Apple Garland

This simple apple garland is made with faux apples strung together on twine. It's a pretty decoration for fall and you can make it as simple or grandiose as you'd like with as many embellishments as you prefer. For now, I think I like this one very simple with only apples and leaves.

Since I don't have a special tool for threading styrofoam apples, I fashioned my own out of wire and duct tape. I attached the twine to the end of the makeshift wire needle with the tape and got ready to string a dozen apples.

Once I pierced the apple, I worked to make sure that my wire remained as straight as possible as it made its way through the apple.

When I could see that it was beginning to poke through the other side, I pierced that area just a bit with another wire end, just to make my "needle's" exit as easy as possible. I used my wire cutters to grab and pull the wire all the way through, just because their grip is better than mine.

Your wire will obviously push through some of the styrofoam so that you'll get some small pieces that are pushed out with the wire. Also, your exit hole might look a little messy once you pull everything through; just use your finger to push the styrofoam and apple skin back into place.

I tried to make sure that I strung them at different angles so that the final result would include apples that could be viewed from multiple angles. String a whole bunch of them and hang them up!

At this point, I cut up a faux leaf branch with some wire cutters in order to get smaller 3 leaf bunches, poking the ends of those into the holes I made for stringing the apples, just to one side of each apple. I added two bunches to either end of the garland.

Of course, you could get really creative and add many different things. Maybe even blend a pennant banner between the apples. Or, keep it simple. I really love mine.

Happy Halloween!

Just some pictures of pumpkin snacks and pumpkin carvings. Happy Halloween!

Fall Leaf Hanging

This pretty leaf hanging is just the thing to hang in an archway. It's easy to make and almost free, since I gathered the leafy branches from my back yard.

First, I dried the leaves between two towels for a few days, just to insure that they dried flat. I understand that there are more involved methods of drying leaves, especially if you're looking to preserve them for a long time. But since I sprayed them afterward with a clear, acrylic sealant, I figured they would be durable enough for my purposes.

Once they were sprayed with the acrylic spray and completely dry, I could begin to plan out the placement of the branches.

From there, it was pretty quick. I used hot glue and twine to hold together my bundles.

I looped a piece of twine to act as a hanger and attached that to the center of the two bundles.

I used hemp to create a simple bow for its center.

And hung the finished product in my dining room.

Pretty!

Butternut Squash Basil Pasta (Vegan Optional)

It's the season for squash. And I particularly love butternut squash. I've seen many recipes that vary up this idea, so feel free to search for more. This is just the way I chose to do it. It's really simple, really delicious, and really good for you.

Butternut Squash Basil Pasta (Vegan Optional):

1/2 a butternut squash, cooked

1/4 cup basil

1 box pasta shells, cooked and strained (toss with olive oil if preparing ahead of time to keep from sticking)

2 tablespoons vegenaise (or other vegan mayo-like spread)
1/4 cup olive oil

about 3/4 cup almond milk

salt and pepper to taste

I always cook squash the lazy way. I clean it off, intact, poke holes in it, and throw it in the oven at 350 for about 45 minutes (time depends on the size of the squash). I place foil underneath it or set it in a pan since the drippings from the slits in the skin will fall in the oven.

Once the squash is cooked, peel off the skin (so much easier to do when it isn't raw!), cube it up, and put it in your pot with the olive oil. Turn the heat to about medium-high. Use your favorite mashing tool to get it really smooshed up. I prefer this way rather than puree because I like some small chunks of squash. Snip or chop your basil and dump that in. Again, nothing wrong with some chunks of basil. They're delicious.

  

Place your dollop of about two tablespoons of vegenaise into the squash mixture, along with almond milk and salt and pepper (to taste) and stir it all together.

  

Toss your prepared pasta shells right into the pot.

Serve it up. Right away. Because it's delicious and you'll want to taste it quickly. I put a sprinkle of parmesan on top of mine, but if you'd rather go vegan go ahead and skip it.

Fantastic stuff, I tell you.

Leafy Runner for Fall

I love this fall table runner, made from an old sheet and stamped with leaves from my yard. The colors are beautiful and it's just the thing to spruce up the dining table or the buffet this fall.

To get the effect, I collected leaves from the yard and lightly brushed them with paint. Though I chose colors traditional to fall, it would be lovely in any colors you like.

Once the leaf was painted, I placed it (paint side down) onto the sheet material I had sized for the purpose. I placed a napkin over the top of the leaf and then used my rolling pin to imprint the leaf on the fabric. Rolling over the leaf only a couple of times is enough to leave a detailed imprint.

Experiment with the amount of paint you brush on the leaves as well as the pressure with which your press your rolling pin.

As you might be able to see, my fabric was folded length wise into a long rectangle. When the paint was dry and I was ready to sew, I simply folded it length wise with right sides together and sewed up the raw edges (no pictures for these steps, sorry). I then turned it right side out and ironed it flat into its long rectangle shape. I decided to top stitch each side so that it would lay nice and flat.

In order to close the ends (which were still raw at this point), I decided to use a small piece of fabric which I folded and ironed to be the width of the runner. You can see below how I prepared the small piece and then attached it to either end of the runner.

With all the edges sealed up and hemmed, it was time to choose its home.

It's such a nice and easy way to bring your outdoor leaves inside.

Fall Knitting 2013

In the fall, it's super fun to knit new and cozy things. This year, I made myself a new hat and cowl as well as a new cowl for the husband. I found both patterns free online; neither are my original work. Although, I did have to alter my hat pattern to make a matching cowl. Thanks to both pattern creators as both patterns were wonderful to work with.

Snow Tracks Hat

Modified Cowl from the same Snow Tracks pattern

Ziyal Cowl

Canning Apple Pie Filling

I used someone else's recipe to can some apple pie filling this weekend. Delicious.
For the recipe I used, go here.