Menu Planning Central

Making Life Easier Since 2007!

  • Home
  • About
    • Lifetime Member Update
  • Menus
    • Current Family Favorites Recipes
    • Family Favorites – Free Week
    • Family Favorites Menu Plan
    • Healthy 30 Minute Meals – Free Week
  • Recipes
  • Contact
  • Login
    • Affiliates
  • Cart

15 Pumpkin Decor Ideas for Fall

Spread the love
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  • 1
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  

Pumpkin decor graphic
I LOVE decorating with pumpkins. It’s so easy! They’re all over in abundance in the fall, cheap (or easy to grow yourself!), and you can start decorating with them in late September and keep it going all the way to the end of November. Boom! Seasonal decorating–Done!

Well today I’ve got a great round-up of pumpkin decor ideas. Some use real pumpkins and some are inspired by them. 🙂

  1. Melted Crayon Pumpkin:  Got some old crayons you don’t want to waste but nobody wants to use?  This.
  2. Modge Podge Botanical Pumpkins:  So pretty!  These are my favorite.
  3. Glam Glitter Pumpkins:  Add a little bling to your pumpkin decor!
  4. Pumpkin Pillows:  Super cute tutorial.
  5. Monogrammed Pumpkins:  Monogram lovers, you know who you are.  This is for you.
  6. Lacy Pumpkins:  Use doilies to get this sweet look.
  7. Yarn Wrapped Pumpkin:  3 different styles will get your yearning for yarn all fired up.  (as if you needed encouragement!)
  8. Dollar store pumpkins turned door decor:  You can make these look great for just a couple bucks.
  9. Copper Herringbone Pumpkins:  Get out your paint pens and have this gorgeous look in minutes!
  10. Pumpkin Topiary with lights:  Perfect for your entry!
  11. Fabric covered plastic pumpkins:  Revamp old plastic pumpkins with fabric!
  12. Pom pom Pumpkins:  Super cute and easy enough to do with the kids.
  13. Twinkle-light pumpkins:  So pretty, and not too hard to do!
  14. No-Carve Black and White Pumpkins:  Great styling tips in addition to ideas for stylish pumpkin decor.
  15. Napkin Covered Pumpkins:  Great tutorial on using the humble paper napkin to make a great decoration!

Get 4 weeks of done-for-you meal plans and shopping lists here!

How to Choose a Pepper for Your Recipe

Spread the love
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  • 5
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  

Picking a pepper: How to choose the right pepper for your recipe

Cooking with peppers is a time honored tradition in every single culture.  That’s because peppers come in all varieties from sweet to earth shaking, blow your hair off, hotness (my husband’s favorite…. blech!).  Understanding the various types of peppers can go far in helping you choose what to put into your recipes based on your desired result and personal preferences.

First of all, did you realize that peppers are fruits, and not vegetables?  (yeah, me neither) They grow on a “tree”, just like a tomato which is also a fruit.  The most common peppers most people are familiar with are the bell pepper varieties.   Due to the proliferation of Mexican food, most of us are also familiar with  jalapenos.  But there are many more types of peppers.  Choosing from them needs to be done based on how you want your recipe to turn out.  (Using the wrong pepper can deem your recipe non-edible at times!)

Bell Peppers — Named due to their “bell” shape, these come in many colors – the most common being green, yellow, orange and red. They are not spicy at all, and are often referred to as “sweet” bell peppers due to this fact.  You can eat them in all kinds of dishes from sweet to savory, cooked or raw.  They’re really good stuffed with a savory rice mixture and baked.

Banana Peppers — Only slightly more spicy than a bell pepper they are also named due to their appearance and color.  They’re longer with a yellow hue, although there are also green and red banana peppers.  Banana peppers are great eaten raw or lightly cooked and have far more flavor than the sweet bell pepper.

Poblano Pepper — Very dark green and shaped kind of like the banana pepper these are much more spicy. Poblano peppers are only slightly less spicy than a jalapeno pepper.  When they are dried, the are called ancho peppers, and can be used in many recipes where some fire is desired.  They are also great to stuff and grill due to their thick walls.

Fresno Peppers — These are the kind of hot peppers used in salsas which provide a beautiful red color boost to recipes and are hotter than the jalapeno. They can be eaten raw or cooked, and are the same heat as the average jalapeno peppers which makes them good to combine with jalapenos to provide two pops of color.

Jalapeno Peppers — Crispy and spicy, without being unbearable these peppers are a common addition to many recipes calling for some mild heat.  Always discard the seeds, before chopping or eating regardless of adding to a recipe or eating raw.  As you begin working with hotter peppers, you may also want to consider wearing gloves.  At the very least, do not touch anywhere on your face before you thoroughly wash your hands.   Jalapeno’s are great baked, grilled, fried or pickled.

Habanero Peppers — Twenty or more times hotter than your average jalapeno, high in capsaicin (the chemical that causes the burning sensation skin), it’s important to be careful using these delightful fruits in dishes. They vary in color and can add a brightness and an extra punch of heat, with just a slight addition to any recipe. Try using in a homemade salsa recipe by substituting just one habanero for the other peppers called for in the dish.  A little bit goes a long way.

In addition to these peppers there are other varieties both fresh and dried such as Serrano, the popular dried and powdered Cayenne, the dangerous Ghost Chili (my husband’s favorite).  When choosing the right pepper consider its color, it’s flavor and its heat level to ensure that you add just the right touch to any recipe calling for peppers.  Also, read about it to ensure that you don’t overdo it.  Believe it or not, people have actually died eating peppers that were too hot in eating contests.

pickapepper-infographic-branded

 

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7

Search this site…

Try Family Favorites Menu Plans for 7 Days - Free

Our Favorite Recipes

Green Bean Casserole

Spread the love
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  • 21
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  

Spread the love    21     Green Bean Casserole is a holiday staple, but you typically see it mixed with creamed canned soups.  This recipe is from scratch, and adds a delicious crunchy topping that you’ll love!  We’ve included this terrific recipe in December’s Family Favorites Menu Plan. Crunchy Onion Bites Ingredients 1/3 White Onion (thinly sliced & […]

10 Free Slow Cooker Recipe Books for Weight Loss

Spread the love
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  

Spread the love         Affiliate links are used in this post.   Need to lose a few pounds?  Make it easier by harnessing the power of your slow cooker!  Today I’ve got ten terrific free Kindle books* that you can grab to help you get started.   *All of these books were available for Free when posted. […]

DIY Lunch Stations Make Lunchtime Easier

Spread the love
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  

Running a household. Keeping the kids safe and occupied. Errands and doctor’s appointments. And meals. So. Many. Meals. Even if you enjoy cooking, the logistics can get overwhelming. And lunchtime in the midst of a busy day can be tricky. (especially if Mom might like an ounce of downtime to recharge!)

DIY Lunch Stations to the rescue!

Summertime Family-Friendly Menu Plan

Spread the love
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  

Spread the love          I’m SO, SO excited about our new Summertime menu plan!  I’ve been test driving these recipes with my family and we are now looking forward to dinner every night, because we keep discovering new favorites. This collection features 4 weeks of done-for-you menus and shopping lists that will save you so much […]

Learn more about our menus and recipes!

Spread the love
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  

Spread the love         Have you ever wondered what kind of food is included in the menu plans? Today I listed off some of the recipes that are included in the November menu plans for you and explained more about our awesome Early Bird Black Friday Sale that’s going on NOW! Want to know EVERY recipe included […]

20 Heart-Warming Bread Recipes

Spread the love
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  

Spread the love          With soup and stew season upon us, it’s only fitting that our thoughts turn to bread.  Who doesn’t love a warm slice slathered with butter, jam, or honey? From quick breads, convenience products, and totally homemade delights, this round-up features some of the most glorious bread recipes we’ve seen! 1. Zucchini Bread: […]

20 Sweet Valentine’s Day Treats for the Classroom

Spread the love
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  

Spread the love          It’s party time and your kids need treats for their Valentine’s Day celebration! We’ve got a great round-up of the cutest, yummiest creations you can whip up in your kitchen! Love Letter Cookies DIY Conversation Hearts Play Dough Cookie Pops Valentine’s Day Airplanes Heart Cookie Sandwiches White Chocolate Popcorn Chocolate Covered Pretzels […]

Spicy Slow Cooker Chili

Spread the love
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  
  • 94
  •  
  •  
  •  
  •  

Spread the love    94     If you’re looking for a hearty chili that works great in the slow cooker and has a great flavor boost, this is the one!  The combination of sweet and spicy sausage instead of plain ground beef gives it great flavor.  And if you like it even spicier, you could use all spicy […]

  • About
  • Contact
  • Affiliates
  • Privacy & Disclosures
  • Terms

Copyright © 2021 · MenuPlanningCentral.com