Monday, September 30

Weekend, September 29

Weekend Happenings.


                                  




                                   


                                            

                                              







                                                


                                               


                                                    



                                                  


   

                                            


I'm a huge fan of a relaxed weekend.  Although we had a lot going on, we definitely made some quiet, family time for relaxation.  This weekend began with my nephew, Noah's, 1st birthday party.  My sister is a huge fan of parties, and Noah's 1st was no exception.  I think 100 people joined for an organized soccer lesson for kids, pinata smacking, park playing, pizza and cake eating fun.  Molly loved this party!  I was in charge of cookies, and resorted to the ever-popular family favorite recipe for buttermilk sugar cookies.  Delicious as always.

I love to cook, and I try to make delicious food that is also healthy.  I've found some tricks to even fool my beef/meat loving husband.  Molly and I mixed up some honey whole wheat pizza dough before mass, and after, we came home to make some pizza.  I used low-fat chicken sausage and turkey pepperoni, as well as some banana/italian sweet peppers from our garden with some fresh tomato sauce and part-skim mozzarella cheese to create a delicious, yet healthy pizza.  It was a hit from all angles!

My husband's family owns and operates a dairy farm, so they have created some great relationships with local farmers through land leasing and just plain neighboring (although "neighbor" is a term I use loosely- their closest neighbor is about 1 mile from their farm).  We were thrilled to pick apples in a neighbor's orchard this weekend.  Molly is an apple fan, so this was quite an experience for her!  She took a bite of every apple she could get her hands on, and loved tasting the many varieties of apples. We picked about a bushel of different apple varieties, all for the fee of a quick visit (and I did offer some of our home-grown squash in trade).  We even had access to an old-fashioned apple picker, making this a really fun experience!

On our ride home, past an area that usually doesn't grab my attention, I made Jesse pull over to enjoy the view.  I don't think I take time to thank God for this land, this beautiful part of the country we get to enjoy.  We had a perfectly clear day.  It was the first glimpse of changing leaves, just a week after the first day of Fall.  We spent some time here showing Molly the sights and catching grasshoppers ;)  I am constantly reminding myself to slow down and enjoy this.  This child, my family, the changing season, the beauty of this land.  It's really a beautiful gift from God, and I want to appreciate it. I want to teach Molly to appreciate it.  I need to slow down.  



6 comments:

  1. looks like such a fun weekend! nothing says "autumn" more than a barrel of apples :) i need to start checking some things off my fall bucket list. also, the pictures of your little are so precious!

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    1. Thank you, thank you! We're always looking for "fun" places to go, but sometimes it the close-to-home adventures that mean the most :)

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  2. What a wonderful weekend! I have a meat eating hubby too! That pizza sounds delicious!

    Found ya via Annapolis' link up. Nice to meet ya!

    .:Marta:.

    petiteraisin.ca

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    1. Thanks, Marta!
      Sometimes, I make a completely fulfilling vegetarian side for dinner, and serve only him a portion of meat- my daughter and I could easily be meatless ;)

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  3. Ive been dying to take Mila apple picking! Looks like you had a great time. Love your photos.

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    1. It was such a great toddler activity, I definitely recommend it! We've got some apples to enjoy (and clean/bake/cook) together. I really appreciate your comment, because I'm in the process of pleading for a DSLR- I'll use your comment for my argument!

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