Ridiculous!

It started out so innocently.

I sat down this week and watched the recording I had of "The Pioneer Woman's Christmas."

The next thing I knew I was making plans for her cinnamon rolls.

I decided that they would be made on New Year's Day instead of our traditional waffles.

  

Waffles are a tradition, because my Grandma Bellman always made waffles on New Year's Day for breakfast.  My brother and I would stay the night with Grandma and Grandpa so that Mom and Dad could go to their Sunday School Class party each year.  Rob and I would argue about who was going to get the coveted "behind Grandpa's chair" sleeping place.  Then, in the morning, Mom and Dad would come over for breakfast. 

Grandma's waffles.

Second thoughts.

How can I take all that time to make cinnamon rolls on Sunday morning when we have to have Carrie to church for praise team practice by 9:00?

How can I even think of replacing waffles when I got a new waffle maker from Ron and Judy for Christmas?

And give up a tradition that has been in place for almost 40 years?

Oh!  

New tradition!

(I love starting up new traditions!)

Cinnamon rolls on New Year's Eve!

Boy!  Am I glad that this is a New Year's Eve tradition! 

I don't think that I could ever start out the New Year with all of the butter and sugar that are enveloped in these things!  I really would like to leave that guilt behind in the old year.

Isn't the dough beautiful?

Adding the baking soda, baking powder, salt, and the last cup of flour before rolling them out...

You cannot even imagine how much butter and sugar are inside this log.

Well...maybe after a closer inspection of the picture, 

you can.

Adding insult to injury.

The frosting was made with two pounds of powdered sugar, whole milk, maple extract, and...

strongly brewed coffee!

This is my guilt-reducing photo.

As I was elbow deep in butter and sugar, I looked over in my kitchen sink 

and saw the apples and pears that I bought yesterday.  

The plan for the New Year is to begin again.

Healthier eating.

Exercise.

But that's the New Year.

This is the old.

Quit feeling guilty and enjoy
the extravagance of these rolls!

These rolls that we have renamed...

 "Once-A-Year Rolls."

It's no joke.  The first word out of my mouth after taking a bite was, "Ridiculous!"

What is even more ridiculous is that this recipe
made 3-9X13 glass pans 

and one 9-inch glass pan FULL of rolls!

Again...RIDICULOUS!

It's not too late!
If you would like to give these rolls a try before the New Year comes rushing in, here is a link to The Pioneer Woman's website where you will find her amazing cinnamon rolls.  Just click on "amazing cinnamon rolls."

Enjoying the sweetness of the old year--and the guilt that is left behind,

Let Them Come

I love our Nativity.

It is special for so many reasons.

My cousin and her husband gave it to us back in 2001. 

Len made the stable, and they included Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus in the manger.

For several years after that, we added important people and animals...the Angel, the Wise Men and a camel, a Shepherd, Shepherdess, and sheep, a donkey.

Even a rooster, hen, goose, duck, and turkey.

And a Water Boy.

Several years went by without an addition.

The two little shops that sold them went out of business.

This year, I decided that I would like to add someone...

or something.

After looking online, I decided that I really didn't want anymore townspeople.

And the animals were so expensive.

Then Judy, my mother-in-law, told me the story of her good friend, Carol.

Carol shops all year round for 

animals to add to her Nativity.

Animals that aren't part of the original set.

Animals that aren't to scale with the rest of the Nativity.

Animals that probably didn't get a front row seat for the Birth of Jesus.

Then I found them.

Animals of good quality.

Beautiful animals that were inexpensive but durable.

The first animal we brought home this month was the little raccoon.

He looks as though he's praying.

Joshua likes him because he looks like the raccoon that Buddy the Elf meets in the movie "Elf."

"Hi!  What's your name?"

And then...

I couldn't help myself.

When I saw this kneeling giraffe, I had to have him.

 A new tradition with endless possibilities!

 I love to think that ALL of creation yearned to welcome the Newborn King.

In our Nativity, they will get the chance.

Who knows what animal/s might join us next year...
maybe a hedgehog...a grizzly bear...an ostrich...maybe even a flamingo.

O.K.
Maybe not a flamingo.

Enjoying the Birth of our Savior,

What Does Autumn Taste Like?

Candy Corn and Peanuts

Pumpkin Spice Latte

Homemade Applesauce

 I've had this recipe hanging on the inside of my cupboard door since Carrie and William were teeny tinies.

The inside of my cupboard doors tell a story.

The recipe at the bottom is Aunt Norma's
apple butter recipe.

The recipe right above that is for "Mom's Biscuits."
It was hanging right there when we moved in...
something left from Mrs. Franklin.
The tape around it is yellowed now.

Beside it, to the right, is my good friend Debbie's recipe for dressing, dated July 12, 2006...in her handwriting.

I remember sitting at her kitchen table when she wrote it out for me.

Right above Debbie's recipe is the apple list from our local orchard.

It tells when each variety of apple is ripe.

White Chocolate Pumpkin Cookies

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

Matthew is eye-balling
the muffin that has his name on it.

My gourd candles before they rotted.

Chocolate Chip-Banana-Pecan Bread

Autumn tastes even better when there are little snowflakes flying around in the sky...

Why is it that when the cold weather blows in
and the leaves begin turning color,
I go into hibernation mode?

Just watch out for spring.

Until then...
Enjoying warm, tasty treat,

Punkin' Faces

(Photo credit goes to Brandy.  Thank you so much for capturing this in pictures!)

After our gorgeous trip to the pumpkin patch, we brought our pumpkins back home and dug in.

Josh is all smiles, because this is his really truly first pumpkin carving.

The kids promise me that we haven't carved pumpkins for two or three years.  

If that's true, then Josh wouldn't remember carving...mainly because he wouldn't have been carving.

He would have just been watching.

Not this year!

He was involved with him pumpkin turned Jack O' Lantern up to his elbow!

Carrie is an old pro at carving pumpkins.

It has been a long time since she has needed any help.

First-Timer and Old-Timer

No Guts...No Glory

This Jack O' Lantern should be very glorious!

Because he wasn't too fond of cleaning out the pumpkin, his decision was to sit back and relax awhile until the dirty work was done.

Another carving pro in action...

Josh was fully involved in creating his Jack O' Lantern.

This girl knows how to clean out a pumpkin!

 This is one of the most patient teachers
you will ever meet.

He talked Josh through the carving of his pumpkin,
step-by-step.

Checking it out from the inside...

A little guidance...

Oh, the concentration!

And oh, the guts!

Time out for Matthew.

Tired from all of the pumpkin carving,
he decided to play burrito.

A smiley kind of goofy face
emerges from Carrie's pumpkin...

William's pumpkin and tribute to Steve Jobs.

He also ended up carving a power cord at the bottom of the pumpkin...

My guy...

Josh's finished pumpkin...complete with fangs...

Paul's Pumpkin Pie-rate...

I've never carved a gourd before.

Aren't they cute?!

Now, several weeks later, I can tell you that if you want cute little gourd candle-holders for Thanksgiving, carve them the week before Thanksgiving.  

After a couple weeks, they start rotting.

 

The line-up:

Josh, William, Paul, Matthew, Jodi, and Carrie.

What a beautiful, sunny day!

Ride bikes and swing while you have the chance!

Some serious deliberating going on here.

My friend, Peggy, gave me a little oak tree that she found growing at the back of her property.

We're trying to decide where to plant it...

Paul has an idea.

And William wields his shovel!

Charlie is right in the middle of everything.

It's surprising that the little tree got planted.

And some nighttime viewing...

Enjoying all things autumn,