I'm on a [Pumpkin] roll..

Literally.

Since Monday night pie baking has proven not to be my forte' I have moved on to a pluthera of different baking projects. Pies are still invloved but they aren't my focus anymore. I was often dissapointed at how they turned out and frankly, I just need to feel good about my creative endeavors and not like a faliure so much.

Soooooo....

In the spirit of fall and Thanksgiving with the baking and non-stop eating that accompanies the holiday season- I went a little wild this past Monday.

It all started because cans of pumpkin are not appropraitely measured out. Either the recipe calls for a can and a half or half of a can- always leaving you with left over cans 'o pumpkin. So I started with one recipe and had left over pumpkin so I started another pumpkin project and had to open another can to have enough and so the cycle continued. After making 4 batches of pumpkin flavored goodies I still ended up with half of a 24 ounce can of pumpkin (not to mention my 3 whole pumpkins yet to be cleaned out and seeded).

Below are the things I made. They are all pretty good, if I do say so myself!

John's Veterans Day Punkin Pie

A pumpkin roll for the girls at the office

Pumpkin chocolate chip bread for me, I think:)

Pumpkin bars! (what I like to call: THE BOMB)

Running With the Wind

friend wrote this and sent this to me. I would like to share it with you. Sometimes the wind is against you and it makes life at that time more of a struggle, but the same wind that is against you can shift and come along with you to move you through at an easy pace. The same with emotions…they can come like a stiff wind and it is all you can do to keep running. Those same emotions can then at other times come behind you to make the run an easy journey. The wind is there to strengthen us, it challenges our breathing, our strategy, our very thinking process. If we didn’t run against the wind, we would never strengthen the core muscles of our survival…our lungs. Without breath we would die, without wind we would grow weak, and without running we would stop moving. We need to move, and we need the wind to help us to persist. There comes those times when our emotions that once were so difficult, become our strength. Those emotions come from challenges, frustrations and pain, but in the end build heart, depth and stability. We can run with the wind if we are willing to run against it at ti

Continuum

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: 2 a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, 3 a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, 4 a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, 5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, 6 a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, 7 a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, 8 a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. 9 What does the worker gain from his toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on men. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. 13 That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil-- this is the gift of God. 14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him. ~ Ecclesiastes 3

"The future is something which everyone reaches at the rate of sixty minutes an hour, whatever he does, whoever he is." ~C.S. Lewis

"The Longer you wait for your future, the shorter it will be."~ Loesje

Into the GrEy

I have recently found a new love...GRAY.

I think it's great...goes with about everything..and I think it is a misunderstood color....usually gloomy and dull rainclouds and gray hairs...I think it adds something out of the ordinary to whatever you are doing, wearing, decorating etc. I am currently trying to have more Gray in my life. Not more dull gloomy things but more of something that is out of the ordinary.

Also I prefer spelling it grEy..it's more sophisticated/European..but really, who am I to speak on sophistication!?

"Shades of grey wherever I go

The more I find out the less that I know

Black and white is how it should be

But shades of grey are the colors I see.”

pics:

http://missyaculpepper.wordpress.com/2008/11/06/into-the-gray-grey/

Fall Loves

These are a few of my favorite things...

Burt's Bees

lip hydration is a must:)

Dried Veggies

awesome snack .. :)

C.O. Bigelow Lavender ANYTHING

Slatkin and Co. Candles..they smell the best-

their winter scents are UH Mazing:)

Chi Tea

Boots and Scarves...LOVE LOVE LOVE...wish I had more of

each but Dave Ramsey says no for now.

This past weekend John and I were blessed enough to be submerged into nature for 36 hours. We spent time with family and friends and got to see the awesomeness of God's creation. I didn't even feel bad about not going to church on Sunday morning because I was still worshipping as I hiked. It was amazing especially since the season is on the verge of change. I love fall. It renewed my appreciation of God's creation and really just soothed me in so many ways. I really don't ever see how people could call everything we have here an accident or say it evolved. Nature is so intricate and stunningly beautiful. It's no accident! While I was born a city girl I find myself becoming more of a nature (not hick!) girl at heart. Everything about it calms me and gives me joy.

Here are some pics of where we were.

We camped at Starved Rock and hiked at Matthieson State Park and Ramsey Recreational Area

http://missyaculpepper.wordpress.com/2008/09/30/ahhh-nature/

Zing!

"If fake is the new trend

I guess everyone is in style"

Sheesh! I heard that today and was like, "Zinggg!" but agreed anyway