Pumpkin Soup, Pumpkin Candles & Pumpkin Spice Coffee!

What do you love about fall? What do you enjoy — only during the fall? Everyone loves the Christmas Season, but do not let the Fall Season sneak by before enjoying all that it offers. Below is a list of things to enjoy now:

1. Pumpkin Soup  

2. Pumpkin Spice Coffee   

3. Pumpkin Candles

4. Cool breezes, Colorful Trees & Falling Leaves

5. Pumpkin Ice Cream

6. Honeycrisp Apples

7. Fall Festivals      

8. NO BUGS!

9. Outdoor Fire Pit    (This past weekend my husband and I purchased an outdoor fire pit for our backyard. Honestly, this might be one of our best investments of the year.)

10. Great Hair!    (All of my frizzy haired sisters know what I am talking about. Fall is the beginning of the “good hair season!”)

Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower. 

~A Camus

I have left out something that will be obvious to many, but I just do not enjoy it. What do you enjoy during the fall? What would you add to the list? What do you think I purposely left off?

MMMmm Monday and Pumpkins, Pumpkins Everywhere!

It is Fall, and all around you will find PUMPKINS!! They are everywhere, so why not put one on your table for dessert? This Libby’s recipe is by far the easiest and tastiest one I have used. Just follow the directions and it is sure to be a hit! The great thing about this recipe is it’s wonderful to rollover into the Winter Holidays.
Ingredients
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar (to sprinkle on towel)
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup LIBBY’S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar (optional)
Directions
PREHEAT oven to 375 degrees F. Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan; line with wax paper. Grease and flour paper. Sprinkle towel with powdered sugar.
COMBINE flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in small bowl. Beat eggs and sugar in large mixer bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle with nuts.
BAKE for 13 to 15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off paper. Roll up cake and towel together, starting with narrow end. Cool on wire rack.
BEAT cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until smooth. Carefully unroll cake; remove towel. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Reroll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.
This recipe and more can be found at: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/libbys-pumpkin-roll-with-cream-cheese-filling/detail.aspx .

My 100th blog coming soon!

Today is the 97th blog entry I have written for Forsyth Woman Magazine.  I just can’t believe I will be writing blog 100 in three weeks!  What should this blog be about?  Should it really matter, should it be serious or silly, meaningful, reflective or should I give away something free!   Do you have any suggestions?

Historically speaking and based on website comments, hits, Face book comments and reshares, the following links are blogs that seemed to matter most to others:

The Great Silent Loss – Miscarriage

Pet Peeves

A Giant Hug from heaven (Easter)

A New Family Tradition (Christmas)

Wednesday Word Series

Hope
Priorities
Gratitude
Neighbors
Service
Breathe

The Perfect Wedding ~ NOT!

A Woman’s Stress Less List

Is A Tidy House Good Enough?

Do you have any suggestions for my 100th blog entry?

Are you dumber than a tree?

Did you know that leaves do not fall off; leaves are actually pushed off the tree by the tree! Have you noticed how quickly the leaves seem to be changing this year? Looking out my back door, it seems like I can see the leaves changing daily and yesterday I noticed the leaves are beginning to fall.

Many people think the wind makes dead leaves fall off the tree, but the truth is the tree makes the leaves fall. The tree actually knows what is best for it and even though the leaves have an important function most of the year, the tree knows when the leaves need to fall from the tree.

As you watch the leaves fall this year, perhaps we can all consider what needs to fall away from our lives. It might be ideas, expectations or things we do that do not contribute to our overall purpose in life. It might be bad habits or even people who keep us from living and experiencing life to its fullest.

Deciduous trees that fail to shove their leaves off, will actually die. Although we might not die physically, perhaps it is true that portions of our life might die as the result of things we should release or shove out of our lives.

Let the falling leaves encourage you to take an inventory your life this year. Maybe the falling leaves can encourage us to rid ourselves of certain things and welcome a season of quiet. Perhaps the falling leaves can remind us to prepare for the coming spring.

Don’t let anyone say, “You are dumber than a tree.”
(Wendee Goodman)

Mmmmmm Monday and Signs Of Fall!

Leaves are changing, mornings are cooler and all signs point to fall! For this Mmm Monday, I decided that a cranberry dish was in order. This side dish is so tasty, that it would work well with chicken or pork too! Make sure that you use the freshest cranberries; ones that have bounce and float in the water are best!
Ingredients
• 20-ounce can crushed pineapple in its own juice
• 6 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Instructions
1. Thoroughly drain the pineapple using a strainer (one made from a nonreactive material, such as stainless steel) set over a large measuring cup. Add enough water to the juice to measure 2 cups of liquid.
2. Pour the liquid into a large nonreactive saucepan. Add the cranberries and sugar. Stir the mixture over high heat until the sugar dissolves and the liquid comes to a boil. Continue cooking it at a boil, stirring occasionally, until most of the berries pop open and the mixture is thick, about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.
3. Mix in the pineapple, walnuts, lemon juice, and cloves. Transfer the relish to a serving bowl and refrigerate it uncovered until its cold (about 2 hours). Then cover the relish until you’re ready to serve it. Makes 6 cups.

Enjoy!!

“Women Rock”

“Women Rock!” Yesterday a friend told me that her daughter came to this stunning realization as she considered the many hats women wear in this world. Are there some things that women can do better than men? (I am not bashing men ~ just celebrating women!)

Here are a few things that came to my mind:

• Women can multi-task better than most men can.
• It is often said that women are the heart of the home.
• Women look better in lipstick.
• Women tolerate pain better than men do.
• Women flirt better than men.
• Women can get things done with only a glance . . . know what I mean!
• Women are better shoppers and better bargain hunters.
• Only women can get pregnant.
• Women grow more hair as they age . . . oops; forget this one because the hair does not grow where we want it to grow! ?
• A woman’s body looks better in a dress.

So let us be fair, what do men do better?

• Men age better than women
• Men look better with gray hair
• While women are the heart of the home, men are the protector of the home.
• Men have the potential to earn more money than women do – which is totally unfair!
• Most men can get ready, for any event, faster than women can.
• Men look better than women with hair on their face. (ha ha ha)
• Men lose weight faster than women do.

A man’s got to do what a man’s got to do.

A woman must do what he can’t.

(R. Hansome)