Duck Boots, Please

Whoever said Duck Boots are solely for hunters was sorely mistaken. My husband looks mighty handsome in his, but what girl wouldn't love to have a little preppy duck boot fun of her own? I recently purchased a pair of black duck boots with quilted uppers and a flannel buffalo check liner and I must say, it's a must-have for fall. Just sayin'.

History of the Duck Boot

Have you ever wondered why they call them duck boots? There are two possible reasons: first, because the uppers of the boots are made from duck cloth canvass, which is a water-repellant fabric; the second reason is because this type of footwear is designed to be worn in wet weather. Who really knows or cares. But one thing is for sure, Leon Leonwood Bean is to thank for the genius footwear. In 1912, L.L. Bean, as the true-blue New England outdoorsman from Maine is now famously referred to, created a waterproof boot that he sold to hunters. The boots were made of waterproof lightweight leather uppers and rubber bottoms. The boots produced by L.L. Bean were originally known as Maine Hunting Shoes, and were introduced in the market through a mail order catalog sent to all non-resident hunting license holders with a promise that all customers would be refunded in full if not satisfied.

The L.L. Bean Duck Boots may have come a long way since it debuted in 1912, but the comfortable and functional features which Leon Leonwood Bean created are still trademarks of any L.L. Bean Duck Boot. And other designers are quick to replicate L.L. Bean's creation while putting their own spin on it. Do they have the same all-weather performance as the original? Probably not, but I just can't deny them!

...I mean, really. You could look like this girl. Just kidding. This is ridiculous. Moving on...

Now for the real deal.

 

{Above}Left to right: Women's Canvas Tofino, Sorel, $140; Duck 2 Boot, Tory Burch, $325

{Below} Women's Edmonton, UGG Australia, $350; Zabby Duck Boot, Merona For Target, $34.99

{Above} The original Maine Hunting Shoe, 10" Gore-Tex/Thinsulate, L.L. Bean, $169.

Grandma Ople's Apple Pie

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 8

Recipe Description

I never had the pleasure of meeting the infamous Grandma Ople, but I do know one thing—Granny knew how to make an apple pie! I found this recipe last year when I became the last-minute hostess for Christmas dinner. And I did not disappoint in the dessert category ... thanks to Grandma Ople.

Preparation Instructions

Melt butter in a sauce pan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add white sugar, brown sugar and water; bring to boil. Reduce temperature and simmer 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly. Cover with a lattice work crust, if preferred. Gently pour the sugar and butter liquid over the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run off. If using a standard pie crust cover, pour sugar and butter liquid over the apples then cover with remaining pie crust. Cut 5 1 1/2-inch slits in crust to vent.

Bake 15 minutes at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes.

allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 1 recipe pastry for a 9-inch double crust pie
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 8 Granny Smith apples—peeled, cored and sliced

Cardinal Art ... Not For the St. Louis Cardinals!

A rarity occurred tonight; I had the house to myself. My husband went to the Rangers World Series Game and my sweet Hunter went to bed early ... just like the angel he is. So I decided to get crackin' on my mother's Christmas present—the amateur bird art collection. On the agenda: Cardinal. After putting the final touches on my little red bird, I heard a baseball commenter on the TV scream, ... "and the St. Louis Cardinals." Ugh, I thought. If the Rangers lose tonight, I take full responsibility. Sorry Texas. Stupid Cardinal ... without feet.

Southern-Style Caramel Apples

Time: 30 minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 6

Recipe Description

Branch out and get creative with some of your favorite toppings. Gone are the days of traditional caramel apples. 

Preparation Instructions

Remove the stems from apples, and insert food-safe branches or craft sticks. Microwave caramels, vanilla extract, and water until melted, stirring every 30 seconds. Quickly dip or drizzle apples with caramel mixture; roll or sprinkle with crushed peanut brittle or toasted pecans, if desired. Stand apples on lightly greased wax paper, and chill 15 minutes before serving.

Ingredients

• 6 Apples
• Food-safe branches, such as magnolia twigs or craft sticks
• 1 (14-oz.) package caramels
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon water
• Crushed peanut brittle or toasted pecans

Amateur Art: A Gift For Mom

Today I began a new endeavor (as if I needed to add another item to my long list of obsessions). I've always loved drawing and painting although I never proved talented at either one. So last night, while eating chili in bed and watching the latest episode of Parenthood, I decided to YouTube painting techniques. I always make the same mistake when embarking on a new journey ... I Google it. I did the same thing with wedding planning and, dare I say, birth—the biggest mistake of all. Anyway, after watching a series of seasoned artists demonstrate their utter genius in time-lapse videos, I shut my laptop and decided to do this the only way I know how ... blind. While there are a hundred things wrong with this painting, I had a ball doing it. And after showing it to my mother, she has officially commissioned me to do a collection of bird paintings for her laundry room. By "commissioned" I mean she lovingly asked me to do this as a Christmas gift to her. And no other room is more appropriate for my amateur bird portraits than the laundry room. Thanks, Mom, for always being my biggest fan! XO

Oh, Deer!

Deer, Reader. Please forgive me. My deer mount obsession has officially spilled over into my creative playground. I hope you enjoy these unexpected faux deer mounts. And stay tuned for a DIY Deer Mount project. You won't want to miss it!

{1. Faux Taxidermy 2. DIY Below 3. Sculptural piece by artist Kohei Nawa 4.Yarn-covered Deer Mount 5. Display Scalloped-edge Deer Plate 6. Deer Silhouette}

DIY: Reinventing a Vintage Mount

Whimsy! Plastic deer mount purchased from Etsy. 

Disassemble pieces.

Paint several coats with the acrylic gesso color of your choice onto the head and frame. Gesso works best, but any other matte acrylic paint will do. It gives the piece more of an alabaster or chalkware look. Spray paint is good too, but when using white, it looks ...well ... spray painted.

Cut an oval for the mount inside the frame. You can use a vintage wallpaper printed out from The Graphics Fairy or use a water-stained newspaper or any other material you find around the house. And welcome the newest addition to your family!

Oh My, Pumpkin Creme Pies!

Prep Time: 1  hour
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 12

Recipe Description

A delicious twist on the traditional oatmeal creme pie. Very easy to make, looks professional, and has the perfect amount of pumpkin flavor without overpowering. Add to your Thanksgiving dinner for a non-traditional pumpkin flavored dessert!

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Pumpkin Creme Pies: Beat together brown sugar, sugar, oil and pumpkin. Add eggs one at time, mixing well after each addition, followed by the vanilla.

In a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients.

Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined.

Cut 3-inch squares of parchment paper, about 24. Using a pastry bag with a round tip, or a big zip-top plastic bag with one corner snipped, squeeze out concentric circles of batter, starting from the middle and working outward until the circles are about 2 inches in diameter. (Note that the squares allow the baker to move the square while keeping the bag in the same spot. Just squeeze for easy circle making!)

Transfer each square to a baking sheet. Bake for 11 minutes, or until firm, and cool on a rack.

Cream Cheese Filling: Beat together cream cheese and butter. Add powdered sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. Frost flat side of half the pies and top with another piece.

Enjoy right away, or chill overnight. These keep very nicely in the fridge for at least a few days.

Ingredients

• For Creme Pies
• 1 cup Brown Sugar
• 1 cup Sugar
• 1 cup Vegetable Oil
• 1 can Pumpkin (15 Oz.)
• 2 whole Eggs
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 3 cups All-purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon Ground Ginger
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• ½ teaspoons Ground Nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoons Ground Cloves
• _____
• FOR FILLING:
• 1 package Cream Cheese Softened (8 Oz.)
• 1 stick Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature
• 1 package Powdered Sugar (16 Oz.)
• 3 drops Vanilla Extract
• 2 dashes Cinnamon