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Chocolate Gingerbread Cookie Bars

Remember last week when I shared with you my Caramel Gingerbread Ice Cream Cake? Well I used my favorite recipe for Chocolate Gingerbread cookies to make that. I wanted to share that recipe with you all here today because I love you guys & I know you will really LOVE these cookie bars. Plus- you won’t believe just how simple they are. You know how I love simple- right?!

Chocolate Gingerbread Cookie Bars

These are the perfect combination of chocolate & gingerbread. Neither flavor overpowers the other.

Soft & chewy- oh so yummy??

Come on over & share a couple with me over coffee?? There are plenty for all. 🙂

Print Recipe

Chocolate Gingerbread Cookie Bars

Ingredients

Cookies

2-1/2 cups All-Purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp ginger
1-1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1-1/2 sticks salted butter 3/4 cup
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1/3 cup molasses
1 tbsp chocolate jimmies

For Glaze

1 cup confectioners sugar
1-2 tbsp milk depending on how thick or thin you want it

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees
Whisk flour, cocoa, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, salt, baking soda & baking powder in bowl.
In mixer- beat butter & brown sugar with paddle attachment until well combined & fluffy.
Beat in eggs & molasses.
Reduce speed to low & add dry mixture
Beat until well combined & pulled away from sides of bowl
Gather & press flat onto cookie sheet- making a smooth layer. (you will have one large cookie rectangle)
Score cut marks into the dough with a butter knife.
Sprinkle with chocolate jimmies
Bake for 10 - 12 minutes
Remove & allow to cool in pan on wire rack.

Add Glaze

Whisk glaze ingredients in small bowl & pipe on with pasty bag & small fine tip.

Don’t forget to come back & join me on Mondays for Project 52

To see where I am linking today- visit HERE

Crock Pot Cinnamon & Brown Sugar Applesauce

By Kleinworth & Co 7 Comments

I love applesauce. Do you love applesauce? I always come across these recipes that call for it but because I never want to open a huge fresh jar of it for just a 1/2 cup or so- I end up not making the recipe at all. Sooooo- I was thrilled when we ended up with a large amount of apples & I could make my own applesauce. I decided to use the crock pot method because it’s just so simple. I also decided to store some of it in small jars for recipe use – single serve type. Then I picked up some larger jars that I used for the rest – which can be for the kids with breakfast or lunch. Problem solved & now I can make all the applesauce recipes I want 🙂 Definitely one of my best slow cooker recipes too.

Crock Pot Cinnamon & Brown Sugar Applesauce

I used tags from this Fall Thyme Party Set in these images.
Look how cute they are. You will be seeing these here through the rest of fall.

I love these!!!!! Look how cute they are when printed out.

Kristy has some FREE Printablge Goodies for you all- Visit Life n’ Reflection to grab yours.

Want to make your own SUPER SIMPLE applesauce?

Print Recipe

Crock Pot Cinnamon & Brown Sugar Applesauce

Ingredients

14 large apples I used a Jo Mac - locally grown
1/3 c Lemon Juice
1 c Brown Sugar
3 tbsp Cinnamon

Instructions

Peel, core & cut your apples into large chunks
Place prepared apples & all other ingredients in crock pot on high.
Cover & cook about 6 hours- stirring every hour or so.
After about 5 hours of cooking - Spoon out remaining large pieces into a blender & blend until smooth. (or use emulsion blender)
Pour blended apples back in crock pot, stir well & let cook the last 30-60 minutes.
When done- transfer to prepared jars.
I store mine in the freezer until the day before I need it. Thaw in refrigerator overnight.

This is a deeper flavor than traditional applesauce but oh so good.

Don’t forget to come back & join me on Mondays for Project 52

To see where I am linking today- visit HERE

Fall Spice Hand Soap and Printable

By Kleinworth & Co 13 Comments

Good Morning- Hope you all had a lovely weekend. I did something that I have been wanting to do for a very long time. I finally made my own scented hand soap in a super easy way. You see for the longest time I would buy the Pumpkin/Fall Spice scented hand soap & lotion from Avon. I love the smell so much & I get so sad when it runs out. Well since we moved I have not really been buying Avon so I never picked some up for the season. In fact – I don’t even know if they still offer it. But now I don’t have to worry- I figured out how to make my own.

Fall Spice Hand Soap and Printable – Free Printable Checklist Template

I decided to make some printable gift tags for you all to download.

This way if you make some & then want to give it as a gift (which I recommend) you have everything you need.

Doesn’t it look pretty in this little container?? I picked it up at Target or Walmart- I can’t remember.

For the soap– fill your soap dispenser with your favorite unscented soap. I used Milk & Honey because it’s somewhat moisturizing. Then I added about 2 tsp of Pumpkin Spice Scented Fragrance Oil. I picked mine up on ebay for around $3 including shipping but I think you can get it at the craft store in the soap making isle. Swirl it around- and there you go. Yes- that simple & I’m kicking myself for not doing it sooner.

I made several different color tags so you could choose your favorite or use them all for multiple gifts.

I also made them in 2 different sizes depending on the size of your dispenser- whether it be tall or short.

Download the LARGE or SMALL – whichever you like.

So now let’s get on to the Project 52 photo sharing!

* Post 1 photo or as many as you like each week on Mondays.

* The button or text link should be present in your post- but not absolutely necessary.

* Please visit some other blogs & leave some love & encouragement.

* Submit the URL of your blog post – not your home page.

Kleinworth & Co.,Project 52, photo sharing, weekly Monday blog link up

Grab the button HERE

To see where I am linking today- visit HERE

No Flame Halloween Luminaries

By Kleinworth & Co 6 Comments

Most of you know that I’m married to a fire chief. This means that I’m a stickler for not only safety (especially on holidays) but super cautious when it comes to fire. I love luminaries & the fun feel they give when decorating. But I get really nervous when it comes to sticking that tea light in there & lighting it. I worry about it getting kicked over, or a costume brushing against it & catching fire or the wind blowing it over. Sooooooo- I decided to use some of the fun paints & products I have been given through some past campaigns & create some safer luminaries for Halloween decorating.

No Flame Halloween Luminaries

These were really easy. I just re-purposed some spaghetti jars I had saved & first painted them with some Plaid Glow in the Dark Acrylic Paints. I used #20485 Yellow, #20484 Orange & #20486 Green. Dabbed on several coats & waited for it to dry. Then I added Plaid Glo-Away Glow-in-the-Dark Gel in a thick layer & let dry. I decided to let them look a little weathered & rubbed for a spookier vibe – instead of completely coating them. Then I just left them sitting on the counter under the under-cabinet lights all day. When we went to bed- there they were- glowing like they should. So if you are leaving these on your porch- the sun should charge them with more than enough light to keep them going all Halloween long.

This was a simple project that the kids loved helping me with.

This post is not sponsored- I just wanted to use some of these fun products I was given in the past for more seasonal projects.

Don’t forget to come back & join me on Mondays for Project 52

To see where I am linking today- visit HERE

Caramel Gingerbread Ice Cream Cake

By Kleinworth & Co 19 Comments

Do you feel that sense of togetherness this time of year? When you think about family moments, do they center around food? I know a lot of my family memories are jogged by certain triggers, many of them food. Whether it be a smell, a flavor, a moment shared with my kids that is similar to one I had as a child- they are all so great & they all come flooding back & give me smiles.

I love creating memories like that with my kids. I want them to remember the times we spend in the kitchen. I want them to taste something when they are adults & remember something we did together & smile about it. One thing I am trying to do is bring back old family recipes & combine them with things I love to make new family favorites & great memories for the kids.

If you ask my kids what foods I love- they would definitely say Ice Cream. Not just any Ice Cream though. When I am looking for Ice Cream I want something that tastes amazing, wholesome ingredients, variety of flavors, creamy texture & makes me feel special. I think that’s part of the experience. So I decided to take one of my favorite cookie recipes & combine it with one of my favorite Dreyer’s Slow Churned flavors – Caramel Delight & make a treat that we will be making for years to come.

Caramel Gingerbread Ice Cream Cake

Print Recipe

Caramel Gingerbread Ice Cream Cake

Ingredients

1 carton Caramel Delight Dreyer's Slow Churned Ice Cream
15 Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies
Chocolate Syrup
Chocolate Jimmies
Slivered Almonds
Cherries opt

Instructions

Start by letting your Dreyer's Slow Churned Ice Cream soften on counter about 5-10 minutes
Using a loaf pan, start laying your cookies in the bottom of your pan for your first layer
Put several scoops of Ice Cream on your cookies & smooth out to a flat layer
Add another layer of cookies over your smoothed Ice Cream
Add another layer of Ice Cream
Cover & place in freezer several hours to firm up.
Remove from freezer & run sides of your dish under water to warm up enough to release
Run a knife along the sides to help release the Ice Cream & invert on to serving plate
Drizzle chocolate syrup over the top
Sprinkle with chocolate jimmies & slivered almonds
Add cherries
Return to freezer about 30 minutes to firm again after decorating to firm any Ice Cream that may have melted during this process.
Enjoy

This was a HUGE HIT! We will be making this for many holidays here in the near future. I prefer the Dreyer’s Slow Churned for this not only because of it’s creamy texture but because it’s Slow Churned it makes it HALF THE FAT and 1/3 FEWER CALORIES than regular ice cream.

Don’t miss the seasonal flavors Pumpkin & Peppermint this time of year.

Connect with Dreyer’s

I was selected for this opportunity by Clever Girls Collective, however all content and opinions expressed here are my own..

Don’t forget to come back & join me on Mondays for Project 52

To see where I am linking today- visit HERE

Vampire Punch Halloween Drink

By Kleinworth & Co 13 Comments

This Vampire Punch Halloween Drink is easy to make and the perfect beverage to share with all your ghosts and goblins this Halloween.

The count down to Halloween continues. I have so many little ideas swirling around in my head at the moment.

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Jack-o’-Lantern Candy Corn Apples

By Kleinworth & Co 11 Comments

Good Morning!! Hope you all are having a fabulous week.

This past week I was trying to think of ways to use up all these apples I have around here. I wanted to do something different for the kids & yet keep it relatively healthy. Sooooo- I started by taking some of my largest apples & cutting them into slices to get the shape of the apple. Then I added the peanut butter but I still wanted it to be more fun. Then I had an idea to use the candy corn & make these…

Jack-o’-Lantern Candy Corn Apples

The kids loved them- even if they are a bit old for playing with their food. I know they like apples & peanut butter.
But adding candy corn- what’s not to like?

No need for a recipe here- just apples, peanut butter & candy corn in the shape of a Jack-O’-Lantern.

Simple, quick & so much fun for the kids.

Don’t forget to come back & join me on Mondays for Project 52

To see where I am linking today- visit HERE

New England Dip Sandwich ~ Dinner Tonight

By Kleinworth & Co 14 Comments

For an easy slow cooker dinner, as part of a sponsored post for Collective Bias®
I made this New England Dip Sandwich using Kraft Recipe Makers for my family.

As most of you know- things here have been absolutely nutty. Between having company this past week, working on product photography sets for a client & some really special family portraits for a friend, the projects I am trying to get put together for the holidays & then pumping 60-70 hours a week into the blog- I need the days to be longer. But since I can’t make that happen, I have to do what I can to make everything else around here happen quickly & efficiently. So finding things to make dinner tonight simple & easy is a top priority. The hubs works 60+ hours a week himself- so asking him to come home & cook too would be just plain mean. We reserve a lot of our time consuming meals to our days off & have found some quick family meals that work for us on the super busy days. When I was asked to try the new Kraft Recipe Makers– I was all for it. But we always like to do things differently. Even if we are using a semi-ready made meals recipe we like to make it our own. So we came up with…

New England Dip Sandwich

We shopped for it as a family – which was nice because we rarely do the market as a group.

Look how cute the munchkin is watching the hubs pick out the meat.

For the pot roast.

Just place the meat in- top with the veggies & then the simmer sauce & seasonings.

Cook on high 6-8 hours. Add the finishing sauce at the end.

Prep your bread with butter, garlic powder & Parmesan cheese & broil. Then add your pot roast.

Don’t forget your bowl of sauce to dip in.

Print Recipe

New England Dip Sandwich

Ingredients

2 boxes Kraft Recipe Makers - New England Pot Roast Flavor
1 bag small red potatoes - sliced into rounds
1 small bag mini carrots
2 lbs chuck roast
3 tbsp minced onions
2 tbsp season salt
1-2 tbsp minced garlic
Salt & Pepper to taste
6 stadium style buns
1 stick salted butter
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp garlic powder

Instructions

Place chuck roast in the bottom of slow cooker
Place sliced potatoes on top of meat
add in bottle of Kraft Recipe Makers seasoning sauce
Add minced onions, season salt, minced garlic & salt & pepper.
Cover & cook 6-8 hours on high
During the last 20 minutes- add contents of Kraft Recipe Makers flavor pouch - stir in.
Continue to cook on high remaining 20 min.
While you are waiting- pre-heat broiler to high & place your stadium buns open on baking sheet
Melt butter in microwave 30 seconds
Brush butter on to the insides of the stadium buns to coat
Sprinkle on garlic powder & then Parmesan cheese
Broil until golden & toasty. Set aside.
Turn off slow cooker & remove lid
Using 2 forks- start pulling the meat apart into bite sized pieces
Using a slotted spoon- add meat & potatoes to bun
Add mini carrots on the side
Ladle out a little bit of the juice from the slow cooker into a small bowl for dipping your sandwich
Enjoy

This worked out great for me. I was able to get it prepped in just a few minutes & then it was ready by the time the hubs came home. The prep for the buns was simple & so the whole meal came together quick & easy. Very little clean up too- which always makes me happy. So nice to be able to have a hearty, hot meal- even if we are short on time.

Connect with Kraft via Facebook:

Don’t forget to come back & join me on Mondays for Project 52

To see where I am linking today- visit HERE

Sauteed Vegetable Relish

By Kleinworth & Co 3 Comments

For quick dinner recipes as part of a sponsored post for Collective Bias®

I made this Sauteed Vegetable Relish using Land O’Lakes Sauté Express® Sauté Starter for my family.

Looking for Easy Family Dinner Ideas?Do you like to jazz up your dinner ideas even when you don’t have quite the time you wish you had?? We certainly do. Seems like life is so busy these days & it can be so easy to just make some quick meals that just get you by & aren’t necessarily satisfying or enjoyable. We try so hard to come up with new ways to make our quick dinners still feel exciting & “guest worthy” if you will. Even though neither of us have the energy for making an elaborate dinner each evening we definitely don’t think we should be sacrificing taste.

One thing we love making is a side of vegetables for whatever we are having- whether it be steak, chicken or pasta for the night. We love to saute them. But these can be prep extensive & when that happens, we tend to not make it during the week. So when I had the opportunity to try the Land O’Lakes Sauté Express® Sauté Starter I was excited to see how it would cut my time & make our recipe taste great.

Sauteed Vegetable Relish

Start with your vegetables & your Land O’Lakes Sauté Express® Sauté Starter

We use 1 half purple onion, 3/4 of 1 head of cabbage, 1 head of garlic, 1 container mushrooms, 2 cubes Land O’Lakes Sauté Express® Sauté Starter

Prep your veggies – roughly cut your cabbage & onion. Mince your entire head of garlic.

Add in 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce, salt & pepper to taste.

Transfer it all to a large non-stick skillet

Toss & saute until well combined & reduced – about 20 minutes. Stirring & tossing every 1-2 minutes.

Add to the top of your baked potato – enjoy

I loved that this Land O’Lakes Sauté Express® Sauté Starter in the Italian Herb flavor already has the butter, olive oil, red bell pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, marjoram, thyme, rosemary, savory, sage, oregano, & basil all in these tidy little cubes. I didn’t have to have all these ingredients on hand nor did I have to prep them ahead of time. I basically cut my prep time in half. Definitely good in my book.

Connect with Land O’Lakes
Twitter: @LandOLakesKtchn
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LandOLakes

Pick up a coupon for Land O’Lakes Sauté Express® Sauté Starter HERE

Print Recipe

Sauteed Vegetable Relish

Ingredients

1 half purple onion
3/4 of 1 head of cabbage
1 head of garlic
1 container mushrooms
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
salt & pepper to taste.
2 cubes Land O'Lakes Sauté Express® Sauté Starter

Instructions

Prep your veggies
Roughly cut your cabbage & onion.
Mince your entire head of garlic.
Transfer to a large non-stick skillet
Add in other ingredients
Toss & saute until well combined & reduced - about 20 minutes. Stirring & tossing every 1-2 minutes.
Add to the top of your baked potato -or eat as a side by itself.

Don’t forget to come back & join me on Mondays for Project 52

To see where I am linking today- visit HERE

Pumpkin Masters Creative Carving ~ Project 52 Week 40

By Kleinworth & Co 6 Comments

Good Monday Morning Everyone!

Hope you all have had a great weekend & this week is kicking off to a fabulous start.

We had the chance this past week to try out the Pumpkin Masters Pumpkin Carving Kits. It was really fun. I had always wanted to give them a try but we never end up getting around to the pumpkins. So this year when I was asked to try them I knew it was my chance to actually do it & have some fun with the kids. The hubs is always worried that the time that goes in to the blog can pull me away from the family. But in this case- it gave us a full day of family fun. The kids had a blast- especially because with the use of the kit- they were able to do most of the work. YAY for me. I had the pleasure of taking the video & doing a little carving with them- while they got the messy part of cleaning out the pumpkins. 🙂

Pumpkin Masters Creative Carving

Since I was using the dslr for the video so I could have it in HD I had to take pics with my phone during the process.

We had to break up the shooting of the video into parts due to the rain- but you only see that on the full length version.

I realized when watching back the full length version that I say “really cool” a lot. Guess growing up in So Cal has not worn off yet. 🙂

Please excuse the camera angles- I was bending, stooping, crouching & hovering over the kids in all sorts of strange ways to get the right angle to show what we were doing. I’m sure the neighbors thought I had lost my mind. In fact, I’m pretty sure at this point that with all the things I do on the porch for the blog- they have given up TV & we have become their main source of entertainment.

**Want to win a kit of your own – ($35 value – US residents only)

watch the full length version of this video & leave me a comment telling me what your favorite part is?

Pumpkin Masters Carving Contest: Pumpkin Masters is searching for carving talent as part of its annual Pumpkin Masters Carving Contest. Share a pic of your carving via Instagram or Twitter with #PumpkinMasters2013, submit via the Facebook app or send via email to: social@pumpkinmasters.com to enter for the chance to win one of six prizes, including $5,000 for the Best Pumpkin.

Contest runs from October 1 – 31, 2013.

Contest details and official rules:

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

The P52 Details

* Post 1 photo or as many as you like each week on Mondays.

* The button or text link should be present in your post- but not absolutely necessary.

* Please visit some other blogs & leave some love & encouragement.

* Submit the URL of your blog post – not your home page.

To see where I am linking today- visit HERE

Corn Husk Fall Tablesetting & Free Printable

By Kleinworth & Co 12 Comments

A couple weeks ago I shared my Corn Husk Fall Tablesettings when I guest posted for Taryn at Design, Dining & Diapers. I wanted to not only share those with you here- but I wanted to give you the free printable tags to go along with it. That way you can make the whole project for your upcoming holiday gatherings.

Corn Husk Fall Tablesetting & Free Printable Checklist Template

Corn Husk Fall Tablesetting, table place card tags, free printable

This adds such a warm & inviting feel to your table.

I printed mine at the 4×6 setting because I wanted them small.

I could have printed them at full size & used them for a larger placesetting- or on individual flower pieces in front of each plate.

These are really so simple yet add just the right amount of rustic warmth for your table this time of year.

To Make:

-Take 3-4 husks & soak them in a bowl of water for several minutes to soften.

– Pull out of the water & shake & pat off excess water with a paper towel.

– Lay the husk one on top of the other in a stack- alternating the wide ends with the narrow ends.

– Take your twine & wrap around the center & tie.

-On each end, start pulling 2-3 inch tears into the wide ends of each husk to give a frayed look.

-Pull & fan out each end to give fullness.

-Repeat for each one you want to make.

-Allow to dry flat. Ends will curl & twist on their own as they dry.

(Note- I put mine in the warm garage to speed up the process)

So that’s it. I told you it was easy & oh so festive!!

Download HERE

Don’t forget to come back & join me on Mondays for Project 52

To see where I am linking today- visit HERE

Game Day Bites

By Kleinworth & Co 7 Comments

For an easy game day tailgating snack as part of a sponsored post for Collective Bias®

I made these Game Day Bites using MARS Snickers & Milky Way Bites for my family.

Do you love tailgating? Do you love sporting events? Do you love going to your favorite event with some great snacks to make the experience just that much more fun? I totally do. I love Yummy Bar Recipes! I am a HUGE College & Pro football fan & I LOVE NASCAR. We have not had the opportunity to go to a football game in a while but when we would head to the NASCAR track in Vegas we loved enhancing the party atmosphere with great snacks. Being a HUGE Kyle Busch fan – I regularly purchase & use MARS products in support of my favorite driver. So you can imagine how excited I was when I had the opportunity to work with MARS & Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community to make a new tailgating recipe using MARS Snickers & Milky Way Bites.

I new I wanted something quick, simple & easy to transport to the track. I also wanted something that people could grab & walk around with that didn’t require a plate. Knowing that we typically get up before the sun to get to the track- I knew whatever I made had to still taste great if made the night before. So I decided on these Game Day Bites. I took my cake bar recipe, twisted it a little & then doubled the whole thing for extra yumminess.

Game Day Bites

You need cake mix, butter, evaporated milk & 1 cup Snickers Bites & 1 (8 oz) bag Milky Way bites.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees & coat your 9×13 glass pan with cooking spray.

Put your cake mix, butter & evaporated milk in your mixer & beat well until it is thoroughly combined.Add in 1 cup of the Milky Ways bites & beat in on high.

Spread out 3/4 of batter in prepared pan. Bake 10 minutes.

Pull out of oven & sprinkle on 1 cup Snickers Bites & remaining Milky Way Bites.

Drop remaining batter on top – do not spread out. Return to oven.

This is what it looks like up to this point.

Bake 40-45 minutes – until toothpick test is mostly clean. Cool completely before cutting.

These are so tasty. A cross between cake & brownies with the nougat & caramel of the bites melted throughout. OH MY!

You can download this coupon to pick up your own MARS Snickers & Milky Way Bites

Print Recipe

Game Day Bites

Ingredients

2 - devils food cake mix
12 ounces evaporated milk
1/2 cup 1 stick butter - melted
1 cup MARS Snickers Bites
1 8 oz bag MARS Milky Way Bites

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees & spray a 9x13 glass baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
Mix cake mix, evaporated milk & melted butter in mixer beating well.
Add 1 cup Milky Way bites & beat well to break them up a bit.
Transfer 3/4 of batter to prepared pan & spread out flat in bottom as best you can. It's very sticky.
Bake 10 minutes - pull out.
Top with Snickers Bites & remaining Milky Way Bites.
Drop remaining batter on top- do not spread out.
Return to oven & bake another 40-45 minutes
Check with toothpick test- should be mostly clean.
Remove & allow to cool completely before cutting.
Store at room temperature in airtight container.

Don’t forget to come back & join me on Mondays for Project 52
To see where I am linking today- visit HERE

Caramel Apple Spice Bread

By Kleinworth & Co 6 Comments

So what do you do when you have 40 pounds of apples on hand?? Well you start by making lots & lots of Apple Pie Filling. Then you start using that filling in all sorts of recipes. Or at least that’s what I have been doing since we picked up our apples from the orchard down the street. I couldn’t be happier with the smell of cinnamon & spice filling my house each day. Apples & cinnamon are a top favorite of the hubs & my son- so they are in absolute heaven here at the moment.

I needed to whip up something quick for the kids for breakfast the other day so I decided to make this…

Caramel Apple Spice Bread

This has all the apple, spiced, cinnamon, fall flavor you are after this time of year.
Moist & perfect with your morning coffee.

Print Recipe

Caramel Apple Spice Bread

Ingredients

3 eggs
1 cup canola or vegetable oil
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups apple pie filling I used my Caramelized Pear Pie Filling only substituted the pears for apples
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp salt
3-1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
Cinnamon/sugar mix to sprinkle on top

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Grease 2 loaf pans- set aside.
Combine all ingredients (except the cinnamon/sugar mix) in mixer bowl & beat well until completely combined into a thick batter.
Spoon batter into your prepared pans
Sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar mixture
Bake 70-80 minutes or until toothpick test is clean
Cool in pan on wire rack
Remove from pan & store wrapped in foil at room temp.

Don’t forget to come back & join me on Mondays for Project 52

To see where I am linking today- visit HERE

Salted Caramel Pumpkin Spice Pudding

By Kleinworth & Co 11 Comments

Good Morning! I’m still visiting with my family who is in town. Life is crazy full at the moment & I’m certainly ready for some comfort food. I don’t know about you- but flavors like salted caramel top my list for comfort. Add in there a little pumpkin spice & it just screams fall for me. I have about a million different things I was going to make but I kept coming back to the idea of salted caramel pudding. But I really wanted to make it more fall like- especially since I don’t do a lot of recipes with actual pumpkin in them. But I do love pumpkin spice- so I came up with…

Salted Caramel Pumpkin Spice Pudding

The salt mixed with the rich flavors of caramel & pumpkin spice is the perfect blend.

Print Recipe

Salted Caramel Pumpkin Spice Pudding

Ingredients

4 tbsp salted butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
3 cups milk- room temp separated
1 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp flour
2-1/2 tbsp corn starch
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Instructions

Measure out your milk - 2 cups & 1 cup.
Set aside your 2 cups of milk.
Mix flour & cornstarch to the 1 cup of milk - whisk to combine well. Set aside.
Crack your eggs into a separate bowl- whisk & set aside.
In heavy saucepan, melt butter.
Add brown sugar & cook on med until it caramelizes.
While you are whisking this butter/brown sugar mixture- gradually pour in your 2 cups of milk.
Continue to whisk & cook until it bubbles & thickens.
Stir in your remaining milk/flour/cornstarch mixture & whisk well until thickened.
Ladle out 1 cup of your pudding mixture & slowly whisk into your beaten eggs to temper. Whisk until fully blended.
Slowly pour egg mixture into pudding & whisk until well blended.
Cook for 2-3 minutes on med.
Remove from heat & whisk in vanilla extract & pumpkin pie spice.
Pour into individual serving bowls & cover with plastic wrap- laying the wrap directly on the pudding to keep a film from forming.
Refrigerate to firm up at least several hours before serving.
Sprinkle with additional sea salt for serving.

Don’t forget to come back & join me on Mondays for Project 52

To see where I am linking today- visit HERE

Cookie Butter Rolo Oat Bars

By Kleinworth & Co 6 Comments

Remember when I made the Chocolate Chip Cookie Cookie Butter?? I mentioned that I would probably make it in bulk & store it in the fridge for future recipes. Well- I did do that & so today I bring you the first of probably many more recipes using that cookie butter. Oh heavens- it’s so amazing. Taking chocolate chip cookie flavored buttery spread & using it to make other treats- really… it doesn’t get any better. So this time I made…

Cookie Butter Rolo Oat Bars

Such an easy little treat to whip up- no one will ever know that it took you less than 30 minutes (including the 20 minutes in the fridge)
It’s a great use for that Chocolate Chip Cookie Butter that I know you made after I posted it 🙂

Print Recipe

Cookie Butter Rolo Oat Bars

Ingredients

2 cups oats
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1-3/4 cup Chocolate Chip Cookie Cookie Butter
1 cup chopped Rolo candy - roughly chopped
1/2 cup toffee bits

Instructions

Line square pan with parchment- give a light spritz with cooking spray & set aside.
Combine your oats & coconut in your mixer & fold together
Warm your cookie butter in microwave for about 20-30 seconds to make it more of a liquid.
Pour into your oat/coconut mixture - mix on low until completely combined
Fold in Rolos
Transfer to prepared pan- spread out & flatten
Top with toffee bits
Add additional coconut if desired
Place in freezer for 20-30 minutes to firm up
Remove & cut. Serve
Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

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Corn Husk Brooms

By Kleinworth & Co 22 Comments

These corn husk brooms are a fun way to decorate your home for the fall season. It’s a fun fall craft for all ages.

Looking for a fun, easy way to decorate your porch for fall? Why not try creating a corn husk broom? This craft is simple and can be completed in just a few short steps.

Plus, it’s a great way to use up any extra corn husks you may have lying around. So, what are you waiting for? Get started on your very own corn husk broom today!

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Can you believe it’s October 1st? WOW how the days just fly on by. Guess I better get into Halloween mode around here.

I have been so focused on getting ready for fall & prepping the house for my family to arrive today- that I have completely spaced on Halloween. My head has been going from fall to Christmas & skipping everything in between.

fall crafts

In keeping with my love for decorating with corn husks, I made these little corn husk brooms for the front porch. I suppose they could also be used as witch’s brooms for Halloween if you wanted them to be.

I may go that route- closer to Halloween. But for now, it looks like a corn field was dumped on my porch & I’m perfectly happy about that. I will share the rest of the porch soon.

Here are some commonly asked questions

Where can I find corn husks?

Corn husks can be found in the international food section of the grocery store. I haven’t bought any in a while, but I used to be able to get a decently large bag for around $2-5. Now they run about $8 a bag – but you might be able to find them at the dollar store for so much less. You will need at least 2-3 bags to make this wreath, depending on how full you want the end result to be.

NOTE: TIE THE HUSKS AS TIGHT AS YOU CAN – THEY WILL SHRINK AS THEY DRY. They will eventually fall out of the twine if they are not tight enough.

Cleaning Corn Husk Brooms

As with most things that sit outside, these brooms can collect dust and pollen that is in the air. To clean them you can take some canned air or even just an air compressor or leaf blower and gently blow the dust and dirt off of the brooms.

Do not wash them with the hose or bring them inside and rinse them off with water. Re-wetting the husks will make the brooms fall apart.

SUPPLY LIST

sticks or branches – we used ones we had from pruning our trees
2 bags of corn husks
twine

NOTE – KEEP THE BROOMS OUT OF DIRECT WEATHER – YOU DON’T WANT THEM TO GET WET FROM RAIN OR SNOW.

How to Prepare the Corn Husks for Crafting

Soak the natural husks from the bags in a fresh bowl of clean water.
Place another bowl or jar on top of them to hold them down in the water as they will want to float. Leave them in the water for several hours to really soften them up. The water will soften the husks and make them pliable and easier to work with.
Once soft, remove from the water and pat any excess moisture off with paper towels.

How to Make a Corn Husk Broom

Working with several husks at a time, start wrapping the small end of the damp husks around the base of the stick you are working with.
Take a piece of twine & tie the husks to the stick – wrapping around several times to secure well.
Continue adding more husks onto the stick, making sure to overlap the husks to make the broom nice and full.
Tear the ends of the husks to make the frayed look so that they look like a broom. They will curl as they dry.
Once you have assembled the entire broom, hang the stick somewhere where it is warm for them to dry. This allows the husks to all dry without the weight of them squishing them down. I attached mine to a wire hanger with paper clips & hung it in the warm garage for a couple of days.

If you love this easy-to-make fall craft, you’re going to love these other crafts too. Check out the other fun ideas below!

Corn Husk Luminaries

Raw Corn Husk Wreath

Sugar Skull Corn Husk Wreath

Free Thanksgiving I Spy Printable

Frayed Corn Husk Wreath

Halloween I Spy Printable

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Decoupage Fall Sign ~ Project 52 Week 39

By Kleinworth & Co 12 Comments

Good Morning Everyone! Welcome to Project 52!

This past week I had an opportunity to review the latest book from Bittersweet Walnut Grove – Fall Thyme. I have reviewed each book from the Bittersweet Collection & I have to tell you – this one is my favorite so far. I don’t know if it’s just because fall is my favorite season or what- but every single page had something I was just itching to make. Kristy & Tiffany have really put a great book together.

It’s packed full of fabulous fall recipes like ginger snaps, stuffed apples & applesauce cookies.

It has lots of crafts like autumn placemats & banners.

Then there are the printables. I love printables. They make it so easy to decorate for any occasion.

I printed mine & then I decided that insead of framing it like I usually would- I wanted to decoupage it on to one of the larger pieces of wood I picked up at the scrap salvage down the road. It then turned into this…

Decoupage Fall Sign

I used some Mod Podge Matte & sealed the printable to the board. I then added some of the leaves that my dear co-host Tamar sent me last year when I had nothing “fall” around me. I coated them with Mod Podge too to help preserve them & hopefully keep them from breaking so easily.

Then a little bit of moss to fill in the gaps.

I have this propped on the hearth- looks so cozy & brings in the feel of the season.

Kristy was so nice to give this printable free to you- my wonderful readers

She is also giving you these free printable jar toppers

Download SIGN & JAR TOPPERS.

Thank you so much Kristy & Tiffany. I loved the book!!!

You can connect with Kristy & Tffany at Bittersweet Walnut Grove

BUY THE BOOK – HERE

The P52 Details

* Post 1 photo or as many as you like each week on Mondays.

* The button or text link should be present in your post- but not absolutely necessary.

* Please visit some other blogs & leave some love & encouragement.

* Submit the URL of your blog post – not your home page.

Grab the button HERE

To see where I am linking today- visit HERE

Crock Pot Cubed Steak

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Crock Pot Cubed Steak is an easy weeknight dinner recipe that is so juicy and flavorful. Definitely a meal to put in the weekly rotation.

Just imagine coming home after a long day and being greeted by the mouth-watering aroma of slow-cooked cubed steak. I’m talking meat that practically melts in your mouth and is drenched in rich and savory gravy.

That’s the beauty of Crock Pot Cubed Steak! It combines simple ingredients with slow cooking magic (seriously, I love my crock pot), turning an easy recipe into a flavorful meal that’s just perfect for busy weeknights.

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Recipe Request Board

By Kleinworth & Co 8 Comments

How many times have you been asked to make certain dishes by your family? My kids are always asking me to make this or that – for dinner or for breakfast. The hubs always has a dessert request of some sort. I can never remember all of these & then when it comes to putting the grocery list together I always forget the key ingredients & just buy the weekly staples. Then everyone is asking me when we can have whatever it is that they requested. Soooooo- I decided to make a …

Recipe Request Board

Just a board from the scrap salvage down the street & some chalkboard paint. That’s all it took.

As you can see- everyone in the house couldn’t wait to add their requests to the board. They are already telling me that there isn’t enough room for everything they want to add- so I have been told that I need to dedicate a wall in the house for a larger board in the future. This will have to do for now in this tiny little cabin. But at least I now have some reminders when I am planning my list for the store.

Don’t forget to come back & join me on Mondays for Project 52

To see where I am linking today- visit HERE

Pumpkin Spice Candied Walnuts

By Kleinworth & Co 17 Comments

Do I have a treat for you today! A couple days ago when I made the Pumpkin Spice Syrup that I shared on Wednesday – I knew I wanted to do more with it than just put it on my pancakes. So I came up with the idea to use it to experiment with making candied nuts. I had just picked up a huge bag of walnuts at Costco for some banana bread & so I figured it would be tasty to give it a try with them. I was so thrilled with the result & the whole family LOVES them. They will definitely make the perfect little gift for the neighbors as the season progresses.

Pumpkin Spiced Candied Walnuts

They are the perfect blend of salty & sweet. Add that to the familiar fall flavors of pumpkin & spices- YUM

You will LOVE these – especially when they are fresh & warm. The family had them gone in no time.

Don’t Miss These Other Recipes with Nuts

Print Recipe

Pumpkin Spice Candied Walnuts

Ingredients

4 cups walnuts
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp coarse sea salt
6 tbsp Pumpkin Spice Syrup
6 tbsp water
2 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

Lay walnuts on baking sheet & warm in 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes. Remove & set aside.
Mix sugar & salt in small bowl & set aside.
Stir syrup, water & olive oil together in 2 qt saucepan - bring to a boil
Add walnuts & stir until nuts are coated
Continue to cook & boil until the nuts have absorbed all the liquid- about 5 minutes
Transfer to large bowl & add sugar/salt mixture - toss to coat
Pour out on parchment lined baking sheet & sprinkle with additional sea salt if desired.
Allow to cool & set before transfering to airtight container.
Store at room temperature

Don’t forget to come back & join me on Mondays for Project 52

To see where I am linking today- visit HERE

Celebrate the fall harvest with our beautiful, natural Raw Husk Corn Husk Wreath. Designed to be hung on your front door, this wreath is a reminder of all the beauty around you.

Fall is the perfect time to add some decorative touches to your home, and a raw cornhusk wreath is a great way to do that. This project is simple and can be done in just a few hours, so it’s perfect if you’re looking for a quick but stylish way to decorate your porch for autumn.

Plus, it’s a great way to use up any extra corn husks you may have lying around. Let’s get started!

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A week ago I shared with you my Frayed Corn Husk Wreath. I had said at that time that it would be more for over the mantle than on the front door.

We ended up finishing the mantle decor & I did move that wreath to above the mantle. I will be sharing that with you all soon.

corn husk crafts

That meant that I needed a wreath for the front door. I had already picked up some bags of husks at the store- but I was standing at the counter shucking the corn for dinner when I realized that the green husks were also beautiful.

Instead of tossing them- I separated them from the silks & laid them on the counter to dry overnight. Then the next day the ends were nice & curled & I knew I could spend some time working on a new front door wreath. The finished project ended up being this…

Here are some commonly asked questions

Where can I find corn husks?

NOTE: TIE THE HUSKS AS TIGHT AS YOU CAN – THEY WILL SHRINK AS THEY DRY. They will eventually fall out of the twine if they are not tight enough.

Can this be made without the raw husks?

You bet! If you want to make this wreath using only the husks you can find in the bag – that will work just fine. You won’t need the raw ones for the wreath to work – it just won’t have the green pieces from the raw husks.

Where do I find raw corn husks?

Find raw corn husks when buying fresh corn on the cob. Just pick up some corn on the cob – shuck the corn and separate the silks from the husks. You can then use the green husks for this wreath craft.

SUPPLY LIST

flat wood wreath form
2 bags of corn husks
raw husks – still green
twine

How to hang the wreath

If you are using the wire form linked here, it should slide right onto a hook or nail to hang it up. If you choose another wreath form that doesn’t fit nicely onto a hook or nail – you can use the twine to tie a loop onto the back of the form to make it easier to hang the wreath.

Cleaning a Corn Husk Wreath

As with most things that sit outside, the wreath can collect dust and pollen that is in the air. To clean the wreath you can take some canned air or even just an air compressor or leaf blower and gently blow the dust and dirt off of the wreath.

Do not wash the wreath with the hose or bring it inside and rinse it off with water. Re-wetting the husks will make the wreath fall apart.

NOTE – KEEP THE WREATH OUT OF DIRECT WEATHER – YOU DON’T WANT IT TO GET WET FROM RAIN OR SNOW.

How to Prepare the Corn Husks for Crafting

Soak the natural husks from the bags in a fresh bowl of clean water.
Place another bowl or jar on top of them to hold them down in the water as they will want to float. Leave them in the water for several hours to really soften them up. The water will soften the husks and make them pliable and easier to work with.
Once soft, remove from the water and pat any excess moisture off with paper towels.

How to Make a Corn Husk Wreath

Working with 3 at a time- (1 raw green husk in-between 2 natural husks) bunch them at one end.
Take a piece of twine & tie them to the wreath form.
Continue adding the bundles of husks onto the wreath form, making sure to overlap the bundles of husks to make the wreath as thin or full as you desire.
Once you have assembled the entire wreath, hang the wreath upside down in a warm place to dry. This allows the husks to all dry straight out instead of sagging towards the bottom. I attached mine to a wire hanger with paper clips & hung it in the warm garage for a couple of days.

If you love this easy-to-make wreath, you’re going to love these other crafts too. Check out the other fun ideas below!

Corn Husk Luminaries

Corn Husk Brooms

Sugar Skull Wreath

Frayed Corn Husk Wreath

Paper Flower Wreath

Driftwood Wreath

If you’re looking for a rustic and chic way to decorate your porch for fall, this Raw Husk Corn Husk Wreath is perfect. It’s easy to make and adds a touch of autumnal charm to any space. Give it a try and I know you’ll love it!

If you love this Raw Husk Corn Husk Wreath as much as I do, please be sure to help me share on Facebook and Pinterest!

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