What three hours in the kitchen will get you...

A homemade, ill-fitting, delicious, gingerbread house! Yes, I know you can buy the ready-made ones at Costco for $10. I know that Thanksgiving hasn't even arrived yet, but I am a Stutz, and as such, Christmas starts immediately after Halloween. Dave and I watched "Mr. Kruger's Christmas" that Sunday after Halloween, as tradition, to start the season off right. And Yes, I still cry every time I watch that movie! My favorite part is the giggling baby that Mr. Kruger sees as he is buying a little Chritstmas tree. Dave and I have so many memories of watching that movie, crying together, singing the music randomly throughout the house, throwing out a line from the movie... that I'll never be able to get through that movie again if he dies! It's as dear to us as, well, our kids! Ha ha! Just kidding! But isn't it the little traditions and strange little things that we know about our spouses that really make them ours? That really make our relationships tick?

Anyhow, BEST. Family. Home. Evening. Ever. (except for last week when we walked around the temple and talked about families, and then threw a frisbee around the parking lot together) Making the dough, rolling it out, cutting the shapes, cooking each side of the house individually .... yes, very time consuming. But frosting it, putting it together, licking the cream cheese frosting, placing a candy, eating a candy- that was all time well spent. The most delicious and fun family home evening! I think it turned out pretty cool.

Dress for Less

I have recently been inspired to make my girls dresses. Dresses are so expensive to buy and looked really easy to make, so I bought $2.50 worth of fabric and ribbon and made this little number! (My Photoshop isn't working, so forgive the "straight out of the camera" shot) Oh, man I am so snootie with my pictures now!

I basically made a pillowcase dress, minus the pillowcase because the fabric at Wal-Mart was $1.50 a yard and I only needed one yard. The pillowcases cost anywhere from $6-25. When I went
to Kohl's yesterday I saw $30 holiday dresses and $25 jumpers. Jumpers were everywhere! When did they come back into style? I was all over the jumpers in the 80's! Ew. I am not a fan of the jumper. Out of the 20+ I saw there, I only liked one, but I was not about to spend so much money on that. So, she'll wear this to church with a long sleeved white t-shirt or a sweater and it should be cute.

Yummy Pumpkin Delight

This will be a new Thanksgiving dessert! I made it for a party a week ago and everyone loved it! Super good!

Here's the recipe:

Yummy Pumpkin Delight

2 can (15 oz. each) prepared pumpkin
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 pkg. (18-1/4 ounces) yellow cake mix
1 cup butter, melted
1-1/2 cups chopped pecans

NOTE: I add 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice to the filling.

Frosting:
1 pkg. (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 carton (12 ounce) Cool Whip, thawed

Line a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with waxed paper and coat the paper with nonstick cooking spray, or shortening. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin, milk and sugar. Beat in eggs, vanilla, and also pumpkin pie spice, if using. (I think it makes it better). Pour into prepared pan. Sprinkle with dry cake mix and drizzle with melted butter. Sprinkle with chopped pecans. Bake at 350? for 55 to 60 minutes, or until golden brown. (Shake the pan, if the middle doesn't wiggle, it's done) Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Invert onto a large serving platter; carefully removed waxed paper. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla extract until smooth. Fold in the Cool Whip. Frost top and sides of dessert. Store in the refrigerator. Makes 16 delicious servings.