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At The Picket Fence with Vanessa Hunt

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November 30, 2011

A Bucket Full of Buckeyes…A Holiday Recipe



Buckeyes…a classic Christmas treat! Many a buckeye has been fought over in our house over the years.  Our love of buckeyes goes way back to our early childhood when Vanessa and I would get our Christmas cookie box from grandma.  We waited with great anticipation for that special box full of our favorite Christmas goodies.  

Mine were the Buckeyes! I like to think this candy was the prequel to the Reece’s Peanut Butter cup, my all time favorite! I love this buckeye recipe because it makes almost 100 buckeyes!  That’s enough for me and I can even share a few with the other family members…just a few though.  Cause they’re more mine than theirs of course!

Now for those of you who are wondering why the thump they are called buckeyes, here ya go…..

Buckeye-tree-nut-lg

See the resemblance?  Buckeyes are from the buckeye tree.  Which happen to be common in Ohio, which is why it’s the “Buckeye State.”
 
Now if you’re a Ohio State fan than this what you think of when you hear buckeye.

Ohio-state-brutus-the-buckeye
 
Yep, that’s Brutus the Buckeye.  You’re welcome Chris and Tammi. They’re my crazy, rabid Ohio State friends.

Around these parts I do not willingly give free publicity to any school except the University of Alabama , so this will be the one and only time you will see any reference to Ohio State on this blog. Winking smile 

This is one of the easiest treats you can make for the holidays.  It makes a ton.  They don’t have to be baked. They can be frozen.  They have peanut butter and chocolate!  What more could you want?! So make them!  You won’t regret it!  And I’ll even come over and taste test them for you. grin.
 
Buckeyes
makes 85-100+ depending on how large or small you roll them.

Ingredients:

1 pound powdered confectioners sugar
1 cup flaked coconut
(unused coconut can be frozen for future use)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
2 cups crunchy or creamy peanut butter, whichever you prefer
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 12 oz. package of chocolate chips
1/2- 1 Tbs. canola oil

Directions:

In a stand mixer with paddle attachment or by hand mix sugar, coconut, butter, peanut butter and graham cracker crumbs until well combined.  Refrigerate dough for 30 mins-1 hour until well chilled.  Roll into small balls and place on cookie sheets.  Chill again for an additional 30 minutes.

Melt chocolate chips in glass bowl in microwave according to package directions, stir until smooth.  Add canola oil starting with 1/2 Tbs. and stir until thinner and shining.  Add additional oil in small increments if chocolate is still too thick.  Do not add too much oil though, or chocolate coating will become too thin to stick.

Dip peanut butter balls into chocolate mixture using a small fork or a toothpick, allowing excess chocolate to drip off back into bowl.  Place buckeyes on wax paper until set.  Store buckeyes in fridge, or freeze in batches for future use. If your freeze buckeyes, allow them to thaw in refrigerator.
 
Buckeyes
 
Let me know if you try my Buckeye recipe! And don’t forget the Christmas Blogger Block Party will be starting next week! 
 
christmasblockpartyfinal
 
I will be hosting the “Christmas in the Kitchen” party where you can share not only your Christmas Kitchen decorations but your holiday recipes as well! So get to baking and cooking, so you can share your amazing culinary creations with us!
 
Be sure to join us tomorrow for a great giveaway from one of our fabulous sponsors 20NorthOra! See you tomorrow…At The Picket Fence!
 
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16 Comments Filed Under: Desserts, Holiday Blogger Block Party, Holidays, Recipes

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Comments

  1. Ruby Jean says

    November 29, 2011 at 7:42 PM

    Oh I can see why those would be fought over… They look extremely YUMMY!!!

    Reply
  2. Sue says

    November 29, 2011 at 8:01 PM

    I remember this post! That picture of Brutus could very well be my son’s good friend~ he was one of several mascots during his under grad years at OSU. I have been eating my own buckeyes for a week. Yum….. As for the ‘real’ Buckeyes, I sure hope Urban Meyer can turn them around! Go Bucks!

    Reply
  3. ℳartina @ Northern Nesting says

    November 29, 2011 at 8:18 PM

    Oh I am definitely adding these to my cookie list this year Heather! They look like the type that you can just pop one in your mouth and go. The only problem is I wouldn’t stop at just one LOL! Martina

    Reply
  4. Gina says

    November 29, 2011 at 9:39 PM

    Yum, yum! I have not made these in years. I need to make them this year. I especially like how you arranged them in a bucket.

    Reply
  5. Judy says

    November 29, 2011 at 10:55 PM

    Those look so amazingly yummy! Nice presentation too.

    Reply
  6. Lorna says

    November 29, 2011 at 11:25 PM

    Wow, those look good. Adding them to my list of things to make this year.

    Reply
  7. Pam - diy Design Fanatic says

    November 29, 2011 at 11:36 PM

    My husband and I make a bunch of buckeyes for Christmas every year. We wrap them up pretty and give them away to our friends. They are soooo good!

    Reply
  8. Marilyn says

    November 30, 2011 at 12:26 AM

    Will have to see if my daughter will make some for us! I made a Christmas ball with real buckeyes a long time ago and would love to have a tree so I could have more. Wonder where I could get one?♥1♦

    Reply
  9. Kelly says

    November 30, 2011 at 2:08 AM

    Those look good. I’ve never made those before. It’s always fun to learn the history of how they got their name too. Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  10. Buttercup Bliss says

    November 30, 2011 at 2:14 AM

    I have always heard of Buckeyes, but have never had one. So glad you shared this recipe. I will definitely try it soon! You had me at “Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup” 🙂

    Reply
  11. Debbie says

    November 30, 2011 at 2:19 AM

    Without a doubt, one of my favorite treats. We first made them as a school project for Miss Whimsy. (Actually she made them all by herself thankyouverymuch!

    Yours look better than mine usually do. Mine can look almost as bad as my bon bons.

    Reply
  12. Debbiedoo's blogging and blabbing says

    November 30, 2011 at 3:27 AM

    Those look crazy good! Can’t wait for next week. I was just figuring out my postings for next week…I have some work to do LOL!

    Reply
  13. Val says

    November 30, 2011 at 6:44 PM

    I believe I need some Buckeyes in my life!!! MMM

    Reply
  14. Kristin says

    December 1, 2011 at 2:56 PM

    Heather~ I am soooo making these bad boys!

    Reply
  15. Sue says

    December 1, 2011 at 11:54 PM

    My sister used to make these every Christmas. She’s been gone for six years and I have yet to try them. You’ve inspired me to dig out her recipe and keep it going:)

    Reply
  16. Ronny says

    April 16, 2014 at 8:00 AM

    Ahaa, iits nice conversation concerning thjs piece
    of writing at this place at this blog, I have read alll that, so now mee also commenting at this place.

    Reply

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On Monday my heart just felt so heavy. Yes, the po On Monday my heart just felt so heavy. Yes, the pouring rain outside contributed to my feelings. But the primary cause was this overwhelming flood of thoughts about how much in our world and in our culture is going off the rails. I’d planned to make pumpkin bread that day but I was tempted to just curl up in a ball on my bed, pull the covers over my head and pretend that this would actually solve something. I didn’t give into that temptation though. Instead, I got out my favorite pumpkin bread recipe and found that, as I worked and prayed and hummed worship songs, my spirit began to settle. When the world feels very loud, the demands of family and home can actually help to quiet our souls. As each family member walked through the door later in the day, they commented on how wonderful the house smelled. It’s better than any fall candle in my opinion! And I knew that the extra loaf that I get from the recipe would be a welcome treat for my widower neighbor. So, if your heart is feeling a bit unsettled this week too, maybe this recipe will come in handy!

Pumpkin Bread:

Ingredients:
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup water
3 cups white sugar
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 7×3 inch loaf pans.
In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.
Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 🍂
Happy first day of Autumn!! 🍂 Here’s a super Happy first day of Autumn!! 🍂 Here’s a super simple centerpiece that you can make in five minutes (or less) with just a few pumpkins and extra faux greenery. Let’s spend less time decorating and more time enjoying this season. It’s my favorite!! 🧡

#fallcenterpiece #falldecor #centerpiece #fiveminutedecorating
"Define your day", she told me as I held my newbor "Define your day", she told me as I held my newborn son. My mom and I were talking about how blurred my days and nights had become and how easy it would be to just stay in my pajamas 24/7. She encouraged me to make an attempt to put on 'real' clothes in the morning even if they were just nice sweatpants (bonus if they were clean!) and to throw a little bit of makeup on. That simple advice helped chart a course for my years of motherhood that continues today. And recently I began thinking about how critical it is that we not only seek wisdom from those ahead of us in our stage of life but that we are willing to apply it as well.

So, I asked this question on my personal Facebook page; "What is something you feel you've done well to create a peaceful/meaningful home for yourself and your family?" The catch was that the question was geared towards women in the 40+ age range. The responses came flooding in and were so wonderful and insightful. So, I'm going to be starting a new series where I share this wisdom with you and will include the first name of the woman who offered it. 

Today we start with Alison who said "I learned to set my alarm early to get up and moving before my kids woke up. I showered, got dressed and did my devotions while the house was quiet. It set my heart and perspective for each day.”

Is this something you do in your life too? What wisdom would you offer to a mom of young children?

I truly think our culture would greatly benefit from more women in different seasons of life being willing to invest in each other. 🍂

#wearthehomemakers #homemaking #motherhood #parentingwisdom
If bread pudding is on the dessert menu at a resta If bread pudding is on the dessert menu at a restaurant I’m definitely ordering it! It’s one of my all time favorite treats. So I decided to try my hand at making some here at home with a little fall twist and it was SO delicious!! 🍎

Ingredients:

6 slices of day old bread (french, sourdough or even brioche works great)
2 cups of heavy cream
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon bourbon (optional)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
For the apples:
3 peeled and chopped apples of a tart variety
1 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons flour (or corn starch)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350
Cut bread into cubes and place in a greased 8 1/2 x 11 baking dish
Whisk together in a bowl the eggs, cream, vanilla, rum, cinnamon and nutmeg and then pour it over the bread cubes. In a separate bowl, mix together the apples, brown sugar and flour/corn starch. Pour the apple mixture on top of the bread mixture making sure to spread the apples evenly across every part of the bread mixture.
Bake for 45 minutes. 
Enjoy!

#falldesserts #breadpudding #fallrecipes #desserts
When one kiddo wakes up not feeling well after onl When one kiddo wakes up not feeling well after only a week of school, you take the opportunity to make Saturday a truly restful day. Pancakes on the griddle, puttering around the yard admiring the way the limelights have begun their autumn journey from white to green to pink. Sprinkling touches of fall around the house a little bit at a time. Savoring the slowness of it all and taking care of my people in this place that provides us all with a respite from the world even if just for a day.

Hope you’re weekend is off to a great start and that you make it a priority to slow down for a bit and soak up the beauty around you. 🍂

#wearethehomemakers #homemaking #falldecorating
As summer slips into fall, I can’t help but thin As summer slips into fall, I can’t help but think about how grateful I am for the reminders all around me of God’s Sovereignty over everything including the seasons. It can be challenging in our world today to trust that there isn’t a single thing happening that surprises Him.

In a way, decorating my home to reflect the changing season serves as a tangible reminder of this trust. Even something as simple as seeing a pumpkin on my mantel or a basket of mums on the coffee table fill me with peace because they represent the things that remain constant and true.

“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.” Isaiah 40:8

#wearthehomemakers #homemaking #club31women
I’m never.going.back to stressful, time-consumin I’m never.going.back to stressful, time-consuming seasonal decorating. When I think back on the years where I would feel all of the pressure to come up with something fresh and creative I’m seriously embarrassed. Truly. Because it was such a waste. A waste of my time, my energy, my resources. Something clicked with me a few years ago. I was just done. I needed to simplify. I needed to not spend an obscene amount of time looking at fireplace mantels on Pinterest and trying to figure out how to make mine look amazing. I needed to put it all in the proper place in my heart and my mind. Which meant, it had to go waaaaayyyy down on the priority list. So far down it almost wasn’t on it. And I needed to confess to the Lord that I had allowed it to become an idol. 

Yes, I want to have a home that I enjoy. Yes, I love pretty things. But something really amazing happened when I finally released it all. When I decided to not give into the pressure and panic I would feel when I would scroll through my Instagram feed. When I just laid it all down and said…enough. There was this incredible irony in it. Because, the less time I took to decorate my home for each season, the more I found myself loving the results. I think that all along I had just been getting in my own way. It’s really taken a lot of time and prayer for me to finally be at a place where even though I still struggle with insecurities and I still have doubts from time to time, I’m becoming increasingly more confident in who God created me to be. And, just like my home, I’m finding that as I relax into myself, letting go of the comparisons and the pressure, the more I can actually lean into the calling He has placed on my life. 🍂

Leave a comment if you can relate! 

#wearethehomemakers #homemaking
“As the alluring song of September begins to whi “As the alluring song of September begins to whisper in my ear, my passionate spirit yearns for the splendor of its promise.” (Peggy Toney Horton)

Happy September dear friends! While I’m not quite ready to let go of summer and I plan to make the most out of the lingering, warm days, I’ll admit to starting to think about my fall decor this year. And one way to get inspired is to take a look back at previous years. Here’s just a glimpse at some of the ways I’ve welcomed Autumn to my home! 🍂

#september #falldecorating #falldecor #falldecoratingideas #wearethehomemakers
Labor Day weekend might mean that we’re turning Labor Day weekend might mean that we’re turning the corner and getting closer to fall but I’m not quite ready to let summer go. So I’ll just be over here continuing to whip up some super simple summer meals for my family that frankly can be enjoyed in any season. These shrimp rolls I made the other night were definitely a hit and would be great for any of your upcoming holiday weekend gatherings!

Shrimp Rolls 🍤

Ingredients
1-2 lbs of shrimp that is peeled, deveined and tail off (If using frozen make sure it’s thawed completely)
1/3 cup mayonnaise 
1/2 of a lemon
2 Tbsps chopped scallions
1 Tbsp chopped dill
1 Tbsp chopped Italian parsley
1 Tsp of Old Bay seasoning (more if you like!)
pinch of sea salt and pinch of black pepper
Hoagie Rolls
Softened butter

Directions: Gently pat the shrimp with a paper towel to remove any excess moisture. Roughly chop the shrimp and place in a bowl. Add mayonnaise, squeeze half of lemon and stir to combine before adding in the scallions, dill and parsley. Stir to combine and then add the additional seasonings. Spread butter on hoagie rolls and toast in the oven until lightly browned. Pile on the shrimp mixture and enjoy! 

#shrimproll #foodie #weeknightdinner #easydinner #seafoodlover
Today has been a very Monday-ish kind of Monday. W Today has been a very Monday-ish kind of Monday. We woke up to the sound of chainsaws and rushed downstairs to find that our backyard neighbors were having two of the huge trees that line our shared fence removed. These trees have been here longer than the neighborhood and no, they weren't dead or causing damage to roofs, foundations, etc. They were beautiful and gave us wonderful privacy. We had no notice of this happening so this came as quite a shock. Because we were given no notice, we didn't have the chance to cover our outdoor furniture or plants and everything is now coated in a thick layer of sawdust including the fresh bark we recently put in the garden beds. And now our lovely privacy is gone, replaced by a direct view of an above ground pool and RV. I know, I know, it's totally a first world, privileged kind of problem to have. But, now we have to spend thousands of dollars on plants to try and recapture some semblance of privacy. Now we have days worth of clean up to do after we had JUST done a massive freshening up of our backyard. My overarching feeling has just been weariness at the way our world is today.

I think about how often we try to do right by people, to be respectful and courteous. To be thoughtful and considerate. And it’s not reciprocated. How its starting to seem more and more like people have just given up on those seemingly small niceties. And my soul just feels heavy. Because I feel like so much of what used to be common courtesy is not so common anymore. Drivers on the roads are angrier and more reckless than ever before. Red lights being run are an everyday occurrence around town. On our recent family vacation, I heard more people using the F word out in public than ever before even while around children. Where are manners? Where is kindness? I'm finding myself being surprised when someone is thoughtful because it seems like a rarity. And that's just all on a micro, local level. Don't even get me started on the insanity in our world/culture. After I returned from grocery shopping (which can also be soul crushing), I found myself desperate for a reminder of the truth. 

*Part 2 continued in the comments.*
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