Pumpkin Fun & so much more!

We love Fall around here. Even if the weather isn't going to cooperate I want to feel like I am experiencing the cool breezes and leaves floating to the ground!

We decided to make some yummy pumpkin muffins & bread.

We also had a playdate and painted pumpkins and made some fun turkey handprints..

I don't typically love the color orange, because ummm, hello, football conflicts, but pumpkin orange is different than burnt orange! So I run with it!!

From a fellow blogger I was reminded about cool uses for chalkboard paint, so we painted pumpkins so the girls could make as many faces as they want and do it over and over again! I also got some other fun ideas to use for it and so excited!!

I also cooked like 4 times last week..WHOA, I know, impressed much! My main recipe that was a hit for Daniel was some pulled pork sandwiches done in the crockpot. MY recipe will follow cause I just made it up from stuff I had because I am a poor planner and usually am missing a few key ingredients!
Here is the Pumpkin recipe: Cream Cheese Pumpkin Bread (shared by Allison Wendler, found in Southern Living)
Ingredients
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups canned unsweetened pumpkin
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
4 large eggs
Cream cheese filling:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted (I leave out the nuts)
1 large egg
Directions:
Stir together 3 1/2 cups flour, sugar, and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk together pumpkin and next 3 ingredients; add to flour mixture, whisking just until dry ingredients are moistened. Spoon 3 cups of batter into each of 2 greased and floured 9- x 5-inch loaf pans. Spoon Cream Cheese Filling evenly over batter. Spoon remaining batter evenly over Cream Cheese Filling. I have left out cream cheese before and it still works great! But why would you!!!?
Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center of bread comes out clean. Let cool in pans 10 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and cool completely on a wire rack.

Then my Pulled Pork Sandwiches...I was going to use the Pioneer Woman's recipe here, and have before and yummy..as her stuff is usually, but didn't have the right ingredients, so I improvised and crossed my little fingers for the best!! I like to NOT play by the rules, live on the wild side of 'will dinner be edible or not'? Ya know, crazy!! (I was actually called crazy by 3 different people this week! I was shocked too!) ..so maybe I write like I cook, sporadic and get off topic too easily and just do things the way I feel even if it makes no sense...
I wanted to use my crockpot. It just makes me feel safe, like I'm not really doing anything, and if it burns I don't feel as bad because I really didn't cook it myself..
OK, back to my recipe:
Cut up like 2 medium white onions and placed most in the bottom,
Then I put some 'rub' we had in our cabinet and rubbed it in the pork butt
Then I layed it on the onions and put the rest of the onions on top.
Then I realized I was out of DP or anything similar to that.. and HB was napping and crap, what to do!!
So, I searched my frig...found a Sprite and a Beer (Bud Light I think..I don't typically drink those so I was willing to give it up)
Poured those in the pot and wasn't sure what else to do!
I added in a pinch or two of Brown Sugar and stirred
Then I added in some beef boulon just because my juice looked too clear for my likin'.
I can't really remember what else I did..I am pretty sure I flipped the pork and reversed it a few times throughout the cooking.
I cooked it on High for about 5 hours and then turned it down on low for a bit. It would probably be best on Low for like 7-8 hours.

It was so yummy!! I served on sliders (which my girls think are awesome!) and made this great coleslaw and felt all Woman-y-ish. Then I dipped my slider bread in the juice to slop up the druggins and it was heaven!

The Coleslaw recipe is from my friend Leslie:
Packaged coleslaw, cilantro and 2 cans of shoepeg corn (drained)
Combine ingredients early enough to cool it all down and add in jar of Marzetti's coleslaw dressing found next to the coleslaw in cooler area.
It is so refreshing and yummy..I don't think mine tasted like hers did, but probably cause I made it. Don'tcha hate when that happens..or is it just me?!
Ok, that turned in to the longest post..I am the only one up still watching the Monday Night Football game..but I won this week in my Fantasy League..so at least I'm doing something right!

Next up, Pumpkin Patch pictures!
(maybe all my posts should be written like I have tons of people who will read it! It's like I'm not sitting here by myself!)