Awww... AUTUMN!

Okay, so it's been quite a long time since I posted anything here.  As it turns out, blogging is not my strong suit.  Anyway, I have made several things from Pinterest in the past couple of months but just haven't posted them here.

Today I decided that, even though the temperature here in Solvang has climbed into the 80s again, it's time to embrace Autumn.  For goodness sakes, we're more than halfway through October!  We're seeing Halloween decorations everywhere and enjoying the fall colors.  In actuality, the trees here are simply turning brown - perhaps it's this awful drought.  We need rain!!!  But, I digress...

I came across this yummy looking recipe for Cheddar Biscuits that was originally posted on the "Sweet Paul Magazine" website.  Mark and I have been invited to our wonderful ex-neighbor's home for dinner tonight and even though she said we didn't need to bring anything, I didn't want to show up empty-handed.

Here is a picture of the biscuits from the webpage.

They are called Cheddar Biscuits with Dill & Pumpkin Seeds

Don't they look delicious!?!

I bought all of the ingredients called for in the recipe except the raw pumpkin seeds.  The grocery store only had roasted and salted pumpkin seeds in the shells.  I bought those but soon realized that they just weren't going to work.  The only way I could think to open them was with my teeth - and that just wasn't an option!  Then I realized that there is a health food store within blocks of my house and, lo and behold, they had raw shelled pumpkin seeds in the bulk bins. I only needed 2 tablespoons, but unfortunately I was a little heavy-handed with the lever that dispenses the seeds and I ended up with almost a pound of seeds ~ oh well!

The recipe was very easy to make and the biscuits smell amazing.  Here is the link to the recipe:

Cheddar Biscuits with Dill & Pumpkin Seeds at Sweet Paul Magazine

And here are a few photos of my finished biscuits...

I think they look pretty similar :-)  The test will be in the tasting but if the smell of these biscuits is any indication, they will be great!  This might be a good addition to Thanksgiving dinner - or maybe even Halloween.  My plan is to make Pampered Chef's "Hearty Chicken Quesadilla Soup" for Halloween dinner.  I had it at a Pampered Chef party last weekend and it was very good ~ just the thing to have before venturing out for an evening of tricks and treats!

Happy Autumn, Everyone!

Rock On!

Today I'm offering a bonus blog post.  Mark and I have been enjoying the company of our grand nephew, Johnathan, who spends about a week with us in our home each summer.  This year he is 14 and this marks the 7th year he has been with us.  As I type, he and Mark are out at the skate park in Solvang where Johnathan is, I'm sure, tearing it up!

While here, I tried to come up with fun activities for all of us to do together.  Johnathan is a super easy-going kid and is happy just swimming in the pool.  We have kept him busy doing other stuff , too.  He and Mark have had a lot of fun with Mark's hexacopter and GoPro camera.  They've also attached the GoPro to Johnathan's RC car and shot some crazy footage.  We all went to the Santa Barbara County Fair in Santa Maria yesterday and Johnathan rode all the wild rides.  I rode one.  Mark rode none!

I also thought it would be fun to do some arts and crafts.  I looked over my Pinterest pages and found an activity that didn't require me going out and purchasing any supplies.  Rock Painting!  Heaven knows we have tons of river rock in our backyard.  Johnathan and I collected several rocks and he scrubbed and dried them.  I painted a couple using some pins as my inspiration.  I have this funny feeling that Johnathan isn't actually going to join in this activity.  At 14, he seems a lot more interested in what his cool physicist uncle can share with him.  Oh well, I had fun painting rocks and think I will continue to do so.

Here are two of my inspirational images...

There was no link for the first image but here is the link for the heart rocks...

Blooming on Bainbridge - Mod Podge Painted Rocks

It is so relaxing sitting down with several jars of paint and a little inspiration.  I didn't go too far out of the box with my first two rock projects but plan to get a little more wild and crazy with the next batch.  What will I do with these painted rocks, you ask?  I think they would look cute tucked into a pot, or set on top of a pile of books, used as a paper weight or napkin weight when serving outside.  They can also be placed in the garden as the paint I used is made to stand up to the outdoor elements. 

Here is the paint I used...

And here are my first two painted rocks.  I don't know why I like them so much - the colors and designs just make me happy!

The heart rock is actually much smaller than the other, and much smaller than it looks in this photo.

Thought I'd add a few photos of our week with Johnathan.  Maybe he'll paint some rocks, maybe he won't...

Johnathan saying bye bye to the Berg Boys

Driving the Roller Racer train with his cousins on board - even big cousin, Dan!

And iPhone photos at the County Fair...

Happy (Belated) 4th of July!

What a fun time the 4th of July is at our house!  Since the fireworks are visible from right behind our house, it is natural that we have a celebration in our backyard each year.  This was the second year that we've hosted a 4th of July party in this home.  All of our kids and grandkids were here as well as our daughter Kelly's in-laws who are also our dear friends.  They were all staying in our house for several days and then on the 4th, we had many friends joining us to celebrate.

So, I thought it would be fun to try a couple of holiday recipes from Pinterest.  Here is the inspiration for one of them...

These are called Firecracker Cookies and here is a link to the page where you can find the recipe and process for making them.  Cookin' Cowgirl - Firecracker Cookies

The recipe called for a 1/2 cup of red sprinkles and a 1/2 cup of blue sprinkles.  I just couldn't bring myself to use that many sprinkles.  In fact, I couldn't find the red and blue "jimmies" that they used in the recipe.  I had found a jar of red, white and blue sprinkles and used the entire thing (about a 1/4 cup total.)  Or should I say that my two-year-old granddaughter, Ellie, used the entire jar.  She was my cooking assistant and put all of the ingredients into the bowl for mixing!

So, our cookies didn't turn out nearly as colorful as the inspiration but I'm sure they were just as yummy!

Our YUMMY Firecracker Cookies!

And here is my assistant baker, Ellie, as she watched the Solvang 4th of July Parade.

My second attempt at a 4th of July treat was a Colorful Bundt Cake.  I actually used two recipes and combined them for the effect I wanted to achieve.  Here are the two "pinspiration" cakes...

I made the cake and frosting according to this first cake recipe.  You can find it here:

easybaked - Colorful Bundt Cake

And this site just inspired me to add sprinkles.  Wish I had read it a little better - it would have been fun to add Pop Rocks at the last minute!

weenii - 4th of July BundtCake

Here is my cake...

While I think that the layers on the inside of my cake are much cooler looking, I was disappointed that the red turned out to be pink!  It looks more like a baby shower cake when you don't yet know the sex of the baby.  Oh well, it was very tasty!

And here is a fun photo of my 5 sweet grandchildren and their big second (I think - I can never remember how that 1st, 2nd cousin, once, twice removed thing goes!) 

Owen (2 1/2), Ellie (2), Cousin Johnathan (14), Wesley (2 1/2), Andrew (4 1/2), Alexa (5)

What shall I try next, you ask?  Well, I already attempted another pin and will add it to this blog this very day.  I need to catch up since I have missed so many weeks.  Enjoy!

With the Best of Intentions...

So many pins!  I thought it would be so easy to just go pick something out and implement it.  Boy, was I wrong.  When I started looking at a bunch of the things I had pinned to my boards, I realized that many of them are super cool on the boards but not something that was practical to do (too many supplies to buy, too much time involved, etc. etc.)  Some of them just didn't appeal to me like they did when I pinned them.  I also realized that the pins I've used the most in the past were the recipes!

I actually made this recipe the second week of "One Week, One Pin," but life got busy and I just didn't get it posted.  Now I am behind in my posts and feel like I should rename this Blog!  Maybe, "Pin When I Can!"  I think I have to keep this name so it will be the title with the best of intentions.

Here is the latest Pinterest product and boy, was it ever wonderful!

Mrs. Field's SUPER FUDGE BROWNIES

And here is a link to the page where you can find the recipe...

Frankie's Foods - Mrs. Field's Super Fudge Brownies

My dear friend, Charlene came for a short visit and brought her friend, Linda.  They stayed with me for one night and I made us a light dinner and this not-so-light brownie for dessert.  It's made in an 8" x 8" pan.  I cut it into 16 - 2" x 2" squares and then we cut those in half because this brownie is SO RICH! Served with raspberries - YUM!

Here is how mine turned out...

They were amazing but much more like flourless chocolate cake than brownies.  After Charlene and Linda left, I wrapped the leftover brownies individually and froze them.  We are still enjoying them.  If you love chocolate, you've got to try these!  And, I have to admit that the ingredients looked wrong to me but they are perfect.  Enjoy!

Here are Linda (on the left) and Charlene in the classic pose taken in downtown Solvang!  It was so wonderful to be with my dear friend, Charlene and make a new friend in Linda.  Charlene and her family lived across the street from us in Santa Ynez for the first four years that we were in the Santa Ynez Valley.  She and her husband and son moved to Bend, Oregon over 20 years ago!  Some friendships endure forever and I am so glad that ours has.

Here is a photo of me and Charlene taken in my backyard.  Good times!

And it begins...

So I've been thinking.  I just love pinning all kinds of wonderful and amazing things to my Pinterest boards.  Wouldn't it be fun to commit to "using" at least one pin each week.  This could mean that I am creating, baking, decorating, etc. etc. etc.  As long as the idea/inspiration comes from Pinterest, it qualifies.  My idea is to post the original pin and then my final "product."

 I already have one!  Last weekend we celebrated our granddaughter, Ellie's second birthday.  I was in charge of making her birthday cake.  And when we asked her what she wanted, she had three responses... "owl," "cha" (chocolate), and "purple!"  I got right to work collecting images and ideas onto a Pinterest Board that I named "Ellie's Owl Birthday Cake."

The final decision, with Ellie's approval, was a mama owl cake made of 14 cupcakes and baby owl cupcakes on the side.  Here is the picture from Pinterest:

And here is a link to the website where you can find it:

http://thewhoot.com.au/media/slider/night-owl-cupcakes

Here is my version - and remember, purple was the requested color:

Ellie LOVED it and that is all that really matters.  

Here is the Birthday Girl ~ Ellie...

I hope you have enjoyed this very first installment of "One Week, One Pin!"