A Few Tips on a Tuesday

-Candy corn+honey roasted peanuts= fall deliciousness (a trick learned from one of my favorite young women's leaders back in the day)

-My favorite Marinara, Barilla, is on sale at Macey's right now for $1.78. Actually all Barilla sauce is on sale for that price, and boxes of Barilla pasta (including whole grain pasta!)are .78. America's Test Kitchen has given Barilla's marinara its endorsement, and Barilla pasta is also widely touted as one of the best. I like when I can buy quality pantry staples on the cheap. Sale prices are through today. Head there fast to snatch some up. If they have none left, get a rain check (which maybe they'll do over the phone?). Or head to Wal-Mart and ad-match.

-Petit Elefant is giving away a Little Giraffe blanket. My nieces and nephews each have one, and it's so soft. I'd love to have one, too for this new little boy.

-This banner over at The Paper Nut is a perfect Halloween decoration, and with a few supplies that are probably laying around the house, it's basically free! (even though Halloween and I are not BFFs, I couldn't resist posting this cuteness.)

A Fall Friday

Today I...

-really need to deliver a few papers for church. I've had them for almost two weeks and still haven't gotten them to the right people. For shame.
-am trying to decide what sort of delicious creation will come out of the oven today. Are we going to have an easy dinner tonight or a night out, encouraging some sort of cookie baking? Or should I forget about dessert and save my culinary energy for some homemade mac and cheese? Because there's only so much energy of any sort to be had. Oh, the questions that plague me...
-should tackle my laundry room. It's always a catch-all zone. It's driving me crazy.
-would like to call an old friend who just moved into a new house in the middle of nowhere. I couldn't live hours from the closest town or store, but somehow she's making it work and putting down roots, and I admire her for being a supportive wife.
-am (embarrassingly) a little sore from bathing the kids this morning. Now I know why I've been waiting for Pat to bathe them lately.
-need to go make the kids lunch so I can drop Addie at school and enjoy a couple hours with my boy.
-need a quick change of clothes. My morning lounge-wear (read: sweatpants and big t-shirt) has lasted through too much of the morning today.
-have a lot of thoughts I'd like to record here. Maybe I'll make it back again today.
-hope to plan a fun weekend enjoying some of what fall has to offer. Hope yours is fab.

All boy...

Sam is really quite the boy these days. Playing with blocks and trucks and trains and little people are his favorite things. Most of the time his interests are more boy oriented, but sometimes I see the effects of having an older sister. Today after finishing his latest tower creation, he stood back admiring his work and exclaimed "ooh la la." A little too much Fancy Nancy in his life, I think. Maybe we'll read an extra truck book tonight.

Five for Friday

1. We're in single digit weeks left until this baby arrives. I'm getting more excited as it gets closer. I'm also increasing in panic mode thinking about the many things that need to be done. It's amazing that when your body is slowing down the most and looking the largest during a pregnancy you suddenly have the urge to clean carpets and install shelving and rearrange the whole house and a myriad of other things that require a lot of energy. One of those things in life that just doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me.

2. In case you didn't know already, Halloween and I are not BFF's. I grew up in a place where it was nothing but scary, and maybe I played a part in that as a somewhat fearful child. At any rate, I'd much rather have some sort of apple-inspired Autumn fete. Maybe I'll post some inspiration next week, and if I'm feeling really motivated, maybe I'll put one together for friends. Who doesn't love anything apple related at this time of year.

3. I've been getting a little crafty lately. I've been on the search for storage containers for above my desk but hadn't found what I wanted, so I repurposed some other containers around the house, covered them all in pretty fabric, and got what I wanted. On the list for the weekend is this project with the abundance of indian corn from Pat's parents. Hopefully I'll find success and it won't blow away in the fall winds.

4. I love changing menus at this time of year. Soups and stews are here again. The grill is probably close to its seasonal retirement. Squash is making its appearance.

5. Can't wait for general conference this weekend. I need it!

Food love

I don't profess to be the greatest cook by any means, but I do enjoy making (and eating) good food, and I am continually adding to my arsenal of tried and true recipes. Here are a couple that I took to our ward mix and mingle over the weekend. The first is from my friend Kim whose kitchen is dubbed the test kitchen. She found it in the food section of her newspaper of all places, and now this soup is loved by many! It makes enough for a crowd, and I also love that it freezes well so I'll either freeze half and serve it for 2 dinners, or freeze what's left into smaller portions and Pat takes it to work for lunch.

Italian Sausage and Pasta Soup

Ingredients

Time: about an hour to prep and cook
Makes about 10 1-Cup servings.

• 1 lb hot or mild Italian sausage (can substitute turkey sausage)
• 3 medium carrots peeled and chopped
• 1 large onion, peeled and chopped (works with shallots or leeks, too)
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped or crushed
• 8 C lowfat or fat free chicken broth (I've subbed chicken bouillon with fine results)
  
• 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 15 oz can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 T dried basil
• 1 ½ C large shell pasta
• 6 oz spinach leaves, rinsed and slightly chopped (I use bagged baby spinach, and I've also added grated zucchini when I haven't had spinach)
  
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Grated parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Squeeze sausages from their casings into a 5-6 qt pan over high heat and stir often, breaking up sausages with a spoon. Cook until brown and crumbly. Spoon out and discard all but 1 T fat from pan.
2. Add carrots, onion and garlic; stir often until onion is limp, 5-7 mins.
3. Add broth, basil, tomatoes (including juice), and beans and bring to a boil.
4. Add pasta, reduce heat and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally until pasta is just enter to the bite about 10 mins. Skim and discard any fat.
5. Stir in spinach and cook just until it is wilted, about 30 seconds.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with parmesan.

This recipe for cheesecake is fantastic. I was highly disappointed that there was none left to take home on Friday night- it was one of the best I've ever made. I found this recipe on my friend Hannah's cooking club blog. Hannah is an excellent cook, and she is in a cooking club with other fabulous cooks, so I love to browse their blog for inspiration. Here is the recipe as shared on their blog (all notes belong to the original chef)- I take no credit for it, but I do love to make it, and even without any toppings it's incredible!

NEW YORK CHEESECAKE

FILLING
2 lbs cream cheese
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup sour cream
CRUST
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
6 tablespoons melted butter
1/4 cup white sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Mix graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and 1/4 cup sugar in a small
bowl. Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9 or 10 inch springform
pan. Place in freezer for 10 minutes.
Cream 3/4 cup of sugar and cream cheese until smooth. Beat in eggs one
at a time, add vanilla and cornstarch until just mixed. Stir in sour
cream until blended. Pour into prepared crust.
Bake at 400 for 45 minutes. Watch that the top doesn't turn too dark,
cover loosely with aluminum foil if it starts to turn brown. Turn oven
off and leave door ajar (remove aluminum foil for 3 hours. Serve with
your favorite topping.

My husband calls this "Better The Next Day Cheesecake" and it's true.
If you chill the cheesecake overnight the flavors meld together and
it's even better than if you eat it fresh. Don't worry, the calories
cook out! Also if you're doing party food, you can do mini
cheesecakes. Just omit the crust part of the recipe and use 'Nilla
Wafers. Line a cupcake pan with paper liners, add a 'Nilla Wafer to
the bottom of the cupcake liner and fill the cup 3/4 full of the
cheesecake mixture. Bake until the top starts to turn brown and let
cool on the counter. Top with your favorite fruit and serve.

A Few Items of Business

I did a little housekeeping today around the blog. Cleaned up the links to only show the private blogs, since everything else is in my reader. Shared a few links for creative geniuses I have the privilege of knowing. Crafted a new statement about me, since pretty soon I'll be a mom to more than 2 kids, and with each passing day teaching feels like more of a distant memory. That was enough for today, but there may be more soon.

Did a little tidying around the house today, too, although not as much as I need to. Definitely a lot of dust around here that needs stirred up. Vacuumed crevices of my couches that haven't seen a vacuum for a while. Final count of found items: 4 twistable crayons, 1 pen, 1 pencil, 1 piece to a quite book, 8 popsicle sticks (for crafting, not remnants of past-eaten treats), and countless crumbs. I purged about a dozen sippy-cups. Sometimes those things just need cycled. This new little boy will get his own down the line. I have the urge to rearrange every cupboard and drawer in my kitchen. Then I'll move on to my laundry room. And on and on throughout the house until things are tidy again. Nesting much?

And while the weather is 100% perfect outside I should probably attempt to clean up this eyesore we've been calling a yard. Next summer we are most definitely getting some outdoor furniture and a nice big umbrella so we can spend time outside with a little shade. Tomatoes are still on which makes me all sorts of happy and inspires prayers to avoid a frost for a while.

I've been starting on some Christmas shopping since December will most likely be a blur of newborn sweetness and twinkly lights and baked goods. I need to finalize my list of plans so I can know what to be hunting for and maybe get a little crafty for a few gifts.

Feeling super grateful that Pat's meds are seeming to make a difference. I'm becoming a smoothie-maker extraordinaire since that's all he can manage to choke down his probiotic in. He consumes over a trillion bacteria a day, and thankfully these little guys couples with some steroids are inspiring improvement. Hopefully soon the steroids will be gone and the probiotic will be enough to keep it all good.

Autumn makes trials seem so much more poignant to me. (well, probably autumn and pregnancy if we're being realistic) Lots going on with people I know- a sweet lady from church who just found out that she may only have 3 months left because her cancer is progressing and her treatment isn't working. Another going through affects of aging much sooner than she should. Struggles with jobs and relationships and health and all sorts of things. I wish I had enough hours/means/inspiration to make it all better. In the mean time I'll share food and prayers and visits, things I definitely know how to do.

Happy Thursday

Five for Friday

1. I found out this week that the placenta has moved, so things are good to go. Can't believe that I scheduled my next appointment for 2 weeks away- am I really that far along already? Craziness.

2. I'm trying to slowly but surely embrace the brown that my hair has become. My view of myself includes my hair being blonde, so it's quite the identity shift (as admittedly shallow as that sounds). Today I added quite a bit during my cut and color. And I chopped off a couple inches. It's a nice change!

3. Sam and Addie got a good dose of outside play in yesterday morning, thanks to a friend in the ward. I think I need to send them over daily- Sam ate voraciously after we got home and then took an amazing nap, and his napping is already nothing to complain about. It was so nice!

4. I'm hoping to squeeze in some work around the house this weekend. Embarrassing statistic: my windows have been washed zero times since moving into our house almost 4 years ago. Shameful. I'm thinking that definitely needs to be remedied before the baby comes. I'll probably be shocked by how bright the sun is once my windows are clean.

5. I'm not the most avid football fan you'll ever meet, but can I just comment on my Cougar pride this year? I just love that BYU. I think a trip to campus is in order soon including a visit to the creamery. Provo makes me feel like fall, and since it starts next week, I guess I need a few things to get me in the fall mood.