A foody Friday

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pumpkin-dip

I am going to be going “home” tonight to visit my parents. I have a couple of special projects I’m going to do with my mom. If she let’s me, I might even profile her for my blog. A lot of who I am is a result of watching her over the years. She’s the most awesome seamstress I know. I didn’t inherit any of her sewing skills, but we share a fond interest in all things crafty.

So, with Thanksgiving coming up, I have had a few requests for my pumpkin dip as shown above (Thanks Retta for letting me use your photo). At every party/get together I’ve attended, it has been a huge hit! And it is soooo super easy to make! I have to give credit where credit is due, I got this from user Tiera Lesley at All Recipes. I have a huge craving for pumpkin flavors this time of year…I really would like to make a pumpkin roll sometime, but for now, this is a recipe that I feel confident in making and satisfies my sweet tooth at the same time.

Pumpkin Fluff Dip

INGREDIENTS
– 1 (16 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
– 1 (5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
– 1 (15 ounce) can solid pack pumpkin
– 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, mix together instant vanilla pudding mix, pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice. Fold in the thawed frozen whipped topping. Chill in the refrigerator until serving.

This makes about 30 servings. I recommend the generic (not Nabisco) gingersnaps to dip with it. The Nabisco are really hard and don’t get chewy. The off-brands tend to be a little bit snappy/a little bit chewy and that is what I like. I also tried honey Teddy Grahams once and they were good in it too. I’m sure regular graham crackers would be swell as well!

Let me know if you end up making this dip and how it turns out. I promise, It’s really good!

Until next time Swellions!

Alexa

Wow, the weekend’s over already?

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I hate how quickly weekends seem to come and go. I need another day! I’d give my left arm, but I think I might miss it.

I did a whole lot of nuttin’ today. I did craft today and made some jewelry that I plan on submitting to a mag. I also watched a lot of TV. On my set today was MTV’s True Life (I’m Deaf and I’m a Compulsive Shopper), Tori and Dean Home Sweet Hollywood, and Pride & Prejudice (I could watch that one over and over).

I didn’t take too many pics this weekend, but I did take some foodie pics. I made yummy fruit salsa + cinnamon chips. The recipe for these is loosely based on this one…Annie’s Fruit Salsa & Cinnamon Chips. The cinnamon chips are a cinch as well…I just cut up tortillas, spread butter on both sides and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. It is a nice sweet summer treat!

fruit salsa

cinnamon chips

Here’s a pic from my friend Jessica’s 29th b-day gathering on Saturday. She is the last of our little group that is turning 29, so on comes 30 next for all of us. Yikes! Here she is (she’s the brunette) with Dana.

dana&jess

Oh, and Tasha made these really yummy strawberry cupcakes…she’s been getting into cake making as of late. They were so good!!!

cupcakes

This was the group I went to see the Dark Knight with. I ended up seeing it at the drive in and I don’t know that it’s the best venue to see that movie in. It was soooo dark (the lighting in the film) and I couldn’t see details that would have better clued me into what was going on. I don’t know about you guys, but even though it was a good movie, I find action-packed movies like that hard to follow. Maybe I’m a little slow or lacking on the intellectual front? I don’t know. It just seemed that the plot was going back and forth and it was hard to keep up with all the characters. I will say that Heath Ledger was awesome. He stole the movie. He was so freakin’ creepy and the mannerisms and voice was very eerie. It’s so sad that he’s gone!

And finally, wanted to give a shout out to my friend Crafty Chica for her Innovation Award that she won at CHA Summer! Winning an award of this nature is a huge deal and hopefully a great sign of things to come in the marketplace…I’m tickled for her!

Until tomorrow, Swellions!