Chatty Patty's Place

Now that the holidays are almost over, the dreaded task of taking everything down is once again here. I've searched the internet for some simple storage ideas from several websites.  I hope they help make your task simpler. Better Homes & Gardens Holiday Storage Solutions Space Savers  http://www.realsimple.com/holidays-entertaining/holidays/christmas/holiday-storage-00100000113869/ The Container Store http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/cleaning-organizing/cleaning-up-after-guests http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2013/12/24/christmas-clean-up-tips/ Disclaimer: No compensation received for this post.

In 1897 a little girl called  Virginia O'Hanlon  (1889–1971) who lived in New York City asked her father whether Santa Claus really existed because her friends had told her he didn't. Virginia's father, Dr O’Hanlon, suggested she write to  The Sun,  a prominent New York City newspaper at the time because, he told her,  'If you see it in The Sun, it's so.' The response, written by one of the paper's editors,  Francis Pharcellus Church,  struck an immediate chord with many readers, even though it wasn't published in a prominent part of the newspaper. Francis Church   had been a war correspondent during the American Civil War, a period which saw great suffering and a corresponding lack of hope and faith throughout much of American society. Perhaps it was his experiences during the war that led him to see an opportunity to address the philosophical issues underlying Virginia's simple letter. Virginia O'Hanlon died in 1972 and her obi...

Feeling crafty? Check out this tutorial on how to make your own gift boxes from DK US http://us.dk.com/static/cs/us/11/pdfs/dk_9781465408402_gift_box.pdf Disclaimer: No compensation received. Just sharing a great idea.

I learned how to make scented ornaments when my son was little.  The recipe is super simple. Place 1 cup of cinnamon and 1 cup of apple sauce (and glitter if you want them to sparkle) in a ziploc baggie and smush together until combined. Refrigerate for an hour. Remove mixture from bag and roll on wax paper Using cookie cutters, cut into shapes Poke a hole in top of each ornament for hanging Leave ornaments on the wax paper and put them in a safe spot to air dry completely.  This will take a few days. Once dried, place ornaments on a pretty ribbon and hang them on your tree, in your car, or give them as gifts to teachers or friends.  The scent lasts a long time.  These are NOT edible. This is a fun project to make with your children. Need more inspiration to make homemade ornaments?  Check out  http://craftadon.com/ornament-round-up/   . Photo credit :  http://craftadon.com/ornament-round-up/

Delicious Turkey and Red Pepper Paninis take leftover turkey to a whole new level. To make this flavorful panini you will need the following ingredients: Sliced French or Italian bread turkey cooked spinach (be sure to remove excess moisture) jarred red peppers smoked gouda cheese Layer all ingredients on your bread and top with the cheese. Place in panini press and grill. Serve with assorted olives. Enjoy Check out all of the delicious recipes you can make with your Thanksgiving leftovers by visiting Goodcook.com ,

Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving from my family to yours. Thank you for following my blog.

Have you ever seen those photos in magazines of beautiful cranberry molds and wondered how they do it? Well, believe it or not, it is much simpler than you think and I am gonna show you how to do it. First pick out which type of mold you want to use.  I am using the Sweet Creations Mini Loaf Pan from Goodcook.com, and I will be giving one away to one of my blog readers.  I made 3 mini molds that I will be placing in different areas on my table.  I like this non stick pan because of its generous size and my molds slide out easily. You will need: 2 cans jellied cranberry sauce 2 envelopes of plain gelatin (I use Knox) 1/2 cup of cold water 2/3 cups chopped walnuts 2/3 cups diced yellow apple (or any variety) 1/2 cup chopped celery  (optional) Step 1 Spray your mold with a non stick cooking spray. Place jellied cranberry in a bowl and crush it up with a fork.  Transfer crushed cranberry into your mold. Sprinkle apples, walnuts and cel...

I love pumpkin pie but I wanted to make a recipe that is a bit different this year.  I got this delicious recipe from my sister and it is so simple to make.  This is a great treat for your Thanksgiving guests and their children. Pumpkin bars 1-1/2 cups sugar 1 sm. can of pumpkin 1 cup of oil 4 eggs 2 cups flour 1 tsp salt 1 tsp baking soda 1tsp cinnamon 1 tsp McCormick pumpkin pie spice 1 tsp baking soda Frosting:  1 3 oz. pkg cream cheese 1 stick of butter or margarine 1 tsp vanilla 2 c. powdered sugar, sifted Preheat oven to 350 degrees Beat all wet ingredients together until fluffy.  Slowly add flour and other dry ingredients until blended. Pour into a greased brownie or baking pan.  Bake 30 minutes.  Cool and serve. I used the Good Cook brownie pan. It cooks evenly and it's non stick surface makes cleanup a breeze. Check out all of the Good Cook Bakeware :  ...

I had so much fun making Halloween cake pops with my Goodcook Halloween cake pop mold. I used Duncan Hines Funfetti cake mix and baked the cake according to the box directions.   I made (2) 9 inch cake rounds.   I then let the cake cool. I then took the cake rounds and 3/4 container of 16 oz pre-made frosting (white) and placed both in my food processor and pulsed until it was a sand-like consistency. I then took an ice cream scooper and scooped it into the molds. I then took the cake pop stick and dipped it into melted chocolate and placed it into the hole.  The chocolate acts as an adhesive to allow the cake to stick to it.  I then placed it in the refrigerator for 2 hours.  The main idea is to let it set.  You can let it sit at room temperature as well.  Make sure to keep it covered. When the molds were ready I removed them and started to decorate them.  You can make hair by dipping the pop into sugars while the frosting...

Peeps are not only delicious and fun to eat, but they are great for making delicious and festive desserts and favors for any occasion! I transformed boring pudding into a fun Peeps nest by adding some fun sprinkles and topping it off with a delicious dark chocolate covered Halloween Peeps. Plain vanilla cupcakes can become fun table placemarkers with a little imagination using different color sprinkles and edible confetti and some fun Halloween peeps.  I used chocolate covered pumpkin peeps, cocoa cat peeps and dark chocolate covered peep chicks. I transformed a boring store bought cake into a fun and festive Halloween centerpiece  cake by surrounding it with cocoa cat peeps and topping it off with my dark chocolate peeps and a chocolate covered pumpkin peep. Peeps are delicious marshmallow treats that are inexpensive and delicious.  There are so many ways to become creative with peeps and turn your party into an event worth bragging abou...