I was in the hospital last Halloween....

......not because I was sick, but because I got to watch my first grand daughter being born!

Since the day was Halloween the family joke goes like this: "It was a baby ghoul". But let me tell you, she is anything but ghoulish. In fact, she is, in my very biased opinion, one of the most beautiful babies I have ever seen!! (or have the privelege of being related to) My son and his wife did a pretty nice job! Thanks you two :)

I can't believe this little punkin will be a ONE YEAR old on October 31. Time has just flown!!

So in honor of Harper's birthday, I am sharing this video made by her mom's cousin Sammy. You can see what changes can happen in a little person in just one short year. And her birth has made a change in the rest of us forever.

I Love you Harper!!

~bobbi

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Delights of Fall

A walk through a pumpkin patch
Donuts......and cider

A pumpkin cannon

(a closer view)

An apple cannon

Riding on a hay wagon

Turkeys getting nervous for next month

My roof's got a hole in it and I might drown

(singing): "Ah, ah...oh no, don't let the rain come down. My roof's got a hole in it and I might drown. Oh yes, my roof's got a hole in it and I might drown."

Do you remember this song? I am not sure who composed it, but I remember it being sung by the Serendipity Singers. I think an all guy group sang it, too. (Man, am I dating myself)

I've had this song stuck in my head since yesterday when I walked into the kitchen to turn off the tea kettle and felt a drop of water land on the top of my head. It had been raining most of the day, but not indoors! As I glanced up at the ceiling I could see where water had saturated a small area of the taping up there and was beginning to drip down. This is when it pays to be a renter. LOL!

The roofer will be here this morning to look over the problem and get started on correcting it. Meanwhile, I am recalling my 60's childhood and humming along to the tune ..."ah, ah. Oh no, don't let the rain come down..."

Another year older

It was my birthday this past weekend. Now that I am another year OLDER, I have been giving some thought to what my credo should be this year. I think I will adopt the following.

Learn from the past,

prepare for the future,

but live in today.

'Cause if you don't live in today,

you'll have a lot of empty

yesterdays tomorrow.

~Thomas S. Monson

Soup for A Week!

Don't you love Good Housekeeping magazine? I do. And I am loving this soup recipe I found in last year's October issue. See the cover, above? It's actually a "diet" soup (only 45 calories per cup), but it is really just a good-for-you, delicious recipe that can serve an army!

Here's the actual recipe. Don't worry, I will be retyping it at the bottom of this post so you can read it. When you make it use a very large stockpot. It yields 28 cups of soup!

I dished it up into bowls and we ate it that night. However, it's actually better the second or third day. Isn't that the case with most soups? They improve with age.
Freezes beautifully! I ladled out 2-cup portions into plastic freezer containers so I could easily grab one or two when I needed a quick and easy meal. Any larger of a container, and I would be waiting forever for the things to thaw.

There are SO many variations you can make, too. When I get tired of just the hearty vegetable soup I can add any of the following to the original recipe: cooked chicken, shrimp, kidney beans, red beans, turkey meatballs, corn, noodles, rice, kielbasa....you get the idea.

It's also delicious with a few sprinklings of parmesan or cheddar cheese on top. Even a dollop of sour cream. To change the flavors a bit, I like to add different herbs or spices to give it some variety.

So if you want to have a freezer full of delicious options, I recommend making this terrific soup.

Here's the recipe:

HEARTY VEGETABLE SOUP

prep: 20 minutes cook: 50 minutes makes: 28 cups

1 lb. carrots

1-1/2 lbs. onions (3 medium)

4 lg. stalks celery

2 lg. cloves garlic

1 lb. green cabbage (1/2 small head)

3/4 lb. green beans

1-1/4 lbs. zucchini (3 medium)

2 cans (28 0z. each) whole tomatoes in juice

1 can (48 to 49 oz.) chicken broth (6 cups)

6 cups water

Salt and pepper

2 bags (8 or 9 oz. each) baby spinach leaves

Slice carrots into 1/2-inch rounds. Coarsely chop onions. Slice celery. Coat a 12-quart stockpot (or 2 large saucepans) with nonstick cooking spray.Add carrots, onions, and celery to pot, over medium-high heat. Using a garlic press, crush garlic into pot; cook 8 minutes or until vegetables begin to soften, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, thinly slice cabbage (you should have 6 cups). Trim green beans and cut each into thirds. Cut each zucchini lengthwise in half, then slice crosswise into half-moons. Set vegetables aside separately.

When carrots are tender-crisp, add tomatoes with their liquid to saucepot, breaking up tomatoes with side of spoon. Add cabbage, green beans, chicken broth, water, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper; heat to boiling over high heat, stirring occasionally.

Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Increase heat to high; stir in zucchini and spinach and heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 10 minutes or until all vegetables are tender. Enjoy!

Fall Is In The Air

Last month my daughter in-law and granddaughter came to visit. We drove to a fruit stand that is a favorite of mine in the area. We were surprised to see that they already had the hay wagon out and were setting it up for hayrides.

We headed over to see it for ourselves.

Doesn't this just get you all excited for fall?! Is it too soon for cider and caramel apples?

Yes....fall is in the air!

A perfect summer lunch

Fresh from the garden.
Enjoy!