Whatever Wednesday ( Happy Halloween)

I hope that everyone has a safe Halloween. I know my kids are so excited to go out tonight. If only if wasn't so cold and windy here in Indiana.
Last Saturday I helped host a Halloween Party for Girl Scouts. Today I am posting pictures from it. Enjoy -Mindy

We did a bucket toss game.

They decorated pumpkin cookies with orange icing and candy corn.

We did another games where they picked a number and won tickets ( which they cashed inf or prizes later)

We did a Mystery Bucket.

and a craft. Pumpkin Picture Frames.

Of course we had to do a sucker tree but we used a pumpkin for it.

We set up a background to take pictures of everyone.

They turned out so cute.

After they played games they got to turn in their tickets for prizes.

Overall it went really well and I think all the girls had fun!

Tasty Tuesday Carmel apple bites Failed

Hey guys
 I had this great blog planned for today.  I was going to make Carmel apple bites.  They sounded so easy I figured there was not way I could mess them up.  I was wrong.  I still don't know what happened.  All I know is I had the nuts chopped, the apples cut in to pieces and then tried to melt carmel and it all fell apart. here is my carmel.

 

 

 and these are my failed carmel apple bites. 

 if I get some time tonight I will be trying to make candy corn bark if it turns out I will blog tomorrow

Make It Monday ( Sucker Pumpkin)

I was trying to come up with some easy games for the Girl Scout Halloween Party we had on Saturday. I wanted to do a sucker tree so I decided to make it out of a pumpkin. It was really easy to do. Take a nail and make holes in the pumpkin and then stick suckers in the holes. We marked some with black dots and the kids that pulled that sucker got a prize. Simple, easy and the kids love it!

Freezer Friday ( Chicken Tater Bake)

It has been a busy week at my house. My daughter has been sick and we just found out that she is going to have to have her tonsils out. The last couple of weeks have been filled with craft shows and working on stuff  for that. I am still healing from my hysterectomy so it has just been a little crazy. Luckily I had made a bunch of meals and froze them before my surgery. The one I am getting ready to post is really good. It reminds me of a chicken pot pie. I hope you try it and like it.

Chicken Tater Bake

2 cans (10-3/4 ounces each) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted

1/2 cup 2% milk

1/4 cup butter, cubed

3 cups cubed cooked chicken

1 package (16 ounces) frozen peas and carrots, thawed

1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1 package (32 ounces) frozen Tater Tots

• In a large saucepan, combine the soup, milk and butter. Cook and stir over medium heat until heated through. Remove from the heat; stir in the chicken, peas and carrots, and 1 cup cheese. 
• Transfer to two greased 8-in. square baking dishes. Top with Tater Tots; sprinkle with remaining cheese.
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• Cover and freeze one casserole for up to 3 months. Cover and bake the remaining casserole at 350° for 35 minutes. Uncover; bake 5-10 minutes longer or until heated through.
• To use frozen casserole: Remove from the freezer 30 minutes before baking (do not thaw). Cover and bake at 350° for 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 hours or until heated through. Yield: 2 casseroles (6 servings each).

Next week we will be posting some Halloween stuff. A friend of mine and I are going to be hosting a Halloween party for about 70 Girl Scouts tomorrow so I will have games and stuff to post ( if I survive it lol)
Have a great weekend!
Mindy

Thrifty Thursday ( Halloween Mystery Bucket)

My friend Jane and I are getting ready to host a Halloween Party for all the Daisy's and Brownie's in our service unit. We are expecting around 50 girls. Today I made a mystery bucket for one of the games. It was really easy. First I bought a bucket.

I put some fun stuff in it ( candy, small toys, etc)

I wrapped the outside with some green tissue paper

I cut out a black circle to cover the top. In the middle of the circle I cut out a square so they can rech down and get a prize. I taped some green tissue paper on it and cut it to make it fringed.

I cut the green paper around the edge to be fringed also.

Tasty Tuesday ( Ground Beef Spiral Bake)

Ground Beef Spiral Bake
( I got this recipe from Taste of Home)

• 1 package (16 ounces) spiral pasta
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 2/3 cup chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 jars (26 ounces each) spaghetti sauce
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 4 cups (16 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions

• Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain. Stir in the spaghetti sauce, tomato paste, basil and oregano. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5-10 minutes.
• Stir pasta into meat mixture. Transfer to two greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dishes. Sprinkle each with 2 cups cheese. Cover and freeze one casserole for up to 3 months.
• Bake the remaining casserole, uncovered, at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until heated through.
• To use frozen casserole: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until heated through. Yield: 2 casseroles (8 servings each).
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Make it Monday sign holders

Today I am going to tell you about the wonderful sign holders Scott and I made last week for the last craft show.

sign holders in use

First we cut 2X2 for the part standing up.  Then we cut 2X4 long enough to support the hight of the 2X2's.

Then you screw the 2X2 to the 2X4

You end up with something that looks like this.

Then you use white glue to attach a clothes pin to the top.

and you get this

 I then painted them black

This is a picture of them in use at the last craft fair.

thrifty thursday blue jean pumpkin

Blue jean pumpkin.  I did not take pictures for a step by step because this is so easy.
this is what you will need:
pair of old blue jeans with at least one leg to cut.
heavy thread and a needle
plastic bags

First find a old pair of blue jeans.  Cut off about a foot of the leg.  Make a running stitch around one end with heavy thread.  Now pull the thread to make the end close like you would to make a yo yo. Secure the thread so it doesn't come loose and tie it off.
Next stuff with plastic bags.
Then make another running stitch around the opening and pull it closed.  Secure and tie off the thread and you are done.  See how simple. 

Whatever Wednesday Pictures from the craft show last weekend

The shutters in use.  What do you think?  I really like them.

this one has necklaces on it

close up of earrings on shutter

I love this necklace

printers boxes

mindy gave these to me I love them just fill them up and stack them in the car.

when you get to the show pull them out and put them on the table ready to go

Scott sleeping. Someone accually thought he was a stuffed man for halloween.

Mindy and Jane setting up

Mindy and Jane's booth

Jane is thinking Mindy has to much stuff here lol

Part of Mindy's booth and some random lady in the background

We had way to much stuff for that size booth

Jane flirting with the WFMS ( radio station) guy

Stephanie