Paula Deen's Cinnamon Toast Pecans

I have got to make this recipe! I love pecans, my mother loves pecans, my grandmother, my daughter, my sisters...we all love NUTS. I even married one. Ha!

These are from the ever so lovely Paula Deen and my dear Grandmother is the one who told me about them. She is making them today. I hope to get my supplies tonight.

Cinnamon Toast Pecans

Ingredients:

2 tablespoon butter, melted
2 tablespoon light corn syrup
2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 cup (about 1 pound) pecan halves

Directions:

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Stir together first 5 ingredients. Add pecans, tossing to coat. Spread coated nuts in a single layer on a large jellyroll pan. Bake for one hour stirring every 15 minutes. Let cool; store in an airtight container up to 2 weeks.

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Servings: 4 cups
Cook Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: Easy

Photo Credit: bethzialcita

You Gotta Try This - Yankee Candle Flavored Lip Balm

I went in to a Yankee Candle store down in Kansas City last month just to smell their fall candles. Nothing gets me in the mood more for fall than their Autumn Leaves scent. I like a lot of others too but that one just smells so darn good! Anyway, as I was checking out I noticed three large glass jars with what looked like miniature jar candles. One of the glass jars was completely empty and the other two were well on their way. The clerk explained to me that their store was a "test store" and that Yankee wasn't yet selling these everywhere. She said that they were flying out the door. I snatched one up for $2.99. They must have done well at all of the test stores because you can now buy them online. Just click here. I only had two choices: Buttercream and Vanilla Lime. I chose Buttercream because the other had a funky smell. I would love to try the Sweet Strawberry or Vanilla Cupcake. In case you are wondering it doesn't leave a bad taste in your mouth. In fact, there isn't really a taste at all even though they claim that you can "indulge your taste for great Yankee fragrance ... literally". Besides having a great smell it is just so darn cute in it's littler jar-shaped container.

Hope you are having a wonderful Tuesday. God bless you!
Hugs, Anna

Blog Neglect AND New Header

I know I have been ridiculous about posting in the past few months. It just seems like every time I sit down to type a post I get bombarded with a million other things that need my attention. Hmm...let's see what has happened since I last posted.

In July and August almost every weekend was spent with some friends at their lake property in Big Lake, Missouri. Talk about relaxing! They own a large cabinet smoker so our husbands made us awesome food pretty much every weekend. Yum! Addie loved the lake {and the three kiddos and huge dog that she got to play with}.

At the end of August we went to a friend's wedding in Lincoln, Nebraska and on our way home we decided to stay the night in Omaha and take Addie to the Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo the next day. She hadn't been yet and we were so excited for her to see all of the animals. She loved it!

We were so excited at the end of August to find out that we were pregnant; but within a couple of days I had a miscarriage. I had to go to the doctor and have some blood work done. Everything was fine and they just said it was a really early miscarriage. I was really upset for about a week or two but I realize that everything happens according to God's perfect plan for our lives. If He wants us to have more children it will happen.

September saw trips to the park to play and feed the ducks as well as a garage sale. I don't think I ever want to have another one of those as long as I live. You put so much work into them and don't always end up with a good turn out.

Now we are into October and loving it! We have made trips to the orchard, park and local shops with lots and lots of pumpkins and mums. I just love all of the color! Addie and I are spending lots of time together since Daddy is busy with harvest. We miss him a lot!

We just found out that we will be moving at the end of November or beginning of December. I am not too thrilled about moving this time of the year but I can completely overlook that because we are getting to move to a house. I am so excited about the extra space {I get to finally have a craft room} and getting to paint. We have rented apartments and duplexes since we got married and we have never been able to have color on our walls. You can imagine my excitement.

Do you like my new header?
I was getting to the point that I thought I was going to have to just pay someone to make me a header {that is what I did with my other blog} but I came across this post at Clover Lane and it was so easy. I definitely recommend it! I can't wait to make one for the other blog.


Well that is it for me right now. I don't have the time or the energy to find pics for all of the above events. Perhaps future posts???
Tell me if you make a header using that tutorial.

Hugs, Anna

exciting

Stop by my other blog Rusty Cottage to see my exciting news today!
Also, I have added some new items to my Rusty Cottage Etsy shop.
You can link up from there or by scrolling down to my shop link on here.

prayer pail

I just saw this idea over at Joy's Hope and I love it.
I definitely want to do this with Addison.
She already has such a love for prayer.
She won't go to sleep for a nap or at nighttime unless she has went
through about twenty names of friends and family thanking the Lord for them.
This will make prayer even more fun and meaningful for her.
I can't wait to make it!

german chocolate chip oatmeal & pecan cookies

Whew! That is a mouthful of cookie title up there, eh?
You have to make these!
Hands down, best cookies I have ever made.
Best part besides their yumminess???...super easy to make!

What you need:

1 box cake mix: chocolate or german chocolate (both equally yummy)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup oatmeal (you can do less if you want)
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla (optional)
1 cup pecans (optional...you can do less or more...or do a different nut)


Preheat oven to 350.
Combine all ingredients, blending well.
If the mixture is too stiff you can add a little bit of water.
Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until set.
Cool and enjoy!

diy...a new take on the memo / picture board

It is DIY day at A Soft Place to Land and I am linkin' up!

I bought a big, cheap frame in the clearance section at Hobby Lobby.

I primed it.

Then I spray painted it with Rust-Oleum Painter's
Touch Colonial Red (sorry no picture for this step)

Then I turned it over
Added a saw tooth hook thingy
Several ribbons and seam binding in various lengths w/ ring clips tied to the ends
Then I used my trusty staple gun to stable the ribbon to the back.

And voila!!!
A cute memo / picture board for my craft area!

Another thought I had after I did this is that I could add some cork board or fabric covered foam board to the back to allow more space for my stuff. Might have to do that some time. I made this a couple months ago...my clips are full now!

i love buttons

I found most of these old buttons at an estate sale last summer and the rest have been picked up at antique stores and flea markets. I still have a ton of them left: some I am keeping, some I am selling in one of my Etsy shops, some I have used in projects and some of them I am using in a decorative jar.

The day I sorted them...fun stuff!

I don't know what it is about buttons but I just love them. They are so cute, can be so colorful and can be used in so many ways.

win this totally awesome stuff

You could win all of that awesome stuff in the picture if you simply went to the Fantabulously Frugal blog and entered. There are no strings attached at all and you don't even have to have a blog. But, I really don't WANT you to go because then that decreases MY chances. So...I'm just sayin'. :o)

a healthy sandwich

My sister introduced me to this sandwich.
Its Ezekiel bread, with a layer of avocado, slivered almonds and alfalfa sprouts. That's it!
This sandwich is chock full of nutrients and good stuff.
The one she first made me was surprisingly wonderful.
But then when I tried to make one myself (the one in the photos) it was super bland.
I think my avocado wasn't ripe enough.
It helps if you mix a little salt in with your avocado. I'm just sayin'.
I know it makes it "less" nutritious, but you just might gag otherwise.
Try it! Really, try it!
Think of what you are doing for your body.
All those healthy sprouts and "good" fat from the nuts and avocado.
Maybe it would be good with some salsa mixed in the avocado...salsa isn't too terribly unhealthy is it?

Hugs
~ Anna Marie