RAINY SATURDAY & SWEET POTATO BISCUITS

It's a quiet rainy Saturday here. There's something about rainy Saturdays that I simply love. I am not even sure what it is, but its serene and comforting...I guess that is unless one has plans for outdoor activities! Then I guess it's not so cool! I am thinking about a trip to Hobby Lobby in search of fall decor...that could be trouble!! 

It's been quite a stressful week at work, new computer system, lots of sick kiddies, long hours! And just when you think you can't do it another day, you get a comment like this one on Facebook that I got last night....

HER - are u working tomorrow?

 ME -Lord I just got this...sorry! Good seeing you today and glad all is well !!!

HER -thanks me too!! i just wanted to make sure u were there bc i trust your opinion so much when it comes to cannon! thank you for that!! 

ME -Aww ty Maggie...you just made my day! Glad I can be there for you...I love my job

That just makes my stress disappear! And I really DO love what I do!

I can't imagine going to a job day after day that you really don't like and that you don't get some satisfaction out of it. I know its not always simple to just change jobs but at some point in your life, you have to find peace in  your work because when you think about it, you spend almost all of your waking hours there. So I thank God that I am able to do what I love doing with people that I love spending my day with!

OK - off to Hobby Lobby I go. Have a blessed weekend. I leave you with a yummy recipe. 

SWEET POTATO BISCUITS

 

 INGREDIENTS

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup whole milk
1 cup baked, mashed sweet potato (about 1 medium potato)
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), frozen
Heavy cream for brushing the tops

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat the oven to 400°F and arrange a rack in the middle.  Combine all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and set aside.  In a separate large bowl, mix together milk and mashed sweet potato until evenly combined.
Grate frozen butter through the large holes of a box grater and toss with dry ingredients until butter is coated.  Add milk mixture and mix lightly until dough forms a shaggy mass.
Turn out mixture onto a floured surface and knead just until it comes together.  (The dough will not be smooth.)
Pat into a circle and use a floured rolling pin to roll dough to a thickness of about 3/4 inch.  Using a 3-inch biscuit cutter, cookie cutter, or glass, cut the dough into rounds.  Gather leftover dough into a circle, reroll, and cut until you have 8 large biscuits.
Place biscuits on a baking sheet, brush tops with heavy cream, and bake until the bottoms are golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes.

 

ADOPTIONS AND PRALINE PUMPKIN CAKE

Well it's official....we have a new addition to our family! Addie has adopted a new puppy! She is a mixture of Springer Spaniel and Jack Russell terrier! Can you say HY-PER! We will see....right now she is only 5 weeks old and only weighs 1 1/2 pounds! T I N Y! and so cute! Her name is Marleaux altho I wanted to call her Honey. But since she is Addie's, she won out on the name. I swore I would never have another dog in my house, but she is so cute and is already being spoiled...by all of us! Dogs (puppies) bring so much joy into a home...they give you unconditional love and all they ask in return is for you to feed them, and let them snuggle at your feet! Here is her picture...will post a better one later when I am able to get one. Isn't she adorable?

It's beautiful here this weekend...still a little warm, but you can tell that Fall is not that far away. That is  my absolute favorite time of year. Brings back so many wonderful memories ... of my Dad...of the day we got married ... of fall festivals we used to attend .... wonderful memories indeed! What is your favorite season?

In honor of fall, I am sharing this amazing recipe I came across and cannot wait to try! If you try it before I do, send me a comment and let me know if you enjoyed it!

PRALINE PUMPKIN CAKE

1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® yellow cake mix
1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 container Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy cream cheese frosting
Caramel topping, if desired
Additional coarsely chopped pecans, if desired



Heat oven to 325°F.  In 1-quart heavy saucepan, stir together butter, whipping cream and brown sugar.  Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, just until butter is melted.  Pour into two ungreased 9- or 8-inch round cake pans; sprinkle evenly with 3/4 cup pecans.

In large bowl, beat cake mix, pumpkin, water, oil, eggs and 1 teaspoon of the pumpkin pie spice with electric mixer on low speed until moistened, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.  Carefully spoon batter over pecan mixture in each pan.

Bake 41 to 47 minutes or until cake springs back when touched lightly in center.  Cool 5 minutes; remove from pans to cooling rack.  Cool completely, about 1 hour.

Stir remaining 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice into frosting.  To assemble cake, place 1 layer, praline side up, on serving plate.  Spread with half of the frosting.  Top with second layer, praline side up; spread remaining frosting to edge of layer.  Drizzle with caramel topping and additional pecans.  Store loosely covered in refrigerator.

"No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion.
People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more
naturally to the human heart than its opposite"

~Nelson Mandela~

Everything Will Be Alright!

As of Monday Sept 3, I no longer am the Mom to "children". My baby is now 21 years old...21 years? HOLY COW! I remember it like it was yesterday...detail for detail...not feeling well over the Christmas holidays, exhausted for New Years...then the next week...the verdict! I had not told anyone, maybe it was a denial thing? Afterall, I was almost 37, there was no way I could be pregnant!! I mean I had a 7 year old and a 12 year old!!! I was waiting to get back into nursing school, I had way too much going on in my life to be pregnant! I secretly bought a home pregnancy test, went into my bathroom and waited. I didn't have to wait very long. I opened the door just a tiny bit and asked Rene' to please come and see. As he walked in, the tears just came as I said "I'm pregnant". He said "YOU'RE WHAT???" How did that happen??? Seriously??? He really asked that! He let me cry as I kept saying, "I'm too old, I have to go back to school." We decided to wait and tell the boys until I went to the Dr. When we did tell them, they were ecstatic!!! Me? I cried for 2 weeks!! Don't get me wrong, its not that I didn't want a baby...but I didn't think I had time for a baby! Once we told family and friends, it sunk in and the tears stopped. The one person who really made me feel okay about this was my Dad...he always had such wise words for us. He said "This is your little girl and everything will be alright". And he was right...on both counts! It was a girl and everything was alright! She was my lifesaver in so many ways...more than she will ever realize! We named her Addie...a name I had always loved. My grandmother's name was Adles and she was the best grandmother ever, so I wanted to honor her in a small way. So Addie it was. She was born 21 years to the day that my grandmother was buried...the circle of life. Two years after Addie was born, our firstborn, Joshua, passed away. There are no words that can begin to describe the pain and heartache of losing a child...none! I wanted to just die and be with him. But reality was that I had 2 other children who needed their Mom. Thank God for them both because I honestly don't know if things would have turned out as they did. Thank you Jordan and Addie. Several of my lady friends that I used to play cards with would tell me, "she's going to keep you young". And in a sense, she did. I can tell you tho, turning 40 with a 2 year old was mind boggling to me! We have had many ups and downs...more ups than downs. We have laughed, cried, yelled,shared, played and been each others shoulder at one time or another. She is my BFF! Some people say parents should not be their kids BFF's. I say POO on them. I think if you are a good parent and lead them in the right direction in life then it's okay to also be their BFF! I would hope that I have done that with both of my kids. So as it goes, my children are adults. And I think we did a mighty fine job. Sure we have made mistakes along the way...but its the end result that matters the most. I am proud to be the Mom to my adult "children"!

 And I love them with all that I am.

 Thanks Dad....You were so right! Everything is alright! 

My Dad holding Addie

And my Addie today!