Easy Roasted Pumpkin

 Let me just tell you.... this is FAR better than ANY can pumpkin you will ever buy! EVER! Roasting this pumpkin is REALLY, REALLY easy!!!

First you are going to need to go buy yourself a pumpkin, not a regular orange pumpkin like you would make a jack-o-lantern, but a light orangy yellow one. (I am not sure of it's exact name, my dad gets mine for me from a local stand.)  It looks like this:

(Sorry I had cut it!)    

You will need to cut your pumpkin in half, and clean it out really well.  While you are cleaning it out, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Once it is all cleaned out turn it skin side up on a baking sheet and bake until a fork can go through it easily. (1/2 of my pumpkin took around an hour, and the other 1/2 took a little longer.)

Once it is done flip it over, and allow it to cool a little. Once it has cooled a bit, take a spoon and get all that yummy meat off the skin. Place it in a strainer and allow the water to drain a bit off of it. My pumpkin yielded about 11 cups of pumpkin and it's pre-cook weight was about 4-5lbs. (I will share what I do with it later!)

You can either freeze it, or use it for all those yummy baked goods that use pumpkin!

I am going to share this over at Kim's Blog... Savvy Southern Style and WOW us Wednesday! I Promise, once you make pumpkin this way to use, you will NEVER go back to buying canned!!

-Leanne

Fall Mantle

     I have to admit that this IS my most favorite time of the year! From around September 1st until December 26th, I am the happiest. I LOVE the colors, the smells, all the activities, the warm days, and crisp, cool nights. I also love all the decorations that make my home feel more warm and inviting. This time of year also seems to be more centered around family!  I started working on the mantel area around the first of September, and today got to where I really smile when I look at it! I think the addition of the mums and lantern, along with the pumpkins we bought this weekend make everything just like I would like them. (I do already have ideas in my head for next year, though!)
        
                                                 
                                                        

The large empty picture frame was made by my Papa, I just have not found the right picture or element to go in it yet!  (I do think next year I would like to add some white lights to my garland.)

This cute couple was also cut out by my Papa, and Mama painted them. The "Family" sign was a $5 find at a local bookstore.  Something about Mr. and Mrs. "Farmer" just says fall and harvest to me.

Fall subway sign and some wooden acorns from Hobby Lobby.

These mums were a gift today from church, LOVE THEM!! The lantern is a find from back in the spring at Target. 

I also have 3 pumpkins to the left of the hearth.  (I am going to be looking for round baskets to put my mums in.. hopefully at least by next year!) 

          Thanks for Stopping by!

                                                -Leanne          

Met Monday @ Between Naps on the Backporch

       

A Day in the Fall

 WOW! It has been SUCH a long time since I blogged! LOTS going on... we have moved 3x in the last 2 years, and I am one worn out mama! We are also now homeschooling 3 of our 4 children... which keeps me VERY busy!

This weekend has been fall break for my oldest, meaning we had a little time as a family to do somethings. We decided to take advantage of Friday, and take a trip about 40min. north of here to the Hendersonville, NC area.  We got up early, so that we could pack as much in as possible since our day would be over at 3:30pm.... football season and our oldest had to be back for the game and all the pre-game that goes along with it for the players.

We visited a roadside farm for apples, pumpkins, mountain cabbage, and some rocking on their porch. We also did lots of riding and looking at leaves, had a picnic, and ended the day at the Carl Sandburg Home in Flat Rock, NC.  Here are a few snip- its from our day to enjoy!



Grandad's Orchard




Beautiful Arkansas Black Apples... YUM!!!



Two of the cutest pumpkin pickers around!



Discussing which pumpkin we will take home.

Pictures of the Carl Sandburg Home and property:

                                                                                       -Leanne

Sunday Scripture

Jeremiah 29:11
"For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.(NLT)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR.... 2011!!!!

WOW! I cannot believe that it has been almost a year since a posted last! I will be the first to admit that 2010 was NOT the best year! The house I was blogging about is no more for us, after a long battle over title issues, we lost the house! (Turns out the gentleman we bought it from NEVER owned it!) SO I really had no projects to post at all.... who wants to work on a house they are not keeping!

I also lost my dear grandfather in September... which was a VERY hard loss for me, and sent me into a depression that I am just now beginning to come out of! I KNOW where he is though and that someday I WILL see him again!

I look forward to starting up this blog again, and sharing with you all my inspiration, my projects, recipes, and a little about my life.

Until......

Leanne

Pretty in Pink

Well... I have FINALLY got one room in my home the exact way I want it. It took 7 months, but I am VERY HAPPY with it! In fact, "Prissy" has been at my parents spending the weekend, and I keep just walking in her room to just take it all in!!

When we moved it, it was a VERY blank slate. We believe from some of the nail holes and closet fixtures, that the previous people who lived here used this room as an office. The walls were a cream color, and there were vertical blinds on the windows (YUCK!)

I new I wanted a very girlie look, and her only request is that it be pink. That for me was a very tough decision!! I had NO CLUE there were so many shades of pink?!?! We settled on one, and the man that was mixing the paint at a local store made me question my decision... as he questioned it! He wondered if my husband knew what I was doing? I kindly told him, "YES! Please, just mix the paint!"

Once I had the color on the wall, things just kind of came together. The curtains were on clearance at Lowe's, I had one of the prints for a while, I used old plates with pinks and greens on them, and finally got a plain wooden shelf at Hobby Lobby and white washed it. I am VERY pleased with it! I hope that you will enjoy it as well!
I am joining in on the Met. Monday party at Between Naps on the Porch.

Thanks For Viewing!!!
Leanne

Happy New Year!

Hello all!!! It has been a REALLY long time since I posted. I am hoping to change things with that in the New Year. My boys have an antibiotic resistant strep infection in their ears and sinuses, and I have been dealing with that, as well as some other things happening around here. We are seeing an ENT tomorrow with them... so I am HOPING and PRAYING things get better with them!! (I could sure use some sleep!!!)

I hope you all had a VERY wonderful holiday season, as well. We sure did, and we are still celebrating. Today is Jan. 6th.... 3 Kings day. We have decided to celebrate that this year, to help put our emphasis for the season more on Christ where it should be! My great room tree will come down tonight once the kids are in the bed. (I still have my kitchen tree out, I am working on it.. but it is NOT lit up.) My kids are bummed that the season is now over, and to tell the truth, so am I! I always have a hard time this time of year, it makes the realization of them growing hit me in the face!

I am hoping in the coming year, I can share more about me, my family, and my home with you.

Leanne