Pumpkin Patch Day!

I love love love the pumpkin patch! Maybe it's because I like orange. Maybe it's because I like the coolness of fall. Maybe it's that going to the pumpkin patch is a tradition we have not missed in 8 years. Maybe it's because we spend a day together doing something really fun and seasonal. Actually, it's probably a bit off all of the above.

We had a great time this year as usual. The only problem was that it has rained so much that everything was muddy. Mud is dirty. And it smells bad. And it gets on everything. And standing water in a pumpkin field does not do good things for pumpkins. Yuck! Fortunately, the farm had harvested a whole bunch of pumpkins and stored them in a barn full of dry straw. So even though we didn't get any pumpkins in the field. we were able to bring home some nice pumpkins from the barn. A picture speaks 1000 words, so without further ado, here are 7000 words!

Fall Is Here!!!

Today is the official first day of fall, which means it is the official first day of my favorite part of the year! If I didn't have a lovely fall cold, I would be jumping up and down with excitement. I think last year I posted a list of my favorite things about fall. Because today demands some sort of celebration, I think I'll post a new list of fall favorites, just for fun.

My Top Ten Favorite Things about Fall

10. Fall decor. As I drive around town, I'm starting to see fall decorations popping up in people's yards. Hobby Lobby has a great selection of cute scarecrows right now, too! It is time to pull out my fall wreath for my front door! This year a cheated a bit and started burning my cinnamon candles a few weeks early. Ummmm!

9. Cool mornings. Okay, so we're not there quite yet. But in a few weeks, the weather will turn cool enough so that the air is crisp when I leave to take Snapper to school. Love that!

8. Jeans and hoodies. A good pair of jeans and a fleece hoody is my attire of choice. I love that I can comfortably wear it now!

7. Early kiddo bedtimes. Because we have to be up at 6 to get ready for school, Snapper and Pepper are tucked into bed by 7:15 every night. I am thoroughly enjoying the quiet time with Matt in the evenings after kids are asleep.

6. The end of Daylight Savings Time. Yes, I really do love the dark starting earlier! Somehow it makes everything feel cozier. On the flip side, I am always ready for Daylight Savings to start again in the spring.

5. Outdoor activities. It gets too hot here in the summer to do much outside. Fall provides us great weather for taking walks, riding bikes, and just playing in the yard.

4. Casseroles and soups. I'm a comfort food kind of girl. Since I don't cook soup in the summer, adding it back into my meal plan will be a welcome change.

3. Fall colors. Central Arkansas can have gorgeous fall foliage if the weather is right for it. It has been a wet, cool summer, so we should have some fantastic color this year! I can hardly wait!

2. Fall family traditions. Pumpkin patch, harvest dinner with friends, taking pictures of the kids in the fall leaves, Trunk or Treat at church, Thanksgiving, and getting ready for Christmas are all on my to-do list for the next 3 months! I look forward to these events all year.

1. My number 1 favorite thing about fall is the predictability of our schedule. I am happiest when life runs in a well-ordered routine. My weekly calendar doesn't vary much over the next 10 weeks, and I like it like that!

How about you? What do you most look forward to at this time of year?

More to Love

This has been a beautiful fall. I've had the privilege of enjoying the variety of color in three different states. Sadly, while I was hitting the peak in North Carolina, I was missing the peak in Arkansas. When we arrived home on Tuesday night, Matt and I discovered that the huge oak tree in our front yard, and the two oaks and two hickories in our back yard, had dumped all their leaves. There were tons of leaves on those trees when we left! It rained some on Wednesday, so I left the leaves to dry out a bit on Thursday. Today the kids and I dropped Matt off at work, and then broke out our rakes and tackled the front lawn. I don't care how much work it is raking those leaves! The kids and I had a blast! I got out the camera (of course) and took about 200 pictures. Here are my favorites.












So there have been some other things I have enjoyed since coming home. First off, I'll make a disclaimer by saying I rarely go to Starbucks. Not that I don't love it because I do--it's just so expensive for a cup of coffee! This time of year is the exception. Their Gingersnap Latte is just about my favorite thing! It is such a comfort thing for me, almost like drinking a hug. I go get one every time I can dig enough change out of my piggy bank! I had my first Gingersnap Latte of the season day before yesterday, and UMMM!!!!! Love it!

I also love making soup at this time of year. Somehow the shorter daylight hours bring my soup urge to the surface. When I was a kid, my mom used to make Navy Bean Soup. I loved that soup, but somewhere along the way, I lost the recipe. So I hit up my favorite cooking site, www.allrecipes.com, and found another Navy Bean Soup recipe. I was a bit skeptical, because bean soup can be so gross. I didn't think I would ever find a recipe as good as my mom's. Well, this one topped it! My husband HATES beans. But since I was craving this soup, I made it anyway. Mr. Anti-Legume loved it so much he had two bowls! Who would'a thunk it! I also tried out a new beef stew recipe, and it was also fabulous! I think I must share those recipes. So here they are! Happy Fall! Enjoy the last few weeks of it.

Navy Bean Soup
1 (16 ounce) package dried navy beans (small white beans)
water to cover
7 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup margarine
4 carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 cups diced turkey ham
1 tsp marjoram
1 tsp thyme

1. Clean and sort the beans. Place them in a large bowl with water to cover and soak for 3 hours. Drain and rinse.
2. In a large pot over medium heat, combine the beans and the chicken broth and allow to simmer.
3. Meanwhile, melt the butter or margarine in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the carrots and onion and saute for 10 minutes, or until onion is caramelized. Add this mixture to the pot. Add the ham.
4. Transfer it all to a crockpot. Cook on low for 5 hours, or until beans are tender and soup has thickened.
Serves 8-10

Savory Beef Stew
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp ground black pepper
3 pounds cubed beef stew meat
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 onion, minced
4 cups beef broth
2 tsp dried rosemary
1 tsp dried thyme
2 bay leaves
salt and ground black pepper to taste
3 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped

1. Combine garlic powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and 2 teaspoon pepper in a resealable plastic bag. Place the beef in the bag and shake to coat.
2. Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat; brown the beef in the hot oil and remove to a plate lined with paper towels. Add the onion to the remaining oil and cook until browned. Pour the beef broth into the stockpot. Stir in the rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper. Return the beef to the pot.
3. Bring the mixture to a boil. Transfer to crockpot. Cook on low for 1 1/2 hours.
4. Add the potatoes, carrots, and celery to the pot. Cook on low for another 2 hours.
5. Whisk together 1/2 cup flour and cold water in a small bowl and mix into the stew. Cover and simmer 45 minutes more. Serve with biscuits or French bread. Serves 6-8

Just Today

My house is clean. My house is quiet. My house is peaceful. My kids are sleeping. Dinner is at church tonight so I don't have to cook today. I have a few notes to write, and then I'm going to make a cup of Constant Comment tea (my very favorite) and sit down and READ!!! I can't tell you the last time I sat down (for more than 30 minutes) with a good book. I'm really excited! I'm looking forward to getting the box of Trader Joe's pumpkin bread mix that Amber is sending me in the mail. Then I can have tea AND pumkin bread while I read. Doesn't that sound like the perfect activity for a cool, autumn afternoon?

I'm currently reading "The Same Kind of Different As Me" by Ron Hall and Denver Moore. It was recommended to me by my friend Karen.

Whare are you reading right now? I'm always in the market for a good read, and I would love your recommendations.

Snapshots of Our Week

The song from the Small World Disneyland ride comes to mind, but with different lyrics.

It's a world of mischief, a world of tears
It's a world of mischief, and silly cheers
So much fun to be had
Pepper's good, Pepper's bad
It is our world after all!

It is indeed a world of mischief at our house! And mischief takes its form in my 2-year-old son. A picture speaks a thousand words. So here are 4,000 words for you. In summary: Stickers. Sharpie. Ketchup.









So I spend a lot of time cleaning up after the 2-year-old tornado. I spend a lot of time holding my breath and turning my face away so as not to let him see me laughing. He's such a stinker, but so stinkin' cute! Just a few minutes ago, he took off his pants, went potty, and then fell down on his naked little booty. He came crying over into the dining room where I am currently sitting. Then he backed that bare butt up to me, bent over and said, "I fall down, Mama. Kiss my bottom!" Ha ha! I'm still chuckling over that one! Since I've shown you Pepper's naughty file from the week, I must also show the cute collection.









There! Now isn't it worth all the mess and poop and tears the he produces? Yes! It definitely is. I love this little guy like crazy.

Entirely changing the subject, today was my bimonthly cooking day. Once again my freezer is stocked with yummy dinners for my family. Life Artistry in action, Matt says! Today I'll go ahead and post the recipes from this time. You can cut and paste them directly from my page.

Tomato Basil Soup

In a large saucepan, bring to a boil 2 (28 oz) cans of crushed tomatoes and 28 oz. chicken broth.
Reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add: 18 leaves minced, fresh basil
1 tsp. sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
Reduce heat to low.
Add: 1 cup unsweetened whipping cream (or fat free half and half)
1 stick butter
Cook until the butter is melted.
Serve with French bread and green salad.

Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup

In a crock pot, layer the following ingredients in the order they are listed. Do not stir.

16 oz. dried split peas
2 cups diced turkey ham
1 cup chopped carrots
1 medium onion, chopped
2 minced garlic cloves
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
5 cups boiling water

Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours
Stir in 1 cup milk.
Discard bay leaves before serving

Pizza Casserole

Prepare 2 cups egg noodles, according to package directions
Brown together:
1 pound ground beef or turkey
1 medium chopped onion
2 cloves minced garlic
1 chopped bell pepper
Drain
Stir in:
Cooked noodles
1 cup turkey pepperoni
1 (16 oz) jar of pizza sauce
4 Tbsp. milk
Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.
Top with mozzarella cheese and bake 10 minutes more.

Hearty Ham Casserole

Peel, dice, and boil 4 cups potato
In a large bowl combine: 2 cups diced turkey ham
2 cans corn, drained
Cooked potatoes
Saute 2 Tbsp. chopped onion in 1/2 stick butter for 2 minutes.
Gradually stir in 1/3 cup flour
Gradually add 1 3/4 cups milk.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Cook and stir over medium heat until slightly thickened (about 2 minutes)
Pour over potatoes
Spread into a 13x9 baking dish and cover with foil.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes
Uncover, sprinkle with shredded cheddar cheese, and bake for 10 minutes more.

Enchilada Casserole

Grease a deep dish pie plate and set aside.
Brown together:
1 pound ground beef or turkey
1 chopped onion
Drain and return to pan
Add 2 cloves minced garlic
Stir in:
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
1 tsp. cumin
3 tsp. chili powder
Salt to taste
Allow to thicken slightly.
Spoon a thin layer of sauce into pie plate.
Layer flour tortilla, sauce, and shredded cheddar cheese twice.
Final layer should be cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

I'll close out this long blog with some good news. Fall has arrived in Little Rock! It is currently 68 degrees outside with blue skies and a few high clouds. There are hints of red, brown, and orange in the trees. My cinnamon candles are in full service, and I spent some of my birthday money on silk flowers to make a wreath for my front door. Hooray for Fall!

My Favorite Time of Year

Arkansas is deceiving. I grew up in coastal California, where gray skies NEVER meant warmth. Whether it was the chilly storms of winter, or the cold damp of summer fog, gray has always meant cold to me. This morning I woke up to gray skies out my window. Auto pilot kicked in and I got myself dressed in jeans, a t-shirt, and my gray hooded sweatshirt. And then I went outside. A gray sky in Arkansas does NOT always mean cold. Sadly, I hung my hoodie back up in the closet.

But my favorite time of year is just around the corner. Warm, humid, gray day or not, the first signs of fall are here! This morning there was a patchy blanket of brown leaves on my lawn! Hobby Lobby's windows are filled with scarecrows and fall garlands! School buses clog traffic from 7-8 every morning. Awana starts in 2 weeks. My birthday is in 13 days, and that will be the kickoff of my favorite time of year, September-December.

Here are my top 5 favorite things about this time of year.

5. Crisp, cool mornings and balmy afternoons
4. Soups, stews, crockpot dinners, and casseroles (recipes coming soon!)
3. Jeans, hoodies, but still flip flops!
2. Fall leaves, spicy scented candles, and fireplace smoke
1. Counting down to Christmas!

Yup. I love it. What is your favorite time of year? Leave me a note with yor favorite season, and favorite thing about that season.