Pumpkin Roll Recipe

My father-in-law asked me to make my pumpkin roll for Christmas this year. Here is a recipe that I have been using for years. I will upload a picture of the roll on Christmas Day.

Pumpkin Roll

(Makes one pumpkin roll)

3 eggs

1 cup of sugar

2/3 cup of pumpkin puree

Beat eggs until fluffy. Add sugar slowly and then pumpkin puree.

In a separate bowl, whisk together...

3/4 cup of flour

1 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ginger

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. salt

Fold flour mixture into pumpkin mixture. Place a sheet of parchment paper in a 15 by 10 by 1 inch jelly roll sheet. Spray parchment paper with Pam. Spread mixture onto parchment paper. Bake 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes. Take a clean dish towel and put cake on top. roll up from the short end and let cool.

Mix 1 8 oz. package of cream cheese, 3 tsp butter, 1 cup of powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla. When cake is cool, unroll from towel, spread onto top and re-roll. sprinkle with powdered sugar upon serving.

Double Mailbox Post Makeover

Completed project!

Updated photos from 2/2018, closer view

view from underneath

My neighbor's mailbox and ours were in just terrible condition. The mailboxes had a wooden cover where the birds loved to perch and poop all over them. I asked my neighbor if he would be interested in sharing a double mailbox post with identical mailboxes and he agreed. Little did I know that none of the major home improvement stores sell a double mailbox post, unless you want to special order one for hundreds of dollars or have one custom made.  This project cost about $100, split between the two of us...$50 each, not too bad!

Materials needed...

Wooden post from Lowes-ours is not listed online but very similar to this one

Gibraltar Bronze Mailbox from Menards- ours cost $34

1- 1 by 6 piece of wood  approx. $5

screws

How far should mailbox be from the street?

Mailboxes must be placed 6 to 8 inches away from the curb; the slot or door must be 41 to 45 inches from the ground. Curbside mailbox posts should be buried less than24 inches deep and made from wood no larger than 4 inches high by 4 inches wide.

We installed the post with guidelines from the USPS (see above) and then put about a 5 by 22 inch cross piece to set the mailboxes on. The size of that piece of wood will depend on the size of your mailboxes and how close you want them together. If you have any questions on how we installed it, comment below. 

Terro vs. Raid Ant Gel, Terro wins!!

Video of ants loving Terro. They swarm around the small puddle of Terro and then take it back to their nest. They will be gone within one day. Do not disturb them!

Every spring since I have lived in my house, we get an ant problem. I have tried many different products to get rid of ants. Last time I went to the store, I couldn't find my favorite ant product, Terro, so I purchased the Raid Ant Gel.  It didn't seem to work.  I found the Terro and purchased it. Yesterday I had ants crawling on my counter (gross I know!) So I decided to do an "a comparison test." On a piece of foil I squeezed out some of the Raid ant gel on one side and Terro on the other. As you can see from the picture, there is one ant on the Raid gel and many on the Terro side. Today, I have no more ants. Terro wins again. 

Last year my in-laws had a terrible ant problem in their kitchen, to the point where my mother-in-law stopped baking. My father in law purchased ant traps, sprayed, nothing worked. I told him about Terro. He did what I said to do and in a few days they were gone! 

This is what I do when I notice the ants coming. I take a piece of aluminum foil, a 2 by 2 inch piece and squirt out a dime size blob of the Terro Ant product on it. I place it where the ants are. Within minutes, the ants are gathering around the blob. Do not disturb them! They are taking the "product" back to their nest. It will take a few hours. Yesterday, I placed Terro down and this morning they are gone. Terro also makes traps where you cut off a bit of an end and the ants crawl in. I've used these as well with great success. As always, if you have young children or pets, please be careful so they don't come in contact with the ant killer,  put it in a discreet place. 

Terro did not pay me for this review! I just had to post something that I know that works. I've been using it for years. Please let me know how it works for you!  TERRO #ItWorks!

The ant test! Raid Ant Gel vs. Terro

A few minutes later... (the ants are more attracted to Terro)

The next morning... no ants!!

Terro Wins!!

Update 10/10/16. I have another ant problem, I put out some terrro this morning and this afternoon it is swarming with ants.

Update 4/29/2017

9:00 am ...I have ants in the upstairs bathroom, I placed a dime sized amount on a piece of foil. 2 hour later, it's filled with ants. 10:00 pm...no more ants! 

Peanut Butter Chewies

When I worked at the IU bookstore in the student union, there was a bakery inside called "Sugar and Spice." They had the most delicious treat...a chewie, a peanut buttery crunchy snack. Kind of like a rice krispie treat but with peanut butter and cereal...to die for. I will have to try this recipe to see if it matches up.                         Peanut Butter Crunchy

Update: 3/25/15
I went down to the IU campus a couple of days ago and had a chewie. They tasted just the same as they did 25 years ago! I made this recipe and it is almost the same. Heavenly.

Faux Chocolate Easter Bunnies

(Update: March 2021  To my surprise looking on Pinterest, Martha Stewart is using this picture for her Easter Decoration pins!)

I was cleaning out my holiday decorations and came across some faux chocolate bunnies that I made a few years ago. I got the idea from Martha Stewart of course!

  Faux Chocolate Bunnies

Handmade Mittens from Old Sweaters

My co-worker Connie gave me this idea about making mittens from old wool sweaters. She has been so sweet and has found me many sweaters at resale shops with unique designs. First, the sweater is washed in the hottest temperature and put into the dryer. The sweaters are supposed to shrink so they become felted. They don't become unraveled and they are warmer too. Each mitten is lined with fleece. There are actually 8 parts to this mitten that need to be sewn.  As soon as I get enough made, I will be selling them for $20 per pair. They are wool and fleece lined. My husband says they are very warm as he has already worn his outdoors for a long period of time.#kristensmittens

Kristen's famous Challah recipe!

For the past 15 years, I've been making Challah that all of my friends and family rave about.  When making the bread, I add additional flour until I feel it is the right dough consistency, not sticky. I use my Kitchenaid Mixer. Add enough flour so that it doesn't stick to the bowl when being kneaded with the bread attachment. Make sense? Hope so!

Kristen's Challah Bread

5 1/2- 6 cups flour ( start out with 5 1/2 cups)

2/3 cups sugar

1 t. salt

2 packages of yeast

3 eggs - Put one aside for glaze

1/4 cup real butter

1-1/2 cups boiling water

Put water and butter into a saucepan and bring to boil. 

I use my KitchenAid Mixer. In the mixing bowl, place all dry ingredients PLUS 2 eggs. Turn on mixer to slowest speed and then slowly add boiling water/butter to dry mixture. Kneed for 5 minutes adding more flour if dough looks sticky.

Let rise for 1 hour.  Punch down to release air.

Separate into 2 balls.  Then separate each ball into 3 sections.

Roll each section into approx. 14" strands.

Put strands on greased (cooking spray) cookie sheet

Start in the middle and braid out. Do the same for other side

Let rise another hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat 1 egg an brush on top of each braided loaf

Bake 25-35 minutes or under golden brown. Enjoy! this bread is also good for French Toast!