SpruceHill

Stitch

At the barn were the girls ride there are a lot of horses and ponies, but they also have a donkey named Stitch.

He is quite a character. He gets into a bit of trouble now and again.

He is a bit of a stalker out in the field. He will follow you around and if you aren't careful he will walk up behind you and bite you. Sometimes he gets out and scares small children.

His cuteness makes up for it though.

And those ears! Who could not love those!

I could take about a million pictures of him.

 
He has a bad rap but he puts up with a lot too.

He makes things a bit more interesting at the barn, you never know what he will be up to next.

Furry Friday

 
I am still having so much fun with my new camera. I love being able to capture things that I could't before. The Nikon D60 has a pretty fast shutter that enables me to get multiple action shots.

 
Sadie was being pretty patient with me, she loses interest pretty fast. If there is not a ball involved she's outa there.

She looks rather bored actually, and a bit perturbed.

"Come on Mama this is sooo boring! Would you just throw the ball already."

 Some Sista love! I love it! She pounced right after this shot.

 
Doesn't she make you just want to kiss those little fuzzy lips?

Christmas/Holiday gift idea: Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce

Well If you haven't noticed already, Halloween is over and the Christmas commercials have already started. We have also been bombarded by Christmas catalogs already. I thought I would do a little series of simple gift ideas this year.

This is my homemade hot fudge sauce recipe that I posted about before. It is a recipe from my Aunt Janie that is my absolute favorite thing to eat on my ice cream. It has ruined all other hot fudge for me. But that's ok, It is very easy to make and keeps well in the fridge.

 
This summer I made my first attempt and canning jelly and I thought to myself why not can the hot fudge? So I tried it last week and it worked out so well. I added a little fabric to the top of the jar and tied it off with some brown twine. You can also print out the recipe on a small card and attach it to your gift. It is so easy and is very inexpensive. It would be a great gift for a teacher or even those hard to buy for people on your list, and I am sure everyone has a chocolate lover on their list. I am always looking for great inexpensive gifts for the holidays.

What are some of your favorite handmade gifts you have received?

Double, double toil and trouble

Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn, and caldron bubble

On this all Hallow's Eve, all the ghouls are loose on Spruce Hill!

There will even be some tricks and treats!

Happy Halloween!

Something Sweet

I am not sure why it is but I have been craving sweets and baked goods lately. My eldest daughter even commented about it the other day. It must be the cooler weather that fuels my endless need for sugar and comfort.

I made this Pumpkin Custard Crumble the other day. It just kind of whipped it up after looking at several recipes I didn't really like. I posted it earlier in the week on Tasty Kitchen and it was chosen as a featured recipe the next day. If you would like a printable recipe click on the first link.

• 1 can (15 Oz.) Pureed Pumpkin
• 1 can 12 Oz. Evaporated Milk
• 3 whole Eggs
• 1-½ cup Sugar, Divided
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• ½ teaspoons Ginger
• ¼ teaspoons Ground Cloves
• ⅛ teaspoons Nutmeg
• 1 box(es) (about 18 Oz.) Yellow Cake Mix
• ½ cups Brown Sugar
• 1 stick Butter, Melted

I started with the recipe on the back of the libby's pumpkin puree, it is my regular pumpkin pie recipe that I always use. I added some ingredients too it and jacked it up a bit. Here is what I did.

 
In a large bowl combine eggs, pumpkin, evaporated milk.

 
 1 cup of sugar, and spices. Whisk together and pour into a greased 8×12 baking dish.

 
In a separate bowl, combine cake mix, brown sugar and remaining 1/2 cup white sugar. Add melted butter and mix together until it becomes crumbly. Sprinkle generously all over the top of the pumpkin mixture.

 
 Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, making sure the top is nice and brown and crisp.

 
Eat with ice cream or just a dab of whipped cream on top. It is a great dessert for a cold and nippy fall weekend, Enjoy!