DIY Kids Turkey Headband

I admit that I am one of those mothers who likes to dress my kid up in silly outfits for all of his “firsts”. We gave him a bowtie and a leprechaun hat for his first St. Patrick’s Day; I turned him into a paper bunny for Easter; I even made him a podium and a gold medal for his first Olympics opening ceremony. Yep, I’m that mommy! So with Thanksgiving coming up I’ve been searching for something cute I could make for Nathan to wear to commemorate the day. Enter the turkey headband!

Isn’t it cute? It’s inspired by this one I pinned from Pottery Barn Kids (which is no longer available) except, since I can’t sew, mine is made entirely of paper instead of fabric. Slightly less durable but since it’s really only for a couple of photos it doesn’t matter that it probably won’t make it through dinner.

Want to make your own? It’s super easy! Start by cutting a feather template out of cardboard (think cereal box). Depending on the age and head size of your child you can make the template smaller or larger. Then trace your template onto 8 different pieces of scrapbook paper or cardstock. I chose paper patterns that were Thanksgiving-y but you can use any colours or patterns you like – just make sure you choose thick enough paper that your feathers won’t just flop over once they’re attached to the headband. Once your feathers are traced, cut them all out and set them aside.

To make the turkey’s body you’ll need to trace a medium circle and then a smaller one onto brown paper. I used a cappuccino mug and traced the mouth for my medium circle and then flipped it over and traced the smaller bottom. Overlap your traced circles so they look like the picture below and then cut them out as once piece – there’s your turkey head and body!

 

Snip the corner off a piece of orange or yellow cardstock to create your beak. Then add the snood – the dangly red thing over the turkey’s beak – by cutting a kind of wobbly candy cane shape out of red paper. Glue these parts onto the head of the turkey and then add eyes with black marker.

Next you need to attach the feathers to the turkey’s body. For this step I just fanned my feathers out as evenly as I could, laid them down on the table and then added glue to the body of the turkey and pressed it down on top of the feathers. To reinforce things I cut a piece of cardstock and glued it on the back.

The last step is to attach the turkey to a headband. If you have a girl then you probably already have something on hand you can use. I happened to have some stretchy baby headbands leftover from making diaper cakes so I used one of those and stapled the turkey to the bow on the front. If you don’t have a headband you could always safety pin your turkey to a toque or similar hat that doesn’t have a brim or peak. I tried hot gluing at first but found that when the headband stretched the turkey popped right off. If you’re worried about a staple or safety pin near your child’s head you can hot glue some felt on the back side.

I am so excited by how this turned out. I think it’s so cute and I can’t wait to do our Thanksgiving pictures this weekend. As you can see, Nathan is thrilled too ;)

And as an added bonus: Pinned It – Did It Count: 2

Thanksgiving Table Decor

From what I can tell the majority of my readers are located in the US so this post may seem a bit early but, here in Canada, Thanksgiving is nearly upon us. In fact, it’s this coming Monday! So before we get to the big day I wanted to share a couple of simple suggestions for table decor or centerpieces. The nice thing is that both of these displays are already part of my fall decor so you get some bang for your buck by creating these centerpieces and then using them for a month or more in the dining room or living room.

 

For this one, start with a cake stand and then add leaves and pumpkins. That’s it! My pumpkins are fake (I bought them on clearance after Halloween last year) but you can use real pumpkins if you prefer. You can paint them to look shiny and metallic like mine or you can just leave them au naturel. My leaves are fabric but if you’ve got a tree in your yard then go ahead and gather up some real ones! Cover your cake stand with leaves, making sure there’s some overhang, and then place the pumpkins on top.

This one is even easier – it’s just a bushel basket that I filled with fall themed potpourri. It’s mostly leaves with some pinecones and pumpkins mixed in. Again, if you wanted to use the real thing you could gather most of these elements outside. For me, I’d rather have fake because I get nervous about insects. I bought this mix on sale at Michaels a few years ago and, because I seal it up every year when the season ends, it still smells so good!

These centerpieces are easy to scale up or down as well. Having a lot of people at a large table? Use a big basket and stuff the bottom with tea towels so you don’t need to use as much filling. Just your family of 4? Opt for an 8 inch cake stand instead of a 12 inch and choose gourds instead of larger pumpkins. Simple as that :)

Magnetic Calendar - October

Ok so, depending on how you look at it, this month’s magnetic calendar is either right on time (it is October 1st after all) or really really late (I missed this month last year!). Either way, I’m really please with how it turned out. Of course I had to go with a Halloween theme and lots of orange and black.

I had a ton of Halloween stickers and embellishments in my stash to choose from – I love the skulls and the little crow stickers. There’s a special sticker for Halloween, one for Thanksgiving (it’s in October here in Canada) and the little cupcake returns for another family birthday this month. Here’s a few pictures to show you the details.

And with that, I only have two more months until I have an entire year of calendars completed! There will be another new entry next month for November but, in the meantime, if you want to see my previous months or find out how to make your own calendar then click here. This is really a fun project and I love that you can reuse it year after year.

Happy October!

Guest Post – Holiday Brisket

If Sunday dinner in your house usually consists of a roast, consider cooking brisket instead! Here’s a recipe from One Hungry Dude – he’s singing the praises of Tori Avey too.

In the lead up to Rosh Hashanah, Sarah introduced me to a great website, The Shiksa in the Kitchen. Tory Avey, a food writer and recipe developer, has appeared on numerous television shows, and her website earned the IACP People's Choice Award 2012 Best Culinary Website. It's easy to see why. She has countless recipes, and plenty of culinary advice on the site — and it's relevant whether you're looking for a great new recipe, or a relative newcomer to the cooking world. This is a slightly modified version of her Holiday Brisket. It looked so delicious, I really only wanted to tinker with the original recipe. I made the right choice, because everyone at the table raved about the flavour and tenderness of the brisket.

Next week, I'll teach you an incredibly simple and delicious recipe for the leftovers.

Ingredients
• 4 to 5 pound brisket
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 large can tomatoes, whole, diced, or crushed
• 5 peeled whole garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 2 cups vegetable broth, divided
• Salt and pepper
• 2 Bay leaves
• 2 Tsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 large yellow onions, peeled and sliced
• 1 pound carrots, washed and sliced
• 8 to 10 Button mushrooms, sliced
• Splash of red wine

Preheat oven to 300 F. Rinse the brisket and pat dry. Rub both sides of the meat with black pepper and salt. Heat a large skillet over medium heat on the stovetop. Drizzle 2 tbsp of olive oil into the pan. Brown the brisket on both sides, it will take four to five minutes per side.

While brisket is browning, pour canned tomatoes, garlic, brown sugar, vinegar, 1 1/2 cups broth, bay leaves and Worcestershire into a blender or food processor. Add salt and black pepper. Pulse till garlic is chopped small and all ingredients are combined.

Remove the browned brisket from the skillet. Drizzle 2 tbsp more olive oil in the pan and add the sliced onions. Saute them over medium high for a few minutes until they begin to soften and shrink in size. Add the carrot and mushrooms, and saute for five to six minutes, until the onions are caramelized and the vegetables are fragrant.
Pour the vegetables out of the skillet and onto a plate, reserve. Pour 1/2 cup of the broth and a splash of wine into the skillet, and let it heat up. Use a spatula to scrape up any brown bits that are clinging to the skillet. Turn off heat.

Pour half of the tomato mixture into a large roasting pan. Place brisket on top of the tomato sauce, fat cap facing up. Pour the sauteed vegetables across the top of the brisket, along with the broth and brown bits. Pour the remaining tomato sauce over the top of the vegetables and brisket.

Cover the roasting pan tightly with foil, tenting slightly so there is no contact between the foil and the ingredients inside. Place the pan in the preheated oven. Let it roast undisturbed for four to five hours (about an hour per pound). The brisket is done when it flakes tenderly after being pierced with a fork.

Remove brisket from the pan and let it rest on the cutting board fat-side up, for 20 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, pour the sauce and vegetables from the roasting pan into a smaller saucepan. Skim fat from the surface of the cooking sauce, then reheat the sauce till hot (not boiling). Cut the fat cap off the brisket, then cut the brisket in thin slices against the grain. Serve topped with the tomato sauce and softened vegetables.

— This recipe was inspired by Tory Avey, The Shiksa in the Kitchen

G is for Gramps DIY Birthday Card!

Happy Friday! Chris has been super busy with work this week so I’m really looking forward to the weekend and spending some family time.  But first, a quick post today to share another homemade birthday card. This past Monday was my Dad’s birthday so, of course, there was a card made.

This one started with a blank dollar store card and then everything else on it is from Sassafras. The main tag is a sticker from the Apple Jack line and since the card was for my Dad/Nathan’s Gramps and he plays the guitar it worked really well! The banner trim is also an Apple Jack sticker that I cut to size for the top and bottom and the background paper is from their Count Me In collection. Last but not least I used some Party Time felties to give the card a birthday feel.

I sometimes have trouble making cards for men since a lot of my supplies are cute or girly but I love the way this one turned out using only things I had on hand. Happy Birthday, Dad!

By the Batch – Homemade Butterfingers

I pinned this recipe almost a year ago and then promptly forgot all about it. This happens with a lot of my pins, I think “oh what a great idea – I have to try that!” and then I move on to the next great idea and the one after that. It’s sad to say that sometimes I think I spend more time collecting great ideas than I do actually making some of them. Please tell me I’m not alone! In an effort to change that I’m going to start a “Pinned It – Did It” count to keep track of the things I pin and then actually make.

I started with these Homemade Butterfingers because the main ingredient is candy corn so it’s the perfect time of year to find it. And boy am I glad I did because these things are ridiculously good! I don’t really know how it’s possible but somehow melted candy corn and peanut butter combine to make a pretty incredible Butterfinger replica, right down to the flaky texture. Chris and I are gobbling these things up like there’s no tomorrow and I’m already planning my next trip to the Bulk Barn for more supplies ;)

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb candy corn (approx 130-150 pieces)
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Directions

Put the candy corn in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1 minute. Stir and then continue microwaving in 15 seconds intervals, stirring after each, until melted. Once melted, combine with peanut butter. Working quickly, because it sets up fast, take the mixture and press it into a pan (I used half of an 8x8 but the size you use just depends on how thick you want your squares). Place it in the refrigerator and allow to cool completely. The original recipe suggests lining your pan with parchment but I didn’t and the candy popped out fine.

Once your candy is set (approx 20 minutes in the fridge) cut it into squares or bars. Bonus: You’ll get a lot of crumbs when you cut which are delicious when you save them and put them on ice cream! Melt your chocolate chips using a double boiler and then dip your squares in the chocolate to cover completely. Lay your chocolate covered squares on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and place in the fridge until the chocolate has hardened (approx 30 minutes). Then eat and enjoy!

Easy, right? I will definitely make these again – I’m thinking my family will love me just a little bit extra if I bring some of these to Thanksgiving dinner this year :)

Pinned It – Did It count: 1

Fresh Homemade Challah

I’ll admit it – up to now, challah has intimidated me. I’ve long wanted to make it myself but was pretty sure that I’d never be able to figure out the braid or get the consistency right. I once made bread machine challah but it was a poor imitation of the real thing. Enter The Shiksa in the Kitchen, Tori Avey. Tori manages to make traditional Jewish foods incredibly accessible with her simple, straightforward recipes and instructions. I followed her recipe for challah and her braiding instructions and baked up some truly delicious bread!

What I learned is that anyone can make challah as long as you have patience. You need to let the dough rise multiple times and the whole process takes several hours but it’s well worth it. I followed Tori’s instructions to the letter and I’m so glad I did because I impressed myself with both the taste of the bread and my braid. This is just the simple three strand braid (much like what you’d use to braid your hair) but starting off this way has given me the confidence to try with additional strands next time. And there will be a next time because this challah was just that good!

Be sure to visit The Shiksa in the Kitchen for tons more delicious recipes and inspiration!

P.S. No, this hasn’t turned into a Jewish food blog – Chris and I just made a lot of really great dishes for Rosh Hashanah. Later this week I’ll have Homemade Butterfingers and a new DIY Birthday Card so stay tuned!