Momo's Apple Pie

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My husband loves to bake. I love that he loves to bake. (Am I a lucky woman or what?!)  Another thing that my husband loves is apple pie. Thus came to be Momo's Apple Pie. (His name is Morgan, but all his nieces and nephews call him Momo... it's 'his' thing).

This Apple Pie is different than most apple pies. Most pies you mix the apples with spices and a touch of flour then place them into a crust. With this pie, you make a syrup to pour over the whole apple pie (crust and all!) that that gives the pie an incredible flavor and a nice crisp crust. For those Dutch Apple Pie lovers (myself included) this pie my just change your preference.

Seriously, doesn't that look so yummy?! And it's not even baked yet...
Momo's Apple Pie 

Ingredients
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie (we're lazy and use pre-made crust)
1/2 cup butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
8 cooking apples - peeled, cored and sliced

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste.
3. Add water, white sugar and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer.
4. Place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, slightly mounded.
5. Cover with a lattice work crust. Gently pour the brown sugar syrup over the crust. Make sure to pour in between lattice work to get into the apples. Use a pastry brush to coat the lattice with syrup.
6. Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 350. Continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, until apples are soft. We bake our pies on some sort of cookie sheet or pizza pan to catch any drippings.


My son loved this pie too! He was so anxious for it to cool enough to cut. I'm positive you and your family will love it too.



Adapted from allrecipes.com

White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

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This is a fabulous wintertime baking recipe. This recipe was given to my mom by a pastry chef friend, then later tweaked by me (by adding the rolling sugar, and different 'add ins') I love the flavors that go together in this cookie. The white cholocate and cranberries taste so nice! By rolling the cookie in sugar before baking, you'll get a great crisp on the outside while having a nice soft cookie on the inside. This recipe also doubles very nicely. 

White Chocolate Chip Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
1 C granulated sugar
1 C packed brown sugar
1 C unsalted butter, softened
1/2 C shortening
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 C quick cooking oats
2 C all-purpose flour
1 1/2 C White Chocolate Chips
1 C Dried Cranberries
Sugar for rolling

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Cream butter, shortening, and sugars together. Beat until fluffy.
3. Add eggs one at a time, beat until fluffy. Add vanilla.
4. Mix all dry ingredients. Add slowly into the wet ingredients.
5. Shape dough into small balls in your hands, then roll in sugar. Place onto an ungreased baking sheet.
6.  Bake until light brown, about 10 minutes.
7. Immediately remove from cookie sheet.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.


Now go, enjoy!! This cookie can easily be changed by changing the add ins. I've made them with Raisins, Chocolate chips, Nuts, and Dried Pomegranates. All have tasted great!

Saturday's Spotlight

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photo here


This weekend my alma mater celebrates fifty years of existence.  As much as I wanted to be there to sing in the alumni choir before the football game last night, and to run a 5K through my old school stomping grounds today (seriously - the run is through the actual halls of the school!), I think the part I most wanted to be there for was to see a couple of teachers who really made a difference to me.

I could write separate posts for each of the 5 teachers who come to mind as the most influential in my high school years (and maybe I will) but right now I want to tell you about Ms. La Fleur, my Spanish teacher.

Yes, I took five years of honors Spanish.  You would never know it now for my lack of ability, but thanks to Ms. La Fleur I am still totally fluent in reciting the basic conversation we practiced daily, the pledge of allegiance and, my favorite, The Birthday Song.  Not your typical birthday song, but one that is called Las Mañanitas.  Man, did I love that woman.

I was first introduced to Ms. La Fleur as a gawky, shy 8th grader who was bussed over to the high school every morning for Spanish classes.  She immediately started calling everyone in the class Lovies and Dearhearts, but it wasn't strange.  Not to me.  I loved every ounce of exuberance and happiness that just seemed to radiate off of her.

She kept track of every student's birthday in every one of her classes and brought in a white bakery bag, folded over twice, if it was your special day.  Inside was a delicious cake donut with white frosting and rainbow sprinkles complete with a single candle poked into one side.  And with much fanfare, she would parade that bag over to your desk and announce to the class, "Dearhearts! Today is (Birthday Person)'s birthday!  Let us sing The Birthday Song!" as she lit the candle.  At first she sang a glorious solo,  loud and strong, while dancing around the desk with a huge smile on her face, skirt twirling.  As the year progressed and others picked up on the song, she would insist on everyone else joining in as well.

Many people hated their birthdays in Spanish class, or at least pretended to.  Not so with me!  I looked forward to it so much that I took Spanish for 5 years, even though I couldn't grasp the language.  You've got to love a teacher like Ms. La Fleur.  She really and truly cared, and we all knew it.

She understood the power of the phrase, "It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice."

Though young at heart, I would guess that Ms. La Fleur was probably in her 50's back in my high school days so I can only imagine her age now.  And as much as I would have loved to see her again this weekend, maybe it's best to remember her in a flowing skirt, dancing around my desk, making me feel like the most important Dearheart in the room.

It's Not About The Twinkies

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I've heard all sorts of remarks since Friday.  Most of them have something to do with the world being okay in the absence of Twinkies, welcome to a less obese America, less incidence of type-2 diabetes, things like that.  I can understand how people see Hostess as a company that makes Twinkies and other such treats and their thinking that the world will be just fine in the absence of unnecessary junk food.  It's a lot easier to think of Hostess in terms of Twinkies and Ding Dongs and not to think about the 18,000+ people who have lost their jobs.

I started shopping at the Wonder/Hostess Bakery Thriftshop in Provo over 20 years ago.  I loved being able to get inexpensive bread, bagels, tortillas and even a few treats.  (Remember my chocolate waxy donut obsession?  Yeah.)

Over the years I got to know some of the people who worked at the 'Bread Store' (as we call it in our family).  Most employees would come and go, but the one constant (minus a few years when she worked in another store location) was Peggy.

Peggy came to know what I would be looking for when I'd come in.  She'd let me know when they had something fresher in the back room.  She'd say things like, "Did you want wheat tortillas?  I think we've got some in back" or "We'll probably get in some more of that bread you like on Monday."  She'd ask how my pregnancies were going, how old my babies were getting to be and ask about my plans for the holidays.  I'd ask her what she had been up to and thank her for her help, care and concern.  Even though we never saw each other outside of the Bread Store, Peggy became a friend over the years - almost like family.

So the first thought I had last Friday after reading the news of Hostess closing its doors for good was what's going to happen to Peggy and everyone else at the Bread Store?  I worried that it may have already closed that morning.  I had to go and see her, see the store one more time.

I was amazed to see how many cars were there as I drove into the usually empty parking lot.  The line wrapped all along the back of the store and people's carts were loaded.  I walked to the back office and peeked in.  There was Peggy.  "Hi there!" she called to me in her usual friendly manner.  She walked over and I asked, "How are you doing?"  She told me that for now she was just staying busy.  It was still such a shock to her that the place where she had worked for 26 years would abruptly be closing its doors.  There were other regular customers there to say goodbye, so I wished her good luck and grabbed a couple loaves of bread and a box of chocolate Zingers (I bypassed the Twinkies and do not regret it) to purchase before leaving.

I could not stop thinking about my friends at the Bread Store for the rest of the day.  Saturday morning I had to go back.  I wasn't sure how to compensate for the loss I felt - it didn't seem rational to be so distraught over someone I only saw every couple of weeks when I'd go to buy bread.  But it makes sense, really - 20 years of seeing someone that often, someone who took the time to ask how I was doing, someone who watched my family grow, how could I not feel sad about losing that small connection?  I brought my camera.

Again, I walked to the back office and saw Peggy.  I asked her if I could take her picture.  She agreed, but only if I was in the photo with her.


"This is like losing members of my family," she said, giving me a hug.  And then, as if validating her words, there was a constant stream of others who came bearing well-wishes.  The people who knew Peggy like I did.  The ones who came to say goodbye.  The ones she knew well enough to say things like, "We've still got some fruitcake!  It's right over here".

 
Or, "You missed out on the Twinkies, they were gone by noon yesterday".   

I gave her another hug, wished her all the best, and walked to my car.  "I'd say see you later, but I guess I won't.  You take care!" she called after me.

That's why for me this is not about Twinkies.  It's about people who are suddenly looking for a new job.  It's about mothers and sisters and uncles and grandpas who find themselves in the unemployment line just in time for the holidays.  It's about losing people who, in a simple and kind of crazy way, became like family.

It's about 18,000+ real people with real lives.  Like Peggy.

Bless My Heart

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I debated whether or not to write about this, but this is where I keep a record of what goes on in my life.  So here it goes.

I do not enjoy having experiences that serve as a reminder of my mortality. 

Take last Tuesday, for instance.  I was lounging on a beanbag in the front room, enjoying a movie with the family before bedtime.  At some point I noticed that my ear felt funny.  I reached back and touched it, fascinated by the lack of feeling in my right ear compared to my left.  I tested my hearing by plugging each ear.  It was fine.  The outside of my right ear was just numb.  Weird.  I figured I must have been laying on it funny and turned my attention back to the movie.  After a while my right arm started to feel tingly so I changed positions and shook it out.  I realized that my ear was still numb and that my jaw was a little numb as well.  My arm went from tingly to... I don't know.  Not numb, just weak.  I stood up and walked into the other room and realized my right leg also felt weak.

I continued pacing around the room, exploring these awkward sensations on my right side, when I remembered that something like this happens to people who are having a stroke.  Don't freak out, I told myself.  You're fine, this will pass.  I didn't want to scare anyone.  I kept it to myself, waiting for the feelings to pass.  They didn't.

When Allen and I went to bed I casually mentioned what was going on.  "But I'm fine," I told him.  "I can talk fine and my face isn't drooping and I can comprehend everything."  He asked me a whole barrage of questions and asked if I thought I should go to the emergency room.  "I'm just tired," I answered.  "Let's see how I am in the morning."

Allen got online and googled my symptoms.  He thought I might be having what is called a TIA, or transient ischemic attack, something like a mini-stroke.  I insisted that I felt totally fine except for the weakness and that I just needed to sleep.  So that's what I did.

In the morning my arm was still a little weak but all other symptoms had disappeared.  I called my OB/GYN office and asked the secretary and nurse for recommendations for a good regular doctor and they gave me a few names.  "So, are you sick with the flu or a bad cold or what?" the secretary asked.  I described my symptoms from the night before, emphasizing that I felt fine now, and she said, "Don't call a doctor.  You need to at least get to the Instacare.  Like, right now.  And the nurse here is nodding her head, too, saying you need to be seen today.  Like, NOW."

Because it was the day before Thanksgiving, Allen was home.  I told him what they said and he told me to get going.  It was so strange to be driving myself to the Instacare, feeling perfectly fine.  I got there about 15 minutes before they opened and sat outside their inner door waiting for someone to arrive.  I told the woman at the front desk what my symptoms were, she went back and spoke with the doctor on call, and he came into the waiting room to talk to me.  "You need to just go right over to the ER," he said.  "They'll probably put you at the front of the line."  "But I feel fine right now..." I started to argue.  "Better safe than sorry," he answered.  "You don't want to mess with this kind of thing.  It could be a sign of something much more serious."  They graciously erased my visit from their computer so we/our insurance wouldn't be charged for it and I headed around the block to the ER.

He was right, I was immediately admitted and put through a whole barrage of tests.  Seriously, every test you can imagine, I am pretty sure I had done on me.  Four blood draws for blood work.  An EKG, chest x-ray, CT scan, and MRI.  Everything came back looking good.  The doctor on call as well as a neurologist came and conducted some strength and touch tests.  All good.  My final test was an echo ultrasound of my heart - with bubbles.  This was where they discovered a hole.  Apparently this hole is likely a PFO or Patent Foramen Ovale.  It is something we all have when we are in utero but it usually closes itself after birth.  Some people have them their whole lives and never know.  Then some people have weird things happen (like me) and find the hole in their heart that way. 

The other possibility is that the hole is an ASD or Atrial Septal Defect.  I will need to have another test (called TEE) done next week to see if this is the case, and to find how large the hole is regardless of which kind it ends up being.  The TEE gives a clearer picture of the heart since a typical echo ultrasound has to see around the ribcage.

Because Thanksgiving was the next day the doctors allowed me to go home rather than admit me to the hospital and keep me under observation for a couple of days.  The neurologist made sure to emphasize that if I had ANY symptoms again I needed to come immediately to the ER.  "You don't mess around with this!" she reprimanded me.  "No questioning.  Just come in!"

So here I am, a mortal being, a little bit nervous and a little bit scared and a huge bit hopeful that this will be no big deal. 

Mormon Morsels: "Bee" Anxiously Engaged

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The worldwide General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints took place one week ago.  It's a time when our leaders address members across the globe, delivering messages of hope and inspiration.  One of my personal favorites was a talk given by Elder M. Russell Ballard entitled "Be Anxiously Engaged":



I won't spoil your joy by telling you everything in his talk (he can do it much better than I can), but I will tell you that he shared some fascinating facts about bees and the beehive collective.  I found it particularly interesting that a single worker bee, in its whole lifetime, will contribute only 1/12th of one teaspoon of nectar to the hive.  I was surprised by that number!  Such a small amount.  And yet, without all the little bees collecting nectar, there'd be no honey.

Now, how does this relate to us?  To me, it's about service.

Our efforts toward service can be diminished in our own eyes in one of two ways.  We either think that our small, consistent efforts aren't enough OR we justify inaction by rationalizing that it wouldn't make a difference anyway.

Neither approach is helpful.  Nor true.

Small and simple things DO matter.  The smile we give to a stranger, the hug we give to a child, the secret prayer for a friend.  The size of the deed is not what matters but the size of the heart performing the deed.  We all matter.  We all contribute.

Elder Ballard said:

Imagine what the millions of Latter-day Saints could accomplish in the world if we functioned like a beehive in our focused, concentrated commitment to the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ.The Savior taught that the first and great commandment is:“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. …“And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.“On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matthew 22:37, 39–40).The Savior’s words are simple, yet their meaning is profound and deeply significant. We are to love God and to love and care for our neighbors as ourselves. Imagine what good we can do in the world if we all join together, united as followers of Christ, anxiously and busily responding to the needs of others and serving those around us—our families, our friends, our neighbors, our fellow citizens.

Imagine what millions of people of all religions could accomplish in the world if we functioned as a beehive in bringing happiness and peace to this world.

Photo Credit:  Microsoft Office Clip Art

So, how will you collect your 1/12th of a teaspoon today?

Milk Art

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The other day while I was browsing through Pinterest searching for a project to do, I ran across a little fun art activity that looked interesting.  Since it only takes 3 common household "ingredients" I decided to hop up from the computer right then and give it a try.  It's easy, quick, and fun to watch.  Take pictures to preserve your beautiful art!

"Ingredients"
milk (2% or higher was recommended)
liquid food coloring
dish soap

1.  Take a plate and pour in some milk.   You don't need much; just enough so you can't see the plate underneath.
2.  Drop 2-3 drops of each color food coloring in the center of the plate.  Place the colors near each other.
3.  Pour 1 drop of dish soap in the very center and watch the magic!

Source:  Flutter Flutter

The food coloring will continue to move around slowly.  When it's done (or your kids are ready to do it again) rinse the plate in the sink and go again!  You can also take a toothpick and swirl it around on the plate for more action.

Have fun!

Danielle's Caramel Apple Popcorn Clusters

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Ingredients:

2 T. oil                                                                           12 T. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter,
2/3 c. popcorn kernels                                                         cut into pieces
4 c. dried apple chips, broken into pieces                       Kosher salt
1 c. unsalted almonds, roughly chopped                          1/4 t. apple pie spice
2 c. apple juice                                                              1/4 to 1/2 t. cayenne pepper (optional)
2 c. packed light brown sugar
1/4 c. light corn syrup

Directions:

1.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.  Heat the oil in a pot over medium-high heat.  Add the popcorn kernels; cover and cook, shaking the pan, until the popping subsides.  Remove from the heat and let any remaining kernels pop for 30 more seconds.  Divide the popcorn between the prepared baking sheets, discarding any unpopped kernels.  Scatter the apple chips and almonds on top.

2.  Make the caramel:  Bring the apple juice, brown sugar and corn syrup to a boil in a large heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat.  Cook without stirring until the mixture is deep amber and a candy thermometer registers 280 degrees, about 30 minutes (the caramel will bubble vigorously toward the end of the cooking time).

3.  Stir the butter into the caramel until melted.  Add 2 t. salt and the apple pie spice.  Add the cayenne, if using, and cook until slightly thickened, about 1 minute.  Remove from the heat.  Pour the hot caramel over the popcorn mixture and carefully toss with 2 rubber spatulas.  Let cool slightly, then separate the mixture into clusters while still warm.  Let cool completely.

Source:  Food Network

Momo's Apple Pie

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My husband loves to bake. I love that he loves to bake. (Am I a lucky woman or what?!)  Another thing that my husband loves is apple pie. Thus came to be Momo's Apple Pie. (His name is Morgan, but all his nieces and nephews call him Momo... it's 'his' thing).

This Apple Pie is different than most apple pies. Most pies you mix the apples with spices and a touch of flour then place them into a crust. With this pie, you make a syrup to pour over the whole apple pie (crust and all!) that that gives the pie an incredible flavor and a nice crisp crust. For those Dutch Apple Pie lovers (myself included) this pie my just change your preference.

Seriously, doesn't that look so yummy?! And it's not even baked yet...
Momo's Apple Pie 

Ingredients
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie (we're lazy and use pre-made crust)
1/2 cup butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
8 cooking apples - peeled, cored and sliced

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste.
3. Add water, white sugar and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer.
4. Place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, slightly mounded.
5. Cover with a lattice work crust. Gently pour the brown sugar syrup over the crust. Make sure to pour in between lattice work to get into the apples. Use a pastry brush to coat the lattice with syrup.
6. Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 350. Continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, until apples are soft. We bake our pies on some sort of cookie sheet or pizza pan to catch any drippings.


My son loved this pie too! He was so anxious for it to cool enough to cut. I'm positive you and your family will love it too.



Adapted from allrecipes.com

Pecan Pie

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'Tis the season of PIE! I love pie. Pecan is my favorite. Or maybe Banana Cream. Or maybe Chocolate Cherry. Or maybe...

Ok, you get it. I love pie.

Last year I wanted to make a Pecan Pie. The trouble was I had all the ingredients except Karo Syrup. No opportunity to go to the store was presenting itself and I was desperate for PIE! So I did what we all do when we're in a pinch. I went to All Recipes to see if, perchance, there was a Pecan Pie recipe without corn syrup in it. Success!!

I know all my Southern friends will be skeptical. I was. But, like I said, I wanted pie, and with over 1300 ratings with 4.5 stars, I thought I'd give it a go. I'm so glad I did! It's delish and easy--two requirements of mine.

Ingredients:
2 Eggs, room temperature
1/2 Cup (1 stick) Butter, melted
1 Cup light brown sugar
1/4 Cup white sugar
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp Milk
1 tsp Vanilla
1 Cup chopped Pecans
1 9-inch unbaked pie crust
A few whole Pecans for garnishing if you wish

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, beat eggs until foamy. Stir in the melted butter.
3. Stir in both sugars and flour. Mix well.
4. Add the milk, vanilla, and chopped nuts.
5. Pour into the unbaked pie crust. Garnish the top with pecans (opt).
6. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 300 and bake 50 minutes more, or until done.

*As per reviews, I made a slight change to the original baking time which began at 400 degrees and reduced to 350 for lessor times.

Happy Holidays to you!

Source: allrecipes.com, Elaine Helms

Danielle's Caramel Apple Popcorn Clusters

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Ingredients:

2 T. oil                                                                           12 T. (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter,
2/3 c. popcorn kernels                                                         cut into pieces
4 c. dried apple chips, broken into pieces                       Kosher salt
1 c. unsalted almonds, roughly chopped                          1/4 t. apple pie spice
2 c. apple juice                                                              1/4 to 1/2 t. cayenne pepper (optional)
2 c. packed light brown sugar
1/4 c. light corn syrup

Directions:

1.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.  Heat the oil in a pot over medium-high heat.  Add the popcorn kernels; cover and cook, shaking the pan, until the popping subsides.  Remove from the heat and let any remaining kernels pop for 30 more seconds.  Divide the popcorn between the prepared baking sheets, discarding any unpopped kernels.  Scatter the apple chips and almonds on top.

2.  Make the caramel:  Bring the apple juice, brown sugar and corn syrup to a boil in a large heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat.  Cook without stirring until the mixture is deep amber and a candy thermometer registers 280 degrees, about 30 minutes (the caramel will bubble vigorously toward the end of the cooking time).

3.  Stir the butter into the caramel until melted.  Add 2 t. salt and the apple pie spice.  Add the cayenne, if using, and cook until slightly thickened, about 1 minute.  Remove from the heat.  Pour the hot caramel over the popcorn mixture and carefully toss with 2 rubber spatulas.  Let cool slightly, then separate the mixture into clusters while still warm.  Let cool completely.

Source:  Food Network

Momo's Apple Pie

To contact us Click HERE


My husband loves to bake. I love that he loves to bake. (Am I a lucky woman or what?!)  Another thing that my husband loves is apple pie. Thus came to be Momo's Apple Pie. (His name is Morgan, but all his nieces and nephews call him Momo... it's 'his' thing).

This Apple Pie is different than most apple pies. Most pies you mix the apples with spices and a touch of flour then place them into a crust. With this pie, you make a syrup to pour over the whole apple pie (crust and all!) that that gives the pie an incredible flavor and a nice crisp crust. For those Dutch Apple Pie lovers (myself included) this pie my just change your preference.

Seriously, doesn't that look so yummy?! And it's not even baked yet...
Momo's Apple Pie 

Ingredients
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie (we're lazy and use pre-made crust)
1/2 cup butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
8 cooking apples - peeled, cored and sliced

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste.
3. Add water, white sugar and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer.
4. Place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, slightly mounded.
5. Cover with a lattice work crust. Gently pour the brown sugar syrup over the crust. Make sure to pour in between lattice work to get into the apples. Use a pastry brush to coat the lattice with syrup.
6. Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 350. Continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, until apples are soft. We bake our pies on some sort of cookie sheet or pizza pan to catch any drippings.


My son loved this pie too! He was so anxious for it to cool enough to cut. I'm positive you and your family will love it too.



Adapted from allrecipes.com

Mistaken Chocolate Brownie Cake

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 So, I have never said that I was a great cook.  Never.  I try.  But, you know what, I walk away from the oven and help someone with homework, or I have to get a band aid for someone, or I have to run upstairs and take the clothes out of the washer and put them in the dryer.  You know you can't be distracted when your cooking.  Everyone knows this. I know it,  I just choose to multi-task ;)  This cake was a big mistake!  It turned out Delicious but it wasn't even supposed to be a cake!!!  I was attempting to make a dessert to take over to friend's home for a "get-together"  and like I always do, I tried a new recipe at the last minute.  I was trying The Pioneer Woman's Knock You Naked Brownies, but, um, I didn't make the brownies.  I mixed the cake mix like the box said then I added all of the ingredients from the brownie recipe.  It was very wet.  I wasn't sure if I could even bake it. But, I put it aside and made the brownies and then went back to the mess I made. I just stared at it.  It had a lot of stuff in it.  Ingredients that I didn't want to waste.  So I dumped it into a bundt pan and cooked it. Then I made my homemade chocolate frosting and it was Delicious!  Very moist and chocolaty and just good!  So, that mistake turned out well.  Cake:1 box of Betty Crocker Cake Mix(the ingredients needed on the box)1 cup chopped pecans, or less, or none!1/3 cup evaporated milk1/2 cup butter, melted  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray your bundt pan with cooking spray really generously. In a large bowl, mix the cake mix together like you normally would.  Leave it in the mixing bowl. Add the following to the mixture, pecans, evaporated milk, butter.  Mix these into the cake batter.  Pour into the bundt pan, and bake for at least 30 minutes.  You may need to let it cook a bit more, but check it with a toothpick .  Let it cool completely before frosting. Frosting:3/4 bag powder sugar1/2 cup Hershey's baking cocoa1/8 cup milk1/2 stick butter, room temperature (don't melt it, let it set out and soften) This is the starter mix for the frosting.  You may need to add a tad more milk, add only a Tablespoon at a time. Taste it, and go from there. More chocolate if it needs to be more chocolaty for you.  More powder sugar, if it needs to be thickened or sweetened.   Adapted from The Pioneer Woman.  

Saturday's Spotlight

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photo here


This weekend my alma mater celebrates fifty years of existence.  As much as I wanted to be there to sing in the alumni choir before the football game last night, and to run a 5K through my old school stomping grounds today (seriously - the run is through the actual halls of the school!), I think the part I most wanted to be there for was to see a couple of teachers who really made a difference to me.

I could write separate posts for each of the 5 teachers who come to mind as the most influential in my high school years (and maybe I will) but right now I want to tell you about Ms. La Fleur, my Spanish teacher.

Yes, I took five years of honors Spanish.  You would never know it now for my lack of ability, but thanks to Ms. La Fleur I am still totally fluent in reciting the basic conversation we practiced daily, the pledge of allegiance and, my favorite, The Birthday Song.  Not your typical birthday song, but one that is called Las Mañanitas.  Man, did I love that woman.

I was first introduced to Ms. La Fleur as a gawky, shy 8th grader who was bussed over to the high school every morning for Spanish classes.  She immediately started calling everyone in the class Lovies and Dearhearts, but it wasn't strange.  Not to me.  I loved every ounce of exuberance and happiness that just seemed to radiate off of her.

She kept track of every student's birthday in every one of her classes and brought in a white bakery bag, folded over twice, if it was your special day.  Inside was a delicious cake donut with white frosting and rainbow sprinkles complete with a single candle poked into one side.  And with much fanfare, she would parade that bag over to your desk and announce to the class, "Dearhearts! Today is (Birthday Person)'s birthday!  Let us sing The Birthday Song!" as she lit the candle.  At first she sang a glorious solo,  loud and strong, while dancing around the desk with a huge smile on her face, skirt twirling.  As the year progressed and others picked up on the song, she would insist on everyone else joining in as well.

Many people hated their birthdays in Spanish class, or at least pretended to.  Not so with me!  I looked forward to it so much that I took Spanish for 5 years, even though I couldn't grasp the language.  You've got to love a teacher like Ms. La Fleur.  She really and truly cared, and we all knew it.

She understood the power of the phrase, "It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice."

Though young at heart, I would guess that Ms. La Fleur was probably in her 50's back in my high school days so I can only imagine her age now.  And as much as I would have loved to see her again this weekend, maybe it's best to remember her in a flowing skirt, dancing around my desk, making me feel like the most important Dearheart in the room.

It's Not About The Twinkies

To contact us Click HERE



I've heard all sorts of remarks since Friday.  Most of them have something to do with the world being okay in the absence of Twinkies, welcome to a less obese America, less incidence of type-2 diabetes, things like that.  I can understand how people see Hostess as a company that makes Twinkies and other such treats and their thinking that the world will be just fine in the absence of unnecessary junk food.  It's a lot easier to think of Hostess in terms of Twinkies and Ding Dongs and not to think about the 18,000+ people who have lost their jobs.

I started shopping at the Wonder/Hostess Bakery Thriftshop in Provo over 20 years ago.  I loved being able to get inexpensive bread, bagels, tortillas and even a few treats.  (Remember my chocolate waxy donut obsession?  Yeah.)

Over the years I got to know some of the people who worked at the 'Bread Store' (as we call it in our family).  Most employees would come and go, but the one constant (minus a few years when she worked in another store location) was Peggy.

Peggy came to know what I would be looking for when I'd come in.  She'd let me know when they had something fresher in the back room.  She'd say things like, "Did you want wheat tortillas?  I think we've got some in back" or "We'll probably get in some more of that bread you like on Monday."  She'd ask how my pregnancies were going, how old my babies were getting to be and ask about my plans for the holidays.  I'd ask her what she had been up to and thank her for her help, care and concern.  Even though we never saw each other outside of the Bread Store, Peggy became a friend over the years - almost like family.

So the first thought I had last Friday after reading the news of Hostess closing its doors for good was what's going to happen to Peggy and everyone else at the Bread Store?  I worried that it may have already closed that morning.  I had to go and see her, see the store one more time.

I was amazed to see how many cars were there as I drove into the usually empty parking lot.  The line wrapped all along the back of the store and people's carts were loaded.  I walked to the back office and peeked in.  There was Peggy.  "Hi there!" she called to me in her usual friendly manner.  She walked over and I asked, "How are you doing?"  She told me that for now she was just staying busy.  It was still such a shock to her that the place where she had worked for 26 years would abruptly be closing its doors.  There were other regular customers there to say goodbye, so I wished her good luck and grabbed a couple loaves of bread and a box of chocolate Zingers (I bypassed the Twinkies and do not regret it) to purchase before leaving.

I could not stop thinking about my friends at the Bread Store for the rest of the day.  Saturday morning I had to go back.  I wasn't sure how to compensate for the loss I felt - it didn't seem rational to be so distraught over someone I only saw every couple of weeks when I'd go to buy bread.  But it makes sense, really - 20 years of seeing someone that often, someone who took the time to ask how I was doing, someone who watched my family grow, how could I not feel sad about losing that small connection?  I brought my camera.

Again, I walked to the back office and saw Peggy.  I asked her if I could take her picture.  She agreed, but only if I was in the photo with her.


"This is like losing members of my family," she said, giving me a hug.  And then, as if validating her words, there was a constant stream of others who came bearing well-wishes.  The people who knew Peggy like I did.  The ones who came to say goodbye.  The ones she knew well enough to say things like, "We've still got some fruitcake!  It's right over here".

 
Or, "You missed out on the Twinkies, they were gone by noon yesterday".   

I gave her another hug, wished her all the best, and walked to my car.  "I'd say see you later, but I guess I won't.  You take care!" she called after me.

That's why for me this is not about Twinkies.  It's about people who are suddenly looking for a new job.  It's about mothers and sisters and uncles and grandpas who find themselves in the unemployment line just in time for the holidays.  It's about losing people who, in a simple and kind of crazy way, became like family.

It's about 18,000+ real people with real lives.  Like Peggy.

Saturday's Spotlight

To contact us Click HERE
photo here


This weekend my alma mater celebrates fifty years of existence.  As much as I wanted to be there to sing in the alumni choir before the football game last night, and to run a 5K through my old school stomping grounds today (seriously - the run is through the actual halls of the school!), I think the part I most wanted to be there for was to see a couple of teachers who really made a difference to me.

I could write separate posts for each of the 5 teachers who come to mind as the most influential in my high school years (and maybe I will) but right now I want to tell you about Ms. La Fleur, my Spanish teacher.

Yes, I took five years of honors Spanish.  You would never know it now for my lack of ability, but thanks to Ms. La Fleur I am still totally fluent in reciting the basic conversation we practiced daily, the pledge of allegiance and, my favorite, The Birthday Song.  Not your typical birthday song, but one that is called Las Mañanitas.  Man, did I love that woman.

I was first introduced to Ms. La Fleur as a gawky, shy 8th grader who was bussed over to the high school every morning for Spanish classes.  She immediately started calling everyone in the class Lovies and Dearhearts, but it wasn't strange.  Not to me.  I loved every ounce of exuberance and happiness that just seemed to radiate off of her.

She kept track of every student's birthday in every one of her classes and brought in a white bakery bag, folded over twice, if it was your special day.  Inside was a delicious cake donut with white frosting and rainbow sprinkles complete with a single candle poked into one side.  And with much fanfare, she would parade that bag over to your desk and announce to the class, "Dearhearts! Today is (Birthday Person)'s birthday!  Let us sing The Birthday Song!" as she lit the candle.  At first she sang a glorious solo,  loud and strong, while dancing around the desk with a huge smile on her face, skirt twirling.  As the year progressed and others picked up on the song, she would insist on everyone else joining in as well.

Many people hated their birthdays in Spanish class, or at least pretended to.  Not so with me!  I looked forward to it so much that I took Spanish for 5 years, even though I couldn't grasp the language.  You've got to love a teacher like Ms. La Fleur.  She really and truly cared, and we all knew it.

She understood the power of the phrase, "It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice."

Though young at heart, I would guess that Ms. La Fleur was probably in her 50's back in my high school days so I can only imagine her age now.  And as much as I would have loved to see her again this weekend, maybe it's best to remember her in a flowing skirt, dancing around my desk, making me feel like the most important Dearheart in the room.

It's Not About The Twinkies

To contact us Click HERE



I've heard all sorts of remarks since Friday.  Most of them have something to do with the world being okay in the absence of Twinkies, welcome to a less obese America, less incidence of type-2 diabetes, things like that.  I can understand how people see Hostess as a company that makes Twinkies and other such treats and their thinking that the world will be just fine in the absence of unnecessary junk food.  It's a lot easier to think of Hostess in terms of Twinkies and Ding Dongs and not to think about the 18,000+ people who have lost their jobs.

I started shopping at the Wonder/Hostess Bakery Thriftshop in Provo over 20 years ago.  I loved being able to get inexpensive bread, bagels, tortillas and even a few treats.  (Remember my chocolate waxy donut obsession?  Yeah.)

Over the years I got to know some of the people who worked at the 'Bread Store' (as we call it in our family).  Most employees would come and go, but the one constant (minus a few years when she worked in another store location) was Peggy.

Peggy came to know what I would be looking for when I'd come in.  She'd let me know when they had something fresher in the back room.  She'd say things like, "Did you want wheat tortillas?  I think we've got some in back" or "We'll probably get in some more of that bread you like on Monday."  She'd ask how my pregnancies were going, how old my babies were getting to be and ask about my plans for the holidays.  I'd ask her what she had been up to and thank her for her help, care and concern.  Even though we never saw each other outside of the Bread Store, Peggy became a friend over the years - almost like family.

So the first thought I had last Friday after reading the news of Hostess closing its doors for good was what's going to happen to Peggy and everyone else at the Bread Store?  I worried that it may have already closed that morning.  I had to go and see her, see the store one more time.

I was amazed to see how many cars were there as I drove into the usually empty parking lot.  The line wrapped all along the back of the store and people's carts were loaded.  I walked to the back office and peeked in.  There was Peggy.  "Hi there!" she called to me in her usual friendly manner.  She walked over and I asked, "How are you doing?"  She told me that for now she was just staying busy.  It was still such a shock to her that the place where she had worked for 26 years would abruptly be closing its doors.  There were other regular customers there to say goodbye, so I wished her good luck and grabbed a couple loaves of bread and a box of chocolate Zingers (I bypassed the Twinkies and do not regret it) to purchase before leaving.

I could not stop thinking about my friends at the Bread Store for the rest of the day.  Saturday morning I had to go back.  I wasn't sure how to compensate for the loss I felt - it didn't seem rational to be so distraught over someone I only saw every couple of weeks when I'd go to buy bread.  But it makes sense, really - 20 years of seeing someone that often, someone who took the time to ask how I was doing, someone who watched my family grow, how could I not feel sad about losing that small connection?  I brought my camera.

Again, I walked to the back office and saw Peggy.  I asked her if I could take her picture.  She agreed, but only if I was in the photo with her.


"This is like losing members of my family," she said, giving me a hug.  And then, as if validating her words, there was a constant stream of others who came bearing well-wishes.  The people who knew Peggy like I did.  The ones who came to say goodbye.  The ones she knew well enough to say things like, "We've still got some fruitcake!  It's right over here".

 
Or, "You missed out on the Twinkies, they were gone by noon yesterday".   

I gave her another hug, wished her all the best, and walked to my car.  "I'd say see you later, but I guess I won't.  You take care!" she called after me.

That's why for me this is not about Twinkies.  It's about people who are suddenly looking for a new job.  It's about mothers and sisters and uncles and grandpas who find themselves in the unemployment line just in time for the holidays.  It's about losing people who, in a simple and kind of crazy way, became like family.

It's about 18,000+ real people with real lives.  Like Peggy.

Moustached for Movember

To contact us Click HERE

This year Allen's company decided to join in with others all over the world in raising awareness throughout the month of November... er, MOvember.  They start things off clean-shaven:
 


and keep their moustaches growing throughout the month.


I can't even begin to tell you how thrilled Allen is to be sporting a moustache.  You can sense his excitement in the look on his face here:


I asked Allen why he was doing this if it drove him nearly insane to have an itchy lip for a month.  That was when I learned it was more than just a contest to see who could grow the most stache-tastic fuzzy upper lip.  They grow these bad boys in order to raise awareness around the often ignored issue of men’s health.  They raise funds by seeking out sponsorship in their moustache-growing efforts.  The funds raised here in the US support prostate cancer and testicular cancer initiatives.

Allen has not asked for any sponsors, or even any donations.  This is where I come in.  While the growing of a moustache may be limited to Allen's ability (for which I am entirely thankful!) I can still do my part by supporting his efforts and helping to raise funds and awareness.

Regardless of whether you think his moustache is awesome looking or if you prefer the clean-shaven look, would you consider donating to a great cause?  There are not many things I have a deep hatred for, but cancer is one of the few.  Every dollar helps to further research, change established habits and attitudes men have about their health, educate men about the health risks they face, and to act on that knowledge, which increases the chances of early detection, diagnosis and treatment.

All you have to do is click on THIS LINK to donate to Allen's fundraising efforts.

Every dollar makes a difference.  Thank you!

Northwest Georgia: Burt's Farm

To contact us Click HERE

This past weekend, we met up with my brother and my sister and her family in Ellijay, Georgia for a little bit of family fun. We rented a cabin {via VRBO.com} on Walnut Mountain and enjoyed visiting, great homemade breakfasts {thank you Mark} and making family memories with our kids.


Friday night after everyone arrived, Daniel and I snuck into town while Uncle Mark babysat Jack. We squeezed in a dinner date and hit up Walmart for some supplies. Dinner was at Mucho Kaliente – which was not that hot. It was ok, but we have certainly had better Mexican fare. Urbanspoon with it's 96% rating failed us this time. After our WM run, we went back to the cabin and stayed up late chatting with my brother while everyone else slept.



Saturday morning we all slept in – thank goodness because when we got home from Walmart, Mark informed us that Angela was set to get rolling by 8am!



We all got a slow start on Saturday. Then Mark whipped us up a breakfast of bacon, his excelent fluffy eggs and biscuits. Not too shabby for my little brother. We finally got everyone loaded into the cars and headed out to make some memories. First stop was Burt's Farm.



Izzy was beyond excited to see the pumpkins. We could barely hold her back.



Then she got excited about the hay.



And then she realized that she could get pushed around in a wheelbarrow... and that is where she stayed for the duration of our visit at the farm.



Jack experienced his first wagon ride.



He really liked it.



He liked stealing his cousin Levi's sippy cup even more.



After numerous photo ops, we were on our way. But not before I could show off my Chicken Dancing skills to Izzy.



I tried to persuade my sister that we should go up the road to Amicalola Falls. I looked it up on my phone and it said that the falls were within "walking distance" from the lodge. Angela wanted to know what "walking distance" was. Like, was it 20 feet or 3 miles? I did more research and it was further than she wanted to walk. Maybe next time?



After Burt's, we forged on to Hillcrest Orchards...

Thanksgiving

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Daniel thinks we looked like the Clampett's coming to town. We had a full vehicle, a full roof rack and a trailer!
We try to alternate holidays with our families as best we can. Some holidays this means we double up and see everyone. Some holidays it means we see who we can. It gets trickier the older we get – especially as our families grow.


This year was slated to be Thanksgiving with the Moores. My parents are taking care of my Grandmother in Arkansas and my sister and her family were going to her in-laws in Florida, so it was impossible to see both of our families this year. 


We just make an effort to see as many people as we can on each holiday {within reason}.


My brother was going to be around so we invited him over for the traditional Moore breakfast. He was game, but left in the afternoon to go home to cook a turkey for his friends who would be celebrating with him that evening.


Daniel's youngest sister, Emily, took charge of Thanksgiving this year. Last year Amy {Daniel's middle sister} hosted both Thanksgiving breakfast and Christmas Eve {and did an fantastic job} and the year before that, we hosted the Moores at our house in Alabama. 


I think rotating years is an excellent way to allow everyone a chance to be in charge and do things how they would want them done. Plus it spreads out the burden of planning/cooking/cleaning.


Emily works full time and is also enrolled in night school full time. She certainly has her hands full with her own life. But even so, she did a great job of getting Thanksgiving planned and on the table. She handled not one but two big meals in the same day, which is pretty impressive.


Unfortunately on Thanksgiving day Jack developed a mild fever some time after breakfast. Poor little guy just wanted to be held and cuddled for most of the day.


After some baby Tylenol and a brief evening nap, he was ready to play again. He was also very interested in our dessert.


Friday morning, we did not go shopping, but we did get up and go to Cracker Barrel for breakfast with Daniel's grandmother. 


Jack had a blast playing in the country store -- that place is as good as any toy store!


When it was all said and done, Jack was worn out. After two days of off and on fever and a barky cough {probably croup}, he seems to be on the mend.