Summerhill

hello again!

2010-03-27T08:16:00.000-07:00

Well hello family and friends!

This blog has been on hiatus for a while now, but now I hope to be posting a little more regularly...sharing our adventures with 3 kiddos, fun recipes and craft ideas, cool pictures, and whatever else strikes my fancy!

Just a short little post for now, but I also wanted to give a plug for Garvan Woodland Gardens near Hot Springs...the source of these gorgeous pictures I just added to the blog. We visited with Nana and cousins, Bailey & Shelby, this last week. The camellias are still out (my fav-or-ite!). The tulips and daffodils are gorgeous! The Evans Children's Garden is just perfect for a little adventure for the older kids. It was a little big for Little T and Big L. Hope you can make it out for a visit.

A New Favorite Muffin

2009-01-30T08:42:00.000-08:00

I make a lot of muffins around here. They are quick and easy and they boys love them. Particularly anything with chocolate chips in them. They are a nice change from our usual oatmeal or eggos.
I was a little over zealous in purchasing canned pumpkin during the holidays and was searching for a way to use it up. I came across the original recipe on allrecipes.com and tweaked it a little according to our tastes and the reviews. They were really yummy and not too bad for you. Enjoy.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
adapted from allrecipes (http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pumpkin-Chocolate-Chip-Muffins/Detail.aspx)

3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 and spray 12 muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray.
Mix sugar, oil, and eggs. Add pumpkin and water. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices, and salt. Add wet ingredients and stir in chocolate chips.
Divide evenly into muffin cups (about 2/3 full). Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
Let cool in pan for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack.

Some Random Pictures from January

2009-01-30T08:32:00.000-08:00

Grandmom and Granddad gave the boys this artist's easel for Christmas. They love to scribble on the chalkboard. Ty has only tried to draw on the wall once...so far!
Landon's recent quirk is smelling everything. I caught him sniffing my boot. If something smells floral or sweet, he says "it smells like a strawberry." I don't think he made that comment about my boot.
Ty and his favorite book. He loves the Polar Bear, Brown Bear, and Panda Bear books from Eric Carle.
Ty sneaking a lick of icing at Grandmom's house. Landon would always be a little sneaky about getting licks or he would ask. Not Ty...he just goes for it.

An Outside Day

2009-01-30T08:26:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, we had one of those 65 degree January days. A perfect opportunity to let the boys outside to play. They raced dump trucks and drug out every ball we have.
When they play outside, it's really easy to see their personality differences. Landon is plays hard, but is cautious and doesn't like to get dirty. Ty just goes for it...crawling in the grass, muddy pants, dirty face.
Our future soccer star. If you ask Landon what sport he wants to play, the answer is soccer. If you ask him why, he just says "I love it".
Ty's favorite game is to throw or hit any ball down the driveway (which is a pretty good hill) and run to get it. He'll do it over and over again.
What does Mommy do? Kick back, watch, and enjoy...wishing I had that much energy!

Beary Good Snack

2009-01-30T08:13:00.000-08:00

Here are the pictures of the "bear" tuiles that I attempted to make. They're a little abstract and could be interpreted as a turtle too :) A nicer way to say that I'm not much of a pastry artist.
The boys are much more into bears so that's what they were!

January Daring Bakers Challenge: Tuiles

2009-01-30T07:15:00.000-08:00

Oops...I'm just a tad late on posting this challenge. Due to last minute change of plans, I didn't get to finish my tuiles until this morning.

This month's challenge is brought to us by Karen of Bake My Day and Zorra of 1x umruehren bitte aka Kochtopf. They have chosen Tuiles from The Chocolate Book by Angélique Schmeink and Nougatine and Chocolate Tuiles from Michel Roux.

I chose to make the plain Tuiles from Angelique's recipe. I did make the batter a day ahead of time and it worked just fine. The cookies tasted great...just like a fresh fortune cookie (which would be a fun idea to do in the future with this recipe). I made a couple of simple bowls by forming them over the bottom of a muffin tin. I also played around and made a couple of snakes and bears for the boys (I'll post these a little later after snack time). I can see this simple cookie being a future favorite for baking with the boys. There are a lot of creative options you can explore.

We were also asked to accompany our tuiles with something light and fruity. I found a recipe for Simple Strawberry Mousse from Cooking Light (see below for link) and actually had all of the ingredients on hand. I did use frozen sliced strawberries in place of fresh. This time of year a much better option the the "fresh" ones available at our stores. The recipe calls for freezing the mousse. I was in a bit of a hurry, so I just scooped some of the soft mousse in the cup for the picture, but froze the rest. It does taste pretty yummy. A little taste of spring on this wintry Arkansas day.

Link for Strawberry Mousse: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=223590

Opening Gifts...

2008-12-30T15:05:00.000-08:00

Landon helped pick out the goodies in Ty's stocking. It was a little hard to get him to understand the "giving is better than receiving" concept this year, but he did enjoy seeing that Ty liked his gifts.

Ty had to help Landon out too.

Landon has this gift unwrapping thing down.

Finally, Christmas at our house

2008-12-30T14:59:00.000-08:00

We had decided that we would wait to open gifts with the boys at home on the Saturday following Christmas. We had a wonderful day just enjoying each other. It started with cinnamon rolls (see below for link to recipe...they are yummy) and fruit salad.
What's funny is that Ty eats his fruit first...
and Landon goes for the cinnamon roll.
After breakfast, Eric went through the "What God Wants for Christmas" book with the boys. Landon found the boxes, Ty opened them and Landon placed the figures. Mostly Ty just wandered around, but I think Landon is really learning the story of Christ's birth.

Cinnamon rolls...I made them the night before and took them out of the fridge about 30 minutes before baking them. I used King Arthur's Baker's Cinnamon Filling, but otherwise followed the recipe.
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cinnamon-Rolls-II/Detail.aspx

Easy Dinner...soup and bread.

2008-12-30T14:49:00.000-08:00

Here's an easy, quick, and super yummy dinner for you. Most of these ingredients I keep in the pantry. If you want to make a heartier soup, you could add chopped cooked chicken or turkey. I adapted these recipes from originals on allrecipes.com

Black Bean and Salsa Soup

2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup salsa (spiciness of your choice)
1 can vegetable broth
1 teaspoon cumin
1 cup frozen or canned corn corn
Shredded cheese
Sour Cream

If desired, set aside 1/2 cup of beans.
Place remaining beans, salsa, broth and cumin in a food processor or blender and puree til smooth.
Pour the puree into a saucepan, add reserved beans and corn. Heat through.
Serve with shredded cheese and sour cream.

Whole Wheat Beer Muffins

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 (12oz.) bottle or can of beer (use a light lager or cider beer)
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 350.
Lightly spray a 12-muffin pan.
Combine flours, sugar, and baking powder. Stir in beer and cheese. Batter will be lumpy. Divide evenly between muffin cups and drizzle about 1/2 teaspoon butter over each muffin.
Bake for about 18 to 21 minutes. Let cool for about 5 minutes and remove to a wire rack to cool.

Christmas Lunch with the Comer's

2008-12-30T14:39:00.000-08:00

At Granny Dorothy and Papa Jess's house, we usually enjoy a traditional Christmas dinner with all the fixin's...turkey, ham, potatoes, green beans, and lots of pies. Don't let me leave out Aunt Karen's rolls. Back in my younger days, I could eat a plate full! Well, I still could, but I'm maybe a little wiser now.
Ty's "one finger touch".
Landon says thanks for the cool block set and Ty loves his pj's and dump truck!
Papa Jess had just gotten out the hospital the day before from having a stent put in. You can't keep him still for very long!

Christmas Morning at Mom and Lee's

2008-12-30T14:31:00.000-08:00

For as long as I can remember, we've had monkey bread on Christmas morning. At least I think so...I guess that's where the remembering part comes in! Heath, Whitney, and Cedric came over. Anthony was there, but Bailey and Shelby were with their mom this year.
Christmas pj's. Too cute.
This was Landon's favorite gift...he loves race cars and says he wants to drive one someday. His loot also included a Radio Flyer scooter, some pj's, books, and other fun goodies. Bob the Builder underwear were another big hit.
Ty received a really cool eco-friendly jeep push toy. He wanders around the house with it all the time. He also came home with lots of other neat toys and books. Another favorite is a John Deere tractor and trailer.
Thanks Nana and Papa!

Christmas Eve with the Giffin's

2008-12-30T14:23:00.000-08:00

After a nap for the boys at Nana's, we were off to Stop 2, my Granny Gertrude's house. There's not many of us left on my real dad's side. It is always good to see Uncle Gary, Aunt Sharon, Kody, Kentrina, and Chris. Granny Gertrude was especially excited about Anthony being back from Iraq.

My Granny Gertrude.
All of us. Thanks, Eric, for taking this picture. It's a special one for me.

Christmas Eve with Papa Jim, Granny Faye, and the family

2008-12-30T14:17:00.000-08:00

Our first stop on the whirlwind Christmas tour was the the Clifty Firestation...it actually serves as more of a community center. We enjoyed lunch and catching up with all of my mom's side of the family. It's quite a crowd...lots of cousins. The boys enjoyed the attention from their older second cousins.
All of the kids draw names and exchange gifts.
Ty was really enjoying the treats being snuck to him by a certain Papa.
My Papa Jim and Granny Faye. Love ya!

Sorry, no Daring Bakers Challenge for me this month.

2008-12-30T13:59:00.000-08:00

Due to the craziness of sick kids, holiday travelling, and the general madness of December, I'll not be trying the French Yule Log this month. It does look yummy, and since it's a frozen dessert...I may have to make it a July French Yule Log.
Til next month...

The Parade of Christmas Goodies begins here...

2008-12-10T14:37:00.000-08:00

There's still a couple of weeks til Christmas, but it's time for me to start making some yummy treats for our coworkers and friends.

There's a big goodie making extravaganza day planned for next week, but I needed to make a couple of treats for work tomorrow. I won't be back to my home store before Christmas, so here we go.

These are a favorite at my Grandma Faye's dinner. My Aunt Stevie usually brings them and I have to stay far far away!

Horney Toads (aka Cornflake Cookies)
from "Recipe Hall of Fame Quick & Easy Cookbook"

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
pinch of salt
1 cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy)
3 to 4 cups cornflakes (I used 4 cups)

Blend sugars, syrup, and salt in a saucepan. Let come to a boil. Reduce heat to warm and add peanut butter, stirring til smooth. Blend in cornflakes and drip by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper.

More Christmas pictures. Part 3. Finished.

2008-12-10T14:29:00.000-08:00

Yeah, I was a glutton for punishment. I just couldn't put the camera down. It's a good thing though...I would have missed these.

Okay...this one is for my mom who has never seen the Christmas tree at our house. Here ya go, Mom.

Christmas Pictures continued...Part 2 Brotherly Love

2008-12-10T14:25:00.000-08:00

After a short little break, I decided to try for both boys. More of a challenge, but I was up for it. I offered up a short prayer for patience and a minor miracle to get both boys looking at the camera. Then the fun began.
Again, you see, it started off pretty well. Aahh, aren't they cute!
They do love each other.
Okay, mama...times up! This looks more like normal.

The saga of the Christmas pictures Part 1

2008-12-10T14:17:00.000-08:00

Well, it was a lovely Saturday morning and I decided we would take some pictures for Christmas cards. It started well. Ty was pretty cooperative...then not so much.
To be continued...

November Daring Bakers...Caramel Cake

2008-11-29T19:07:00.000-08:00

This is my first month participating in the Daring Bakers Challenge. I wanted to expand my baking horizons a little bit, and thought this would be a fun way to do that.
My first challenge was this fantastic caramel cake. It is very sweet and very rich...perfect for sharing with the family on Thanksgiving. I actually had a pretty easy time of it, although this was only my second time at making caramel. The frosting is dee-licious and will be put on top of some chocolate cupcakes really soon!
For the recipe, check out the source of our November challenge... Shuna Fish Lydon at eggbeater.typepad.com
This is her signature caramel cake recipe. The recipe can be found at
http://blogs.kqed.org/bayareabites/200612/24/caramel-cake-the-recipe/
The host for this challenge was Dolores of culinarycuriosity.blogspot.com and the cohosts were Alex of blondieandbrownie.blogspot.com , Jenny of forayintofood.blogspot.com , and Natalie of glutenagogo.blogspot.com

Brown Sugar Chewies...a family favorite

2008-11-19T15:57:00.000-08:00

These are one of our families favorite cookies. One of the few that Eric actually requests. Chewy, yummy, goodness. Bonus...they don't require a mixer, so you can make them with sleeping babies in the house. Hope you enjoy them.

Brown Sugar Chewies
from Paula Deen & Friends cookbook
**I usually double the recipe for a 9 x 13 inch pan

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup chopped pecans (we don't use these, so I'd say they're optional)
confectioner's sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 350. Spray an 8-inch square pan with vegetable oil cooking spray.
In a saucepan, melt the butter. Turn off the heat, add the brown sugar, and stir until smooth. Stir in the egg. Sift together the flour and baking powder and stir into the brown sugar mixture. Add the vanilla and pecans.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes.
When cool, dust the top with confectioner's sugar. After cutting into squares, remove from the pan and store in a plastic container with a tight-fitting lid.

Growth

2008-11-19T12:18:00.000-08:00

God wants all of his children to grow...to change...to become more like His Son. I have felt stagnant for a while. Like I was just floating along. Happy not to have any "major" trials. Content to be where I was, though that contentedness was not a good kind.
However, after starting the Respectable Sins study I began to really feel the Holy Spirit poking me in my conscience. Saying "No, no...we have not arrived...we need to keep moving forward."
I can say that in these last couple of weeks, God is moving me forward. I have been so convicted of the "little" sins in my life...unthankfulness, impatience, irritability...and the list goes on and on. But the good news is that our God is faithful...after pointing these things out, he has helped me to address them and I feel that I am again moving forward. I have had a blessed time these last couple of weeks with my boys. Less anger, more patience, more love.
I know that I will never "arrive" this side of heaven, but I pray that God will keep pushing me forward.

Homemade Applesauce

2008-11-11T12:31:00.000-08:00

The smell of apples roasting in the oven has to be one of my favorites. I'm not even a huge fan of cooked apples, though I will eat them. It's like coffee...smells much better than it tastes to me (no offense you coffee lovers out there). However, the boys love applesauce in any form and Landon's preschool curriculum was covering all things autumn and today was to be spent on apples. So, we decided to make some homemade applesauce. I found a recipe, well really a method, for roasted applesauce online and it sounded like a good idea to me...for taste and nutrition (no boiling or nuking those nutrients away). It was so easy and is so good with a little caramelly note to it from the roasting and some brown sugar. I'm a homemade applesauce convert, although I'll still have to buy that blueberry kind.

Landon had a blast. I let him dump the ingredients and then mash the apples up. I had to steal his spoon away or he would have eaten half the bowl.

The finished product. Delicious. Would even be good warm with ice cream. The proportions listed below really don't make a lot, so you may want to double or even triple the amounts. I tweaked the spices and stuff enough to make it my own...feel free to play. Enjoy!

Roasted Applesauce
4 large apples (peeled, cored, and chopped)
1/4 cup apple juice
1 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tea vanilla
3/4 tea cinnamon
1/8 tea nutmeg (fresh ground if you've got it)

Preheat oven to 400.
Toss everything together and place in a 9 x 13 inch pan (for this single recipe...you could use two or a large rimmed baking sheet for larger batches).
Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 50 minutes or until apples are very soft and starting to brown. (It will vary depending on the type of apples you use. I left them in 50 minutes for a mix of honeycrisp and golden delicious).
Mash apples.

Two Boys and Their Dog

2008-10-17T14:34:00.000-07:00

Oh the adventure we are sure to have with these boys and our dog, Shiloh.

Two Little Pumpkins

2008-10-17T14:04:00.000-07:00

After reading The Pioneer Woman's entry on roasting your own pumpkins, I was intrigued. She made it look easy and it sounded like a good activity for a crisp fall day. Today was the day. I had the pumpkins, so I went to work.
After realizing that I would need my biggest knife and a mallet, I headed outside to take my pumpkins apart. The boys were asleep and banging with mallet inside just didn't sound like a good idea!
I cut off the top and quartered my "pie" pumpkins and cleaned out the goo. That's the fun part...there's just something satisfying about playing in pumpkin guts! I saved all the seeds to roast later (a nice benefit to roasting your own pumpkin).
After baking them at 350 for 50 minutes, I let them cool for a while, peeled off the skin, and gave them a whir in the food processor a few chunks at a time. Some I will set aside for pumpkin waffles for this weekend and pumpkin granola. The rest I plan on freezing in one-cup portions for later cravings.
Was it worth it? Well, I've not actually eaten any yet, so I'll have to wait and see. Otherwise, it wasn't difficult, but it did take a little time and a little bit of a bicep workout. Altogether, it was a fun afternoon project. I'm sure I'll enjoy the pumpkin waffles even more!
If you'd like see the original post and the nuances to making your own pumpkin puree, as well as how to roast those seeds, visit
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/10/make-your-own-pumpkin-puree/

2008-10-07T18:26:00.000-07:00

As I was driving home from work yesterday, I heard the new Casting Crowns song, Slow Fade. I am always so convicted of the little sins that I let slip by each day when I hear that song. Especially the line about the little feet following behind. This song especially speaks to my heart as I'm being doubly convicted by the Respectable Sins (Jerry Bridges) bible study at church.
God is really bringing to light the "little" (in my eyes, not God's) sins that plague my daily life...anger, impatience, discontent, laziness...just to name a few. I know the little feet that follow me every day are watching and learning. Please pray the I will teach them how to glorify God in that walk. That I will not just have moral children, but children that personally know our God.

boys in pajamas

2008-10-03T12:48:00.001-07:00

I absolutely love to see little boys in pajamas. Especially when they are all mine! I couldn't get the picture to cooperate and turn for me :(

lollipops...

2008-10-01T12:08:00.000-07:00

Okay...since the big trip to "Ty's building" for the haircut, a certain little 3 year old boy has been obsessed with the lollipops. When asked what he wanted for lunch...answer: lollipop. When told to do a task..."then can I have a lollipop?"

But what takes the cake is the following quote, which has been said off and on for the last two days.

Landon (in a very concerned voice)"

"Mama, Ty's hair is looking kind of big. I think we need to go get it cut."

Here is one of those moments that make you say aaah. Ty crawled up into Landon's "lap". Landon was so happy to love on his brother.

Landon says the darndest things...

2008-09-29T12:24:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd share some funnies that Landon has had over the last few days...

Funny #1
Me (commenting on the behavior of my camera): "This camera is acting the fool!"
Landon (quite seriously): "No, mama, camera's aren't fools. Little boys are fools!"

Funny #2
After explaining that I would be running errands this morning and he would be going over to grandmom's house, Landon proceeded to whine that he wanted to come too.
Me: "Landon, I need to go really fast to the stores so you need to stay with Grandmom."
Landon (worried): "But what about the police cars?"
Me: "Well, I won't be going fast on the road...just in the stores."
Landon (still worried): "There won't be any police cars?"
Me: "Not in the stores, I hope."

Funny #3
Me: "We are going to take Ty to get his haircut this morning."
Landon: "When we get to Ty's building (translation--the beauty salon), can I ask the lady for a lollipop?"

Also, Ty is actually trying to walk on his own. I really don't know whether to be excited about that or not...to chase or to carry. Hmmm, I think chase might be the winner. Pray for him, that in his newfound freedom he may be more willing to stay in nursery at church. I have started the Shepherding a Child's Heart equipping hour study and would really like to attend as many sessions as possible. Thank God for Eric's willingness to stay with him when he can.

Please be in prayer for my brother, Anthony. He is currently on a mission off base in Iraq and we haven't heard from him in several days.

2008-09-23T10:45:00.001-07:00

It was playdate at the Summerhill house today! So glad that we could get together and have a little fun and fellowship! Thanks Michelle, Jen, and Sylvia for coming over with the kids. Landon is always so sad when everyone has to leave :(
Here's a new recipe I tried out on the ladies...Caramel Snack Mix.
Here's a link to the original recipe. I mixed it up a bit with oatmeal squares, pretzels, mixed nuts, and a little salt at the end. Enjoy.
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Caramel-Snack-Mix/Detail.aspx

2008-09-22T12:12:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics from our vacation to Big Cedar Lodge/Branson a couple of weeks ago. We had a great time with the boys. It was so fun to share one of my favorite places from childhood (and now) with them. Lord willing, we'll continue to go back as the years go by.

This is a picture of Landon at the Silver Dollar City jail...he was a little afraid of the mannequin inside.

Ty says "Hey, I know you!" He loves the camera.

Landon was so excited to see and ride the train. This was Saturday afternoon. We didn't get to ride the train 'til Sunday.

Landon was a little fearful of the trainrobbers. But he did say "No Sir" when they asked him if he had any money.

Ty was even able to ride a couple of the small rides. This one was a little bouncy. Eric had to hold his head for support. Ty wasn't too sure what to think about the frogs. The funnies thing was the lady operator who kept saying "ribbi

My parents, Nana & Papa, were able to come up to Big Cedar for the afternoon on Sunday and bring Bailey & Shelby. Ty was snoozing, but the other kids went for a dip in the pool. The pool was so nice...heated with a beach style area for the kids. They loved it.

The landscaping was absolutely beautiful all around Big Cedar. I loved watching the fat bumblebees and butterflies.

Some fun with the cousins at the playground...

Well, I've run out of time for now...to be continued!

Welcome!

2008-09-21T17:08:00.000-07:00

Hello friends and family!
I'm new to this blogging thing and am kind of figuring it out as I go. I'm not particularly good at creative writing or using fancy graphics, but hope to keep a few of you posted on how life is going in the Summerhill household. Selfishly, I'm wanting to keep better track of journaling with my pictures and do a better job of sharing my boys with their grandparents!
I plan to post lots of pictures and stories of my little guys, Landon and Ty, and our great adventures. I love to cook and try all kinds of crafty things. I'll try to post yummy things that I make...although I don't know if there will be those cool, artsy food photos that are on other blogs :0)
Please share your responses...I'd love to hear from you!