Apple Tart..well sort of

I was so ready to bake something, anything. And then, there it was... I found a recipe for apple tart in a magazine that we got in the mail. It looked delicious, only one problem: I didn't have any puff pastry. Instead I improvised and used canned crossant dough. I turned out better than I thought it would. The verdict came when hubby said I could make these any time I wanted. So I guess I will. :)

For My Fellow Church Workers

If you work in a church either as a volunteer for any ministry or as paid staff, this is for you:


Psalm 134
¹ Praise the LORD, all you servants of the LORD
who minister by night in the house of the LORD.

² Lift up your hands in the sanctuary
and praise the LORD.

³ May the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth,
bless you from Zion.

Love Ya'll In Christ!

Just be You!

2 Corinthians 10:12

Fall Decorations

Oh how I love fall. Even though it's a very short season here in Alabama, it is still my favorite. I wanted to show you my decorations for this year.

My cute little table centerpiece.

My table with my new curtains! Hooray I have a set of curtains in our eating area! You'll never guess what they're made of. Go on, guess... Ok, I'll tell you. They're bed sheets. I'm so proud of my curtains I made.

This is an arrangement I did last year. I just tweaked it a little bit and put it in a different container.

You can have so much pride in your house when the outside looks cute. Can you see my door?

Look! :) I got this cute idea from Thrifty Decor Chick.

Here's a closer look. I used a frame I already had. The previous owners left it. I didn't particularly like the fruit picture in it, so I gutted it. Then I hot glued some leaves I bought from Dollar General as randomly as I possibly could. (Which means I chose them very carefully to not have too many of the same color, lol.)

Now, the days are getting cooler and shorter, and I'm smelling the wonderful smell of our neighbors cranking up their fireplaces. And to top off everything, the hubby made Butternut Squash Soup.

It's officially fall now. :)

Just be you!
2 Corinthians 10:12

Merry Christmas!

Hello Everyone!

I just want to wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.


Make sure to make time for family, enjoy this season, and, of course, eat lots (that's what New Year Resolutions are for)! :)

Halloween Costume--Part 1: The Teaser

I am still excited to show you our costume. I know it's taken some time, but the best things come when you wait...right??

Here's a sneak peak at our costume. More pictures will come later. I promise! :D

Apple Cider Pancakes

A couple of Saturday mornings ago I made some of the best pancakes I've ever made. I called them Apple Cider Pancakes.

*Disclaimer: I didn't use a recipe. I just made it up, but if you do know of an actual recipe called Apple Cider Pancakes, I'd love to take a look at it and try it. :) *

I didn't get a picture, because Derf and I ate them up pretty quick. Well, I did have left-overs just for me Sunday morning, but I still didn't even think of taking a picture, lol.

When we got up Saturday morning, I didn't know what to have for breakfast. At first I was going to make French Toast, but the bread was bad. So, I asked Andrew if he wanted pancakes instead. I didn't really want pancakes because when I've eaten pancakes more than 3 times over the course of a few months, I get tired of them--especially the pre-made mix. However, we are a little tight on money right now (having to pay for a roof...oh the joys of home-ownership) and I couldn't just go out and get something. So, I decided to make do with the pancakes.

I started mixing it up and realized that last time I used the mix, I added a little nutmeg and cinnamon to the mix and it perked it up some. So, I thought I'd take it a step further. You see, I've been in the mood for all kinds of fall-spiced foods--the apple cider, pumpkin/sweet potato pie, etc. I told Derf I wanted some pumpkin spice (if that even exists, I'm not sure...) and he told me to we had some cloves. YES! That was it. I took a whiff of that and thought of apple cider! From there I took some cinnamon and some vanilla and added it to the pancake mix. Then, I sliced up a honey crisp apple paper thin and placed it on top of each pancake as it was cooking.

Man! This stuff was great! As far a recipe of how I made it....I couldn't really tell you, lol. What I did was use my nose, really. Do you know the Disney Pixar movie Ratatouille? Well, if you don't it's about a rat who learns how to cook...yes, childish, but it's a great movie. Anyway, Remy, the rat, doesn't use measurements or a recipe, he uses his nose to see if it smells good. So, that's what I do. And yes, I am learning to cook my own recipes using Disney movie ideas that are probably slightly bogus anyway. :-/ Hey, whatever works right?

Well, if you want to try this out, here's a basic recipe. Just remember, I'm guessing at what I used. I basically used my nose to figure out how spicy I wanted it.

Apple Cider Pancakes

*Pancake Mix or Base Pancake Recipe

*Ground cloves (I probably used 2-3 tsps for a 8 or 9-batch base pancake recipe)

*Cinnamon (about 1 tsp)

*Vanilla (about 1 tsp)

*1 apple (a more tart apple than a honey crisp will probably work best) half thin, shaved slices and half cubed

*Powdered sugar (for topping)

*Warm syrup of choice (for topping)

Heat skillet or griddle to a medium heat. Make Base Pancake Recipe/Mix as directed. Add Ground Cloves, Cinnamon, and Vanilla, and wisk until well blended. (This is where I get close and smell the flavors blending.) Add more Cinnamon or Ground Cloves as desired. Spray the cooking surface with non-stick cooking spray. Spoon desired amount of batter onto cooking surface. Lay slices of apple on top. Cook for about 1 minute or so and then flip. (At this point, if you're not a seasoned cook with pancakes, follow the Mix or Recipe's guidelines for when to flip.) Top pancakes with powdered sugar, syrup, and some cubed apples.

*Note: You can use cubed apples inside the pancakes if you want. It takes a few more seconds or so to cook and it's a little harder to flip. (Well, that's what happened to me. You may find a better way to do it, though.)

*Also Note: The Mix tends to be a little dry. Next time, I'm going to use a basic pancake recipe and I hope they'll come out a little more moist.

I hope you enjoy these as much as we did!

-Lee

Just be YOU!
2 Corinthians 10:12

Sorry I have been gone for so long. I have a lot of things to write about, but just haven't had the "umph" or time to do it. Excuses, excuses...I know.

So, where did October go?? I can't believe it's a few days before Halloween, already. Derf and I have a really neat costume. Well, all of about 4 people are going to get it this weekend, but we're excited about it nonetheless. I don't want to spoil the surprise for those who are from my area. I'll post about it after Halloween....or on...depends on how antsy I am to tell ya. :D

Do you know what else the end of October means? HOCKEY!

Yes, I am a hockey fan. Just for UAH's hockey team, though. However, this is the last year the conference we are in, the CHA, will exist.

Next year we won't have a conference to be in, but there are plans in the works for the next year. Even if we do get into another conference, we most likely won't get to play the same teams we have been playing for....as long as I've been in Huntsville. If you'd like more information, that is, before I make a whole post about it soon, google Save UAH Hockey.

Anyway, this weekend's series is against our arch rivals, the Bemidji Beavers! I've got to find a stuffed animal beaver to hang on a hockey stick so people can come by and beat it up throughout the game. Anybody know where I can find one for cheap before Saturday night?

Well, I need to get to finishing up our costumes. I'm so stoked!

Have a great weekend and be safe!