WE HAD A SERIOUS CARVING SESSION

Carving pumpkins is one of our favorite Halloween traditions. It's so much fun!
The pumpkin seeds were toasted but only a few of my man clan like them, so we don't do a lot. This year we tried a sweet and salty and it was just okay. What is your favorite recipe for pumpkin seeds?

PUMPKIN PASTRIES WITH APPLE CIDER GLAZE

Plan on making these again and again because they don't last long.Crust

2 cups flour
1 TBSP sugar
1 tsp salt
2 sticks Earth Balance (or butter), cold and cut into pieces
Egg substitution for 1 egg (or egg)
2 TBSP almond milk (or milk)

Filling

3/4 cup pureed pumpkin
1/3 cup sugar
Egg substitution for 1 egg and 1 egg yolk (or egg)
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp salt

Glaze

2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
dash of salt
1/4 cup apple cider (or more or less, depending on desired thickness)

To make the crust, combine all dry ingredients. Incorporate butter, until it is a crumbly mixture. Add milk and egg until just mixed. Lightly knead the dough on a floured surface, until the dough starts coming together. Divide the dough into two pieces, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

To make the mixture. Combine all ingredients and store in the fridge until you are ready to use it.

On a floured surface, roll one of the pieces of dough to 1/8 inch thick rectangle. Cut into thirds, creating 9 rectangles. Put four of the rectangles on a cookie sheet, lightly brush with water and spoon a tablespoon of the filling in the center. Before you cover it with another piece of dough, brush the edges of the top piece with water; this will act as glue. Cover the filling and crimp the edges with a fork. Put into the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Repeat.

Preheat oven to 350. Use a knife to vent the pastries and bake until golden brown, approximately 20-25 minutes. While they cool, make the glaze.

To make the glaze, combine all ingredients and stir until smooth. Drizzle on the pastries and enjoy.

ON HALLOWEEN IT WILL BE THE

three year anniversary of our surgery. We celebrated our anniversary, and that our kidney is doing fantastic, with a delicious dinner at Marco Polo.
Larry, Dennis and Mary - I love you guys!!

UNDERWATER ZEN

My second project is done. It was my first time using registration pins and four colors. It was stressful, but I like how it turned out.My inspiration was this photo of my brother, Derek, scuba diving in Fiji.

My next assignment is transparency colors. It will be a fun assignment, now to find some inspiration....

APPLE CIDER DONUTS

One of my favorite things about fall is apple cider donuts. Nothing beats homemade donuts. This vegan apple cider version is amazing.2 cups apple cider, reduced to 1/2 cup
7 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 stick Earth balance (or butter)
2 cups sugar
4 egg substitute (or eggs)
1 cup almond milk (or milk)
2 TBSP apple cider vinegar
cinnamon sugar

Reduce apple cider and set aside.

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

Combine milk and apple cider vinegar and set aside.

Beat butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add eggs, cider and milk. Stir in flour mixture, until just combined.

Cover and put in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. This dough works best when kept cold, so plan on putting it back in the refrigerator when not using.

Heat oil to 350 degrees. Roll out dough to 1/2 inch thickness, cut donuts and fry until golden brown, approximately 1 minute on each side.

Place on paper towel lined plate for 1 minute then dip in cinnamon sugar. We think they are best served immediately.

PUMPKIN PATCH

This weekend we went to Airlie Hills Farm in Monmouth. It was our first time at this pumpkin patch and we had so much fun. We stayed for hours. They have a hay maze, corn maze, dark maze, slides, a hay ride, farm animals, etc.. and of course the pumpkin patch. We only had the wee ones with us and they didn't want to leave. It was an awesome family outing and we'll be back next year.

NIGHTMARE FACTORY

The Nightmare Factory at the School for the Deaf is awesome! The set is incredible and the costumes are amazing. We had such a fun time!When you purchase your ticket, you have an option to pay $5 more for a VIP pass to get straight in. Don't do it. Standing in line, about an hour, was part of the fun! Interesting characters walk around and there are a few times you get startled. Then, you wait for the unsuspecting to get spooked too and then you get to laugh at them. It's awesome. Everyone in line is in such a great mood and it's a fun experience from start to finish.
$10 admission and they open at 7pm. If you haven't gone yet, definitely go.

MY LEMON TREE

has fruit! So far six lemons are in the making. I'll be making homemade lemon curd for the holidays.
This little tree makes me happy.

DON'T CALL THE HEALTHY DINNER POLICE

because I would be fined big time for last nights dinner spread.
Ideas from the man clan started rolling and last night ended up being an impromptu Halloween dinner picnic movie night and I let them pick the menu.We spread a blanket on the living room floor in front of the tv and laid out the food. After much deliberation about what movie to watch, Monster House vs DragonHeart, we had a movie night smorgasbord.

Main Dish - mummy hot dogs with face decoration of ketchup and mustard
Side Dishes - candy corn, chocolate covered pretzels, Halloween gummy worms, popcorn
Dessert - witch fingers

With that menu, you'd never know that there was a mama in the house, but it was fun.

PS - DragonHeart won.

IF YOU'D LIKE TO KNOW THE TRUTH,

I'm walking a little like this.

GIRLFRIENDS HALF MARATHON

I ran my first half marathon with Molly, Jamie and Heidi this weekend. I've been taking a running clinic at Gallagher's but am not at half marathon running level yet. Sunday, I was wondering what I got myself into but I knew I'd have fun.
The atmosphere was electric. 3000 women running, walking, skipping, some even wearing tutus and pink wigs, bonding for a cause - breast cancer awareness.Along the course Larry and Lach, Shane, Mikel and Haley were there high fiving and encouraging. It was so fun seeing and hearing them.As we crossed the finish line we received water bottles and a necklace from the firefighters. As we got food and ate there was a band playing, people cheering and hugging. It was awesome.

The break down of my race:
I ran the first 10 miles. I felt great at mile 6 but then I felt myself get slower. At mile 10 my legs were screaming at me and on the verge of cramping. I walked 2 miles and ran the last 1.1 miles. I'm a slow runner so my goal was to run the race in 3 hours. I beat my goal! My time was 2:59:03. I couldn't believe that with walking 2 miles I still beat my time by 57 seconds!

PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP BARS

1 cup (2 sticks) Earth Balance (or butter), room temperature
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 serving of EnerG egg replacer (or 1 egg)
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 tsp vanilla
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 TBSP pumpkin pie spice
2 cups flour
6 oz vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a jelly roll pan.

Cream butter and add sugar, egg, pumpkin and vanilla and beat until smooth. Add dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Enjoy this deliciousness that tastes like fall.

PS - If your house is like my man clan, these cookies will be devoured. Be prepared to make another batch.

ENTERING BOND

I'm taking a screen printing class and just got finished with my first assignment, which was to use one color. My classmates thought it had a James Bond feel, so I named it Entering Bond.This photo of Lach getting ready to go through a tube slide was my inspiration.I did a few copies in blue also; I thought blue made it looked more playful.

My next assignment is really hard, but I'm looking forward to it. I hope I can transport what I see in my mind's eye to the screen and paper.

IT'S UGLY BUT

tasty. Green smoothies.
My friend, Mary, turned my on to green smoothies and we've been having them for breakfast.

Do you drink green too? What's your favorite combo?

I HAVE TWO WORDS FOR YOU

Plum GaletteHere is the recipe. You're welcome.

Crust

1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup Earth Balance, (or butter) cold, cut into cubes
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
4 TBSP ice water

Combine first four ingredients with a fork. If you have a food processor, you are a lucky ducky who gets to push a button until it looks like coarse meal. Fork or food processor, it's super easy and delicious. Add ice water one tablespoon at a time. Dough will be crumbly, but will hold together when you press it. Shape dough into a disk and refrigerate for one hour.

Filling

1/4 cup whole almonds
6 firm plums
1/4 cup sugar
1 TBSP flour
zest of half a lemon

Finely chop almonds.
Pit plums and slice into 1/4 inch strips. In a bowl, mix plums with sugar, flour and lemon zest.

Preheat oven to 350. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a circle, 1/4 inch thick. It's okay if it isn't a perfect circle, this is rustic, so imperfections are encouraged!

Spread almonds over dough, leaving a two inch boarder. (You'll notice on the above photo, I forgot to leave the two inch border). Spread plums on top of almonds.
Fold the two inch boarder of dough over plums.

I brushed the dough with water and sprinkled a little sugar on top. Bake until it is golden brown, about 45 minutes.

HAVE AN ADVENTUROUS WEEKEND

LACH AND I

loved everyday of our Arizona trip and traveling with my parents was a blast. The only thing that would have made our trip better, was if my man clan was with us. And of course, more desert time.To see all of our Arizona posts, click here.

JIMINY

was such a cool find leaving the homestead. We saw him crawling across the dirt road, and stopped, because we thought he was a tarantula.I think he was as curious about us, as we were about him. Since I conversed with him, maybe he'll bring me a little good luck.

JAVALINAS

were a new sight, and smell, for us in Arizona. Javalinas and cactus are two things Lach is still telling everyone about.We smelled and saw these sleeping javalinas at the Desert Museum and have been talking about them ever since.

Lach's favorite story is the Three Little Pigs, but that has changed, thanks to one of our favorite Arizona purchases, The Three Little Javalinas.

PUEBLO GRANDE

is an archaeological museum in Phoenix. It has a kid friendly area that teaches them about the Hohokam people in a fun way. Outside, part of the village has been excavated and some has been recreated.

Almost all of the outside area is in complete sun, so the museum provides huge umbrellas for you to carry for shade. Every time I'd look back at Lach carrying his umbrella, following the painted lizards on the walkway, I'd melt. Not from the heat, but because he was just so incredibly cute soaking all this Arizona atmosphere in.