Animal House

Today is the last day of Pumpkin Season so we wanted to

share some love for the

Stars of the Barn!

Our wonderful (and super spoiled) petting farm animals!

We couldn't ask for a better bunch!

~ Your Friends at Faulkner's

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Pumpkin

+

Cinnamon Frosting

=

Heaven On Earth.

It's the truth.  Why would we lie to you?

I mean, seriously! Don't you just start drooling when you look at that picture?

We couldn't help ourselves so we just had to share this delicious recipe from Good Life Eats with you!

Click here for the ingredients and directions.

Then, for more helpful tips and pictures visit Dana Made It.

We hope you enjoy this tasty treat! And if you want to bring a batch by the ranch so we can taste test them, you know, just to make sure they turned out right, feel free to do so!

~ Your Friends at Faulkner's

Party Saturday: Caramel Apple Jello Shots

It's Party Saturday again!
What a better way to celebrate Halloween weekend for then some fun booze for your boos!
(Get it? hehehe)

This recipe is not only really yummy, but it is also pretty darn clever!
Caramel Apple Jello Shots served using real apples!

Images from That's So Michelle!


They are easier to make than they look! Just follow the simple recipe from That's So Michelle below:


Ingredients:
(makes about 40 slices/shots) 
10 small granny smith apples
1 envelope knox gelatin
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 drops yellow food coloring
1 envelope caramel hot chocolate (regular hot chocolate will work too)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup Butterscotch Schnapps
lemon juice


Directions:
1. Half and hollow out  apples by cutting them from the stem down. Once the apples are hollowed out, squeeze some lemon juice on them.  This helps to reduce browning.
2. Mix the water and hot chocolate mix in a medium sized sauce pan. Whisk until the chocolate is combined. Then add the 1/2 cup of coconut milk and whisk away again.
3. Sprinkle your gelatin on top and let it sit a few minutes. 
4.Turn on low/medium heat and mix the gelatin until all is combined.
5. Add sugar and simmer slightly until it is combined. Then add your food coloring until you get the lovely caramel color desired. Two drops usually does the trick
6. Let mixture cool to warm. Then pour in that butterscotch schnapps! 
7. Place your apples snugly on a cookie sheet and pour the caramel jello mixture into them.
8. Refrigerate overnight.
9. The next day, cut the apples into quarters and then cut those quarters in half again.
10.  Serve immediately to get the party started! 


For detailed pictures of the step-by-step process and recipe tips, click HERE.


That's So Michelle also has a SUPER FUN recipe for Candy Corn Jello Shots! Be sure to check it out!

We hope that you enjoy these yummy treats! Just remember to be safe!


~ Your Friends at Faulkner's

Pumpkins For Your Pup

Did You Know....

 Did you know that pumpkin is known to ease discomfort for pooches with an upset stomach?  Yup, just mix several spoonfuls of canned pumpkin (not the sweetened pie filling kind) with your dogs regular food to help their tummy troubles.  A little pumpkin before a road trip is also known to help prevent carsickness. Just another awesome reason why we LOVE pumpkins!

(Info from FidoDogTreats.com)


Tell Your Pooch Happy Howloween for us!


~ Your Friends at Faulkner's

15 Fall Reads For Your Kids

We here at Faulkner's LOVE storytime in our 
Round Bale Reading Room,

so we thought that we would share with you some of our favorite fall books!

1.  The Scarecrow and the Spider

by Todd Aaron Smith

2. Mom, When Will It Be Halloween?

by Frank Fiorello

3. The Little Old Lady Who Wasn't Afraid of Anything

by Linda Williams

4.  Searching for the Perfect Pumpkin

by Frank Fiorello

5.  The Biggest Pumpkin Ever

by Steven Kroll

6.  The Pumpkin Book

by Gail Gibbons

7.  The Runaway Pumpkin

by Kevin Lewis

8.  The Littlest Pumpkin

by R.A. Herman

9.  The Pumpkin Patch

by Margaret McNamara

10.  The Pumpkin Runner

by Marsha Diane Arnold

11.  Pumpkin Pumpkin

by Jeanne Titherington

12.  Corduroy's Best Halloween Ever!

by Don Freeman

13.  Pumpkin Patch Scarecrows

by Frank Fiorello

14.  Pumpkin Day, Pumpkin Night

by Anne Rockwell

15.  The Story of Pumpkin

by Frank Fiorello

Happy Reading!

~ Your Friends at Faulkner's

Reader Showcase!

We love seeing the awesome ideas that our readers come up with.  Seriously - you guys are too creative for your own good!
So of course, when you sent us some photos we just had to share!
Enjoy!!!

Lisa Gosselin: Upcycling An Old Planter

Lisa found this hanging flower pot at an estate sale and decided that it might be cute as fall decor! Check out what she did with it!

She took it from this...

To this!

Isn't that adorable? Replacing the flower pots with some super cute pie pumpkins is just too cute!

We can’t say that we are surprised by all of her creativity.  After all, she is the one who designs and makes the Pumpkercase Pumpkins that you can purchase at Faulkner's.

Sarah Brines: A Pony Pumpkin
Sarah is one of our "friendterns" who helps us out over the summer and we just adore her! She visited us this past weekend to pick her pumpkins and sent us this awesome photo of her carving!

Here it is in her display using all Faulkner's pumpkins:

Our ponies would be proud!


Paul Weikel: An Artsy Pumpkin Display
Paul made two trips out to Faulkner's to get all of his pumpkins and we can't believe all of the creative ideas he came up with! 
Just look at his beautiful front yard display...

 And check out this scary guy! Poor mini pumpkin...

 Do you see the Frankenstein face???

Here it is after some paint...

Isn't this bat just the cutest? 

Boo! Look at this clever combo!

 He even snuck a Baby Pumpkinseed in there!

Thank you all for sharing your awesome ideas with us! It makes us happy to know that our pumpkins have found good homes!

Do you have some creative fall decor going on at your house?  Send us your pictures! We would love to share them!

~ Your Friends at Faulkner's


PS - If you are getting ready to carve your pumpkins be sure that you check out these helpful hints on making them last!

How To Plan An Awesome Fall Classroom Party

Calling all room parents!!!

Most of you are probably preparing for your child's big Halloween or Fall party this week at their school and

we here at Faulkner's want to help make your party planning experience as easy as possible for you!

Here you will find some helpful hints and resources for preparing an awesome fall party!

#1 Talk to the teacher.

Before you do anything, be sure that you meet with your child's teacher to get an idea of what they would like for the party.  There are also several important questions that you should ask such as:

• What is the party date and duration, and how many kids are in the class?
• Are there any particular kinds of food or refreshments expected? Does any child in the class have a food allergy or dietary restriction you should be aware of?
• How many helpers should attend? Will the teacher recruit volunteers or should you?
• Can you send a letter to other parents and request donations of time or money?
• Where will the party be?
• Does the teacher have any game or activity preferences or restrictions?
• How much time will you have to prep the party area? How much time will you have to clean up?

(Question list from Scholastic.com)

#2 Keep It Organized

One of the best ways to organize a class party is to set up stations.  These would include 4-5 different activies that the kids can rotate through.  The benefits of this are that each parent and activity only has a small group at a time.  Since most of the kids will be super excited (plus a little hopped up on sugar) this will help to keep the party craziness at a minimum. Also, since time is usually limited, it is best to avoid messy items such as paints and glues.

#3 Arrive Prepared

On the day of the party, arrange to meet the other parents helpers outside of the school or classroom prior to the party.  This will give you time to review the plans and assign any left over tasks.

It is also a good idea to arrive with supplies already sorted out so that you can set up quickly beforehand.

(Note: If you can’t get into the party space prior to the party, then bring a quick craft activity that the children can do at their desks while the parents set up.)

#4 Enjoy yourself!

It’s a party afterall! Remember, you can be as flexible as you want.  If the students aren’t responding well to a game or activity, just move on to the next idea.  Also, sometimes things don't always go according to plans, so bring an extra easy activity just in case you have some extra time to fill.

#5 Don't forget about our Classroom Pack Specials this week!

We have some special deals at Faulkner’s to help you save some dough while planning your classroom party!

Mini pumpkins are normally $.75 each or 12 for $7.50 but this week they are only $.50!

Pie Pumpkins are normally $.80/lb but this week are only $1.00 each!

Also, check out these links for more party planning tips and fall activities:

Halloween Class Party

Classroom Party Ideas

Fall Party Activities

Fall Classroom Party

Gluten Free Treats for Classroom Halloween Parties

We hope that you and the kiddos have a blast at the party!

~ Your Friends at Faulkner’s

Homemade Pumpkin Frozen Yogurt

This time of year there are sweets everywhere! So why not satisfy your sweet tooth with this healthy homemade treat?

Homemade Pumpkin Frozen Yogurt!

Image and Recipe via FamilyKitchen

Ingredients:

1 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt, strained

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

Mix ingredients together in a large bowl until completely combined.

Churn the mixture in an ice cream maker for a few minutes until it is a smooth, cool consistency

OR

Place the bowl in the freezer and stir mixture every half hour until it reaches the desired consistency.

ENJOY!

~ Your Friends at Faulkner's

7 for 7

We thought that this was too awesome to not share...

Meet Boston!

He just turned 7 this month and has had every single birthday at Faulkner's Ranch!

Happy Birthday Boston!!!

We can't wait to celebrate the Big 8 with you too!

~ Your Friends at Faulkner's

PS - Are you interested in having a birthday party at Faulkner's? Just click HERE for more info!

Sweet and Salty Caramelized Pumpkin Seeds

Have you carved your pumpkins yet?

If you're getting ready to be sure that you do one special thing:

Save Those Seeds!

Why?

Because we have the most delicious

Sweet and Salty Caramelized Pumpkin Seed Recipe

just for you!

This recipe is from CookingWithMyKid.com and it is awesome! Plus, they only take about ten minutes to make!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 to 2 cups fresh pumpkin seeds (cleaned and patted dry)

2 to 3 tablespoons brown sugar

pinch of kosher salt

0live oil cooking spray

Directions:

Place pumpkin seeds in a dry non-stick frying pan over medium heat.

Toast them in the pan, constantly shifting them around so that they roast evenly and don't stick to the pan.

When they start to pop and peel, take one out and taste it (make sure it is cool enough first!) If it's crunchy it's done.

Turn the heat down low and spray the seeds with olive oil cooking spray and then spoon the brown sugar into the pan.  Stir seeds up as the sugar melts and sticks to the seeds.

Turn off heat and sprinkle with salt.

Let cool and serve!

For more images and tips on this recipe click HERE.

We hope you enjoy this tasty treat! Have a lovely rest of the weekend ya'll!

~ Your Friends at Faulkner's