November and Satsumas

November..how the heck did that happen? Seems like only last week it was January! I actually love November and Thanksgiving..it is such a humble month...the prelude to the excitement of Christmas and all it's glory. Sometimes I feel as though Thanksgiving gets pushed to the side. As I thought about that, I realized that I feel a lot like Thanksgiving...sometimes pushed to the side, forgotten, doesn't matter one way or the other. I know that's sad huh? Well I am happy to say that after last night I will not allow anyone to make me feel that way anymore...I will not allow myself to feel that way anymore. It wasn't a huge revelation, just a subtle reminder from a couple of special people in my life....you know who you are...thank you! So no more pity party, no more "hey what about me", no more "I feel so left out". The people in my life who truly loves me, knows my heart and that is what really matters. Will I stumble and falter again? Oh I am sure I will...but I will get right back up and move forward once again.

For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falls; for he has not another to help him up. Ecclesiastes 4:10

Don't forget to set your clocks back 1 hour when you go to bed tonight....

Since satsumas are abundant this time of year, here is a recipe for Satsuma Marmalade. Don't let it scare you..it seems rather simple. This recipe was adapted from here.

SATSUMA MARMALADE

Ingredients:

12 Satsumas

2 Lemons

7 cups Cold Water

Caster Sugar (see method for amount)

Method:

Wash and peel the satsumas. Slice the peel into thin matchsticks and the flesh into chunks.

Do the same with the lemons.Remove any large pieces of pith.

Place all the fruit and peels in a large saucepan.

Add the water. Bring to the boil and cook for 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and leave to cool for 8 hours or overnight.

When the mixture is cool and you're ready to move on, put a plate in the freezer.

"Why?" I hear you cry! Just do it. Martha says so.

Bring the mixture back to the boil and simmer for around 20 minutes until the thickest piece of peel is tender.

Measure the mixture. Return it to the pan and for every cup of mixture add 3/4 cup of sugar. This is because all satsumas are different sizes, so a set amount of sugar cannot be given.

Bring the mixture to the boil and stir frequently for about 20 minutes. The marmalade is ready when you can drop the mixture onto the frozen plate and have it form a slight film when pushed with a finger (according to Martha). You can begin to tell when its done, it gets thicker and stickier and doesn't spread out straight away when put on the plate. Use your common sense here.

You're done! Refrigerate over night before serving.

Be proud, you made marmalade!

Sundays, My Dad & Paula Deen Desserts

It is an absolutely beautiful Sunday here...cool temps, sunshine and a slight breeze. Reminds me of my Daddy so much! And just as I was thinking about how much this weather reminds me of my Dad, I sign online to check facebook and lo and behold, there is a video that my sister made in honor of my Dad, that I have seen countless times. My mom commented on it today, so it made it show up in my newsfeed...so once again, I watched it...and O M G the tears just flowed. I miss him so so much...we all do. I know everyone says they have the best Dad in the world but I kid you not...we do! Sure he had his faults (don't we all). But he was just the best...he worked hard, played hard (ha) and loved hard. We are all products of his love and a little bit like him in each our own way. I hope he is looking down on us and is proud of the adults we have all become. I know I am so proud to be called his daughter.
This is a family picture from 1982 - a western Halloween party at my sister's house...ha, this just cracks me up!

 

Family traditions are so special and so important....make sure you don't forget the little things that one day will be looked back on as the big things!

This is a Paula Deen recipe....easy to make and sinfully delicious!

Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cakes

Ingredients

Cake:

• 1 (18 1/4-ounce) package yellow cake mix
• 1 egg
• 8 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:

• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 8 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer.

 Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan.

To make the filling: 

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth.

 Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter, and beat together. 

Next, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mix well. 

 Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 40 to 50 minutes.  

Check on them after about 35 minutes so you make sure not to overbake them. 

The center should be a little gooey.  

 Let the pan cool completely before you cut the squares. 

 Dust them with powdered sugar to make them extra pretty before serving them.

Reconnecting and Pumpkin Crunch!

I cannot believe it's 2 weeks since I have blogged! Time does get away from us doesn't it? The weeks just seem to pass by so quickly! Last weekend, Rene' and I spent the weekend away from it all...just he and I! I know...can you believe that? We talked about it and realized that was the 1st time we have done that in over 20 years! That is just terrible! But we made a promise to each other, to spend more time together and try to reconnect. You would think after 37 years, you would be really connected...but we weren't. Life happened. We have been through so much in the last 20 years. We became 2 different people after Joshua died...it was a gradual thing, but we really became 2 different people. After the death of a child, your whole world is turned upside down and you each deal with it differently. Statistics show that the majority of parents who lose a child, end up in divorce. I won't lie, it came so close to that so many times. But we stuck it out "for the kids". THAT is also not always the right reason to stay together. I often times questioned that. I only saw that Rene' had become so distant and unhappy and never fully dealt with his grief. After really thinking about it, he probably thought the same things about me. So we just dealt with what was and pushed it aside, thinking maybe if we didn't acknowledge it, it would just go away. Well, it didn't just go away. It festered, like a horrible disease. What a disservice to both of us...to our children. You know the old saying, if I could go back....well IF I could, things would be handled so differently. Anyway, we had a wonderful weekend...just US...we talked, we laughed, we cried and we reconnected. I am not saying it was a miracle and all is wonderful...but I saw the man that I fell in love with 38 years ago resurface...and I know why we made it through those hard times. I couldn't be happier....and I am pretty sure he feels the same way. So much time wasted...but still so much time ahead of us to enjoy our lives. And that is exactly what we plan on doing!

Life is good....grab every moment you can!

Look at that good looking couple wow!

Pumpkin Crunch Cake

15 oz can pumpkin; or 2 cups fresh pumpkin puree
1-12 oz can evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 box cake mix ( spice cake,yellow, butter or white)
1 cup melted butter
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Mix the pumpkin, evaporated milk, sugar, eggs, and cinnamon.

Spread mixture evenly in a lightly greased 9 x 13 baking pan.

Sprinkle dry cake mix evenly over pumpkin mixture. Sprinkle the nuts over the top of the cake mix. Pour the melted butter evenly over the top of everything. Do not stir.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes or until top is browned.

 Let cool before serving. 

Refrigerate leftovers.

Recipe borrowed from
 http://thecuttingedgeofordinary.blogspot.com

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!