The Magical Pumpkin Puzzle

My kids know me so well! They gave me a few adorable puzzles for my birthday this year. Grammy’s Crocheting World (the name was adjusted to fit my sensibilities–more on that later) from Rhen and Jessica.  One was an Autumn Farmhouse–that I think I might just have given to myself…heh, heh.

And the other was Patchwork Pumpkins from April.

I love all puzzles…as you know…

but I swear there was something amazing about this one.

It went together so quickly that I was stunned.

I think the trick was that each of the pumpkins…

were so unique…

and so very different from each other…

that it was simple enough…

to separate all the pumpkins into piles…

and put them together one at a time.

I honestly think this was the fastest a 1000 piece puzzle has ever come together for me.

There must have been something about listening to The Night Circus as I toiled away on it.

The book is full of magic and before I knew what was happening— poof!

two and a half days later…

the book was finished…

and so was the puzzle.

“It was like magic!”

I agree Harry…

it certainly was.

 

 

Things To Love…

this week…

One of my new favorite books given to me for my birthday–thanks Lyndi! Written so beautifully. Seriously an unforgettable tragic, powerful love story.

It is an incredible book.

Rows and rows and rows of more lovely books–that makes my soul happy just to look at them.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Sourdough bread that fills the house with a heavenly Autumn scent everytime I toast a slice. Yummmmo.

Getting allllll the the doTERRA Convention Kits in the mail in one giant box! Wahooo!

Listening to General Conference…always my favorite thing to do.

Fried eggs on toast with frozen fruit for breakfast.

My wild calico kitty key chain that hangs on my purse. I get a lot of questions about this little cutie.

Scrambled eggs, ham and sourdough toast for breakfast. Yum, again.

Finding the perfect place for my awesome oils–keeping them right where I can grab them in a second.

Conference crepes…and bacon…and hash browns…and scrambled eggs.

Oh myyyy.

So much fun stuff to love and be happy about.

What about you? What are YOU grateful for?

 

 

 

Bring It Halloween!!

Ohhhhh….yeahhhhh. We are ready for Halloween over here and I can PROVE it!

We have the Lego pumpkin patch with the giant mouse…

the creepy hand and ceramic Jack-o-lantern…

the spooky black kitty…

and fluffy ghost on a pumpkin chair.

We have creepy books and a little haunted house….

Monster Mash singing Frankie…

and the Snoopy bunch in their costumes.

We have popcorn balls…

and molasses cookies.

We are ready in every possible way!!

Bwahh hahahaha!!

Oh, and we have candy….

so much candy.

Happy Halloween everyone!!

Hee, hee.

 

 

 

 

Molasses Crinkle Cookies

We’ve made these cookies before Halloween every year…

since I was an itty, bitty kid.

My mom used to make them bigger and even flatter so that we could decorate them like pumpkins–with candy corn and life savers.

I even did it a couple of times like that when my kids were little but to be honest..

I like them better without the…ummm…toppings. 

And while I’m being brutally honest here, I’ll tell you another thing.

I like them…

almost…

burned.

Almost.

Some like them soft, but for me–

it’s all about the crunch.

 

 

Molasses Crinkles

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup butter

1/4 cup molasses

1 egg

Cream together, then add:

2 cups flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. cloves

1 tsp. ginger

2 tsp. baking soda

If you chill the dough for about an hour before baking, they will be easier to handle. Roll 1 inch dough balls in sugar and place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. Leave on pan a few minutes before moving to cooling rack.

Molasses Crinkles...
 
Ingredients
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ¾ cup butter
  • ¼ cup molasses
  • 1 egg
  • 2 cups flour
  • ¼ tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 tsp. cloves
  • 1 tsp. ginger
  • 2 tsp. baking soda
Instructions
  1. Cream together the first four ingredients, then add all the rest of the dry ingredients.
  2. Roll 1 inch dough balls in sugar and place on ungreased cookie sheet.
  3. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.
  4. Leave on pan a few minutes before moving to cooling rack.