November

Wow, November already! where has the time gone?!?! The fall crafts have started in full force already. My daughter Ashleigh LOVES to do crafts. One of her favorite crafts to do is Autumn Cork Painting. It's so simple and makes for super cut decorations.

First, I cut a tree form out of brown construction paper and glued it to the white paper. You could also paint the tree and then wait for it to dry, but we were being impatient today. Then I presented some fall paint colors and corks of different sizes to paint with. That's it! its so easy and so cute!



The Next craft we do is Tissue Paper Fall Leaves. I got this from all kids network. Super cute and super easy! I have included the link here:

http://www.allkidsnetwork.com/crafts/fall/fall-leaf-craft.asp


My Daughter went on a play date with one of her friends from school and when we left the gave us a foam gingerbread house kit. I LOVED this! it was so simple and Ashleigh had a blast doing this! the kit was bought from Michael Craft store. Lots of foam stickers, I do recommend using the glue as it is a little unstable. We had not finished the roof by the time I took this picture. but you get the idea!

Fall is one of my favorite times of the year! hot coco, apple cider apple pie, cranberries...mmmmm now I am hungry! LOL. One of my favorite recipes for this time of year is

Apple Cranberry Crumble

Ingredients:

Fruit mixture:

4 cups (1 L) apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch (1-cm) chunks
2 cups (500 mL) fresh cranberries, halved
1/4 cup (50 mL) dried cranberries
3/4 cup (175 mL) granulated sugar
3 tbsp. (45 mL) corn starch

Crumble topping:

1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (125 mL) brown sugar
1/2 tsp. (2 mL) cinnamon
1/2 cup (125 mL) butter

Cooking Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Grease an 8- or 9-inch (20- or 23-cm) square baking dish (or any baking dish of a similar size).
First, prepare the fruit mixture. In a bowl, toss together apples, fresh cranberries and dried cranberries. Add sugar and corn starch and toss to mix everything well. Transfer to prepared baking dish.
Next, make the crumble topping. In another large bowl (or in a food processor), combine the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon, then cut butter into the mixture until it has a slightly sticky crumbly texture.
Sprinkle over the apple cranberry mixture in the baking dish. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until the fruit juices are bubbling and the topping is browned and crisp.
Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.







Also This is another recipe I Like:

Caramel Stuffed Apple Cider Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup softened butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 box (7.4 oz) Alpine Spiced Apple Cider Instant Original Drink mix -not sugar free- all 10 packets (I found this in my grocery store near the hot chocolate mixes.)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups all purpose flour
1 bag Kraft Caramels (14 oz)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350° F. Line cookie sheets with parchment. (You really need the parchment!)
In a small bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon.
With your mixer (or an energetic spoon) cream together butter, sugar, salt and all 10 packages of apple cider drink mix powder, until light and fluffy.

Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla and mix well.

Gradually add flour mixture to butter/egg mixture. Mix until just combined.
Refrigerate for about an hour. (If you're really impatient you don't have to do this, but it makes it so much easier to work with.)

When you are ready to bake, unwrap your caramels.
Scoop out cookie dough ball about the size of a walnut. (I used a rounded cookie scoop-full. My scoop holds about a Tablespoon.)

Flatten the ball of dough slightly in the palm of your hand. Press the unwrapped caramel into the center of your dough and seal the dough around it, covering it completely. Place on parchment covered cookie sheets 2 inches apart.

Bake 12-14 minutes, or until very lightly browned around the edges. Please don't over-bake! Once the cookies are done, slide the parchment off of the baking sheet right out onto the counter. Allow cookies to partially cool on the parchment. When cookies are cool enough to be firm but still slightly warm, carefully twist off of parchment and allow to finish cooling upside down (either on the parchment or on a rack.) If you forget about them and they cool too much and stick to your parchment, put them into the freezer for a few minutes and they'll pop right off.

Yield: about 4 dozen, depending on how large you make your cookies (or how many caramels have been snitched out of your bag before you begin.) Store in an airtight container.