Trick or T(r)eat!

  I'm a big fan of these...

♥

and I flipped when I saw these!

 

So I made these.

 

... and added these ...

 

... and immediately saw a problem.

Of the mammary variety.

 

FAIL.

LOL

Trick or t(r)eat, everybody!

First Snow

Our golden weather couldn't last forever... {sigh}

:::

What makes these fall days so poignant 
is my keen sense that each one is a gift,
maybe the last before winter storms blow in.

                                                                      -- Claire Hagen Dole

Easy Witch Hat Cookies

Aren't these little witch hat cookies  the cutest? They are my new favorite Halloween treat. Saw this idea over at No Fuss Fabulous.

We made them last night for family night -- it was our turn to be the "neighborhood spook" (where you leave a treat on one of our neighbor's doorsteps, ring the doorbell, and run like heck disappear like a phantom into the night....).

These witch hat cookies are easy enough to make that your kids could do it, but still cute enough that you can bring them to your grown up Halloween party...

Here's how to make them: buy a package of Keebler Fudge Stripe Cookies, and Hershey's Chocolate Kisses. Put a little dollop of orange icing on the bottom of a Kiss, and stick it to the chocolate side of the Keebler cookie.  As you can see, I used ready-made orange frosting. I know, hate me. I'm Martha...

That's all there is to it! 
Okay... we're ready for spooking!

A Full Week

Life brought a lot to us this week. I think I've experienced nearly every emotion I could feel this week! While still feeling heartsore, and attending high school band performances and memorials for band leader Heather Christensen -- news comes that a very dear neighbor's daughter passed away. Then, before the day was out we got the news AGAIN. Another dear neighbor's daughter had lost her life, in a totally separate circumstance! These were two girls that grew up in this neighborhood, roamed all over and visited as teenagers and grew up and made their way in the world.  So, they were well known and much loved.

So, so sad.  News then came down that a young father in the neighborhood was rushed to the hospital sick as could be. Another hour we were told, and he wouldn't have made it. He's still in the hospital now, on his 4th surgery. Hopes are high, though.

Oh my goodness, my little Nob Hill neighborhood is reeling! We are a close bunch that take care of each other, and this has been hard.

In the midst of heartache for others, Mr. H and I have had a little ourselves. He interviewed for a job I can only describe as *golden* not too long ago. We were so hopeful.  He interviewed with an old colleague, and the benefits and perks were dreamy. Super-stable company...and all of this only 5 minutes away from our home. No commute!  We found out this week that Mr. H was the bridesmaid, and not the bride, to coin a phrase. They chose someone else.

We were both SO disappointed. We were so very ready to lay this unemployment burden down and have some safety and security! Mr. H's contract has kind of dried up the past couple of weeks, too, so the insomnia nights and crushing worry is back, especially as we look forward and see the holiday season looming.  :-( (heavy sigh) It looks like that autumn gold in my last post is the only gold we're gonna see...

I hope you'll forgive me for not updating this week, as you can see a lot has had my attention. I also hope you'll forgive my little moan today -- I know there are so many others that have it much worse than we do. I'm trying to count my blessings as much as possible, and trying to stay positive and support Mr. H. I can tell you that our little family is weary, weary, weary of this, though....

:::

On a happier note, I had a birthday this week, and my dear family and friends did their best to help me forget my troubles and have a very happy day.

It started with waking up to the Happy Birthday song being sung somewhere in the dark. Mr. H and the Sweet Girl were waking me up to breakfast in bed with all kinds of yummies and cards on trays (and had no more hands to flip the light switch on, LOL). Awww, they both got up extra early to cook me breakfast and have a little party with me before school started. Mr. H tweaked a french toast recipe to make it more point friendly for me. Isn't that sweet?

The cards were so great, and the Sweet Girl got me a scarf that I love  -- it  will go with my pretty winter coats. Love it! Mr. H laughed as he presented me with a pink "Snuggie" -- you know, like from the infomercial?  LOL

The thing is, I get cold easily and this will be the perfect thing for cozy movie nights in the family room in the basement! Thanks, Mr. H! I tried it out, and when my family saw how much I genuinely liked it, they started to crow about wanting their own Snuggies! Hilarious.

My sister Jen, stole me away for a girl's day out and we shopped and lunched and laughed our heads off together. It was the BEST time, and I forgot all my troubles. Jen got me a wonderful perpetual calendar that I just love. I *adore* the number fonts!  Jen, I will be living off that decadent brownie we ordered for the rest of the year! Thanks for the spoiling!

 

I got lots of calls and messages throughout the day, and needless to say, I felt loved and special: I am blessed with wonderful friends and family members. And, can I just honor my husband here? He put aside his own sore heart and went to all the effort to spoil me and give me a happy day. What a guy. ♥ You are my hero, Honeyman!

It was just this girl needed. Although still soul-weary and sad, I do feel buoyed up and ready to keep fighting the good fight. How can I lose with such blessings all around me? I know the Lord is mindful of our little family and wants us to succeed. He is sending help in many ways already:  another interview today at 2pm, and friends and family flocking around with prayers, good thoughts, help and concern.

autumn in Provo Canyon, 2009

...and this year's fall here has been so beautiful!  That also feeds my soul.

I'm blessed. ♥

picture credit

Words to Live By

autumn gold from our maple tree

I am rich today with autumn's gold,
All that my covetous hands can hold;
Frost-painted leaves and goldenrod,
A goldfinch on a milkweed pod.

Huge golden pumpkins in the field
With heaps of corn from a bounteous yield,
Golden apples heavy on the trees
Rivaling those of Hesperides.

Golden rays of balmy sunshine spread
Over all like butter on warm bread;
And the harvest moon will this night unfold
The streams running full of molten gold.

Oh, who could find a dearth of bliss
With autumn glory such as this!

                                                        --  Gladys Harp

Pork Chops with Caramelized Onions

I haven't posted a recipe in a month of Sundays! It's time. And this one's a favorite.  And it's a yummy, healthy, low-fast dish... score!

This one's also a perfect fit for October and Halloween -- complete with its own trick and treat. The finished product would delight any little ghoul on All Hallow's Eve...

The trick to this recipe? Instead of cooking the onions for a long time in butter and oil to bring out their sweetness (and all those calories!), we'll cover the pan and add balsamic vinegar and brown sugar.  The treat is...it's ready in half the time!

 

Pork Chops with Caramelized Onions
5 points

 

4 (4 ounce) boneless center-cut pork loin chops

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 large onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (2 cups)

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

 

1.  Place pork chops between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap, and pound slightly to an even thickness using a meat mallet or small heavy skillet. Sprinkle chops with salt and pepper.

2.  Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add chops and cook 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove chops from pan, and keep warm.

3.  Add onion to pan. Cover and cook over medium-high heat 6 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add vinegar; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Sprinkle with brown sugar; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Spoon onion mixture over pork chops.

Yield: 4 servings (1 chop and about 1/2 cup onion mixture)

 

** Hint: Even though the recipe doesn't call for it, we cover the chops while cooking, keeping a close eye on them. They cook faster this way. We always use a meat thermometer to check the chops for safety and doneness. We ignore the recipe's overall cooking time and go by the chops' temperature to tell us when they're done.

 

C'mon -- tell me -- served like this --  that it isn't a perfect candidate for the main dish of a Halloween meal! Bwahahahahaha! Enjoy...

 

recipe credit: Weight Watchers 5 Ingredient, 15 Minute Cookbook, Winter 2008, p. 53

All in One Day...

I think I'm gonna need another weekend to recover from this weekend! Sheesh. It wasn't even the whole weekend. It was just one day. Saturday, October 10th.

Maybe I should've seen the signs and hid on Friday. The flu found our daughter and she was home from school that day. Saturday would be a little more complicated with a sick Sweet Girl in the house, but I felt Mr. H could handle it. Full speed ahead!

The day started before the sun came up. I was up early to catch a ride with my sister to the "Making Strides for Cancer" Walk at Liberty Park in Salt Lake. I walked with my Weight Watchers peeps. We were on Tracy's team -- she's the reason I lost 65 pounds 2 years ago. She is my coach and my friend. Love her! ♥

I love this part of the city; my grandparents lived right by this park, and Jen and I relived many memories of being very little and visiting this park with our Omi.

We had beautiful weather for the walk...uh...once the sun came up. Before that it was f-f-f-freezing. Brrr!

We walked, talked and laughed our way through the 4 mile course (and I was finally warm!) and then Jen and I drove home, stopping for shopping and lunch together in our bright green cancer walk shirts. LOL We got lots of stares, and even a few "thumbs up" from folks we passed. Thanks, Jen for a fun time -- the walkin' and the shoppin'! :-)

I spent an hour at home checking on everyone and then headed to a very yummy Raclette German dinner at the folks'. They had visitors from Germany staying with them, and we all had a nice time together. I'm sorry that Mr. H and the Sweet Girl couldn't be there -- she could have practiced her German with her Opa and the visitors there!

Heading home from the folks', I started feeling pretty pooped. I got home, and used up the last of my energy tidying up the house a little and getting the sick Sweet Girl's bedroom outfitted for the night (humidifier, tissues, etc.). I called down to Mr. H, telling him I probably was going to watch the weather on the news (if I could keep my eyes open!) and hit the hay. He came up and watched the news with me.

We were shocked wide awake with the leading story:

Our high school's award-winning and nationally known marching band were returning from a competition in Idaho, and one of the buses crashed. Read the full story here. I live in a small town, and this community and especially the "band family" are a close knit group. This teacher was beloved anyway, and she died the way she lived -- serving her students. It's been a tender couple of days here in my little city. The high school kids are all wearing Sunday best at school today to honor this teacher.

There have been many tender tears at our house, too -- the Sweet Girl is isolated from all of this, being sick. Many of her friends are involved in the band and she can't be there today, to give hugs, get hugs, and help support and be a part of this. That's been very hard on her.

It was hard to sleep after news like this. Several of the kids in our neighborhood were on those buses, and Mr. H and I prayed that all were safe and would be home in their parent's arms soon.

Quite a day, huh? Not done yet...

The last thing we did before turning in was to grab tomorrow's chicken to thaw in fridge for Sunday dinner the next day. Scratch that. Everything was half-thawed already there in our little garage freezer! ACK! The freezer died! I guess I'll count blessings and say thank goodness everything was not spoiled...we quickly moved all our meat to the inside fridge... (we have been cooking meat for 2 days now, cooking up meals and then freezing them in the kitchen freezer to use later.)

Seriously!? Can this day PUH-LEASE be over now?

Nope.

Insomnia.

LOL

What a day.