This post is for Scribbit's Winter Bazaar...even though today is Halloween I opted to do a more Autumn themed recipe. Pumpkin Bread is a great dessert bread, and would be a great thing to bring to a Halloween get together...
Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Bread
Yield: 3 loaves
3 c Sugar
3 1/2 c Flour
1/2 t Salt
2 t Baking soda
1 t Cinnamon
1 t Nutmeg
4 lg Eggs
1 c Vegetable oil
2 c Pumpkin (cooked)
2/3 c Water
1 1/2 c Walnuts, chopped (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter your containers well. Sift the dry ingredients together into a large bowl. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and add the eggs, oil, pumpkin and water. Beat thoroughly. It's easier to get all the lumps out if you use an electric mixer. Stir in the walnuts with a wooden spoon if you decide you want nuts in the bread. Pour the batter into the containers, filling each only half to two-thirds full. Bake for 60 minutes, for regular loaves, or 15 to 20 if you are making muffins. I usually make two loaves and a dozen or so muffins with this recipe. The bread is done when a toothpick in the middle comes out clean. Cool about ten minutes, then loosen the edges of the bread with a knife, and turn out of the pans to cool the rest of the way on a rack.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
If you came looking for Halloween tips, I am sorry...
I would love to do a post for Scribbit's Winter Bazaar, but I am sick. I have been puking my guts out for three days, and I barely had the energy to do a Wordless Wedneday post (please see it below). I didn't want anyone to think I died...but I feel like I would like to. Until I am better I may only post a couple of times a week. I am not sure about Fiction Friday...we'll see how I am feeling by then.
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Happy Birthday Carrot...
A Birthday Wish for Carrot. May you be protected from furry blue monsters, and from Magicians who want to make you "disappear". I hope you have a great birthday!
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Happy 200th to me!
My 200th Post has crept up on me. It just doesn't seem like that long ago that I wrote my 100th. It has, in fact, only been a little over four and a half months since I wrote my 100th post which was actually a Wordless Wednesday, but oh well...it was still #100.
I briefly thought about trying to think of something special to do for my 200th post, but that would mean that I would have to take some extra time to really think of something good, and since I feel like writing a post right now, I am going to forgo the fanfare and just keep the celebrating to a minimum. Maybe in a few months I will hit 300 and then do something really special. Until then, thanks for reading, for commenting and for being all the wonderful people you are!
Now, on to my previously scheduled post...
Tonight we are waiting on a storm. Living at the Oregon coast means that we enjoy some rain of course, but it also means that we get quite a few wind storms every year, and several power outages. For the most part the power outages are short. Last year we had one that lasted a couple of days, but it wasn't so bad once it was over. Although we aren't living high on the hog when we have a power outage, we have hot water (because our water heater runs on natural gas), a way to heat food without electricity, a stove top popcorn popper, oil lamps, and a kerosene heater.
When we heard that there was going to be a storm coming, we decided to make sure we had a few more essentials. While I don't necessarily cook everything from scratch, I don't generally keep a lot of meals in a box or can around the house. Mac and cheese is the one exception to that, but generally I make that from scratch too. So to prepare for the storm I sent D out to Costco and had him buy a case of chili. Yes, I know its not really conducive to family togetherness because of some unfortunate side effects, but it will give the boys something to laugh about because nothing is funnier to boys than those kinds of bodily functions. We also got an extra case of water even though we already have a couple of them in the van, some glow sticks (they are comforting to scared children), some bread, crackers, and most importantly a case of Ding Dongs. Usually we like to eat our Ding Dongs frozen, but in the case of a power outage we are willing to make an exception. Even though the whining is almost unbearable, the house gets colder than we like it, and everything is dim, I find that I enjoy the occasional power outage. The boys are quieter, we read together, we all stay in the same room instead of spreading out around the house, and I just enjoy being together.
Don't get me wrong, after a day of it I am always ready for a return to my email and my blogs, but a little power outage doesn't hurt. If we didn't get them so regularly in the winter time, I would be scheduling our own family power outages from time to time myself.
So if you don't hear anything from me for a couple of days, we might just be right here, huddled around the table with the glow of an oil lamp and some candles, eating popcorn and drinking cocoa. Try not to be jealous...
I briefly thought about trying to think of something special to do for my 200th post, but that would mean that I would have to take some extra time to really think of something good, and since I feel like writing a post right now, I am going to forgo the fanfare and just keep the celebrating to a minimum. Maybe in a few months I will hit 300 and then do something really special. Until then, thanks for reading, for commenting and for being all the wonderful people you are!
Now, on to my previously scheduled post...
Tonight we are waiting on a storm. Living at the Oregon coast means that we enjoy some rain of course, but it also means that we get quite a few wind storms every year, and several power outages. For the most part the power outages are short. Last year we had one that lasted a couple of days, but it wasn't so bad once it was over. Although we aren't living high on the hog when we have a power outage, we have hot water (because our water heater runs on natural gas), a way to heat food without electricity, a stove top popcorn popper, oil lamps, and a kerosene heater.
When we heard that there was going to be a storm coming, we decided to make sure we had a few more essentials. While I don't necessarily cook everything from scratch, I don't generally keep a lot of meals in a box or can around the house. Mac and cheese is the one exception to that, but generally I make that from scratch too. So to prepare for the storm I sent D out to Costco and had him buy a case of chili. Yes, I know its not really conducive to family togetherness because of some unfortunate side effects, but it will give the boys something to laugh about because nothing is funnier to boys than those kinds of bodily functions. We also got an extra case of water even though we already have a couple of them in the van, some glow sticks (they are comforting to scared children), some bread, crackers, and most importantly a case of Ding Dongs. Usually we like to eat our Ding Dongs frozen, but in the case of a power outage we are willing to make an exception. Even though the whining is almost unbearable, the house gets colder than we like it, and everything is dim, I find that I enjoy the occasional power outage. The boys are quieter, we read together, we all stay in the same room instead of spreading out around the house, and I just enjoy being together.
Don't get me wrong, after a day of it I am always ready for a return to my email and my blogs, but a little power outage doesn't hurt. If we didn't get them so regularly in the winter time, I would be scheduling our own family power outages from time to time myself.
So if you don't hear anything from me for a couple of days, we might just be right here, huddled around the table with the glow of an oil lamp and some candles, eating popcorn and drinking cocoa. Try not to be jealous...
Monday, October 15, 2007
Busy Week...
This week is very busy for me. I have all kinds of things going on. Last night I put together a quick slideshow for the funeral of a complete stranger, and today I have to make sure that it gets to its destination on time. There are Doctor's appointments, and a mole removal surgery for #4 going on this week, making cookies for a blood drive on Thursday, and getting ready for our church's big Super Saturday activity that I am in charge of on Saturday.
Super Saturday is a women's group activity and we are doing crafts in preparation for Christmas. I am in charge of three out of six of the crafts...I think I have a delegating problem. One of the crafts is the placemat purse I talked about making back in August. They are the perfect size for carrying your scriptures, and I got so many raves about my cute scripture tote, that I knew it would be a perfect project. I am also in charge of the embossed advent candle project, and the picture frame mat that we are decorating with pictures from Christ's life. Once I get one of those done I will try to post a picture. On top of all that I also am making soup as part of lunch for Super (I should have called it Souper) Saturday. Lots to do, and lots to think about. So if I post less often this week, that is why. (I imagine I will post the same amount though).
How busy is your week?
Super Saturday is a women's group activity and we are doing crafts in preparation for Christmas. I am in charge of three out of six of the crafts...I think I have a delegating problem. One of the crafts is the placemat purse I talked about making back in August. They are the perfect size for carrying your scriptures, and I got so many raves about my cute scripture tote, that I knew it would be a perfect project. I am also in charge of the embossed advent candle project, and the picture frame mat that we are decorating with pictures from Christ's life. Once I get one of those done I will try to post a picture. On top of all that I also am making soup as part of lunch for Super (I should have called it Souper) Saturday. Lots to do, and lots to think about. So if I post less often this week, that is why. (I imagine I will post the same amount though).
How busy is your week?
Thursday, October 11, 2007
More Christmas Music...
Those of you who know me well know that I love Christmas music, that I sometimes start listening to it as early as August, and that I have quite a collection. I try to limit my Holiday music purchases to only one or two per year. This year I have started out with a newly released Christmas CD...It came out on Tuesday and I picked up my copy on Wednesday.
Its Noel, by Josh Groban...and yes...its good. Off to listen to it again now.
Its Noel, by Josh Groban...and yes...its good. Off to listen to it again now.
A Literary Meme...
Novembrance has tagged me for a Meme of Literary Crushes. The exact quote was actually…
Ten Literary Characters I Would Totally Make Out With If I Were Single and They Were Real But I’m Not, Single I Mean, I Am Real, But I’m Also Happily Married and Want to Stay That Way So Maybe We Should Forget This
I have to say that I never really contemplated making out with any literary characters, but there were some that I had crushes on, and that is close enough, right? I was actually afraid that I wouldn’t be able to come up with a list of ten because although I read a lot, many of the books I read feature young characters, and I just can’t see myself having a crush on these young teenage boys. This is where I also have to admit, much to my own shame that I have not read very many classics. I have always been a fantasy fiction reader, and have only read a few classics. As much as I love all versions of Pride and Prejudice in movie form, I have never actually read a Jane Austen book (ducking and running…its on my list of things to get to, really).
So, in no particular order, here is a list of ten literary characters I have had a crush on.
Theodore "Laurie" Laurence of Little Women. I recently read Little Women as a part of my goal to start reading more classics. To my surprise I found that it wasn’t just in the movie version that I wished Jo had chosen to stay with Laurie.
King Corlath from The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley. The Blue Sword is one of my all time favorite books. King Corlath is handsome, mysterious, and has cool powers. Not only that, he is polite and a gentleman, even when he kidnaps the heroine of the story.
Gwydion of the Prydain books by Lloyd Alexander. My fourth grade teacher read The Book of Three out loud to our class, and my love of fantasy fiction was born. Before that I had been all about The Black Stallion books. Taran the Assistant Pig Keeper was a great central character, but he had all those flaws to work through to become a real hero, whereas Prince Gwydion was noble and pretty much flawless from the start. I always had a little bit of a crush on him as a child.
Nat from the Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare. I loved The Witch of Blackbird Pond as a child, and picked up a copy for my library once I was a grown up. In fact, I love it so much that I have two copies…I can’t pass up a good deal, and our local Library had a copy in good condition for ten cents! Nat is the son of a ship’s Captain who befriends Kit and helps out Hannah Tupper who the local townspeople think is a witch because of her Quaker ways. I distinctly remember the description of Nat’s sun browned, strong hands. He was definitely crush worthy.
John Carter of Mars Edgar Rice Burroughs. My Dad had the entire Martian Chronicles by Edgar Rice Burroughs (yes, the guy that created Tarzan). I read them all as a child, and as a grown up, when my Dad decided to sell them at a garage sale, I bought them all. John Carter is tall, dark and handsome, and apparently immortal. He doesn’t age, and he is a heroic fighting man through all his years. Finding himself transported to Mars he has many adventures and becomes a hero, finding love with a Martian Princess. Burroughs published the first book in the series in 1912.
Major Joe Mack from Last of the Breed by Louis L’Amour. My Dad got me to read this book when I was a teenager. Although L’Amour is well known for writing westerns he has written some great adventure books. The Last of the Breed details the adventures of a Native American Air Force Pilot named Joe Mack who is shot down over Soviet Air space. He is pursued across frigid Siberia and must use the skills handed down by his people to survive and make his escape.
Perrin from The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan. I started reading the Wheel of Time series when the first two books were out thinking it was going to be a typical trilogy. Much to my horror, the series turned into a monster, with eleven books published so far, and the Author passed away last month before he could complete the final book. The Series also went downhill as far as morality goes, which is one reason that I stopped reading a majority of Fantasy fiction and turned to Children’s Fantasy instead. Of the three main characters, I always found Perrin appealing. He was not a womanizer, he could talk to Wolves, and he found one woman to commit to…which is always attractive in a man.
Gilbert Blythe from the Anne of Green Gables series. Do I really need to explain that one?
Legolas from Lord of the Rings. I first attempted to read Lord of the Rings in the 4th grade. That is a big attempt for a ten year old. My crush on Legolas has nothing to do with Orlando Bloom but started way back in the 4th grade. I had a thing for Legolas from the very start.
Emilie Loring leading men. I don’t go for the descriptiveness of current Romance novels. They disgust me in fact. As a girl, I would read Emilie Loring Romances that were in my Mom’s collection. Most were written between 1914 and 1951, and typically followed a certain formula with the main characters either hating each other, being supicious of each other, and of course, eventually falling in love. The stories are almost all adventure stories with spies, political intrigue and etc. The characters dressed for dinner, went to formal parties and the last page was the crowning achievement…the kiss. Even though most of the books are a rehash of similar storylines, there is still something I enjoy about reading them. I couldn’t pick just one leading man, since in essence they are usually the same basic character redone.
Now, who to tag with this...I am not sure who reads and who doesn't...so feel free to take this meme if you want to, and let me know so I can read your answers.
Ten Literary Characters I Would Totally Make Out With If I Were Single and They Were Real But I’m Not, Single I Mean, I Am Real, But I’m Also Happily Married and Want to Stay That Way So Maybe We Should Forget This
I have to say that I never really contemplated making out with any literary characters, but there were some that I had crushes on, and that is close enough, right? I was actually afraid that I wouldn’t be able to come up with a list of ten because although I read a lot, many of the books I read feature young characters, and I just can’t see myself having a crush on these young teenage boys. This is where I also have to admit, much to my own shame that I have not read very many classics. I have always been a fantasy fiction reader, and have only read a few classics. As much as I love all versions of Pride and Prejudice in movie form, I have never actually read a Jane Austen book (ducking and running…its on my list of things to get to, really).
So, in no particular order, here is a list of ten literary characters I have had a crush on.
Theodore "Laurie" Laurence of Little Women. I recently read Little Women as a part of my goal to start reading more classics. To my surprise I found that it wasn’t just in the movie version that I wished Jo had chosen to stay with Laurie.
King Corlath from The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley. The Blue Sword is one of my all time favorite books. King Corlath is handsome, mysterious, and has cool powers. Not only that, he is polite and a gentleman, even when he kidnaps the heroine of the story.
Gwydion of the Prydain books by Lloyd Alexander. My fourth grade teacher read The Book of Three out loud to our class, and my love of fantasy fiction was born. Before that I had been all about The Black Stallion books. Taran the Assistant Pig Keeper was a great central character, but he had all those flaws to work through to become a real hero, whereas Prince Gwydion was noble and pretty much flawless from the start. I always had a little bit of a crush on him as a child.
Nat from the Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare. I loved The Witch of Blackbird Pond as a child, and picked up a copy for my library once I was a grown up. In fact, I love it so much that I have two copies…I can’t pass up a good deal, and our local Library had a copy in good condition for ten cents! Nat is the son of a ship’s Captain who befriends Kit and helps out Hannah Tupper who the local townspeople think is a witch because of her Quaker ways. I distinctly remember the description of Nat’s sun browned, strong hands. He was definitely crush worthy.
John Carter of Mars Edgar Rice Burroughs. My Dad had the entire Martian Chronicles by Edgar Rice Burroughs (yes, the guy that created Tarzan). I read them all as a child, and as a grown up, when my Dad decided to sell them at a garage sale, I bought them all. John Carter is tall, dark and handsome, and apparently immortal. He doesn’t age, and he is a heroic fighting man through all his years. Finding himself transported to Mars he has many adventures and becomes a hero, finding love with a Martian Princess. Burroughs published the first book in the series in 1912.
Major Joe Mack from Last of the Breed by Louis L’Amour. My Dad got me to read this book when I was a teenager. Although L’Amour is well known for writing westerns he has written some great adventure books. The Last of the Breed details the adventures of a Native American Air Force Pilot named Joe Mack who is shot down over Soviet Air space. He is pursued across frigid Siberia and must use the skills handed down by his people to survive and make his escape.
Perrin from The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan. I started reading the Wheel of Time series when the first two books were out thinking it was going to be a typical trilogy. Much to my horror, the series turned into a monster, with eleven books published so far, and the Author passed away last month before he could complete the final book. The Series also went downhill as far as morality goes, which is one reason that I stopped reading a majority of Fantasy fiction and turned to Children’s Fantasy instead. Of the three main characters, I always found Perrin appealing. He was not a womanizer, he could talk to Wolves, and he found one woman to commit to…which is always attractive in a man.
Gilbert Blythe from the Anne of Green Gables series. Do I really need to explain that one?
Legolas from Lord of the Rings. I first attempted to read Lord of the Rings in the 4th grade. That is a big attempt for a ten year old. My crush on Legolas has nothing to do with Orlando Bloom but started way back in the 4th grade. I had a thing for Legolas from the very start.
Emilie Loring leading men. I don’t go for the descriptiveness of current Romance novels. They disgust me in fact. As a girl, I would read Emilie Loring Romances that were in my Mom’s collection. Most were written between 1914 and 1951, and typically followed a certain formula with the main characters either hating each other, being supicious of each other, and of course, eventually falling in love. The stories are almost all adventure stories with spies, political intrigue and etc. The characters dressed for dinner, went to formal parties and the last page was the crowning achievement…the kiss. Even though most of the books are a rehash of similar storylines, there is still something I enjoy about reading them. I couldn’t pick just one leading man, since in essence they are usually the same basic character redone.
Now, who to tag with this...I am not sure who reads and who doesn't...so feel free to take this meme if you want to, and let me know so I can read your answers.
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Why do you blog?
Most of the people that read this blog are bloggers themselves. I have been thinking lately about why people blog, and more specifically about why I blog.
When I started out blogging, I did it just for the fun of it. Writing has always been a great outlet for me, and I hadn't had any way to really express myself for a while. Blogging seemed like a perfect solution. Of course I had a couple of friends who were bloggers and I started out reading their blogs. Reading blogs led to following links to other blogs, and a monster of sorts was born. I suddenly found myself with a long list of favorites and every day seemed to bring more and more of them for me to read.
I had made a personal goal to write in my blog three times a week at least. It wasn't a goal for anyone but myself, since I didn't really have many readers at the beginning of my blogging career. At some point I noticed that other bloggers who hadn't been around much longer than I had were getting tons more comments. For a while I had the whole wishful thinking for 20 comments a day...heck, even getting ten comments when it happens can be a heady rush. All of a sudden I felt this pressure to write material that would be more for my readers than for me. I lost sight of why I started blogging in the first place. A couple of times I even contemplated quitting the whole thing.
I have noticed that burnout is common among bloggers. Many of the blogs I read have gone through times when the blogger was sorely tempted to quit and leave the whole thing behind. At other times people just have other things on their mind and don't have the time, the energy, or the emotional capacity to pour everything they have into blogging.
Sometimes blog readers are less than supportive when people experience a drop in their blog writing, and even worse, some bloggers only appear to be there for reciprocal purposes. They get upset if people whose blogs they read don't come and read their blog in return. I had a recent conversation with a blogger about that very thing, and how overwhelming it can feel to have so many people expect so much of you. Suddenly I felt like being somewhat below the radar in the blogging world is a good thing for me. I am already overwhelmed at my list of favorites and will pare it down every so often, just to end up reacquiring many of the blogs I tried to give up, and sometimes adding even more of them. I would hate to feel like I was only blogging for my readers, and I would hate even more to feel like it wasn't worth blogging if I had only one reader or if no one ever commented.
I will admit that it is sometimes motivating to me to sit down and write a blog post because I have gone several days without doing so, and there is that possibility that someone might be hoping for a post. It is also true that comments can be a great ego boost...I can see why some people get addicted to having a lot of comments. Generally, however, I am blogging for me. This also includes reading blogs. I read what I enjoy reading, and I try not to feel pressured to read blogs that are not my thing. There are certainly hundreds of great bloggers out there that I would probably connect with, but my family needs me and I don't have time for hundreds of blogs. So, while I read what I enjoy, I also limit the number of blogs on my list.
I blog because it makes me happy to do so. Its the best journal keeping I have ever done, and as far as posterity goes I think it shows a better view of the real me than my stale journal entries from my younger days. I hope that I can find joy in blogging for a long time to come.
So what keeps you blogging? Is it for the joy of it? Is it to please your fan club? To network with other people? To examine yourself? Or some combination of any of these reasons? Do you blog for your own unique reasons? I would love to hear about it, but don't worry, I am not going to quit if I don't get any comments on this post!
When I started out blogging, I did it just for the fun of it. Writing has always been a great outlet for me, and I hadn't had any way to really express myself for a while. Blogging seemed like a perfect solution. Of course I had a couple of friends who were bloggers and I started out reading their blogs. Reading blogs led to following links to other blogs, and a monster of sorts was born. I suddenly found myself with a long list of favorites and every day seemed to bring more and more of them for me to read.
I had made a personal goal to write in my blog three times a week at least. It wasn't a goal for anyone but myself, since I didn't really have many readers at the beginning of my blogging career. At some point I noticed that other bloggers who hadn't been around much longer than I had were getting tons more comments. For a while I had the whole wishful thinking for 20 comments a day...heck, even getting ten comments when it happens can be a heady rush. All of a sudden I felt this pressure to write material that would be more for my readers than for me. I lost sight of why I started blogging in the first place. A couple of times I even contemplated quitting the whole thing.
I have noticed that burnout is common among bloggers. Many of the blogs I read have gone through times when the blogger was sorely tempted to quit and leave the whole thing behind. At other times people just have other things on their mind and don't have the time, the energy, or the emotional capacity to pour everything they have into blogging.
Sometimes blog readers are less than supportive when people experience a drop in their blog writing, and even worse, some bloggers only appear to be there for reciprocal purposes. They get upset if people whose blogs they read don't come and read their blog in return. I had a recent conversation with a blogger about that very thing, and how overwhelming it can feel to have so many people expect so much of you. Suddenly I felt like being somewhat below the radar in the blogging world is a good thing for me. I am already overwhelmed at my list of favorites and will pare it down every so often, just to end up reacquiring many of the blogs I tried to give up, and sometimes adding even more of them. I would hate to feel like I was only blogging for my readers, and I would hate even more to feel like it wasn't worth blogging if I had only one reader or if no one ever commented.
I will admit that it is sometimes motivating to me to sit down and write a blog post because I have gone several days without doing so, and there is that possibility that someone might be hoping for a post. It is also true that comments can be a great ego boost...I can see why some people get addicted to having a lot of comments. Generally, however, I am blogging for me. This also includes reading blogs. I read what I enjoy reading, and I try not to feel pressured to read blogs that are not my thing. There are certainly hundreds of great bloggers out there that I would probably connect with, but my family needs me and I don't have time for hundreds of blogs. So, while I read what I enjoy, I also limit the number of blogs on my list.
I blog because it makes me happy to do so. Its the best journal keeping I have ever done, and as far as posterity goes I think it shows a better view of the real me than my stale journal entries from my younger days. I hope that I can find joy in blogging for a long time to come.
So what keeps you blogging? Is it for the joy of it? Is it to please your fan club? To network with other people? To examine yourself? Or some combination of any of these reasons? Do you blog for your own unique reasons? I would love to hear about it, but don't worry, I am not going to quit if I don't get any comments on this post!
Monday, October 08, 2007
HAPPY COLUMBUS DAY!!!
What? You didn't know that it was Columbus Day on October the 8th? You didn't CELEBRATE?!?!
Okay...I didn't celebrate either, but I remembered! And I wished people Happy Columbus Day! Isn't that enough?
Okay...I didn't celebrate either, but I remembered! And I wished people Happy Columbus Day! Isn't that enough?
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