Pumpkin Cookies

I was asked to send in cookies for middle DD's class party. (Youngest DD's room-mom asked for a bag of chips.) I think when you tell people that you don't eat artificial colors or flavors they assume you eat alfalfa sprouts and wheat germ. They can't imagine cookies or cupcakes without all the garish colors. I had some extra pumpkin in the fridge, so I searched for a cookie recipe to use it up. Here's what I found:

Pumpkin Rollout Cookies by Ann K.

Yield: 3 cups
3/4 cups unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 tbsp orange zest
1/2 cup canned or fresh cooked pumpkin
1 egg yolk
1 tsp pure vanilla
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
pinch Salt


1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine with electric mixer the butter, brown sugar and orange zest.
3.Add the pumpkin, egg yolk, and vanilla.
4. Gradually add the flour and spices.
5. Mix with your hands to create a soft dough.
6. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
7. Divide dough into two pieces.
8. Roll out each piece to 1/8-inch thickness on a floured surface.
9. Cut into shapes with cookie cutters.
10. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes.
11. Decorate with favorite frosting and candies.

On the left is what they look like before hitting the oven. After baking they shifted shape a bit in the heat, and they lost some of the orange color, but they were good.

We added some chocolate and green glazes.

Are these festive or what?

October Snow

I personally don't remember it ever snowing before Halloween before, but it did this year.

I got to see snow on trees still covered with fall leaves!

(Of course I didn't have my camera at the time).

I did take some pictures outside.

Huge flakes!

And no, the flowers didn't survive.

Milestones

It's the last of the firsts. My last DD lost her first tooth today. How extremely exciting for her, and how bittersweet for me :o(

And then what did I do? I also lost her tooth! I carefully placed it on the kitchen counter so it would be all ready to go under some one's pillow tonight, and I think I swept it up when I cleaned off the counter after making bread. The tooth fairy will get a nice note instead.

Soccer Season - again

Youngest DD (green, dark hair) wanted to play soccer this fall. She's on a team with her best friend (green, pink socks), and her friend who lives just across the street (not pictured). The team is doing well and is so far undefeated. But the coach is favoring two girls and not giving everyone a fair chance to play. I think we'll ask to be on a different team if we sign up for the spring season.

Middle DD (gray, dark hair) decided that she wanted to play soccer again too. This year she is on a team of boys and girls, 4th through 6th grade. I'm a bit nervous that she's going to get run over or something, but she's holding her own. They've won a couple of games, but mostly they lose. Oh well. She's getting exercise, and it's a growing experience, right?

A New School Year

Yes, I'm really belated on a few of my posts. School has started once again, and I'm busier than ever. I'm not sure how that's possible, but that's the way it is.

This year I have a high schooler! Oldest DD is now in 9th grade. She has a better sense of who she is now and her fashions reflect that. She's liberally wearing color, like turquoise and fuchsia rather than the browns, greens and blacks of previous years. NutMeg was sad to see her go off for the day.

DS is in 8th grade - his last year at the middle school. He's grown taller since last year. None of his pants fit length wise. I guess it's time to go shopping again. As far as I'm aware, he's got a long way to go before he stops growing, I think he's just started.

Middle DD is off to 4th grade this year. She switches classes between two teachers. This is to prepare them for the older grades when they switch for every class. I think it's a bunch of nonsense. At this age they're extremely disorganized and switching classes only heightens that. When they're older, they'll get it - why do they have to constantly push them into stuff they aren't quite mature enough for yet?

Youngest DD started 1st grade. Finally - she's in school all day! It took her about two weeks to adjust to the long day. Initially she asked me to PLEASE pick her up at lunch. I think she just wanted to watch TV. She's loving school now. She has a great teacher who excels in reading and DD has learned so much! She loves to read, and she loves to write. Mostly she writes about things from her imagination - making them sound real. She wrote about the Princess breakfast which won't occur until we go to Disney next month.

NutMeg and I are getting used to the quiet. She and I are walking three days a week. It helps to keep her out of trouble :o)

Aquarium

We took a trip to a nearby aquarium while vacationing at the beach.

For such a small place, there was a lot to see.

The sting ray really wanted to be petted. Or was that fed?

There were some really cool fish.

I finally got the turtle moving without a crowd in front of it.

The touch tank was a big hit.

Well, maybe not for everyone.

Look, it's Dory!

Can you find Nemo?

Tidal Pools

I promised to post more on this . . . but (as usual) life got away from me, and I got busy.

At the beach this summer we were told to visit the tidal pools if we got the chance, so we did. Tidal pools are created the hour before and after low tide as the tide recedes further out into the ocean leaving pools of water between sand bars. There are all kinds of creatures there, you just have to look.

I don't remember what DH has in his hand here besides shells.

We got to see seagulls, they enjoy the tidal pools because hunting for food is a lot easier when you can see it.

crabs (this is some of the food the sea gulls were hunting for),

and hermit crabs (again, more food for the sea gulls), we were just walking along through the ankle to knee deep water, constantly walking on stones. It wasn't until we stopped and looked for a while that we realized the "stones" were hermit crabs hiding in their shells. When the water was still for a bit they would come out and scurry around. Most of the larger shells that we found were broken because the sea gulls would peck through the shell to get to the crabs inside.

Biking the boards

A pictoral view of the boardwalk - mostly by youngest DD. First, everyone on the surreys.

The bottom of the ramp.

The top of the ramp.

People on the boardwalk.


Heading down the surrey lane.

Man biking in front of us.

"Sir, you do not have a surrey, you do not belong on the surrey lane."

(A note to the rest of you who like to ride regular bikes on the surrey lanes - surreys are really hard to steer, and have lousy brakes. Get off of the surrey lanes! We cannot be held responsible for running over idiots who choose to ignore signage marking the lanes "Surreys ONLY".)

An interesting building top.

A toy store window.

The relatives on their surrey.

Mandatory tourist picture.