Hopeful Homemaker

Jack-O-Lantern Mini Quilt

October 27, 2011 jennifer Halloween, Quilting and Sewing

Two years ago I pieced this mini-quilt, appliqued the stem and nose, basted it, and set it aside… unfinished. I completely forgot about it until this week, when I spent all of 30 minutes finishing it. {Question to self: why do I do things like that?}

I’m sorry to say I don’t remember the name of the pattern or the name of the fabric line I used to make it, but I do know that it only required a charm pack. After quilting, I added the rick rack smile and some huge black buttons for eyes. I must say it’s amused me how many of my children have told me I messed up on the eyes because they’re crooked. They all looked at me funny when I informed them I did it intentionally.

Tucked away with this quilt I also found a little 4 x 4 inch Halloween embroidery that I remember working on while I waited in the pick-up line for kindergarten two years ago. I bought it as a small kit in a local shop and it was intended to become a mini-pillow. My interest in little knick-knacks has largely disappeared so I no longer wanted to make a pillow or put it in a picture frame. So I finished it and appliqued it to the back of the Jack-O-Lantern quilt.

The backing on this mini quilt is a solid orange, so the embroidery is a little piece of interest back there.

And there you have it, two Halloween projects finished. The quilt now hangs in my dining room window, the only Halloween decoration up at our house (which I hope to fix later today if I can rescue my poor house from the Halloween costumes all over the place).

What project are you working on right now?

Hopeful Homemaker

Pumpkin Cream Pie Dessert Cups

October 26, 2011 jennifer All Things Pumpkin, Desserts

Part of my reason for making a Pumpkin Cream Pie recently was to fill some little chocolate cups I found a while ago.

I simply spooned the filling into the cups and added some cinnamon flavored whipped cream to the top.

They were a great dessert for some dinner guests we had last weekend, and were a particularly big hit with some teen-aged boys.

They were a tasty seasonal dessert that was easy to serve and looked so pretty!

One comment baking, pumpkin

Pumpkin Cream Pie

October 25, 2011 jennifer All Things Pumpkin, Desserts

It’s been too long since I made a pumpkin flavored recipe! It’s time to add a few recipes to my Queen of the Season collection.

This recipe is a cream pie, with pumpkin in it. The pumpkin flavor is more subtle than a traditional pumpkin pie due to the cream and is also lighter (but still very rich).

I took my banana cream pie recipe and altered it a bit to make this pie. I was pleased with how much everyone liked it.

Pumpkin Cream Pie Ingredients:
1 9 inch pie crust, prepared, baked and cooled 3/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup corn starch 1/2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. nutmeg 1 envelope unflavored gelatin 3 cups milk 4 egg yolks 1 cup pumpkin puree 2 Tb. butter 1 Tb. clear vanilla 2 1/2 cups cold whipping cream, separated Combine dry ingredients in a medium-large saucepan with wire whisk. Beat in milk, egg yolks and pumpkin. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thickened (about 15 minutes). Remove from heat, stir in butter and vanilla. Cover with plastic and chill.

Whip 1 cup cream and fold into custard. Pour into pie crust. Chill well. Whip remaining cream and spread over pie before serving. *I like to add 1/2 tsp. cinnamon to the whipping cream. Enjoy!