Here are some pumpkins carving ideas that I would love to try. I really like the faux wood grain pumpkin.




Pictures and ideas from marthstewart.com

Garage Sales

My family had a garage sale at the Sioux Center city-wides this weekend. We set up shop in my grandma's garage, and actually had a really good turnout. My grandma sold the most stuff (she had a ton of kitchen supplies that she was selling out of her camper). We had a great time sitting around and chatting during the down times and trying to sell our stuff while people were there. Whatever stuff I had left, I donated to a local thrift store that sells for domestic abuse prevention.

I also had the chance to go to some sales around town. Walked away with a microwave and a riding lawn mower. We also found a globe, canisters, books, and random neat things.

Anyone else go to any sales? What could you not walk away from?

Long Weekend

Avery playing baseball.

We toured Schell's Brewery in New Ulm, MN. The whole place was really beautiful, old brick buildings, victorian houses, and of course good beer.

A peacock found at the brewery before we left.

The door to the old brew house.

Things are in the saddle,
And ride mankind.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Check it out!

Making the Sauce

This weekend we picked apples from the trees on Uncle Marlin's farm. We decided to make some applesauce and added some different flavors. One batch was made with Apple Pie spice and the other with raspberry flavoring. They both turned out super yummy.

Night Visitor

Rob and I were watching a Podcast yesterday on how to make a bat house. We decided that once we had a place of our own, we would probably build a bat house to help out with the mosquito population. So, last night I went out to grab my mom's cat to take inside. I was looking in the garage when I heard and saw movement in the pop can box. Rob came out with gloves and looked in the box and found a bat trying to get into a beer can. So, he grabbed to can and put it in a box and brought the box out to the back end of my mom's yard. Hopefully the bat just flew away. Here is a blurry pic of the cute little guy.

New Reads and Resources

All summer Rob and I have been tending a rather large garden in Doon at Rob's uncle's house. It has been great working in the dirt and enjoying the fruits of our labor. I have canned so many different things (whole tomoatoes, pizza sauce, spaghetti sauce, sweet pickles, dill pickles, strawberry jam, salsa, vegetable soup) and frozen different produce too (cherry tomatoes, zucchini, peppers, strawberries, pesto). It has been really fun to see how much produce we have and learning the process of canning and freezing from my mom. All of the work we have done has made us want to learn and do more. Hopefully we will soon own our own small piece of land and will be able to do more. Eventually we want to have chickens, maybe goats, and in the long run be able to brew beer. This book is a great resource. It shows all the steps in order to create a homestead and be able to produce a lot of food for yourself.



If any of you have ever tried to bake bread, check out this book. The authors show you how you can have a fresh loaf of bread everyday. The first book they wrote focuses on the whole process of baking bread and saving the dough in the fridge so that the next day all you have to do is pull a piece off, form it, and bake it. It is full of tons of recipes for different types of breads. I have made boule, pizza, oatmeal bread, pretzels, and sticky buns. A couple weeks ago I went to Minneapolis with my mom and sister to take a class given by the authors. They demonstrated different techniques from the book, and how to have successful bread each time. This book is full of recipes that use whole grains. I haven't tried any of the recipes yet, but I am excited to get started.

Garden Adventures

Now on Etsy

I am trying something new. I have items left from the craft show I did in June, so I thought I would try and sell them on etsy.com. I am not done putting items up, but you can check it out now if you like. If you haven't been on Etsy before it is a place where people can sell their handmade items. It is great place!

Here is the link to me: meganhaan.etsy.com

I hope you enjoy!

Sticky Caramel Pecan Rolls

My first try at making caramel rolls. I haven't tasted them yet... but they smell really good.

Artisan Bread

My mom has a book called Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. The whole idea behind this method of baking bread is that you make a big batch of dough, put it in the fridge, pull off a piece anytime you want fresh bread and bake it. After making bread with my grandma one time, I have wanted to make bread again. Yesterday I made the "Master Recipe" and it turned out pretty good. I am planning to make a pizza tonight with part of the dough and fresh basil from our garden. Carmel-pecon rolls tomorrow.

the old

Yesterday I stopped in Canton to visit a couple antique stores. These places were packed full of beautiful color and objects. It took me a while to get through both places, but well worth it. I found so many things. One booth was full of old Pyrex. There was a set of 4 green bowls that stacked inside each other. There were also tons of old aprons made with vintage fabric. Here are just a few pictures I grabbed with my phone. I only walked out with a small beige and green hankie, but I am sure I will be going back for more.

American Jane

This is my new favorite fabric. It is made by designer Sandy Klop. Moda prints her designs, so you can go to their website to purchase it. I want to make this quilt sometime. I just have to start collecting the fabric.

Here is her website.

Saturday morning at 6:30, I went with my Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle and Mom to pick strawberries by Sanborn, Iowa. We ate a great breakfast at a small town diner, and then got to the patch around 8. I picked one flat (11 lbs) for myself, and everyone else picked two. It was a beautiful morning to do it.

When we got home, my mom and I made strawberry jam. I made mine with no sugar. I came out with 9 jars. I also frozen 5 half pint containers for ice cream topping and sliced a little over four cups for two strawberry pies. Here is the recipe I used for the pies. They are also not sugar added. Instead of making my own crust, I used the philsbury roll out dough (which is extremely easy). The pies are extremely good.

Ingredients:
FILLING
1 pint strawberries (cleaned and stems removed)
2 cups water
1 large package sugar free strawberry Jello
1 tablespoon cornstarch

CRUST
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 teaspoon Equal Brand Sweetener for Recipes, or 6 packets Equal Brand Sweetener
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons cold margarine, cut into pieces
10-11 tablespoons ice water

Topping
Lite Cool Whip Non-Dairy Frozen Whipped Topping, thawed

Instructions:
For Filling:
Boil water and cornstarch until it begins to thicken. Add jello; dissolve. Pour over 1 pint strawberries in prebaked crust ( see crust recipe below). Cover top with Lite Cool Whip.

Crust:
Combine flour, Equal Sweetener and salt in bowl; cut in margarine with fork until mixture is crumbly. Mix in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing after each addition. Refrigerate until ready to use or well chilled.

To Bake Crust:
Bake pie crust at 375 degrees F. For partially baked pie shells, bake 10 to 12 minutes. For fully baked crusts, bake 15 to 18 minutes. Instead of using foil or beans to hold down the crust, use a foil pan that is the same size as the pie pan and place in the crust for the first 6 minutes. When crust begins to color around the edges, take the pan out and finish to desired brown-ness.

Fill baked, cooled crust with strawberry filling, and top pie with Lite Cool Whip.

Art Festival

Saturday, June 5 from 9-4 at the Centre Mall I will be selling earings and pouches at the Art Festival. Stop by to see my products and me!

Spare time = Creative time

In four years we have...

1. graduated college

2. moved to Chicago
3. got and conquered diabetes
4. went to a huge handful of awesome concerts, plays, and museums
5. learned an amazing amount about life, ourselves, and cats
6. suffered important loses
7. witnessed beautiful births
8. ate sensational food
9. drank a lot of coffee
10. worked full-time jobs in our fields
11. decided that we wanted to be closer to family
12. moved back to Sioux Center
13. been incredibly happy the entire time

Happy Anniversary!

getting back to my roots....

Rob and I are officially residents of Sioux Center now. He came out to Chicago with my family this past weekend, and we came back with all of our stuff. (For the record - my dad weighed the trailer before and after and our life weighs about 4,500 lbs.) We are so excited and relieved to finally have the move over with.

So... HELLO Northwest IOWA!

Procrastination

Rob is now in Sioux Center. We drove half way yesterday to do a hand off with his sister. He has taken Ollie with him, so now it is just me and Neko here, which means it is very quiet. I have been delaying as much as possible to continue the never-ending task of packing (for those of you who don't know, Rob and I are moving back to nw Iowa because he is now working for Alpha Omega in Rock Rapids).

In my procrastination, I was looking at old Threadbanger Podcasts and found a T-Shirt recon that I wanted to try. It only took about 5 min.

If the video doesn't work, you can try to link:

http://www.threadbanger.com/tb-projects/episode/THR_20090811