Getting ready for the mountains!

Last year, on a recommendation from a friend (Thanks Melisa!) we biked the Virginia Creeper Trail. You can read all about it online, but I have to say that it is one of our favorite things we have done as a family. We rode the 4 hour trek, trailing through mountains, and by streams the whole way. It is beautiful.......especially this time of year. This year we're going back, staying with out dear friends the Babcocks in a what looks like very nice and large cabin (I'm probably not going to want to leave) in Jefferson, North Carolina. Today I've been cooking for that trip. Tomorrow I will pack.......I think it is going to be cold.......I love the mountains of North Carolina. I always seem to breath easier when I'm there. For your recipe...... I have finally found "that" blueberry muffin recipe. These are delicious, and I like to make them in those medium sized mini-muffin pans. Enjoy!!! J

SOUR CREAM BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

MUFFINS
1 cup flour
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup blueberries

GLAZE
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 TBLS fresh lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest

For the muffins, preheat oven to 375. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Add egg, butter, vanilla and sour cream. Stir until just combined. Fold in blueberries. Line muffin tins with paper liners and fill with batter. Bake until muffins spring back to the touch, 25-30 minutes. Let cool.

for glaze, in a small bowl, whisk together confectioners' sugar, lemon juice and zest. Spread 1 tsp over each muffin. Let stand until glaze hardens. 12 muffins

OUR PUNKINS!

And here are OUR PUNKINS.....plus a grandpunkin with Mamy.....as the kids lovingly refer to her. You're never to old to enjoy the pumpkin patch!!! Go out and visit your local one today. Wow, that sounded like an advertisement. This next "tradition" is just, well, ridiculous. Enjoy!!! J

PUMPKIN GOOEY BUTTER CAKES

CAKE:

1 18 1/4 oz pkg yellow cake mix

1 egg

8 TBLS butter, melted

FILLING:

1 8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened

1 15 oz can pumpkin

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

8 TBLS butter, melted

1 16 oz box powdered sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine the cake mix, egg and butter and mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 13 by 9-inch baking pan.

To make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla, and butter, and beat together. Next, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mix well. Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 40 - 50 minutes. Make sure not to overbake as the center should be a little gooey. Serve with fresh whipped cream.

GRANDPUNKINS!

We love the Pumpkin Patch!!! Going there just always marks Fall. This year we had an extra big group......our entire family, and it was very special. Today I'll feature the "Grandpunkins". They got a kick out of finding the "perfect one". Fall is mine and Steve's favorite season. We love everything about it. I have some foods that are a tradition around this time. Here's one of my favorites!


CARAMEL POPCORN

1 CUP FIRMLY PACKED LIGHT
BROWN SUGAR
1/2 CUP BUTTER
1/2 CUP LIGHT KARO
1/2 TSP SALT
1/2 TSP VANILLA
1/2 TSP BAKING SODA
4 QUARTS POPPED POPCORN (PUT IN A BIG BOWL)

COOK SUGAR, BUTTER, KARO AND SALT OVER MEDIUM HEAT, STIRRING CONSTANTLY UNTIL MIXTURE BOILS. CONTINUE TO COOK 5 MINUTES WITHOUT STIRRING. REMOVE FROM HEAT, ADD VANILLA AND SODA. STIR WELL. POUR MIXTURE OVER POPCORN, STIR TO COAT WELL. SPREAD ON COOKIE (UNGREASED) SHEET. BAKE AT 250 UNCOVERED FOR 1 HOUR, STIRRING OCCASIONALLY. REMOVE FROM OVEN AFTER 1 HOUR AND IMMEDIATELY START LIFTING FROM COOKIE SHEET WITH SPATULA UNTIL IT STOPS STICKING. LEAVE ON PAN UNTIL COOL. BREAK APART WHEN COOL. STORE IN AIRTIGHT CONTAINER. COOK ON MEDIUM HEIGHT IN OVEN. MAKES GREAT TEACHER HAPPIES!!!

What I've Learned......

What I've learned is that you Don't do blogging or Facebook when your 3 grandbabies are in town!!! Obviously!!! We were so blessed to have Amy, and her babies here for a whole week! It was a blast. We all had fun at James Avery's Football Party, went to the pumpkin patch, the park, the zoo, Pancake Pantry, played in the back yard, all over the house.....Fun, Fun, Fun!!

I loved cooking for them and having 10 people around the table. Of course, adding 3 little ones to our 4 and their already hectic schedules was a little wild, but I have to say that the house was more orderly having Amy here with her three, than when she isn't here. She's amazing! I learn a little something more from here each time I'm with her. What a treat to have inherited her as a daughter. One night she cooked this delicious Israeli recipe. She's been telling me about these for years, and they are wonderful. I'll definitely be making them often. Enjoy!! J....more pics from the week to come

SEAN'S FALAFEL AND CUCUMBER SAUCE

1 15-oz can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained

1 onion, chopped

1/2 cup fresh parsley

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 egg

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp salt

1 dash pepper

1 pinch cayenne pepper

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp baking powder

1 TBLS olive oil

1 cup dry Italian bread crumbs

oil for frying

1 (6-oz) container plain yogurt

1/2 cucumber-peeled, seeded, and finely chopped

1 tsp dried dill weed

salt and pepper to taste

1 TBLS mayonnaise

1. In a large bowl, mash chickpeas until thick and pasty; don't use a blender, as the consistency will be too thin. In a blender, process onion, parsley and garlic until smooth. Stir into mashed chickpeas. (Amy did this all in the food processer)

2. In a small bowl combine egg, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper, cayenne, lemon juice and baking powder. Stir into chickpea mixture along with olive oil. Slowly add bread crumbs until mixture is not sticky but will hold together; add more or less bread crumbs, as needed. Form 8 balls and then flatten into patties.

3. Heat 1 inch of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry patties in hot oil until brown on both sides. (Amy baked hers at 400 for about 10 minutes per side)

4. In a small bowl, combine yogurt, cucumber, dill, salt, pepper and mayo. Chill for at least 30 minutes.

She put a flatbread on the plate, topped with lettuce, the falafels, red onion then covered with cucumber sauce! Sometimes she serves them in pitas with hummis, potatoes, etc. YUMMY!!!

BABIES COME TOMORROW!!!

We are anxiously awaiting Amy and her babies, Addison and Reilly, and baby Lennon's arrival tomorrow afternoon! She is driving all the way from St Pete, FL......what a woman!!! Andrew has to work, so it will be just her and the kids. We can't wait to see all of them, and I can't wait to post pictures!!! I just finished boiling 2 yard birds, pulling the meat off of the bone, straining that yummy broth, and have one of Nita's Chicken Pies made and in the refrigerator, and am also making a pot of Chicken Noodle Soup. The weather is cool here, so it's time for some hearty meals. Enjoy this Beautiful Weekend!!! J

A SEINFELD EPISODE!

Have you ever felt like you were a starring role in a Seinfeld episode? That was today for me. It was teeth cleaning day for me at the dentist......something that is never fun, but I guess necessary for dental health. Anyway, all was going well until it was time for her to brush my teeth at the end with that little spinny rubber thing. She gave me the suction stick to hold in my right hand, slathered my teeth with that very grainy and gritty toothpaste, and started spinning. I noticed that she pumped her foot on some pedal thing to get the spinny thing to spin. Well, about halfway through this procedure, the spinny thing malfunctioned. She couldn't get it to spin, and started pumping her foot faster, in different angles, getting very frustrated, remember I'm holding the suction stick, have the gritty toothpaste caked on my teeth, mouth wide open, Blinding light in my eyes (the big light said Belmont......I always notice the brand on that big light) and the Wonders of the World posters on the ceiling are staring back at me. By now, I started getting tickled. Now this is funny. She is very frustrated, still pumping away, it would come on, she would do a tooth or two, then it would stop. I think she was new or something......I can't imagine anyone else going at that foot pump the way she was trying to get it to work. By now, I am laughing out loud, trying not to choke on the now running down the back of my throat gritty toothpaste stuff. It was hilarious. She finally did go next door and another gal came over and fixed it for her. Still, it was one of those surreal moments that became comical.....Ever had one of those? I always love it when something funny happens early in the day, to get my smile really going. It was very easy to smile today, though, because it was gorgeous, and was the first day that it felt like Fall all day! Bring on those pumpkins!!! Speaking of pumpkins, here's a very festive, sweet fall appetizer, or dessert. Delicious! Enjoy!!! J

PUMPKIN DIP WITH GINGER SNAPS

2 8-oz pkgs cream cheese
4 cups (or less) confectioners sugar, sifted
1 can pumpkin or pumpkin pie filling mix
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger

In a large mixing bowl combine cream cheese and sugar, beating until well blended. Beat in remaining ingredients. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To serve, scoop out 1 or 2 miniature pumpkins and fill them up with the dip. Use ginger snaps for dipping.