The Shabby Nest: Good day for a Giveaway~

The Shabby Nest: Good day for a Giveaway~

Caramel Corn and A Contest!

I always think of caramel corn as a fall treat and fall is definitely in the air around here! Chauncey helped me make this treat and he said he was glad he got to help, because he could eat it while he watched his movie. He also enjoyed licking out the pot!

Caramel Corn

12 cups popped popcorn
1 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1 teaspoon soda
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Put the popcorn in a large bowl. Spray a cookie sheet with Pam. Heat the oven to 200 degrees.

In a large pot melt the butter, sugar and corn syrup. Heat to a rolling boil and stir constantly for 6 minutes. Remove from heat and add the soda, cream of tartar and salt and stir well. It foams up and kind of grows in the pot. Poor over the popped popcorn and stir well to coat. Pour onto cookie sheet and spread it around. Bake it for 1 hour. Cool and break it up. Enjoy!







Cheri at It's So Very Cheri is having a huge contest! There are lots of prizes to win and lots of chances!

Rock Necklaces, Mexican Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodles and A Contest!

I went on a nice run Saturday morning up in the mountains, and while I was there I started noticing the rocks. I found some nice smooth ones like these.

So I played around with some crochet cotton and made kind of a little sling for the rock, then I made some chains to hold them in and a chain to go around the neck. Voila! Rock necklaces!


So, I called Sloan in from her beloved tree swing and gave her a rock necklace! You wouldn't believe how happy she was! You don't know this, but the girl loves rocks! She has boxes of them hiding under her bed!



I found this new recipe for snickerdoodles over at Post Punk Kitchen Blog. I had to try them! My daughter told me that cayenne pepper and chocolate is a great mix in cookies! I did cut back a little on the cayenne. I thought they were great and the family liked them too. I might try them again without the cayenne.


Mexican Hot Chocolate Snickerdoodles

For the topping
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

For the cookies
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
3 tablespoons almond milk (I used skim milk)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon chocolate extract (or more vanilla)
1 2/3 cup flour (I used 1 cup flour and 2/3 cup whole wheat flour)
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne (I used about 1/3 teaspoon)

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Whisk the dry ingredients in a bowl.

Mix the topping ingredients in a small bowl.

In a mixer beat the oil and sugar. Add the maple syrup, almond milk and extracts. Mix in the dry ingredients. Roll into walnut size balls and then roll into the cinnamon sugar mixture. Place on cookie sheets about 2 inches apart, they will spread. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool.





Cheri at It's So Very Cheri is having a huge contest! There are lots of prizes to win and lots of chances!

There's another great giveaway over at Veater Family: Adventures!

Here's one more contest at HomeSpunThreads!

Apple Cake in an Iron Skillet

I found this recipe over at The Pioneer Woman the other day. It looked so yummy, I just had to try it. I just used some large apples I had in the refrigerator and I didn't peel them, the skins have some good fiber. I also used yogurt instead of sour cream, I added some whole wheat flour and I cut down the butter and sugar in the caramel part that you cook in the skillet first. The kids loved it. Sloan took the apples off and ate it. She doesn't like apples! I don't think I realized that before!


Apple Cake in an Iron Skillet

4-5 small Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into six slices (I used two large apples, unpeeled, cored and sliced into 12 slices
1 3/4 sticks butter ( I used about half of that)
3/4 cup sugar (I used 1/2 cup)

1 stick butter, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream (I used yogurt)
1 1/2 cup flour (I used 1 cup flour and 1/2 cup whole wheat flour)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 small Granny Smith Apple, peeled, cored and chopped finely (I used about 3/4 cup apple, unpeeled and finely chopped)

Preheat oven to 375.

In a 9-10 inch skillet, melt butter over low heat. Add the 3/4 cup sugar and stir. Place the apple slices over the butter syrup mixture. Don't pack them to tightly, but try not to leave overly large gaps. Allow this to cook over low/medium-low heat while you make the cake batter.

In a bowl whisk the dry ingredients.

In the bowl of an electric mixture beat the 1 stick of butter and the 2/3 cup sugar until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Mix in the vanilla and eggs. Mix in the sour cream. Add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Mix in the chopped apple.

Remove the skillet from the heat. Spoon the batter over the top, then spread gently so the batter is evenly distributed. Bake for 20-25 minutes., then cool for 10 minutes. Invert the skillet onto a serving plate.

Do you love SHOES?

Do you love shoes? I do, I do! Shoes are such a forgiving little accessory! They don't mind if you gain a pound or two! Would you like to win a sweet little pair of ballet flats with some fun little clip ons to match all you fall wardrobe? Click on over to Kojodesigns and follow all her instructions to enter a really fun giveaway! Who knows, you might be the lucky winner, or if you don't sign up, it might be me

It's the little things that make a house a home...: A Giveaway - Bella's Bowtique...

It's the little things that make a house a home...: A Giveaway - Bella's Bowtique...


Go over to The Olsen's for a great giveaway!

Whole Grain Waffles and a Poem, The Gift and a Giveaway!

I've had my heart and mind in other places this last week. Helping our daughter pack up for a move across country that she's not real excited about has been hard. I know things are going to work out, I just wish we could have them closer to home.

I found this wonderful poem on Mindika Moments. She wrote it for her daughter's first birthday. It put my mind right back to when my daughter Jennie was a baby and now, I can't fix things for her, but I know she has the strength to do it on her own.

THE GIFT
By: Mindi for my baby girl on her first birthday!

My baby girl
I would stop time if I could
Just for a moment

To breathe you in
To recognize every detail
To lock away this perfection

I would package it safely

Store it on a high shelf
Safe from every element

For I know…because I have been there…

You will come to me one day
Behind salted tears
Broken heart
Lost friend
Hard day
Hard year

You will say…

Why Mom?
Why can’t I have this?
Why can’t I be like that?
Why did this happen?
What is wrong with me?

That’s when I would pull it down
Open it up
And show you...

You at 1 year

And you would see…

What God sees
What I see

And you would know that everything will be ok

That would be my gift.


I forgot to take a picture of these waffles, but trust me, they look just like waffles!

These are a nice filling waffle and yet were still light even though you don't have to whip the egg whites. They come together pretty fast and the family ate them all up!

Whole Grain Waffles

3 tablespoons flax meal
1 cup flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup toasted wheat germ
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups skim milk
3 eggs
1 1/2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
Cooking spray

Heat waffle iron.

In a bowl whisk the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center and add the wet ingredients, mixing just until mixed. Spray hot waffle iron with cooking spray and scoop out batter. Cook until brown. Serve with butter and syrup.

Head over to Veater Family Adventures for a great giveaway!

Cheeseburger Meatloaf

This is a recipe I came up with years ago. We love cheeseburgers, so this meatloaf has everything in it that a cheeseburger has. It's good hot and makes great sandwiches when it's cold.

Cheeseburger Meatloaf

2 pounds lean hamburger
1 onion, minced
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/3 cup mayonnaise or Miracle Whip
1 tablespoon mustard
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons relish, any kind
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon smoky paprika
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cup grated cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large bowl mix all the ingredients until well mixed. Pack into a loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes then put on a platter and cut.

Cherry Drop Cakes And My Daughter's Big Move and a Contest!

We went up to Washington a few days ago to pack up my daughter's family for their move to New Hampshire. This is my granddaughter Jillian playing with the tags on the air mattress.

This is Amelia trying on the sweater I had made for her a while back. Doesn't she look like a little pink lamb! She asked her mom when they get to go to "The Hampster" she meant New Hampshire!


This is Reese playing his dad's guitar.


This is my sweet hubby playing with the kids, they are in their pretend car driving to New Hampshire!

Here's my daughter's family next to their moving truck! We finally fit everything into their truck. My daughter is driving their car with the two girls while Jay has Reese in the big truck!


This is another cookie recipe from my Southern Living Cookie Cookbook. It's funny because this cookbook has no pictures, and I love pictures, and I'm trying the recipes with out them! But I do love to make cookies! These would be a good cookie to make for Christmas with maybe some frosting tinted with the cherry juice. I wanted to use up some cherries that were in the fridge. Those condiments have a way of taking over!

Cherry Drop Cakes

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 (3oz pkg) cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (8 1/2 oz) can crushed pineapple, well drained
1/2 cup maraschino cherries, drained and chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl whisk the dry ingredients. Cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar for 3-4 minutes. Add the eggs and the extracts. Blend in the four mixture then the pineapple and cherries.

Drop with a cookie scoop onto cookie sheets. Bake for 12-14 minutes. Remove to cookie cooling racks to cool.

Check out the giveaway at A Soft Place to Land!

Also check out Kristens Creations for another giveaway!

Hazelnut Cinnamon Brownies and a Contest!

I was over at Two Peas And Their Pod the other day and found this recipe for brownies. I had to try it! I didn't have the hazelnuts to sprinkle on the top, but I had Nutella. You don't want to let Nutella sit around to long. It would be awful to have to throw it out! I don't know why I feel the need to save it! Maybe because it tastes like sin in a bottle! These brownies are gooey and yummy! Talk about sin!
Chauncey took the rest of them on our trip to Washington, I think he let his dad have one of them.

Hazelnut Cinnamon Brownies

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
4 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup Nutella
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons dark cocoa powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons mini chocolate chips
1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts, I didn't have any

Preheat the oven to 375 and line a 8x8 baking pan with foil and spray it with Pam.

In a bowl whisk the dry ingredients. In the microwave melt the butter and chocolate chips.

In a mixer beat the sugar, chocolate mixture, Nutella, eggs and vanilla. Beat in the dry ingredients. Pour into the foil lined pan and sprinkle with mini chocolate chips and hazelnuts. Bake for 23-25 minutes. Cool. Lift foil out of pan and cut into bars.

Head on over to Make It And Love It for a great giveaway!