Flavors of Fall, Vol. 2

It's apple time!  Apple cider, cider donuts, dumplings, caramel, and...pie! 

gotta have pie.

first you need apples-so we headed out to the orchard

 We had to pick out our pumpkins while we were there

nice pumpkins, Tom

you want us to what?  look at you?  at the same time? psssh.silly Mommy.

I'm on a horse

 

 

 

 

 

 

we picked those apples ourselves, y'all

 Now it's time to make pie!  look how yummy it looks already!  Yes, I use pre-made crust.  Now you know.

is there wine in all of my pictures?

 Brush the top crust with a little milk and sprinkle with sugar.  It will make people gasp and claim it's the best pie they've ever had.  That's a tip from the legendary dessert queen herself-so take it and run.  Don't expect me to be posting any cheesecake recipes anytime soon, though.

yum

my little helper...note the apple in her hair

And a few more pics of Apple Festival fun @ Wachusett Mountain

Time to get ready for Halloween...stay tuned for pumpkin guts and spooky fun! 

Flavors of Fall, Vol. 1

Autumn is the best time of year to cook.  Everything smells SO good, makes you warm and cozy, is abundant and fresh...I could go on.  Today I bring you Butternut Squash Ravioli.  Or, my quick and easy version.  This isn't really a recipe since I throw stuff together off the cuff, but here's what I did:

 

cheater ravioli...thank you to the good people of Stop & Shop

So, I started much the same way I start every meal...sauteing onions...

 

I added to that some butternut squash that I had already roasted that afternoon, a little veggie stock and some milk, salt, pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg.  I let it simmer down for a bit until it was a not too thick and not too thin consistency

this smells insanely good, trust me

add the cooked Ravioli and viola!  dinner

 

add a salad...and you can even call it healthy!

and since you're being all healthy...have some pumpkin cookies for dessert!

Late to the party

In my four (!) years of being a mom...I have never thrown a birthday party.  I know, right?  Now that Nathan has a classroom full of preschool friends-I thought I'd give it a whirl.  I anticipated a very small party...how many people aren't already booked up or on vacation on a July Saturday?  Well, it turns out a lot because nearly everyone was able to come!  I had a great time putting this together-kid parties mean balloons, streamers, pinatas and goody bags, and cake with sugary, brightly colored icing!  We did a soccer party per Nathan's request!

We set up a giant soccer goal in the backyard and had lots of balls for everyone to kick around.  We also used it for kicking the soccer ball shaped pinata (instead of hanging and hitting with a stick!) The hit of the party was the bounce house, though!  I think 4 year olds are instantly attracted to these things!

 Nathan and Nathan

For dessert, we had cupcakes with green "grass" icing and soccer decorations.  I found printable downloads here

such a boy, using his shirt as a napkin...

And of course, the madness that was opening birthday presents!  Just TRY to hold them all back!  Most of the pictures turned out like this:

It was truly a wonderful day, everyone had a blast!  My baby boy is so lucky to have so many great friends.  And even though I'm still cleaning up 3 days later...I would do it again in a heartbeat! Happy Birthday Nathan!

Baking with a 3 year old-a Lesson in Patience

Ahh...Fall. Changing leaves, crisp fresh apples, and of course-pumpkin cookies! I promised Nathan we would bake some when he woke from his nap today. Nathan is an eager little helper, so he couldn't be happier at the prospect of creating something yummy. And, what a sweet way for Mommy and Son to spend the afternoon together (awwwwww).

Pumpkin Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 cup canned pumpkin

Brown-Sugar Butter Frosting

Nathan's all set to start

Ellie the Chief Supervisor

combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and allspice. Set aside.

Beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 Seconds. Beat in the sugar.

Add the egg (this is Nathan's favorite part)

Pick shells out of the bowl (I added this step)

Stir pumpkin and flour mixture into egg mixture

lick the beaters, because that is your god given right

Drop the dough by rounded teaspoons about 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned

mmm...fresh out of the oven!

Frost the cooled cookies with Brown-Sugar Butter Frosting. Oh.My.Yum.

Brown-Sugar Butter Frosting: In a medium saucepan heat 6 tablespoons butter and 1/3 cup packed brown sugar over medum heat until butter melts. Remove mixture from heat. Stir in 2 cups sifted powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add enough hot water (2-3 teaspoons) to make a smooth, spreadable frosting. Frost cooled cookies immediately after preparing frosting.

So, I didn't include the meltdown over who would use the mixer. I didn't detail the number of times Nathan was sent to wash his hands for various reasons (I'll just let you assume-he is 3 after all), or the various breaks taken to entertain/feed/change the Divine Miss E, who has been particularly diva-licous lately. In all, we had a good time and the cookies are yum. Too bad I'll have to share them!