**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links. ​  But, all opinions expressed are my own.

     My husband and I are truly empty nesters now.  This past weekend Madalynn moved in with a friend to be her roommate.  It is a new chapter for her and it makes me a little sad, but I am glad that she still works nearby and is still in Phoenix, so I know I will still be seeing her quite a bit.  So, until our youngest gets home from his 2 year mission in Africa, we are empty nesters.  
      One thing about being empty nesters is that we use a lot less milk than we used to.  It is hard to use a gallon before it sours, so I am having to start buying half gallons.  But, when Alicia was here with her children, I bought milk for them and there was still almost a gallon left when they were gone. The expiration date was coming and I hated to see the milk go to waste, so I found some recipes that use large quantities of milk.  Do you remember the post about Lindsey coming into a huge amount of canned pumpkin?  This Pumpkin Brulee recipe made it possible for me to use both the milk and some of the pumpkin! 
     This brulee gives you the pumpkin pie taste without the crust. Because it is made with regular milk rather than evaporated milk, it is a soft, creamy custard, less firm than you get in pie. My favorite perk is that I got to use my brulee torch to make the crunchy topping!

Pumpkin Brulee

       I must add that this Pumpkin Brulee received Lindsey's seal of approval!
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     Happy November!  We made it through our busy October of birthdays and Halloween! 
     
     If you have been following us for very long, you have learned that Lindsey LOVES pumpkin everything! So, when I found this cute "advice from a pumpkin" post on Craft Yourself, I knew I had to make something like it for her. They did a beautiful job with stencils, but I did more of a free hand version for her to put our on the front porch of her new house! You can see my version up in the collage, plus beautiful Lindsey on her birthday and my little grandson and I playing a "duet" on the piano at the party.

Here is the list of what I used: 

• I purchased my board at Lowe's.  It is much more affordable to get your wood at a building store than it is at a craft store.  The 3/4" x 16" x 3' board that I purchased was just under $7.00.
• Acrylic paints, there are many sets available to purchase on Amazon.  I also used watered down acrylic paint to whitewash the board. 

• A foam brush to do the whitewashing.  I use foam brushes for so many projects, it just makes sense to buy a variety pack to always have them on hand.

• Round, flat and angled artist's brushes- I used all of these varieties to change up the writing styles on the board to give it some interest.  Here is a good price on a large set! 
• Clear acrylic spray to protect the entire project is essential, especially if it is going outside! I have used a variety of brands, but this one has good reviews overall.

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    I am so excited that the holiday season is here! Let the holiday posts begin! (Well, I know, we already started with this post.) But, now they are really going to begin!  Be sure to subscribe so that you don't miss a thing! 

It's time for another pumpkin recipe, and this one is one of my favorites!!! It seems to be a fall tradition to make chili around Halloween, I don't know if it's the same for you, but I highly recommend it. Our church does a trunk or treat every year, and no matter what ward (like a congregation) that we are in, there is always a chili cook off, and I always like to bring my pumpkin chili, because it is ridiculously delicious.

It is also ridiculously easy. You grill the turkey meat beforehand and saute the onions. Then you dump everything in the crock pot and let it cook for a few hours and you get a delicious chili that you will feel like you can't eat enough of! Someday soon I will also share with you my favorite cornbread recipe, but for now, enjoy the chili.

Also! Don't forget to check out our Etsy shop! We have a few items for sale, and it will continue to grow. We love doing this blog, but really, to be successful we count on all of you to be part of it with us. Thank you for shopping and being a part of this with us! With this post I'd suggest our Bloggelicious Baking sheets! Buy them and download them to put into a binder where you can have your own cook book of all the recipes you find here and anywhere else!