Ahh….baptized in a creek…I wouda loved that. I was baptized United (church of Canada) which I do believe is United Methodist in USA. I had full water baptism in a pool as an adult. Church didn’t have a large dunking pool.

Looking forward to seeing your cake Sandra… Did you know you can use modelling chocolate to cover. Although, I think ganache is faster, and cheaper too.

k8memphis 16 oz of vanilla for $15!!! That is a bargoon. Don’t think I’d sleep with it tho….ha ha. 

Yes June, I knew you could cover cakes with modeling chocolate, but I want to use up the left over fondant.  I will probably use modeling chocolate to plump up between the grooves in the pumpkin.  It is stacked, filled and crumb coated and in the freezer right now.  I didn't use one of the layers, so Mike and I are snacking on it.  That is a pumpkin dessert I can get behind, almost like ginger bread, only less rich.  I will not finish it until later this month.  Our neighbor's birthday is the 29th and I plan to take it to our celebration, along with her requested cake.

Wow, -K8!  $15 for 16 ounces of vanilla!  Is it pure vanilla?  That is an incredible price, the likes of which I have not seen in five or six years!  I buy my vanilla by the quart, 32 ounces, and the last time I bought it, it was $137.00.  Next time, I am taking out a bank loan and buying a gallon!

june, maybe not under my pillow -- with my luck my fat head would squosh the bottle -- but just snuggle it a little -- hahahahahaha

sandra, yes it is! says, "extracted and bottled in the usa using imported vanilla beans -- ingredients: vanilla bean extractives in water, alcohol (35%)"

i didn't officially open it yet but it is very fragrant even with the inner seal intact -- yeah, i'm trying to figure out the catch too...thought maybe it was diluted down or something but it smells wonderful --

it was $15.99 -- a buck an ounce -- costco

At that price, -K8, even if it is diluted, you can afford to use a lot more!  I think I will look on line and see if it can be ordered.  We don't have a Costco.

true that, sandra, lemme know if & how i can help -- it's a membership club

I did find it on line, Kate, but it was $29.99 instead of $15.00.  That's probably because it is the "public" price and not the member price.  Still a huge bargain.  Please let us know how you like it.

Hey everyone —. I saw an add for probably THE most unusual pumpkin item ever:  Pumpkin Tamales ‼️

I do not! like tamales at all maybe, just maybe they are sweet & not bad

Sandra of course you wanted to use up your leftover fondant…duhhhhh…you mentioned that. And using modelling chocolate to create the pumpkin shaped is a great idea!! 

And K8memphis…. I was actually in Costco today. I got the exact same vanilla, here the Canadian price is $19.99. A year and a half ago the same vanilla  it was like $40 +. I bought 2 bottles a month ago or so. Figured since it’s so relatively inexpensive, I’d stock up.  I was making my own vanilla, which I love, but I decided since I just basically bake for family, it was a lot of bother.  l was a member of a Canadian vanilla bean fb page, where I was getting beans for a very reasonable price. But the lady who started the fb page was having trouble with her American suppliers. She didn’t elaborate.  And then she moved and the fb page has gone silent. Plus it’s hard to get alcohol cheap here. Goreti, our mutual  cakey friend, recommended me to join an American vanilla bean fb page. I’ve not ordered any beans, as the shipping doesn’t make it worthwhile price wise. But there’s lots of baking advice and recipes. 

Kakeladi…. I never use to like tamales. But there’s a true authentic Mexican restaurant next city over. The chef is Mexican. So the tamales are the real deal. Ones I’ve had before were dreadful. But PUMPKIN tamales…oh yuck, yuck, yuck!!!!

I must admit, pumpkin tamales is the weirdest thing ever!  I wonder if they are sweet?  Tamales are one of my favorite things and I make them at home, corn husks and all!  Mike and I love them.

The sound of those vanilla prices are encouraging.  Maybe the shortage is finally easing up a bit.

I hate tamales :).  Don’t think I’ll even try the pumpkin ones.  It’s a bit of a drive to the store   Unless they have other things on sale it’s not worth a trip over there.  Right now there’s very little on special.  

i feel kinda bad y'all can't get the same price on the vanilla -- wah wah -- but also i ran across an article that israel is growing orchids for vanilla production -- before it was mexico, madagascar, indonesia and tahiti -- since israel is entering the market that should ease the crunch evermore, fingers crossed -- the picture showed them growing in hot houses that obviously don't have to depend on the weather like the others -- win win --

when i was pregnant with #1 child i love tango (brand) tamales! never had any better since -- "tango tamales" just sounds happy & delicious

here is an unusual recipe i would like to try one day -- she's got baking powder in the masa --

 Apple Butter Dessert Tamales - Minimalist Baker Recipes

and the dessert tamale recipe i posted the link for has a pumpkin version

A sweet tamale sounds like an contradiction. lol.

sandra, you're right! the first time I saw it, my stomach rolled a bit - but then after a while i got curious -- I read it and it's intriguing -- 

I like the minimalist baker a lot but somehow even with just ten ingredients, it seems too complicated -- but I did print the recipes today... think anything with apple butter would ring my bell -- I'm decidedly on the fence hahahaha

I love tamales, but not energetic enough to make at home. Not when we have a true authentic Mexican restaurant so close. 

And K8 I was in Costco yesterday for a return. We shop at a Costco about 20 minutes from here. Out Costco is always sooooo crazy busy. I had to wait 25 minutes just for  my return. Had to pick something up, and I noticed the very same people vanilla I picked up on Monday at the other Costco for $19.99 was $29.99!!!! Couldn’t believe it. So glad I stocked up earlier. And I remember seeing the news story about Israel growing orchids in greenhouses for vanilla. That makes total sense, considering the weather is one of the biggest issues for producing vanilla. Hope there successful. 

june, wow the prices are on a roller coaster! 

I know eh K8!!! Have no idea why there would have been a $10 difference in price for the vanilla from one Costco to another. Only 20 minutes away. I’m figuring the 3 bottles I bought were from a shipment  brought in probably a month or two ago?? And the recent bottle from a recent shipment. So perhaps the price is on the rise????

June that would be my guess… older product that has been on the shelf for awhile 

 price of vanilla aside 

full disclosure,  I just bought a pair of miz mooz boots called "pumpkin"!  

so that makes two pumpkin things I like

K8 …..Pumpkin boots…are the boots  orange?????

bwoowahahahaha -- purple, pretty green, black or brown -- I got the brown

https://miz-mooz.com/pumpkin.html

i'm having to lower the heel height on all my shoes  wah wah -- gonna be selling my boot collection on eBay -- sniff sniff but the new replacement ones are cool too --

Those are cute, cute boots, -K8!  Love 'em!

thank you sandra -- I really like the green too -- and while i like the purple, no I couldn't really go there -- but I like their moxie!

 they got sold out so I was hoping "pumpkin" came back in stock -- after a while I realized it was a fabulous "pumpkin" product -- 

in the meantime my 10% coupon expired - but I bougjt them anyway and they gave me a 10% refund! 

love me some pumpkin! finally!

oops made a mistake — it’s the “louise” that comes in purple

https://miz-mooz.com/search/Louise

Ooooo…K8memphis…I love those boots. I have something similar hubby gave me for Christmas 2 years ago. Cepting I gotta lace em up. There boring beige, but super comfortable and warm. And as for heels…I have one pair left I’m getting rid of. #1. My feet have widened with age #2 I absolutely cannot take the height and pain in my feet wearing  #3 I’m old and I want comfortable, but stylish. Because I wore nurses shoes as a dental assistant, then as a psw, it was always hard to transition to “high/higher heeled shoes or boots”. My arch would be in so much pain the next day. 

june, yeah so true  the up and down of different heel heights is muy uncomfortable -- I 'transitioned' back in december by just wearing lace up athletic shoes -- we always called them 'tennis shoes' growing up -- and by 'transitioned' I mean hobbled for about six months, lol -- the struggle is real   

I wore a pair of boots with 4" heels today, we went out to eat for my friends birthday.  It was raining and we had to walk about six blocks to the restaurant.  It was all down hill.  I thought I would fall on my face!  Going back to the car, up hill, was a piece of cake.  By days end, the balls of my feet we so tired.  They are the only pair I have left that are that high.  The 2-1/2" and 3" ones don't bother me at all.  But this afternoon, I was fantasizing about my Ked's!  I am a Ked's fanatic - have nine pairs, lol.

sandra, 4" heels! awesome -- wear 'em while you can!!!

i wear these at night in my dreams -- lol

L'Artiste by Spring Step Suede Boots - Dessa - QVC.com 

june -- that's so sweet your husband got you those boots though -- he picked 'em out & everything?

K8memphis I have 2 pairs of shoes like you posted. Just not as fancy…plain black and beige.Got from Payless….super deal cause my neighbour use to work there. A chunky heel I can manage. I got rid of my spiky/stiletto style heeled boots. Just can’t manage them. My arch just screams. And yes, hubby has always had a good fashion sense when buying me shoes, boots and clothing.