Playing catch-up

Where have the days gone? It seems like forever since I have posted something worthwhile and so I am going to start catching up today even though I should be napping. Apparently, when you are up most of the night with your sick toddler, the old rule applies. . . "sleep when they sleep." I confess, I should be doing that, but there isn't much time between packing (for our move), Christmas (there are gifts to be made), and the mess (sick kid + 4 day weekend = messy house and lots of laundry). But now, he will be waking soon, and so here, I sit, sleepy and relaxed, staring at my computer.

2 weeks ago (yes, it has been that long!), I found this recipe for the most amazing pumpkin-chip cookies I have ever tasted! I am not a huge fan of making pumpkin cookies, because they just don't store right and are more like cake than cookies. These cookies ended up being amazingly delicious. I only made cookies with half the batter and saved some for later, because they don't last long in their moist, delicious state.

Excuse my picture, I took it on my phone with not the best light. But these really are quite good!

Happy Baking!

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies

1 cup butter
1 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup pumpkin butter
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cardamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp orange zest ( didn't have one, so I used a lemon)
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg, vanilla, and pumpkin butter. Mix well. Slowly add dry ingredients, mixing well to combine after each addition. Stir in zest and chocolate chips. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Bake for 15-18 minutes at 350 degrees.

A new milestone. . .

Last week I celebrated my 30th birthday and I think I am in denial. I thought my family and I were just going to celebrate it quietly at home, but little did I know that my dear, sweet husband planned a surprise party with some friends and family. I was completely caught offguard! But, I feel so blessed to have a fantastic husband and great friends who would go behind my back to plan something like that (thanks Jon, Steph, and Josh!!!!). In honor of my 30th birthday, everyone dressed in black to mourn the loss of my 20's. And mourn them, I did.

My 20's were filled with so many adventures that I thought I would take some time to remember them for a moment.
:: Moved to Fresno
:: Traveled to El Salvador on a missions trip with my church
:: Graduated from Fresno State with my BA
:: Received my credential from FSU
:: Spent 2 years subbing
:: Attended Urbana Missions Conference (where I met my husband)
:: Taught for 4 years, moving schools 3 times and classrooms 5 times,
:: Got married to my wonderful husband, Jon
:: Traveled to Las Vegas and Chicago,Seattle, Oregon, and many of the western states
:: Gave birth to one cute little baby boy
:: Traveled and explored San Francisco too many times to count

And now I am 30. I am not sure what 30 is supposed to feel like, but I do know that I am going to dive right in and continue living life to the fullest. There are so many things that I want to do. The first is to move into my new house. I am looking forward to this upcoming adventure of being a homeowner and the many more adventures that follow.

So, bring on the 30's!

pumpkin cheesecake

I love cheesecake and I love pumpkin, but the combination of the two is really quite heavenly. So, when picking a dessert for our small group potluck this weekend, I really couldn't resist. . . plus I only needed to buy a block of cream cheese (that means it was cheap. . . a big seller when it comes to picking recipes!).

Now, although I love cheesecake, I tend to make recipes that only have minimal blocks of cream cheese because it just gets too expensive. This recipe, however, only called for two. I added the chocolate drizzle over the top for a nice look. You can find this recipe HERE.

Happy Baking!

dish towels

Procrastination and a long to-do list have entered into my life. . . causing both organization and insanity. I am finding it hard to pack, but super easy to sew (It is so relaxing!). So, I thought I would share some dishtowels I made for the new house.
Believe it or not. . . I started this one last January! I just have been so busy with other projects I completely forgot about it . . . actually, it has been staring at me for 9 months! So, when all other projects had been completed I took the time to get the last few stitches finished. All that waiting and it took me 15 minutes! But, It will look perfect in my new kitchen.

This is one of my favorites. It matches the potholder I did awhile back. I plan on making a couple more after the big move, between unpacking, painting, and working on Christmas gifts. just love it!
This one uses my Lizzy Dish and Red Letter Day fabric. I

MOPS centerpieces

Thursday night, our MOPS group dove into the topics of Infertility, Miscarriage, and Adoption. Three guest speakers came and shared the sorrow, as well as the joy, as they told the stories of their experiences. Earlier I had been approached by my friend Stacy to help with the centerpieces for night. We put together these hand sewn baby gifts with burpies, diaper pouch, and bib for people to enjoy as they ate, listened, and fellowshiped, and then had the opportunity to buy (they went fast!). Here are how each of them came out!

Hooray for new fabric

I am sitting here in my sweats enjoying this nice November beach weather. I just bought some new fabric and I am so excited to get home and start sewing some fun things (to be announced later!). Until then, I am going to enjoy the beach and savor the moments I have to not do anything (I think that once I return home I will be full speed ahead with my projects and moving). Have a fantastic weekend! Enjoy the beautiful November weather!

Until next time!

Life suddenly seems to have gotten incredibly busy. I don't like it! Here is a quick post of some things that I have liked and then I am off to tackle more projects (all the while fighting the urge to take a nap.)

Pumpkin Pound Cake -
I made this on Sunday for dinner (we were supposed to have company, but they cancelled after I had already started making it. . . So, now we have this delicious dessert to eat all by ourselves (no complaints here!). It was really easy and is super moist. It has great pumpkin flavor and looks really nice in a bunt pan. I topped it off with a dollup of homemade whipped cream and some sprinkles of nutmeg. Delicious! You can find the recipe here.
Fall Card
I needed to come up with a quick card for the ladies at my MOPS table, so after deciding that I was going to use this scarecrow stamp, I put this together really quick. It was super easy, no hassle card. (Stamps are Happy Fall Y'll by Stampin' Up and paper I found at JoAnns.)

Pumpkin Strussel Muffins

I found this recipe on a new baking blog I stumbled across last week. These muffins were good, although not as good as the recipe I normally use. It is a mild and moist pumpkin flavor compared to a strong, spicey one. It was good, though. This recipe was found here.

Now I am off to start some upcoming projects that shall remain a secret for now. Enjoy your day. . . the weather is brilliant, the day is quiet, and Fall is here!

I am in complete shock that it already November (a little side note that I am roasting in our warm November weather!). Last week, was a whirlwind week so I am trying to play catch up on my blogs, projects, and packing. So, in addition to pumpkin, I love spices. Mmmm. . . the smell of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves just melts me to pieces. I love it! So, I found this recipe for chai snickerdoodles and baked them up with eagerness. They were delicious! The extra spices in the dough add the perfect touch to an already delicious cookie! You can find the recipe here. I couldn't resist the taste of these and baked the whole batch. Yes, they were THAT good! After realizing that I baked the whole batch and couldn't eat them all (well. . . I could, but I am hoping to stay at my pre-pregnancy weight through the holidays), so I needed a way to get rid of them (They were too good to give to the trash can). One of my favorite blogs, Skip to my Lou had a great idea. I am not a scary Halloween fan, but this one just looked so fun, that I couldn't resist. I put my cookies in a cute bag, tied it with a ribbon, and gave them to my friends with this "BOO" door knob hanger.

The other side says:

This Halloween Ghost has come to town.

To leave some goodies. . . I see you've found.

Put this ghost upon your door as a sign to your friends to Boo you no more.

If you wish to make this a happier fall, continue this greeting, this ghostly call.

Gather some treats and deliver them soon,

Within two nights, by the light of the moon.

Don't let them see you, be sneaky at night.

Ring the doorbell, be fast, and stay out of sight.

The directions you need are found on this site

to make ghost door hangers for this fun night.

Check the web for the letter to boo,

It's all right there on Skip to my Lou.

This is all in good fun and we're trying to say

Happy Halloween and have a fun day!