Bushels of Apples..and a Recipe!

We are lucky enough to have a home within an apple orchard. In our own yard, we have 4 fully mature apple trees. What a sweet part of life!

After having our first frosty morning this past week, we knew it was time for the apple picking to begin! So far, we have only done 2 of our trees. They are McIntosh apples and they are so, so yummy. We still have a Golden Delicious and a Red Delicious tree to pick.

I love this time of year!

I love getting the kids outside, all working together on harvesting something we have worked on all year long. I love the briskness in the air. It makes you feel alive.

Pretty soon these gorgeous apples will be eaten whole, made into fruit leather, applesauce, dried apples, and more. I've got my work cut out for me!

So in honor of the apple season, I thought I'd share one of my favorite apple recipes with you!

Apple Oat Muffins

1 medium apple, cored and grated
2 egg whites
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat flour
½ cup raisins
¼ cup honey
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt

(Although this recipe does not call for walnuts, I like to add some chopped walnuts to the mixture. It's up to you though.)

Preheat oven to 350. In large bowl, stir together the buttermilk, oats, and raisins. In a separate bowl, blend the whole wheat flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.

Add the egg whites and honey to the oat mix, and blend thoroughly.Blend the two mixtures together. Fold in the grated apple.

Fill greased muffin tin and bake for 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes in the pan before removing.

Enjoy!

Who Wants Some FREE Music?

Hi all! Several weeks ago, I was very fortunate to be asked to review Kenny Loggin's new family album entitled, "All Join In." If you have ever been a fan of "Return to Pooh Corner" such as myself, then you will also enjoy this new album!

Some of the songs are very different and unique. Others you will find VERY familiar. (Especially if you have a Toy Story fan in your home.) Listening to the CD in the car has made for some fun head-bopping going on from all 4 of my children.

Although I was able to review the album in its entirety, thanks to One 2 One Network and Walt Disney Records, they are offering all reviewer's readers 4 FREE downloads. The link below will direct you to a site with a music player for you to listen to 4 songs on the album to preview. After listening, if you just answer some quick questions about your thoughts on the music, then an email will be sent to you with a link to the 4 free digital downloads of the music!

Click HERE to be directed to that music link!

Enjoy and happy Monday!

Paper Piecing: FREE Pattern and How-To!

As if I wasn't busy enough, I am now so excited to get back into my quilting mode! There's just something about this time of year that makes me want to stitch lovely fabrics together.

Have any of you ever tried paper-piecing? It really is VERY EASY to do and so much fun! If you can sew a straight line, then you can paper-piece and look like a PRO.

Trust me on this.

Kim has provided an AMAZING, step-by-step photo tutorial on how to do this PLUS she has a free quilt block pattern to try it out on!

I went over and took video of her doing this yesterday and I can hardly wait to get started. She made it seem so simple! You can view the video on the YouCanMakeThis.com blog!

Look how fun! Choose a more funky style...

Or go for the traditional look...

And she's challenging us to do it together! I'm totally in! Who's with me???

Roasted Starbursts Anyone?

del⋅i⋅ca⋅cy  [del-i-kuh-see]: something delightful or pleasing, esp. a choice food considered with regard to its rarity, costliness, or the like.

Oh.
Ya.
Mmmmm. :)

It's Football Season! NEW Designs to Celebrate!

To start off this Monday post, I'd like to introduce you to a new member of our family!

Our little Yorkie's name is RASCAL! The kids are having a BALL with him! (No pun intended!) When we were outside in the yard last week, this cute little guy loved playing with the football. I figured a few pictures would be the perfect way to introduce my new football season designs!

You can find all of these designs and more at SWAKembroidery.com!

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Happy Monday!

It's My 100th POST!!!!! *Giveaway Details!*

WOW! I've finally hit my 100th post on the JesseKate Designs blog! I can't believe it! I told my husband this last night and he teased, "You really had 100 worthwhile things to say?" LOL! :)

Well, I don't know about that, but I sure do hope you have felt it has been "worth your while" to come and visit my blog over the last 7 or so months. THANK YOU for being such a great support, so kind, and so giving. It makes my day when you comment. It means so much when you even lurk. YOU ARE THE BEST!

So in true "blogging world tradition", it's time for a 100th post giveaway! Are you ready?

That's right! I will personally make each of your children (or grandchildren as long as you don't have 37!) a personalized name pillow! If you win, you let me know the names, bedroom colors, their interests, etc. and they will be yours.... wrapped up and ready to give! (Wow! A great Christmas gift already checked off your list!) :)

Here's how to win!

1. Leave a comment telling me about a favorite post found on the JesseKate blog. You have 100 to choose from! LOL

2. Go to my sidebar and find my "Add My Button" image. Add to your blog and make a 2nd post here to tell me where myself and others can find it! That's another entry!

3. Sign up for my newsletter! (If you're already on, no worries....you're entered!) Leave a comment here that you are a subscriber!

4. Become a follower to my blog! Again, if you already are, let me know by making another comment here!

5. Tell others about this giveaway! You may copy either of the images in this post to share on your own blog, twitter the news, or email a friend. Be sure to leave a comment for each of those items as well so that the handy random number generator can find your entry!

You have from now until Thursday, October 1st to enter! I'll announce the winner the following day!

Again, thank you THANK YOU ThAnK yOu!!!

Homework Solution! So far...SO WONDERFUL!

School is now full-steam ahead, and homework is now a reality...a far cry from our summer of "notta-lotta." So when I browsed through my most recent issue of Family Fun magazine, and found this FABULOUS idea, I knew I wanted to give it a try!

It has worked out SO WELL. Mom wants to do cartwheels! Having your own homework space does wonders.

Last weekend I went to Walmart and purchased those simple, 3-fold boards. You know, the kind that we used to do science projects with! I then just set out a bunch of crayons, markers, glue sticks, and stickers that I already had on hand. They went to town!


I also purchased a thin sheet of corkboard for each of the kids from our local office supply store. They attached them to the boards and now I have a place to leave them notes with a thumbtack such as, "Don't forget you have piano lessons today at 2:45!" or "Thanks for the big hug this morning!" :)

My 1st grader decided to make his corkboard look like a baseball diamond!

Each have their own canister filled with crayons, markers, pencils, etc. (All that back-to-school stuff that we could get dirt-cheap from Walmart this year!) This has helped resolve the, "I-can't-find-a-pencil!!!" ordeal!

I also decided to take this idea one step further and made up 2 lists on the computer that attach to the boards at the top and are changed out each month. One list is their "to-do" list so they can check off each item as they go. The other list is a small chart in which they get a sticker each day they complete the entire to-do list. Once that chart is filled up, a special treat will be in store.

A plastic ruler hangs down from a small hook. An envelope at the bottom of their boards holds the flashcards they are currently working on.


A sense of "privacy" has seemed to really help them focus on what is in front of them, rather than noticing the silly face that little brother or sister is making across the table! LOL

Would you like a copy of the charts I put together for your own files? Here they are! Just customize the way that fits your child! Simply click on the images below and print.


What other things have you found to help with your children's homework routine each night? I'd love to hear!

And one more thing.... my next post will be my 100th POST! Woohoo! Please check back for a very "personalized" give-away! ;)

Camping Fun Thanks to Blogs!

I love blogging and I love to read other's blogs! There is always something so useful or fun that I think to myself, "I need to stash that idea away in my head for one of these days..."

Last weekend became one of those times.

We took the kids camping with cousins! (You know, one last summer hurrah!)

And when I wanted to think of some kind of fun activity to do with the kids while camping, I looked no further than what I had read just a short while ago on a couple of my friend's blogs!

First off, here's a fun idea someone shared of making nature bracelets. But for the LIFE of me I cannot remember who had it on their blog!! So if anyone out there knows, or it may be YOU, please let me know so I can give credit to this person! :) So back to the nature bracelets... Talk about EASY! All I had to do was wrap a piece of masking tape around each of their wrists, and they were off to the races!

And here is what some of them came back with!

And yes, that is a hospital bracelet on my son's hand above. Ummm...let's just say his hand and a fast-shutting front door met the night before. The door won. :(

My niece was ecstatic with her nature bracelet!

And here's one more...

I'm thinking that this was such a quick and easy way to keep the kids entertained, I may even pull out my roll of masking tape more often at home! LOL

Then my friend, Shelli of Needle in a Haystack shared a great idea on her blog of making rock necklaces! I've seen things like this before, and never could figure out how it was done. But Shelli gave great instructions that made this one easy-peasy! The kids LOVED finding their favorite rock and then bringing them back to me to wire them.

You're in for a real treat when you visit Shelli's blog! I'd love for you to stop by and say "hi!"

My camera died and so I was unable to get more pictures of the necklaces. So on one final note, I will end with this picture of another one of my nieces.

Ahhh...gotta love the great outdoors.

Gift Card Holders for BABY! (And see another twist on these designs!)

First off, can you believe that this is my 97th post? Wowsers! So that means my 100TH POST IS COMING UP VERY SOON!!! I'll make sure to have a super cool giveaway to go along with it, so I hope you'll check back!

As you know I've been on this kick with in-the-hoop gift card holders! So my most recent project was making them for BABY! I wanted them to be very simple, yet sweet. I hope you like them!

And you want to see something that just made my day? My friend, Jennie of Homeberries, made these gift card holders...but put a different "spin" on them! She made them with PAPER and then stuck magnets on the back for the refrigerator! Then she inserts little lists to go inside of them! How clever! Here is a picture she posted on her blog....

You can find the post she did on this project HERE. I would love for you to stop by and say "hi" to Jennie! She has a really great blog, filled with so many fun ideas and inspiration for finding your creativity!