Trunk or Treat and Crazy Hair Day

A couple of days ago, Kyra announced that it was "Crazy Hair Day" at her school. She suggested we use a plastic drinking cup to create this funky hairdo. On the way to school, I started to giggle and she asked why. I said, "What if you accidentally got mixed up on the date for Crazy Hair Day and you showed up at school with the only funky hairdo?" She said that very thought had occurred to her and she had been formulating a "backup plan" in her mind. We were both relieved when we arrived at school just as the car in front of us deposited a blue-haired boy. Whew! I picked her up from school and she went to the university campus with me to return some films and books before I dropped her off for her piano lesson. She did receive a few strange looks while on campus but, on the other hand, some students are known to have funkier than this hair on a "normal" day :)
Last evening was the annual chili supper and Trunk or Treat at the Church. Our d-in-law Sara and I took Ky, Reed, and also their next-door neighbor's son Parker, who Sara was tending for the evening while he parents went to a Halloween party of their own. Parker is one of Ky's classmates and friends, and he knew several of the kids at the function so that worked out well. Sara bought a costume for Reed about 2 months ago which she said "fit perfectly" at the time (no room to spare, though). Unfortunately, he had a growth spirt and it would not fit him this week. So, she had to find another Ninja costume in a bigger size. Regardless, he was cute in it.
Ky initially informed me that she would like to be Mother Nature. She's quite creative and loves to design outfits so she drew the costume she wanted out on paper. I was impressed. The "earthy" part was represented by a brown sheath dress, covered with a flowing green sheer fabric. She had designed a crown representing the sun, a wreath of flowers and blue ribbons representing the sky. Off I went to the fabric store where almost immediately I found the "flowing green" layer. She instantly approved it upon sight. It didn't seem like the rest of the outfit would be a challenge. Not so! We visited several stores and picked through their clearance racks (how much does one want to spend on an outfit to be worn twice at best?) for the "brown" part of the costume. Alas, we could not find a thing that matched the picture in Ky's head. But at the last store we had time to visit before I needed to drop her off for Activity Day Girls, she happened upon the crazy dress in the photo. She held it up and, as she said, "Look at this wild dress, Nana," she displayed "peace" signs with both hands. I said, "You've got it! You can be a hippie!" So, we proceeded with that idea and she was happy. I have to say that we both laughed when two of her friends (who had no idea what Ky's original idea for a costume had been) commented, "Your dress kindof looks like a Mother Nature dress." Well, I guess we succeeded after all! This final picture is of Reed and his cousin (on his Mommy's side) Avery. I loved the picture of the children and also liked the bubble-blowing pumpkin. It's easy to see why kids (of ALL ages) love this holiday!

Autumn in the Ozarks

Although this photo does not do justice to my friend Jean, the tree in her front yard is so spectacular right now that I simply had to have a picture of it, and she obliged me. If you click to enlarge the photo, you can actually "feel" the sun shining through the leaves. I LOVE AUTUMN! When I first experienced my first autumn in Missouri, I was so blown away by the splendor of trees with their vibrant leaves that I made a rather ridiculous (in highsight) statement, "Honey, we never had autumns like this in the west." Biologist that he is, he gently reminded me that the type of fall color on the trees has a lot to do with the type of trees themselves. Well, yes, that would make a difference now, wouldn't it?!! :)



I've been kicking myself because we've had a lot of rain and wind the past few days which has done a lot to strip the trees of their beautiful leaves. And I had not yet taken the time to drive around and take pictures of some of my favorite displays of color. On my way home from physical therapy this morning, I drove through a local cemetary (where some of Reed's ancestors are buried) and took a few pictures. I regret that I did not get there sooner, but perhaps you will at least get an idea of just how amazing they were.

The photo of the row of burning bushes was taken in front of Ky's school and, while pretty, they can't hold a candle to the hedge of HUGE ones we saw in in the parking lot of the St. Louis Temple last week. Alas, I didn't have my camera with me.

Finally, the picture of Ky, the Tree Hugger, was taken in our front yard. Of course we've been in our new home fewer than four years so our trees and bushes are not yet mature; nevertheless, our burning bush and Sugar Maple delight us with their colorful displays.
A girlfriend and I drove to Harrison, AR last week and saw a lot of beautiful trees along the way, there, and back, as well. We joined another friend and had lunch at the Cliff House Restaurant ("homemade bread and real mashed potatoes") which provided a panoramic view of the "grand canyon of Arkansas." I had no idea this masterpiece existed near Jasper, AR, and what a beautiful discovery it was. Vast, and considerably more rugged than most of the landscape in this part of the country. I want to take Steve and return soon.
A beautiful autumn day, when the sun is bursting through the leaves of trees resplendent in myriad golds, reds, and greens, is one of those times when my breath is literally taken away and I think to myself, "Heavenly Father really outdid Himself this time." And I'm so thankful to be here to enjoy it! I hope wherever each of you happens to be when you read this is just as lovely. ENJOY!

The Peacocks have Come Home to Roost

A number of years ago, my Mother-in-law decided to hire a professional decorator to help her update the front three rooms in their home (the living room and two bedrooms). My in-law's home was well-built but, being constructed around 1940, the rooms were small. Mom fell in love with a pair of hand-crafted, metal peacocks, which seemed too large for their small living room, but the decorator convinced Mom they would look great over the sofa. With this professional's okay, Mom went ahead. The craftsmanship on the peacocks is amazing and we always enjoyed them in their home. You might like to click to enlarge the photo so you can see just how intricate the workmanship is.
When Steve's folks passed away in 2005, and their things were divided among their four children's families, these peacocks were among the things that made their way east to MO. While most other things were incorporated immediately into the new home we built in 2006, the peacocks remained wrapped in newspaper on the top shelf of a storage unit in the garage. Some time ago, I decided they would be perfect for the wall in our stairwell but considering that Steve is banned from using ladders (after having had an accident some years ago in which he broke his back, his tailbone, and several other things!), in the garage they remained. I finally decided the best way to get them hung was to move them inside where they were in the way (well, pretty much) and enlist the help of our son Jon, whose various jobs have equipped him with great "ladder skills." WALLAH! We think they are the perfect "adornment" for the wall in our stairwell, and love to have them "greet" us when we enter through the front door. The peacocks have now "come home to roost" at our home and we are enjoying them very much. .

I'm including two or three more photos that represent how I've spent some of my time the past couple of days. Early in the summer, I posted some pictures on my blog of some unique clay pots that my Mother-in-law made. I was excited about the possibility of their becoming home to some newly acquired succulents. The succulents thrived in these pots and we've spent the summer enjoying them on our front steps. So much so that, now that it's turning colder, I don't have the heart to watch them die. So I moved the picture frames from the windowsill in my office, and have moved the succulents to that windowsill for the winter. I wanted to include one more picture of some of them here to show how they grew over the summer. I think Mom would be pleased that they found such great homes in her unique pots!

Finally, I wanted to make some small gifts that "said fall" for the gals I visit teach, as well as for the friends who helped me with the birthday luncheon last week. Needless to say, the number of expensive gifts is endless, for those who have the money and/or the desire to buy those, but since most of us don't (have the money, that is), I think it's fun to shop around and find those little gifts that and fun and appreciated but which don't leave the receiver feeling obligated to reciprocate. The bargains I found this go-round included cute little ceramic bread pans (though I opted to fill them with homemade gingersnaps this time) for $.99 at Michael's; little jack o'lantern t-towels that were 2/$5 at Target; and, finally, I had so much fun making pumpkins last year (when my sisters showed me how when we were in WY together), that I decided to make some more to share. They are made with a little bit of fabric, some fall leaves, a little jute, and a roll of toilet paper. Yup! Now, how's that for creative? :)

Something to Crow About!

This past Monday, we had the opportunity to celebrate our dear friend Bonnie's being 90 YEARS YOUNG! Bonnie is a role-model for all who know her, and who also aspire to being as lively and as active as she is, should we be blessed to reach that age. Bonnie has many dear friends and it would have been nice to include them all but, that said, I feel strongly that when a meal is served (especially one including soup!), each guest needs a place to sit at a table while eating. And preferably, close enough to the main table that she can see the guest of honor. In our home, that meant 17 (without expanding onto the deck, sunroom, or downstairs). It was a nice group, particularly in light of the fact that several generous friends offered to help with the food: Eileen brought some nutritious Wheat-Apple Muffins; Janet made a colorful salad of Mixed Spring Greens with Craisins, Blueberries, Mandarin Oranges and Pecans with a Poppy Seed Dressing; and Rosa brought a yummy Lemon Cake to go along with the Tunnel of Fudge Cake that I made (options are good, yes?!). I also made Chicken Tortilla Soup, and several requested the recipe, so I will include that in this post.
I think fresh flowers make any occasion "special," but for this occasion, I branched out a little. Okay, A LOT! I used artificial sunflowers and added fresh asparagus and kale. Yup, you read that right. I did something similar a few years ago for a fall event for which I used the same theme, and had so much fun I thought I'd reproduce it. As waaay out as that sounds, it gets worse (or better, depending upon your perspective). I later roasted the asparagas and served it with Wild Alaskan Salmon with a Dilly Remoulade; a fresh Spinach, shaved Parmesano-Reggiano, and Toasted Pinenuts Salad with a Balsamic Vinaigrette, and loved having the kale to use in Olive Garden-style Zuppa Toscano. Yum-O!

I've been making my own version of Chicken Tortilla Soup for a number of years now, since I first tasted it on a trip to Dallas, TX. I used to saute the fresh veggies (onion, garlic, celery, tomatoes, jalapenos, etc.) myself, but sometimes it took time I didn't have, and it finally occurred to me that those same veggies were already in salsa, so I tweaked my own recipe and now just use the salsa (lots of it!). I needed soup for 20 for the luncheon, and wanted plenty left for my family to enjoy for a meal or two, so following are the amounts I used for a crowd that size. NANCY'S CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP (FOR A CROWD)
4 quarts chicken broth
12 cans Cream of Chicken Soup (Do not dilute.)
2 large jars salsa (or to taste)(can use mild, medium, or hot, depending on your personal taste; I recommend using mild to medium for a group, however, as some do not like it hot)
2 cans corn (can use frozen, and in the summer, I've been known to use fresh)
2 cans black beans
2 rotisserie chickens, deboned and shredded (about 12 cups meat)
Pour broth into a very large kettle (I use a canner because it's thick and the soup won't scorch). Add condensed Cream of Chicken soup and stir to blend. Bring to a boil. Add salsa (If you're not sure how much, add some, and add some again at the end to taste.) Stir in the corn and black beans and then add shredded chicken. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer on low until ready to serve. Or cool, refrigerate, and reheat. Freezes well.
If you want to make a few cupsful for a small family, start with 3 cans of broth and 2 cans of condensed soup. NOTE: You can click the photo to see how I served this but I like to added shredded cheddar, a dollop of both sour cream and guacamole (you can pass them separately, if you like), some thin strips of multi-colored tortilla chips, and a sprig of Cilantro or flat-leaf parsley. ENJOY!

If you love chocolate and nuts, as I do, you can click to enlarge the following photo and drool (as I do) over this Tunnel of Fudge Cake. Bonnie loves chocolate and nuts so I just HAD to make this special (and decadent; she can afford the calories) cake for her birthday. It will really date me when I admit that I first tasted this fabulous cake when a coworker brought it to work at the University of Utah in the late 60's/early 70's. I have loved it since but make it rarely (I last made it when I hosted a baby shower for my young friend Kathy, and her twins are getting ready to turn seven!), and it's been a day or two. If you have a special occasion just around the corner, and simply can't resist, here's the recipe:

TUNNEL OF FUDGE CAKE
INGREDIENTS:
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Cake
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups margarine or butter, softened
6 eggs
2 cups powdered sugar
2 1/4 cups Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose or Unbleached Flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 cups chopped walnuts*
Glaze (NOTE: I omitted the glaze and served it with a drizzle of homemade hot fudge sauce, a dollop of whipped cream or whipped topping, fresh raspberries and a sprig of mint)
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
4 to 6 teaspoons milk
DIRECTIONS:
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1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 12-cup fluted tube cake pan or 10-inch tube pan. In large bowl, combine sugar and margarine; beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually add 2 cups powdered sugar; blend well. By hand, stir in flour and remaining cake ingredients until well blended. Spoon batter into greased and floured pan; spread evenly.
2. Bake at 350°F. for 45 to 50 minutes or until top is set and edges are beginning to pull away from sides of pan.** Cool upright in pan on wire rack 1 1/2 hours. Invert onto serving plate; cool at least 2 hours.
3. In small bowl, combine all glaze ingredients, adding enough milk for desired drizzling consistency. Spoon over top of cake, allowing some to run down sides. Store tightly covered.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft) Increase flour to 2 1/4 cups plus 3 tablespoons. Bake as directed above.
Bonnie informed us that she doesn't plan to be around for #100, but if she is, I'd be honored to do this again. Maybe we just need to have a party for her each year from now on . . .