A favorite recipe

I love peanut butter candy. It's not to be confused with fudge. Peanut butter fudge is soft and needs refrigerated. Peanut butter candy sets up into a form that is a little crunchy to break apart, yet it melts in your mouth. I love both but my fave is the candy. One of the oldest recipes I have is one Mom wrote out for me for her recipe of peanut butter candy. I have had it since my early 20's when I started making it myself. So this little card is 40 years old. I guess you can tell it has had a lot of years of use. Even though most of the time I make it without even looking at the recipe.

You only need sugar, milk, peanut butter and vanilla. Even though it says 1 tablespoon of peanut butter, I use a tablespoon from my silverware and just scoop out a good full tablespoon of peanut butter. I don't use an actual measuring spoon. It's not enough peanut butter if you do.

I whipped up a batch late last night because I have been craving it. Before starting,  grease an oval plate or platter by rubbing butter a light coat of butter all over it. I use a Corningware platter.

You mix the milk and sugar in a medium sauce pan and cook over medium heat until it comes to the soft ball stage. (or 234° - 240° for those of you who like the exact science of cooking). Stir occasionally so it doesn't scorch. Remove from heat and add the peanut butter and vanilla. Stir until it starts to set up a little. Pour on the platter and let it cool. Do not refrigerate. An wah-lah! You have simple, easy, fast peanut butter candy.

A word of warning! It is very addictive. I just sat here and ate 3 small pieces while I was writing this blog. Have a great day.

Sweets & Treats

We are going to have Halloween festive day one day at work next week since we will be closed on Halloween day. I can't decide what I want to do. We are focusing on sweets & treats so the field of ideas if mind boggling. This is neat for Rice Krispy treats.

Pretzels dipped in the orange chocolate disks that you melt. Then they stuck an M & M on for the stem. Talk about easy to do.

I make brownie cookies a lot and this would be really cute to put some M & M's in them.

I just fell in love with this. You take a melon baller and scoop little balls of apples out of a big apple. Then dip them in melted caramel for some small caramel apples. I really, really want to try this.

Of course I will make my candy corn and honey roasted peanut mixture I posted about before. I love this stuff.

This is a cute and simple treat. Who doesn't love pretzels when it involves candy.

I say every year I am going to make this, but I haven't done it yet. Maybe this year.

I have done this before. Making the cones was so much fun.

We need a little decor to brighten up the table so this would be easy and cute.

We made these a couple of years ago and it was so much fun. Going to make some of these again. Yarn and pipe cleaners and quick and easy. My favorite things.

It should be interesting to see what everybody comes up with.

Window Wishing....

We have all heard about window shopping, but I am renaming it Window Wishing. I have been looking at items to get ideas for my wish list for Christmas. It started by accident. I went to Walmart after work at 10:40 at night last night. I was going to run in to get Junior Mints and a pair of gloves because it's getting colder at night when I come out of work.

While I was in there I was walking by the Halloween display and picked up these three things for $1.00 each for something we are doing at work.

As I was walking by the Halloween I had to go through the clothes and fell in love with these sweatshirts. I am going to have to get me one of these. They are so cute not to mention super soft. 

And I am looking for a small back pack purse. I saw this and just absolutely loved it. I love furry in the winter time on anything.

Well, all these goodies made me think of Christmas and I came home and started looking up some Christmas ideas for my wish list. I want to get this movie. I read the book when my kids were little and then saw the movie in '78 or '79. It was one of the first movies I ever watched that actually followed the entire story line without deviating or changing it. They did a remake in 2010, but as usual the remake paled in comparison. You can't beat the cast in the original movie.

I also want this movie. It is my favorite movie ever. I had it on VHS for years, but when my VCR went caput I only get to watch it on TV which is rare anymore. I watch the whole movie just to hear Michael Douglas say..."It turns out I have a rose garden." 

Another thing I am putting on my wish list is the copper/titanium crisper. I want it to fix my fish and fries in. Bake in the oven with no oil and a tray catches any drippings.

I also want the Gotham Steel skillet in the square shape. I haven't always wanted a square skillet.

Every year you probably see a pair of warm moccasins on my wish list, but I never get around to buying them. The ones with real soles, not house shoes. But if I buy myself nothing else all year, I am going to make sure I get some of these this year.

I also need some new black ankle boots. My ones I've had the last 3 or 4 years have torn up and I can't wear them any more. I want some plain slouch type style ones.

Speaking of Christmas, my daughter surprised me with these cute little ornaments that she picked up at Cracker Barrel. I love them both but the barn is my favorite. 

Well that is all of my window wishing for today. Hope you have a great Tuesday.

Weekend Wrap Up

I was off Friday and had an opportunity to do a small yard sale with at a friends house. It never fails, we always end up having a swap meet with our stuff as we are putting it out. This is what I ended up trading for. I am so happy with my new Corelle saucers. I need to go look and see what this pattern is. I love it. 

I love pill boxes. I have a few, but not a lot. I did trade with Sherrie to get these two to set out at Christmas. I just fell in love.

While we were unpacking for the sale, Sherrie said her mother (Clara) sent me some things. She sent me some vintage patterns to use as display in my sewing room. I was thrilled. Most of them are from the 1980's which doesn't seem that long ago, but that makes them about 35-37 years old. But the McCalls on the top left is from 1958. That is almost 60 years old. How cool is that!

But my favorite is this one. It has the price on it which was just .40 cents. I Googled it and this pattern came out in the 1940's. I was thrilled. I have a basket that is the perfect size to put my patterns in. 

Clara also sent me a bunch of vintage wooden spools for my little basket I had bought at the beach. I was so happy. Clara has been sewing all her life. She is very talented. Before arthritis set up in her hands so bad, she even made the local high school band uniforms for many years. I am so excited for these gifts she sent me.

I had three of The Grands the other night and as usual they wanted a "Make your own pizza" party so we did. I love using flat bread for pizzas. It is just the right size. None of the three eat their pizzas alike so it works out great to have these smaller pizzas.

Of course, I had to make one of my own as well because I don't eat mine the same as any of them.  

This morning I was working on the never-ending project...my sewing room. My friend Clara who gave me the thread and the patterns, also gave me a sewing machine cabinet. I went over today and picked it up. I am very pleased with it. Now I just need to make my new sewing machine cover because my machine doesn't mount in the cabinet, but it does fit for when I open the top and get ready to sew.

A song for today

This isn't one of my normal Sunday Songs, but it is a feel good from my childhood. I just loved the Osmond's. Had Donnie Osmond posters all over the place. The boys have talent!

Let's visit with Amy

Let's visit with my niece Amy today to check out her Halloween decor and goodies. Check out the cute fridge magnets. Judging by height, I'd say my great niece Makenzie put them up. 

I love her fall runner. This is one of the no sew runners. Amy is the one who introduced me to no-sew runners and I've been making them like crazy the last few years.

Simple and sweet. I love this.

Hmm. These look familiar. Wonder if Amy loves her as much as I love mine. Thank you Target.

Don't you love the glow from the pumpkin reflecting on the wall. That is so cool.

She did say they do a lot of Halloween themed food this time of year.

The glass and plate came from Krogers and the pumpkin mug is Fiestaware. I'm in love. I need to stop at Kroger to see if we have these and get one for my granddaughter Alexis. She's owl crazy.

Amy and her family along with my sister and brother-in-law went to Disneyworld recently. Check out their Halloween attire. I love it. And yes, that's Rachel, my sister who we featured for fall not too long ago. Amy is her daughter.

Amy even features hand soap for fall/Halloween.

Look at Makenzie's cute outfit. She's all decked out. I call her the queen of the hair bow.

Amy bought the Monster Pyrex bowl.

I'm guessing this is in Makenzie's room. Too adorable.

More Halloween soap.

I think a lot of my family uses these refrigerator magnet memo pads. We always change them out for every holiday. 

These are custom cookies that someone gave Amy.

She has a very pretty front entrance.

Love the mail box cover!

When I talked to her the other day, they were getting ready to make Halloween cupcakes. Makenzie loves to bake. I even have a picture hanging of her in my kitchen where she was just a year old and dressed in a bakers hat and apron with a big mixing bowl.

So from Amy and Mackenzie, Happy Halloween!