Apple Walnut Sticky Buns

It's been awhile since I posted a recipe--in March I posted my mom's recipe for oatmeal cookies. Today I have another sweet treat, this time from Sandra Lee. I know a lot of foodies give her a hard time by saying that opening a can of cinnamon rolls is NOT cooking but I'm happy to take help wherever I can get it. My only complaint is that she e-nun-ci-ates ev-uh-ry word. But even then I'll sit through her show just to get a great recipe like this...delicious apple walnut sticky buns.

Apple Walnut Sticky Buns (original recipe at foodnetwork.com )

butter, softened (for greasing muffin tin)
1 Granny Smith apple (peeled, cored, diced into bite size pieces)
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 (8 count) tube refrigerated cinnamon rolls
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Generously butter an 8 count muffin tin.
In a bowl, combine apples, walnuts and brown sugar. Spoon mixture evenly into the tin. Place cinnamon rolls on top of apple mixture.
Bake 12-14 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes then invert rolls onto a plate.
Mix icing with pumpkin pie spice and drizzle over sticky buns.

The Day I Became Mom

I remember it clearly. It was a late Thursday afternoon in April--April 14, 2011 to be exact. We were driving to baseball practice and Thomas pipes up from the back of the car, "I think I'm gonna start calling you Mom instead of Mommy."

I guess I knew this day was coming, he is approaching the double-digits, after all. I was a little bummed out but I told him that would be fine with me, especially since I'm still 'Mommy' to Nathan.

But then Nathan decides to join in on the conversation with "I'm gonna start calling you Mom, too!" Great.

So later that night when my husband came home from work I broke the news to him that he's now married to a MOM. He took it well...even when I broke the news to him that the name-change extended to him as well and he's now DAD instead of Daddy:)

Our Fourth

I think I post the same pictures each year--Nathan holding his ears, Thomas jumping over the colorful smoke balls, and both of them stomping on whipper snappers and chasing parachutes. And, of course, a big exploding firework. Still fun and entertaining after all these years.

Oh, and the food. The FOOD! Grilled chicken and ribs, baked beans, potato salad, french bread, deviled eggs and key lime pie. Still delicious after all these years.

A 10 Month Difference

When school ended in June I was doing the 30 Day Photo Challenge busily posting pictures of myself (yikes), flowers and my old toys that are hidden away in a closet at my parent's house. So that's why I'm just now getting around to posting these pics of my boys on their first day of school and their last. I'd say they are growing into a couple of fine young men.

On a related but more somber note, stores are beginning to set up aisles for back to school supplies. Glue sticks, dry erase markers, hand sanitizers, boxes of tissue...and none of them are the size, color and quantity that is on your list. It's enough to give a mom nightmares.