Thirteen Months and Twelve Days

It's hard to believe I've been holding this little girl for that long! I had forgotten how very much I enjoy the time between age one and two!

Right now, she's really wanting to walk but just not there yet. So she's crawling everywhere or cruising around on everything, but she especially loves holding onto my leg, particularly if I'm trying to cook or wash dishes! Definitely a challenge, but I love feeling that little hand on my knee!

She tries to keep up with her big sister and brother in the talking department...her words include "Daa-dee" (my favorite!), "Ha-dee" (Hadleigh), "Buh" (for Buddy), "Boh" (book), "No" (for no and nose), "Hiiiiiii!", "Maa-mee", "Uh-oh" (with the cutest expression when she drops something), "ba-bee" (for any doll or stuffed animall) and "sue" (shoe).

She loves to point out her belly-button, head, and nose. She adores shoes...and will hand them to me to put them on her. This is a first for me...the other kiddos always hated putting on shoes. She loves to hug her animals and dolls. She wants to be a part of anything Hadleigh and Nathanael are doing. She can tell when she's not getting the same food as the rest of the family (typically dessert-stuff) and lets us know that she doesn't think that's quite fair :)

She loves to blow kisses to say goodnight, and lately, she has been giving "real" hugs too!

Nathanael has a new nickname for her...we're not really sure where it came from, but we think it's adorable when he says it! "Wiggly-bubbles." Interesting, huh? To the rest of us, she's still Ladybug, Maddie Beth, and Brent calls her "Little Bits".

She is such a blessing...

That's about it for today...gotta go check the oven. We're having a Thanksgiving Dinner tonight with Brent's squadron in about a half hour...I'm making Sweet Potato Casserole, a Pumpkin Spice Cake (that's very similar to Sweet Potato Casserole!), and some stuffing. The house smells yummy!

Have a great afternoon!

Pilgrims

Those are my little pilgrims! Aren't they cute? And while I know I should have made the buckle on the pilgrim hat larger, Hadleigh is a third-generation pilgrim in that dress. My Great-Aunt Pearl made the dress for my Mom when she was little; I wore it as a child, and it was so special to see Hadleigh excited about receiving it in the mail from her Mimi! (How special handmade things are when they are passed through generations! This is such a treasure to have.)

Today at Chapel School (a parent-led and taught weekly preschool program we're a part of) we had our Thanksgiving Feast. After a lesson about the Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving meal, the kiddos made sweet potato biscuits (so yummy!) and Oreo Turkeys during their cooking lesson and then during art, they made these precious turkey-handprint signs (they added ribbon to the top to hang them up):



After that, we celebrated with a small "feast" that was yummy (according to the mothers--we had a few picky eaters, mine included!) Normally, we also have a Bible lesson, Phonics, Math, Recess, Show and Tell, and Reading Time...but today was "Party Day"!

I am really thankful for this special group of five mothers and the eleven children that make up Chapel School. Our children look forward to it weekly and are learning so much, and I must admit that the "adult" time spent with like-minded mothers is so refreshing to me.

I have been so busy trying to manage my to-do list, much less actually crossing something off of it...which explains my lack of blogging, but I have lots of upcoming projects in the works to share surrounding Thanksgiving and Christmas! So don't give up on me :)

And here's a recipe that you can bet will be served on my Thanksgiving table next week. It's a family favorite of a special family friend, and it is the one recipe that I always hope will have plenty of leftovers, so I usually double it :) Enjoy! And tell me what recipe YOUR Thanksgiving Day isn't complete without!

Sweet Potato Casserole

1 large can sweet potatoes, juice reserved
1/2 stick butter, softened
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 stick butter, softened
1/4 cup flour

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl combine potato, 1/2 stick butter, egg, vanilla, and sugar with mixer. Add enough of the juice from the can of potatoes to make the mixture creamy. Spread into casserole dish.

2. In a small bowl, combine pecans, brown sugar, butter, and flour. Spoon over potato mixture.

3. Cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Allow to cool 5 minutes. Serve hot.

Autumn

Delicious Autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns. ~George Eliot

I have really been enjoying this autumn. It is my very favorite season, and it's been so nice to actually enjoy seeing leaves change color, after four years of very little fall color.

Here's a picture of one of the trees we recently planted. We've had a windy week and most of the leaves are gone now...but this is what we enjoyed all last week and this past weekend:

Things I'm loving right now:

• enjoying my usual Pumpkin Spice Lattes (and Starbucks new Salted Caramel Signature Hot Chocolate...if you haven't tried it yet, you need to!).
• the way Nathanael loves to search for pumpkins while we drive...and the way he pronounces pumpkin melts this mommy's heart! "Puh-kin." (It's so cute since most of his words are articulately correct. example: The other day he said perfectly in true "Charlotte" style, "Salutations, Mommy.")
• making comfort food. Homemade macaroni and cheese. Casseroles. Pot pies.
• enjoying cool mornings and nights with warm-in-the-sunshine afternoons.
• watching my children for the first time ever romp outside in piles of leaves. and walking underneath them when they fall.

In honor of this favorite season of mine, I thought I'd share a recipe that I make at least once each autumn. Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins. They are SO very good. Now before you make this, you should know that you need every muffin tin you own and maybe one of your neighbors. It makes a ton. (I already halved the recipe and I get between 3 and 4 dozen muffins. If for some reason you need 8 dozen, just double my amounts.) And if you want to make them less sweet, you can always substitute raisins or your favorite nut for the chocolate chips. And they freeze well too!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

1 cup oil
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, beaten
½ Tbsp. plus ¼ Tbsp. baking soda
1/3 cup warm water
2 cups canned pumpkin
3 ½ cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. plus ¼ tsp. ginger
1 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. cinnamon
½ cup warm water
1 ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare muffin tins.

2. Beat together oil, brown sugar, and sugar. While mixing, add in eggs. Dissolve baking soda in half the amount of 1/3 cup water. Add to sugar mixture.

3. Slowly add flour, baking powder, salt, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon until fully mixed. Then add ½ cup warm water and mix.

4. Stir in chocolate chips and pour batter into muffin tins. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Tuscany

One day, I'd love to visit Tuscany. Pictures of the countryside beckon to me. Time spent on a patio, slowly savoring a glass of wine and good conversation. Sounds divine right now.

And Italian food. Real Italian food. (You know you're in an itty-bitty place when all but one of the "Italian" restaurants listed in the phone book is a chain pizza place. And did I mention the restaurant section is less than one page in a small yellow pages directory?)

Until then, I'll enjoy this recipe...it's much more Italian-American style (think Olive Garden)...but it's really good and pretty easy. My whole family loved it. You could easily add in some chicken or shrimp as well.

Tuscan Pasta with Tomato-Basil Cream

20 oz. package of refrigerated four-cheese ravioli*
16 oz. jar sun-dried tomato Alfredo sauce
2 Tbsp. white wine
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped--plus more for garnish
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Prepare pasta according to package directions.

2.Meanwhile, pour sauce into a medium saucepan. Pour wine into sauce jar; cover tightly, and shake well. Stir wine mixture into saucepan. Stir in tomatoes and basil; cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes.

3. Toss with pasta and top evenly with Parmesan. Garnish with additional strips of basil.

**I've also used frozen ravioli; it works just fine. But just imagine how good fresh homemade would be.

Full.

That's how I feel right now. A lot going on...even when it seems like not much is going on.

A full to do list of things I really need to get done. We've been home from vacation for two weeks now, but I still feel like I'm trying to get back into a routine. And that makes it harder to tackle that list.

A full and growing list of ideas to implement in our homeschool...thanks to some friends who share their wealth of knowledge and experience!

A full list of fun things I really want to do, places I want to go with our family, traditions I want to begin in our new-ish home.

A full head of projects that I'm excited about but I feel like I'm coming up empty with the time to do them.

A full and heavy heart. I found out last week that a good friend from college has Stage 4 cancer. The news has really affected me, even though I haven't seen or spoken to my friend in probably five years. My heart aches for her and her young family of five. This news overwhelmed me, so I can't even begin to imagine how it must have shocked her family. But my heart is also full of hope and encouraged by all the many friends that I have seen and heard of rallying to her through prayer to the One who is faithful. Encouraged by the faith that she has in our Lord. Full of joy to see that God is being glorified through this, through Kristi in the midst of this trial.

Last but definitely not least.

Nathanael is three today! (And so ends our month full of birthdays!)

Here's my little man. He told me this morning, "I'm growin' up, Mommy! I am!"

He was thrilled to open his presents and find a new Thomas train, accompanied by Annie and Clarabel (Thomas' coaches). It's the little things, you know. He got to enjoy birthday cake #2 (a "punkin" cake), making paper airplanes with Daddy, and a trip to the pumpkin patch today. (And he was such a good sport about the trip to the grocery store!)

He has grown so tall and so articulate...but I can close my eyes and recall so clearly when he was so much smaller. Sigh.

What a blessing it is to have a little boy...he fills my days with such joy and laughter!

One.

Our precious baby girl is one.

We had a fun day...beginning with brunch with an ocean view (pancakes and eggs for a very happy birthday girl!) followed by a birthday party with all of Mommy's side of the family! Very special to celebrate with uncles, grandparents, and an aunt! She enjoyed a giant cupcake cake covered in purple frosting and ate a whole piece of cake followed by a big sippy cup of milk!

It was so fun to watch her explore her gifts...especially her new "cell phone" and purse...and her little baby. "Ba-by" is one of her first words and she loves to hold Hadleigh's dolls and any stuffed animals and then call them "baby" and hug them, so she was thrilled to have a baby doll of her own. She of course LOVED the wrapping and tissue paper...she had lots of "helpful instruction" in opening her gifts :)

I still can't believe that today has already arrived. This precious little girl's first year has just passed so quickly...

I remember this moment so clearly, holding her only hours old and wondering what her little voice would sound like (so very sweet), how her personality would unfold (content, sweet, with a little bit of spunk and will mixed in), how she would interact with her sister and brother (she adores them and lights up whenever they are near her).

You continue to be such a gift to us. Happy First Birthday, my sweet Madeleine Elizabeth.

My little girl, growing up.

She's five today. Five years old. Five years since I first held her in my arms.Where does the time go? It seems like just yesterday she was so tiny...how I miss those moments.

And yet, I so enjoy the little lady she is becoming. Watching her learn and grow is such a privilege. There are so many moments each day when I just look at her in wonder. She is such a precious gift.

We have lots of fun things planned for our girl today :) And she is SO SO SO excited about turning five.

Happy Birthday, my little girl.

Comfort Food

Warm Chocolate Chip Cookies with cold milk.
Grilled cheese sandwiches. With tomato soup.
Chips and salsa.
Homemade Macaroni and Cheese.
Banana Bread with walnuts.
My Papa's Chili.
Hot Tea and Buttered Toast, the way Mom always made it when I was sick.
Biscuits and Gravy.
Fresh baked bread with butter and honey. (Did anyone else have a bread machine in their freshman dorm room? Stephanie and I did! We were pretty popular on those bread-making days!)

And I can't forget my Mom's recipe for Chicken Pot Pie.

Here's another chicken pot pie recipe...with a slightly more elegant twist--a phyllo dough crust topping. I think it would be perfect for a ladies lunch when there's a chill in the air! A great winter alternative to chicken salad. It really has a great fresh...and somewhat light taste to it for a potpie! It would also look elegant served in individual baking dishes!

Phyllo Dough Chicken Potpie

• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 3 cups diced red potato (1 pound)
• 2 cups onion
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms (8 oz.)
• 1 cup diced celery
• 1 cup diced carrot
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 2 tsp. chopped thyme
• 2.5 Tbsp. flour
• 3 cups milk
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 2 cups chicken breast, cooked and chopped
• 1 cup frozen green peas
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 6 sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat; add oil. Add potatoes and next 6 ingredients and saute for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low; sprinkle flour over vegetables. Cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in milk and broth. Increase heat to medium-high; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes until thick. Add chicken, peas, salt, and pepper.

2. Spoon into a 2 quart baking dish. Place one phyllo sheet on a large cutting board; lightly spray the sheet with cooking spray. Repeat with remaining phyllo dough slices. Place phyllo laters loosely on top of mixture in dish. Place dish on a baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes until golden.

Serves 6.

One-dish wonders

A slightly different take on Taco Salad, but really good. With rice added...and if you wanted to, you could throw in some black beans too.
Hamburger Rice Skillet

1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, chopped
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
10 oz. can Rotel (tomatoes and green chiles)
1.5 cups water
1 cup uncooked long-grain rice
1 packet mild taco seasoning mix
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups chopped lettuce
3 green onions, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1 avocado, chopped
2 1/4 oz. sliced black olives, drained
1 cup Mexican cheese blend shredded cheese
tortilla chips
salsa

1. Cook first three ingredients together in a large skillet (that can be covered) over medium-high heat. Drain.

2. Stir in Rotel and next 4 ingredients. Cook, covered, over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and cook 15 more minutes*. Remove from heat.

3. Sprinkle lettuce and next 5 ingredients over hamburger in skillet**. Stand tortilla chips on edge around edge of skillet; serve with chips and salsa.

Serves lots!

*I test the rice after I uncover the dish. If its tender and fully cooked, I usually only cook for 5 additional minutes...but test your rice first.
**While I love one-dish wonders :) serving something in a hot skillet with little fingers within reach isn't always ideal at our house, so I always transfer this to a serving bowl before topping the meat with the lettuce, etc.

And doesn't one-dish wonders just make you think of one-hit wonders? Which makes me think of that movie and song..."That Thing You Do". And now that song will be stuck in my head all day long :)