Shadow Shot Sunday: The "Fall" Guy

Today is November 3rd. Today the high is 75 degrees. We live in Northwest Indiana.

Anyone see anything wrong with these three statements? Oh, I'm not complaining, TRUST.ME. But, it just seems so strange - it's the ever lasting autumn! Which means, for the next few days, we have to work really hard at getting the outdoors winterized because I will surely not be out there in the cold. I don't care of the hose freezes or not.

In honor of our Forever Fall, here's my shadow shot for the week. My son loves when we do "photo shoots" and this happened to be one with a shadow.

Be sure to visit Hey Harriet for other Shadow Shooters...and be sure to comment.
Feedback helps us learn how to be better photographers!

Witch Fingers and Ghosts

"Oh, the rats and bats and witches
keep the skeletons in stitches
as they sip their spider cider
in the haunt-ed house!"

About seven or eight years ago, right around Halloween, my husband brought home a recipe clipped from a newspaper at his work. He thought it was really cool and wondered if I would make it. So, I took a look. Who would've thought these cookies would become a Halloween tradition in our little family? We just HAVE to make them every year! Everyone is thrilled with them; kids adore them. I now think they have come to be EXPECTED. I'll share the recipe with you and maybe, just maybe you'll have a Halloween tradition on your "hands" as well.

Witch Finger Cookies
(if you are wondering, they are like almond shortbread)

1 c. butter, softened
1 c. powdered sugar
1 egg
1 t. almond extract
1 t. vanilla
2 3/4 c. flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
a few drops green food coloring
slivered almonds (you can use whole or pistachios too, but I like the "claw" look)
1 tube red decorator gel (or you can color a little corn syrup red)

In bowl, beat together butter, sugar, egg, almond extract, vanilla and green food coloring. Beat in flour, baking powder and salt. Cover (or wrap) and refrigerate 30 minutes.
Roll heaping teaspoons of dough one at a time into finger shape for each cookie. Press almond firmly into one end for nail. Squeeze fingers in center to create knuckle shape (I find that when you roll these between your hands, the knuckle sort of creates itself.)
Using a paring knife, make slashes in several places to form knuckle. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet in 325 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until pale or lightly golden. (you don't want to brown these so watch carefully)
Let cool for 3 minutes, lift up almond; squeeze red gel onto nail bed and press almond back in place so gel oozes out from underneath. Remove from cookie sheet and let cool. Repeat with remaining dough. Makes a few dozen, depending oh now big you make them.

BOO!! Adding a few of these Nutter Butter Ghosts to your cookie tray really gets everyone in the "spirit." Simple, quick, even the kids can do them!

Nutter Butter Ghosts

Nutter Butter Cookies
Almond Bark, melted
Chocolate chips/mini chocolate chips/sprinkles/mini M&M's
(whatever you have on hand to make a face)

Melt the bark, dip the cookie 3/4 of the way in, place on wax paper. Add face design while bark is still wet. Let dry and eat!

"When the night is dark and scary
when the moon is full
and the creatures are a flying
and the wind goes WOOOOOO,
you better mind your parents and your teachers fond and dear,
and cherish them that loves ya and dry the orphans tears
and help the poor and needy ones that cluster all about
or the goblins will get ya if ya don't watch out!"
- James Whitcomb Riley

When the Frost is on the Punkin...

In honor of yesterday's first snow of the year, it seemed appropriate to post this poem by James Whitcomb Riley. When I was little, my grandmother would read this and "Little Orphan Annie" to us right at this time of year. She would pick the grandkids up for school every morning. We would sit in her little green and white pinto (or silver pacer, whatever at the time) and wait for the day's surprise. Sometimes she would hand out stickers; sometimes she would sing songs. In the fall, it was poetry - and we liked it.

HEN the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock,

And you hear the kyouck and gobble of the struttin' turkey-cock,

And the clackin' of the guineys, and the cluckin' of the hens,

And the rooster's hallylooyer as he tiptoes on the fence;

O, it's then's the times a feller is a-feelin' at his best,

With the risin' sun to greet him from a night of peaceful rest,

As he leaves the house, bareheaded, and goes out to feed the stock,

When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock.

They's something kindo' harty-like about the atmusfere

When the heat of summer's over and the coolin' fall is here--

Of course we miss the flowers, and the blossums on the trees,

And the mumble of the hummin'-birds and buzzin' of the bees;

But the air's so appetizin'; and the landscape through the haze

Of a crisp and sunny morning of the airly autumn days

Is a pictur' that no painter has the colorin' to mock--

When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock.

The husky, rusty russel of the tossels of the corn,

And the raspin' of the tangled leaves, as golden as the morn;

The stubble in the furries--kindo' lonesome-like, but still

A-preachin' sermuns to us of the barns they growed to fill;

The strawstack in the medder, and the reaper in the shed;

The hosses in theyr stalls below--the clover over-head!--

O, it sets my hart a-clickin' like the tickin' of a clock,

When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock!

Then your apples all is gethered, and the ones a feller keeps

Is poured around the celler-floor in red and yeller heaps;

And your cider-makin' 's over, and your wimmern-folks is through

With their mince and apple-butter, and theyr souse and saussage, too! ...

I don't know how to tell it--but ef sich a thing could be

As the Angels wantin' boardin', and they'd call around on me--

I'd want to 'commodate 'em--all the whole-indurin' flock--

When the frost is on the punkin and the fodder's in the shock!

-James Whitcomb Riley, 1916

Tackle It Tuesday: What To Do With All Of These Apples?!?

Apple Butter. Gotta love the stuff. For me, the taste on a piece of light toast slathered first in real butter, then in apple butter, brings back a ton of childhood memories. As a child (and probably as an adult too, but I know better now), I could've eaten an entire loaf of bread, stick of butter and jar of apple butter...in one sitting. What a treat - one of my favorites. I didn't get it much, but when I did, it was like a little taste of heaven.

This past week, we took a trip to a local orchard for some raspberry and apple picking. After coming home with a half of a bushel of Stayman apples, I decided that we needed to enjoy them all winter long. What better way than this!

If you have some apples that need to be used up, go ahead and give it a try! It's really easy with barely any effort - especially with the crock pot method. I'll share my recipe with you!

Crock Pot Apple Butter

• 10 large apples - peeled, cored and sliced (chipped) - or enough sliced up apples to fill and mound a crock pot while still fitting the lid on top
• 4 c. sugar
• 1 1/2 c. apple juice (I used cider)
• 2 t. cinnamon
• 1 t. ground clove
• 1 t. ground allspice
• pinch of salt if you want

Mix everything but the apples in the crock pot. Add apples and mix to coat. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Good to prepare before bed and let cook overnight. (I started mine on high to get going and then turned it down to low- it cooked for more like 12 hours - 6pm to 6am.) Remove crock pot lid and stir (apples will start falling apart - give a stir every now and then to help break them up.) Continue cooking, uncovered, for 4-5 more hours (depending on how much liquid is left) until most of the liquid is gone and butter has cooked down quite a bit. It will be very dark, thick and goopy. (mmmm) Pour into jars and refrigerate unless canning properly. My first batch made about 6 8oz. jars. My second batch made 7.

If canning, sterilize jars and seals. Pour hot apple butter into hot jars. Place on the seal & ring. Boil in a hot water bath for 20 minutes. (I put a metal steamer in the bottom of a large dutch kettle and set the jars on that - works fine.) Make sure the jars are covered with at least 1" of water over their tops. Remove. Let cool until seal pops in.

Hope you enjoy your little taste of fall.

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