pick a pumpkin outtakes . . .

Bet you didn't expect to see that in a blog post title today! But I thought it might be kinda fun.  I shared the final projects on my Pick a Pumpkin day (which included a giftaway!) . . .

But you didn't get to see the *process*. 

I shared that originally I was just going to do the valance and added the placemats on the spur. But that's not quite true.  Originally _first_ I'd thought to do a wall-hanging . . .

Designed it in EQ and everything. Not sure what changed my mind, but it was after I'd done the first two pumpkins . . .

I thought about the Five Little Pumpkins song.  Only in my head it was four. 

But wait, you might say, that's not the border you used on the final!

You'd be right.  Because I had the row of pumpkins stitched and ready to add the backing, and I decided the sashing/border fabric wasn't what I wanted. When I was looking for my batting, I opened a bag that had the gold leaf print, and I knew that would be perfect (plus I had enough to do both the valance *and* the placemats).  And it would fit in the RV's decor. And gosh, I actually thought, Oh well, let's just get on with it and be done. But I couldn't physically make myself go any further. I tried, really I did, but I just couldn't do it! So then there was this . . .

A lot of ripping. Good grief! 

But I was very pleased with the change. So then I was looking for an appropriate backing. Because this is what happens when you take on a project, flying by the seat of your pants, without a thought-out plan in place before you start working on it.  I had a piece of a fun print I'd used for some autumn mug rugs . . .

And it was the *perfect* size with a small exception. Yeah -- that tiny rectangle missing from the bottom corner.

What do you do when the perfect print falls short, literally? 

Throw a pumpkin label on it!  And they all lived happily ever after.

Almost. A quilter *was* harmed in the making of this Pick a Pumpkin project.

But I'll live to quilt another day. The Nook, however, needs some serious attention before I can go back in there and let the creative genius flow . . .

Yikes; it may be a while before I tackle anything else . . . !

And look . . . there was one more pumpkin cookbook Kindle freebie.  I know you desperately wanted one--you'll be rockin' the pumpkin recipes next season.  LOL!  This one is Pumpkin Cookbook: Seasonal Pumpkin Recipes by Martha Stone.  Pretty straightforward, non?  I just browsed through the pages really quick, so I can't do more than say it's pumpkins and and it's free! 

Q:  Why was the Jack-o-lantern afraid to cross the road?

A:  It had no guts!!

Okay...maybe I'm ready to retire pumpkins for the year.  Or maybe not?  I believe I've got some seasonal baking left to do . . . pumkin la vista, baby!

:)

cream cheese mints . . .

Gracious!  The week's nearly gotten away from me and I've yet to post that recipe for cream cheese mints. Well then, without further ado, here 'tis . . .

These melt-in-your-mouth mints are a simple, classic candy that make any table look elegant! Here's the ingredient list:

1 4-ounce block of cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1/8 teaspoon of peppermint oil (not extract)

5-10 drops of food coloring (more or less, depending on desired color)

1 to 1-1/2 pounds of confectioner's sugar

granulated or decorating sugar for rolling

Now for the process:

In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, butter, peppermint oil and food coloring. Use mixer and beat until well blended and food coloring is evenly distributed. Add confectioner's sugar, one cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.  At some point, the mix will become too hard to use mixer and it'll be time to 'dig in' and mix by hand. Continue to add confectioner's sugar and knead by hand until mix is smooth and doesn't stick to your hands anymore. Be careful not to add so much sugar that it becomes stiff and dry. To this end, to keep the bulk of the candy pliable while I work with it, I keep a just damp paper towel over the mix.

~Take a break and rest your hands and get comfortable.  It's only just begun! The next part of the process is a marvelous opportunity have something mindless to do with your hands while you watch a movie or something.~

I have a rubber flexible candy mold that I use -- and have had terrific success with. I actually have several different shapes (it comes in *tons*) . . . leaves, daisies, hearts, etc., but this rose shape is the one I get the most use out of.

Of course, you can also make them without the molds. I have a friend who rolls them into balls and then uses a fork to flatten them, with the tines criss-crossing. The rubber mold is my preferred method and I've purchased mine from a local cake decorating shop for under $2 a mold. They're also available online -- do a search for 'rubber candy mold' and you'll get lots of options!

Roll the candy mix into approximately 1" balls. Oh, and for the record, I don't really recommend that you make these over your laptop keyboard! (Whoops...don't tell my hubby!)

The diameter is approximately 1" because it differs depending on the mold I'm using.  For the rose, it's actually a little smaller.  (Hint:  I don't make all my 1" balls ahead of time -- they get too dry and don't pick up the decorating sugar nicely.)

Next, roll the ball in the decorating sugar, to cover the entire top half of the ball. The red sugar on the pink candy was a little much ... normally I would have used a pink or an opalescent, but I was out.  So red it was.

Now we're going to press the ball, sugar side down, into the rubber mold:

Press it in completely and smooth out the top (a couple of thumb strokes should take care of this nicely).

Now it's a simple matter of popping the candy out of the mold.

Voila! Repeat this process about a hundred billion times. Seriously. No, not really! But this recipe does make about ten dozen, so be prepared to repeat the process about 119 times. Buy a handful of the same mold and you've got a great activity for a group of bridesmaids to help with while watching a romantic comedy, right?!  

I place my finished flowers on wax paper and allow to sit overnight (no more than twelve hours). After that, keep refrigerated in an air tight container. If you're making these up well in advance of a party/reception, they can be nicely frozen.

Typically if I'm layering the candies in a Tupperware container, I'll layer them with a sheet of wax paper to keep them from sticking to each other.

And that's all there is to it!  Please feel free to leave questions and I'll answer them "lick"ety-split!

****Edited to add:****
Chocolate mints are easy enough to make. Just sub out 1/4 cup of cocoa powder for and equal amount of confectioner's sugar. A couple of drops of red will make the "cocoa" color a little more intense. Use the mint or, if you prefer, use a couple of drops of almond oil or chocolate oil for a twist on the flavor! Everything else is the same.
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:)