The Mid-November Christmas Itch

.... I can't fight it. I love getting ready for Christmas, even before Thanksgiving Break arrives. I know many people who can't stand any mention of Christmas until at least Black Friday, but I can't stop thinking about it and I don't care who knows it. I briefly mentioned in my last post that I'm attempting to give mostly (if not completely) homemade or repurposed Christmas presents, and that's quite a challenge. I've already begun planning, and I thought I'd share some of my inspirations on this blog. The idea of giving people gifts that take time and effort, love and care to create really excites me. Sometimes when I buy people gifts and wrap them I forget what I'm even giving them... another great part about homemade gifts is that they are usually less expensive!

Creature Comforts is a blog I visit time and again for craft and decor ideas - it's bright, joyous, and full of inspiration. There are a lot of great, relatively simple craft ideas (both holiday-themed and not) and a tab on the homepage where you can download printables like labels, gift tags, fonts and project templates. She has a few posts up about different types of homemade wreaths, a gift idea that I'm right in the middle of working on myself.

Smile and Wave is another eclectic blog that's jam packed with cool ideas that I recently discovered. I've been searching the handmade and holiday tags for inspiration and have not been disappointed.

Bugs and Fishes is another one of my absolute favorite craft-type blogs; this one is mainly focused on felt crafting, which is something I haven't tried much of yet, but it seems to be a popular medium right now. My favorite parts of this blog are the Christmas tutorials with instructions on how to make simple Christmas tree decorations and such and the Gift Wrap Ideas section, with tons of interesting and new ideas of how to wrap all your wonderful homemade gifts.

Hopefully I will be able to take a few photos of things I'm working on and get more into Christmas... but I'll wait a little while. Are you ready for Christmas? Got any projects going? Please share!

Two Pumpkin Recipes + Leola's Vintage Home & Garden

We're smack dab in the middle of fall and if you ask me, there's nothing better right now than delicious pumpkin treats.

This first recipe for Pumpkin Swirl Brownies is from a really great, very seasonal food blog called Smitten Kitchen. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes to cook simple but delicious food with the freshest ingredients! I made these brownies just the other night and to be honest I was a little worried about the pumpkin/chocolate flavor combination, but it was really great; I normally prefer a fudgier brownie but these were fluffier and more like cake. Interested? Heeeeeere you go!

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 to 3/4 cups sugar (the original recipe calls for the larger amount; I think it could be dialed down a bit)
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups solid-pack pumpkin
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts or other nuts (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch square baking pan or dish. Cut a length of parchment that will cover the bottom and two sides (makes it much easier to remove), and line the pan with it. Butter the lining as well. (Deb note: I used an 8-inch square, because it was what I had. It works, too, but the brownies are crazy thick and take much longer to bake, just to give you a heads-up.)

2. Melt chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth.

3. Whisk together flour, baking powder, cayenne, and salt in a large bowl; set aside. Put sugar, eggs, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat until fluffy and well combined, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in flour mixture.

4. Pour half of batter (about two cups) into a separate bowl and stir chocolate mixture into it. If you find that it is a little thick (as mine was) add a little more batter (a few tablespoons or so) until it is more pourable. This is important because mine was quite thick, and the pumpkin half was quite thin, so I had trouble swirling the two together.

5. In other bowl, stir in the pumpkin, oil, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Transfer half of chocolate batter to prepared pan smoothing top with a rubber spatula. Top with half of pumpkin batter. Repeat to make one more chocolate layer and one more pumpkin layer. Work quickly so batters don’t set.

6. With a small spatula or a table knife, gently swirl the two batters to create a marbled effect. Be sure to get your knife all the way to the bottom of the pan–I didn’t, and ended up with a chocolate base, not that it is such a bad thing. Sprinkle with nuts, if using.

7. Bake until set, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into 16 squares.

The second recipe I wanted to share is from the kitchen of my friend's mom who once made this for me on my birthday (Halloween!). Most squash soups are somewhere between savory and slight natural sweetness but this one is all out sweet. I like to have some as dessert or even an appetizer, served with cold milk and some Trader Joe's Triple Ginger Snaps!

Cindy's Pumpkin Soup

2 - 29 oz. cans 100% Pumpkin

1 - 12 oz. can evaporated milk

1 - 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

Each of these ingredients is to taste:

brown sugar

vanilla extract

nutmeg

cinnamon

ginger

salt

Milk to thin the soup

Add first 3 ingredients and thing to liking with milk (or cream); add seasonings to taste while heating on low heat. That's all! My favorite thing about making this recipe is that it is completely customizable.  Enjoy!

My 3rd favorite pumpkin treat? Braum's Pumpkin Ice Cream. I highly recommend. 

The last thing I wanted to mention in this post is a favorite store of mine located in Ozark just behind Lambert's called Leola's Vintage Home & Garden. If you're into somewhat romantic, cottage style vintage stuff, you need to know about Leola's! It's a hard place to describe... but each time I go there I get inspired to make something or decorate something! I just went to their open house this past weekend (which they do each season) and got so inspired to start my homemade Christmas gift-making adventure! They don't have a website, but they often update their Facebook page with news and photos of the store (which might give you a better idea of the feel of it than I have described...). They're open every day of the week, from 9:30 until 5 p.m. on Monday through Saturday and on Sunday from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m.. 

Quick Etsy Roundup... No tengo tiempo para ti

You'll have to forgive me for the shortness of this post... okay, you don't have to, but guess what! This week has been incredibly busy: schoolwork, family time, my birthday this past weekend... and to top it all off, my brother is getting married in six hours. Yes, on a Tuesday. No, I'm not lying.

So, in lieu of a real post, here is a quick roundup of links to a few neat and local Etsy shops. Never heard of Etsy? Go check it out! It's a website that sells only homemade and vintage items from independent sellers, and it's the best spot to find great unique gifts, in my opinion.

Here they are:
Cool wall decals by Designfruit
Assorted baby items and other cute things by naomianselmo
Unique beaded jewelry by LaJubilee
Interesting woven things by weaver1141
Cool, earthy jewelry by lilruby

Oh, The Places You Could Go!

I'm one of those people who used to believe that there was nothing to do in Springfield and no cool places to spend a day off wandering around that were indoors. Then I took a look around. Downtown is a particularly amazing place these days, has anyone else noticed? Here are a few places I've been to recently and particularly enjoyed.

• Indie Boutique is located at 210 E. Walnut Street and features a nicely organized mix of vintage, locally made and independently designed items. They offer a fairly wide collection of clothing as well as vintage decor items, records, and more. A great place to check out if you're looking to buy clothes or accessories and would like to buy vintage or local items. Not only do they carry women's, but one half of the store is devoted to men's clothing. They don't have a website (that I could find, anyhow) but you can check out some photos of their inventory on their Facebook. 
• Tea Bar & Bites Bakery and Cafe is a quaint little restaurant at 621 S. Pickwick right by Homegrown Foods. The food is great and the atmosphere is cozy and unpretentious. They serve great sandwiches and interesting sides that are a departure from the average tea room menu. They also offer a huge selection of desserts, and you can check up on their daily specials on their Facebook page!
• Funtiques Market is a fun (or perhaps funny, to some) place to go, offering wacky, interesting items from many eras... walking into the store you see an explosion of color, and there is a lot to see, from a wall covered in vintage clothing to an entire room full of vintage furniture. Everything at this store is in great condition if you're looking to buy and is very entertaining if you're not! Check out their website or Facebook for more info. 
• Last but absolutely not least is Askinosie Chocolate! It's hard to believe that one of the best chocolate makers in the country is located just downtown on Commercial Street. I got to take a long-awaited tour yesterday, complete with samples and tons of info about their unique chocolate making methods. Not only is their chocolate amazing (if I remember correctly, their White Chocolate Bar was named one of the ten best chocolate bars by the London Times!) but they operate with a mentality to serve the global community and do good by direct trade with farmers and more. You can read up on the good they do and the great chocolate they make on their website - or better yet, take a tour! They're offered every Tuesday at 3 pm -the same day each week that they bake and sell 2 types of cupcakes: coincidence? I think not. 

Farmers Gastropub

This week's post will be short, sweet, and dedicated to informing you about a restaurant I tried today. I heard about it a while ago, and finally decided to go after spotting it last night while leaving The Moxie (another great local thing everyone should know about!) and I'm glad I did.

Farmers Gastropub can be found in the Wilhoit Plaza on Jefferson Avenue. Their hours are a bit complicated, you can find them on their website in the About section. The menu at this restaurant is constantly changing, which leads me to the coolest thing about it: Farmers Gastropub uses as much fresh, locally grown, organic and sustainable ingredients as possible. Today, on my first visit to the restaurant, I ordered a cup of the daily soup, which was a delicious butternut squash, the English pub staple of fish and chips, and finished it off with a perfect crème brulée. Everything was really great and I can't wait to go back again someday for Sunday Brunch! 

Crafty Geek Out

Highlight of my weekend: myself and a few of my family members hit up the Ozark Craft Fair , an event I had never been to until this year. Now, I preface this post with the perhaps-obvious disclaimer that there are a lot of booths at any craft fair that are just not worth seeing. It doesn’t matter what your taste is, that will always be the case. But this craft fair actually exceeded my expectations. 

Sure, Ozark and Springfield are good places to find flea markets, independent craftsmen, and even a few great antique stores, but anyone, I mean anyone, can have a booth at a craft fair. This fact, combined with the striking presence of fried food (an ever-expanding food category) and the mass of people and pick-up trucks involved can be kind of a turn-off for some. However, the Ozark Craft Fair really had a lot to offer (other than delicious kettle corn). So, although it’s difficult for me to describe the fair in much detail, other than that there were more booth-filled tents than I could rummage through in two hours, I can say definitively that the event was worth attending. In the past I’ve not enjoyed them enough to think of fairs as good weekend activities, even though I love crafting and, if not shopping, getting inspiration for my own projects, and that’s what the Ozark Craft Fair did for me last Saturday. Basically, it fueled me to find information about more fairs in the area, such as the War Eagle Mill Craft Fair, which I hope to attend during Fall Break.

So… am I alone? Does anyone else out there interested in crafting/purchasing stuff from craft fairs at all? If so, are there any fairs or festivals you particularly enjoy? I’d hate to be rambling on about this if I’m the only one, so let me know!

Side note: The word craft has lost meaning in my brain after typing it so many times. 

Last Minute Farmer's Market Details + Yummy Fall Recipes

Okay, so we're really getting to that time of year in the Ozarks when Farmer's Markets end for the season. In fact, the next few weeks will be the last times to get thee to the markets! Here's a quick list of some of the larger ones that I've been to and the information on how much time is left to enjoy them! I'd also love feedback on these and any other markets that you've been to.  For instance, has anyone been to the Friday Night Farmer's Market?

One of my favorites, the Christian County Farmer's Market that meets at the Ozark Community Center (the same one that used to be located on the Ozark Square, which I definitely preferred!) will have its last week next Thursday, October 7th. They meet each Thursday from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m.. As well as hosting some of the same vendors that are sold at Homegrown Foods, you can oftentimes find a variety of handmade crafts there. Last year my mom bought a beautiful birdhouse that was made from a gourd.

The Greater Springfield Farmer's Market is another popular one, located in the Battlefield Mall parking lot. They start each Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 8:30 a.m. until October 30th, with no specific end time, so it's best to get there as early as possible! Their website has a useful table of harvest times for different produce as well as an extensive list of their vendors.

If you live closer to the downtown area, the C-Street Market  is a great option. I couldn't find info online with specifics on closing dates, only that they run from May 8th "through October". I've only tried to go to this one a few times, and recently there were only a few vendors when I got there around noon. Their hours are listed as Saturdays from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m.. But, even if that happens, the upshot is that there is plenty to do near this market!

As much as I love going to Farmer's Markets, I'd be the first to admit that the experience can be very hit and miss. I'd be interested to hear from anyone else who has been to several different markets to see which market they find to be the most consistent as far as vendors showing up and produce variety and abundance. If you're lucky at this time of year, you may find some farmers selling early fall produce. Here are a few recipe ideas for those of you lucky enough to get them fresh (or, of course, purchase from a grocery store) beginning with my favorite ever apple pie recipe:

French Apple Pie with Oat Crust

¾ cup sugar

½ cup brown sugar

1 ¼ cups of flour

½ tsp ground nutmeg

½ tsp cinnamon

dash of salt

6 cups sliced apples (about 6 apples)

½ cup butter

Pastry for 9” Pie

1/4-1/2 cup of old-fashioned oats

Heat oven to 450 degrees. Prepare pastry. Mix sugar, ¼ cup of flour, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt. Stir in apples. Turn into pastry-lined pie plate; Mix 1 cup flour, butter and brown sugar and oats to your liking until crumbly. Bake 50 minutes. Serve warm. 

Here is a recipe for an Eggplant Rollatini from Kraft Foods that I haven't yet tried, but I'm dying to. Their website also has a lot of other fall food ideas that sound great. 

2 eggplants, trimmed and peeled

1 container  (16 oz.) BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN 2% Milkfat Low Fat Cottage Cheese

2 cups KRAFT Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided

1/3 cup  plain dry bread crumbs

1/4 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese

1/4 cup  chopped fresh basil

1 jar (14 oz.) spaghetti sauce

HEAT oven to 350ºF. CUT thin slice off 2 opposite sides of each eggplant; cut remaining eggplant lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Place 12 slices in large microwaveable bowl. Microwave on HIGH 5 to 6 min. or until very tender; place in colander. Drain well. Place in single layer on clean kitchen towel; top with second towel. Press out excess moisture from eggplant. MIX cottage cheese, 1-1/2 cups mozzarella, bread crumbs, Parmesan and basil; spoon about 1/3 cup onto each eggplant slice. Roll up. Place, seam-sides down, in 13x9-inch pan sprayed with cooking spray. Cover with spaghetti sauce and remaining mozzarella. BAKE 30 to 35 min. or until hot and bubbly. Let stand 5 min. before serving.

Lastly, for seasonal cooking, I have to direct you to Bon Appetit Magazine and their website, which has the recipes from each issue on it. I can't give any specific recipes because every single one on this page sounds delicious. 

So, time to share... what are your favorite fall foods and recipes?