It's starting to look a lot like Christmas

I know, I know 

Thanksgiving has not even arrived yet and I'm already making Christmas cookies?  

This is the first batch with many more to come.  

This is the best recipe!

Sugar Cookies

I measured and packaged the dry ingredients to store in my pantry for the holiday season.  

Mia and her friends had a great time decorating cookies this afternoon.

I have also started putting up my Christmas decorations.

 Of course it would have to have my flair...

Stir it up

Stir it up, little darling, stir it up
Come on, baby, come on and stir it up, little darling, stir it up...

One of my favorite songs that I have influenced my daughter into being one of her favorite songs too.  Maybe it was the constant playing of Bob Marley in the car that influenced her.

Well today after opening Disneyland (9am), hitting The Jungle cruise, Haunted Mansion (Nightmare before Christmas Themed), Pirate's of the Caribbean, the train, Small world, and lastly the Omnibus back up Main Street (we left at 12:30pm)  we went home and stirred up some caramel apple turnovers.   

Caramel Apple turnovers

• 1 bag already sliced organic apples
• 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 Tablespoon butter cut into pieces
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 cup Trader Joe's caramel sauce
• 1 store bought pie crust
• 1 egg white for for egg wash

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Mix the first 6 ingredients together, cut out circles, scoop 1 spoon full of apple mixture, place it in the middle of the circle, fold and press with a fork. Brush on egg wash and bake for 10-12 minutes.

This stuff is dangerously yummy!

 

My Take Five recipe

There are two days I have "must reads".  I'm talking about the the newspaper which seems to be going out of style in the era of internet access EVERYWHERE.  I don't really touch the paper any other day unless it's to hand my husband the sports page, not for any other reason except my lack of time.  But the two days I do make time available for the paper are Thursday's food and wine section and Saturday's garden section.  Those days are my favorite! 

I submitted a recipe to the Take Five column in the Food and Wine section.  These are just five ingredient recipes that are pretty easy to make.  I had submitted one when I was in my early 20's and it was picked, I thought it couldn't hurt to submit one again.  They picked this one too!  They printed this on on my mommas birthday and guess what...

I didn't even see it, until I got my gift card in the mail.

TAKE FIVE                                                                                By CYNTHIA FUREY FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER “My family loves to order cream cheese wontons when we get Chinese takeout, so I put this recipe together so that I can make them at home,” says Jennifer McClellan via e-mail. CREAM CHEESE WONTONS Yield: 8 to 10 servings 6 water chestnuts (from 8-ounce can) 2 green onions 1 package (8 ounces) softened cream cheese 1 package (1 2 ounces) small wonton wrappers 1 egg white, beaten Vegetable oil for frying Procedure: 1. Finely chop water chestnuts and green onions. In a medium bowl, mix chopped vegetables with cream cheese. 2. Drop 1 teaspoon of cream cheese mixture into each wonton wrapper. Brush corners with beaten egg white and press together to seal. 3. Heat vegetable oil in a skillet until it reaches 365 degrees. Fry wontons until they are crispy and golden brown. Drain briefly on paper towel-lined plate. Serve hot. Recipes submitted for Take Five must contain no more than five ingredients, excluding water, salt, pepper, oils or fat for frying or sautéing. Your recipe can include one commercial mix. When using packaged ingredients, be sure to list the weight (ounces, liters, etc.) of the package or can. Tell us where you got the recipe, why you like it or how you serve it. Include your name, daytime phone number and address. Write: Take Five, The Orange County Register, P.O. Box 11626, Santa Ana, CA 92711-1626, or e-mail recipes to cynthiafurey@yahoo.com. Readers whose recipes are published will receive a $25 gift certificate. Allow four to six weeks for delivery. Recipes cannot be acknowledged or returned.  Publication:Freedom - Orange County Register;

			.Date:Jun 17, 2010

What keeps us busy!

With fall in the air we said farewell to summer. 

Farewell to the carefree evenings and summer concerts. 

Farewell to camping on the beach

and smores by the fire.

 Farewell to all day adventures to Disneyland and waterparks.  

And farewell to long weekend getaways.

We said Hello to...

Soccer

and Baton

 

We just trade one busy season for the next.

But it is our life and we love every moment of it!

Back to School

Mia's first day of School.  My little girl is now a big first grader! 

This is the cutest back to school treat ever!  Just thought I would share it.

back-to-school-treat

from The Blackberry Vine

Today was also my first day of Kindergarten

I am super lucky to have such a great kids in my class!  

see my adorable flower in my hair 

I won it at Purdy Burdy Handmade 

Our day at the circus

Momma and Mia at the circus

The elephants were Mia's favorite part!

The motorcycles were my favorite

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey at the Honda Center

The tiger trainer

some ice cold lemonade to wash down the garlic fries!

And you can't leave without the bear!

It's the Tom Sawyer kind of fun

For $3 Mia was able to raft in the small pond, walk the rope bridges, slide down the mud slide, build forts, and GET DIRTY!

p.s. parents are free!

Adventure Playground
Adventure Playground is located beside the Huntington Beach Central Library & Cultural Center off Talbert Avenue between Goldenwest and Gothard Streets.

In the shadow of Knott's

 Our Saturday morning trip to the farmer's market

I love, love, love farmer's markets!  I love getting to sample my produce before I buy it.  I love buying locally to minimize the costs and resources required to transport food from the farm to the market.  And I love buying in-season organic produce!

Enjoying a little local music with our lunch

Mia loved the taquitos and fresh lumpia

So did Matthew

Buena Park  
Corner of La Palma and Stanton Sears Parking Lot
Saturdays
9 AM - 2 PM
more info

Affiliated with California Federation of Certified Farmers' Markets. The certified farmers market concept is an effort to re-establish the traditional link between farmers and consumers in California. Put simply, certified farmers' markets (CFM's) are "the real thing," places where genuine farmers sell their crops directly to the public. It is where the agrarian community relates to the urban community

Sunset at the Zoo

My new favorite thing to do~

Sunset at the Zoo.  

You pack your favorite picnic dinner, and if you want bottle of wine too and enjoy live music on the grass.  They also provide free coffee, hot chocolate, tea, and desserts.  It's a relaxing way to spend a summer evening with your family.  The cost is $10 but if your a zoo member it is only $5, which I think is a deal!


The train and carousel rides are only $1.


The Santa Ana Zoo

Elnora & Sumpthin' Cookin' has consistently been rated as one of Southern California's "Best Unsigned Blues Bands".

http://www.sumpthincookin.com/fr_home.cfm 

Midsummer Classic

Midsummer Classic is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League.  We call it the MLB All Star Game.  We are lucky to have it this year here at
Angel Stadium.  And with that we got Mickey Statues that are decorated with graphics featuring each of the 30 Major League clubs as well as four All-Star designs, and an American League and a National League design.

My husband is a Texas Rangers Fan


Mickey Mouse statues arrive in Southern Cal In celebration of All-Star Week, MLB-themed Mickey Mouse statues were unveiled in key areas throughout Anaheim, Los Angeles and Southern California.
All Star Mickey Mouse Statues


 I made him this super easy felt banner to show his Texas Team spirit!

This banner cost me about 3 bucks to make.

I just cut out triangles (freehand), hot glue them to matching ribbon, cut out a T (that I traced from one of his shirts), puffy painted around it, and last minute added these stars.

Chic Click Carnival

My name is Jen and I'm a wife, mother, teacher and foodie.  This week I am participating in the Chic Click Carnival.

My favorite post this week is Public Library Summer Reading Program

“My favorite peep of the week” is Parties by Hardie   You can find everything from bookplates and invitations to complete party kits.

Summer reading program

OC Public Libraries summer reading program is an awesome way to get children to read during those summer months.  This is Mia's 2nd year participating in the summer reading program and she loves it!

SUMMER READING PROGRAMS: Thursday, July 1 to Saturday, July 31.

Read books and earn prizes!

• “MAKE A SPLASH: READ”: Any age up to 12 years may participate;
children too young to read themselves may count “listening” minutes.

• “MAKE WAVES AT YOUR LIBRARY”: Ages 12-18. Teens earn prizes, too!

Orange County Public Library