Pumpkin Patch Cupcakes

These cupcakes are soooo easy and are an adorable addition to any Thanksgiving feast!

To make these pumpkins, all you need is:

Any flavor cupcakes

Tootsie Rolls for the stems

Green Tootsie Rolls for the vines

Bright orange icing (or white icing dyed with yellow and red food coloring- mix to sight)

All you have to do is top the cupcakes with the orange icing.  Cut the tootsie rolls in half in a diagonal angle, and put one half of a tootsie roll on the center top of each cupcake.  Roll out the Green Tootsie Rolls until they are very skinny, cut them to any length you desire, and then twirl them to make a vine look.  Add them to the cupcakes so that it looks like the vine is coming out of the stem.  Viola!  You have a good looking edible patch of pumpkins!

Thanksgiving is fast approaching

Those of us who are preparing (both physically and mentally) to host a family Thanksgiving dinner this year know it is quickly approaching.  Of course its not a hard decision to come up with the basic menu since most of the norms are expected, but we all have that little twinkling in our eye to come up with something a little different or fun to impress our guests.  Well hopefully I can make your job a little easier with these cute Thanksgiving ideas.  Enjoy!

Pumpkin Deviled Eggs

So simple, just add the spice and a green olive to make it a pumpkin!

{image from Foodista}

Pumpkin Oranges and Clementines

Just take the peel off and add a celery stock and you've got a pumpkin!

{image from halfhourmeals}

Mini Caramel Apple Bites

Scoop the apple, stick it with a toothpick and dip it in the caramel.  Easy, yummy fingerfood!

{Image from EatPrayWearLove}

Hersey's Acorn Bites

Eatable decorations, who could ask for more!  Hershey's Kisses, and Nutter Butter Bites.

{Image from Learnist}

Donut Acorn Bites

Donut holes, chocolate icing, brown sprinkles and pretzel sticks

{Image source unknown}

Rice Krispie Pumpkins

Orange Rice Krispie balls, rolos and green tootsie rolls

 {Image from grinandbakeit}

Personal-Size Pumpkin Pies
I made these beauties last year and they turned out so precious!  Check out the how-to and original post here

Warm Grown-Up Apple Cider
Add some caramel vodka and cinnamon sticks to spice up your apple cider, YUM!

{Image from Cookingincollege}

Pumpkin Cake
Try putting two bunt cakes together to create a pumpkin cake!  So simple and SO cute!

{Image source unknown}

Flower Bread
This idea isn't necessarily Thanksgiving, but its not NOT Thanksgiving, so why not, right?!  

{Image source unknown}

Pumpkin Pie Bites
Self explanatory, YUM!

{Image from Bakerella}

Don't forget, even if you aren't hosting a Thanksgiving get together, you can always bring these puppies along to gain some points with the fam.  I'm sure they will be appreciated :)

Thanksgiving Turkeys

Thanksgiving Turkey Cupcakes

You're sure to be the favorite guest at any Thanksgiving feast when you extend the turkey eating through dessert!  These cupcakes are so cute they are sure to be talked about for years to come!

Personal-Size Pumpkin Pies

   Holidays= tons of reasons to bake goodies and lots of people to pass them off to:) This makes me happy, happy because 1. I love to bake and 2. my sweet treats are appreciated and eaten up by neighbors/strangers/kids who at any other time of the year would have suspiciously thought I was trying to poison them because "what kinda crazy lady just gives out free desserts."
   Soooooo- in honor of Thanksgiving and Autumn and Leaves and Pumpkins and yummy tasting things- I present my latest creation:

Personal-Size Pumpkin Pies!

   Yes, they are darling aren't they?  I am pretty impressed with the outcome.  I saw a post on Bakerella's Blog for pumpkin pie bites, which I thought were so cute.  However, the crust is my favorite part of a pie, so I wanted to make some pies with the top crust.  Not just any top crust though, I wanted leaves.  Why?  Because I'm a sucker for leaves (no really, I love them!) and they are festively appropriate for Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday!  

   I followed Bakerella's recipe, just made them in a regular cupcake pan rather than a mini-cupcake pan.  I just cut out circles for the bottom crust (not pumpkin shaped like she does) and then used leaf cookie cutters(Maple Leaf Cookie Cutter (Google Affiliate Ad)) to do the leaf crust on top.  Then I baked them in the oven for 20-25 minutes at 350.

   Here are some pictures of the process and the finished product:

   Happy Thanksgiving everyone!