Halloween is coming!

Here is a witch you can create for your front door.
First you need a straw broom, and black paper ribbon cut in strips for the dress.
Cut a round circle about 2" and glue a paper cone of the black ribbon, about 2" on top of the circle.
This forms the hat. Use a 2" styrofoam ball wrapped with cream colored paper ribbon for the face.
Wire the head onto the broom and glue the hat on top.Add a band of orange ribbon around the hat.
Take your strips of black paper ribbon and glue them just under the head, they should be about 1 and a half inches wide and about 4-5" long. For the arms, take a heavy gage wire and wrap it with the black paper ribbon, but not too tightly, puff it out a bit to form the sleeves of the dress. Wire this to the broom. For the hands, use small sraps of cream paper and wrap the ends of the wire. Use moss for the hair and decorate the face as us wish. Glue a few artificial leaves to the bottom of the dress and add orange and black 1/4" ribbon to the handle of the broom and around neck.
Its ready to hang! (Note that the paper ribbon comes in tight strips and has to be unrolled first).

Pine Cone wreath

I have had this wreath for years.
I used a round wire frame and a glue gun and
glue sticks. Start to glue the pine cones a-
round the frame and glue them together very tightly in order
to fill in all the space between them. It takes a lot of glue.
Remember to use a hot glue. When you have finished glue-
ing them on, you can decorate them with what ever you like,
such as nuts, or bells,ribbon etc.When that is done, be sure to
spray it with a clear acrylic sealer (gloss).It can be sprayed every
year, to make it look new and fresh.

Nature in all its glory

Right From The Oven

Nothing Like The Smell Of Fresh Bread Baking In The Oven

Basic White Bread (Makes 2 Loaves)
Ingredients:
2 tbsp.white sugar
2 tbsp. tenderflake shortening
1 cup milk
2 tsp. salt
Heat the above ingredients on stove just until shortening melts and cool to lukewarm.
1 tsp. sugar
1 cup warm water
1 pkg active dry yeast ( or 1 tbsp.)
Dissolve sugar in the warm water and sprinkle yeast over top, let stand 10 min. (until foamy)
In large bowl combine cooled milk mixture and yeast mixture and gradually beat in 3 cups of white all purpose flour. Beat until smooth, about 3 minutes. Use wooden spoon.
Gradually beat in remaining 2 cups of flour, (you may not need all of it).
Dough should be holding together nicely at this point.
Turn dough onto floured surface and knead for 10 min. really get into it and punch and pound.
When 10 min. are up, put into greased bowl and cover with greased waxed paper and tea towel.
Put in warm place to rise for 1 hour.
When the hour is up, press 2 fingers into dough, if it does not spring back, it is ready.
Punch down and turn onto floured surface, divide in half, forming into 2 round smooth balls.
Cover again and let rest for 10 to 15 min.
Shape into 2 loaves and place into greased loaf pans 8"x4"
Let rise 1 hour
Bake at 400F for 35 to 40 min. or until crust is golden brown.
Remove immediately from loaf pans and cool on wire rack.
Well worth the effort!

Oven Stew

Here is a great stew to serve at the cottage on those chilly fall days.

It is easy very easy to prepare.

The ingredients are as follows:

2 lbs. stewing beef or round steak (cut into cubes)

3 sliced carrots

2 onions sliced

1 cup of peas

1 small can of tomato soup, mixed with half a can of milk

1/2 cup of water

1 bay leaf

salt & pepper

Put ingredients in 2 quart casserole in order shown.

Cover and bake in a slow oven at 275 o F for about 5 hours. Or until soft.

Serve with a crusty loaf of bread.

Fall Is In The Air