Turkey Trot

On Thanksgiving day, Tad and I ran a 5k in our town called the Turkey Trot. I wasn't sure if it was a good idea to plan to run a race on the day that I do tons of cooking, but I decided I really wanted to, and that it would be good to get a workout in on the day where I would stuff myself with food! The weather was forecasted to be very cold that morning, but I was still in. It was kind of weird, because the night before, I was in cooking mode, up late finishing my pecan pie and pumpkin cinnamon rolls. Then I was up early making crockpot stuffing and getting other things together. Then I had to switch gears and get in my race clothes and get ready to go.
I haven't been running very much, because Tad is gone so much and it is just easier to get my workout in at home during the day. So the Monday night before the race (the race was on Thursday), I went to the Y and ran a 5k on the treadmill, just to practice and run since I hadn't in awhile. I did a 5k in about 35 minutes, and I wasn't happy with that time. It's hard to gauge it on a treadmill, and how fast/slow to start running. I always get nervous and don't want to start too fast because I don't want to burn out and have to stop. I was happy to get through it without stopping though. So my goal for the 5k was just to finish without stopping (which is always my goal for a 5k; I have run them enough to know I can do this) and to run it in under 35 minutes. I think my first 5k that I remember I ran in 36 minutes, the next one was 34 minutes, and I don't remember my time for my next one.
It was freezing cold the morning of the race. We wore layers, and didn't want to shed them until right before the race. Tad's brother spent the night so that he could watch the kids for us; it was too cold to have them out. So it was a nice, fun time to get out together! I have always run better in the cold, so it felt good, but I was struggling mentally. Tad and I talk about how running is so mental, as well as physical. You really have to push yourself through, and talk to yourself while running, because your body tries to tell you it's tired, or to walk. Tad was having the same struggle, though we weren't running together. He is much faster!
I have realized that I have to evaluate if I feel like stopping because my legs are tired, because it's hard to breath (always a struggle when I workout or run, maybe exercise induced asthma?), or just because I am feeling lazy and want to walk. But even if I can pinpoint which one it is, I still have to push through it, and keep running.
When I hit the halfway mark, I looked at my watch and was at about 15:30, and thought "oh my gosh, if I keep this same pace I could finish in 30 minutes? What???" But it actually made me feel tired thinking about that, but I kept pushing through and trying to keep a good pace. It felt good to pass people, and to keep going even though I felt like walking. To keep talking to myself and get myself through, knowing that I was getting closer to the finish line. Tad finished in about 20 minutes, which is really good for him. He was hoping to get close to one of his first place times from a long time ago, which was 19:45 or something like that. He got really close, and finished 9th overall, out of over 200 people. So proud of him!
When Tad and I run the same race, he comes back to find me and to help me finish the race. He just kind of paces me at the end, when I'm tired, and to remind me how close the finish line is! I look forward to this towards the end of the race! I finished in 31:07, and I was completely floored to set a new personal best!! I know this isn't a super fast time, but for me, it was my fastest, and I was so pleased with it! Especially since I hadn't really trained for the race, per say, though I workout 6 times a week so maybe that helped with the stamina to keep up a faster pace. I was so happy with my time!! And glad I had decided to do the race on such a busy day!! So we finished, went home, and packed up all our Thanksgiving food and went over to Tad's parents house to finish cooking and to spend our Thanksgiving day. It was a good day, and that race pretty much made my day!! I am so glad we could do it together!

 

Thanksgiving food (and Gluten-Free Options)!

If you have read my blog before, or know me, you know that I love to cook, and I absolutely love this time of year where baking and cooking abound, and Thanksgiving week is especially fun and delicious. I thought I would share what I'm making this year, and perhaps some links to things I have made in the past if you wanted to check those out. I did make the turkey about 3 times in the past, and have fond memories of it, but now that we live near my in-laws, my MIL cooks the turkey in her huge roaster so I don't have to do that part. I do kind of miss it, but I also love making lots of sides, so it's fun!! This year I am making:

Stuffing
I usually make the stuffing, and I usually try different recipes. This year I am excited to try a new recipe that is in the slow cooker, and thought that would be one I wouldn't have to fuss with closer to eating time. So here is the link for that from Allrecipes.com, my go-to for recipes!!
Corn Souffle
I have blogged about this recipe before. It is a super old recipe that is out of our old church cookbook from when I was little, and my grandma has made it for years and years, and is a fond childhood memory. It is so good, that I make 2 so that we have enough for everyone, plus leftovers for dinner! It is that good!!

Cranberry Sauce
I have also blogged about this cranberry sauce. I don't think there are too many who love cranberry sauce, besides my husband and I, at our Thanksgiving, but we love it, and this recipe is oh, so good. I usually only choose recipes from Allrecipes.com that have lots of reviews and really high ratings, and when I found this recipe the other day, it didn't have the most reviews or the highest ratings, but we love it, and I make it every year. So that's good enough for me. The spices in it are amazing.
Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
This is a recipe I got from my dearest friend in Chicago, Emily, and I have made it several times. I actually don't like cinnamon rolls, but these pumpkin cinnamon rolls, with yeast and pudding mixtures, among other ingredients, are to-die-for!! I am excited to make them, and eat them!! I am making them for the morning, while we are cooking thanksgiving food!! Here is the link. And here also is the link to the recipe on my blog.

Applesauce
I have made this applesauce recipe for years because I just love the combination of cinnamon and cloves in it! My family loves it, and it is nice because it is one thing that can be made well before Thanksgiving. You could even make it a month before, and freeze it!! Also, it's on my blog.
Broccoli Cheese Casserole
While I have never made this casserole before, and this usually wouldn't appear on our Thanksgiving buffet table, I thought it sounded good and I know Maddy loves this kind of thing. I'm using GF creamy mushroom soup (see below) for this so she can have it.

Pecan Pie
Oh, the blessed pecan pie. I never even remember having one until I was an adult. And then realized I didn't know what I was missing. I have really only ever made Pioneer Woman's pecan pie, because it is easy and always turns out great!! I make her Perfect Pie Crusts ahead of time, freeze them, and then use them for my pies. They always turn out great, too!! Here is the link for the pie and the crusts.
Crustless Cranberry Pie
I am hoping that this pie will become a new, easy favorite. It looks delicious on Allrecipes.com and I'm not making it because it is crustless (it isn't GF), I'm making it because I love cranberries, it is easy, it had very high ratings on AR, and it looks like cake!!
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie
I am not even sure which recipe to be exact I will be using for my standard pumpkin pie. Probably something from AR that has high ratings, lol. The key is just to make a regular 'ole pumpkin pie that Maddy can enjoy, since she loves them!! And with the GF pie crust mix that I am getting from Braum's!!

Gluten-Free Thanksgiving
Since this will be Maddy's first Thanksgiving with her gluten intolerance, I have to be creative and still make it special for her and have her favorite Thanksgiving food! She doesn't like stuffing so I don't have to worry about that. She can already have the turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, and applesauce. I am also making a broccoli-cheese casserole with gluten-free creamy mushroom soup that I found at a local grocery store! I will be bringing one of her GF rolls that I get from Walmart. For dessert, I am making her favorite, Pumpkin Pie, with some GF pie crusts that I found the mix for at Braum's, which is carrying a whole line of GF products now. I will also probably pick up some GF cinnamon rolls or donuts for her for that morning, since I am making Pumpkin cinnamon rolls for everyone else. And for the gravy, I am going to bring some corn flour to add to the gravy so she can have some thick, GF gravy. So she should be good with all of that food!

Well, I hope you all have a very Merry Thanksgiving, and are looking forward to all of the family-togetherness, food, and gratitude that goes along with it!!

 

 "in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:18

 

 

 

Retreat

I just got back from a Women's Retreat our church had this past weekend. I am so fortunate that Tad really pushed me to go; not that I didn't want to go, but the thought of spending the money and finding someone to watch the kids is a little stressful. But he really thought I should go, and his sister came from out of town to watch the kids while Tad was at work. The Lord has been doing such amazing things in my life. Which is so comforting because it reminds me that He hasn't given up on me, despite all my faults. Things have been tough lately, I'm not gonna lie, but God has a way of reminding us of Himself, reminding us that it's not all about us, and directing us back to Him.
The retreat was such a time of refreshment, relaxation, a time to get away from the normal distractions of 3 little ones that always need my attention, and a house and a slew of other things that need my attention, and to just breath. And think. And pray. And to be with other like-minded Christian women to laugh with and talk about spiritual things with. It's not like retreat can happen all the time, but when the Lord blesses us with it, we can appreciate it all the more.
The theme of the retreat was "You are His Treasure" and the messages were powerful. The speaker was this amazing missionary who spends most of the year living in Sudan, where there is no electricity or running water. Her messages were vibrant with her passion for the Lord spilling over. I wanted to catch her passion! She talked about so many amazing things. She said that we are so resistant to change that we settle for less, and we are getting jipped. She said the more broken we are, the more eligible we are for service, and the more love can leak out. I was pretty broken on retreat, and I think that I needed to hear that so that I didn't go away thinking I was a failure, or ineligible. That is what Satan wants us to think. But when we feel like we are nothing, when we have nothing left to give, when we feel like we couldn't possibly do anything for Jesus, that's when we are in the perfect place for Him to use us because it needs to be Him working His amazing power in us. When we are prideful, and feel like "we got this" and that we have "arrived" in our spiritual walks, then we have all kinds of walls built up around us, and it is hard for God to use that. I have to keep remembering this. How often do we think that we have to just try harder, do better, memorize some more Scripture, get up a little earlier, attend one more church service, and then God will be more pleased with me? That's the way the world works, so that's how our mind assumes that God works. But God is bigger. He is bigger than our stuff, and our best efforts. And He is here to radically change our lives. Now!! Not just in heaven, not just for eternity, but He is offering us new life, that we would be a new creation, and I am begging you all to take hold of what He has for you! Even if you are already a believer, He has more for you! More of His power, more of His Spirit, more opportunities, and each day is a new day of grace, opportunities, forgiveness, growth, evangelism, and surrender. We must surrender our all to Him, so He can work with all of us. Don't hold anything back. And you will not be disappointed.
She also talked about our sword, the Word of God, and knowing it well. And how the stronger the Spirit gets, the weaker our flesh gets. And one big thing that stuck in my mind is that, "our life's hurts are temporal-they will pass away." Such perspective. What are we going through right now that is menial compared to the greatness of our God and the things that matter for eternity? And how many of those things are we letting into our hearts to sabotage the work of the Lord? Are we quenching the Spirit in our lives by roots of bitterness? She also said, "The more I realize that I am the Lord's treasure, the more He will become my treasure." It reminds me of 1 John 4:19 which says, "We love because he first loved us."
The speaker also said, "we don't have to be able, we just have to be willing." Are we really able to do anything without the Lord? "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness." 2 Peter 1:3
"Each time we die to ourselves, a little bit of us dies and a little more of Jesus takes over." Humility. Such a tough thing for us prideful human beings who always want to be right, have the last word, not let anyone speak out against us. We can be ruthless. But what does God want us to do? What did Jesus model for us? To be servants. To be humble. To not return evil for evil, but to overcome evil with good. To love our enemies. To do good to those who hurt us. Easier said than done, but when we let go of ourselves, and let God work in and through us, we will start to see more of Him, and less of us.
So, really, I could go on and on, but those were just some of the highlights from retreat. And if you are a momma who just can't get away on a retreat, then see if you can go on a mini-retreat! One blogger goes on a prayer/planning retreat every week! On Sundays, she gets away for a couple of hours while her husband keeps the kids, and she gets her week planned out and spends time alone with God, getting refreshed and renewed. I think we need to be recharged and rest every once in awhile so we can be the best mommies we can be to our kids. We need that daily time with God, our daily bread, but we also need some extended time every now and then, however we can get it, to rest and reflect, and to really hear what God would have for us at that time. I hope all of you are encouraged and excited about what God has for your life. Don't get stagnant! Ask for God to fill you to overflowing with love, passion, surrender, willingness, and humility! Don't waste your life on anything less than Him!!

 

It's Been Awhile!!

My friends! It has been so long since I have put out a blog post! Our computer died, and so we spent the summer without a computer, but since we have gotten one, we have been so busy with school (and Judah is doing preschool at home this year!), Classical Conversations, swim lessons, church, and life with 3 kids! I'm sure some of you wondered if I fell off the planet or something! I have missed putting up my favorite recipes, blogging about homemaking, tips I have learned, life, and stuff that makes my life interesting! I have so many things to share as I get back to blogging. In April, I got into a weight loss group on Facebook and have lost about 15 pounds (give or take what day it is!) I would love to share about that! Also, I am in my second year of tutoring (teaching) Maddy's class at Classical Conversations. So I have the children that are mostly in 2nd grade. This year is going great!

Another cool thing is that God has been doing some awesome things in my heart, and I have finished a book that I want to share about that was really awesome! There were 2 things that I realized at the beginning of this school year that have really helped me in my everyday life. The first thing is that I realized I needed to get up earlier than my kids in the morning. I used to do this before I got pregnant with Ruth, inspired by the blog "Inspired to Action" where there is a whole "movement" to Maximize Your Mornings (link on the right hand side of the blog). When you are not in the habit of getting up early, it may seem like an impossible feat. But once you start, and you realize the amazing quiet before the kids get up, and that quiet time you can spend with God, you will get addicted to it! The other thing I realized, with my quiet times seeming boring and not drawing me closer to God, was that I really needed to spend quiet time with God. Not just time before my kids got up, but time where I wasn't doing anything else. Where I could just listen to worship music. Or just sit in the quiet. Or where I could "be still, and know that He is God." (Psalm 46:1) And then, randomnly, I picked a book off our bookshelf (I don't know where we got it, or how long we have had it), and decided to use it during my devotion time. It is an oldie, by A.W. Tozer, called "The Pursuit of God." And boy did God drop that in my lap at the right time. It was about the very thing I had been missing in my walk with God. That sweet fellowship and intimacy that comes from pursuing God and seeking that quiet time of drawing near to God that we all too often miss out on. And when we just read the Bible (check), pray (check), and do all our church duties (check, check), it can start to feel dull. And we can start to get resentful. And feel like we are wasting our time. But when we can turn off the distractions, and actually let God do the talking, when we can just listen, and be thankful, and draw near to Him, He will change our hearst. And it starts to feel different. And new. And amazing. And you will be fed. And as mommies of little children who need us for a million different things all day long, we need to be fed or we will burn out. And we can just feel overwhelmed with a million different to-do lists that seem like they have no purpose. Things that get undone 10 minutes after we do them. And the other reason I felt like it was so important to get up before the kids, was so I could also plan my day right after my time with God. Know what I want to accomplish for the day, check the account and be on top of the finances daily (something I was slacking on), know what we are having for dinner and how much prep time I will need, look at the calendar, and just be prepared for the day.

Before I got up early, I would wake up with kids who needed something, I would be groggy as my husband left for work with minimal breakfast, I had no idea what was for dinner, how much was in the account, or what I was doing that day. And that's when my life was feeling overwhelming and I felt like it was out of control. But with my new plan in place, I was getting fed by God first thing in the morning, having relaxing, quiet time with God to start off my day, and knew what my chores were for the day, and what the plan for the day would be. These 2 things have really helped me a lot during this crazy, hectic season of homeschooling 2 kids, preparing for CC each week, and a load of other responsibilities.

I hope everyone is well. I hope to hear from some of my regular readers from before, and hope to encourage some new moms as well who are in the thick of it, busy but satisfied staying home with little ones. Maybe we have homeschooling in common, our relationship with God, Classical Conversations, being a stay-at-home mom, or a love for cooking, but whatever it may be, I hope this blog will encourage you and give you some new ideas for how to make your life easier, more fun, or at least make your house smell yummy with some new recipes to try! Happy Fall!!

Family Holidays!

Briana and her family in Branson

I'm so excited that my sister and her family are coming to visit for Thanksgiving! We haven't gotten too many visitors since we moved to Oklahoma, and I was so happy when she said they wanted to spend Thanksgiving with family! So we will all venture over to Tad's family's house for a big feast! I can't wait! And it just so happens that Tad is off work on Thanksgiving and the day after, so it works out perfect! We saw my sister and her family this past summer in Branson for our family vacation, but it will be nice to get the cousins together (our kids only actual cousins!) again and show them all where we live! I warned them there isn't much to do in our town, but they are looking forward to just spending time with family! I always have to throw that disclaimer in there, especially after everyone was used to visiting us in Chicago where there were so many fun things to do! All you have here is us in Oklahoma!

The cousins!

 I'm still in the middle of planning my part of the menu for Thanksgiving! I pretty much had everything picked out, and then I realized that I was making a lot of fun extras and not really helping with the traditional sides. Then my mother-in-law told me that she wasn't going to assign me ANYTHING since I will have family in town. Well, if you know anything about me, you know I just LOVE to cook and I look forward to Thanksgiving especially because it is so fun to make so much stuff. So anyways, I know I am going to make Pioneer Woman's pecan pie, as usual. And I think I will make my homemade applesauce. I still need to figure out which traditional sides I should help make. I just love cooking outside the box, and making different, exotic, yummy tasting things but Tad's family isn't used to anything like that, so I have to stick to traditional things. But that's okay!

Homemade applesauce!

We are just getting over being sick, and got a little "fall break" from school, if you will, so it's nice to have a little bit of extra time to get things done. The stomach flu is making its way through our family right now, and I'm wondering who it's gonna hit next! But it's a really fast bug! Hopefully everyone will be better by Thanksgiving!

What are you making for Thanksgiving? Any fun new websites, recipes, or ideas you could share! Please share in the comments section!

Life Around Here

 Well, life has been pretty crazy around here. We have been extremely busy! I must say, this is the busiest I have been as a mommy! We are doing Classical Conversation once a week (a classical, Christian homeschool education) and I am a tutor (which is the teacher of the class, they like to reserve the title "teacher" for the parent who directs their child's education), Maddy is taking ballet/tap/jazz class once a week, we have church, worship team, and many other things that fill up our schedule! And of course, we are enjoying being close to family who we can share all our adventures with!

Tad, Judah and Ruth hanging out at the park!

 Our weather is like the Ohio summers I am used to, so there are still lots of days we spend our afternoons outside or take evening walks on the path behind our house. We usually do that when Tad is working a double and we need to get out of the house!

 This is Ruth with her Aunt Lydia! She works at a salon and a bakery and goes to school, but in her "free time" she comes over and visits us, and we love it! I think they love Aunt Lydia more than they love me! And sometimes she brings the kids yummy stuff from the bakery! I seriously don't know what we will do without her next year when she goes off to college!

 It is fun being near family, and sometimes we get to go a little bit outside of our town and see extended family. On this particular day, we were invited to Tad's uncle's house to help build onto their house, and for a birthday party! It was so much fun to see family and the kids had a blast!

 Pops (Tad's dad) got a Spyder motorcycle and the kids were playing around on it. He even let Tad and I take it for a spin around the neighborhood; it was pretty fun! I can't wait until Tad can get his motorcycle fixed! We still have plenty of warm days left!

Ruthie is eating solid food 3 times a day now. Hmmmm. She must not like this one. But she is adorable! And she does like a lot of the baby food we feed her! She is probably my least picky baby eater out of the three!

Cute as a button! She looks like a little "who!" Her hair always seems to be in a mo-hawk. I can't figure out if her hair naturally does that, or if someone (AKA Tad) always puts her hair like that. Anyways...
Just a little bit of what we are doing around here! We have Classical Conversations for 2 more weeks and then we are off until around mid-January! So that will be a nice break and hopefully I can get some more things done and not feel as crazy busy as I am right now! I'm looking forward to the holidays, and we are excited to get our Thankful Tree going like we did last year! Hope this finds you all well!

Outdoor Fall Decor

I am so excited this year to decorate outside for the Fall season!! It might sound really silly, but living in Chicago all those years in a little apartment didn't allow for us to decorate outside!! We had a tiny little balcony that I could put a small table and a plant on, but other than that, not even a front porch!!
We were glad to see that the people who previously lived here had planted mums all across the front of the flower bed, which stayed green all through the cold and hot months. We trimmed them once or twice, and now they are in full bloom! They are mostly a deep red/maroon color and one of them is getting some burnt orange flowers too! There is also another mum (or other plant) that is getting buds and I'm wondering what they will look like!!

I also bought a few mums and pumpkins to put out on our porch since it is pretty big. When we first moved in, the porch seemed pretty empty with nothing on it, and it took us awhile to figure out what we wanted on there and to find stuff for it! But with the mums and pumpkins, it is looking more full! We got the chairs for about $20 from a thrift store, and the baskets that the mums are in and the little rocking chair are from a garage sale!!

Here is my little man watering the yard. Well, the driveway. Okay, he is just playing with the hose!!

Pretty soon, the little pumpkins will come inside, since they are pie pumpkins and I will have to put them to good use!! We will carve our pumpkins this weekend, toast the seeds, and then I might have to figure out what to do with the porch again!! I will also probably have to plant the mums I got from the store in the side part of the flower beds.
Any ideas for another bare porch once the flowers/pumpkins are removed??
Happy Fall!

Apple Galette

This looks beautiful and is seriously the easiest thing to make!! I had a lot of apples, and was in the mood for an apple pie. So I was looking at one of my favorite websites, Pinch My Salt, for a recipe for apple pie. I found this delectable looking thing, called a Galette, which I had never heard of, and she called it the No Fear Apple Pie. Sounds good to me! I was prepared to make a pie crust from scratch, but this is even easier!!
Since she posted it in blog style, and not a formal recipe, I will try to break it down for you, but here is her site if you just want to read her rendition!! With pretty pictures!!

1. Start by peeling, coring, and slicing about 4 apples. My apples were really small so I used about 6, and I probably could have used even more since there was so much crust!! Mix the apple slices in a bowl with about a 1/4 cup of sugar, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and a tablespoon of flour.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
3. For the Galette pastry:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chilled butter, cut into pieces (one stick)
3 Tbs. ice water

Pulse flour and salt in a food processor to combine. Add in the butter and pulse until the largest pieces are about the size of peas. Add water, one tablespoon at a time, and pulse to mix. If you don't have a food processor, you can use a whisk, your fingers, or a pastry cutter.
4. Dump the flour and butter mixture on a floured surface and press into a disc shape. You can wrap this up and refrigerate for a couple of days, or continue on to use it immediately. Roll the dough into a large circle, using flour on the rolling pin and on top of the dough to prevent sticking. Roll it to about 1/8 inch thick, patching any holes.
5. Wrap the dough around your rolling pin and transfer it to your cookie sheet. It's fine if it overlaps the cookie sheet, it is suppose to!!
6. Add the apple mixture into the center, and drop a few small pieces of butter over them, if desired. Now, fold the pastry over the apples in a circle formation, leaving the center uncovered. Patch any holes so that the apple filling doesn't run out during cooking.
7. Beat one egg with a splash of water and brush over the top of the pastry. Sprinkle some sugar over the whole thing if desired.
8. Bake at 400 degrees for about 35 minutes!

It seriously does not take much time, and it is as good as an apple pie!! Great with vanilla ice cream!! I know I'm apple-ing everyone out. Don't worry, it's almost over!!

Ham and Potato Soup

You know you want this soup!! It is warm, cozy, fall-time goodness! I have been making a corn chowder for a few years and have kind of gotten sick of it, but I wanted to make some kind of potato soup. When I was looking up recipes, this ham and potato soup had over 5,000 reviews and over 193,000 people had saved it!! That's when you know a recipe is worth trying!!
On Allrecipes.com, I always try to pick recipes that have lots of reviews, a high number of stars (for the rating), and that a lot of people have saved. This sure fit the bill!
You could easily double this recipe, as I did, and we still didn't have leftovers for more than a couple days. It was delicious!! I had guests over the night I served this and they loved it as well! My sister-in-law said it was nice that the base wasn't bacon grease, like the corn chowder we have all been making! I actually made this soup in the afternoon while the kids took their naps, and then stuck it in the crockpot. It kept it warm and as it sat in there (on auto, I didn't cook it anymore), it actually thickened up quite a bit. It's delicious! You need to try it!!

Ham and Potato Soup
Allrecipes.com

3 1/2 cups peeled and diced potatoes
1/3 cup diced celery
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 cup diced cooked ham
3 1/4 cups water
2 Tablespoons chicken bouillon granules
1/2 tsp. salt, or to taste
1 tsp. ground white or black pepper, or to taste
5 Tbs. butter
5 Tbs. all-purpose flour
2 cups milk

1. Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, ham, and water in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium-heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the chicken bouillon, salt, and pepper.
2. In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour with a fork, and a cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk as not to allow lumps to form until all of the milk has been added. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes.
3. Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot and cook soup until heated through. Serve immediately.

In hindsight, I would use less chicken bouillon and less pepper, or switch from white pepper to black pepper. I really liked mine, but it was a little spicy for the kids, and all that white pepper was a lot.
Once the soup was done, I just grated some cheddar cheese, picked and chopped some scallions from the garden, and fried up some bacon to go with it. Add some yummy bread alongside, and you have yourself an amazing, cozy fall meal!! Take it from me, it will be a hit! And a great meal for entertaining!

Apple Butter and a Pregnant Pic!

I have made this amazing apple butter recipe for at least the last couple of years and it is amazing! The best part about it is that it is delightfully easy! It makes a lot and is a crockpot recipe so the house smells of warm apples all day long! I actually plan to make it when I'm going to be home so I can smell it cooking! This time, I used half-pint mason jars and it made 8 jars of apple butter. I put one in the fridge and the rest in the freezer and pull one out when we need one!
The great thing is my kids love apple butter, especially Maddy, so I think we will go through it pretty fast! Would you believe we used more than half of the first jar in the first day after I made it? I might need to put restraints on Maddy!

These are horrible, dark shots but it was late and after it had been cooking all day, I wasn't going to wait to take the pictures! I wish I could say I had some fancy canning apparatus or something, but honestly, when I have made jams and butters I have actually just put them into jars and popped them into the freezer and fridge. I should look into actually "canning" stuff, but up until now, I just haven't.
Here's the super easy recipe:

All Day Apple Butter
From Allrecipes.com

5 1/2 pounds of apples, peeled, cored, and finely chopped
4 cups of white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Place the apples in a slow cooker. In a medium bowl, mix the sugar, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Pour the mixture over the apples in the slow cooker and mix well.
2. Cover and cook on high 1 hour.
3. Reduce heat to low and cook 9 to 11 hours, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thickened and dark brown.
4. Uncover and continue cooking on low 1 hour. Stir with a wire whisk, if desired, to increase smoothness.
5. Spoon the mixture into sterile containers, cover and refrigerate, or freeze.

I also did some research and 1 pound of apples is approximately 3 cups. So I used about 15 to 16 cups of apples. It did take some time to peel, core, and chop that many apples, but in the end it was worth it! I think you will love it!

And, since I haven't posted a pregnant pic anywhere yet, here is the latest, at about 20 weeks along. Halfway!!

10 Random Joys

Sometimes it's really easy to get bogged down with all the work that needs to be done around the house, the ill-behaviors of the kids, or my husband working overtime and being gone more. I can easily get depressed about being away from my good friends and family in Chicago and Ohio, not keeping up with the house as much as I'd like, and the fact that I'm only about halfway through my pregnancy!!
But what I really need to do is to stop and thank God for all the many blessings He has given to me and my family. We didn't even know if we would be able to get pregnant with our second and here we are with a third on the way! God is so good. I'm always reminding Maddy that "every good and perfect gift is from above..." So I thought it would be a good time to remind myself and encourage you to remind yourself of all the blessings that you are being showered with right now, be it big or small, and to not let Satan surround your heart with the negative.

1. I love this time of year, when the leaves are falling, school and schedules are in full swing, and the weather is finally cooler!
2. Yummy, fresh omelets!
   Adding different, fresh vegetables adds such variety and taste!
   
   
3. Two special kids who love to play together and do things together!
   
   
4. Fun, random day trips with the family!
   
   
   
5. Our fun, new dog that everyone loves playing with! Well, except when she is biting, nipping, and scratching. But that's besides the point!
6. Being part of small town fun! We got to go to a local Frontier Festival where Maddy rode a pony and we watched a parade that ended with a herd of cattle walking down the street!
   
   

   
   
   
7. Swim lessons for Maddy! She has really enjoyed her little class and learning new things in the water!
8. Homeschool fun! I have learned how creative and smart Maddy is as she works on her lessons, learns more about her letters/numbers, and remembers the things she is learning!
   
   
9. I'm so glad that I am feeling better and have so much more energy than before! It's helping me to get more things done that I need to get accomplished!
10. Special family times! I love when we get to get out as a family and do things together! It looks different now than it did in Chicago, but that makes it fun! We are finding new things to do together on Tad's days off, and really having fun!
    
    
    My special big boy who really is almost done taking a bottle!! But isn't he cute???
    

Well, this sure brightens my mood! No matter what is going on in our lives, we can always find the good, and dwell on that! And not to mention that I have the most amazing, loving husband who I just can't get enough of! I still, after 6 years of marriage, hate when he goes to work, and treasure every hour of his days off! And surprise dates don't hurt, either! Love him!

Fruit-Streusel Coffee Cake and Applesauce

Well, I have to get as many posts about Fall in as I possibly can! I love Fall, and one of my favorite things to do in the Fall is cook and bake. I love all the things that are in season, decorating my house, and the smells that often are brewing in my kitchen, especially pumpkin!!
This year, I miss having an apple orchard that is close that we can go to and get tons of apples to bake with! So I will have to make do with store-bought apples that are in season, and still taste good. I have made this recipe for applesauce for the past few years, and continue to make it because I love it! I love the strong taste of cloves in this recipe! And it makes my kitchen smell so yummy! In fact, I love those Fall smells so much that I boil a pot of water with different spices like cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg...you get the picture! Smells like you are making a pumpkin pie!!
Anyways...here is the recipe for the Applesauce. You will probably want to double or triple the recipe, as one batch doesn't make that much.

Applesauce
Allrecipes.com

6 cups of Apples, peeled, cored and chopped
3/4 cup water
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 cup white sugar

1. In a 2 Quart saucepan over medium heat, combine the apples, water, cinnamon, and cloves. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the sugar, and simmer 5 more minutes.
2. Add to a blender to get desired consistency.



Really, it takes the longest to peel, core, and chop the apples. Once you have that done, it takes mere minutes to whip up this homemade applesauce!!

Now, onto the yummy Fruit-Streusel Coffee Cake! So great for a brunch or afternoon coffee with a friend. Make it for a friend, and then warm up the leftovers the next morning for breakfast!!


Fruit-Streusel Coffee Cake
The All-New Good Housekeeping Cook Book

Streusel Topping
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
4 Tbs. cold butter or margarine, cut into pieces

Cake
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup butter or margarine (1 1/2 sticks), softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/4 pounds ripe pears, apples or peaches, peeled and thinly sliced; or nectarines or plums, not peeled, thinly sliced (3 cups); or fresh or frozen rhubarb, cut into 1-inch pieces (4 cups); or 1 pint blueberries

1. Prepare topping: In medium bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. With fingertips, blend flour mixture and butter until mixture is like course crumbs.
2. Prepare cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 13 by 9 baking pan. In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In large bowl, with mixer at low speed, beat butter and sugar until blended, frequently scraping bowl with rubber spatula. Increase speed to high; beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, occasionally scraping bowl. Reduce speed to low; add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. In cup, combine milk and vanilla. With mixer at low speed, alternately add flour mixture and milk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating until smooth and occasionally scraping bowl.
5. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Arrange fruit slices on top, overlapping them slightly. Evenly sprinkle steusel topping over fruit.
6. Bake cake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes to serve warm, or cool completely in pan to serve later. Makes 15 servings.

This is such a delicious variation on the traditional coffee cake. I love that I got to use some Fall fruit on top, which made it extra yummy! Hope you enjoy these wonderful Fall recipes, and shoot some my way if there are some I just have to try!!!