November soup recipes

We've had another great month for recipe contributions! Many thanks to those of you who submitted soup recipes for the November edition of the recipe swappers blog.

I can't wait to try these recipes out! I've got "Easy Potato soup" on the menu for this week. Check out all of these yummy soup recipes:
Broccoli Cheese soup
Speedy Turkey Spinach soup
Turkey Corn chowder
Love soup
Cream of Broccoli soup
Baked Fish chowder
Cheeseburger soup
Christmas Eve soup
Classic Steak and Cheese soup
Gone-all-day soup
Alphabet soup
Beef ravioli soup
Basque soup
Nevada Chili-Albodigas soup
Easy Potato soup
"Homemade" Chicken Noodle soup

I can't think of anything but HOLIDAY BAKING for December so that's what we'll do for this month's issue of the recipe blog. Send your most creative and delectable Christmas baking recipes to me at aliciahorn@hotmail.com. I don't know about you, but I LOVE special sweet treats at Christmas-time. If you send a family favorite, be sure to also include a brief explanation of the traditions/memories surrounding your recipe.

I'm baaaaaaaaack!

Whew, I've been suffering from blogger withdrawal lately! My computer has also been suffering. It's been sick recently and tonight a computer savvy pal came over to diagnose our poor little pc. Thankfully, the computer doc saved our precious dell from certain death. HALLELUJAH!

Now I can blog, blog, blog to my heart's content.

We had a fantabulous time visiting Matt's brother Ben and family up in Michigan over Thanksgiving weekend. Chloe and her cousin Grace are starting to interact with each other and it was soooooooo cute to watch them together. Grace can say Chloe's name very clearly and she'd call for Chloe as soon as she woke from a nap or in the morning she'd walk around looking for her. They are both in a very busy stage right now so getting photos of them was nearly impossible. My attempts at Grace-n-Chloe pictures can be found below.

This Monday Chloe had her 15 mos. check-up (I'm in shock that she's reached this milestone all ready!) and we discovered that she had caught the hand, foot, and mouth disease virus. It sounds way worse than it is but it scared me at first. Thankfully, she's over the worst of it and she's a tough cookie.

Trials by spoon

Chloe is still perfecting her use of utensils. How long is this going to take?!? She started out really well with her pumpkin oatmeal yesterday but then after 5 minutes got tired of using the spoon and resorted to fingers. I was frustrated at first but then just had to laugh when I looked at her mess of a face! Hope her messiness gives you a giggle too!

Thankful

We had a busy (for us) weekend so I didn't make any time for blogging. Today though, I'm reveling in thankfulness as Thanksgiving approaches rapidly.

I'm grateful for a littany of things, but what God is especially showing me today is that I'm thankful for my sweet husband. He's working so incredibly hard at his phd studies that he rarely takes a moment for himself. And this phd isn't for him either. It's an investment for our family so that he can have a real professorship with a salary and benefits.

I love his silly side too. For those of you who had him as a teacher, you probably never saw his zany side. He makes me laugh and he's enriched my life so. I smile just thinking of the weird ways in which he's enriched my life (like tying knots or schooling me in the many varieties of apples). Besides expanding my vocabulary (it's handy having a human dictionary for a husband), he's shown me the joy in being a homebody. Our most enjoyable (and restful) times are when we just sit at home reading Calvin and Hobbes, playing scrabble, or watching a good football game together. This may be hard for you to believe, but before God brought Matt into my life, I was a bit of a social butterfly. I was constantly running here and there and everywhere, not often taking time to slow down and relish life.

How are you thankful for your hubby?

Kickin' the cold and flu season

Are any of you out there suffering from the cold and flu season yet? It hit us with a bang this week. Chloe's nose is running away to Mexico, we're coughing and experiencing sore throats and tiredness. Waaaaaaahhhh!

I slept a whopping 11 hours last night and am still feeling draining. We're also drinking herbal tea with honey to help coat our throats. Any other suggestions?

What a world!

I came across this article during my daily news-reading. What a crazy, sad, horrible world we live in! I wish I could be the one to take care of this poor unwanted little one.

Back to bloggin'

Hey all! Thanks for patiently waiting for our return to blogging (like you were all waiting with bated breath - as if!). We had a splendiferous (forgive any spelling mistakes on that whopper of a word) time with the grammas. To help diffuse Chloe's confusion over her gramma and great-gramma (yes, I realize I spell gramma incorrectly, it's a childhood thing), we called great-gramma "Nana". Chloe got it right away and pointed and said nana so well it made all hearts within melting distance turn to sentimental goo (can you tell I'm feeling descriptive tonight?). Chloe's still working on pronouncing the much harder title of gramma. So far it comes out as "blsprqzrsch".

Chloe, as usual, enchanted the grammas. We mostly just entertained ourselves by watching Chloe in all her cute splendor. Also, Matt and I got a DATE NIGHT! The last date night we got was in June so this one was big. We went to see the new film The Prestige (interesting story but very dark and sad) and then drank tea at Borders and chatted for awhile. This weekend our dining room table witnessed several games of scrabble and a huge yummy pre-thanksgiving feast. This has become an annual event (the pseudo-thanksgiving not the scrabble playing) and this year was unusual. My mom and I like to try out new recipes so we went at it like crazy. We did ham, corn casserole, rosemary garlic mashed potatoes and yams (this was my fave of the feast), creamed spinach (it tasted better than it sounds), savory dinner rolls, and the token cranberry sauce. My gramma treated us to a red raspberry cheesecake and we all thoroughly enjoyed everything. Please don't ask how my weight loss plan is going . . . .

Here are a few photos from our fun time together. Chloe is wise to the camera now so taking pictures of her was extremely difficult. Thank the Lord for digital cameras and the ability to erase bad shots!





Yay, finally a good picture of Chloe and mommy!




Hmm, the Cavaliers don't look good this season.





Mom, are you a professional tickler?




Nana, you are hilarious! I can see you, you know!




Aren't I adorable?





This is a great book, isn't it daddy?

Chloe outage

As my gramma and mom are here visiting for the weekend, I won't be doing much blogging. Chloe says, "Yo, deal with it."

Rss feeds and picture troubles

I have a question for you all. How many of you use a newsreader to find out when blogs are updated? I just started using bloglines. It's amazingly easy to use and will be a huge time-saver for me. How it works is you subscribe to different blogs or websites and it tells you when they are updated. For example, instead of clicking through my long list of blogger friend links to find out what's newly posted, bloglines does it for me and then rings me up to show me which ones have new posts. It also works for news websites, recipe sites, you name it! I even set it up to deliver a daily comic from foxtrot to me!

The only bummer is now that I've been using it a few days, I've lost the ability to view photos on blogs. And that's a big bummer! I still see that there is supposed to be a photo there, it shows up as a little square. Usually when I click the square I can see the photo but it doesn't always work.

So, my question for you intelligent bloggistas is how do I get my photos back? And how many of you use a newsreader?

Ayudame por favor!

Chloe's newest hairdo

Thought you all would like to see Chloe's newest hairstyle. Real, bonafide pigtails!!!! Isn't she the cutest? I have to get her into the hairchair to style these piggy-tails because Chloe is the wiggliest wiggle worm in the lower 48 states.

Notice her "I Voted" sticker. Hope you did your civic duty today and voted wisely.

Get out and VOTE!

The big voting day is almost here - Tuesday, November 7th. I wanted to share with you a great resource for this election - usavoter.info . It's a public forum that offers comparative information on your area's election races. Check it out!

Pumpkin Roasting 101

I'm conducting an informal survey, how many of you use canned pumpkin for your fall cooking? How many of you roast your own pumpkin?








I don't know if it's the Mexican or the loving-to-do-things-from-scratch or the recycler in me but I truly enjoy cooking up my own pumpkin. What a great way to save a few bucks and to get tastier, healthier pumpkin! Can you imagine how many poor carved pumpkins get thrown out (or smashed) after halloween? Think of all that good juicy pumpkin meat (I think it's called meat) going to waste. How very sad.

So, to help you roast your own pumpkin this fall, follow the simple instructions below. I'm sure we'll be able to get some after-halloween pumpkins on sale soon so be sure to pick up some cheap pumpkins and try roasting them yourself!

Pumpkin Roasting 101
1. Cut the stem off your pumpkin. Cut your pumpkin into four big pieces using a big sharp knife.
2. Scoop out any remaining seeds (wash and dry for later roasting!) and throw out stringy pumpkin goo.
3. Place your pumpkin quarters onto baking sheets face down.
4. Cover with foil.
5. Bake at 350 for 1-2 hours or until pumpkin meat is soft and can be scooped out easily.
6. Remove pumpkin from oven and let cool.
7. Scoop out pumpkin meat.

You can use your newly cooked pumpkin right away, put it in the refrigerator or freeze it in plastic containers. I have two containers in my freezer I'm saving for Thanksgiving and one container in my fridge for pumpkin eating through the week.

October's Recipes

A hearty shout-out is in order to all of my recipe-contributing-blogger friends! Thanks to you, we have scads of delicious fall recipes for pumpkin, apple, and squash. Have fun cooking up these great dishes. I already have several lined up to try this month (starting with pumpkin oatmeal tomorrow morning). Here's the delectable listing of October's recipes:

Pumpkin Cheesecake
Apple Cranberry Crisp
Hot Apple Oatmeal
Apple Crisp Pizza
Pumpkin Oatmeal
Pumpkin Empanadas
Pumpkin Layered Dessert
Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake
Apple Affair
Libby's Pumpkin Roll
Kirsten's Apple Bean Bake
Spiced Pumpkin Praline Roll
Polish Kraut 'N Apples
Butternut Squash and Apple Casserole

November's recipe theme will be SOUPS. Submit your cozy soup recipes to me at aliciahorn@hotmail.com.

A pleasant surprise

This morning we arrived at church a few minutes late and the songs were already starting. We filed into a row and I found myself smack dab behind a huge 6 foot tall man. The song was a Fernando Ortega version of "How Firm a Foundation". The song ended and I was just about to whisper that to Matt when the piano player (who I couldn't see because of the tall man obstruction) introduced the next song. I craned my neck to see him because he sounded EXACTLY like Fernando Ortega. And it WAS Fernando Ortega!?!!??!! I couldn't believe it! He's like a mini-celebrity to me. I have several of his cds and really enjoy his worshipful music. And there he was, sitting there playing and singing and worshipping with all of us. He sang several beautiful songs from his newest cd. He played and sang accompanied by an talented and tender string quartet. The music was so beautiful and heart-felt it made me shiver. He sings in person just like on his cds - sincerely, passionately, and professionally.

I drove back for the evening service (we don't usually do evening church because it's a 45 minute drive one-way for us) by myself so I could hear Sr. Ortega again. What a kick to sing "I will sing of my Redeemer" as a congregation while he led and played the piano!

I guess this is a perk of being a part of such a big ole church. Thank you for the special blessing, God! How was your Lord's Day?

Halloween Highlights

Tonight was our neighborhood trick-or-treating. The weather was monstrous all day - windy, cold, raining, sleeting, and even snowing! Thankfully, the precipitation halted by 6 so we were still able to take Chloe out for some treat garnering. It was still fairly cold and windy though so I don't think she enjoyed the outing.

Chloe, as you can see, went as a Green Bay Packer cheerleader. Go Pack, go! The Packers sure need all the cheerleaders they can get this season. We got the jumper as a hand-me-down (thanks Jackie!) and then created her halloween look around it. Do you like her homemade pom pons?

What did your kids (or you!) dress up like for halloween?






















It's fun to be a Packer cheerleader! Any one want to join my squad?





















Oh, the toil, the pain, the sweat . . . the packers don't pay me enough for this hard job.






















So, how does this thing taste?























What are THESE things supposed to do?























Dad, I don't want to leave all that candy on our porch! What if other kids take it? Let me at least take a dum-dum.

















I hope the wind doesn't blow away my color-coordinated hair ribbons!


















Mom, get your mind off my treat bag. Ain't nobody getting this treat bag!

Camera forgetfulness

Forgive my recent blogging absence. We've been busy visiting with my dad and I've somehow managed to forget the camera consistently during our adventures. Last week we went to the Pro Football Hall of Fame and I pulled out the camera case I had brought to discover the camera was not inside! Grrrrrr. I guess I had so many other things to pack and get ready for the day (for Chloe of course - bib, diapers, wipes, extra outfit, spoon, cups, etc.) that I forgot that during my dad's stay I've had the camera out and ready to capture any good moments.

The forgetfulness continued yesterday. We headed to the National Inventors Hall of Fame in nearby Akron and I determined I was going to remember the camera. And I did remember to bring the camera. Only I left it in the car. We were already inside when I realized I had left the camera behind. It was raining cats and dogs so I was not about to go fetch (get it cats, dogs, go fetch?) the camera from the parking garage down the block. The Inventors museum was awesome! They had a whole level devoted to kids and Chloe went wild with all the toddler-sized fun.

So, no pictures from our outings, but I do have a few shots from our time with abuelo at home. Enjoy these few photos!






















My dad shows me the way to make corn tortillas without a prensa (I broke my prensa months ago. A prensa is a tortilla presser thingy).

















Storytime with abuelo. Chloe loves to have people read to her. She grabs a book, brings it to you and then grunts and climbs up on your lap. Do you think Chloe needs a haircut?

















What's the big deal about these things, abuelo?






















An autumn walk down our street.

Brrrrrrrrrrr

We had our first snow Monday! It was a pitiful attempt at snow but it was cold, white and flaky so it counts. Yay!

Chloe stood on the porch just staring at the white dandruff-like snowflakes falling gently to the ground. Isn't she cute all bundled up?

With more temps in the 40s predicted this week, another snow might be in our near future. What's the weather like where you're at?

Chloe learns how to play cribbage

Cribbage is a family tradition. So, now that my dad is here to visit it's been natural to play a game or two every night. We play a dollar a game and so far I've only lost one dollar!

Tonight, Chloe wanted in on the action so up she went on abuelo's knee for some beginner lessons. Enjoy the photos below of Chloe's first cribbage venture!

What card and/or board games are traditions in your family? (Don't get me started on board games . . . we love too many to mention)
















Hmmmmmm, sounds complicated grandpa.

















I get it grandpa, this big of mine head holds lots of brains you know. Now I play this one, right?

















Isn't it my turn to shuffle?

Playing with Abuelo

Here are some cute photos of Chloe and her abuelo (my dad) playing together. She's really warmed up to him and when he babysat her for an hour last night she didn't even cry when I left. Sounds like I need to keep this babysitter around!

Grandpa comes for a visit

My dad is here for a visit (from Texas) to spend some time with his beloved nieta. Here are some photos from our leaf raking this morning. Boy, did hehave fun getting Chloe involved!

Have you gotten out in the leaves with your kiddos yet?