Merry Christmas !

Good morning, Sweet Friends,

Wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas and may it be filled with joy and blessings. 

Merry Christmas, 

Melisa 

Dedicated to my dear baby sister, Christmas is not the same without you . I love you , Amo. 

Turkey Invasion- A Little Fall Hutch Decor

Hello dear friends! I am so happy that you have dropped in for a visit. Pumpkin Cookie Bars are in the oven , and I have iced tea ( a Southern favorite) or milk.  As you step into the kitchen you can see that a flock of turkeys have invaded!

My obsession in collecting turkeys probably started in the early 2000's. I had never seen a wild turkey in person until my hubby introduced them to me years ago. He has worked for years in the conservation of turkeys in our area so how appropriate for me to want to collect a few. Every year I try to find at least one. Some years I am successful ; some years I am not. I had pretty much expected to not find a turkey this year with all that is going on in the world and  with limited shopping experiences, but I did find a turkey at a thrift shop during the summer.  I was jumping up and down when I found this little guy for a couple of dollars.  

He is a little planter and is quite handsome if I do say so myself. 

My hutch is overfilled with turkey and all things fall including a few fall stitches. 

On the top shelf is a Primitive Hare freebie cross stitch called "Give Thanks " and can be found on the website.  The Autumn cross stitch pillow is also a freebie from The Stitcherhood and can be found on their website.  I completed both of these last year. 

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Years ago I got the little turkey pie plate from the Goodwill . I have yet to bake a pie in it , but it is fun to bring out each  November.  My sister gave me the amber colored bowl and glass cup. She knows I like to collect them . 

The second shelf has a few more turkeys. I would say  you could serve gravy in at least one of these guys. 

The yellow house stitch is one of my favorites that I completed last year  and is called "Autumn at Sunflower Ridge" by The Woolly Ewe.  I chose my own colors in this piece.

 Since this was the 400th year anniversary of the Pilgrims' arrival in America I had to have my Pilgrims on display as well. 

The third shelf includes a regal turkey planter, a pumpkin pitcher and a pumpkin pie plate sitting on a golden vintage compote stand.

The Blessed cross stitch was a freebie on my blog and you can find it here.  

I love to collect old tins and that includes these old spice tins - one of which was found in the dump on the farm. 

The Pumpkin Crock cross stitch is one of my designs that I worked on this year as well. 

I have been in the quilting mood lately and worked on this scrappy quilt made up of 1" blocks in October.

 This little quilt is perfect to drape off the edge of the  hutch. The colors are so warm and pretty, and it brings a smile to my face each time that I see it.

Below the hutch is an old Eagle Snack Mix tin which is filled with Christmas bowls waiting to escape. On top of the tin,  is a "Give Thanks" truck from Hobby Lobby my daughter gifted me. I am going to paint wheels on the other side so that I can display it out of the fall season.   My sister found that big rusty spring on a farm dump site last year and she knew  I would do something with it. She was right. On the big rusty spring is a scoop  with a wooden painted turkey. Isn't he just the cutest decked out in his Pilgrim attire?  I usually put something seasonal in the scoop. 

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Now let's pop over to what I call the "Rooster Table" . I was rummaging around the garage and found this white piece of wood that fit perfectly on top of the Rooster Table. I just wanted to lighten it up a bit. I can remove it when I want  so there is no commitment which is great for me. 

Everything is a thrift store find except for the  Thankful house and the cross stitches  which were completed in 2019. One  is a Hands on Design piece called "  A Year in Chalk November." It is one of my favorites. I finished it on thrifted wood plaque , used  some twigs and acorns from the yard added a fabric bow and called it a finish. 

 The other cross stitch is from With Thy Needle and Thread and is called  "Holiday Hoopla Thanksgiving"  . I finished it into a little tart tin to make it look like a turkey pot pie.  

The subway art hanging on the wall was a free printable years ago, but I can not remember from who.  I enjoy bringing it out each year.

I have more turkeys tucked here and there in the kitchen and foyer, but I will save them for a future post. Like I said the turkeys have invaded!

The Pumpkin Cookie Bars are just about ready and here is the recipe.They are a little time consuming but yummy just the same. 

Pumpkin Cookie Bars

Ingredients

1 cup of flour

1/2  cup of quick oats

1/4 cup of firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 cup of chopped nuts

1 3/4 t cinnamon

1/2 c melted butter

1 c of Libby's Solid Pack Pumpkin

3/4 cup of undiluted Carnation Evaporated Milk

1 slightly beaten egg

1/3 c of sugar

1/2 t. of allspice

1/4 t salt

1 - 8 ounce package of cream cheese

1/4 c orange marmalade 

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine flour, oats, brown sugar, nuts and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Add butter and mix until crumbly. Press into bottom of 13x 9 x 2 inch baking dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven . Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Combine remaining ingredients EXCEPT the cream cheese and marmalade ( which are for the topping) Pour over the crust.  Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely.  To make cream cheese topping, beat together until fluffy one 8 ounce package of softened cream cheese and 1/4 c of orange marmalade. Spread over cooled bars to frost. Garnish with crushed granola, chopped nuts or orange peel.  Cut into bars. Yield 32. 

Time for me to go do a little finishing today ,and hopefully I will have some new stitches to add to the Thanksgiving collection soon. Thank you so much for visiting me and checking out my Thanksgiving hutch.  

Have a blessed day. 

 Melisa