It's begining to smell a lot like Thanksgiving

I don't know why I don't by fresh flowers more often, they are so refreshing to see in the house.

EASY PUMPKIN PIE

1 (9 inch) unbaked pastry shell
1 (16 oz.) can pumpkin
1 (14 oz.) can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine ingredients in large bowl, pour into shell, bake 15 minutes, reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking 35-40 minutes until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

A little one for me to make sure it's okay!

Cranberry Butter

1/2 cup fresh cranberry sauce

1/2 cup softened butter

Mix together and chill. SO yummy on rolls, waffles, toast, you name it. I could eat this by the spoonful.


The crust I made from this book, which I highly recommend for a new way of considering how to feed your family.

Pie Crust

1 1/3 unbleached white flour

pinch of sea salt

pinch of sugar

1/2 cup butter, frozen

2 egg yolks

3 rounded tablespoons cold water

Put flour, salt and sugar in food processor, pulse a few times, cut better into cubes and add to the flour, pulse until you have pea size butter, add the water and egg yolk, pulse until it just comes together. Form a ball and flatten to make a disk, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a couple hours. Makes one 9 inch pie shell with some left over to do some lattice work.

Cara's Cranberry Sauce

3 cups fresh cranberries

1 cup orange juice

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Mix everything together in a saucepan, heat until cranberries pop. Puree until smooth.

Up next tomorrow: apple pie, pecan pie and Grandmas rolls :)

The Baking Season Has Begun!

The best loaf of artisan bread, I think I ate half the loaf.

Everything needs good butter!

Cherry Strudel :)

Made the first batch of sugar cookies this season.

My little messy helpers are always by my side when baking!!

Many many more goodies to come!

Cheddar Corn Chowder

Cheddar Corn Chowder
from the Barefoot Contessa cook book

Ingredients
•8 ounces bacon, chopped
•1/4 cup good olive oil
•6 cups chopped yellow onions (4 large onions)
•4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
•1/2 cup flour
•2 teaspoons kosher salt
•1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
•1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
•12 cups chicken stock
•6 cups medium-diced white boiling potatoes, unpeeled (2 pounds)
•10 cups corn kernels, fresh (10 ears) or frozen (3 pounds)
•2 cups half-and-half
•8 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
Directions
In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, cook the bacon and olive oil until the bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions and butter to the fat, and cook for 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent.

Stir in the flour, salt, pepper, and turmeric and cook for 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and potatoes, bring to a boil, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. If using fresh corn, cut the kernels off the cob and blanch them for 3 minutes in boiling salted water. Drain. (If using frozen corn you can skip this step.) Add the corn to the soup, then add the half-and-half and cheddar. Cook for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is melted. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Serve hot with a garnish of bacon.
I halved the recipe, but if you want some to freeze for later make the full recipe, or if you have a small army to feed make the full recipe.

Banana Cake

I got this recipe from my friend Lisa, she made them like 6months ago and I have been thinking of them ever since! Thanks for the recipe, I hope you don't mind me sharing! They are so good!

BANANA CAKE BARS

½ cup butter, soft
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs 1cup sour cream 2 medium ripe bananas (abut 1 cup), mashed
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
Cream butter and sugar, beat in eggs, bananas and vanilla.
Combine flour, baking soda and salt, add to creamed mixture and mix well. Pour
into a greased jellyroll pan. I like it a bit thicker so I put it in a 9x13.

Bake 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until bars test done.

FROSTING FOR BARS
½ cup butter
8 ounces cream cheese -- softened
4 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla

Cool before frosting. I couldn't wait until they were totally cooled so I made the icing a little thicker and put it on while it was still warm......so good warm mmm.....I think I will go get another piece.
For frosting, cream butter and cream cheese, add powder sugar and vanilla. Beat well.

More wedding pictures

My sister in law just got her pictures from the wedding so I had to post some more!

Oh! And I finally finished unpacking! Only took me a month this time, unlike the 6 months it took me last year when I went!

Yesterday

Me and the boys went to the zoo!!

And rode the train.
And saw cool animals.

And then we had lunch, went to the grocery store, came home, made ww bread, artisan bread dough and ice cream, went to get Annalyse from the bus stop, played outside until dinner, made dinner, watched a movie with the kids, waited for Justin to get home from work, Justin got home at 8pm, took a nice hot bath, baby got up, gave him some Motrin(think he is getting another tooth), put him back down, finished watching 18 kids and counting(that lady is crazy!), went and crashed in bed.

Today is my crazy day driving back and forth to town. I take Z to school, come home, try to fold the 50 million loads of laundry, go pick up Z from school, go to A's school and lead her DI group, go home, make dinner, wait for Justin, leave to go to YW, have a nice time with the girls, come home, say hi to Justin, crash in bed.

Tomorrow I will take Madden to his 18 month check up and get some shots, after that not sure what the rest of the day brings. I just know at the end of the day I will be crashing in bed only to be awaken at 5:30am, someone is still on old time, Madden!!!!

Don't throw away those cereal boxes!

I have a cool craft you can do with them!

You can make little notebooks! Just like those expensive moleskin ones at the store that cost $10 each! Just cut the back and front to whatever size you want, I had a small box so these are 9x6. Then cut your paper the same or a little smaller, fold in half and sew down the middle(by hand or with machine) I LOVE these things I could have a hundred and it not be enough! Great for the kids to doodle in at church or wherever. With my extra paper I made a little skinny note pad for jotting the million things I need to do or things I need to get from the store. And since we eat a lot of cereal I guess I will be making quite a few of these! I think I will have the kids decorate the outside of there's with stickers or paint or nice paper or whatever. The ideas or limitless! I love recycling don't you?

Busy Bees

Life is busy with 3 kids! If there is ever down time a savor every moment.

Annalyse had a big project that was about Charlotte's Web. There class read the book and then they were going to have a pig parade(something 3rd graders do in our elementary). They had to do a poster board, float or dress like there favorite seen in the book. She picked a float, Justin built most of it and she painted and glued the animals on. It came out super cute and I think she was proud. This girl is so creative and wants do everything, which is awesome, I just have the hang ups! I cant stand a mess so when she gets craft stuff out I cringe. I am trying to be better at it and not tell her no all the time, like with cooking, she wants to make stuff and I am always telling her no and I feel bad about that. I just cant watch her most of the time or I don't want a mess so I just do it. I must be better at that! I'm the one that needs to chill out about it! Poor thing, I feel like we push her to the side a lot cause we deal with the little ones first and she is so much older so we expect a lot from her. She is the best little girl in the world and I love her to pieces!

Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Scones

Golly Beaver these are swell! Ever since I saw the recipe for these they were on my mind for at least a week before I could get to making them. Oh it was worth the wait, hazelnut and chocolate go together like peanut butter and jelly or bread and butter or well you get the picture! There just that good! Try them and you will see!


Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Scones
Pre-heat oven to 400ºF
• 2 cups flour
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 Tablespoons butter (chilled)
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt (I used buttermilk cause I didnt have yogurt)
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup toasted chopped hazelnuts
In a bowl, mix the dry ingredients and add the butter in small chunks. Cut in the butter using your favorite method, I like a pastry cutter. Add the liquids and stir just a bit. Add the chocolate chips and the nuts and stir more. It will make a mess with little shape. Dump onto a cookie sheet and pat into 2 circles—these should be thick, about 1/2 high. Cut the circles into quarters and separate, making 8 scones. Brush with milk or an egg wash if you want to and fancy sugar if you are feeling extra special. Bake 17-19 minutes and then let them cool at least 10 minutes (this will be hard to do).

Pumpkin Spice Bread

Here it is guys! Sorry to keep you waiting! It's so worth it though, this one is so good! I'll put a picture with it as soon as I make it again, it went to fast!

Ingredients
3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 (16 ounce) can solid pack pumpkin
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 cup water
Directions
1.In a large bowl, combine sugar, oil and eggs. Add pumpkin and mix well. Combine dry ingredients; add to the pumpkin mixture alternately with water. Pour into two greased 9-in. x 5-in. x 3-in. loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 60-65 minutes or until bread tests done. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack; cool completely.