Pumpkin Cookies w/Walnut Glaze

Today was a cookie kinda day!

Here is my first pumpkin dessert for the season. With the exception of pumpkin pie(don't like at all), I love pumpkin desserts.  Mark has been away for work and is coming home today, YAY! One of his favorite desserts is cookies. So because I am so happy he is coming home today, I made him a batch of my pumpkin cookies.

The Ingredients:
2 sticks of butter
1/2c sugar
1/2 packed brown sugar
1c pumpkin
2c flour
1 egg
1t vanilla
1t baking soda
1t baking powder

21/2t cinnamon

pinch salt

pinch nutmeg

pinch ground cloves

For the Walnut Glaze:

4T butter

1/4c packed brown sugar

1/4c milk

2c powder sugar

1/2c walnuts

In a large bowl, mix butter and sugar until well combined and a little fluffy

The add the pumpkin, eggs and vanilla and mix until well blended

In a separate bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder

cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt

Mix a little at a time into the pumpkin and combine until well mixed.

Make sure to stop a couple of times to scrape the sides of the bowl

Drop by tablespoon fulls onto an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 12-15 minutes @ 350.

Cookies should be light and fluffy. Put the warm cookies on a

cooling rack until completely cooled.

NOW THE GLAZE

In a sauce pan melt butter and sugar until it gets bubbly while stirring constantly.

Mix in milk then sugar 1/2c at a time stir until completely incorporated.

Add walnuts and reduce heat to the lowest simmer. Using a small spoon or knife,

spread on cookies. Must work quickly cause the glaze will solidify. If it does turn up the heat a little and it will smooth out again.

MJ Picking out his Cookie

This is what they look like once you glaze them. The

glaze is supposed to harden.

These are delicious Mama!

These came out really tasty and was easy to make

Give them a try!

Halloween Finger Puppets!

I Love Halloween!

I enjoy it even more since I have my little Monkey. I was Googling Halloween Crafts the other day and came across the finger puppets. Easy enough for MJ and I to do. So we did em. Was fun and super easy. Now I know you can buy the precut foam ones at Michaels, but where's the fun in that? I decided we are going to make them from scratch using felt.

All this took was some felt, fabric glue, stick on eyeballs and scissors

I made the templates on Word. It was super easy to do. I printed it out on card stock, regular paper would be too flimsy. After I made the templates I realized one of the sites I saw this on already had a printable template to use. That's what I get for getting too excited and not reading directions!

Then using a pen, I traced and cut out all the shapes. This is was the only time consuming part and it went pretty quick.

Then I glued all the pieces together. I used the same template for the cat and the bat.

Then you gotta let it all dry completely or it will come apart as I found out.



Mommies Little Helper!

                                                              MJ modeling our creations.

 



Dat's SPOOKY Mama!



PUNKINS!



That was fun Mama! Let's do more~Direct quote from MJ



He calls the bats spiderman?



Clowning Around @ the Circus

The Nickel Family Circus Adventure!

Last Saturday we made it home from Cali just in time to make it to the Ringling Bro/Barnum and Baily Cirus. We weren't sure if the Monkey would like it. You know how toddlers are. Today they love it tomorrow they don't. SO FICKLE! Well fortunately for us he loved it! He had such a great time. It all started with the pre show an hour before the circus stated.

During the preshow all the acts came out and gave us a preview of what was ahead. The best part is it was all interactive so we didn't have to tell MJ to sit still, Bonus!

Teaching the kids how to do tricks with the Chinese Yoyo.  



Limbo!





 Then the elephants came out. At first MJ was a little startled since he has never seen one up close. They are kinda on the big side. Then he warmed up to the idea of seeing an elephant this close and then got really excited.


Ready to start dancing!


Mark Kept starting and stopping the video accidently!

  

Sorry, Don't know how to rotate. Just tilt your head to the left.

More Elephants Pictures!

And you think your ass is big?!?

Hit the lights the show is about to start.

MJ ran into his pal Tucker during the intermission

POPCORN! 

 I really need to get a better camera. Mine is not made for action shots. They all come out blurry.

 I can't get MJ potty trained, but these people can get elephants to do this? Where's the justice? 



I remember when tight rope walkers did their act high up in the air.
The insurance must not cover that anymore.



Still trying to get over my fear of clowns! CREEPY!

This was a great way to end our week. Another great family memory for us.

Rice Pilaf w/Orzo

So you like rice pilaf and you think the only way to have some is to go to the super market and buy Rice-A-Roni Pilaf? Well you're wrong. It's very easy to make, takes no time at all and most of the stuff you need is probably already in your pantry.

Ingredients:                                                                    
3T Butter
1T Olive Oil
3/4c Orzo
11/2c Rice
4c Chicken Stock
1 Scallions
1c Peas
1 handful Toasted Almonds or Pine nuts

Directions:
On medium heat melt butter and olive oil in a medium sauce pan.
Add orzo and toast until golden brown. If you don't have orzo you can also use angel hair or thin spaghetti noodles. Works just as good.

butter, olive oil and orzo pasta

Once the orzo is golden brown stir in rice and let cook for about a minute. You don't want to brown the rice. Then add chicken stock and scallions, turn up the heat and let come to a boil. Lower heat to simmer and let simmer for about 20 minutes.

Once the rice is cooked, take off heat, let sit covered for about 5 minutes. Stir in frozen peas and toasted nuts. You can use either almonds or pine nuts whatever you wish. I prefer pine nuts. Do not over stir. This will break down the rice and make it gummy. And serve!

We had the rice with beef sirloin tips with a burgundy sauce.

It was pretty tasty!

Family Vacation Carmel Beach/Monterey Bay Aquarium

One of my favorite places in the whole entire world is just a few hours drive away. You guessed it Carmel, CA. We have been trying to make our way there all summer, but have not been able to til now. This is our last vacation for the year. With the Holiday Season soon approaching Mark will be spending even more time at work. This was a nice little break from the reality of recent events. We took a few days to enjoy the simple pleasures of the beach and each others company before we made the difficult trip back home to bury my Mom.

The Beach totally ruined my pedi, but worth every moment.

Carmel Beach

This was the view we woke up to every day. NICE! It truly is spectacular. The weather was a perfect 75 degrees and the air was filled with the crispness of the ocean breeze.

Early Morning



                      Papa/MJ enjoying the morning tide.


Dancing on the Beach




While I was sitting on the beach enjoying the morning. Mark and MJ thought it would be the perfect time for a Father and Son Dance. MJ just loves to dance, apparently so does his dad. This moment was unforgettable and made my whole vacation.

My little Monkey goofing around!

While The Big Guy and Monkey were enjoying dancing and playing in the water, what was I doing, NOTHING! I sat back on the blanket each morning and watched my boys be boys. I had lots on my mind this vacation, but for the moment I could set the pain of my Mom being gone and enjoy this time with my family. FAMILY, what a beautiful word. Nothing like having one of your own. As I sat there with the tears  welling up, I knew how blessed I was. I would never have to go through the trials of life alone. I have my two men. Whatever life handed to me I would always have these two to help me get through it.  

ME! I was there too.



Along with the mornings at the beach and the great clam chowder, we also took MJ to The Monterey Bay Aquarium. This place is another one of those places that you need to go visit. Pretty amazing place. Mark and I have gone before, but this was the first time seeing it with MJ. We had a great time. Here are some pics of what we saw at the Aquarium.

Sea Horsies

                                                                           

                                                                                                                                                                      

This is a Sun Fish and yeah, it's as ugly as it looks!



Penguins of Nascar (Madagascar) as MJ would say.

BIG Sea Horsies



Some sort of pre-historic fish?

One of his fav things there was the waterfall. He screamed with delight every time!

This was the Wade Pool. All hands on and MJ loved that.



Star Fish!

Octopus!

THE END!