Rainy Days ...Jack -0-Lanterns...Roasted Pumpkin Seeds...and Scrapbooks

Today is a rainy, stay-in-the-house-and-do-a-craft, kinda day.

 

It really doesn't take much for me to dig into a craft...

so this morning I decided to roast some pumpkin seeds

and do some scrap booking.

 

First up, the roasted pumpkin seeds...

It all began here at Girls Inc. Last week the teens did a

Reader's Theater version of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

 

 

This week the teens and teachers carved pumpkins...

 

 

 

 

Talk about a lot of seeds!!

 

 

I followed this Roasted Pumpkin Seeds Recipe from Pinterest and

did my pumpkin seeds in three batches.

 

 

I have to seal them up  in a jar...otherwise they will be gone before I get them to the girls next week :D

 While that was happening in the kitchen,  I was busy putting together pages for my Thanksgiving scrapbook.  These are the beginnings of pages from last year's fun making pies and the Macy's Parade breakfast...

 

 

Enjoy this rainy day... it is a gift from God!

Nashville

 

We are heading up to Nashville for Parent's Weekend with Kate.  We are staying downtown in an old train station which will be cool. After watching the first episode of...Nashville...

starring one of my favorite actresses, Connie Britton (now playing country music star Rayna James in this new show), I am definitely thinking that we need to check out the famous BlueBird Cafe...

 

Of course we will be doing the usual college weekend stuff too...cheering against the Gators at the football game on Saturday night, eating breakfast out someplace cool, maybe a little shopping...

 

 

If I spot any famous people anywhere up there I will get a picture and maybe even an autograph...

Kate was studying at the Frothy Monkey Coffee Shop in September.

Connie Britton came in with friends. She ordered coffee, set it down on the table right where Kate was sitting while she got a lid for her coffee, she then smiled at her, picked up her coffee and left.  She texted us the...You won't believe who is in line getting coffee text...when we all said picture proof was necessary she said she didn't want to bother her with picture taking and autographs...

 

Nicole told her that she lives in Nashville and she is never to leave the dorm without paper and a sharpie and one eye searching for stars...

 I am convinced that teaching our children is a lifelong thing :D

Katelyn's Fall Break = Food!!

 

Katelyn is home for fall break!!  That means cooking dinner at night and so far three grocery store trips in three days...what can I say, I am a little out of practice :D On Wednesday evening I made this great recipe find from Pinterest...Lasagna Soup

 

It is spicy from the  Italian sausage, fire roasted diced tomatoes, crushed red pepper flakes, and garlic.

It is cheesy...with a mixture of ricotta, shaved Parmesan, and mozzarella.

And it's SOUP...with 6 cups of chicken broth and all of those fusilli pasta noodles...YUMMY!  I was a tiny bit worried that lasagna as a soup would

not go over too well, especially with Rich...but it was a hit!

 

When deciding on dinner for last night I mentioned that I had the Martha Stewart Macaroni and Cheese recipe that I wanted to make for her and she decided that we should make buffalo turkey burgers too.  So back to the store

we went (after an afternoon of some shoe shopping ;)

 

 

If you are a mac and cheese fan...this one is a must try! Kate spent the

better part of 30 minutes grating white cheddar and Gruyere cheese.  Add to that whole milk, butter, freshly grated nutmeg and homemade breadcrumbs...divine!!

 

Now, I am not so much a die-hard fan of these...but if you like

buffalo wing sauce, blue cheese and spicy turkey burgers...these are

superb!

 

We also had a plan for the evening...it was Cold War movie night...yes, I am serious!  Kate's history class this fall is on the Cold War era.  So we netflixed

The Hunt for Red October and enjoyed our rich and spicy dinner along with some classic Sean Connery and Alec Baldwin!! 

 

With two days of her fall break left I am thinking I will easily gain 3-5 pounds...so I am glad that I am back into my morning walking routine!!

 

If you want to get the above recipes for lasagna soup and Martha's Mac and Cheese go to my pinterest lasagna soup (once you are looking at the pin, click on the web address in the upper right corner)and my pinterest mac and cheese (click on the web address in the upper right corner) and then plan a trip to the gym or a run or a hike or a very long walk!!!

 

An October Afternoon at the Library

October has hit the library at Girls Inc.

 

 

The fourth and fifth grade girls tried to solve some

Two-Minute Mysteries...

After going through one and learning how to listen for clues, they were determined to solve one without my "help"...

I see more of these in our future for sure!!

I read aloud part of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving,

one of my favorite October stories!!

 

Of course, the first graders were more interested in

Junie B. Jones :D

 

I hope that in October you find some time to read...a favorite old dog-eared book...a brand new book...just READ!! 

 

 

 

 

 

Here It Is...The Finished Library and Some Apple Pie!

I told you about the Library Reveal and then nothing... Sorry about that, I was sick the first week and didn't get to go to Girls Inc.  Last week I went, we read books, made apple pies, and even wrote a poem; but my computer crashed on Wednesday and spent a couple days with the I.T. guy!

So here it is October 1st...this is the first day of my favorite three months of the year!  It is rainy and threatening severe storms this morning so it looks like no morning walk for me.  With a cup of coffee in hand I will take you on a tour of the library and let you in on some of the fun we have been having!

This is the before...

and the after...

 

 

 

 

 

We have been learning poetry and writing poetry...

 

 

 

 

I read aloud Amelia Bedelia's First Apple Pie

 

 

With the help of my mother-in-law, Mary, my friend

Pam, and three apple /peeler/ corer/ slicers...

 

 

The girls turned out three lovely apple pies!

 

 

Pie and Ice Cream...can't be beat :D