A Fun Favor

About a month ago, one of my friends called and asked if I would do a "fun favor" for her. She is pregnant with her third baby and her ultrasound was scheduled for the end of September to find out who would be joining their family. Her husband's birthday is tomorrow, and she wanted me to bake a cake, coloring the inside either pink or blue so that when they cut through the frosting, they'd find out if they'd be having a girl or boy. Isn't that a cute idea?!

So last night, they dropped off THE envelope.

And at this moment, it's between God, the doctor and me....

What a teaser, huh?!
Come back Friday when I can do the big reveal!

Holly Homemaker Presents: MORE Apple Recipes

Candied Apples:
Buy a bag of caramels
and follow the directions on the back.
{TIP: Find some minions to do the grunt work, if you can!}

The Little Yellow Hats-
unwrapping caramels.

Y.U.M.M.Y.

Big Girl had asked weeks
ago if we could please make
Granny Martin's applebutter.
Granny died about a year and a half ago.
She used to make this all of the time, and it tasted
best on her fresh homemade buttermilk biscuits.
She used to send a jar to each of us at Christmas
with some money wrapped around it.
It was a little sad when I polished off that last jar she had
made last spring. So anyway, Big Girl called Baba and
asked for the recipe. I called Baba to find out
what in the world is a food mill, how do I rub apples through it,
and did I really have to go buy one? And unlike my
rhubarb strawberry jam, I'd have to deal
with sealing the canning jars properly.

My brand spanking- are you serious that I
have to pay forty dollars for this contraption!?- food mill.
Mom said to use the medium insert. Under not-so-veiled
threats, I told her in one of the several phone calls we had
that "this had better taste like Granny's!"

Well, the taste is about the same.
The texture is off; we should have used
the finest insert. Next time- I mean,
it's not like we don't have any apples!

A little gift for our neighbors-
fresh apple butter and a box of warm tea buttermilk biscuits.
{Tell me you wouldn't love to be my neighbor!}

And before I reveal the recipe, can I just say I secretly enjoyed hearing the POP! of each jar as it sealed on the counter?! It's like I was a real canner or something!

Granny Martin's Apple Butter

1 quart apple pulp
2 c sugar
1 T ground cinnamon
1/2 t. ground cloves

Wash and cut apples in half. Remove stems; cover with water and boil until soft. Rub through food mill. Measure pulp and use 1 qt. for amount of sugar and spices given.

Cook pulp, sugar, and spices until desired thickness is reached. Seal in sterilized jars. Note: if red color is desired, add a few drops of red food coloring.

Eat on a warm buttermilk biscuit or piece of toast. The biscuit is better!

Yellow Hat Hip Circles

Have I mentioned I don't know how to use my camera? Seriously, I'm trying. I've been reading the manuals and asking for advice. This is my new lens on the sports setting. Perhaps it's because I was in the balcony. At any rate, look at that form!

Taking it all in.

After doing a pullover all on her own
(she hangs onto the bar, moves forward underneath so that her
feet flip over the bar first and then she pulls over into this position),
she's ready...

cast 1...

cast 2...

cast 3...

and feet first under the bar...

and back over the top.
Ta da! A back hip circle all on her own!

At our gym, the first time a student is able to do a new skill,
they get to ring a big bell. The whole gym stops and asks,
"What did you do?" The student answers and then performs the skill.
This was her showing everyone.
Hooray, Big Girl!!

You Don't Have to Say Cheese

Child #1- check.

Child #2- check.

Child #3-

Not looking straight on.

You can do better than that.

Kinda loopy looking.

Ok, that does look like
you've been cooped up on a plane for hours
and are really tired.
It could work.

This may be a little better.

Mr. YH got his RIP sheet this week. Don't ask me what that means other than any plans I had are now dead to me. It has now become a mad dash to fill out pages and pages of paperwork, scheduling medical appointments and getting the dentist to sign off on us, trying to figure out exactly who is supposed to sign the paperwork saying my kids are not retarded, and passport photos. And in all of The Boy's drama, I forgot to have someone take mine. Grr!!

Yummy Apple Recipe

It's fall and I love apple desserts! As it turns out, I'm having to come up with a lot of them- my children picked 32 lbs of apples last Sunday at the orchard! Here is one; I'll put a few more up next week.


This is my Grandma. She died when I was about 3, and I often wish I could have had some time with her that I actually remember. I'm told she was a fantastic baker. Her apple crisp recipe is one of my favorites!

Grandma W's Apple Crisp

{I love this contraption!!}

About 4 cups peeled and sliced apples
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c water
cinnamon

Place the sliced apples in an 8-9" square pan (or similar size). Add sugar and water; sprinkle with cinnamon.


Topping:
1/2 c butter
1 c brown sugar
1 c flour
1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt

Cut into a well-blended mixture with a pastry blender (or fork). Sprinkle evenly over apples. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes or until apples are done. Serve warm or cold with whipped cream, ice cream- or eat it plain! Sorry no more photos- I forgot to take one of the finished product after Mr. YH dug in!

Link to Kelly for more delicious desserts!

Holly Homemaker's Show & Tell

Ok, Brandi! Because you demanded nicely requested, here is my show and tell from Saturday's date with the sewing machine.

The "fall-ish" bag Big Girl requested.
Girls, don't give me too much credit here.
This is a place mat and some ribbon.
I sewed the ribbon on.
I sewed the sides up.
I sewed two other seams to give it a more "formed" bottom.

{Ok, I got a little fancy and tacked the inside seams down a little by hand.}

The inside fabric.

A birthday gift for my niece.
A pre-made apron-
I bought it.
I sewed some ribbon on.
I ironed-on the K.
I bought the recipe book.
Voila! It's ready to wrap and send
along with her sister's birthday gift
and that family's Christmas presents.

{Her birthday is in April. I am making the most of my flat rate box.}

And I'm thrilled to report that this little rendez-vous was rather pleasant! I was able to thread the machine correctly the first time, every time! I even wound a new bobbin. {applause, please!} I didn't have to rip any seams out and I only stuck my finger once (but it didn't bleed). I also repaired a dress-up gown. I even looked around to see if there was anything else calling out for some time on the machine, but alas, there was none. And I breathed a sigh of relief! No need to mess with a good thing!

Apple Pickin' Time! (and giveaway winner!)

Last year was the first in several we were unable to make it to an apple orchard. We had been going to one near my in-laws in Michigan and always had a great time- hot apple cider and donuts, feeding the goats, the corn maze, and then a hay ride out in to the orchard to pick our own. I asked the moms at the kids' gym last week if anyone could tell me where one was located because we certainly could not miss another year!

They came up with Gizdich Ranch in Watsonville.
We loaded up and headed there after lunch on Sunday.

It was cheaper to buy the whole pie...
and it was still warm!

Baby Girl, this is your part of your American heritage:
Apple Pie
Your life will never be the same!

Who are we kidding?!
She doesn't care what it is as long as it's food!
Signing please!!

Out to the orchard

We picked 32 pounds of apples in our two bags!
We're going to make my Granny's apple butter,
Grandma's apple crisp, and Mrs. YH's apple pie
(which, dare I say, is better than that one above?!).

And now, the winner of the fall giveaway....

I used the random number generator after tallying up
how many entries each person had and

the winner is....

Brandi!

I ♥ fall too! We love going to the pumpkin patch. We used to love going to the Christmas tree farm, but FL doesn't have the kind of trees we like. Now we just go to Lowe's and I take my camera like an idiot and take a picture of us out in the Lawn & Garden section with our tree.

I love your basket idea! I really, really ♥ games to play with the kids. I have not been creative with making any cute ones like you have, but we have a pretty extensive game closet. We always play games on turkey day while the guys are watching football. I think we'll have to make one of those memory games. The boys would just love that.

We also put our tree up and get the Christmas decorations out on turkey day. My MIL gave me a collection of Christmas houses when we were first married. I almost tossed them in a yard sale, but I didn't want to hurt her feelings. Now I am so glad I have them because the boys really get excited about putting the village up (and then I go behind them when they aren't looking and fix the mess they make out of the fake snow). :)

It seems only fitting that she win something
other than clean-up duty after her dogs this week!
If you've never paid Brandi a visit,
hop on over to her blog to see how the Bubs are doing!