Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Promise's, Promise's...

I promised a while back that I would post pictures from Boo at the Zoo. Unfortunately my camera decided to not work that night.. I did get one picture taken before my batteries decided they could no longer go on living.. Of course the picture is blurry and has nothing to do with the Boo at the Zoo festivities.

This is whats called an Ocelot. He is very adorable. He is a lot smaller then some of the other wild kitties out there, but he is still probably 3 times the size of your house cat! I just want to take him home with me and love him and squeeze him and call him George! But that's besides the point..

The husband and I have also done a few other things in the past few weeks that I have deemed blog worthy, but did not take any pictures of. We went to a Greek festival, but we did not stay for any of the festivities.. We just went for the food, which was very yummy by the way. I didn't get to see any Greek dancing or see the Greek bands play, so thus no pictures.

We also went to a model train show that same weekend. Yes, my husband is going to be one of those guy's who has their whole basement filled with model train sets, with the landscaping and everything. The only thing stopping him from doing that now is the fact that we have no basement. He keeps looking at the attic though.... So we go to this train show and walk around and see a lot of elaborate get ups. Some really nice ones that focus on the details of the landscaping, what with hikers climbing the mountains and bears just on the other side of the trees, but do I pull out my camera and take pictures? No. It stays in my purse.

The hubs and I are pretty boring people and the one weekend we actually get our butts up off the couch and go do something, I take no pictures.. Hopefully this is not a trend that plans on sticking around! I love taking pictures and usually carry the camera with me at all times..

We plan on going to some of the Museums in the Fort Worth area pretty soon. I plan on taking lots of pictures for that! ( we shall see....)

What about you guy's? Are there times when you plan on doing something and don't follow through?

Alternative Plans

Its been well over a year since my husband and I have been trying to conceive. We almost succeeded once, we didn't know it though. I thought I had posted the story, but I guess not..

So, here it is:

In June 2008 we took a trip to see my family in Oregon. The day before we left, I had some severe stomach pains. Didn't really think much about it, I was2 or 3 days off my period, so I just thought the pains were related to that. Took a hot bath and they went away.

We spent 7 wonderful days catching up with family and friends and enjoying ourselves on the coast. We even took a trip to the Tillamook Cheese Factory. Yum Yum!

The day before we were to fly home, I started to get severe stomach pains again. I got into my mom's hot tub, thinking the warm water would help with the pain like last time. It only got worse. I finally got out of the hot tub once I was all pruny and wrinkly. After getting out I dang near passed out from standing up. My mom suggested we go to the hospital, I was in so much pain I was crying and that's when my husband decided I really needed to go to the E.R.

Once there, we discover that I am pregnant. We weren't even trying. Had not even talked about the possibility of having kids yet.. So, Yay, right? Not really. You apparently should not be in that much pain whilst pregnant..

Turns out I was trying to grow a baby on my right ovary. I had what the doctor called a right ovarian ectopic pregnancy. I am one in a million women who get this.. After surgery and a week in the hospital, I got discharged and got to go home.

Since then we decided to try and have a baby. Its been a year and 3 months. Still no baby, but everyone around me is having one!

So at this point I am thinking about adoption. Does anyone out there have any experience with adoption? Any advice? Any advice on trying to concieve a baby on our own?

Banana Bread

Banana Bread

Prep: 25 minutes Bake: 55 minutes

Oven: 350 Makes: 1 loaf

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (5 medium)

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup cooking oil or melted butter or margarine

Topping:

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons butter

1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350. Grease bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of one 9x5x3 inch pan; set aside. In large bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Make a well in center of flour mixture; set aside.

In medium bowl combine eggs, banana, sugar, and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). Fold in walnuts. Spoon batter into prepared pan.

In small bowl combine 1/4 cup brown sugar and 3 tablespoons flour. Using pastry blender, cut in 2 tablespoons butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in 1/3 cup walnuts.

Sprinkle topping over batter

Bake in oven for 55 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely on rack.

Eat and enjoy!

The loaf of banana bread I made from this recipe didn't last over 24 hours in my house! It is that yummy!

Wordless Wednesday

(I did not take this picture, but its pretty, huh?)

Wordless Wednesday

Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin Bread

Prep: 20 min Bake: 55 min

Oven: 350 Makes: 2 loaves

3 cups sugar

1 cup cooking oil

4 eggs

31/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2/3 cups water

1 15-ounce can pumpkin

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottm and 1/2 inch up the sides of two 9x5x3-inch loaf pans; set aside. In an extra large mixing bowl beat sugar and oil with an electric mixer on medium. Add eggs and beat well; set sugar mixture aside.

1. In large bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Alternately add flour mixture and th water to sugar mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. beat in pumpkin. spoon batter int prepared pans.
Bake for 55-65 min or until a wooden toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completly on wire rack.

Wonderful Handmade Gifts

A few weeks a go the girls at SITS held an auction. I bid on a cute handmade purse and won the auction! Would you guy's like to see my cute new purse and the surprise goodies I found inside it? Of course you would!

I got my package today, and not only was there a cute purse, but a key chain thingy to match the purse, a cute belt, and a lovely necklace charm. I love it all! Thanks!!

I bet you would like to know where you could get a cute purse like mine, huh? Well, go check out the wonderful woman who made this purse and all the extra goodies. She has a blog called Loving Mom 2 Boys and you can find her Etsy shop here

Fall Decorations

I love all my new fall decorations! I got a new center piece for my table. I wasn't sure what to put in it though.. I had some mini pumpkins that I put it, but it seems like it needs something else. Any suggestins? Also I have a mantle this year that I got to decorate! So exciting.

Have you decorated for fall yet?

Crumble Top Cranberry Bars

Crumble Top Cranberry Bars

Prep: 25 min Bake time: 50 min

Oven: 350 Makes: 25 bars

Crust:

1 1/2 cups uncooked quick cooking oats

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

Filling:

1 cup sour cream

1/4 cup sugar
1 egg yolk

2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup sweetened dried cranberries

1/3 cup chopped pecans

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9-inch baking pan with no-stick cooking spray; set aside.

Combine oats, 1/2 cup sugar, flour and salt in large bowl until well mixed. Cut in butter and vanilla with pastry blender or fork until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Place 1 cup crust mixture into small bowl; set aside.

Press remaining crust mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until edges are just beginning to brown.

Meanwhile, combine sour cream, 1/4 cup sugar, egg yolk. lemon zest and vanilla in small bowl; stir until well mixed. Stir in cranberries. Spread filling mixture over hot, partially baked crust.

Stir pecans into reserved crust mixture; sprinkle over cranberry mixture, lightly pressing down onto filling. baking for 35-40 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool 30 minutes; refrigerate 2 hours. Cut into bars.

Enjoy!

Its the time of the year for holiday baking! I'm looking forward to trying my hand at making holiday breads and cookies. My next project will be Pumpkin Bread. I can't wait. I can almost taste it! I am also going to try to make cranberry nut bread this year. Its one of my favorite Thanksgiving foods that my mom makes. Hope mine is as good as hers!

Whats your favorite holiday food?

In Memory of Ann Deedon

In Memory of Ann Deedon

My last living grandparent died this weekend. She was 91 and died on what would of been her and her husbands 73 wedding anniversary. I didn't really know my dad' mother very well.. I have always lived in states that are far away for her. I do remember the few times that I was around her, that she like to talk! She could talk your ear off and the some.. I didn't realize how many grandchildren she had till I read her obituary.. 46 grand kids! That's a lot!! Above is the link to her obituary. It would't let me copy and paste it..

Pistachio Bites

Ahh, I love this time a year. The cool crisp air, the warm fire in the fire place, yummy hot chocolate, little kids running around the zoo in their Halloween costumes.. For 6 days every October my zoo has what they call Boo at the Zoo. They have lots of candy for the kids, wonderful carnival foods (funnel cakes!), professional pumpkin carving and tons of other fun things for the kiddos. Did I mention the yummy funnel cakes? We usually close at 4, but for Boo at the Zoo we reopen at 5:30 and stay open till 8, that way you get to be at the zoo after dark for extra creepiness! I plan on attending with my sister on Monday. I promise to take lots of pictures!

Anyways, on with the cookies! If you like pistachios, you'll love these cookies!

Pistachio Bites

Prep time: 20 min Baking time: 8 min

Temp: 350 Makes: 6 dozen cookies

Batter:

1 cup butter

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup coarsely chopped shelled pistachios

Topping:

6 ounces vanilla-flavored candy coating ( almond bark), chopped

1 teaspoon shortening

1/2 cup coarsely chopped shelled pistachios

Combine butter and brown sugar in large bowl; beat at medium speed until creamy. Reduce speed to low; add flour, almond extract n vanilla. Beat until well mixed and dough forms. Stir in 1/2 cup pistachios until evenly distributed in dough.

Divide dough in half; shaped each half into 10-inch log. Wrap each in plastic food wrap; refrigerate until firm (at least 3 hours or over night).

Heat oven to 350. Cut 1 log at a time, keeping remaining log in fridge, into 1/4-inch slices with sharp knife. Place onto ungreased cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely.

Place candy coating and shortening in small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir; continue microwaving, stirring every 15 seconds, until candy coating is melted and smooth.

Place waxed paper onto flat surface. Dip each cookie halfway into warm coating; shake off excess. Place onto waxed paper. Immediately decorate with pistachios.

This cookies are awesome. The girls at work call them happy cookies and claim I put something in them to make everyone happy.. They are just that good!!

Until next time enjoy!!!