A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

The sun is shining, the sky is beautifully blue, and our Maple tree is proudly showing off its colors! Today is such a gorgeous day after a long string of cold, rainy ones. We couldn't have asked for a better Autumn day.
Enjoy my friends, enjoy!

I'm still baking!

Today's delicious homemade treat is Pumkin Chocolate Chip Muffins.

I had some pumpkin puree left over from my bread baking day and I thought I would try these muffins. I have to say, "yummy"! The recipe yields a spicy, tender muffin combined with a hint of sweetness from the semi-sweet chocolate chips. The muffins remind me a bit of a cookie that my sister-in-law Becca makes, but being muffins they are lighter. The muffins go together very quickly, so if you've got the inclination this recipe is definitely worth making.

Muffin Recipe link Note: the on-line recipe ingredients don't include the chocolate chips, I added 2/3 Cup mini semi-sweet chips.

Tried, True and New

Today turned into a baking day. I started with plans only to make one quick bread and went on to make two more, much to the delight of my family.

Pictured on the cutting board, the Tried loaf  is Banana Bread. I have made many banana breads over the years using several recipes. I recently tried my grandmother's recipe, the first time I made it the center was a little soft but otherwise quite tasty. Adding several minutes to the baking time worked out well, delivering a crunchy crust and a tender interior that was not overly moist.

On the pedestal is the True loaf, my mother's favorite recipe for Pumpkin Bread. My family has been using this recipe for twenty plus years and it never fails to produce delicately spiced bread that is delicious with or without butter. This is a good bread to make several days in advance of a party; just wrap in foil and keep in the refrigerator, allow it to warm to room temperature before serving.

Last but not least is the New loaf of Cherry and Golden Raisin Bread. I found this recipe on-line at Better Homes and Gardens.  The bread is lightly flavored with lemon rind, accented with dried cherries, golden raisins and drizzled with a lemon glaze. A yummy bread you should definitely try and one I will keep in my recipe book. Cherry and Golden Raisin Bread Recipe

Playtime

My siblings and I were encouraged to be creative, such as drawing, coloring books, board games, and lots of playing outside. We would play what we called "pretend" and we would play house, school, doctor, etc. with us acting out the roles and using ordinary household items to accessorize our pretend worlds. Our china cabinet would become the kitchen; we would raid my mother's Tupperware and wooden spoons, prepare pretend meals and then serve them to our children/siblings. I took things further by occasionally writing small plays and creating costumes for my younger siblings, then we would perform for our parents--our acting troupe was always well received. (Thanks Mom and Dad!)

In 1976, I was captivated by the Summer Olympic Games. It was amazing--all the different sports I had never seen and all the different countries I had never heard of before! I loved watching the games and cheering on the athletes, so much so that I decided we should have our own Olympics. My brothers, sisters, and some of our neighborhood friends competed in events that I created to mimic the real ones. One of the events was an obstacle course that included jumping over a stone bench! I wanted our Olympics be as real as possible, so of course I made medals. Lacking precious metals but not creativity, the medals were made out of cardboard, crayons, and crepe paper.

I think, in the hopes of keeping her sanity intact, my mother often encouraged us to play outside. When the TV volume and kids talking (screaming) would reach a certain level we could count on Mom calling out, "Go outside and play!". So we would troupe outside and play. Play included jump rope games, Tag, Red Rover, hopscotch, Dodge ball, Red Light-Green Light, baseball, football, badmiton, volleyball, Cops and Robbers with twigs for guns, Lawn Jarts-the ones with sharp metal ends-we never got hurt!, Slip and Slide, making snowmen, snowball fights, snow mazes, riding bikes and skateboards, Monkey in the Middle, and a summertime favorite Ghosts in the Graveyard. We didn't get to play Ghosts often because of our bedtime during the school year was 8:00 pm, but during the summer we could stay outside a little later and when it became dark enough, it was time for Ghosts in the Graveyard!

Childhood playtime, such great fun and memories!

Summer's Bounty

Isn't Mother Nature wonderful! It has been a good summer for the vegetable garden. Although I planted later than I wanted, the produce has been bountiful and delicious.  The heirloom tomato plants have been very vigorous and prolific in their fruits. All have been tasty but two favorites are Red Brandywine and Green Zebra. I was able to get multiple plantings of green beans to supplement many dinners. I still have a couple of rows in raised beds that should be protected from any frost.

Thanks to my Mom's suggestion, I tried growing potatoes for the first time. It was very successful and a lot of fun. Don't these potatoes look great! They were so fresh, pulled right from the soil, cleaned, boiled, and simply served with butter, salt and pepper. Yummmm! I will definitely grow potatoes next year and I'll try another variety or two. We have also enjoyed radishes-both red and white varieties, green onions, and carrots. In the Spring I thought I would like to expand the vegetable garden to grow more things, but current size has been enough for me to handle as well as very bountiful.

Check out this picture of a bushel basket full of tomatoes--20 lbs! This is not a onetime occurrence; I have picked that amount of tomatoes several times, much to the delight of neighbors and friends who have shared in our abundance. The growing season is coming to a close--it has been fantastic and I can't wait to do it all again next year!

Everyday Miracles

As today is the first full day of Autumn, I thought it was a good day to finally get off my butt and restart this blog!

I also truly believe the message in this photo. We have the chance to be witnesses to life's everyday miracles if only we would pay attention. One example of such a miracle is my Mom's recovery and continuing improvement. God's handiwork is evident in her life. May your day be blessed with miracles, I thank God mine has been!

Word Wednesday

Discombobulate - a slang word meaning to confuse or upset.

I like the way it bounces around my mouth as I pronounce it. It is a good word for early April as the weather is very confusing to people, plants, and animals. Cold, frosty mornings that still demand a warm jacket, hat, and gloves. The mercurial sun that teases us with glimpses of warmth that we have yearned for during our snowy winter.

I find the struggling economy and strife very discombobulating too. But I don't want to dwell on it as the media circus certainly makes sure we're aware of all the dread details.

So here's hoping your days and your lives are not too discombobulating, but that you might have an opportunity to interject today's new word into conversation. (: