The Amazing Plumeria

 In 2019 I posted about propagating a plumeria branch that a friend of Dave’s gave him and I was instructed to plant it and it’d become a tree. Since then it had grown a few inches and added some leaves but was pretty uninspiring and I’ve had my doubts about where we were going with this whole “grow a tree” idea. Fast forward to this summer and the thing has pretty much doubled in size, has a bunch of leaves, has what appears to be 3 offshoot branches forming, and I can’t believe I’m able to say this - we have flowers!!!!! 

Maybe it just needed the time to flower and grow, the only thing I did different this year is transplant it into a little bit bigger pot, and fertilized it a few times with plumeria fertilizer - I cannot wait to see what it does next summer! Now that it’s getting cold at night I’m  leaving it in the garage for a couple weeks and will then move it into the house in a sunny window. Fingers crossed! 

10.17.24: the amazing plumeria 

10.17.23: TT corner bed headboard

10.17.22: 10.17.22 

10.17.21: 🔥 week 42

10.17.20: panko crusted baked scallops

10.17.19: MSIH: chicken spaghetti

10.17.18: mini pumpkin diorama

10.17.2017: make a candy corn wreath

10.17.2016: paint a Halloween canvas

Halloween Puppy Chow

I love puppy chow, and then adding chopped up Reese’s, orange m&ms, candy corn, and fun candy eyes? Even better, and so fun for Halloween! 

• I’m writing this post away from home and don’t have my puppy chow recipe with me, I googled for one that seems like how I make it and am sharing this one until I verify it’s the same as mine - recipe found here 
• 12-oz. box of rice Chex cereal (about 10 cups)
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup salted butter
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• 2 cups powdered sugar (more as needed / desired

1. In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter at 30 second intervals until smooth and melted.
2. Stir in the vanilla and salt.
3. Pour chocolate over cereal – this recipe makes a very large batch so I do this in two big bowls. 
4. Use a wooden spoon to gently mix the cereal with the chocolate, being careful not to break the cereal.
5. Place the chocolate coated cereal in the bag and add the powdered sugar over the top (yes, just dump it right in). Shake the bag gently to coat all the pieces with powdered sugar –  personally I like to go for a wet/dry hybrid approach for optimal clustering, rather than an each-piece-individually-coated-and-dry approach. 
6. Transfer to a couple of baking sheets, or just lay it out on parchment paper to cool and set. Store this in the freezer for the best clustering and most satisfying crunch!

10.16.23: Halloween baggie wreath (re-run)

10.16.22: missed

10.16.21: beef and black bean enchiladas

10.16.20: popsicle stick rainbow by Brooke

10.16.19: german chocolate pie

10.16.18: white chicken chili

10.16.17: Ronda's October display table

10.16.16: burger salad

10.16.15: jack o'lantern gift enclosure

Tip-sy Tuesday: Freezing Apples

We have driveway apples again and this year I decided to try freezing them  - Googled and turns out it's easy! You don't have to put lemon juice or anything on them, just freeze chunks of apples. Here's what I did:

Peel and remove the core.

Dice or slice the apples according to how you plan to use them in the future. 

Lay them out in a single layer on plates or a baking sheet (if it'll fit in your freezer) and freeze them. 

Once frozen, put them in ziplock baggies and place back in your freezer. 

PS: HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUFFY!!! 

10.15.23: 🔥 week 42

10.15.22: missed

10.15.21: crockpot ribs

10.15.20: black and blue jilly jam

10.15.19: tip-sy tuesday: layering mascara by Brooke

10.15.18: sequin pumpkin

10.15.17: birthday hat bottle topper

10.15.16: old bay knock-off recipe

10.15.15: kitten miniature pumpkin

 

Anniversary Invitation and Shadowbox

I made this shadowbox for friends after their anniversary celebration last month - they had a champagne toast so I saved a cork* and had the idea to put a copy of the invite and the cork in a small shadowbox and give it to them as a little surprise. Turned out so cute!

I blurred some info in the above pic in case they didn't want me oversharing LOL 

In case you wonder - I also made the invite for them using a free template found at Greetings Island, download and then fill in whatever info you want to include. Pretty easy to do. 

*that's not exactly the whole story - I didn't save a cork, I saved all 24 of them figuring I'll find projects to use them hahahaha!! 

10.14.23: words

10.14.21: spiderweb deviled eggs with 'rotten' filling

10.14.20: chewy granola bars

10.14.19: paper pumpkin

10.14.18: around the campfire 

10.14.17: paper sunflower wreath

10.14.16: Brooke's curly hair tip

10.14.15: bats in a pumpkin

🔥 Around the Campfire (week 41)

Dear Campers ~ 

Here's a quick recap in case you missed anything at camp last week:

Posts ~

10/6: 🔥 week 40

10/7: Halloween skeleton kid craft

10/8: TT baking sheet divider 

10/9: cheese stick ghosts

10/10: stacked cider bar

10/11: sausage and cheese puffs 

10/12: words (be safe)

What's Cooking ~

• chicken marsala fettuccini, roasted asparagus
• pork chops, baked acorn squash, roasted green beans
• turkey chili, green salad
• baked salmon, parmesan couscous, steamed broccoli
• burger salad
• Macey's birthday pasta bar (red sauce with meatballs, alfredo), chopped salad

That's it for this week! See you next week for more projects, crafts, recipes, whatever we can think of to make at camp - bye :)

Sincerely ~

Jill

camp counselor

10.13.23: MSIH hawaiian baked chicken

10.13.22: missed

10.13.21: mozzarella stuffed Italian burgers 

10.13.20: TT: easy chicken teriyaki

10.13.19: 🔥week 41

10.13.18: butterfly treat bags

10.13.2017: costume ideas (for adults, there's a bunch of them!)
10.13.2016: making babies (baby plants, that is!)
10.13.2015: Sarge's reversible Halloween scarf

   

10/12 ~ Words

 

We took 1-year old Georgie to an animal adventure park near Grand Rapids (so much fun, it was like a petting zoo on  steroids - well it was mostly fun until we did a 'safari' and the llamas were so aggressive LOL) and this sign made me laugh so I'm sharing it for our Saturday 'Words'. The animals they are talking about on these signs are mini pigs, little goats, etc...nothing that would eat you hahahha). 

a goat jumped into her stroller!

10.12.23: Friday the 13th

10.12.21: TT- preserving pumpkins

10.12.20: pineapple jack o'lantern

10.12.19: baked spaghetti squash

10.12.18: Halloween flamingo

10.12.17: paper covered wood owl

10.12.16: Cassandra's no-bake cookies

10.12.15: Halloween tree

Sausage and Cheese Puffs

These are a delicious easy appetizer that you can easily double if you want more than 24 - and trust me you do want more than 24 so you have a chance of having some leftover for breakfast the next day hahah. Mmmm we love these. I forgot to take a picture so I found this one at Taste of Home that I'm borrowing until I remember to take a photo in the future that I'll add at that time!

• 1/4 lb. Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1/4 lb. cheddar cheese, grated
• 3/4 cup buttermilk baking mix
• 3 to 4 Tablespoons water

Preheat oven to 375',. Saute sausage over medium-high heat in medium sized skillet, breaking up with fork until browned and finely crumbled, about 7-10 minutes. Drain off excess fat. Transfer sausage to medium bowl and let cool slightly. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Form into 1-inch balls. Arrange on baking sheet. Bake until cheese is melted and puffs are lightly golden, about 10-12 minutes. Serve immediately.

Puffs can be baked ahead and frozen. Thaw and then reheat in 375' oven until warmed through, about 5-7 minutes.

Makes about 2 dozen.

from Bon Appetit's "Too Busy to Cook?" 

10.11.23: halloween display table with a recycled lightbulb ghost

10.11.22: TT stacked pumpkins

10.11.21: RV storage: hanging shoes

10.11.20: 🔥week 41

10.11.19: Brooke's dia de muertos cookies 

10.11.18: butterscotch sugar cookies
10.11.17: german chocolate bread
10.11.16: fixing the toilet lever
10.11.15: meatloaf stuffed acorn squash

Stacked Cider Bar

I saw this in one of my favorite house books by Myquillyn Smith  (Welcome Home) - when she entertains she likes to have a specialty drink and this idea for an apple cider bar is so fun! I haven't done it yet but it's the perfect time of year for all things apple cider so wanted to share this now in case I don't get around to doing it in time. 

Supplies:

• apple cider (heated)
• skewers (she uses wooden kabob skewers)
• mini pecan pies, mini donuts, or mini cupcakes
• apple slices
• orange slices
• caramels (put them at the bottom of the skewer so they melt in the cider)
• glass mugs or mason jars (something heavy so the filled skewers don't tip the drink)
• coffee carafe, crock pot, or Dutch oven to heat and serve the cider
• a ladle to serve the cider
• optional rosemary for garnish if you want to feel extra fancy

Fill each mug with hot cider, thread the treats on a skewer, and serve with the skewer as a garnish. 

10.10.23: TT oven-drying herbs

10.10.22: backpack charm

10.10.21: 🔥 week 41

10.10.20: bacon wrapped cocktail sausage

10.10.19: carving pumpkins

10.10.18: mummy pumpkin

Cheese Stick Ghosts

Mickey is looking for fun things to send to daycare - this one for cheese stick ghosts is sooooo cute (and easy!!). Just draw on a ghost face with a black sharpie on mozzarella sticks. Also in the background of this photo is another cute idea of sharpie faces on orange snack cracker packages. Fun!

looks like she screenshot this from Pinterest,
I don't know who to credit. 

10.9.23: halloween and fall card projects

10.9.22: 🔥 week 41

10.9.21: crockpot pork roast with cranberry sauce

10.9.20: stitch dolls by Grace

10.9.19: yellow squash soup 

10.9.18: pumpkin pail

10.9.17: zombie brain cheese ball

10.9.16: baked crab cakes

10.9.15: spider soap

Tip-sy Tuesday: Baking Sheet Divider

I saw this idea in a magazine add, can't remember what they were advertising but I noticed that they divided a baking sheet using aluminum foil and I wondered to myself why I'd never thought of it! Just line your baking sheet with foil, leaving a little extra overhang. Make a ridge by folding the foil up in the center of the pan (or however much space you need to hold different ingredients); this way the 2 sides of the pans remain separated. In my example I put salmon on one side and asparagus on the other.