things to come

all the rain we got this weekend really has me excited!  not so much for the rain itself, but for what it will bring us come spring.
 


I love, love Spring - the planting, the sprouting, the green hills and blue skies!


it's definitely time to decide what (in addition to our peaches, and the mandatory tomatoes) we'll be growing this year!

my momma's soup

on a recent car ride:

me: "punky, you have to stay my baby forever ok?"

him: "until i'm 13, ok?"

me: "13?!?!?  that's only 5 more years!"

him: "ok, 15."

me: (sad face and puppy dog eyes)

him: "fine, 100!"

me: "i'll take that deal.  i'll be very, very old by then, baby!"

him: "i'll make you soup.  lots of kinds of warm soup!"

me: i smile, and tell him that the last thing my grandfather ate before he passed away was my homemade french onion soup.  he loved it.

him: "well, right before you pass away, i'm gonna make you a special soup called "my momma's soup."

me: "what does it have in it?"

him: "my special tomato sauce, bay leaf, celery, carrots, green beans, and peas."

i scribble the recipe down on a nearby napkin and try desperately to hide the big ol' alligator tears that are welling up in my eyes as i try to imagine the day when our roles are reversed. when this boy - who forgets  that he's old enough to tie his own shoes, fall asleep without my presence, or serve himself a snack - is the one tying my shoes, making me feel safe and serving me a snack.

this weekend, i loved...

friday night date night with my punkin'.



discovering something new about a very familiar place.



the reckless abandon with which my punk lives life, with complete disregard for the strangers watching.  we should all be so free.






cupcakes that are not just beautiful on the outside!


unexpected messages when ineeded one most.

The Beach in December

The top 5 reasons we love the beach in December:

1.  It's perfect sailing weather, so we can sit on the shore and pick our favorites and make up stories about where we are going.

2. There aren't too many people to see our craziness.

3. We don't have to keep our love notes a secret until the tide washes them out to sea.

4. The only footprints in the sand are our own.

5. After all the fun, there isn't a wait at our favorite beach diner, Ruby's!

Grandma would be proud

My Grandma used to make homemade jam all the time.  In fact, we never really bought any, we always had a jar of hers in the pantry.  She made all types, but her strawberry was the sweetest (and therefore my favorite), especially because in her house, there were always warm rolls to slather.

A few weeks ago I came across a super simple recipe for spiced pumpkin butter.

4 c. (2 15 oz. cans) pumpkin puree
1 1/4 c. pure maple syrup
1/2 c. apple juice
2 T. lemon juice
2 t. grd ginger
1/2 t. grd cinnamon
1/2 t. grd nutmeg
1/4 t. salt

(I also added a tablespoon or 2 of brown sugar, just because we like it sweet!)

Boil, reduce heat for 30 minutes or so, until its all thick and your house smells like a home.  Spoon it into jars and enjoy within 2 weeks or freeze for 6 months.  It's pretty darn yummy on muffins and pancakes!

apple picking...sorta

so i found this apple crisp recipe that sounds so yummy.  since i'm feeling all autumn-y, i thought we'd go pick the apples for it.  except, apparently everybody else had the same idea.  all the trees had been picked clean!  so, i'll have to let you know how yummy that crisp is another time.  no worries, we found plenty to enjoy around the orchards!

the pumpkin spice donuts alone were worth the trip.



the caramel apples weren't bad either.

after we fueled up, we went looking for bigfoot.  once again, we came home emtpy handed.



it was a beautiful day!

first rainy day

= carrot spice muffins to warm us inside.