Head over to Alpha Mom and check out my post about how to make salt dough pumpkins. I am loving Alpha Mom. It’s a site full of helpful parenting advice mixed with irreverent humor from some of my favorite bloggers. Check out this post about What Not to Wear This Halloween by Melissa Summers and this one Move over Tom Brokaw, It’s Time for a Presidential Playdate by Jenn Mattern of breed ’em and weep. Funny stuff.
Since I am awake at midnight, I thought I’d pick the winner of the fabric canvas. It’s #103, Laura! I’ll contact you to send you the canvas this week. Thanks for playing, everyone. And thanks for all the nice things you had to say.
Here’s a quick and easy Halloween craft. We picked up some nice leaves at the park the other day and realized they looked a lot like bats. I think these are from a large maple tree.
It’s best to get a leaf that isn’t too dried out or it will crack. I cut off the stem and the girls painted them with watercolor paints on the textured side. The leaf resists a bit, but if you keep applying the paint it will adhere. Then we just turned them over and printed on paper. I traced around the outside with a black pencil to give it some definition and my three-year-old drew the bat head. She has just started making representational drawings and is so proud of herself.
voice of experience, mixed media brooch, $46 from Cathy Cullis.
Nature’s Colours Cowl, $32 from Leafgreen Handmade.
Wooden Star House Cat Folk, $22 from Star House.
Fall Baby Shoes, $23 from Diddle Dumpling.
Robot Love Machine pin, $10 from send me mail.
Linen Pillow Cover, $23 from Meringue Designs.
couple with sun, fabric and appliqué on canvas, $48 from k studio.
Lydia Bag, $40 from Christy Studio.
Printable Stationery, downloadable .pdf file, $4 from little brown pen.
This is not healthy, but it’s good for a special occasion. I love pumpkin cheesecake and can’t remember the recipe I have used in the past, so this is a combination of several recipes with some of my own ideas and preferences added. I am not afraid to fiddle with a recipe, which can lead to mixed results. But this one turned out pretty well, so here it is.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Make Crust:
Combine in a food processor and press by hand into a greased 9″ springform pan. Set aside.
Make Filling:
In a large bowl, combine first four ingredients with an electric mixer. Add remaining ingredients and mix on high speed until smooth and fluffy. Pour mixture into springform pan and tap to get out bubbles. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour and fifteen minutes (possibly longer) until set in the center. When it is set, turn off your oven and crack the oven door to let it cool slowly. I read somewhere that this helps prevent cracking, but mine cracked a bit anyway. The topping will hide any cracks!
Topping:
Mix together first three ingredients. Then add walnuts and pour over cooled cheesecake. Refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight. Serve with fresh cinnamon whipped cream. Now go for a jog. I usually omit that last part.
