Fall Is In The Air...With The Year Shortly Coming to a Close

Fall is in the air, here in little o'l Cedar City.  I have very much enjoyed this past month of October as I have watched the leaves change their colors, and participated in many fall activities.  What does fall remind me of?  Well, it reminds me of school starting, football games, leaves changing colors, my mission (because at a pivotal point I was transferred to a rural area where the leaves changing color was magnificent, so I always think of Kentucky this time of year - plus I got to spend two fall seasons in Kentucky), apples/pumpkins/squash, soups/comfort food, and lastly, that this year is coming to a close.

School

School started up once again.  Imagine that!  I am currently enrolled in my last set of classes.  I am in Food Science - which is kicking my butt some, but don't worry, I contacted my miracle working tutor and things are seeming okay.  Also, I am in what is called "the block" and I am gearing up to student teach (next semester - AHHHH).  I have been spending time at Cedar High with the block, and have actually enjoyed my time observing and teaching some.  However, I am at the point (burned out) where I don't even care to teach once I graduate.  Teaching is at the bottom of my list when I start applying for jobs this summer.  I am still holding out for, and want to apply for, flight attendant positions.  My friend Stephanie has been keeping me posted on all upcoming flight attendant positions.  As of this moment, my first priority is to graduate with my bachelors, then worry about flight attendant applications.  Stephanie did mention that Alaska Airlines would be hiring 200 people this spring.  That is what I'm looking forward to do, until then I'm just focusing on school and getting that diploma, or what we're calling it these days - getting that piece of paper! 

Along with school comes Football...

Football

I finally, after too many years, attended my first SUU football game.  I showed up after halftime, so I didn't really attend the whole thing.  SUU won their homecoming game, so it was kind of monumental for me to be there.  Especially since this is my last round of football as a bona fide college student.  I am also attending one of SUU's football games next month, which is out of state - looking forward to that little road trip with friends.

School and football lead to leaves changing colors...

Leaves Changing Colors

I have now officially worked three summers for SUU Grounds as a flower girl.  As soon as school starts I am finished working for the grounds department and head back to the Testing Center.  Although, I am always in need of extra cash I sign up to work the weekends through the end of October.  It is actually quite nice, and I get to really truly enjoy the color changes on campus.  I have to say, even though SUU has sent me through the ringer on my schooling journey, I have thoroughly been blessed by a beautiful campus.  I have said this before, and I will say it again, SUU has the most beautiful college campus here in Utah.  Yes, I know, because I have actually visited all the campuses here in Utah.  So there -- SUU is truly a beautiful campus to be studying at, and I have TRULY enjoyed watching the leaves change color each year.

Doesn't this time of year make you want to eat fallish foods?  Apples, Pumpkins, and Squash....

Apples, Pumpkins, and Squash, oh my!

Growing up here in Southern Utah my Granny had a sister who lived not to far from her in the small town of New Harmony.  New Harmony is nestled at the bottom of Pine Valley mountain, and is a quaint, beautiful town.  I haven't spent much time out there since my Granny passed away, but just recently my cousin Anisa rounded a bunch of us up to go out to a Apple Festival.  Before we went to the apple festival we started in Cedar City at a pumpkin festival.

The Pumpkin Festival was more for the kiddos, but I actually enjoyed myself as I stood in lines so the parents and kids could go do stuff then come back.  I was so helpful. ;)

After the Pumpkin Festival we headed south to New Harmony and attended the Apple Festival.  My Granny had a sister that lived there long ago, some of her kids are still living there (my second cousins).  We were able to see several of our family members and have some great visits.  Granny's sister (my great Aunt Marva and Uncle Vivian) had beautiful apple orchards nestled in New Harmony.  I remember as a child going out there and helping pick apples on a few occasions.  It was fun to visit with my cousins and even pick some apples right off of the tree, and eat them up, right on the spot!  We even boxed up some apples to take home, Summer and I even made an apple crisp.

Apples and pumpkins make great desserts, but does squash....

Soups, and Other Comfort Foods

This time of year allows for me to make a lot of soups.  I LOVE SOUPS!  Soups are so easy and delicious to make.  Since I'm a single gal who only cooks for myself, soups are a great way for me to make a lot, and then eat up my delicious soups during the week.  I have made several batches of homemade tomato soup (tomatoes fresh from my Auntie's garden), corn chowder with fresh corn from my garden, and cream of broccoli soup - fresh from Bountiful Basket's.  I loved my corn chowder recipe that I found online - I of course spruced it up some since I didn't have potatoes I used sweet potatoes, and I threw in some imitation crab as well - it was so colorful and pretty to look at!  However, my greatest cooking adventure this fall lead me to some Spiced Zucchini cupcakes.  My garden produced a "butt load" of squash, and until the first snow fall a FEW WEEKS AGO I was at the point of throwing away my squash.  When the first snow arrived I decided to make the best of what I had left - no more throwing away my beloved squash!  I perused the Internet looking for zucchini recipes.  Finally, one night I came across this recipe, and my life has been changed.  I will forever be planting zucchini each summer just so I can make these Spiced Zucchini Cupcakes - oh MY! 

This year is shortly coming to a close, and fall always symbolizes to me that the year is over and it's time to start over.  Just as the leaves fall and the winter months storm ahead, so does my life.  I have a few life changing things coming upon me in the next several months, and I have slowly began to prepare for what's in my future (teaching, flight attendant, or maybe more school...). The ending of seasons, especially fall, gives me a new perspective and a new motivation for life, and the path's it leads me on.  I came home from my mission at this time of year - another reason why fall is so special and sentimental.  After arriving home, I had to start from scratch with everything.  Since that time 8 years ago I have always felt that Fall is when I get my stuff together and move forward.  Fall is a time to make changes, start over, start something new, and work towards those different life changing events.  May the fall leaves, festivals, and yummy foods ring in a new perspective on what comes next in this coming year.  

Favorite Things/Stuff of 2010

Libby's list of Favorite Things. So long 2010, and here is to the exciting year of 2011 to come. I can't wait!!!

Favorite Things of 2010:

iMovie for Mac's - love this program! So easy to use, and makes fun movies. (I just learned about & how to use it this year.) Move over scrapbooking I'm going to be doing video scrapping. Is that even a word or thing, video scrapping?

Escada Taja Sunset - perfume. Oh my gosh this stuff smells so good.

Activia - works wonders!!!

Mormon Messages. Weekly ritual to get on YouTube and see the latest video the church has put out.

Canning - canned my first jelly this year, and can't wait to do more this year!

The wedding dance - it inspired the wedding dance for Jim and Pam on The Office. (I want to do this at my wedding!)

Movies: (In no particular order...)

(500) Days of Summer

Adam

Everybody's Fine

Taking Chance

Brothers

Up In The Air

Leap Year

Remember Me

Paper Heart

Date Night

Babies

Just Wright

Flipped

These are all new releases of 2010 that I rated 4-5 stars on Netflix and I would totally recommend to anyone.

Music:

Bruno Mars

Kings of Convenience (not new, but was introduced to them this year, and love this band.)

Some Katy Perry songs

Lady Antebellum

Justin Bieber - just one song...and yes I'm admitting that I like one of his songs!

Almost all the songs of Glee (particularly their rendition of Teenage Dream by Katy Perry.)

TV:

GLEE - heck yeah! I am such a Gleek, and proud of it!!!

How I Met Your Mother

Sarah Palin's Alaska

Kendra

Keeping Up With The Kardashians

Big Bang Theory

(Yes I realize some of these shows have been around for sometime, but this year I was introduced to all of them, and LOVE them!)

Books:

The Help

The Life and Death of Charlie St. Cloud

Eat Pray Love

(Did not like the movies of Charlie St. Cloud/Eat Pray Love, but I loved the books! Also, I did read more books than just three, but those are the only three that really made an impression on me.)

Food:

Sweet Basil restaurant in little o'l Cedar City Utah. If you like Thai food then this is the place. Their pork pad Thai is AMAZING!

Trisha Yearwoods stuffed peppers. Did you know she cooks, well her recipes are amazing, and her stuffed peppers are now a new favorite.

Rachel Rays lettuce wraps...making my mouth water just typing about it. HEAVENLY!

New Years Eve party - the dip was so tasty and I could've ate the whole crock pot!

Cream Cheese Rotel Dip Recipe

Ingredients:

1 pack cream cheese (8 oz)

1 can Rotel tomatoes

½ pound meat – sausage or hamburger (optional)

Directions: Fry the meat, drain. Combine meat, cream cheese, and Rotel tomatoes. Let cook in crock pot until warm and melted. This makes a very rich and yummy dip. It’s not as pretty as the Velveeta dip which is orange colored. With cream cheese, the dip has kind of a gray color. Just close your eyes and dip away. Rotel Cream Cheese Dip is fabulous.

So those are just a few of my favorite things of the past year. I can't wait to see what becomes my favorite things of 2011. It's so exciting!!!!

Happy New Year!

Friends, Family, and FOOD Equal a GREAT Thanksgiving!

I'm sure Thanksgiving was just as busy for you as it was for me. My Thanksgiving festivities started last week when I got invited to TWO Thanksgiving parties. Yes, I got invited to Thanksgiving parties. Two friends of mine that are in my programat school had invited me to a feast of turkey, trimmings, and yummy desserts. Kaitlin invited me to the first one. I've now decided that I like going to parties and meeting new people, especially people who share my love for bathroom humor... Her friends were hilarious, and just fun as can be to be around. I also had an amazing dessert/salad.

Me and Kaitlin. Enjoying that yummy salad!

Grape Salad

Lot's of red, juicy grapes

Pkg. Cream Cheese

Small Container of Sour Cream

Powder Sugar to taste/like

Brown Sugar

Directions: Clean grapes place in bowl and set aside. Cream the cheese and powder sugar to thick consistency. Mix in grapes and sprinkle with brown sugar. Enjoy!

Then next shindig was on Monday before Thanksgiving. Another friend Jaime, who is also in my same program at school, had a huge blowout party with lot's of good food, and lot's of music. She also had a tasty salad that I had to get the recipe from.

Me and Jaime partying it up at her place!

Fruit Salad

8oz. Package Sour Cream

Large can of pineapple chunks

Large can of mandarin oranges

Coconut flakes (but I won't be adding this to my salad)

1 Bag mini marshmallows

Directions: Combine fruit, sour cream and marshmallows in a large bowl and stir together. Serve, and ENJOY!

Lastly, the real Thanksgiving day was spent with my family on my Daddio's side. My Aunt Rosalie took it upon herself to be in charge and it was a huge success. We had TON'S of WAY GOOD, YUMMY, WISH I HAD LEFTOVERS FOOD! We also had a white elephant game where some funny presents were given. Uncle Ron picked two pigs "porking" it, complements of Cash and Kali, Aunt Rosalie got a hard hat which was hilarious on her, and Thayne had to open several gifts just to get to two little pooping key chains. I laughed so hard at all three of their gifts. Surprisingly their gifts were the most sought after???

I first picked a cool whip dish with five $1.00 bills, but that quickly got snatched up. I ended up with two candle stick holders. Not bad. Along with white elephants gifts and gags we played some other games for quite a while which was a lot of fun too.

It's actually not me holding Peyton...I caught this picture just at the right time. Peyton is a doll!

Cash and Kali - so CUTE!

Almost the whole fam damily...just missing a few - wish you were there!

I of course made my Grandma Roberta's Pecan Pie that is HEAVENLY - made two, and they didn't even make it home. I also tried a new pie this year from the one and only Pioneer Woman. I made her Pumpkin Cream Pie, that was also a hit! I need to give a shout out to Josh on the macaroni salad that he made. Tasted just like Granny's used too. Well done Josh, well done!

Grandma Robert's Pecan Pie

1 Unbaked Pie Shell (I use my cream cheese pie crust of course!)

2 Eggs (beaten)

1 Tsp. Vanilla

½ C. Sugar

2 T. Flour

1 C. Light Karo Syrup

2 T. Melted Butter

1 C. Pecans

Directions: Mix together eggs, vanilla, sugar, flour, and Karo syrup. Melt butter, and mix into ingredients. Pour in pecans and mix. Pour ingredients into unbaked pie shell. Bake for 50-60 minutes at 350 degrees.

Thanksgiving is a wonderful time of year, and I'm glad I got to spend it with my family. Have I said how grateful I am for my family? Well, I am! Yes MOTHER, I do love and appreciate my family even though I'm pain in the butt sometimes towards you all!!!

Oh HELL!

I'm not quite turning into my Mother, but I'm skipping a generation and turning into my Grandmother. Gads! I made 3 Bean Salad this weekend, and am enjoying a bowl right now for my lunch. I never in a MILLION years thought I would ever make this salad and actually enjoy eating it. But there is something about the vinegar/oil/sugar mixture with the crunch of green beans and onions that awakens my senses. After all the many years growing up spending the weekend with my Grandma, and all she ever had in her fridge to eat was 3 Bean Salad, I now like it. Who would have ever thought? I wish I would've gotten her recipe before she passed away, but thank goodness for allrecipes I was able to find a recipe and whip up this scrumptious salad. I tried to get my roommate (brother) to eat some, but I couldn't convince him. Apparently he is still stuck on the memory of Grandma always having this salad around, and always supplying it at bbq's. I was stuck on that for a while too. But, when you do Bountiful Baskets as frequent as I do, and you get a whole bunch of green beans - I think to myself, Self, what are you going to do with all these green beans? I'm going to make 3 Bean Salad just like Grandma did!

(This picture was taken with my cell phone - so it's not the best picture. You get my jist though!)

I Made Some Jelly...and NOT KY Jelly!

Plum tree growing in my landlords back yard! Do you want to talk about a sight...to bad nobody got the chance to watch me almost fall from the tree. I had a few close calls. I'm not the young and agile kid I once used to be.

The plethora of plums that came off that tree. Aren't they so pretty - love the colors!

The outcome of the plums turned into JELLY! I made this jelly all by myself...except for several phone calls to my sweet Aunt Rosalie, who is a master canner. I had to keep calling for help, and bless her heart she was happy to help. Yes, she even got a jar of jelly in the end, and LOVED IT!

Tasting the tart, sweet plum jelly. Mmmm...so good, and I made it myself!!! I really am enjoying the fruits (no pun intended) of my labor - it was just a long day so I kind of look tired...

My FIRST EVER Fruit Pie, I'm Totally Impressed!

I owe this friend of mine a dessert, long story short I'm an idiot, and I'm in hopes that I can smooth over my stupidity. My friend chose blueberry pie. I thought to myself, "Self, you make a smashing Blueberry Dream Pie, make that!" Blueberry Dream Pie is like a cheesecake with blueberries on top. No, no, this friend wanted a "homemade" blueberry pie. Blueberries + pie crust = blueberry pie the way my friend likes it. I started a search on my favorite recipe site EVER, All Recipes. I searched blueberry pie and found the pie with the most ratings, and highest number of stars. I printed it out and began to bake away. The recipe that I found only used a pre-made crust. Since I'm trying to impress I made my famous crust from scratch. A few of you have heard of it. The cream cheese crust - fatty, yet DIVINE!

Cream Cheese Pie Crust

Ingredients

8oz. Cream Cheese, softened

1 ¾ C. Flour

½ C. Unsalted Butter

Directions

At medium speed in food mixer mix well-softened cream cheese, flour, and butter. Mix well occasionally scraping down the bowl. Wrap dough into a ball and chill for at least 1 hour, or overnight. On floured surface, thinly roll out ball of dough to about one quarter inch thickness and round enough to fit a 8-0” pie pan or tart pan. Bake in preheated 400-degree oven until dough is golden, about 20-30 minutes.

After making my heaven sent pie crust - which I learned on my mission, I began to make the filling of this pie from the recipe found on All Recipes.

I really hope my friend loves this homemade blueberry pie, made especially for Him. The way to a man's heart is through his stomach, or at least that's what I'm hoping will smooth over my stupidity.

Peanut Butter Pie - OH MY!

While living in Alaska I fell in love with a pie, known as Peanut Butter Pie, from Glacier Brewhouse. With the thoughts of not going back I made sure that before I left Alaska this past year I would come home with a recipe of the pie. Sure enough with friends help and a lot of searching we found a recipe that is almost identical to this desirable pie. Last weekend my sister came and stayed with me, and for a fun activity we decided to make the pie. It was a little bit time consuming, but WELL WORTH IT IN THE END! I'm so excited to have a piece of Alaska right here in small little Kanarraville! MMMM - it was tasty, my mom especially loved it. Uh oh, that means I'm going to have to start making this pie for family functions...

I even got Cash to eat a slice, and he loved it, however he only had one slice because he said it was EXTREMELY RICH! That...it is, but that is why it's so DANG GOOD!

Peanut Butter Pie

1 1/2 Cup crushed chocolate cookies

1 Cup peanut butter

1/4 Pound cream cheese

3/4 Cup powdered sugar

2 T. Milk

2 T. Chopped peanuts (optional - I didn't use them)

2 2/3 Cups heavy cream, divided

6 Ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped

Directions:

Heat oven to 350F. In a mixing bowl, combine the cookie crumbs with 1/4 cup of the peanut butter. Combine the mixture thoroughly and press into a 9" spring-form pan (since I lost mine in a move some where I just used a regular pie dish - worked wonderful!). Bake the crust 8-10 minutes.

In an electric mixer with a whip attachment, whip the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add the remaining peanut butter, milk, and nuts. Whip for 1 minute. Turn the peanut butter mixture into a mixing bowl. Whip 2 cups of the heavy cram and fold into the peanut butter mixture.

Pour the filling into the prepared crust and refrigerate for 2 hours or until the pie is set.

In a saucepan, over medium heat, melt the chocolate with the remaining cream, stirring constantly, until the chocolate is completely melted. Remove from the heat, and cool for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove the pie from the spring-form pan and place on a wire rack over a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Pour the chocolate topping over the pie, covering the top and sides completely. Refrigerate the pie for 2 hours or until the chocolate coating is set.

Best if you can let it set up overnight. My own preference.

YUM! Oh MY GOSH

Okay, so I SO want to make these cookies that I found on one of my favorite BLOGS EVER! You have to go to this Blog: http://www.picky-palate.com. I love this blog; of course along with The Pioneer Woman Cooks http://thepioneerwoman.com. (See my blog list for some great cooking blogs.) Anyhow, I will make these cookies before the pumpkin season is over...or before I go to Hawaii. Did you know I'm going to Hawaii...Oh, ha ha...I AM!!! Any how, back to baking...check out this yummy, cute, flavorful (or so I can imagine...) cookie recipe for the Fall Holiday Season. Happy Haunting!!! Happy Harvest! Happy HALLOWEEN...BOoOoooOhahaha!!!

Recipe: Pumpkin Spice Blossoms - Enjoy!