Pardon The Cheese

Yes, it's the wedding ring/Bible/heart shadow photo. I couldn't help it, though. I think it's kind of a cute way to showcase my new wedding ring.

I wrote here about losing the diamond from my bridal set. I never found it. Since we don't have the money to put in a new diamond I went for something more affordable--a plain gold band. I know some people have an aversion to yellow gold but I like it. LOVE it, actually. It's a simple, elegant and classic look. And it was only $58. Win, win.

A Fall Q And A

It's been awhile since I've done a meme. I came across one over at Sunday Stealing that had a fall theme going on--perfect. Enjoy!


1. Have you turned the heat on in your house yet this fall? Nope. We've had some really cold nights/mornings but it has been really warm in the afternoons. With an extra blanket on the beds it's been tolerable.

2. Do you think you’ve ever seen a ghost? No and I don't think I want to. We stayed at a haunted hotel back in June but thankfully the ghosts stayed out of our room. I hope!

3. What is the one color that represents this time of year? I'd say orange.

4. What is your favorite thing to do at the county fair? I must have a lemon shake-up to drink.

5. What do you like when you have a cold? Sweet, sweet sleep.

6. Are you willing to spend over $100 for a piece of winter clothing, like boots or a coat? I'm willing but just not able:)

7. What do you have too much of in your kitchen? Condiment packets from Sonic and Pizza Hut.

8. What gripes do you have about this time of year? I hate dealing with crowds while shopping.

9. Other than yourself, are you responsible for getting anyone ready in the morning? Yep, 2 boys. From 6:15 to 7:30 I am packing lunchboxes and backpacks, laying out school clothes and telling my 3rd grader that yes, he has to brush his teeth, AGAIN!

10. What shows did you most look forward to this Fall? My top 5--The Office, 30 Rock, Modern Family, Glee and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.

Pumpkin Pie Cake

There's just too many great pumpkin desserts to pack into Thanksgiving day--pumpkin pie, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin roll...

So I got an early start on enjoying the holiday treats and recently made this Pumpkin Pie Cake. It's a common recipe, sometimes called Pumpkin Dump Cake, that I clipped out of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette back in 2006. It's rich and delicious and like most 'dump' cakes you just can't beat how easy it is.

Pumpkin Pie Cake

1 (16 oz) can pumpkin
1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 TBS pumpkin pie spice
1 box yellow cake mix
3/4 cup chopped pecans
3/4 cup margarine, melted

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
In a mixing bowl, combine pumpkin, milk, eggs, sugar and pumpkin pie spice until well blended. Pour mixture into a greased 9-by-13 inch baking pan. Crumble dry cake mix and pecans over pumpkin mixture. Drizzle with melted margarine. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until top is golden brown.

Wordless Wednesday: Christ Of The Ozarks

Do You Take This Blogger To Be Your Wife? Yes!

Last year I read Min Jin Lee's Free Food for Millionaires. Although it was a really good book, I don't remember a lot of the details. There was one passage that stuck with me, though. A passage that holds true for those of us who know more about Monster Jam and Star Wars than Hannah Montana and Polly Pocket.

...Mary Ellen envied mothers with daughters. With girls, it seemed possible to remain involved in their lives. Even when her boys were little, she'd ask them how school was, and they'd reply, "Good," and in their simple expressions, she saw shut doors...

Yep.

I know that when my boys grow up and marry that I'll be left out of the loop on lots of things. My daughters-in-law will naturally want to go to their moms' for holidays, they'll keep their moms up to date on what's going on with the grandkids and they'll always turn to their moms for help, advice, recommendations and suggestions.

I've accepted that.

I just hope they marry someone who blogs so I won't be too far out of the loop!

Homemade Granola Bars

My youngest son loves going hiking. This summer we made several trips to a few different state parks so he could enjoy the trails. My oldest son wasn't too happy, though. Especially when we made him go with us to Mt. Magazine and when we finally got to the top he got stung by a wasp. "Why did you make me do this? This is the worst trip ever!" Yep. He's more of an indoor kid.

So I spent the whole summer looking for granola bar recipes. Granola is packed with protein and carbs which makes it a great snack for hiking. I came across a recipe in the Food Network magazine and after a few tweaks it's perfect--a little crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside.

Granola Bars (adapted from Food Network Magazine)

2 1/2 cups rolled or quick-cooking oats
1 cup dry-roasted peanuts
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup sunflower seeds
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 stick unsalted butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 325. Line a 9-by-13 baking pan with foil and coat with cooking spray.

Mix the oats, peanuts, cranberries, seeds, cinnamon, condensed milk and butter in a bowl. Spread evenly on the baking sheet and bake 40 minutes. Cool slightly, then lift off the baking sheet using the foil and invert onto a cutting board. Peel off the foil and cut into bars. Wrap individually in plastic wrap. Makes 12 bars.

Wordless Wednesday: Boo At The Zoo!