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Crisp Ideas How to Use Autumn Apples

Apple treesin the spring we love to see them blossom, in the summer their green leafy shade provides respite from the summer sun, the little green apples hold a promise, and in the fall the promise is fulfilled with sweet, crisp apples ready to be picked. You can pick some up at a pick-your-own farm , and stop at the farmers market to get a couple of gallons of apple cider as well. But its easy to get a little carried away, so the counters in your kitchen end up overloaded with two gallons of cider and three different varieties of apples! So today, we want to share some great ways to use all those apples. Applesauce because it goes great with pork chops, or on pancakes, or for dessert, sprinkled with a little bit of cinnamon of course. Apple Dumplings Delicious and easy to make. Enjoy! Apple Cobbler Just like grandma used to make. For the longer term, you can dry apples and or make and preserve homemade apple pie filling. Drying Apples Apple Pie Filling Ah, a slice of warm apple pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Sounds heavenly. And what are apples without caramel? Heres a super easy caramel recipe to try. And, to drizzle it over apple pie or to make caramel apples, leave out the last two minutes of cooking and dip the apples (slide a popsicle stick into the bottom of an apple for easy dipping) into the caramel. Then roll them in finely chopped pecans and place them on waxed paper to cool. Jaimies Carmels Ingredients: 1 cup butter 1 cup light corn syrup 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk 2 1/4 cup brown sugar 2 tsp vanilla 3/4 cup chopped pecans (optional) Butter baking dish (I used a 9x13 glass baking pan). Directions: Put all ingredients, except vanilla, in large microwave safe bowl: 1 - Heat on high five minutes; stir 2- Heat on high five minutes; stir 3- Heat on high five minutes; stir 4- Heat on high TWO minutes; stir Remove from heat and stir in vanilla (and finely chopped pecans if you want them). Pour into buttered pan; let cool two hours. Cut into pieces and wrap in waxed paper. And with all of that apple cider, it becomes a moral imperative to throw an apple-themed party! Wassaila.k.a. hot spiced cider will be the perfect beverage to serve at the party. You can use the clubhouse at Willow Hill to throw your own partyapples are optional. Write a comment and let us know how it turns out.

Haunt Your Home DIY Halloween Decorations

Looking for a good way to liven up your apartment for Halloween? Decorations aren't hard to come by in Puyallup, but why spend the extra cash when frugality can lead to some unique, hand-made decorations that outstrip anything you could see in the store. These budget-friendly alternatives can help you save some extra cash for the upcoming winter season. Have a Happy Halloween with these spooky, easy to make decorations for your home. Ghostly Outdoor Draperies These lovely draperies only require little more than cheesecloth, a tape measure, and tea. Quick to construct and hard to do wrong, the drapes are an easy addition to windows, doors, and walls, and add an immediate ambience of a decrepit haunted house. The result is surprisingly beautiful for such a simple design. Hallow Tin Can Luminaries Completely customizable, these luminary instructions can be used for more than just the Halloween season. Depending on color and the theme word, these tin cans can be painted and poked to reflect any holiday. All you need is a can, a marker, hammer and nail, and some paint to create these lovely lamps. Hanging Ghosts Simple Styrofoam is used to craft these tiny spirits. More cute than terrifying, these decorations are the perfect way to share the holiday feel without going the macabre route. Use your leftover cheese cloth from the draperies to put together these hanging ghosts. Add some marker-drawn eyes and a bit of string, and these quick creations can be put anywhere in the house. Peekaboo Pumpkins Jack O' Lanterns aren't the only way to utilize pumpkins for Halloween. Don't mess with the muck of a pumpkin's innards this year and instead put together one of these adorable ghouls. The fastest craft on the list, all you need for these peekaboos is some glue and googly eyes. Stick them just about anywhere to peak away and you have a fantastic little craft for your Halloween display. Have any other suggestions or go-to creations you rely on for your homemade Halloween display? Feel free to comment and share those below.

The Perfect Dishes to Make This October

October is usually a month of transition from your favorite summer dishes to your favorite fall and early winter meals. So it makes sense that it doesnt get the credit it deserves for dishes that stand on their own before Novembers Thanksgiving. But it doesnt have to be seen as a second child in-between month. You can make that all change by dinner time tonight. With our recipes below, weve gathered three creative takes on some of falls best tastes. Whether you take them at face value, remix them with your own spin, or use them as inspiration for other ideas more in line with your palette, this month is ripe with potential for dishes that might become a staple every year. Butternut Squash Skillet Lasagna Squash is usually at its peak in this month in particular. So it just makes sense to take advantage of those seasonal flavors in a delicious skillet lasagna. With a healthy dose of mascarpone cheese, tender chicken breast, lasagna, finely chopped sage, and a hint of nutmeg, this easy-to-make dish is the perfect collage of coziness at the end of a long day. You can find what youll need for the recipe over here . Sweet Potato Gnocchi Good gnocchi is one of the highlights in the best or bleakest of fall days. And with a picture-perfect balsamic sage brown butter to top it all off, theres not much of an argument against this sweet potato based work of art. From the finely grated parmesan cheese on top to the trusty potatoes to round the dish out, you wont want to let the month get by without trying this recipe . Roasted Cauliflower Risotto Cauliflower must have a good PR teambecause its had a real comeback over the last few years. And nothing goes better with overcast days than roasted vegetables over a bed of piping hot risotto. With the sweet taste of chopped almond, and the smooth hint of dry sherry added in for good measure, this one is sure to hit the spot. You can find the recipe for this one over here .

The Best Animated Movies to Watch in October

Scary movies and horror flicks take center stage this time of year. But for those that still want a taste of holiday spirit in their moviesand without all the gore or shocking momentsanimated features are often the best way to go. Because parents usually take their children to see these movies in theaters, more and more stories and writers are working to make these movies enjoyable and relatable for any age. Below, weve listed a few of our favorite animated movies that you can watch as you ring in your Halloween. Hallow-Themed Animation Paranorman Released just a few years ago, this movie follows the adventures of a boynamed Normanwho quickly discovers he has the power to commune with the dead. But things change quickly when he starts having visions about his past life role in rituals that protect the town. Time is of the essence as zombies threaten certain destruction. Dont be put off by its modest box office success. This one is a treat for critics and viewers alike. The Nightmare Before Christmas A popular cult-hit that occasionally makes its way back to theaters, this one is a seasonal must-see. As the main characterJack Skellingtonfinds a portal from his native Halloween Town to Christmas Town. Trying to bring the little he learns about the holiday back to his home, his failure to understand it leads to their attempt to take over the holiday. For those that roll their eyes at how quickly stores move between holidays, this one is right up your alley. Monsters Inc Billy Crystal and John Goodman bring this animated movie about the monsters under our beds to life. And what better way to take the fear out of imaginary monsters than to picture them as blue collar workers with everyday monster jobs. When they leave a portal to a little girls room open by mistake, she sets off a chain of events that could lead to big changes in both of their worlds. Though released more than a decade ago, Pixar always holds up well.

Custom Guitars in Puyallup

As a guitarist, few things excite me as much as playing a finely crafted instrument. I remember leaving my apartments early as a teen to spend the entire Saturday at Ted Brown Music, over on Meridian. There I would sit, playing the different styles and brands of guitars, until I was asked to leave. I loved comparing the sound and feel of guitars made in various styles and materials. Going back and forth between the nimble shredability of a King V to the laid-back, bluesy feel of a semi-hollowbody and more. As time went on, my standards of quality were refined somewhat. No longer was it enough to play the most expensive guitar in the store; I needed something unique, something custom. I began a search for custom guitar manufacturers and was pleased to find a few great options right here in Puyallup! Warmoth Custom Guitars is an incredible resource for custom guitar and bass parts. The body and neck builder tools on their website are what set them apart. Users are guided through the process of building a guitar step by step. You can choose from solid or chambered construction, the style of wood, and countless other features like pickup, controls and input jack routing options. Not only that, but their painting services are top of the line. Take one look at their gallery and youll see countless examples of beautifully painted guitars that look wet to the touch! USA Custom Guitars is another quality instrument manufacturer in Puyallup. Their selection is not quite as wide as that of Warmouth, but they make up for it with the DIY section of their website. This is for the real guitar enthusiasts who are no longer content playing other peoples works of art; for those who seek to understand every aspect of their instrument. Here, you can get guitar and bass blanks (think pinewood derby kits, but for grown-ups), fingerboards and dot inlays to craft a guitar that is truly unlike any other. Maybe you cant afford a Montgomery Ward Airline like Jack White; you can always build your own tribute to this iconic instrument! USA Custom Guitars has everything you need to build a guitar that is every bit as unique as you are. While both of these companies are located within a relatively short distance of Willow Hill apartments, they are unable to accommodate walk-in customers. Never fear; their online order forms make the process simple. They both encourage customers to call before placing orders to make sure you get what you are looking for. So, if you are in the market for a guitar, and want something a little different from the typical Stratocaster, give one of these local merchants a call. Theyll help you get your dream instrument in no time at all.

Shopping For Your Puyallup Apartment

Moving into a new apartment can be an exciting opportunity to find new furniture and dÃ©corto make your home feel exactly the way you want it to. Or maybe youre just tired of the current look of your surroundings, or youve got that one room that youve been meaning to decorate but just havent gotten around to yet. Whatever your situation, we have you covered with a list of great little out-of-the-way stores that you might not have noticed around Puyallup. Wal-Mart and RC Willey are fine, but sometimes you want to find a place with a little more personality. Old Cannery Furniture & Mattress Warehouse Located just north of Puyallup in Sumner, the Old Cannery Warehouse has personality to spare. While searching through their wide selection of furniture, you can also check out the Old Cannery railroadthe largest multi-train suspended model railroad west of the Mississippi. The railroad is complemented by animatronics and the Old Cannery Fudge Shop, an old-fashioned candy bar carved entirely out of a single giant birch tree. Calla Lily Designs If youre looking for something a little more personalized, try Calla Lily Designs on Meridian in Puyallup. In addition to their selections of furniture, houseplants, clothing, and jewelry, mother and daughter duo Patty Drotz and Callie McHugh offer extensive interior design servicesthey can give sage advice on how to decorate yourself, of you can hire them to see your project through themselves. The Nook Want to combine home decorating with charity? The Nook is the place to start. This high-end thrift store is stocked through donations and its proceeds go toward St. Francis House Programs, which provides needed items to families in distress. There wont be much furniture, but youll find a wide range of dishware, decoration, and clothing to spruce up your home. The Nook is located on east Main Street in Puyallup. What If your tastes are a little more eclectic, then check out a little store called What up on Broadway next time youre in Tacoma. This popular little store is well-stocked with unusual art, pop culture and horror decorations, a vast range of classic movie posters, and various collectibles from all sorts of genres. Watsons Greenhouse Finally, if youre looking for some houseplants or maybe to start a little box garden on your balcony, check out Watsons Greenhouse and Nursery, located on Pioneer Way in Puyallup. This family-owned greenhouse has a wide collection of flowers, ferns, trees, and anything else you might want to cultivate at homestop by and pick something out!