Fall Frenzy.

Mondays are my "Get-things-done" days. So, everything I think about doing, I do. Please enjoy my fall frenzy!!!

Dinner: I made a delish dinner, sponsored by Jalene. Her Taco Soup was divine, and so easy to make, and fast! [all of my favorite things in one recipe!] I used white beans since I didn't have kidney, and added sour cream, shredded cheese, and diced green onions. Tyler had 4 servings. Thanks Jalene! 

Miniature Pumpkin Cream Pie:

[disclaimer: I really do not like pumpkin anything. At all. I don't believe that veggie type things should be desserts. So, don't be as skeptic as I was. This amazes even the worst critic. Ahem. Me.]

For the recipe I used, click here!

I crushed my graham crackers in a ziploc bag and smashed them to bits using the pumpkin pie filling can. There is definitely not room in my tiny kitchen for a food processor yet, but I'm willing to make room for it! [hint, hint Tyler!] I used 1 individual package and another graham cracker plank or two in order to get 1 1/2 cups. 

Combine the melted butter (6 tbs) and 1/3 cup sugar and get ready to scoop them into your tiny mason jars!

 

Next, scoop graham cracker crust into the mason jars, about this full. I would love more graham cracker crust the next time around [thanksgiving]...cause I'm like that. I used 1.5 large spoon-fulls. Very technical, I know. 

The directions I used said to press the crust with your fingers. Well, the jars I used didn't allow for my hands to fit inside, since the neck narrows. So, I improvised and used a plastic cup instead! It mashes well. 

 Should look like so:

Next, I wanted to press down the edges, so I used that same large spoon and pressed around the perimeter, until I was satisfied :) Next, let these chill, since you won't bake this crust. [I just let mine sit at room temp while I prepared the rest.]

 Prepare the pumpkin pie filling! I used the whipping cream and made my own pumpkin pie spice. The pumpkin pie spice was my favorite thing in this recipe by far!

Pumpkin Pie Spice:

1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/8 tsp nutmeg, 1/8 tsp ground cloves [they smell divine!], 1/4 tsp ground ginger. 

Mix and this will = 1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice. 

Adding the dallop of whip cream was fun. I would really let it thaw for a minute or two before you try spreading it all around kingdom come!

I spruced it up by making the button-magnets, leaves, etc. The lids came like this with the jars I bought! I bought Better Homes & Gardens jars [they were the same price as all the others!]. The other neat thing about these jars is that the ribbons are made especially for the jars, and since I didn't have any ribbon, this was perfect. They were an amazingly good deal too! [Yes, I checked. haha]

These chill for 3 hours. OH MY.  They were seriously the highlight of the evening! So delish! [Can you tell that I love that word? Yeah, me neither.]


These will make great gifts for friends, family, VT, etc. I am so excited to make more for my work friends! Who will you make them for!?

Pumpkin Carving:  

We didn't carve pumpkins last year since Ty had started school again and I had just started my job. Its funny how happy Tyler gets when we celebrate the holidays, traditionally. So, this year, WinCo had pumpkins on for 8 cents a pound. How could we say no?! 

So, with a little patience, laughter, and a dull paring knife, we set to work:

Yep. Pretty sure I love him. 

While Tyler finished cleaning up the guts from the pumpkin, I decided to try and roast the seeds! It was so easy and they turned out so well!

Boil 2 cups of water + 1/2 tbs salt + drained/rinsed off seeds for 10 mins.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spread seeds in 1tbs olive oil on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10-20 mins until brown. Cool, enjoy!

Happy Halloween! 

What are your fall frenzies!?

Pirates.

What is a Pirate's favorite letter?

R?

no. 

its a P. 

Looks like an 'R,' but its only got one leg!

You're welcome. Happy Monday :)

Comparing the Change

 Here is me....last week. 

 Here I am....today.

 Cheesing it up for the 'booth!

I am really enjoying this change!

[don't you love our awesome cabinetry??? we do. lol]

When my hairdresser finished, he said, "You know...sometimes when I do people's hair, I look at them at the end and think: this is what you should have looked like all along." haha
Tyler said, "Do you think he was talking about you?"
I don't know for sure. I love having orange hair 24/7, but this deep red is definitely a keeper!

Yay for Fall!

Changin' it Up

 Wendi, Me, Janine

 [again]

Wendi/shadow/me

Notice anything????

I know. Its crazy. But I love the change. Its semi-permanent, so it'll be back to my natural color by Christmas. For now, I'm dying over the colors! I can wear red lipstick now! haha [i still don't, but red-lip-gloss is finally making its appearance].  The bangs I love - I can wear them straight down or swept (thanks to the wind lol) and I'm not going to lie: I'm excited for them to get a little longer! 

What do you think?!

[sorry about the crazy pictures. just look past it! haha]

intuition

 Ok. First things first. 

1: I am feeling so much better. No more BC = no more sickness.

2. Got 40.5 hours in at work within 3 days. Nice. 

3. Tyler took a trip to the store and bought me this:

-Intuition Razor: I tried them long ago, and now I'm back, baby! 

Pomegranate flavored. Ooooo. I smell like heaven. 

Try it!

4. A first: I washed my hair with baking soda tonight. Since I left my straightner in Logan, 

my hair has been fighting me. So, I tried it. Used conditioner still, since my hair is unruly. 

Amazing. I cannot say enough. 

My hair feels amazing, and it behaved well! haha 

(2 cups water, boiled [i have hard water] + 1/4 cup baking soda.

turn burner off. wait for effervescence [or bubbles] to stop.

cool. put in bottle [old shampoo, etc that's been rinsed out]. apply to hair. 

use the mantra "lather, rinse, repeat."

wha-la)

5.   Looking forward to Tuesday. But not really. End of work, yes!

Tyler leaves for St. Louis [bro's wedding], boo. Not the marriage, but to being lonely on a week off. 

Plans?

- hair cut / dye 

[maybe i'll go dark!?]

.....

.....

I had some more.... Hm. 

6. Reading a really fun series right now: Garth Nix [author]

Mister Monday

Grim Tuesday

Drowned Wednesday

etc

....

They're all after days of the week.

Obviously, there's 7. 

I'm on Tuesday.

 

7. Tyler is dressed up as a skeleton tonight, performing at an event. Who knew breakin' was so lucrative? haha

Now...time to find something to eat! Cookie dough, anyone?

Homemade Bagels

Hello all!

Notice that I'm typing this at 5:50pm on a Tuesday. I'm supposed to be working.

Long story made short: Sick last Wed-Friday, went to Logan Sat night-Mon morning, and Monday night = sick again. I think it has something to do with the new "BC Pill" I'm on. Bleh. Have any of you ever taken Yasmin? I did years ago. Now, I think its slowly poisoning me. But, great job + great boss = finish all of my work in 3.5 hrs --> go home.

Now, I feel like there's a pit in my stomach and a trail of tortuous acid from my throat down into the pit. Hence, my new-founded love for technology :) Thank you bloggers for keeping me entertained while I've been conscious today!

Onto the topic: Homemade Bagels. I couldn't believe that making these could be so easy! I would take pictures, but 1: made them last night before going to dinner with fab friends, and 2: they're practically gone - they're the only thing I've been able to eat lately!

I found the post on Jessica's blog, and she linked the recipe from Hubpages. Click on the baking section of Jessica's blog and search for the bagel pictures! So many varieties!  I cannot wait to make more. And what Jess says is so true - homemade = way better than store bought!

ps: Tyler was so much better at actually rolling out and forming the bagels. Who woulda thunk? I'm loving this discovery! He now has a new calling in life - making the bagels!

The Sickness.

Yesterday, I felt like this:

(except that I had straight hair). 

Last night at 3:13am, I felt like this:

During the hours of 3-6am, I participated in the Bill Cosby skit of  "Oh Toilet Bowl, oh Toilet Bowl." (See below, minus the drinking, around 4:50?)

Then, I took a shower or two. Felt dizzy again, and looked like this, so I laid down on a bunch of towels I've laid on the floor. Looking like so:

Then, at 6:30, all of the reverse gears had stopped, and I appeared like this:

 Today, I was exhausted; nauseous; etc. The day looked as follows (except my hair was much curlier)!

Now, off to the store for 7Up. My favorite flavor - Pomegranate. Delish. On sale this week!

Today has consisted of Harry Potter (#7), Visiting Teaching, Ocean's 13, Honey Toast, and finally, chocolate chip cookies. Oh, so good. Now, off to the store for 7Up.

Bleh. I'm never going to look at chili the same way. -sigh- I love chili. (And, I made Jalepeno + Sour Cream + Cheddar biscuits. Delish.) Oh well! Here's to a much better night!

In the Eye of the Beholder....

Tyler does this when he knows he's being silly/in trouble. hahaha So typical. 

Thanks Jalene - We are extremely grateful!

You like?!

Continue in Patience

Today at work, I sat thinking about the 'things' that I am looking forward to for this fall season. New jacket? Yes please! New haircut/style? Yes please! Saving up for a house? very slowly.... etc. The list went on, as I sat starting at the computer screen, waiting for the testing I was working on to finish. Alone in our "validation" room, I daydreamed until I caught myself spiraling out of control. Not in a bad way - but in the way where you get so excited about so many new things, that your brain just sends up the tiniest of red flags:
"Warning. You will soon self-destruct." Thank you, self. I might have started jumping around (that came much later, in the presence of others...). So I started reading Lds.org, which I am very happy our computer system lets us access.

In the process, I discovered that I could watch the Mormon Messages (from YouTube, which is huge at work), and this is the one I loved today. (Elder Holland's still makes me cry, so I watched this one twice, one before and once after, to get rid of the tears.) Its so fun. And touching. Another great one is Listening to the Spirit with the radio. So, in preparation for my radio-filled, conference weekend, this is what I bring to you:


Continue in Patience

I really hope you have a great weekend, full of answers, tiny and true, and also peace for a better you.