Make new friends but keep the old...

I got to spend a fun afternoon this week, out in the beautiful fall weather, with my favorite man in the world.

Here he is in all his manliness:

(I'm a lucky girl. =) )

We accomplished a bunch (in spite of my trips to town to run a kid where she needed to be).

And then I made these new friends.

They followed me all over the pasture, mooing at me like crazy.

All-in-all it was a wonderful day and we ended up with a huge pile of wood as our reward.

Pumpkin Cut Outs with Cream Cheese Frosting

My favorite little trick-or-treaters (1999)

When Bridget at Bake at 350 suggested pumpkin as this month's flavor, I knew just what I planned to make. A few years ago one of my "little pumpkins" and I made some cut out cookies that were pumpkin flavored. She *loved* them, but I lost the recipe and we've never made them since. So, it was my goal to find the recipe again so I could fulfill her request.

I searched the internet and came up with a couple of possible recipes. Based on the ingredients I had on hand, I chose one and baked the cookies. (recipe I used)

rolling and cutting

all baked...

The next step was to make a simple cream cheese frosting.

3 T butter

3 oz cream cheese

2 cups powdered sugar (more if needed)

2 tsp vanilla

2 T milk

mix well.

Then tint and frost.

all done!

This was a nice simple cookie. Since they're just for fun, I chose simple-to-decorate shapes and didn't go all out. But they're still pretty cute.

Personally, I don't think the recipe is to-die-for or anything, but my baby girl likes them and they're kind of a nice change for the normal cut-out cookie.

More volleyball sweets

The team had a little get together to celebrate the end of the season.

My little volleyball player and I wanted to do something fun to celebrate

her team mates. So, cookies it was....

A couple of notes about the cookies:

* I used our family sugar cookie recipe. This is the one my grandma and mom have always used. It's a great recipe that doesn't need to be refrigerated prior to rolling out. Easy peasy AND delicious. I'll post it some day.

* I used a spool of thread cookie cutter. I trimmed off the excess and when I was almost done, I figured out that I could use the cookie cutter corner to cut out the v-neck of the jersey. (waaayyy easier than with a paring knife)

volleyball, sweet volleyball

My younger princess turned 13 this month. I know it's so cliche, but where does the time go?

She's a middle schooler this year and enjoying the extra curricular activities that 7th grade offers. She played volleyball and though the season's over, she enjoyed it very much. So, when it was time to make her birthday cakes, I couldn't think of a more fun theme to use.

I won! I won!

Finally.... I won a blog giveaway!

Julia from Dozen Flours was hosting a giveaway for Singing Dog Vanilla and I won!! (woohoo!) I've really been interested in trying vanilla paste for some time, but haven't actually found any irl or ordered any. But now I'll have some of all my very own.

I can't wait to try it!

Thanks, Julia!

Dinner for 9

I got to cook for this good looking crew.

They were a fun group.