Thanks to everyone who came to my place for a little holiday shopping today! I figured I would make one of my Mom’s favorite treats… Pumpkin Squares with Cream Cheese Frosting. She made them few times for my holiday shows, so I thought it would a nice touch to do it again in her honor!!!

Don’t worry… I have another pan of them ready for tomorrow’s shoppers too!!!

Looks like another yummy one… a Peoria Pumpkin Pie!!! Homemade pie in a handmade pie dish… the perfect combo!!! As we know everything tastes better in handmade pottery! Thanks for sharing Kristy!!!

So yesterday we celebrated Thanksgiving with my family… and I made the pumpkin pies. It was the first time I have ever “blind baked” the crust first so it would be nice & flaky… no soggy bottoms. Thanks to my friend, former student & baking show winner Martin Sorge, he “coached” me through the process… crust, crimp, chill, poke, line with foil, fill with dry beans, bake, fill & bake again! And it WORKED!!! Yummy pies with nice crispy bottoms! Thanks Martin!!!

So it seems as though I might have a little Christmas Elf wreaking sweet havoc in my world?! It started with some goodies randomly appearing on my Teacher Shelf at Lillstreet. And then more sweet treats appeared at my condo this weekend!!! You know I love a good OREO & a good Scavenger Hunt. I’m not quite sure who the Elf is… but they obviously know me too well… and I’ve narrowed it down to two Elfish suspects!!!

While this is the last week of classes at Lillstreet, both of my classes celebrated with a fun potluck. Monday we did a Thanksgiving theme… but sadly, this one didn’t make it to the party?! Apparently it didn’t turn out quite right??? So Kristen’s “Pecan Pie Upside-Down Cake” may have been a little too much down?… and not enough upside???

I said I would have still eaten it. Looks good to me!!!

I’ve always said that I have the best students! But when these two boxes of yumminess showed up in class last night… let me just say, “Nick is my favorite student ever!” My own custom OREO’s … how cool, how thoughtful!!!

Okay, so maybe favorite EVER is a stretch?! So let’s just say favorite student this session?… favorite this week?… well at least favorite last night!!! Either way… NICK, YOU ROCKED IT!!! Thank you, thank you!!!

With the time-change today, it is already dark outside… before 5:00pm!!! Not liking that… but I will enjoy a little more sunrise time in the morning. Yet since it is dark, damp & chilly outside… looks like Beckie has a great solution with warm & cozy soup!!! Thanks for sharing Beckie!

I saw these on the shelf at the grocery store this morning. Say it isn’t so!!!
I mean, I love Christmas as much as the next guy, but c’mon already!

More Autumn Fun at the orchard! I don’t think I’ve ever seen Indian Corn… or I think we now appropriately call it Ornamental Corn… still on the corn stalk?! Plus a lot of apples no longer on the trees!!!

So much fun at the pumpkin patch on a beautiful Autumn day! So many to choose from… colors, shapes, gourds, warts & stems!!! Celebrating NATIONAL PUMPKIN DAY!