaxation … “gazing and cruising, along the lake and the lane.”  Our only regulations for the day …

  1. to stop for any ducks crossing the road 
  2.  no speed over 20 miles per hour!piccollage

I grabbed all the essentials for a lazy Sunday drive … a jacket, a soft buffalo-checked blanket, and my vintage plaid picnic satchel – a favorite gift Richard surprised me with, reminiscent of my favorite lunch box and affection for anything in red plaid! (: (You’ll be seeing it, from “time to time” so I decided to add a full description here, for you to visualize!) The zippered picnic bag and contents were made by Aladdin in the 1970’s; the red plaid bag has two tall, red plaid thermos’ inside and a cherry red sandwich keeper. All had never been used and still had the original advertising tags when Richard gave it to me! 

I’d just made some chocolate chip cookies, so I wrapped up some of those (still warm from the oven!) grabbed our thermos’ and headed out the door.  Are you ready to go?  Let’s go together… “gazing and cruising, along the lake and the lane.” (:

Up the road we go and around the Pumpkin Patch …

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A neighbor’s house where … like the banner says, pumpkins, mums, and the people within, make everyone feel welcome!

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A lovely stone entry draped in autumn leaves …

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A scarecrow standing sentinel and greeting all, with the lake beckoning in the background …

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A lovely spot to “sit a spell” by the water …

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Grinning Jack-o-Lanterns line the curvy lane leading to this house.  We couldn’t help but smile back, as our cart whizzed by!

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Let’s stop here for a little while, enjoying our cookies and looking at this beautiful view of the lake from our peninsula.  We were thrilled when this flock of double-crested cormorants flew in chasing a school of minnows and decided to share our picnic spot!

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As the Cormorants swam away, we brushed the crumbs from our laps and headed our golf cart on up the peninsula road.  The lake is on either side of our road and can be seen in this gap between the trees …

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On further down the road, something you wouldn’t expect to see near the lake … this quaint little barnyard with llama’s, goats, and chickens.  These little goats are enjoying their evening meal …

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The owner scatters pumpkins about his charming barnyard and atop his fence posts …

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Rounding a corner we came upon this miniature lighthouse “guarding” the coastlines of our gentle lakeshores … I love the beautiful Fan Palm flourishing beside the lighthouse!

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Another sunset … (we can never resist!) and had to pull over to gaze at this gorgeous sight of the deepening shadows in the sky, as the sun slipped below the horizon …

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Last surprise of our tour, a little Tuscany at Cedar Creek Lake, a vineyard on the sloping bank leading to the waters …

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It’s getting chilly, for this Texas chic and the evening shadows are deepening.  Last bend in the road and time to head home …

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Did you enjoy our Sunday drive and our views along the lakeshore?  This is just the beginning of our “autumn show” here in Texas.  I love all the different sights, sounds, and smells associated with every season and look forward to sharing each with you … 4theseasons! (; 

From my cottage to yours  ~  Trenda

Thank you so much for spending some time with me today!  I’d love to hear from you and I am truly delighted, reading what you have to say.  Please leave any questions you may have or comments, below.  Don’t be dismayed if you don’t see your comment “appear” right away.  Word Press checks everything I receive for SPAM and all have to be approved, before posting.

Halloween DIY Treat Bags and Candy-Coated Ghost Peeps …….. by Trenda from Cottage Green on the Lake

Part 2 of “A Halloween of Memory Past” (Click on Part 1 of … A Halloween of Memory Past from previous post “Jolly Jack-o-Lantern Halloween Wreath” by Trenda)

PicCollage[439].pngHalloween of Memory Past by Trenda ~ cont’d from previous post “DIY Jolly Jack-o-Lantern Halloween Wreath”

As we walked up the sidewalk, I would size up each house, trying to determine if first … anyone was home and would answer the door and second … what kind of treat would be handed out.  My experiences had already taught me that behind the door of an unwelcoming house, there always seemed to be a stale bit of peanut butter taffy wrapped in orange or black paper.  Whereas, the brightly lit homes with welcoming porch lights and cheer-y doorbells seemed to house people who would fane surprise that there were spooks at their door and would generously grab into their bowl of treats and distribute a handful of goodies!  …………………………… by Trenda

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Recalling my memories of Halloween’s Past, I love making special treats and stuffing little treat bags for each of the masquerader’s coming to 0ur home!  Look at these cute little Halloween bags.  They were so easy and fun … to make and fill!  My treat bags are filled with a little trac of Knock-knock jokes, vampire teeth (complete with a packet of red watermelon-flavored goo, to squish out like blood!) Halloween candies, and Jack-o-Lantern rings.  I also made some bigger sized bags for our own precious goblins (a cheerleader and a vampire!) and concocted these extra-special treats … Candy-Coated Ghost Peeps and Harvest Moon Pies

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I bought the larger sized handled Kraft bags at Hobby Lobby, 5 for $1.99 and the smaller ones at Michael’s, 6 for $2.99.  I stamped each bag with black ink from my “Pigment” black ink pad and used 2 cute stamps I “found” on sale at Hobby Lobby!   To dress up my little bag, but wanting to keep it, simple … I tied a piece of raffia into a bow on each handle.  I love the “scarecrow-look” of this rustic little bag with the straw bow!

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Now, for some fun and easy treats to make and put into each treat bag!  These darling little Ghost Peeps are dressed for Halloween with a “coat” of candy (;  and are adorned with bright polka dots, sprinkles, nonpareils’ and a fun assortment of Halloween pumpkins, bats, and mini ghosts. 

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Pictured below are all the supplies needed to make the Ghost Peep Pops.  Tip: I melted my candy melts in tea cups so I wouldn’t have to use so many melts, but would have enough “candy depth”  to coat the bottom of each ghost.

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Then I inserted a Halloween straw (I bought mine from Home Goods) into the bottom of each ghost and propped the chocolate coated Ghost Pops up, while the candy hardened.  Tip:  I found that my toaster made a perfect drying rack! (:  I made sure my toaster was unplugged and then inserted each Ghost Peep Pop into the toaster slots.  The candy hardened up perfectly, without having any side flattened.

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After the candy hardened, I wrapped each ghost in a cellophane candy bag and tied it with a brightly colored polka dot ribbon.

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From my cottage to yours  ~  Trenda

 

Thank you so much for spending some time with me today!  I’d love to hear from you and I am truly delighted, reading what you have to say.  Please leave any questions you may have or comments, below.  Don’t be dismayed when your comment doesn’t “appear” right away.  Word Press checks everything I send or receive for SPAM and all have to be approved, before posting.

Halloween DIY Treat Bags and Candy-Coated Ghost Peeps …….. by Trenda from Cottage Green on the Lake

Part 2 of “A Halloween of Memory Past” (Click on Part 1 of … A Halloween of Memory Past from previous post “Jolly Jack-o-Lantern Halloween Wreath” by Trenda)

PicCollage[439].pngHalloween of Memory Past by Trenda ~ cont’d from previous post “DIY Jolly Jack-o-Lantern Halloween Wreath”

As we walked up the sidewalk, I would size up each house, trying to determine if first … anyone was home and would answer the door and second … what kind of treat would be handed out.  My experiences had already taught me that behind the door of an unwelcoming house, there always seemed to be a stale bit of peanut butter taffy wrapped in orange or black paper.  Whereas, the brightly lit homes with welcoming porch lights and cheer-y doorbells seemed to house people who would fane surprise that there were spooks at their door and would generously grab into their bowl of treats and distribute a handful of goodies!  …………………………… by Trenda

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Recalling my memories of Halloween’s Past, I love making special treats and stuffing little treat bags for each of the masquerader’s coming to 0ur home!  Look at these cute little Halloween bags.  They were so easy and fun … to make and fill!  My treat bags are filled with a little trac of Knock-knock jokes, vampire teeth (complete with a packet of red watermelon-flavored goo, to squish out like blood!) Halloween candies, and Jack-o-Lantern rings.  I also made some bigger sized bags for our own precious goblins (a cheerleader and a vampire!) and concocted these extra-special treats … Candy-Coated Ghost Peeps and Harvest Moon Pies

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I bought the larger sized handled Kraft bags at Hobby Lobby, 5 for $1.99 and the smaller ones at Michael’s, 6 for $2.99.  I stamped each bag with black ink from my “Pigment” black ink pad and used 2 cute stamps I “found” on sale at Hobby Lobby!   To dress up my little bag, but wanting to keep it, simple … I tied a piece of raffia into a bow on each handle.  I love the “scarecrow-look” of this rustic little bag with the straw bow!

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Now, for some fun and easy treats to make and put into each treat bag!  These darling little Ghost Peeps are dressed for Halloween with a “coat” of candy (;  and are adorned with bright polka dots, sprinkles, nonpareils’ and a fun assortment of Halloween pumpkins, bats, and mini ghosts. 

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Pictured below are all the supplies needed to make the Ghost Peep Pops.  Tip: I melted my candy melts in tea cups so I wouldn’t have to use so many melts, but would have enough “candy depth”  to coat the bottom of each ghost.

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Then I inserted a Halloween straw (I bought mine from Home Goods) into the bottom of each ghost and propped the chocolate coated Ghost Pops up, while the candy hardened.  Tip:  I found that my toaster made a perfect drying rack! (:  I made sure my toaster was unplugged and then inserted each Ghost Peep Pop into the toaster slots.  The candy hardened up perfectly, without having any side flattened.

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After the candy hardened, I wrapped each ghost in a cellophane candy bag and tied it with a brightly colored polka dot ribbon.

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From my cottage to yours  ~  Trenda

 

Thank you so much for spending some time with me today!  I’d love to hear from you and I am truly delighted, reading what you have to say.  Please leave any questions you may have or comments, below.  Don’t be dismayed when your comment doesn’t “appear” right away.  Word Press checks everything I send or receive for SPAM and all have to be approved, before posting.

Autumn Dinner … Smoked Sausage, Spinach and Orzo topped with grated parmesan cheese/ PLUS .. DIY Autumn Napkin Rings

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As the day unfolded, the lyrics to “Monday, Monday” by the Mamas & the Papas came unbidden to my mind.  “Oh Monday mornin’ you gave me no warnin’ of what was to be ……” not that I “can’t trust that day” as the song says, but our long Monday had already blended into evening, the evening quickly turned into night, and it became obvious that whatever I made for dinner needed to be easy, nutritional, and definitely, after the day we’d had, needed to be comforting.

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I went to the kitchen and after perusing the contents of my pantry and refrigerator, I think I created the perfect Monday Autumn Dinner that met all those criteria: it was easy, nutritional, and it was a delicious, steaming bowl of comfort food and … “It was all I hoped it would be.” (;

Autumn Dinner of Smoked Sausage, Spinach and Orzo topped with grated Parmesan Cheese

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Note: For those of you wondering what orzo is … it is a fine and creamy pasta, similar in shape and size to long-grained rice.  In fact, it is the small pasta in “Rice a Roni” that makes that rice mixture so creamy.)

Ingredients:

  • 2 Tablespoons butter
  • 1/2 cup chopped red onion
  • 1 cup orzo
  • 1- 13 oz. pkg Smoked Sausage (I used Butterball’s Hardwood Smoked Turkey Sausage)
  • 1 cup frozen chopped spinach
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 teaspoons Knorr’s chicken bouillon flavor
  • grated parmesan cheese to taste

Recipe:

Add 2 tablespoons of butter to a skillet and turn on medium heat to melt.  Add 1/2 cup of chopped red onion and cook until onion is  translucent.  Add 1 cup orzo and continue cooking until orzo is golden, and slightly browned. Cut up smoked sausage in bite-sized pieces and add to skillet.  Then add 1 cup of frozen chopped spinach and 2 cups of water  mixed with 2 teaspoons of Knorr’s Chicken Flavor Bouillon.

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Cover and turn heat to a little less than medium heat (watch mixture to make sure orzo doesn’t start sticking!) and cook for 20 minutes.  Uncover and stir.  Dish into bowls and top with grated parmesan cheese.

I think our “comfort meal” dished into my Johnson Brothers “The Friendly Village” is befitting for our cozy Autumn Meal.

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Then … look at these darling little napkin rings, that just took minutes to make!  I love the rough texture of the grapevine, in contrast to the silky leaf and shiny bittersweet!

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I just took a mini-grapevine wreath (usually sold in sets of 4 or 6 at any craft store.  I bought mine at Hobby Lobby) and hot glued an autumn silk leaf on it … then I wrapped one strand of bittersweet, bending the wire so the bittersweet arched over the top of the wreath, to highlight and frame the leaf.

PicCollage[463].png Voila!  A rustic autumn napkin ring … a perfect accent piece for your autumn meals!

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As I carried our tray of food over to our favorite chairs, put my feet up, said our prayer, unfolded our napkins, and ate our first bite … I heaved a sigh; thankful the day was over, thankful the Lord had gotten us through each worry, care, and task that had to be done, thankful I had a home to share with my dear husband, and “in everything” I did “give thanks” as the last words of the song wafted through my mind …”Monday, Monday, so good to me.”

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Here’s hoping for you that …”Every other day, every other day, every other day of the week is fine, yeah” ! (:

From my cottage to yours  ~  Trenda

Thank you so much for spending some time with me today!  I’d love to hear from you and I am truly delighted reading what you have to say.  Please post your comments or questions below.  Don’t be dismayed if you don’t see your comment “post” right away.  Word Press checks all posts I send or receive for SPAM and all have to be approved, before posting … “it’s a good thing.” (:

 

 

 

 

DIY “Jolly Jack-o-Lantern” Halloween Wreath … by Trenda

“A Halloween of Memory Past” by Trenda  In just a little over a “fortnight” we will have a host of little ghosts and goblins coming to our doorstep.  Once, not really so very long ago, I was one of those happy “trick or treater’s” … traipsing down the streets, I peered to see out of my plastic mask that was always askew, had eye slots that were cut too small to properly see and was held in place by a thin rubber band that pulled my hair and I was always afraid would snap and pop me in the face!  I made sure I stayed close to my strong, broad shouldered father and seeing his comforting silhouette outlined in the shadows was particularly assuring on a night called All Hallows’ Eve!  My father carried a railroad lantern to lead his little band and family of mix-matched character’s … a hobo, a skeleton, 2 gypsies, and a clown … and I remember the red glow cast by his lantern, added to the mystique of the evening. (to be continued)piccollage

 

Remembering that feeling, I love to make our home as welcoming as possible on Halloween and enjoy creating an expectant atmosphere, befitting the night, that the children can sense as they climb up each step to our door.

Now with all that in mind … today I am writing the DIY instructions for this Jolly Jack-o-Lantern Halloween wreath that you can make and hang on your front door to welcome each of your little visitors!  The “jewel and sparkle” a wreath adds to your door, is like adding a necklace to your outfit! (: 

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Below, is a list of supplies you will need to make your wreath.

Materials needed:

  •  metal wreath form
  • up to 3 rolls of mesh in your choice of Halloween colors
  • pipe cleaners
  • glue gun and glue sticks
  • assorted Halloween decorations
  • scissors & wire cutters

Instructions:

First, make a simple loop hanger using a pipe cleaner and wrap it around the back of the wire wreath form.  This is the hanger you will use to display your wreath on your door, but it is also convenient to use while constructing your wreath.  Tip:  I always use  pipe cleaners that match the colors I am using in my wreath.  Then, when I am finished they aren’t easily seen and “blend” right into the decorations and colors of the wreath.   Take your first color of mesh and go around the form of your wreath, bunching the mesh loosely.  To form a “poof” or segment, wrap a pipe cleaner around the mesh and wire wreath form to secure the mesh to the form.  I trim my pipe cleaners off at this point to keep things neat and so they won’t get “in the way” and snag my material.  Continue bunching and securing mesh around the perimeter of your wreath form.  Don’t be timid!  There’s no wrong way to do this! (:   

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Then, do the same thing again with the next color you have chosen for your wreath.  Gather and bunch your mesh and secure it with pipe cleaners to your wreath form.  Be sure and “stagger” where you bunch and secure your mesh, not conforming with the same pattern you used with the first color.  This will make your wreath fuller.  See picture below.

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Repeat the same procedure again, using your last color of mesh and making sure to weave and bunch your mesh in areas you see that need more fullness.  Note:  It is up to you how many colors of mesh you use.  Sometimes, I use only 2 fabrics or even one color of mesh or burlap.  Just make sure when you are using fewer colors that you bunch your fabric tighter, so you have a full wreath.

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Now, the fun part begins!  Take your decorations and just hot glue them to your wreath.  I add my biggest items first … next, any smaller items I have.

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Then … I add my “filler” last.  Filler is added to your entire wreath and “pulls” the look of your wreath together, unifying and blending all your colors and decorations on the wreath.  Filler can be any material – it adds texture and conformity.   In the photo below … see how I’ve used my neon green curly twigs as filler.

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Then, I added a few “bursts” of accent with a ribbon that incorporated all the colors of my 3 different mesh … a purple, orange and black plaid.  Wherever I wanted a little more color, I cut some random lengths of my plaid ribbon and “wove it” into the mesh ribbon, and hot glued the ends to hold.  The final step was gluing some sparkly wrapped paper candies … table confetti, that I found at Hobby Lobby for only $1.50 … in just my colors of purple, orange, and neon green! 

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Now when …

“Silent phantoms

of the night

In their robes

of ghostly white.

They are always to be seen

On the night of Halloween.”

come to your door, they will be delighted to see the wreath you made welcoming them to your haunt! 

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Thank you so much for spending some time with me today!  I’d love to hear from you and I am truly delighted, reading what you have to say.  Please leave a comment, below.  Don’t be alarmed when your comment doesn’t post, immediately.  Word Press makes sure each post I send or that I receive hasn’t any SPAM attached … “it’s a good thing!” (: 

From my cottage to yours  ~  Trenda