Happy Fall Y'All

Tom and I had a "Happy Fall Y'All" party this weekend!  We had a great time filled with fall festivities.  We decorated the front and back of our house with hay bales, scarecrows, and mums.  We also ripped out the bushes from the front of our house and it made such a difference.  We still have to remove the stumps and eventually plant some nicer shrubs, but is is so nice to have controlled the jungle that used to be the front of our house.  At Fall Y'All, we had fall themed foods with hero sandwiches, homemade soups (I made the Pioneer Woman's Broccoli Cheddar Soup and my sister-in-law made chicken noodle).  I also made an Amish apple pie and scarecrow cupcakes.  We also roasted farm fresh corn on the BBQ grill.  If you've never made corn on the grill, it is so easy and so delicious!  First, pull back the husk leaves but don't pull them all the way off.  Just peel them back so you can rip out the corn hair, then fold the leaves back over the corn.  Next, soak the corn in water with a tablespoon of salt for ten minutes.  Then put it on the grill and turn in occasionally.  Don't be alarmed if the husks burn up and even go on fire a bit, they will be tasty!  After they were cooked, we used our "butter boy"( if you don't have one you should)!  He is so cute and fun to butter with and then we used a little salt and pepper.  Our bushel of roasted corn was a huge hit!

Sunflower from our garden

Amish apple pie

Roasted pumpkin seeds

Our Jack O Lantern

Happy Fall Y'All Juliet!

Scarecrow cupcakes

So glad those bushes are gone!

We also planned  fun games for the kids who attended our party.  We did a pin the smile on the skeleton, let the kids pick and decorate pumpkins from our "patch", played Halloween Bingo, had a pumpkin pinata, and had some other Halloween crafts.  Plus the kids just love running around our yard.  We also played Left, Right, Center with the adults.  It is a dice game where everyone needs $3 singles to play.  Tom's aunt was the big winner!

The weather was absolutely perfect for Fall Y'All and I think it might become a Tom & Jamie tradition,  We enjoyed sharing our little piece of the country with our families.

I've also been using the Cooking for a Cure Cookbook to try out some of the recipes from my family and friends who contributed to the book.  I made Linda Mitchell's Balsamic Glazed Chicken with Pearl Onions (Tom loves pearl onions, it is a Thanksgiving necessity for him) and Stevi's Slow Cooker Beef Stew.  Both were delicious and I am so appreciative of everyone who helped make my cookbook dreams come true.  I also made Zucchini Pancakes, so delicious.   You can find Ina's Garten's recipe here!  Whether you gave me a recipe, bought a cookbook, or both I am so thankful that I was able to create this special collection in memory of my mom.  Plus I am thrilled about the baskets Stevi and I created for our two families affected by cancer.  I hope they enjoy their "Ultimate Days of Fun" that we were able to put together from Crocheting, Crafting, and Cooking for a Cure this year.

Balsamic Glazed Chicken with Pearl Onions

Zucchini Pancakes

Stevi's Slow Cooker beef stew

Happy Fall Y'All!