Autumn Weather

We had a cold front come through last night and it actually seems like fall. While checking out some new blogs, I came across a recipe for Pumpkin Bread Pudding. Doesn't that just sound wonderful???? Well, I couldn't resist, so I made it tonight. It's so easy! I put it together while my spaghetti was cooking. By the time we finished supper, the bread pudding was ready. And boy, was it a hit with Mike. It rates up there with good old comfort food. It has simple ingredients and you probably have everything it calls for in your pantry. Why not make it this week for someone you love! Here's the recipe:

PUMPKIN BREAD PUDDING

1 1/2 cups whole milk (or 1 cup heavy cream plus 1/2 cup whole milk)

3/4 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin

1/2 cup sugar

2 large eggs plus 1 yolk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

pinch of ground cloves

5 cups cubed (1-inch) french bread

3/4 stick butter

Preheat oven to 350°. Put butter in an 8-inch square baking dish to melt butter. Once it is melted, take it out of the oven and toss bread cubes with butter, coating thoroughly. In a separate bowl, whisk together all the remaining ingredients. Pour them over buttered bread cubes in baking dish, stirring to make sure all pieces are evenly coated. Bake until custard is set, 25 to 30 minutes.

Nothing but the wind

The wind has blown for forty days and forty nights. Well, maybe not that bad, but it has blown so much lately, you would think this is March instead of October. I went to town today and had a list a mile long of things to get accomplished. After all, Mike and Brandon were doing their own things, and I had the whole day to myself. I decided to tackle my least favorite place to go first. Now, I know a lot of you like going to Walmart, but you almost have to pay me to go. If I could go on a weekday morning when it wasn't so crowded, I probably wouldn't mind it as much. Upon entering, I set off all the alarms. Yes, I had triggered the theft alarm going into the store! I should have turned around right then and left, but I really needed a few things. We tried everything trying to figure what had set off the alarm. You should have seen me leaning over the little device to deactivate the sensors. Not a pretty picture! They said to go ahead and go and they would remember me when I got ready to leave. I'm sure they would! I didn't take any chances, I got the only two things I needed and left. I was afraid to go anywhere else, so I just went and ate lunch with Mom and Dad and came on home.

IT'S HOW OLD????

Last week was Brandon's birthday and he requested a chocolate pie from me. So this weekend I got everything ready to start baking the pie. I had the hardest time looking for my chocolate sprinkles to put on top of the meringue! They were on the top shelf of the spice cabinet, way back at the back. When I finally found them and got to looking at the near empty bottle, I wondered, just how old was this bottle? Then I looked at all the other shelves in the cabinet and realized it was time to do some organizing! This has been on my to do list for quite sometime. Now was the time to tackle it! Here's the before picture.

You can't imagine how much I had in such a small space. And how old is some of this stuff??? There's a great place to find out. McCormick will tell you how fresh your spices are. Remember these?




Well, if you have any of these on your shelves, then they're at least 15 years old! I've been married for 31 1/2 years, and I think at least one of these spices were probably bought in 1976! Now take a look at where your spice was bottled. If your spice is from Baltimore, MD, then it's at least 15 years old, too. WOW! Where did the time go?

McCormick is not the only brand of spice I buy. My favorite is Penzey's. Their Chicago Steak Seasoning and English Prime Rib Rub are my favorite! You can receive their catalogs which are full of recipes and all kinds of information on spices. In fact, you can probably learn more than you ever wanted to know about spices and their origin. I've never been to one of their stores, but they have one on Preston Rd. in Dallas and I can hardly wait to go there. After all, I now have a little more space to fill in my cabinet!

Now for the after picture:

Okay, I know you're all sitting there laughing and going back and forth from the before and after pictures. You're just trying to tell if there really is a difference, but trust me, I did get rid of a lot of old spices! But I couldn't get rid of everything. After all, I would hate to have to run out and buy another jar of marjoram leaves or mace for just one recipe. Here's a few of some of the old spices that got tossed out:

Oh, and for the pie that started it all. Here it is:
Now, what's in your cabinet? I would love to hear from you on what some of the oldest things you have sitting on your spice shelves. Aren't you glad I didn't ask what old things you had in your dresser drawers? That may have to wait for another day.

GO WILDCATS!

With homecoming coming up this weekend, I just had to post this picture of the cutest cheerleader. Kaylee loves going to football games. She hasn't made it to an ACU football game, yet, but she cheers the Farmers on all the time!


And check this out...she's a natural. Maybe she'll take after her Aunt Kellie. However, after Kellie's back surgery this summer, I doubt if she would encourage anyone to be a cheerleader.

More Red River Pictures

Did I say we had a good time in Red River???? Well, we did. We went on several trails and took some picnics.

Another month???

This is really bad. I didn't even post anything the whole month of September. You would think it's because I'm so busy, but actually I really haven't been that busy. I must be getting really lazy in my old age. I find myself in such a routine. It's easier to just read all the other blogs. There are some really good ones out there! A person could spend all day just going from blog to blog and get nothing acomplished. I'm really going to try to be better. Who knows, I might even posts two times in October!
In August we went to Red River and had a really good time. We hadn't been there since Jennifer's freshman year of college. And the other times we had gone, it was always to go skiing, so we've never been when there's no snow on the ground. The weather was great and there were alot of 4-wheel drive trails. We can hardly wait to go back.

Time Flies!

I have got to be the worst at blogging!!! Time just gets away from me. When my children were at home and so involved in school and outside activities, I know I was so much better at managing my time. Now I don't seem to have any time to do the things I really enjoy and it's just Mike and myself at home. What gives???? I do know I never got to bed before midnight and now at 9:30 I start getting ready for bed. I always say I'm going to stay up and watch the news or David Letterman and before I know it, I'm sleeping.

Mid-July my cousin, Judy and her father, Jay, came for a visit. It had been so long since I had seen them and it was great to be able to catch up on their families. Uncle Tommy and Dorothy came up, also. Unfortanately, Mom got sick and we spent all day in the emergency room. She's doing better and goes in this week for more tests.
Here is a picture of Uncle Jay and Judy.

We just got back from a week in Red River, so I'll post some more pictures later.

Fourth of July weekend

We had such a great time this weekend. Jennifer, Nathan and the kids came in for the weekend. Pete always has such a big event planned for the fourth. This year he had a band, water slides, air castles, great bar-b-que, homemade ice cream and cobbler, and of course, fireworks. There were about 180 people there. My brother, David and his wife, Connie, came for a visit with Mom and Dad, so they came to the party, too. Connie's from Philadelphia, so she got to see a big Texas Bar-B-Que.




Here's a 1912 ice cream maker. It made 5 gallons and it was so good rich. Josh said his mother used 54 eggs in it! Boy, was it rich and creamy.







Mom and Dad enjoying the band.

David and Connie at the party.

Jennifer and Nolan

Grandpa and Kaylee

Jaxon and Kaylee racing