Fall Decor on the Cheap

I love, love, love everything about this time of year.  From the smells to the activities to the décor, this girl is a huge fan!

Here are two of my favorite and totally inexpensive (of course) decorations that take our home from summertime cheer to fantastic fall:

Although I enjoy how corn stalks look, let's face it, getting them from point A to point B with 3 kids in the car is a challenge I'm not up for.  My solution...twigs!  This project couldn't be any less expensive or easy to tackle.  Plus, I disguise the hunt for twigs as a nature walk and even the kiddies are happy. 

Here's how to achieve the look:

1.) Take a spin around your yard and grab some twigs that are about three feet in length or longer.  I prefer the ones with twists and turns and lots of off-shoots for added interest.  While their natural color looks great with fall décor, I chose to spray this batch gold and black. 

2.) When the spray paint is dry bunch the twigs together using a zip tie.

3.) Attach the twigs to your exterior columns using your favorite fall or Halloween ribbon.  Mine happens to be from the Dollar Tree (of course!!!).

Here's my fall dining room décor.  While I already had the two decorative candlestick holders and fleur de lis, I made the clear glass cylinders for some added fall flare.  They were super simple to make and, best of all, the components all came from my local Dollar Tree.

All you'll need to get started is a glass candlestick holder, glass glue, and a vase.  Simply flip over the candlestick holder, apply a generous amount of glass glue, and attach the vase to the candlestick holder.  I placed a heavy book on the top of the vase to ensure the glue would bond and allowed it to dry for at least 24 hours.  Once completely dry, I filled them with fall potpourri, pumpkins, and leaves and placed them amongst the other candlestick holders.

This project was a definite A+ because for just $2.00 a piece I have an adorable decoration for every season/holiday.  Just imagine how great they'll look with miniature Christmas balls, conversation hearts, or Easter eggs!

Stuffed Peppers

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

1-lb. ground turkey/beef

1 package Mexican rice or yellow rice

1 packet of taco seasoning

1 pouch of Cheddar cheese

Large peppers (1-lb. beef fills about 4 peppers)

This happens to be super yummy and healthy stuffed peppers in the making.  Lately the entire crew has been enjoying Mexican food so it's my "go to" list at least once a week.  The boys LOVE peppers so I decided to give this recipe a whirl.

My recipes tend to vary as I use whatever ingredients are in the refrigerator and pantry, but here's the jist of it.  Feel free to adjust to your liking.

1.) Turn oven to 350*

2.) Cook rice as directed

3.) Brown turkey/beef

4.) While the meat is browning and the rice is cooking wash, cut, and "gut" the peppers

5.) Steam the peppers until they soften

6.) Add taco seasoning to the turkey or beef

7.) Combine the ground beef/turkey with the rice

8.) Fill each pepper with the rice and beef/turkey mixture about half way and sprinkle with a bit a cheese on top. Fill the remainder of the pepper and cover with cheese.

9.) Bake the peppers until the cheese begins to bubble.

;)  Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pecan Cake

If you hate to bake like me, but want to feel like you're putting in all of the effort in the kitchen that The Pioneer Woman seems to, you HAVE to try this recipe.   Make sure to read it to the end before jumping in.  I say that from experience.  The first time I made this, I read one cup of butter, however, my brain processed it as one stick.  So….I was one stick short and it tasted that way.  ;)   The second time I made the recipe, I wasn’t paying attention and prepared the cake mix according to the instructions on the cake box.  Bad choice…..I’ll leave it at that.


Ingredients:

 

1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin puree’

1 can (12 oz.) evaporated milk

3 large eggs

1 ½ cups sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp salt

1 box yellow cake mix

1 ½ cups chopped pecans

1 cup of melted butter 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Spray 9”x13” cake pan with non-stick spray.

Mix together the following ingredients:  pumpkin puree’, milk, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, and salt.  Pour this mixture into the bottom of the greased pan.

 

 

 

Next sprinkle DRY CAKE MIX over the pumpkin mixture.

 

 

Sprinkle pecans over the delicious creation. 

 

 

Finally, drizzle melted butter over pecans.

Bake for 50-55 minutes.

You’re going to want to dig into this baby the second it comes out of the oven, but firstly, it’ll be HOT (not like the way Miley Cyrus is desperately attempting to be, but hot like “Oh my gosh, I need water….NOW”).  Secondly, it is so much better about 30 minutes after resting from the oven.  Enjoy it!!