Amazing Pumpkin Pie

 I love this week.  I love Thanksgiving. I love how a holiday around food and gratitude brings families and friends together.  The only gift given is time.  Cousins playing together, games played, chatting over coffee and pie, exchanging recipes.  It really is my favorite!  My kids get the whole week off, the leaves are falling off our trees, and it's finally cold.  All of that makes my heart so happy.  One thing that I love is that our calendar kind of slows down.  Soccer is over for the fall season, Bible Study is done until January. . . guys, my schedule is slowing down and it's wonderful!  I confess, I may have filled it up a little full this fall and I kind of regret it.  So, this season of Thanksgiving I am welcoming the opportunity to slow down and savor the holidays, Thanksgiving included. 

Today, our first day of vacation, is my favorite.  The kids are playing quietly.  The TV has been playing Clone Wars non stop, a few chores have been done, but the kids are cozy in their sweats and relaxing.  We all need a day to just rest and take it slow.  These kids work hard at school all day and their brains need a break. . . just like ours.  So, it's our tradition to mark vacation with a veg out day.   Like I said, we are just slowing down and savoring.

 Pumpkin Pie is a family favorite.  We absolutely love the Costco Pumpkin pie, but it is sooo Huge and well, who really wants to enter that mad house the week of Thanksgiving?  Add taking your kids and well. . . I am just not sure I want to go that route.  I am not making Pumpkin Pie this year, but I had to make it for Weston's Thanksgiving feast on Friday.  There was no  time to go go Costco, and I needed to make a bunch, so I was thinking slab pie would be the best bet.  Guys, can we just say Game Changer!  This recipe was amazing and so easy!  I will definitely be making it again. 

 Also, this recipe could easily be halved,  or it can make about 2 slab pies or a bunch of little mini pies.  Which, by the way, or so easy and the perfect way to serve a bunch of people with out having to dish out slices of pie.  And, hey. . . portion control, right?  There's always so much food to eat, so why not make it easier to try different kinds?    I just used my Pampered Chef cut and seal to cut the circles and put them in my muffin tin.  Easy Peazy. 

Drooling yet?  Ready for some Thanksgiving indulgences?  Make this pie and wow your family or your friends at Thanksgiving. . . or just keep it and eat it after the kids go to bed.  I won't tell. 

Here's the recipe:

Pumpkin Slab Pie
adapted from Goodhousekeeping.com

Ingredients:
Refrigerated Pie Crust*
2 (15 oz) cans of pumpkin
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 1/4 cup  heavy cream
1 1/4 cup whole milk
4 large eggs
1 cup dark brown sugar
 1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. salt
whipped cream, for topping.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Roll out 2 pie dough circles to make a rectangle**.  Carefully lift it up and place it in a 13x9 inch sheet pan (with edges) or a casserole pan.  Fold over edges and crimp.  Then, stab a fork into the the dough to prevent bubbling.  Bake for about 10-14 minutes until golden brown.

In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, ginger, heavy cream, whole milk, eggs, sugars, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.  Mix well, until nice and creamy.  Pour into baked pie crust and bake for 25 minutes or until set.  Cool completely before cutting.

If you are going to make the pumpkin pie cups, follow the same instructions, except cutting circles and placing them into a muffin tin.  Circles should be 3-4 inches in diameter and should bake for slightly less time. 

*I used Pillsbury pie crust.
** If using a larger sheet pan, like a jelly roll, roll out 4 circles into a larger rectangle and proceed as normal.  It might take a bit longer to cook because it is bigger, so keep an eye on it.

Corn Chowder (dairy free)

 

 Oh fall, I love you.   Really, I do!  In fact, I am having a hard time focusing on this blog post because it just got all dark and overcast and all I want to do is curl up in a ball and go read a book.  Or sleep.  Either one would be nice.   Does anyone else have this problem, or is just me?  I am such a sucker for freshly fallen leaves and my favorite Starbucks latte!

Also, fall makes comfort food sound so appealing.  Comfort food is not usually my go-to choice for eating.  Give me tacos or pasta any day!  Also, having a dairy allergy kind of limits a lot of those comfort food choices.   Sad, huh?  However, one of my favorite soups. . . a recipe from my sweet friend is easily adapted to make it dairy free and it still tastes delicious!

Also, it has bacon.

I mean, dairy free and bacon.

You don't even need to know what it is.  It has bacon in it.  That's enough.

This Corn Chowder is my favorite.  Food also brings great memories. 

My friend and I had our first kids 2 weeks apart.  It was the best thing.  We both decided to stay home with those cute babies of ours.  We joked that some day our kiddos would get married and talked about random craziness.  We also loved getting together for play dates. . . which are way fun when babies aren't old enough to fight with each other!  One day, she made me lunch with her dinner leftovers and it was amazing.  This soup. It provided dinner for her family and a sweet meal with a great friend. 

See great memories. 

This corn chowder is so great, because I can eat it.  The plain almond milk doesn't even change the flavor so the whole family can eat it.  This is a big deal when half your family can't eat dairy. 

 So, first things first, cook up some bacon pieces.  I won't tell if you double the bacon.  It'll be our little secret. 

 Take out some of the bacon and set it aside on a paper towel, so you can sprinkle with bacon before serving.  Add some chopped celery and onions into the bacon and all that beautiful bacon grease. 

  Add in the corn, dairy free butter, and broth.  Give it a little swirl and add the carrots and potatoes. Keep cooking for about 15 minutes.  While that's going, mix some water and flour together into a paste like consistency.  Add it to your almond milk and stir. Keep cooking for 3o minutes or until you are ready to feed your family.

 Kids make great helpers for this kind of meal.  Stirring is fun, I tell them.  Also, don't sweatshirts scream comfort food? 

 Cheese and bacon make great toppers.  There's no such thing as too much bacon. 

Ready to add this to your meal plan?   Also, if you really aren't all about dairy free and you can handle dairy (so jealous right now), just substitute non dairy for their real, milk and cream alternatives.  Easy Peazy!

Also, this recipe is not gluten free. . . since you are adding flour into the milk as a thickener.

Corn Chowder
adapted from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:
1 package of bacon (or two. . . I won't tell)
2 celery sticks, chopped
1 large onion, diced
2 TBSP dairy free butter
salt & pepper to taste
1 can creamed corn
1 can whole kernel corn (I used fresh corn that I froze over the summer)
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups plain almond milk
6 cups small potatoes, cubed
2 carrots, chopped
2 TBS flour

Directions:
Fry bacon in pan until almost done.  Take some out for sprinkling on top.
Add onions and celery and saute until lightly browned.   Add corn, butter, and broth.
Add carrots and potatoes.  Continue cooking for about 15 minutes.  Mix flour and a little bit of water together to make a paste.  Add milk and flour paste into the soup.  If your soup is still not even thick enough, feel free to make some more paste and add it t little by little to your soup until you get the desired thickness. 

Keep simmering for about 30 minutes or until you are ready to serve.  Top with cheese and bacon.

Happy Cooking! 

on gratitude.

The alarm goes off and I frantically try to find my phone to turn it off.  Another day of wrangling the kids to and from school, keeping the house in order, and checking things off my daily to-do list has begun. Today, there is a lot on the list.  I'm not entirely sure I will get it all done (anybody have some extra hours they can send me? ha ha!) The days can seem so overwhelming and discouraging at times.  The never ending laundry, grocery shopping (I'm pretty sure I'm raising a heard of elephants some times instead of two boys!), household chores that I never seem to have time for, projects I want to finish (and some that I want to start).  Then, add in commitments and volunteering and the occasional discipline problem or sick kid.  It is so easy to just loose that joy when we look at the list and wonder just how we are going to tackle it all or even get a breath in. 

One of my favorite verses says, "Be joyful always , pray continually, Give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."  

It brings so much encouragement to think that in the midst of folding towels and doing dishes I can find joy.  I can find things to be thankful for.  Some days are more difficult than others.  I mean, some days are just bad.  Once I start looking for things to be thankful for. . . even on days where I have to reach way down deep, my attitude shifts.  That desire to complain, whine, or even quit goes away.  It is almost instantaneously replaced with joy.  Suddenly doing dishes and folding clothes just doesn't seem that terrible.

As I raise my boys, I want them to learn to be thankful.  I want them to grow into men who find love God and find joy in the small things.  I want them to be more than just polite boys who say their pleases and thank yous.  I want them to seers who are thankful for the easy things as well as the hard, seemingly insignificant things.

A few years ago, I decided to make a Gratitude tree.  I found an old vase, stuck some play dough at the bottom, and thrown a branch in.  It was huge.  It wasn't the prettiest thing, but my oldest, who was probably in kindergarten made everyone who came to visit write something they were thankful for.  He wanted to see others participate in our new tradition.

A few years have passed and I am honestly not even sure I did it last year.  I don't know.  But, I was looking for inexpensive fall centerpiece for our dining room table.  My first and second ideas didn't pan out.  So, I brought back the gratitude tree. They boys were so excited!  As soon as they saw it they wanted to start writing.   Watching the boys think of things they are thankful for was inspiring.

Ethan's first tag was that he was thankful for Armadillos.  While that seems a bit odd, we had been to the zoo the evening before and they were incredibly active.  He said they reminded him of giant caterpillars.  He was watching.  He was thankful.

Weston was so excited he wanted to write two down.  He thought and thought and finally came up with paint.  He loves creating and painting is one of his favorite things!  He also came up with food that he can eat (when you have food allergies. . . food often is just not that exciting).

This year I cleaned out a can (I HAD to make something with pumpkin to be able to use the can), and let it dry overnight.  I wrapped with with some jute and tied a bow around it.  Then, I went out to the backyard and clipped a few leaf-less branches off some of our trees and stuck them in the can.  Super easy and it didn't cost me anything because I had all the stuff.

Then, I found some paper in my paper stash and stamped some gratitude words down and tied some bakers twine around to make the tags.  Super easy.

It's so easy that you can do it, too.  It's never to late to start keeping track of things you are thankful for!  

3 Things I'm loving

It's Friday and let's be honest.  I am ready for the weekend.  We survived Halloween week and now, I need a nice long 3 day weekend.  The boys are home and are wrapping up their afternoon chores.  The sky is partly sunny with overcast clouds coming in.  I am fighting every urge to warm up a cup of chai tea and curl up on the couch in a blanket.  But, first this blog post. 

I thought that I would share 3 things that I am loving today for a few reasons. 
1.  I just wanted to be able to write. 
2.  I'm not in the mood to tell you how I did something.  My brain is tired. 
3.  Because it's Friday and the seasons are officially changing here and my heart is happy (tired. . . but happy!)

 I've done this a few times way back when.  But, one of my favorite podcasters always asks the people she has on what are three things they are loving right now.  I just love that because it doesn't have to be a product or anything.  It shows a persons heartbeat.  So, here are my three things for today. 

1.  Holidays.  Guys, let's be honest.  It's all sort of annoying when Thanksgiving gets skipped over, but seriously, for me it's the whole season.  The food, the sounds, the twinkling lights, the smells, the time with family.  EVERY SINGLE Thing!  I saw two ladies walk around Target the other day whining about Christmas stuff being up the day after Halloween.  Complainers are my least favorite thing.  I walked around them, just enjoying the sights and sounds. . . and drinking my latte.

2.  Starbucks Red Cups and Gingerbread Lattes.
I wait all year for this.  Gingerbread lattes are probably my favorite latte of all.   They are basically Christmas in a cup and it's wonderful.  This year's red cup is super cute.  I can't wait to go out for coffee with friends just so I can have another cup of this heavenly drink! 

3.  The book Wonder.  It's been on our reading bucket list for a while now and we decided to put all our other reading on hold so we can get this book done before we go see the movie.  I'm only a few chapters in and so far I have laughed and cried. It is so beautifully written.  Ethan is chasing me through it (we are both reading it, but sharing the book), and we are getting to talk about it.  I have a feeling this book is not going to take us long to read!  Ethan and I are going to celebrate it by going and seeing the movie later this month.  You should read it too.  It's a good one! 

And those are three things I am loving lately.  What are you loving right now?  SHare in the comments, over on Facebook or Instagram.  I'd love to hear!  Maybe your current love will encourage someone else?  Who knows.

Enjoy your weekend!  I'm going to go make a chai latte, watch a movie, and maybe make something pumpkin-y.  Because it's fall and the weekend.  

What's For Dinner {Sept 2017 edition}

This summer I went and drooled over the cookbook section at Barnes and Noble.  There are sooo many good recipes out there hidden in these books. . . and there are so many of them!  Before, I even consider taking the plunge and buying one I always check them out at the library first.  I need to read them. I need to study them.  I need to ask myself will I make more than just one recipe from this book?  So, at the end of the summer, I had quite the stack of cookbooks waiting for me at our local library.  It was like Christmas.  But not.  I had to return these babies eventually!

I'm kind of afraid to post the recipes we tried out because you might run away screaming. But, hear me out.  I've made mention that my youngest son and I deal with dairy allergies and then he also has a soy allergy.  This is so frustrating when you just want to eat some good food.  I also know that sometimes bread is not my friend.  So, after some serious talks with my husband we decided to try out some paleo and Whole 30 recipes.  These recipes are guaranteed to be dairy free and grain free and a lot of them look so amazing!  We aren't at the point where we will switch completely to these diets, but I think there is a lot to gain from them, their recipes, and living a healthy lifestyle.  I am a huge believer in everything in moderation and that food is meant to be enjoyed and savored.  And guys, these recipes were so tasty!  I wouldn't be sharing them with you if they weren't. 

So, without further ado. . . here are the recipes we tried out in September.

1.  Mediterranean Bison Burgers. 

This recipe was one of my favorites.  Jon thought it was so-so, only because of the mayonnaise. . . that he doesn't do.   Bison is always really tasty and the grilled green onions were amazing!  You definitely need to make a salad or some potatoes for the side because you will be hungry an hour later.  But, this one was a keeper! 

2.  Asian Sesame Chicken Salad

 This was our absolute favorite recipe of October.  It made a huge batch and I still am thinking about adding it to our menu for this month.   Plus, using coconut aminos is a great way to get rid of the soy factor and it tastes just like soy sauce!  I really liked this recipe because it made a lot of salad and we just poured the dressing on separately so we could have leftovers the next night.  Leftovers and dinner time soccer practices are my friend!  This is a whole 30 recipe and unlike most Asian sesame salads, there was no sugar to be found in this recipe (that's why it's whole 30). 

3.  Italian Sub Salad

I've had this recipe on my want to make list for almost forever!  I finally made it and it was pretty much amazing.  I've never really been disappointed with Smitten Kitchen recipes.  Deb Perelman has always been one of my favorite food bloggers because shes so stinking simple and she is so real.  I think that this recipe is going to join some other favorite salad recipes that I bring to parties.  It's that good!   It also tastes like an Italian sub without the bread! I added provolone to Jon and Ethan's salads, but otherwise kept it dairy free.  I also made this recipe on a super hot day so heating up the kitchen sounded horrible!  This was the perfect summer-time dinner!

4.  Dump Ranch

So. . .this isn't really a dinner recipe.  But, it is so amazing!  I love ranch.  I MISS ranch.   Carrots and ranch, Pizza and ranch, BBQ chicken salad with ranch, buffalo chicken with ranch.  This recipe is life changing if you are on a non dairy diet.  It's super easy.  Doesn't even taste like coconut and it takes less than 5 minutes to make!  I have been making this so many times that I keep light flavored olive oil in the pantry so I always  have it. 

  I also made an amazing twice baked potatoes recipe from the whole 30 cookbook and they were amazing.  I can't find the recipe anywhere, so you might have to go buy the book or check it out at your local library. 

For those who are curious of the cookbooks I checked out and enjoyed here's a list with amazon links:

Against all Grain - I made a few of these recipes earlier in the summer and they were really good.  She has a lot of recipes on her blog, too! 

Whole 30 Cookbook - this is the actual cookbook that came out and not the guide to how to do the whole 30.  The recipes we tried were amazing!

Nom Nom Paleo was super fun to read.  I didn't get a chance to make anything from it before sending it back.  But super cute and fun. 

Well, that's it!  I hope this inspired you and you didn't run away thinking I've lost all my marbles!  Don't worry, we haven't given up carbs completely!  Just eating in moderation. 

What are you cooking up this month?








1 / 2 / 3 / 4 /

word.

 
She is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.

Proverbs 31:15

This verse stops me in my tracks every time I read it.  It tugs my heart and reminds me so much about my worth on days where there is so much doubt and shame. 

If you have been around my blog for a few years, you might know that one of my favorite passages of the Bible is Proverbs 31.  For those of you newer to this little writing space of mine, it's a small little chapter at the end of Proverbs with wise advice from a mom to her son of what he should look for in a wife.  Many of these attributes seem impossible to attain and so for many, it they easily get tossed aside because it's often the opposite of what society tells us feminism should be or they feel like it's an impossible standard so why even bother.  

Being a mom and a wife is hard.  Heck, being a woman is hard.  We work hard doing all the things to help our homes run smoothly.  There are 24 hours a day and some of that we are sleeping (I hope!).  I don't even have a job and I can't get everything I want to accomplish done in a day.  I can't imagine a working mom's stress level.  Then, on top of that, we throw the added fears of judgement and our self image into the mix and really, we are a mess! Social media doesn't even help us!  In the last week, I have seen stories come across my feed that shame women for fixing lunches for their spouse, for a pile of diapers that need to be tossed, and dust on the furniture!  We feel inadequate, unworthy, tired, dirty, and frazzled.  We always feel like we should be doing more.  So, really quick, let's talk.

My best friend has a sweet job working in the jewelry/fancy handbag industry, so I figured I would ask her what is so great about a ruby.  While I knew some of the things she told me, I was surprised by one of them.  First of all, Rubies are rare.  They are a lot harder to find than any other gem.  Not to mention, you can't find that color red that rubies have in any other gemstone.  They are also incredibly beautiful.  I was always a little jealous of my sister for having a ruby for a birthstone. . . it was so much prettier than my yellow topaz!  They are also almost as strong as a diamond.   So, let's see:  A ruby is a rare, beautiful and strong gemstone that makes them very valuable. 

Now, let's put that into the context of you.

YOU are worth more than rubies.

There is nobody on earth exactly like you.  You have your own physical markings that make you who you are.  You have your own giftings and likes and dislikes and that makes you unique.  It would be a really boring world if everyone looked and did the exact same things as you or me.

YOU are beautiful!

You may not feel like it today.  You may not even have showered in a couple of days and still have spit up on your shirt from yesterday. Your hair may be in a messy bun for the 7th day in a row.  You may feel tired and worn down from just being so busy or  possibly life is just rough right now.  You may be frustrated because your body is not fitting your clothes the way they used to.  But remember, you were created in God's image and you are beautiful!

YOU are strong. 

You may not feel like it right now, but you can do this.  You can do whatever God has put in front of you right now.  Thankfully, when we feel weak, God does amazing things through us. There are so many verses that God gives us to remind us that our strength comes from Him.

Exodus 15:2  The Lord is my strength and my song. . . 

Joshua 1:9 Be strong and courageous.  Do not be frightened. . . for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. 

2 Samuel 22:33 God is my strength and power, and He makes my way perfect. 

Doesn't that make you feel strong?

So today, as you go about your daily business, fight those feelings of shame and inadequacy with God's Word.  Hide it in your heart and be encouraged.  Insert your name in the verse and make it your mantra today: is more precious than rubies. Send a note or text message to a friend and encourage them. . . they may need to hear some encouraging words today.













 

Connection Time!

 I kind of took a two week vacation because things were just a tad bit insane around here.  I promise I didn't forget about you and this space.  There are definitely periods of time where life just gets busy and we just run with it.  I am sure most of you can probably relate.  I also really wanted to take the time to catch up with all of you.  I realized that I hadn't posted a connection time post since before school started. . . and we just finished our first quarter!  Crazy. 

I feel like I am typing and going quite quickly today because I just stopped by our favorite coffee shop that just took over one of the drive thru spots super close to my house. . . and the kids school.  I'm also trying to grill chicken for tonight's chicken bistro salad and manage homework and chores.  Soccer is in an hour and half and I am totally not ready!  But that's okay.  I bought that Barilla Pronto pasta and it is a game changer on days like today.  So, I apologize ahead of time if I sound a little discombobulated. 

I also joined in the Nester's My Cozy Fall Home challenge, so I posted this picture earlier  last week for the Cozy Chair in my house.  It's really one of my favorite places to curl up in and read a good book.  I also used to sit in this chair when Ethan would have late night coughing fits.  I would sit there and hold him until the cough medicine sort of took effect.  Also, I feel like you should know that at the time I took this picture, it was the only clean, uncluttered area in my whole house.  It's just the reality of things.  And part of getting my house ready for fall includes a deep cleaning that i've slowly been working on. 

I mentioned earlier that we are about half way into soccer season.  Last week was the first week, I really felt cold. . . it was an 8am game, but I felt cold and that's all that matters.  Ethan's team also won their first game and so excitement was insane!  We are trying out a new league this year and there are some seriously serious teams out there.  Ethan is having a blast and enjoying his team mates, which makes it so much more fun to watch. 

We had our school carnival a few weeks ago and I made so many signs that my eyeballs were rolling backwards.  Not really.  But there were quite a few of them and it took all week to do!  HEre's just one of the many signs.  Ignore the fact that my toes were in desperate need of some polish (that has since been fixed!). 

And, my Fiddle Leaf Fig.  It seems to be doing quite well in the front room.  I am loving this plant and just the simple addition of this plant by the window makes it a little bit homier.   So far it's lived 2 months.  Crossing my fingers are at least 2 more.  We shall see! 

Now, let's work on the connection time.  Go grab something to drink and let's get started. 

Outside my window the leaves might just be changing colors.  I'm not sure if it's wishful thinking or not, but I could have sworn I saw some yellow on the tree.  Also, it's overcast. . . I think.  I am pretty sure it is, but we've had a lot of smoke from up North and so it's kind of hard to tell.

I am thinking a lot.  About so many things.  But right now, I am trying to decide what my next blog post will be.   Any votes?

From the kitchen Tonight, I am making Bistro Chicken Salad.  Other than that, things are pretty quiet until the end of the week.  But, lots of things pumpkin are on the horizon.

I am wearing  jeans and a button up shirt.  I got to speak to some moms this morning and I havent' had time to change. 

I am creating some top secret things right now.  But they involve the sewing machine! 

I am going to soccer practice tonight and then absolutely now where.  But, I think heading out to see a sweet friend's new baby is in the forecast for the week!  I need a baby fix! 

I am reading absolutely nothing right now.  I plan on fixing that this week, though. 

I am hoping for rain. We need it so bad and I really just want a gloomy, wet fall day.  Is that weird?

I am hearing the tv.  Other than that is oddly quiet around here.  I think my kids are tuckered out!

Around the House it's a mess.  But, I finally bought some pumpkins and am officially declaring it fall in our house.  Fall is definitely one o my favorite times of the year!

One of my favorite things. . . honestly, this week it has been the quiet.  But, every now and then Weston has been sneaking into bed with us in the middle of the night and it's just the sweetest thing.  He doesn't stay for long, but he gets this huge sleepy smile when he snuggles in next to us.  I will miss that phase!

A few plans for the week top secret projects, cleaning the house, and some pumpkin cookies.

What I am listening to  I've been listening to this album on Amazon Music called Joeseph and Sara Tracy.  They have redone some famous old hymns and I just cannot get enough of it! 

Now, it's your turn!  Grab your coffee and let's connect! You don't have to do them all! I can't wait to hear from you! You can even private message me if you don't want to make it public. 

Outside my window
I am thinking
From the kitchen
I am wearing
I am creating
I am going
I am reading
I am hoping
I am hearing
Around the House
One of my favorite things
A few plans for the week
What I am listening to