A Bushel and a Peck

It's that time of year! Apple picking last week was fun, even though the weather was warm. We don't mind warm weather though because we get apple cider slushies when it's over! We got a bushel of Jonagold to make applesauce and a peck of Golden Delicious for eating and making other treats. I must say that this year's Jonagolds made the best applesauce I've ever had. Yum!

 

 

 

 

Apple Pie

A friend/neighbor came over to learn how to make pie last week. We made one double crust and one crumble topping. She was so grateful and so excited. It was really fun. Plus, my house smelled incredibly wonderful after this project. Mmmmm. The smells and flavors of Fall. I love it.

 

Fall Festival Parade

We had a lot of fun doing a "local" thing and going to the Zionsville Fall Festival Parade. The kids were thrown so much candy--each got a big bag full. Exactly what they need!

 

 

Night at the Circus

Two of my clowns:

 

What a great show! The acrobats were our favorite. Especially for Meredith! Clara liked the tigers and the elephants.

 

Meredith on the downtown circle:

 

Clara's favorite part of the evening:

 

The next day, Meredith pretends she's an acrobat:

 

Outdoor Fun

 

 

 

 

Side note ...

I typed the word "trooper" in my last post and then I had this doubt that I'd spelled it right. So, I looked up "trooper" vs. "trouper" and they're both right. I learn something new every day.

Great-Grandmas and Rachael

I was watching some Rachael Ray with Meredith while ironing a few weeks ago and she was totally into it. She kept making me pause the DVD when she had to leave the room. While watching, she also remarked, “You know, Rachael Ray has good ideas about cooking.” Then she wanted to go to the grocery store and buy stuff to make all the meals that Rachael was making. I thought it was really cute. So we incorporated some of the meals into our menu plan and decided to have Kevin’s grandmothers over on separate nights to enjoy the food with us. The food we picked is not traditional and both of them were troopers.

First Night (Grandma Cazzell)—Cranberry Bog Turkey Burgers, Corn with Chives, Fruit Cups, and Sparkling Juice

 

 

Second Night (Grandma Spiehler)—Israeli Spice Chicken, Tomato Relish, Zucchini with Mint, and Flatbread

 

 

 

Lately ...

A recent trip downtown, to meet Kevin for lunch. The girls love their daddy! Clara is especially impressed with all the sights and sounds of downtown.

 

I got a new do. This time I had the stylist give me some really light highlights. I like it a lot, although I like being a brunette just as well too. Kevin likes it. Maybe I'll keep it for a while. Also, notice the new paint color in our living room. Most of my spare time lately has been spent painting. We have a lot of white walls in our house. I'm ready for more color in my life, apparently. :)

 

MOPS has started up again! I'm a table leader this year. At a recent leadership retreat, we had this wild and crazy scavenger hunt. Here are four of us posing for a picture in a stranger's shower. I felt 15 again. It was nice.

 

I put Meredith in the bathtub, turned on the jets, and then left for five minutes. When I returned, this is exactly what I'd found. She got out of the tub and was waiting for me in her bathrobe.

 

Cookie Dough Ice Cream

The girls and I made Ben and Jerry's Cookie Dough Ice Cream recently and it was a big hit!! So fun to make too. We will definitely be making this again. As a side note, I didn't think the cookies made from the Ben and Jerry cookie dough recipe were that great. But the dough was perfect (airy) for the ice cream.

 

 

 

Recipes:

Ben & Jerry’s Sweet Cream Base

2 large eggs
¾ cup sugar
2 cups heavy or whipping cream
1 cup milk

Whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Whisk in the sugar, a little at a time, then continue whisking until completely blended, about 1 minute more. Pour in the cream and milk and whisk to blend. Add flavorings (two teaspoons vanilla, etc.), if desired. Freeze in an ice cream maker. Can add fruit, cookies, or candy two minutes before ice cream is done, if desired. Makes 1 quart.

Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough & Cookies

Can use this cookie dough (half of the recipe)—chop the dough into bite size pieces, place in a bowl, cover and freeze until ready to use—with sweet cream base and two teaspoons vanilla to make cookie dough ice cream.

½ cup (1 stick) butter, room temp.
¼ cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Beat the butter and both sugars in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix well. Mix the flour, salt, and baking soda in another bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until well blended. Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts. Drop the dough by small scoops 2-3 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten each scoop with the back of a spoon to about 3 inches in diameter. Bake until the centers are still slightly soft to the touch, 11-14 minutes. Let cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely. Makes 12-15 cookies.