Bad Timing

As this cover story was obviously already set to print, I bet there were some choice words in the White House this week. We had to chuckle (for the first time since hearing about yet another public figure to let us down) when it arrived in our mailbox.

Look Who Turned 4!

Miss Madeline is now 4 years old, much to her pure joy and my dismay. The things we love about this 4 year old include the following:

* The way she loves to snuggle.
* Her kisses. We have nicknamed her "sugar lips" since she gives the best kisses in the world.
* She plays the piano constantly. Especially if anyone is having a conversation that doesn't involve her.
* How she still calls me "mama."
* Madeline loves everything small. "It's just my size!" she says.
* She is very particular about her wardrobe. Right now, she is displaying lots of dresses and skirts with tights; headbands and flowers (or both!); sparkly shoes; pink and purple; and occasionally mom's lip gloss.
* She loves her hair in braids because she gets princess hair (curly hair) the next day.
* Her favorite response when asked to do something is "sure!" and pronounces it like "shore!"
* She is still obsessed with Ariel (going on year 2...)
* She always has a plumbers crack. We think her bum crack is actually higher than most, because it just sticks out of her pants. It's hilarious. And the cutest little plumbers crack I've ever seen.
* She is very sensitive to heat- likes the bath water just barely warm, and won't even try a bite of something if it is remotely warm.
* Her hair grows straight forward in front, and her little whispy hairs are always in her face because of it.
* Her "bunny teeth."
* How she says, "I know something." And then proceeds to tell you her current bit of wisdom.
* She loves to have her hair blow-dried and her fingernails painted.
* She loves babies and baby dolls but is totally freaked out to be a mom. When we talk about it, she gets upset and says she wants to live with me forever. She doesn't want a baby in her tummy- she says she is scared of it. (Yeah, Madeline. You're totally onto something.)
* Her favorite color is purple.
* Her favorite thing to do is color with her sister Emma.
* Her favorite food is "sugar pancakes" (crepes).
* She still sucks her first finger when she sleeps and loves her "blankie."
* She is starting to assert herself, which is a mild relief that usually makes me giggle. (She has been so easy, I was starting to think there was something wrong with her.)

We are so happy to have you in our life, Madeline. You are an absolute JOY.

A Happy Thanksgiving

We had a lovely Thanksgiving here in our home. We were happy to have my dad and Eric and Jessica and their sweet children join us for a fantastic meal.

Delicious, fattening, mashed (with butter and whipped cream) sweet potatoes with pecan and brown sugar topping.

Placecards thanks to Martha.

Shan

The children made some turkeys with thankful feathers for the kids' table decoration. Here are their thankfuls: Madeline- brother, sister, friends, toys, mom, dad, and country (meaning USA- not the music!). Emma- food, family, God, house, mom and dad, world, body, friends; and Ryan- parents, Star Wars, God, friends, games, food, Jesus, Earth. I think they pretty much get what life is all about:)

You slave for 6 hours to bring the meal to fruition, and all they want are the rolls.

Ryan

Madeline

My dad

Eric and sweet Preston

The only picture I got of Jessica was just as she was leaving because we were working in the kitchen the whole time!

Precious baby Dylan. 8 lbs. and counting!

My thankful list is way too long to narrate. But the main thing I'm thankful for this year are the relationships I have with loved ones and friends. Afterall, what is life without people to share it with? I am learning that it is much more important to be loving than it is to be right.

The Muppet Show

October was filled with parties, and my kids pretty much wore a different costume to each thing, since, let's face it- Halloween is just like any day around here since they absolutely LOVE to dress up. I'm serious, I don't know what they would do without our costume bin.

Pre-Halloween necklaces that my mom sent for a little craft.

Halloween Day 1- Preschool party for Madeline. She was so excited about this costume that she had it all set out on the floor the night before. Including the red and white checked ribbons for her hair. When we walked into preschool, my friend, Angela, said "Madeline you look so pretty! You are Dorothy! And where is she from?" (Expecting her to say Wizard of Oz) So Madeline, puts her hands out like she's going to do a curtsy and says, "Kansas." Hahahahahahaha. I about died laughing. I have NO idea how she knows that. Kids are hilarious.

This is Day 2- Elementary school parades and parties. When the really cool thing about having a Darth Vader costume is your mask and your light saber, it's a bummer when the school says not to wear masks or weapons. Poor Ryan was a little deflated, but he complied.

On Day 2, Madeline decided to be a fairy girl since Emma was Madame Butterfly and she wanted a face painted like Emma's.

And finally, Day 3 which was really Halloween. Madeline finally donned the beloved chicken costume, made lovingly from two plastic gloves, three feather boas, and a pilot's cap. This is perhaps the cutest thing I have seen. Ever.

Our pumpkin carving this year had to include BYU and Emma came up with this bright idea.

The Muppet Family. Emma and Ryan think the two old guys on the Muppet Show are hilarious, so they inspired all of us to join in on the fun. Miss Piggy is one of the most fun costumes I have ever put together. Who doesn't want to spend the evening in red velvet and white gloves with pearls and feathers and fake eye lashes? I could have lived without the suffocating pig nose, but still, it was pretty darn hilarious. And Kermit liked it, so that's all that matters. (Madeline isn't quite the floppy chicken, but at least she's the chicken. Somehow, I just didn't think Gonzo would have been as cute.)

Emma couldn't keep her hands off of Madeline- she thought she was so adorable.

We had a Halloween party and were so happy to have so much family around to invite!

Apparently, the toddlers all got the chicken memo. Eli, Maddie, and Liam (Cadie's son).

I was trying to come up with a nutritious addition to the festive spread when I saw this cute idea- apple wedges with toasted slivered almonds.

Bronson, Tana, and Cadie (Shan's cousins)

Jade and David totally cracked me up.

Skeleton bone breadsticks (but everyone thought they were dog bones...hmph.)

Donut maker extraordinaire (mom!) and Miss bumblebee Jade. Can you believe how cute that beehive is?

This was so great too- Eric and Jessica decided to be the Publisher's Clearing House people- balloons and a giant check too. So creative!

Enjoying our Fall Break

Last week was Fall Break, which is only three days here. Poor Emma was sick for most of it, but we managed to get out of the house on the third day for some outdoor recreation in the beautiful leaves. We met my sister Jenn and her kids in Provo Canyon for a picnic and play. It is so pretty right now with the beautiful colors and snow on the tops of the mountains!

The whole gang.

The best kids in the world! (Except for, of course, all of yours:)

We have been trying to find letters in nature and we found this awesome "F" stick. And a cool heart rock! And you know how I LOVE heart rocks. This one was a little too big to remove and add to my collection, so I took a photo instead.

I love this picture. I think Emma looks like Aunt Alex and can you even stand how cute Maddie's belly is?

So I really wanted to get a cute ground picture, but the sun was just too bright for them to open their eyes! I think it still turned out great.

Jenn's cute family.

We were picking leaves for leaf art. Isn't she gorgeous?

Roasted Hide, Roasted Applesauce

This year, I canned more food than I ever have before. The main reason is not because I love to stand on my feet for hours, but because I ended up with a lot of inexpensive produce that was hard to pass up. Despite the mess, the steam, and the monotony of the whole process, the thing I love about canning is being able to hang out with my lovely female family. That, and in a wierd way, I feel connected to generations of women past. (Caroline Ingalls and I are like this.) Plus, there is nothing like having a well-stocked pantry. First, I canned pears with Jenn. Then, I did peaches with Jade; salsa and stewed tomatoes with my mom, Jenn, and Jessica; apple pie filling with Jenn; and finally applesauce by my lonesome. And my family is sooo lucky because everything turned out tasting great.

So now that you know about the successes, let me tell you about this year's failure that really roasted my hide- when we made apple pie filling, we had an entire batch that didn't seal properly! There is nothing worse than spending your money and time preparing and processing the jars and having them not turn out. I know because I have had many mishaps over the years.... One year, while living in Oregon, I unkowingly purchased the wrong type of pears and all 30 jars turned to complete mush. (To make matters worse, before opening a jar and testing it, I actually gave a few away to friends and neighbors! When I tried them, I about died. And little Emma had babyfood pears for an entire year.)

Another time, I tried to can a new variety of NC white peaches and they turned out soft and brown and looked so gross in the jar that no one would eat them. And the only thing worse than wasting your money and time on a bushel of peaches that no one wants to eat, is actually eating them. Every guilty bite. Because if you eat it, you didn't waste your time or money, right? Hahahahaha. My poor, poor family! "I spent lots of time and money on these peaches and we're going to eat them!" Seriously.

So this year, I had already spent my "canning energy" when we got a free bushel of apples and I couldn't pass them up.

Among other things, I wanted to try making apple pie filling. A friend of mine gave me a 'tried and true' recipe and we followed it closely. The filling tasted great, but after processing, an entire batch had lost a few inches of liquid off the top and didn't seal properly. I want to know WHY??? Here are my guesses:

1- Even though everything written about lids and screwbands says to only screw them on "fingertip tight," you should really screw them on pretty darn tight so the liquid can't get out.

2- After the processing time was complete, I didn't wait 5 minutes after turning off the heat and removing the lid to take out the jars. Instead, I removed them right away (like I usually do) and this caused them to cool too quickly and siphon the liquid from inside to outside and ruined the seal.

3- I didn't leave enough headspace? We left at least 1/2 inch, but does it need more when it starts to boil?

4- This is where you knowledgable ladies come in.

In my handy 'Ball Blue Book of Preserving,' it says, "Occasionally you may notice a slight decrease in the food and/or liquid levels. This may result from a siphoning of the liquid during processing. Should this happen, do not open the jars to add product or liquid. The sealed jars should be stored as is." Why, I ask, do you even wipe the rims of the jars before putting the lids on if liquid is just cruising on out of the jars upon processing? I am perplexed.

Please, someone who understands these matters better than I, offer your opinion.

Now, on to the happy ending: Because of my aforementioned mishap and the fact that my sweet family is now downing apple pie filling with every meal, I decided to turn the rest of my apples into applesauce and can that instead. Not just any applesauce mind you- but rich, chunky, carmelized applesauce. I found the recipe on Martha Stewart's website, and people, we have a winner. I'm telling you, it's like eating dessert. Our favorite way to eat it is warm in a bowl with cream poured on top. Delish. It is the perfect accent to a nurturing meal on a crisp Autumn day. I hope you try it- you will be so happy you did!

Roasted Applesauce (Makes eight 1/2-cup servings)
1/4 cup water
6 tablespoons packed light-brown sugar
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Pinch of coarse salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3 pounds small assorted apples, such as Gala, McIntosh, or Fuji (about 10)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of ground cloves

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine water, sugar, lemon juice, and salt in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Scatter butter pieces over mixture, and top with apples. Roast until apples are very soft, 30 to 40 minutes. Working in batches, pass apple mixture through the medium disk of a food mill and into a bowl. (Since we like ours chunky but without too many skins, I semi-peeled and cored the apples before baking and then just mashed them up with a potato masher right in the pan.) Stir in spices. Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled. Applesauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Preschool Pictures

I think I have written before that Madeline has begun a cooperative preschool, where I get to either teach or help in the classroom about half of the time. This week was my first time teaching and it was tons of fun. The kids are adorable! There are seven kids and I think they are going to have a great year. It is so fun to see them interact with each other and watch little friendships emerge. These are Madeline's "preschool pictures" that one of the other moms took on the first day.