Brown is Down!

A couple weeks ago I got to go hunting with my hubby! Look what I harvested!!!!

Pumpkin Cake in a Jar!

I wanted to share this recipe that my Grandma had sent me for our swap :)



This dessert treat is baked and presented in a wide-mouth canning jar. Because the jar is sealed, the cake keeps indefinitely. It can be made well ahead of the holidays.



Pumpkin Cake in a Jar

2/3 c shortening
2 2/3 c sugar
4 eggs
2 c fresh pureed or canned pumpkin
2/3 c water
3 1/3 c flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. baking soda
1 c walnuts, chopped
8 pint-sized, wide-mouth jars, with lids and rings for sealing
8 wax paper circles cut to fit inside the canning jars


Cream shortening and sugar together, adding sugar slowly. Beat in eggs, pumpkin and water. Set aside. Sift together flour,baking powder, salt, ground cloves, allspice, cinnamon, and baking soda. Add to pumpkin mixture and stir well. Stir in nuts.
Pour batter into greased canning jars. Filling half-full. Place jars on cookie sheet. Bake upright in preheated 325 degree oven about 45 min. (Cake will rise and pull away from sides of jar)
When done, remove one jar at a time from oven. While still warm, place wax paper circle on the top of the cake . Wipe sealing end of jar. Place lid on jar and close tightly with ring. Turn jar upside down. (Cake will loosen at this time) Repeat with other jars. Leave jars upside down until sealed. (Jar is sealed if lid remains flat when pressed in center)
To serve: Open jar, slide a knife around the cake to loosen and remove the cake from the jar. Warm cake in microwave, slice and serve with whipped cream or ice cream :)


I was thinking about trying this with banana bread?!!!!

Fall Swap :)

This is what I received from my Grandma for our fall swap :)

Canned Pumpkin Cake!!! (Already tried and it's super good!)

"Happy as a crow can be, sitting in a pumpkin tree!"


How adorable is this?!!!

An awesome table cloth! Grandma is a Master Seamstress!!!

a close up:)

It reverses to this!!!!!

another close up:)







My pumpkin tree!!! Love!!!





What is not pictured is a big pumpkin jar full of chocolate malt balls...which are now gone:(


Thanks soooooo much Grandma!!! I LOVE all of my goodies :) (Can't wait until next year:)

Back in the Game!!!!

WooooHooooo!!!!! So we got ourselves an early Christmas present! A new camera!!!! (The pics I took with the disposable haven't been developed yet....) Anyway, I have a TON of things I want to share and would in one post although I should probably spread them out a bit :)



So here's for starters....our first REAL winter snow! A whole 6 inches!!! Not as much as other areas, but still super fun for the kiddos :) Can you see the tracks?

One of my many current projects I'm working on...I found this desk at a thrift store an hour away from our town...so wish it was closer!!!! It will be for Makaila for school. She's excited about all the drawers!

I'm painting it Swiss Coffee (a creamy white), the drawers are done, I just have to do the sides and the top. Speaking of the top - the guy who was helping me load it, dropped his side and the back corner chipped off! Ughhhh!!!! Oh well, no will notice when it's painted but me - I hate that, for a minute I thought about finding another one and getting rid of this one - just because of the chipped corner! I bought raspberry spray paint to do the knobs and the chair in. Also I'm going to recover the chair cushions in super cute fabric...can't wait :)

So for the Daughter, Mother, Grandmother fall swap...this is what I got from my mom!!!!

Super cute salt and pepper shakers...the funny thing is I almost bought these same ones to put in their packages!!! LOL!!!

She glued birch bark onto little pots...love :)





My mom is awesome in the woodworking department!!! You should see the table she almost has done (it's been a few years - OK well I've lost track) LOL! (Love ya mom!)


I LOVE this!!!!




Awesome pumpkin pillow!!!






Beautiful wreath!! Mom is a master wreath maker!!! Not kidding!!!





Thanks mom for all of the awesome goddies! I love them all :)