Happy Halloween!!!

May all the ghoulish visitors be rewarded abundantly with bags full of candy...

And, may you find the magic in this night!!!

Happy Halloween!!!

What Do You Get When

A brother and a sister are attending a Halloween party?

You get a carpenter and a Cleopatra - that's what you get.
And, you get two seriously fun guests.
You know that, right?
You should know that.
If not, know it, and know it now :)

Dinner With Friends

We were invited to dinner Friday night.  Specifically, we were invited to my daughter's best friend's new home.  And what a lovely home it is. 
Everything was perfect. 
From the lighting...

 

to the perfectly set dining table (and guests)...

to flowers and wine...

our host and hostess were most cordial...

Family members proved to be quite entertaining...

and as we left, we were grateful that our children have such wonderful friends and happy that we were allowed to be part of such a warm and inviting home...

Thank you Shannon and Kevin.
We will see you during the holidays:)

First Snowfall

My daughter is home from the South for a few days.  I thought she might bring some warm weather with her.  No such luck.  Instead, we have had our first snowfall of the year.  

The snow began to fall yesterday afternoon as we were driving to her best friend's house.  It was even a little foggy.  I thought to myself, "I do not like winter."  However, during the drive, we had wonderful conversations about the new people she met on her flight home, her friend's new home, and meals we would have together.  And, then she said to me, "Don't you just love life Mom?"

And, I replied, "I do."  I am so appreciative of a daughter that delights in new experiences, finds beauty in light shining through snow covered leaves, and I feel lucky that she chooses to share these thoughts with me.  She is definitely a glass half full kind of girl :)

The 35 Acre Wood

Where dogs run free...

 

and nature abounds.

It is where I hang my hat.
It is to where my daughter returns.
It is home.

Trisha Yearwood's Crock Pot Macaroni and Cheese

It has been a cold and dreary day here in the Finger Lakes.  So much so that I have basically stayed inside all day perusing magazines and blogs.  This is not a bad thing.  For if it wasn't such a dreary day, I would not have found Penny's blog and her review of Trisha Yearwood's macaroni and cheese.

Since I don't have any children in my house (this weekend), I decided to make it.

So I brought out my trusty 23+ year old crock pot and had at it.

Note the rust and super glued removable crock. Love it :)

I added all the ingredients, turned it to low...

and three and 1/2 hours later, I had this...

It is one of the most delicious macaroni and cheese recipes I have made.  The only bad thing about it is that I cannot even imagine what the fat content of it is.  But, hey, what is macaroni and cheese if not fat (and delicious).  Nothing a good walk can't cure.
But it is dark and cold out you say.
Nothing a good head lamp, hat and scarf can't cure.

Make this dish and then go for a walk...

Note my little witch friend above me :)

It's a win/win situation.
Then make sure you check out Penny's blog.
It is another winner :)
Have a great night.

Puffball Found

There was quite a bit of excitement here this weekend.  I found a puffball.  I found it growing on the side of the road.  Usually, puffballs are found in wooded areas.  This particular puffball was the size of a cantaloupe.  I texted a picture of it to my father and he too was extremely excited.  He used take us "puffball hunting" when we were little.  It was quite the adventure.  We would go into the woods and search for them.  Often, we would find ones bigger than this one.  My father was so proud of our find.  It was almost as if we had found a million bucks. 

After we found them, we brought them home, washed them, cut them in half and made sure they were white.  You do not want to eat a puffball that is green or brown in the center.  Once it is determined that it is fine to eat, you peal the skin off (very easy), and then we always cut them into 1/8" - 1/4" slices and fry them in butter.

We season the slices with a little salt and enjoy.

What do they taste like? 
My family thinks they taste similar to an egg omelet.
Take your kids on a "puffball hunting" adventure.  It is an adventure they will never forget:)
Enjoy your night.

Bowling

Dear Bowling:
How do I love thee?
Let me count the ways.
DJ, Grayce and I went bowling Saturday night and had so much fun.  Whenever I go bowling with my kids, we always have fun.  Whether we get strikes (DJ!!!), spares (Nana!!!), or have a few gutter balls (Me!!!), we always leave with a smile on our face because not only have we bowled, we have danced (cowboy/cowgirl style:), high fived, and laughed our a...es off :)
Saturday night with Grayce was no different as you can see from the photos.

Bowling is:  junk food, antics, video games and most importantly...
It is fun!!!

Weekending With Grayce

My niece Grayce spent the weekend with me.  Because I am her favorite aunt, I made sure it was extra special.

Grayce is not only artistic, but beautiful too...

 

We cooked...

 

Enjoyed looking at photo albums of when she was "little" :)

Went bowling (I'm doing another post on that tomorrow), ate too many Twix...

Baked and decorated an amazing chocolate mayonnaise cake...

Hiked and visited with friends...

And, then we relaxed...

because we were dog tired...

Never, ever, ever underestimate the energy level of a very soon-to-be 11 year old. 
They can bring you to your knees :)