New Pumpkin Bread Recipe

Hey Guys,

I'm still working through the Fall Into Blogging with the SITS Girls...Today's topic is "Share your favorite fall craft or autumn recipe or share what you're eyeing on Pinterest". Ok, guys. By now you probably know I'm going to post something with pumpkin and you would be absolutely correct! On Sunday, I had some pumpkin left over from adding it to my coffee in last weeks attempts to find the perfect pumpkin coffee (which wasn't too successful BTW), so I decided to bake something with it and ended up making basically Pumpkin Bread, you know like Banana Nut Bread, but without the banana and nut? The recipe I followed went like this:

Pumpkin Bread

2 1/3 cup Heart Smart Bisquick

1 1/2 cups Pumpkin (Libby's 100% Pure Pumpkin) - It was probably more like 2 cups.

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease 9x5x3 loaf pan. 

2. In large bowl comine all ingredients, stir until well blended. Pour into greased pan.

3. Bake 45 - 60 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. 

4. Let cool, remove from pan, and enjoy!

I actually used a "8.5" loaf pan to make 2 loaves, very uneven sized loaves. I also only cooked mine for about 45 minutes, but it seemed done enough to me. I would have added more sugar and less vegetable oil, maybe cinnamon applesauce instead to have less calories and more flavor. I should have used Sweet N' Low, but didn't consider the WW points until after I ate a couple of pieces. (I tend to slack on the weekends and when it involves pumpkin.) If you cut this into 12 pieces it's 6 WW points per slice I believe, which is why I should have tweaked the recipe. It's waaay to many points...Oh well. It was delicious, but I'm sure I'm biased in my crazy love of any and all things pumpkin. I don't have any pictures to show you at the moment. I finished the first loaf this evening. I ate like half the loaf Sunday evening, before I felt bad about ingesting all those points and took it slow until now. If I remember when I get the other loaf out of the freezer I'll post a picture of it for you. 

What are your favorite fall recipes? Do you have any that involve pumpkin? Let me know!

-Chelle 

What I look forward to in Fall

Hey Guys,

 (From The SITS Girls)

  This is a continuation of the SITS Girls Fall Into Blogging series that I missed a couple of weeks ago. Today's topic is "Share one of your favorite fall memories or something you look forward to each fall." This is actually Day 3's topic, but I don't think taking a picture of the view outside my house would make you believe it's fall. I'm surrounded by Pine trees...

I look forward to Pumpkin _(any and everything)_ each and every fall. In recent years it has been the Pumpkin Spice Latte (Frozen/Blended) from Starbucks, in addition to Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin Cream Rolls,Pumpkin Cookies, Pumpkin Spice Creamer, Pumpkin Spice K-Cups...I think you get the idea. However, this year I have tried several great looking Pumpkin Spice Latte recipes from Pinterest and around the internet  and although they look amazing - to me they taste nothing like Pumpkin Spice Lattes. While browsing through sneekpeaq today, I realized that I need to try the Pumpkin Syrup recipes around blogland to get the pumpkin spice flavor I'm looking for. The Sonoma Syrup company page on sneekpeaq made me realize that with their product: Pumpkin Spice Latte Syrup. I found a great recipe for Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte Syrup on Katie's Creatively Living Blog. I think with this recipe I can have delicious Pumpkin Spice Coffee at home!!

 (From Creatively Living)






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Best School Memory

   
I really wanted to participate in the Fall Back Into Blogging event with The SITS Girls, but just didn't get around to it so I will be posting my responses to those topics over the next little bit. Day one was entitled, "Best School Memory".
    My best school memories I think are the majority of my senior year of high school. After being in school together for at least 4 years together (I was a part of this class for 5 - 8th grade to 12th grade.) it seemed like senior year we all really grew up, got over all of our petty differences and started acting like a cohesive, "loving" class. We started doing things together - a great turn out for our class homecoming float and accompanying activities, school/class spirit, getting together to do things (parties, birthdays, senior skip day), and graduation and all the accompanying activities and festivities. It was really sad our last full day of high school knowing that we may never see some of these people ever again, and others we would see on a regular basis, at least until we (I) move out of my hometown.

Great Giveaway at Sour Apple Studio DIY

Hey Guys,

  

  Lindsey from Sour Apple Studio was a science teacher and is now a full time web designer!! (I think it is amazing - a.that I found another science teacher/web designer (I'm not the only one out there!) and b. that she is now able to do web design full time!!! (It gives me hope I can do this at least part time after I finish grad. school until I can find a teaching position.)) She is having an amazing giveaway, which I entered, because let's face it I haven't been very quick about trying to improve my blog's looks lately have I? (Hint: The answer to that is no.) Her giveaway is an amazing product - DIY blog design!! Please go check out her site and enter the giveaway. You have until 11 pm PST on Monday, October 8th to enter. You can also snag one of her designs for only $59!! What a great price!!

-Chelle

Aquariums

Hey,

Today I wanted to talk to y'all about aquariums or fish tanks. I have had fish tanks for the majority of my life and have recently (in the past year) gotten back into fish keeping. I started with the 12 gallon tank that my husband bought for me while we were still dating and stocked it with four danios, a pleco, a blue/dwarf gourami, and most recently a male halfmoon betta. (Currently, the aquarium contains four danios, the gourami, and the betta.) A couple of weeks ago a friend and colleague of mine sold us her 30 gallon tank and stand. We strongly considered setting this one up for saltwater, which was what it was being used for, but chickened out at the last minute. So our 30 gallon tank is currently home to two ghost shrimp (one died), three Glofish electric green tetras, and a pleco. I don't think the pleco is going to make it. He has been acting funny today. I really didn't want a pleco in the first place because I have had horrible luck with them in the past. Although, I don't know what other bottom feeders would be better. I want to eventually work our way up into a reef+fish tank, but I think that will be awhile. I chicken out EVERYTIME (so far). I'm afraid to invest serious money into fish and equipment right now and have a $50 fish or a tank full of $50 fish die! That would be a huge hit right now. Do you keep any fish? Freshwater or saltwater? What are your suggestions for a 30 gallon community tank(FW) and starter saltwater tanks (sizes and fish suggestions)?

I really look forward to your comments on this!
*Update: 10/5/12 The pleco died yesterday. But here is a picture of my tank currently! Hopefully, tomorrow we will see about picking up some more fish for it. (Guppies I think!)

To Love and Cherish Book Review

From the back cover:

Escape to a Beautiful, Historic Island Resort

Bridal Veil Island, Georgia

1898

Melinda Colson has been waiting months for Evan, the assistant gamekeeper at the Bridal Veil Island resort, to propose. Without an offer of marriage, she must return to Cleveland with the family she works for as a lady's maid.

Evan isn't afraid of hard work, and he hopes to be promoted soon. He wants to marry Melinda--but not until he's sure he can support her and a family.

Letters strengthen their romance until a devastating storm strikes the island. With no word from Evan, Melinda knows she must journey back to Bridal Veil in search of her beloved.

But the hurricane isn't the last calamity to shake up Bridal Veil. Melinda finds a new job on the island, but still no offer of marriage comes her way. Has she given her heart to the wrong person? Will she ever find a man to love and cherish?

My take:

 This is the second book in the Bridal Veil Island series. Melinda Colson is a companion to the affluent Mrs. Dorothea Mifflin. They own a cottage on Bridal Veil Island and winter there. Melinda and Evan met on the island  several years ago and their friendship has grown into talks of marriage. They write to each other during the year and spend their winters together on the island. 

  The books starts with Melinda being on Bridal Veil for the Season with the Mifflin's. She is meeting Evan for a picnic and just knows that he will ask her to marry him. Although, Evan and Melinda have a conversation that is the product of miscommunication and their perspectives on how their relationship should progress, and how quickly. Melinda leaves Bridal Veil Island earlier than expected because Mrs. Mifflin is going to have an important visitor in a couple of weeks. 

  Melinda is becoming increasingly unhappy in her employment with the Mifflin's for a variety of reasons including: her mail being read by a maid, Mrs.Mifflin's treatment of Melinda, and Melinda's attitude being affected by her time with the Mifflin's. Melinda's brother Lawrence comes into town and is unhappy that Melinda is working for the Mifflin's. Meanwhile, a hurricane hits Bridal Veil Island and nearby areas. The reporting of the hurricane to Cleveland is very spotty. Melinda and the Mifflin's hear varying reports of the storm and eventually lie to Melinda about Evan and the hurricane so Melinda, with Lawrence in tow, set off for Bridal Veil Island. 

  Melinda and Lawrence arrive at Bridal Veil Island which is in desperate need of workers to help clean up after the hurricane and make improvements before the upcoming season opening. They are both employed at the Island and Evan is given additional job duties. Melinda and Evan seem to be at odds for most of the book. Eventually, due to an emergency they, along with Lawrence, seem to mend their relationships. 

  Overall, this was a very good book. I was really glad that this series continuation was available so quickly. This book was very different than that of the first in the series and that made it all the more interesting. I cannot wait for the next installment in the series. Although, I don't like that the series are not connected other than they are set in the same location. 

I received this book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review!

When Hope Blossoms Book Review

From the back cover:

Amy Knackstedt hopes a new start in Weaverly, Kansas, will help heal the pain of losing her husband and provide a better future for her three children. But her new neighbor, Tim Roper, is not pleased to have an Old Order Mennonite family living next to his apple orchard. Tim left the Mennonite faith years ago and doesn't want any reminders of his former life.

Yet when circumstances throw Amy and Tim together, they form a friendship that surprises them both. Will past hurts always be a barrier between them, or will this tentative relationship blossom into something more?

My take:

This novel was very interesting to read. I haven't read a novel involving Mennonites in a long time. I think it is very interesting how many authors choose to depict their stories involving Mennonites when there are only "pockets" of this religious group across the country. I'm not aware of their statistics, but to my knowledge the closest group to me is found in Tennessee. This group of people should be very much appreciated and applauded for their unwavering lifestyle and nonconformity, for the most part. They are living life "set apart" very literally. 

The novel starts with Amy Knackstedt and her children Bekah, Parker, and Adri moving into their new house in Kansas. They have moved next door to Tim Roper and his apple and grape orchard. Tim and Amy have a rough start, because Tim wants Amy's kids to keep their distance from his orchard to protect it from further harm. Eventually, the children grow on Tim, and Tim, in turn, grows on Amy. They are pushed together through a variety of events that seem quite normal and could happen to any of us. It's not as though there are very unusual circumstances bringing them together. Both Tim and Amy have heartaches of their own they have to work through and overcome before they can move on. Tim and Amy are both reluctant of each other because of their lack of  faith and because of their faith respectively.

The children are definitely obviously attached to Tim and he to them, I don't necessarily see that Tim and Amy could develop that much of a friendship as depicted in the ending, maybe a start to this with the outcome happening eventually but not in the timeframe as depicted in the novel. Tim seemed like a much more developed character than Amy was. Even Amy's daughter Bekah seemed more developed than Amy. I would have liked to have seen more of the interaction between Tim and Amy's family and the local Mennonite order and Tim and Amy. It is always very interesting to me to see the depiction of the Mennonite faith and there interaction with others. Overall it is an ok book 3 1/2 out of 5 stars.

Check out Kim Vogel Sawyer!

I received this book from Bethany House Publishers in exchange for an honest review.