no such thing as over the hump day

Good morning everyone! It's Wednesday...over the hump day. Ok, who even says that anymore? Not me, cause when you're a Mom, there is no hump, cause there is no end of the week...it's just one continuous week. That is definitely something I noticed when I became a Mom and didn't work outside the home...I no longer got excited about the weekend...because every day is the same...to me a weekday is the same as a weekend...it's all the same. Before children, it was always...it's Friday night, oh, we have to do something....just cause...it's Friday night and you're supposed to do something. Anyhow, at first, way back, it bothered me, but now, it's a way of life and I really don't care. Pretty much every day is a fun day for me now. I have a lot of freedom to do fun things when I want to and it is not restricted to just Friday or Saturday night. But also....my idea of fun has changed...drastically...I no longer think it's fun to go to a bar for a beer...I would rather not. I no longer think it's fun to go dancing all night, that would really wear me out and the music is way too loud! I no longer think it is fun to run naked through a corn field.....ha ha, got you there didn't I! No...I have never, ever run naked through a corn field....however, I have run through a corn field...only I was fully clothed and was on private property, was probably about 16 years old and hanging out with friends...it was very late, I'm sure my parents thought I was sleeping at my friends house...and I was having so much fun and laughing so hard I almost peed my pants. But I digress! Those were the REALLY good old days. We're talking like 1986 here! Sorry, just a little memory there~! The only corn fields I am running through now are the corn mazes at a Fall festival with my kids! I'm having fun now too! Only now, when I almost pee my pants, it's not because I'm laughing too hard, it's because I sneezed or coughed too hard! I'm laughing now! Can anyone relate? Really, I do love my life and I am happy! I have no humps to get over...at the moment. When the kids are grown and out of the house, I will be back to working full time and saying "Yes! It's Friday! Honey, what are we doing tonight? It's Friday, we gotta do something!" And so...I must go now and put the second child on the bus...the day is mine until 3:00! Fun!



P.S. Later today, I will be posting a new recipe for cut out sugar cookies. Stay tuned because these are no ordinary cut out cookies...they are brown sugar spice cut outs. They work the same as the traditional cut out cookies, but the dough is reminiscent of Fall. You'll love the flavor of this cookie and will have fun cutting out and decorating leaf shaped cookies.

Blog block and Band

I think I am suffering from blog block or something. I would like to post more, but sometimes I am not quite sure if what I want to write about is interesting enough. I think I am getting a blogging complex! Is that possible?

Just a quick note...my son, my first born baby, played with the band during half time at the homecoming game last night. He is in middle school. Normally I guess the high school band plays at the games...well last night the middle school band got to join them and it was great. My son was very excited and had so much fun. I was so proud of him.

My photos did not turn out well at all. I do not know how to take good pictures in that kind of lighting....so please just bare with me here. As I was searching for him in the sea of band members and looking at the faces of all those kids...all smiling and happy, playing their instruments and calling out cheers, I got a little choked up....choked up in a good way! I was happy for him that he is growing up and now entering one of the most fun and exciting times of his life.

Candy Corn Cookies and Rain!

This past Monday evening, it was cozy and warm inside my house.
Outside it was rainy and cold.
The kind of cold where you see your breath.
There were two things this evening called for...
a fire in the fireplace
and cookies in the oven!

I really wanted a fire but I knew I had to make kindling first! My husband was at a Boy Scout meeting with our boys so if kindling was to be chopped...it was going to be me doing the chopping! It was starting to get dark so I hurried out to the wood shed, grabbed the axe and found a few skinny pieces of dry wood to split. I did a good job...well...a pretty good job...I slipped once and the axe landed squarely on the knuckle of my left pointer finger. Just a tiny cut, but it did hurt!

I got a good fire going!
Ahhhhhh, the smell of burning wood.
and the heat on my face.
I loved it.

In the kitchen I whipped up some Candy Corn sugar cookies.

a little vanilla, an egg yolk, some baking powder and salt
mix, mix, mix....
add the flour....
mix again.
Roll some tiny dough balls...about the size of a tsp.

Bake 10 minutes...
pull the hot tray from the oven...
immediately push a single piece of candy corn into each soft cookie.

Mmmm, the subtle sweet smell of the candy corn warming on each cookie!
It was cranky and raining outside, but oh so sweet inside!
I wish that all of you...
my blog friends...
were here so we could've had a cup of hot tea,
a few cookies,
and some friendly chit chat!

Here's the recipe...you gotta give these a try!

Lost Chickens

My chickens are gone.

Well, two of them are.

There names are Riley and Sleepy and they vanished on Wednesday.

We have no idea what happened to them.



When I came home Wednesday afternoon I saw the red chickens, but not the white one or the black one. My son called them for a minute or two, but they didn't come running. We figured the were around somewhere and went in the house. At 7:30, when I went to put them away for the night, they weren't on their perch! We searched that night with flash lights, but never found them. The next day we looked all over the property and called them. When I call them I say "chick chick chick chick chickey". But no little chickens came a runnin like they usually do. It is now Friday and still no sign of them. I am assuming that they wandered a little too far and lost their way, or a dog came into the yard and chased them so far away they couldn't find their way back. I am sad. We loved them like pets. They are very sweet. The white one, Sleepy, will let you pick her up anytime. The black one, Riley, is a little harder to catch, but she will let you hold her. We are still hopeful that they will find their way home...that is if they haven't met up with a raccoon, fox or coyote. If that happens, we will probably never know.

Caramel Apple Pie, oh my!

Ok, so I think I made my best pie ever! The other day, I made a caramel apple pie and it was so delicious I scraped the plate...and so did my husband...and my oldest son actually pretended to pass out and fall on the floor. It was so funny! I take that as a serious compliment!

I got this huge bag of green apples at Wal Mart...



...they were sold in these cute, little, heavy, plastic tote bags with handles. Maybe you've seen them at your local Wal Mart? I also bought a container of Marzetti's caramel dip. After a few days, we ate a couple apples and a little bit of dip....and I knew it was time.....time to make the CARAMEL APPLE PIE with what was leftover!



I made a caramel apple pie last Fall and fell in love with it! Well, since then, I have made many a pie and my pie making skills have increased ten fold! So, this time around, it was even better.



Here's my recipe!!

CARAMEL APPLE PIE

3/4 C. sugar
3 Tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt
6 to 7 C. sliced, peeled, tart apples
3/4 C. Marzetti's caramel apple dip
pastry for a double crust pie click here for my recipe

Mix sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Combine apples with cinnamon mixture and toss to coat.





Heap apples into 9 inch pastry lined pie plate.



Spread caramel on top of apples.





Cut 4 slits, or cut 4 pretty ovals into top pie crust, place on top of apples and crimp edges to seal pie. If you want, you can make cute little leaves with the oval cut outs by using a knife to make leaf design. Affix leaves to top of pie crust with egg wash (1 egg yolk mixed with a splash of water). Brush egg wash all over top of pie and sprinkle top of pie generously with sugar.





Cover edges of pie with strips of foil to prevent browning.



Bake pie at 425 degrees on a cookie sheet for 50 minutes.



Ten minutes before pie is done, remove foil from edges of pie so they can brown. At this time check the top of your pie for browning...if your leaves or any part of your pie is browned enough to your liking, just place a little piece of foil over it until finished baking.



Cool thoroughly before cutting and serving.





Enjoy!