Happy Fall Ya’ll! I’m Kelsey from Poofy Cheeks and I am excited to be back with another recipe that is perfect for my favorite season – FALL. Today I am sharing a recipe for Mini Pumpkin Pies! Yesterday I walked past a Starbucks that had a PSL poster outside and this morning when I took my kiddos to Dunkin’ Donuts I couldn’t resist a few of the pumpkin donut holes!

Grandma’s Pumpkin Pie Recipe

In our house we do dessert on a regular basis. I am a mom of four and I feel like dessert is the way to reward myself for all the laundry, school pick-ups, school drop-offs and other behind the scenes work I do! These mini pumpkin pies are even great for a snack or breakfast if you so desire! This pumpkin pie recipe was handed down from my grandma and brings back so many memories each time I bite into it.

How to Make Mini Pumpkin Pies

Ingredients:

• (1) 15oz can pumpkin
• (1) 12oz can evaporated milk
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt`
• (2) packages of unbaked premade pie crusts
• whipped cream

Directions:

• In a medium bowl beat eggs with a fork.
• Stir in pumpkin, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt. Then gradually stir in evaporated milk.
• Unroll and cut each pie crust into six pieces. Push the pieces into a greased muffin tin and then fill each mini pie 3/4 of the way up with the pumpkin pie mixture.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees and bake for 8 minutes then reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue to bake for another 20-25 minutes.
• Allow to cool then serve or refrigerate. Serve with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon!

Wouldn’t these be just amazing for breakfast with a big cup of coffee or the perfect dessert next to a scoop of vanilla ice-cream? Hope you enjoy!!

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Thanks Kelsey! How cute are those little pies, and I’m sure they taste amazing too. Kelsey is such a fabulous contributor. I love all of her recipes.

Here are a few of her other projects I think you’ll love:

If you’re looking for pumpkin recipes, make sure you pin this one. Her Brown Sugar Pumpkin Cheesecake looks amazing!

And if you’re planning a party for Halloween, she’s got some great ideas and FREE Bat Halloween Printables!

And if you’re still trying to get organized since school started, check out her $30 Home Command Center. Such cute ideas!

 I just love having Kelsey share her yummy recipes with us. You don’t want to miss her amazing blog posts, so visit Poofy Cheeks and

xoxo

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Free Printable Fall Wreath Signs

Hello! It’s Kristin here again from Yellow Bliss Road with some free fall printables to help you get in the autumn mood. And trust me, here in Southern California, we need help getting into the autumn mood – it’s 101 degrees outside!

While we are having our annual heat wave, many other parts of the country are enjoying cooler temps, falling leaves and Pumpkin Spice Lattes. Since it doesn’t actually *feel* like fall, I decided to make some signs to help add to the feeling of fall around my home.

Pretty and Simple Fall Printable Signs

When I came across this wheat wreath graphic, it just was so beautiful to me. I love the simple colors, and thought it was such a beautifully understated way to welcome fall. I added some of my favorite autumn words in one of my favorite “Bombshell” font. Pretty and simple – my two favorite ways to decorate!

Hang Them Grouped Together or Pick Your Favorite!

The signs would look beautiful placed in gold frames and simply just hung on the wall grouped together or as part of a collage. Or pick your favorite and display on your mantel.

DOWNLOAD “HARVEST” SIGN

DOWNLOAD “AUTUMN” SIGN

DOWNLOAD “GATHER” SIGN

Free Printable Autumn Notecards

Over at Yellow Bliss Road, I’m sharing them as Fall Note Cards. Stop by and download yours today!

If you enjoyed these free printable fall signs, be sure to stop by Yellow Bliss Road where you can find tons more free printables as well as delicious and easy recipes. Hope to see you soon!

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Thanks Kristin! I just love the gold wreath for fall. So pretty and classic! Kristin is so talented. She has amazing ideas on her blog. Here are a few that I think you’ll love:

Kids are SO excited for Halloween! Help them count down the days until they get all that candy with these cute Free Halloween Chalkboard Countdown Printables!

Kristin always shares great meal ideas too for busy families! I love her recipe for 3 Ingredient Chili! Sounds perfect for busy school nights!

And, if you need a cute gift bag printable for Halloween, she has a these cute Halloween Treat Tags that are just perfect!

Kristin is an awesome contributor. I love all of her cute printables that she shares with us. Make sure to follow Yellow Bliss Road and

xoxo

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This week is full of plenty of mouthwatering recipes, with my Churro Waffles with Dulce de Leche Topping rounding the week off next Saturday!

Check out all of this week’s amazing recipes after the break:

Your hostesses for this week are:

Please welcome our special guest host Jen from Tatertots & Jello

Pesto Caprese Pasta Salad found on Thirty Handmade Days

This Pasta Salad is not only delicious but it comes together so quickly. It’s a new favorite.

Pesto Chicken Pinwheels found on The 36th Avenue

Flaky pastry, juicy chicken, fresh pesto, sun dried tomatoes, and feta cheese are rolled together to create a snack to delight your taste buds.

Perfect for Monday Night FOOTBALL!

Costa Vida Grilled Chicken Tacos found on Your Homebased Mom

These copycat Costa Vida grilled chicken tacos pack a punch in the flavor department!

They are so easy to make at home.

Lasagna Bake with Penne Pasta at The Idea Room

This Lasagna Bake Pasta is a simple recipe you can make in 30 minutes or less.

Curry Chicken on The 36th Avenue

The curry sauce is so good and perfect to serve with white rice.

Make sure to save this recipe for later… You are going to love it!

Slow Cooker BBQ Sandwiches by Somewhat Simple

If your roast is frozen, you could cook it in the crock pot overnight!

Churro Waffles with Dulce de Leche Topping found on Tatertots and Jello

Breakfast for dinner… My favorite!

Peanut Butter Cup Blondies found on Skip to My Lou

These rich gooey brown sugar blondies are over the top with the addition of mini Reese’s peanut butter cups.

If you have any suggestions on recipes you’d like to see or ways we can make this meal plan even better, please let us know in the comments section below.

We will see you next week for another delicious week’s worth of meals!

And if you missed our other weekly menu plans, click HERE.

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It is Back to School time. Can you believe it?!

My kids are SO excited to start school and when I thought about the changes they have made over the last few years, I thought it was about time to design something up to show that change through the years! Today, I designed a start of the school year AND end of the school year printable interview so you can have a tangible memory of just how fast they grow!

Each one has 11 questions to answer as well as a space for a 4×6 photo of their first and last day each year. Won’t this be such a fun thing for them to look back and see!

I designed the Kindergarten-5th grade the same and the 6th-12th grades the same to reflect their ages. And guess what..you can have them all for free!

To download all 26 Back to School printable interviews click on the link below:

First and Last Day of School Printables- Interview

I am also sharing these super fun printable Back to School Photo Signs at Kiki and Company today and they all coordinate with the interviews above! (and are also all FREE!) I’d LOVE to see you there.

I hope you have the BEST start of the school year and that you snuggle those little munchkins while you still have a little bit of time left!

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Thanks so much Kiki! I just LOVE those printables. What a fun way to document your cute kids growing up. Older kids will have so much fun filling them out too! Kiki is such an awesome contributor. I’m always so excited to see her new ideas.

You don’t want to miss out on these fun projects she’s had over at Kiki and Company this summer:

Free Smile Catcher School Edition

Frozen inspired Chilly Paper Tots

DIY Frozen Elsa Dress / Summertime Activity House / Summertime Cube

xoxo

The post Back To School Printable Interviews (K-12th Grade) appeared first on Tatertots and Jello.

Hey everyone, Vanessa here from Our Thrifty Ideas. I am excited to be sharing a fun tutorial with you today….but a little sad at the same time. Who would have thought that it’s time to start thinking Back to School already?! I feel like Summer just started, but have already started on our checklist of the hundreds of things needed to get done before my two little kids go back next month.

Although we have tackled a bunch of the things on our list, there’s some things that are a last minute task whether we like it or not. Our family made a list of 7 things to do the last week of Summer, to get us ready for that first day of the school year. Since my family is HUGE into the idea of countdowns (check out our Back to School countdown chain free printable over on O.T.I.) I decided it would be fun to make a back to school countdown pocket banner and each one will hold a task as we count down to the big day.

The banner consists of a bunch of items from the Jen Hadfield product line with AC and also a bunch of little odds and ends I had around my house!

Supplies:

• 1 Week until School Checklist (free printable here)
• Coordinating Cardstock Paper
• Gold Metal Clips
• 7 Pocket Tags
• Paper Cutter
• Double Sided Adhesive
• Glittered Ribbon
• Rick-Rack & other ribbons
• Thickers stickers

I started by cutting a bunch of different sized “tags” out of the coordinating cardstock. I did different shapes, different lengths, different widths and all different colors. The more variety the better the banner looks in my opinion!

String the pocket tags onto your rick-rack spreading all 7 out evenly. Place numbers 0-6 on the front of them, counting down from left to right.

Next I embellished the gold clips with some glittered ribbon. I cut some double sided adhesive to the same size as the front of the clip, and put it on the front. Then I cut the glittered ribbon the same size and adhered it to the front of the clip.

The funnest part comes next, a whole bunch of randomness!! I know it sounds silly, but I really just threw things up. I used the random tags and some scrap ribbon and held them in place with the glittered clips.

Once everything is up, I cut out the 1 Week until School Checklist into strips, one for each day, and stuck them inside each of the pockets. I kinda determined how much time we would need for each one, or which days would be best for each task and put them in accordingly. Obviously the night before one goes in the “1” labeled pocket, and the 1st Day of School goes in the “0” labeled pocket.

How much longer do you have until your kiddos go back to school? Make sure to get this quick banner put together so they can have a fun countdown list too!

I would love to have you check out some other fun ideas I’ve shared over on Our Thrifty Ideas!

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Thanks Vanessa! I just love this cute banner. And, I’m sure my kids would love to countdown this way, too! Vanessa has so many cute ideas on her blog. Here are a few more school ideas I think you’ll love:

She has some adorable ideas for a Back to school party with free printables!

And countdown to school with this cute Free Print & Cut Back to School Countdown Chain!

And, don’t forget about her recipes! These Healthy Blueberry Pineapple Popsicles look perfect for summer!

xoxo

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DIY S’mores Kit with Free Printable

Hi TT&J! I’m Taryn from Taryn Whiteaker and I don’t know about you but I’m loving summer and everything that comes with it. And that includes s’mores! No surprise they are a favorite in my family. Aren’t they in everyone’s? With July 4th coming up and so many other summer BBQ’s and events, why not prepare ahead of time with these little DIY S’mores Kits. I also included a free printable

S’mores Kits are Perfect for Summer BBQ and Parties

These are easy to put together and make it easy for guests to grab a little pail at their leisure and make a treat. Everything you need in one place! Plus they just look cute. Can’t beat that.

These would work great for a dessert bar at a BBQ or a even a party favor.

Supplies:

– Traditional S’mores Ingredients (Graham crackers, marshmallows, and Chocolate)

– Mini Galvanized Pails

– Raffia

– Printable

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD FREE PRINTABLE

Thanks for having me over today! Enjoy your s’mores!

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Thanks Taryn! What a darling idea! I like the idea of these cute little kits for a party favor, too! Taryn has such great ideas. Here are a few more I know you’ll love:

Her DIY Rustic Curtain Rods are the perfect touch to this bedroom!

And, I love this Dresser Makeover! If you have wanted to learn how to use Chalk Paint Powder, you need to check out her tutorial!

And, if you want a yummy summer pie to make, check out her recipe for Chocolate Cream Cheese Pie. Yum!

Make sure to follow Design, Dining, and Diapers and

xoxo

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Everyone going in all directions all school year long….it is nice when things slow down a bit in the summer time. I hope you are finding time to visit the pool together, maybe a day in the park, going for ice cream…all those things that we love about the lazy days of summer. This little pressed picnic sandwich is a perfect way to make eating on the go easy and fun. You can really add in anything you like. This version is kids friendly…so I didn’t add in anything too spicy. Best when made a day ahead….when you are packing up for your picnic just slice it up and wrap in waxed paper. Take along a bag of chips…some fruit…yummy treat and your picnic is all set!

Here is what you will need:

ciabatta loaf

provolone

baked ham

prosciutto

salami

oil vinegar sub mix

romaine lettuce

Here’s how to:

slice long ways down the entire bread and open it up

layer cheese on (I cut my slices in half and placed on each side of bread)

layer lettuce

layer ham

drizzle a bit of oil ( placing it in between meats will prevent from bread getting soggy)

layer salami

layer any other items you may want (red roasted peppers are great here)

close the bread

wrap in double saran wrap

place in fridge with a heavy weight on the top

when ready to leave, unwrap and re wrap with wax paper, slice up on the diagonal

You’re ready to grab and go!

I would love for you to stop by and see what I have been working on!

Thanks for having me visit this month Jen:)

xo

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Thanks Tracie! Now, I want to go on a picnic!! I love summer too, and that sandwich just looks so yummy, and pretty too!! I think they would be so fun to serve at a party too. Tracie has amazing ideas on her blog. Make sure you stop by and check out these projects that she’s been working on:

This Pumpkin Spice Latte Ice Cream Topping makes my mouth water!! Who wouldn’t want that on top of their ice cream??

You all know how much I love wreaths. This DIY Boxwood Wreath she has on her blog is so pretty!! I love all the greenery on the front door!!

And, here’s a great and simple idea for a Paper Bag Vase! This makes decorating for the 4th of July so easy!!

Visit Cleverly Inspired and

xoxo

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My kids are big fans of carrots so I add plenty of them to the stir fry but you could always use other vegetables that are popular among your family. Best of all with lots of mouths to feed this dish feeds all of us and can easily be adjusted to feed more or less.

Chicken Ramen Stir Fry Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• 1-2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (sliced)
• 2 carrots (thinly sliced)
• 1 cup yellow onion (sliced)
• 1 green onion (sliced)
• 3 packages of ramen noodles (discard 2 seasoning packets)

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, honey, vinegar, garlic and 1 tablespoon of the canola oil. Add the chicken and let marinate for 15 minutes or longer if desired.
• Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, remove from the heat and add the ramen noodles; let sit for 2 minutes, then drain all but 1/2 cup of water. Stir in one packet of chicken ramen to the reserved water and noodles.
• Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large skillet or wok. Remove the chicken from the marinade, reserving the marinade. Stir-fry the chicken in the hot oil until cooked through, about 5 minutes; transfer to a plate and set aside.
• Add the onion and carrots to the skillet and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add 1/4 cup water, scraping up any browned chicken bits from the bottom. Add the cooked ramen noodles, cooked chicken and reserved marinade to the skillet along with the green onion. Stir-fry until everything is heated through and uniformly combined, an additional minute.

I try to get the chicken sliced and marinating before we leave for soccer so when we get back home I can whip up dinner in around fifteen minutes. I send the boys to shower while I get dinner on the table. This meal has been a lifesaver and has earned itself a permanent spot on our dinner rotation for busy nights! (or nights when I only feel like putting in 15 minutes of effort into dinner!) I hope you enjoy this quick dinner recipe! Let me know if you try any other variations!

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Thanks Kelsey! That looks so delicious and perfect for busy Moms! Kelsey has great ideas on her blog. Here are a few I know you’ll love:

I love this Faux Succulent Wreath! It’s perfect for Spring or Summer!

And, I love her recipe for Mini Brownie Fruit Pizzas! So cute and yummy!

Make sure you visit Poofy Cheeks and

xoxo

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It’s funny, because my youngest is four, but since he still can’t read or tell time, and he doesn’t know what day it is, I’m constantly trying to explain to him the concept of today, tomorrow, and yesterday. It’s a work in progress and sometimes frustrating for both him and I.

So, when my sister, Paige, came up with this awesome idea of a picture calendar for her three year old, I had one of those moments where I thought, Why didn’t I think of that 3 kids ago?

My sister is a very busy lady. She owns her own hair salon in Philadelphia with her husband, has a successful photography business, and is also a mama! So, their daughter Faye Elizabeth, has a busy schedule too. Sometimes she’s at preschool (for hearing children at a deaf school), sometimes she’s with Grandparents, and there are days where she’s with just Daddy, and just Mommy. Not to mention she has music and dance classes too!

Paige told me that Faye’s first question every morning is, “What day is it?” and “Where am I going today?” That sounds a lot like my four year old! And, it must be confusing to them to never know what’s going on.

So, she decided to make a picture calendar so there was no more confusion. I love this idea!

She purchased her calendar with a cork board at Michael’s. You can find it here.

And instead of drawing pictures on the calendar, she made pictures to represent each activity, or person that Faye would be involved with that day. She can easily switch it out depending on what is going on in their lives.

For example, this is a picture of the whole family together, and her ballet class. Super easy for a 3 year old to understand!

And this cute picture is of Faye’s grandparents. She stays with them when Mommy and Daddy both have to work.

And for school days, she chose the ASL sign for “I Love You” and Faye immediately recognized that it represented school days since she goes to a school for both hearing and deaf kids. But, you could make a picture of a school house, or backpack, or something that is special about school to your child. On days when Mommy is home with her, she has a picture for that, and on days when Daddy is home, she has a picture for that.

As she was telling me about this idea, I thought of some things that might work for my four year old too. You really can switch it up and do whatever might help your child understand better what’s going on.

Other ideas you could include on your calendar are:

• Pictures for holidays like a bunny for Easter, or Christmas tree for Christmas
• Pictures of weather (clouds, wind, rain, snow, etc.)
• Pictures of friends they play with often
• A picture that symbolizes birthdays

I’m just always on the hunt for things that make parenting easier, and this idea by my sister definitely spoke to me. I can’t wait to start it with my own little guy. Thanks Jen for letting me be here today to share this awesome idea (thank you Paige too!)

I hope you’ll stop by and check out some of my favorite parenting ideas and inspiration!

If you like this post, you might also like:

5 Myths about Kids with Food Allergies

and How to Make a Personalized School Emergency Kit for your Child

Let’s Stop Making Parenting Harder Than It Has to Be

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Thanks so much Meredith! I love that idea too!

Visit Perfection Pending and

xoxo

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I am excited to be here today on Jen’s blog. Her blog is my go to place for creative and inspiring ideas. I’m Leigh Anne and you can find me and everything pretty and delicious over at Your Homebased Mom.

I’m excited to share a yummy, simple recipe with you today that deserves a place of honor on any cookie plates you may be putting together this holiday season. Your friends and neighbors will love you and they won’t be able to stop talking about these lovely little pillows of almond goodness.

I love almond flavoring and especially love it in my cookies. My very favorite sugar cookie of all times has almond extract in it. Another one of my favorite almond is recipes is this Almond Torte. I can’t ever quite get enough of it.

Today’s recipe for chewy almond cookies is about as easy as a cookie recipe can get – only three ingredients. The recipe uses almond paste which can be found in the baking aisle of your grocery store, sugar and eggs. That’s yet.

Place the almond paste and sugar in your food processor and process until it is all broken up and then add in your eggs and pulse until it comes together and is smooth.

You will need a pastry bag and a large round tip, about 3/4 inch in diameter. Fill your bag with your mixture and then pipe out about 1 inch rounds onto a parchment lined cookie sheet.

You will end up with little points on your cookies, just dab your finger into some water and smooth off the top of the cookie.

Bake at 300 for about 15 minutes, rotate pan around halfway through the baking process. Bake just until the edges begin to turn golden brown.

Let them cool and remove from the parchment paper. The only thing left to do is take a bite and enjoy the soft , chewy almond goodness.

Chewy Almond Cookies

Ingredients:

1 7 oz. tube or box of almond paste

1 C granulated sugar

2 egg whites, at room temperature

Pastry bag with a 3/4″ round tip

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper

Pulse almond paste and sugar together in food processor until broken up.

Add in egg whites and pulse until smooth and mixture has come together.

Put mixture into pastry bag with the tip in it.

Pipe rounds onto baking sheet (1″ wide)

Dip finger in water and smooth down the top of the cookie

Bake for 15 minutes or until cookie is golden brown around the edges. Rotate baking sheet half way through baking.

Yield: 2-3 dozen

For more pretty & delicious I hope you’ll visit me at my blog, Your Homebased Mom. You can also follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Snapchat (where I am homebasedmom)

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Thanks Leigh Anne! Those do look like such yummy cookies! I love finding new Christmas recipes to try every year. Leigh Anne has amazing recipes on her blog. Here are a few I’m just dying to try:

Her Peppermint Eggnog Punch looks like a great party drink to serve up over the holidays!

And these Mint Dipped Double Chocolate Cookies look like another holiday favorite to try!

And you’ve got to try her 30 Minute Rolls! Yum!

Visit Your Homebased Mom and

Follow the HAPPY Holidays Event at Tatertots & Jello

all through the holidays with awesome tutorials, recipes, decorating ideas and more from some amazing blogs!

xoxo

The post Happy Holidays: Chewy Almond Cookies appeared first on Tatertots and Jello.