Happy Cousins

As if my kids don't look white enough already, my oldest brother Matt (who is also extremely white like me) and his olive-skinned wife and kids came to visit last week. They were going to stay with us for their whole trip but well, you know how people say that they avoided something "like the plague"? Yeah, our house pretty much was the plague for a few days before they came into town and a few days while they were here. We were sad not to have them around more but were very happy that we finally got well enough to have them up for an evening in the middle of their trip. We hadn't seen any of their family in close to 18 months but everyone was quick to pick up where we left off. While we adults had fun chatting, Hudson and Ethan (H is about 18 months older) had the time of their lives playing together and Claire was happy as could be tagging along with the "big girls" Anna and Abby. I just wish that we lived closer to each other so that these get-togethers could be more frequent.

Now take a look at the picture below. For those of you who don't know, here's the question of the day... How far apart in age are Hudson and Abby?



Answer: Just a touch under 3 years. Abby is about 9 1/2 and Hudson is 6 1/2. He obviously looks younger in the face but he's got a couple of inches on her and out-weighs her by about 8 pounds. I just love looking at the two of them together. Hooray for tall boys and hooray for super cute tiny girls (we taller/bigger girls envy you and your tiny selves)!

Slightly Large Pumpkins & Fall Mantle

I promised pictures of the fatty pumpkins we picked up at Pack's Pumpkin Patch so here you go. The one in the upper picture is a little on the tall side for Claire to perch on and the taller one is about right for Hudson to sit on (it's the one that was over 80 pounds). These two shots also include two of my favorite gourd pics for this year...one looks kind of like a swan and the other a giant apple or green pepper. We don't see these varieties every year so I was tickled to find them at the patch this time.

I also FINALLY got my fall mantle done in the living room. It's been done for over a week now but I've been dragging my feet in the photography department. I know I did a shot of my harvest mantle last year but I like this year's layout better (not to mention that we didn't have anything hanging over the new mantle last year).

Some of the pieces are repeats and have been for years: the pilgrim and Indian figures, the fake berries and a handful of little fake pumpkins, the dried Indian corn, etc. But the gourds and real pumpkins are new every year. This year I have a few new favorites. One is the green and orange pumpkin in the picture just up from the bottom. Another is the teensy tiny white pumpkin I found at the market the other day...it's in the bottom picture, situated between two fake pumpkins and is only about 1 1/2 inches tall. So cute! I also love the super bumpy/warty gourd on the top right. I've always thought that those were really fun.

Halloween is still up all over the house but my Thanksgiving/harvest/fall mantle is one thing I can't help myself on...I want it up as long as possible and it always comes down within a few days after Thanksgiving. There's just something about the warm colors that comforts me.

RECIPE: Italian Beef Sandwiches

I know you've all been checking my blog on an hourly basis waiting for this recipe. So here you go...

ITALIAN BEEF SANDWICHES

2 cans beef broth + water to make 3 cups total liquid

1 tsp. each:

• salt
• ground black pepper
• dried oregano
• dried basil
• onion salt or powder
• dried parsley
• garlic powder

1 bay leaf

1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian salad dressing mix

1 (5 lb.) chuck or rump roast

Combine beef broth, water, and all spices (including dressing mix) in a saucepan. Stir well and bring to a boil. Place roast in slow cooker and boiling dressing mixture over the meat. Cover and cook on Low for 10-12 hours or on high for 4-6 hours. When finished, remove and discard bay leaf. Shred the meat with two forks, discarding any large pieces or ribbons of fat. Serve on toasted french or sourdough rolls with juice from the meat on the side for dipping.

NOTES:

• Without exception, I ALWAYS use Campbell's Beef Broth. It's double-strength and there really is a difference in flavor.
• I use Good Seasons' Italian Dressing mix...you can find it near the ranch dressing packets at the store.
• To toast the rolls, I split them in half and toss them directly on the rack in a 350 degree oven for a good 5-10 minutes. This allows the whole roll to get toasted and crunchy on the outside rather than just the top (as would happen if you broiled it).
• My favorite way to dress up my sandwich: Put mayo on both sides. Pile the meat on one half and top with a slice or two of provolone cheese (my kids like it with cheddar). Throw back in the oven for a few minutes until the cheese melts. Top with iceberg lettuce (and tomato if I'm in the mood). Yum.

I would have pictures to post on this one but every time I make it, I'm too preoccupied with eating to think about getting the camera out...

Hope you like it as much as we do!

2010 Fall Mountain Drive - Take II

After our pumpkin patch excursion the other day, we decided to give our fall drive and hunt for fall colors another try. This time: success! We packed up the family (complete with our friendly mutt Miles) that afternoon and headed up the mountain. Mother Nature is apparently has somewhat of a split/multiple personality problem when it comes to colors changing this year...some trees were still green, some were vibrant and beautiful, and some had already changed and then dropped their leaves. But the show was far better than it was a few weeks ago and I was happy to get a few pictures of the changes this time around.

In addition to snapping shots of the colors, we stopped at our usual spot to take a short walk/hike and let the kids and the dog stretch their legs. Miles probably thought he had died and gone to heaven...pure bliss for him to run around and explore. It was a bit windy on top (hence my stylin' hairdo in the shot with Max) but the perfect temperature and a very beautiful day.

Next up: the long-promised recipe for Italian Beef Sandwiches. Drooool...

Pumpkin Patch!

Yesterday we went to our favorite pumpkin patch (another one of our annual fall traditions). We've been meaning to go for a couple of weeks but as we all know, life doesn't always allow us to make and keep plans. When it came down to it, our going yesterday was a last minute decision but it ended up being the perfect day to go. While we had to wait for a cart to become available, it wasn't very crowded, it was the perfect temp outside, and there were plenty of beauteous pumpkins waiting for us to find them.

As usual, the kids made a bee-line for the hay maze and had fun exploring for a while. We then went to our favorite place to find some pumpkins: the outer reaches of the farm. We always head for the road less-traveled and tromp through weeds, thistles, and countless pumpkin vines until we find what we're looking for.

In the end, we walked away with 94 pounds of pumpkins, 3 large gourds, and 9 smaller gourds and mini pumpkins. Then, after loading up the beast and just prior to driving away, we decided that we "needed' to get one or two of the huge pumpkins that they had on display out front. We ended up with two of them weighing in at a total 120-something pounds. That makes for a total of over 200 pounds of pumpkin. The larger was 83 pounds and the other was 40'ish. It was one of those days that I was extra thankful to have a husband who is willing and able to lift heavy things...they would have killed my back! We're considering carving one of the big ones for Halloween but I'm just not sure yet (I'm the "scooper" and I have to think long and hard about whether I really want to dive in to that task). Either way, at least one of them will adorn my front porch until Thanksgiving is over.

I haven't taken pictures of the porch with all its pumpkiny glory yet (and yes, pumpkiny is now a word). Nor have I completed my fall mantle with the smaller gourds that I purchased. I'll get the mantle done, take pics of both, and that post will follow soon.

You Can't Judge An Ear...

A few weeks ago I picked up a few ears of local corn to have with dinner. I was shucking them and everything was fine until I came to prepping this beauty:

Now tell me...what in the world am I supposed to do with THAT? Apparently you can't judge an ear of corn by its husk or the perfect looking kernels peeking out at the top.

2010 Annual Fall Mountain Drive

Every fall, we take a drive up into the mountains right by our house to take in the fall colors. We went up too early this year to see any really great colors but the weather was PERFECT and we enjoyed hiking around and taking in the scenery. Hudson was a trouper as always and while Claire started out walking on her own, she quickly changed her mind and took the easy way...on her daddy's shoulders. I wish I had an option like that. Hiking up to the main peak nearly does me in every year. Thankfully I'm always the one behind the camera so I use that as an excuse to stop and rest every 3.8 feet or so ("I need to get a good shot of this!").


We may try to get another drive in to catch some colors this year if the weather is good. If we do, there will be a second annual fall mountain drive this year. Otherwise, better luck to us next time!