...Party in the Back



Clark Kent, 2009

For years now, we’ve looked forward to October 31^st.  Halloween has been so much frightening fun since having children – coordinating costumes, making fun, creepy food, decorating the house, all of it. 





Mario & Luigi, 2011

Living these events through my little ones’ eyes has been such an incredible joy and privilege.  Scripture tells me that my children are rewards from God {Ps127:3}.  I feel I’ve won the ultimate prize of becoming a mother. 


They’re my little blessings.  And on Halloween this year, they’ll be my little super heroes!!

Batman, Robin & American Dream Girl, 2013

I set out to decorate the front of the house, but it dawned on me that we never really use the front door.  I thought of how rare the kids will be able to enjoy the decorations.  It seemed kind of silly to me considering the fact that I’m doing this all for them.  So, why not decorate the back door?  After all, that’s our main portal in and out of the house.  It actually worked out great for this spooky celebration as that entry is pretty hideous to begin with.

And those adorable apparitions are super simple to make {no witchcraft necessary}. Here’s how…

Start with a crepe paper wedding bell, some black paper, cheese cloth, any kind of adhesive {I used regular ol’ tape.}, and a pair of scissors {yes, those are the children’s safety scissors.  Don’t judge.}

Fan out the crepe paper wedding bell.  Drape the cheese cloth over it to measure out how much you want to cut.  I repeated this twice, so that the bell was covered with two layers of cheese cloth.

Pull the bell’s string through the layers of cheese cloth.  Just jhush your fingers through the two layers to create a big enough hole to fish the string through.  {“Jshush” is a very technical crafting term.}

 

Cut out facial features, scary or sweet, and affix them to the cheese cloth covered bell.

 

There you have it!  You can include a couple in your terrifying table scape or even set a group of them on the floor to haunt a room.  I chose to hang them from the ceiling to help cover up that ghastly hot water heater.  No matter how you make them, nightmarish or nice, or where you choose to put them, these ghouls are sure to be a hair-raising Halloween hit!!

Happy Campers

Every year when I was younger, my family would go camping, escaping the daily hustle and bustle by taking us into the peaceful serenity of nature.  Or as I saw it…my parents would rip us from the comfort of air conditioning and our beloved digital media into wooded seclusion where we were held in a plastic prison.  I was born and bred in the D.C. metro area, so I can admit that I’m not exactly an outdoorsy kind of gal.  Naturally, our good Lord gave me children whose sole happiness seems to come only from exploring the woods in our backyard.  I prefer to explore the inside of a shopping mall, but more than anything I long to keep my children happy.  So, when they asked if we could “camp-out”, I had to come up with a compromise.

I built them their own living room camp.  Ok, so it’s not exactly roughin’ it.  {Baby steps, guys.  Baby steps.}  They wanted to start a fire most, so I had them collect fire wood and stones. 

 

 

Baby boy had the very important task of guarding the wood pile

 

Showing me his muscles

I came up with this little cutie for their “campfire”.  They were super excited about it, and it also served as their night light so they wouldn’t be scared in the darkness of the living room.

The best part of the day was spending quality time with my loves, especially in one of my favorites places – the kitchen.  Inspired by another recipe – Rolo Pecan Caramels – my little ones and I will show you how to make Trail Mix Bites.

To start, preheat your oven to 250°.  Then line a lightly greased sheet pan with mini pretzels.  Top each mini pretzel with an unwrapped Rolo.

Place them in the oven for 3-5 minutes, depending on how temperamental your oven is.  I suggest you watch these little guys, as they go from melted to burned very quickly.  Once they turn glossy, it’s time to take them out of the oven.

Working quickly, top each Rolo with about a teaspoon of your favorite trail mix, roughly chopped.  I made my own with chopped pecans, almonds, cashews, and dried cranberries.  Gently “smoosh” the trail mix down on top of the melted Rolo.

Let these cool completely before devouring.  To speed things up, I put my sheet pan into the refrigerator for about 15-20 minutes.

Voila!!  There you have it. Just a little spin on your every day, hum-drum trail mix. 

What’s camping without s’mores?  And for those, I used a batch of homemade marshmallows.  There’s really nothing on earth that beats the ooey gooey goodness of a marshmallow made from scratch.  I think my daughter agrees ;)

 

I like to think bringing the great outdoors inside was a success.  Who knows...maybe our next camp-out will actually be outside?  {Probably not.}

Picking a Peck of Tradition

 I love family traditions.  For me, partaking in these annual events – sometimes silly, other times somber – invoke my senses, filling my spirit with all that is good and wholesome of a childhood.  My family traditions are little gems of sweet, fond memories, and for a while they were mine, all mine.  But now, the best part of these traditions is being able to share them with my own family…making new memories for my children to pass down to their little ones and to their little ones and so forth.  {Sniff, sniff.  All you mommas know what I’m talking about.  Tissues, please.}

For as long as I can remember, growing up we’d take annual fall trips to the apple orchard.  Since my first was born we’ve been several times, and each time coming away with new images instilled in my heart.  For our most recent trip, we journeyed to the closest orchard to us – two hours away.  Trying to be perfect little diligent parents, we prepared for the long car rides, packed a plentiful picnic lunch, and dressed the children in layers. {Y’all see where this is going, right?}

Well, true to Murphy’s Law what could go wrong, most indeed went wrong.  We chose to go the same day as the state’s apple festival, so naturally everyone and their mother was on the road which doubled the time it took to get there.  We were still on the road at lunchtime and the kids were starving, so we had to dig into our packed lunch, forgoing the picnic we had planned.  My husband We forgot to pack baby formula, of all things, and had to make a detour to the closest store.  By God’s grace, we finally made it to our destination in one piece.  Exhausted, we set out to turn around the mood of the day and boarded the tractor-pulled chariot out to the orchard.  My little princess does not do dirt, so we had to convince her that her outfit will survive even if she sits on hay.  Of course, we arrived much later in the day than anticipated so the sun was just beaming down on us.  I felt like a swampy mess afterwards.  On top of all that, all the Granny Smiths were picked through – my favorite cooking apple of choice.   

As I sit here complaining to y’all, the most wonderful, fantastical thing is that none of these mishaps even phased my children.  To watch them go on a treasure hunt for the most attractive apples…to witness their pure, youthful joy…to see them smiling from ear to ear just melted my heart, along with any negative, critical, completely adulterated opinions and jaded observations of the day.  Lamentations 3:22-23 quickly comes to mind, except I change “every morning” to “throughout the entire day”.   

The faithful love of the Lord never ends!  His mercies never cease.  Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE DAY. 

And for that, I am forever grateful.   

 

 

 

 

So what did we do with all those apples?  The first thing we made was Crockpot Applesauce.  I love this super simple recipe – only two ingredients.   

 

 

 

 

Start with some apples of any variety and size.  I picked out of our peck all the bruised and/or small ones.  Peel and chop them. 

 

Toss the peeled, cored, and chopped apples into the crockpot.  Put the lid on the crock pot and cook for two hours or until the apples are mushy enough to mash.

 

Mash the apples to the consistency of your liking.  {I prefer a chunkier texture.} I had the kids help me with this part.  They love helping mommy in the kitchen.

 

Add a healthy dash of cinnamon and mix.

 

Voila!  There you have it.  Homemade, all-natural, and delicious.

Got a thumbs-up!!

And what's better is that this applesauce can be used in other scrumptious recipes.  It's like an apple gift that keeps on giving.  My favorite is warming the applesauce and topping banana ice cream with it.  I'm even thinking about using it to make apple pie fries and serving it along side my ice cream with a  drizzle of caramel.  Decadence!!

The Seasons of Life

With a gentle nudge from a very dear friend, I decided that I give this thing another go.  So, here I am…writing to y’all about life, love, laughter and everything in between.  Let’s see…lots of changes over the past two years. Well, my husband has a new job, we’ve relocated to a new state…oh, and we’ve had another baby!  Here’s my sweet boy…

 

In God’s perfect timing, it’s only fitting that I fire up this old blog during inarguably the best season ever – the miracle of autumn.  Change can be a difficult thing to experience, but I love all the breath-takingly beautiful changes in weather, nature, fashion, and food.  The vibrant hues of changing leaves, the sweet, smoky scent of logs on the fire, the warmth of wool, and the bold flavors of everything pumpkin!  Oh, I could go on and on.  Seriously, what’s not to love? 

As I do every quarter, I decorate my front door, adorning it with season-appropriate wreath.  Using this tutorial, my summer wreath was hand-crafted with love by yours truly using white and gray chevron burlap and white burlap hydrangeas.  I finished it off with a silver-painted “B”… for “burlap”.  {I’m kidding.}  Here’s a pic of it in all its bright, new summertime glory. 

But over the months, it changed a bit as it weathered the elements – monsoon-like rainstorms, hurricane-mimicking winds, and sweltering Hades’ heat.  {Eh, I may be exaggerating just a bit, but Southern summers are nothing to take lightly.}  Anyway, my pristine wreath took on an almost decaying yellow tinge.  It was pretty beaten up.  Saddened, I took the dingy wreath off the door and prepared to throw it in the garbage.  On the way to the trash can and grieving my craft project {really, I think I might have shed a tear…maybe}, it dawned on me that this wreath wasn’t garbage after all.  I realized that the yellowish color was actually a pretty, mustardy tint – perfect for fall!!  I rushed to our local Hobby Lobby and picked up a few foam and wicker pumpkins, glittered acorn, and some autumn berry sprays.  With a little nip here and a tiny tuck there, I came up with this…

A close up…

So, what do you think?  Not too shabby.  The wreath has taken on a completely new look.  It’s perfectly suitable for the season.  I even think it’s better than it was before.  Isn’t that so true in us?  {I love a good metaphor}  We weather the storms of life feeling pretty beaten and battered, but God uses those experiences to change us, making us better {more patient, wiser, disciplined, vigilant, etc.} versions of ourselves to mold us into the people He needs us to be to do His work for that specific season in our lives. 

I can’t help but sing my favorite song right now – “Beautiful Things” by Gungor.  {Literally belting it out} 

You make beautiful things.

You make beautiful things out of dust.

You make beautiful things.

You make beautiful things out of us.

 

You make me new,

You are making me new.

 

*Sigh*

 

I find comfort in change and hope you can, too.  And I'm super excited to share the beauty of fall with you!! It’s good to be back ;)

 

 



A Little Breakfast Fun

I used to reserve special meals for birthdays and holidays – days I felt were causes for celebration.  But since the birth of my first child, every day is a special occasion.  Each day is a celebration of life, love and laughter.  I learn as much through my little ones as I try to teach them…sometimes more ;)  Being a mother is an incredible honor God has given me!  So this morning, I decided to start our day off with a little breakfast fun and make Confetti Cakes (a little spin on the plain Jane pancake). 

Confetti Cakes

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tbsp sugar

½ tsp salt

¾ cup milk

1 egg

2 tbsp oil

¼ cup rainbow sprinkles

Directions:

Preheat griddle to 350°.

Mix the first four ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

Whisk the milk, egg and oil together until well blended.  Add the flour mixture and mix gently until batter comes together.  Stir in sprinkles.  Let batter sit for 5 minutes.  This will allow the batter to get “fluffy”.

Trying not to disturb the batter too much, dollop large even spoonfuls of batter on the ungreased griddle (I used a regular ice cream scoop – about ¼ cup).  Let the pancakes get nice and golden brown on this side before flipping, about 3 minutes.  Turn pancakes over on the other side and allow to cook for another 3-4 minutes.

Serve these colorful cakes stacked, soaked with syrup and topped with an extra sprinkle of love.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Saltine Brittle

Here’s a delectable candy recipe that plays so well on your taste buds with that salty-sweet combo that everyone loves.  You’ll be tempted to devour them all up by yourself, but don’t be a Grinch.  These travel wonderfully, so divvy them up in little baggies to give to your friends and neighbors or bring them to your next Christmas gathering.  They’re sure to be a hit!

Ingredients

42 saltine crackers

1 cup butter

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Festive sprinkles or finely chopped nuts (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375.

Prepare your baking sheet by covering it with foil and lightly misting it with non-stick cooking spray.  Line your saltines down on the prepared baking sheet in six even rows with seven crackers in each.

In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter and sugar together for 2 minutes, stirring at 30 second intervals.  Pour the sugar mixture over your saltines and bake for 15-19 minutes.  The sugar will bubble, but don’t let it burn.  As soon as it comes out of the oven, evenly sprinkle the chocolate chips over your brittle.  Let the chocolate melt slightly (about two minutes) before spreading the chocolate out with a spatula. If you’re using festive confections and/or nuts, immediately sprinkle them over your chocolate before it hardens too much.  Let your chocolate brittle set for an hour in the fridge.

Cut or break into manageable pieces and voila!!

Enjoy!

Not-so-terrible 2's

My daughter turns two today. Can you believe it?! Because I absolutely cannot wrap my head around where the last two years have gone. Time sure does fly. As I look at her…sigh…the tears start welling up. She looks at life with incredible amazement and endless curiosity, approaching all new things with such child-like wonder. She’s a bright little spit-fire with a huge heart and a wonderful sense of humor. But I’ve heard from several well-meaning mothers who warn me of the “terrible two’s” – a year of chaos, mayhem and migraines. Well, this ain’t my first rodeo. My son just turned three (yes, my children are 14 months apart). So, I’m going into this year through my daughter’s eyes. That’s my goal anyway…or at least that’s what I have to remind myself at the precise moment I’m about to blow a gasket. This is the time God has given to me, such precious time with my beautiful children. This year may be tumultuous oftentimes, terrific always, but terrible never.

So, because this is her day, I’ve made Mady her most favorite snack for breakfast– Apple Dippers. It’s an easy snack, and really the only way I can get her to eat anything healthy without a fight. There are endless variations – Gala, Honey Crisp, Red Delicious…caramel, yogurt, honey. Today, I’m using all her favorites – Granny Smith apples, peanut butter and marshmallow fluff. Simply peel, core and slice the apples. Dollop a spoonful of peanut butter and marshmallow into a bowl and let her at it! The apple slices are perfect for maximum peanut butter & fluff scooping pleasure.

Happy Birthday to my sweet girl :)

Enjoy!