Cooking around...

To say that I am in a sad mood today would be an understatement. I know that I am tired and when I am tired, I grow weary very quickly. Things that would not make me sad do, and what would is intensified. I am bone tired. Thankfully, we are putting in Easy Closets in every closet save one in our home, but yesterday, I had to clean out every one. EVERY ONE. Very laborious and tedious. But I choose to look ahead to the finished product and not one how I hope my children are sleeping through the tear out happening so we can go to the Fresh Beat Band tonight.
Adding to the tiredness is the fact that  J has been out of town A LOT and last week and this week are no exception. It is hard, but he assures me that this is the end for the year....We shall see, I say.
So last week, on a particularly cool and rainy day, I cooked the most AMAZING stew and Bread Pudding. It was so good that all of my children ate it (except R) and J said that this should become a regular.


Beef and Butternut Squash Stew ( courtesy of Giada ) * found on www.foodnetwork.com

Onion, Rosemary, Thyme Garlic

Add beef dredged in flour, salt and pepper

Add beed broth, butternut squash and sun dried tomatoes. 

Let simmer for an hour. SO SO GOOD! and easy and did I say good?

Giada said to serve with crusty bread, but I opted to go southern  and pour it over rice. 

Super Easy Bread Pudding (recipe courtesy of Paula D) also found on www.foodnetwork.com

I love bread pudding but have never had too much success finding a recipe that I love. Well, I tried again to find one that I liked to use up the stale (ing) Italian loaf that was left over from the weekend. I settled on this particular recipe because it seemed easy (it was) and the ingredients I had on hand (except for the Brandy). 

I would make this again, with some exceptions. Paula loves her butter and I could have used half and still had a delicious dish. I also halfed the amount of sugar. Would do that again..  I substituted raisins for pecans and I think that the recipe would be great with both. Lesson learned from Paula...half butter, sugar in her recipes.

The bread soaking for 10 minutes with egg and sugar

Baked, but without sauce 

Hot butter, brandy and brown sugar. Need I say more?

Fallin....

Our weather has been up and down the past couple of weeks....One day it is 70 and the next 45. But one thing that does not fail to disappoint is the Fall Foliage. Trees are red and orange, purple and pink. Wonderful rich colors that we are just not used to back home. Maybe in the mountains, but certainly not in our everyday lives. I am thankful to witness this and I am also thankful that I have not caused big wrecks while I slow down to take pictures or just stare at the beauty. I am wishing that the leaves would stay on the trees until summer- but as much as I wish, this one will not come true. The leaves around here fall like rain and with the 50 mile plus wind gusts...well, they are fallin...fallin...fallin.

XO

PS. I could not resist adding these taken last weekend while J was tending to some yard work. Sorry to say his job is bigger and badder this weekend!

Have a great weekend everyone!

My life in Glee.

I am not sure if you are a fan of the Fox show Glee, but I do. They use songs to express themselves, and I often if  not always do the same. As long as I can remember, I have done this...Feeling the words of REM's Country Feedback in highschool when I felt misunderstood....Loneliness of the single life to Radiohead's Fake Plastic Trees...Yes, there are lots of happy songs in the list too, but we tend to remember the sad, don't we? Right now, the song that has grabbed me and I feel as if it is speaking straight to me is Home by Philip Phillips. Can't believe that I am using a song sung by an American Idol winner, but it is so.
In the beginning, he speaks of home and all the things that go along with being in a new place and trying to feel comfortable and settled. He repeats throughout..."I'm going to make this place your home". Me, with my have to accomplish it all attitude took it as I am going to have to take charge and make Iowa my family's home. I will be in charge, I will make everyone feel safe, the burden falls to me. Ok, yes, of course it does. It is my responsibility to be happy, to make sure the children are safe and have good spirits. But the more that I listened to the song- or really heard the song, I feel now that I could say that it could be written from God's perspective. Here are the lyrics.

Hold on, to me as we go
As we roll down this unfamiliar road
And although this wave is stringing us along
Just know you’re not alone
Cause I’m going to make this place your home

Settle down, it'll all be clear
Don't pay no mind to the demons
They fill you with fear
The trouble it might drag you down
If you get lost, you can always be found

Just know you’re not alone
Cause I’m going to make this place your home

Settle down, it'll all be clear
Don't pay no mind to the demons
They fill you with fear
The trouble it might drag you down
If you get lost, you can always be found

Just know you’re not alone
Cause I’m going to make this place your home


Nice thought, isn't it? I have tried to give up questioning, wishing things were different and accept that we are where we are and that we will be better for ALL of it.

White Gloves and New Shoes.

Today as the bells chime 4:30 on Meeting and Broad, little girls and boys will be running up the stairs, sweaty and excited to begin their first year of Dancing School (also referred to as The Cotillion). For four years in the fall and winter these same children will learn the Waltz, Fox Trot, Rhumba, Cha Cha and Square Dance basics. They will learn to introduce themselves, and others to adults, the importance of saying Thank You after every dance and most importantly, how to conduct themselves in adult situations. I was one of those little girls. I am still one of those girls, or at least I was until we moved. You see, I went to Dancing School, in high school I then taught Dancing School and for the last 7 years, it is where I chose to spend my Wednesday nights.
Obviously, it is a part of me. I can hear Miss E  greeting all the children, Mrs. H calling the dances and I can see Mrs. R dancing so gracefully. I miss them and it terribly. It is amazing, as I am writing this, there are tears in my eyes and I want to cry. HARD. I miss the songs, the slow records in the 4th grade, watching the little girls and boys grow into tweenagers and even become helpers. The children are wonderful to get to know and this year would have been the first year that my 4 year class at Grace Church would have gone through. I miss them. I also miss the Ladies. I grew up respecting them because I had to, it was the right thing to do, but now I respect them because I am their friend and they are mine. Wonderful friends who I aspire to be like one day. Kind, Smart and Graceful.

So, as I do when I am lonely, sad, upset-etc. I bake and today in celebration of Dancing School, I made a recipe that was shared by Miss E (which I consider and honor...these ladies hold family recipes to the end). Miss E would make this and a pound cake which is delicious and share with the group I was able to wrangle this recipe but not the cake.... I must admit, this was the second time that I made it and I think I did her proud.

The Treasure

My Little Helper

Finished Product. Yum.

 So, as my day ticks away...I will be staring at the clock, wishing I was.......home.

Pansy's are on sale...y'all.

So, one common question that I have been asked is, "so what is the weather like"? Well, the weather since I have arrived has been hotter than hell, and then it turned PERFECT. Like, my kind of weather. 70's during the day and cooling down at night. I mean, Heaven. The biggest thing that is different so far is that when it is in the 80's during the day, it is in the 40's at night. A major cool down. At home, it ranges from 80's to 70's at night which is not a relief in the least bit. So, I have been in absolute denial about where I am, what season it is until my recent trip to Lowes to spiffy up before our first real guest...Anne and the twins. You can imagine my complete shock when I found that not only were pansies already out, but they were on clearance. Clearance. Shock and sadness fell over me, it was a concrete reminder that I am in fact in the Mid West and not the warm sunny South. Also, mums are a perennials here. Crazy.

T....You are loved.

3 weeks...

9 months....

Dear Sweet T....

I know that people always say this, but where did the time go...I know where it went...life happened and you did too. You are the sweetest, happiest baby. I thank God every day that he sent you to us and so quickly after your big sis. Things are crazy, but you are patient and absolutely adorable. Quick to laugh and chase what you want. And eat. Boy can you eat. Right now your favorite is our dinners pureed up so you can have it. Salmon, Chicken, Steak...You love it all. 

Thank you for being you and good luck my dear. You have a wild family.

I love you.

Caramel Apples are Tasty.

This past weekend, the family hopped in the car and traveled 40 minutes north to Cambridge, IA for some apple orchard fun. We visited Center Grove and it was super. They had pumpkins, music,a children's area, hayrides, super slide and a CORN POOL. Absolutely M's FAVORITE THING EVER. Basically a corn pool is a pit filled with corn kernels. J couldn't step near it, he is so allergic. I had my first EVER caramel apple, and let me tell you, it was DEVINE. Hot and gooey, right out of the hopper. Heaven to Betsy.