you know it's fall when...

you wake up to the sound of rain.

the air begins to feel crisp.

and your kitchen is full of:

pumpkin ramekins

pumpkin pancakes

and new fall dish towels.

for breakfast this morning i used this recipe for some of the best "healthy" pancakes i've had.

in large mixing bowl combine:

2/3 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup quick oats

dash of salt

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

mix and then add:

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 large egg

1/3 cup of pumpkin

2/3 cup soy milk/almond milk

1 teaspoon stevia

combine and cook on griddle and enjoy.

delicious.

(the husband agrees)

seriously try them. they will not disappoint.

(for more taste you could add chopped nuts too)

sending love

one of my most favorite things is the smell and warmth of baking homemade bread.

not only do i love it but husband of mine loves it even more and is trying to talk me into making it on a 2x weekly basis.

(we'll see about that)

i decided to give away some of our loaves this time

(giving bread is like giving love away to me)

this was the finished product.

such an easy way to make something so wonderful seem even better.

click here for the recipe

dear: things that make our home feel like love

lately i've been in a funk since christmas ended. taking down the decorations felt like one.big.disappointment. i was saddened to see our decorations go into the box for 320 days. sad to see the cold snow outside our windows. a little sad school was starting. and all around just a little empty. i made a resolution to start cooking more often for a few reasons. 1. i need to improve 2. i owe it to my sweet husband who entirely deserves it 3. i really do love it. and i found out that it makes our home "feel like love." this last week i made some "to die for" homemade bread. it is so delicious you might hate me because you will eat the whole loaf in one day. husband has asked if I will make it every week i told him we'd have to see! (secretly i want it every day, but not so good on the bod) i am going to share the recipe with you and also tell you that i l.o.v.e. barefoot contessa books and would kill to meet ina garten.

honey white bread:
1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees)
2 packages dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1-1/2 cups warm whole milk
6 tablespoons melted butter, cooled
1-1/2 tablespoons honey
2 large egg yolks
5 to 6 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 egg white, lightly beaten


Dissolve the yeast in the warm water with the sugar (wait 5 min). Add the warm milk, butter, honey and eggs and mix on low for 2 min. Add the flour a bit at a time but don't add too much, just until the dough stops sticking to the sides of the mixing bowl (about 10 min) Knead for one minute by hand on floured surface and roll into a ball. Place in buttered bowl and cover with damp towel for one hour, allowing the dough to double. After dough has doubled divide in two and roll into loaf shape and place in buttered bread pans and allow to rise for another hour, covered with the damp towel. Use slightly beaten egg white to brush on top and bake for 40-45 minutes at 350 or until the bread fills hollow. Cool, eat, and seriously enjoy!

here are a few other things that have brought love to our home:
nightly scripture reading with one another
date nights "in"
a new little puppy who has so much love to offer us
our dear friends and family who visit often
exciting and unknown chats about our future together as a family

p.s. does anyone know how to get formatting back on blogger? i used to be able to change my font size and choose to have my text centered, etc. and now that is all gone...let me know how to fix it if you know!

a little story

anyone who knows my dad knows that he makes the best chocolate chip cookies out there. he makes them every sunday night and once you have them you're hooked. anyways, i attempted to make them for us to snack on tonight thinking it'd be simple. wrong-o, not at all. i never believed in the art of baking but i am now a firm believer. after 5 batches I finally figured out how to make them look appealing to jake. this was the finished product.

dear: treat for tuesday

sometimes nothings better then a fresh fruit treat. take my word on this one, it will not disappoint. this fresh blueberry peach (some of lovers and i's favorites) crumble found here is a perfect end of summer delight. and even though i'm so excited for fall, i couldn't have loved this summers evening more. the recipe is easy, and so worth it when done.