Chatter Boxes

My sister and I spent the day baking what we call "Grandma's recipes".  These treats are as much a part of our Christmas as carols, gifts, a lights on the tree.

We started this morning and are still going (just a few more loafs of pumpkin bread to go).  We even skyp'ed my mother in on the fun. 

The pictures are for my mom and grandma...the recipes are for everyone else.

Grandma bought all the women in the family matching aprons.

Popcorn Ball Production



Honey Cookie Production.  I promise Kelly didn't do all the work.



Peanut Brittle Production.  With coffee and a Diet Coke to sustain me.



Most of the Spoils

Great Great Grandma Weins' Honey Cookies

1 Quart of Honey
6 Eggs
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Ground Cloves
2 Tbls Baking Soda
1 1/2 tsp Cream of Tartar
1 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Butter
2 Quarts (more or less) Flour

Cream eggs, sugar, and butter.  Mix all dry ingredients.  Blend the two, and drop by spoonful and press with the floured end of a glass.  You can also roll the dough and use cookie cutters.  Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes.  Do not over bake.  When cool, frost or shake in a bag of powdered sugar.

Yields:  A ton!  After everyone snacked on a few we ended up with 7 dozen

Grandma Ratzloff's Microwave Peanut Brittle

1 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Light Corn Syrup
(Cook in Microwave for 4:20 on power level 7)
Add 1 Cup Salted Peanuts
(Cook in Microwave for 4:00 on power level 7)
Add 1 tsp Butter
Add 1 tsp Vanilla
(Cook in Microwave for 1:30 on power level 7)
Add 1 tsp Baking Soda
Stir quickly, but not too much.  Pour quickly onto a buttered pan.  Cool.  Break into desired pieces.

Mom's Pumpkin Bread

3 Cups Sugar
3 1/2 Cups Flour
2/3 Cup Water
1 Cup Oil
4 Eggs
2 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Salt
1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Nutmeg
1 Can Pumpkin

Mix sugar, eggs, oil, water, and pumpkin.  Mix all other dry ingredients.  Blend the two at low speed until blended.  Beat at high speed for 5 minutes.  Divide batter into two large greased and floured loaf pans.  Bake at 325 for 1 hour, increasing temp to 350 for an additional 15 minutes.  Can also be baked in 4 small loaf pans, but may need to adjust baking time.

Grandma Ratzloff's Popcorn Balls

Big Bowl of Popcorn
1 Cup Cream
2 Cups Sugar
1 Cup Karo Syrup
1/2 tsp Vinegar
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 Tbls Butter

Boil cream, sugar, syrup, and butter until a light brown color (about 5-8 minutes).  Grandma drips some into a glass of water.  If it forms a ball when dropped in the water...it's ready.  Mix in vinegar and soda.  Pour over popcorn and mix gently with a spoon.  Form popcorn into balls as soon as it is cool enough to handle.  It helps to add butter to your hands. 

Yields: Around 20 - the size of a large apple

We spent Thanksgiving this year in Oklahoma with John's parents.  As a special treat this time...my sister came with us.

They had flooding the day before we arrived.  The water had receded but the river was still high.  We spent a lot of time in wading boots.

Colin wanted his turn getting a piggy back ride.

John had the flu and spent a lot of time in bed but ventured out every now and then.  Here he's saving Sheena from being swept away by the river.

Four-wheeler rides.  Or as the boys call it riding the "four-leeler".  This, and riding with Grandpa in the tractor, is the highlight of their trip.

Did I mention the rain?  It left behind a lot of mud.  I didn't anticipate the need for Colin to have three outfits a day.  Besides, doesn't everyone have underwear hanging in the corner during Thanksgiving dinner?

 

With no tv, cellphones, or internet there's lots of time for card games...

 

and coloring with cousins (John's brother and family stopped by for dessert on Thanksgiving day).



Feast preparations

 

Pie with Grandpa



Coloring with Mommy

A cow picture for Becky (Kelly's friend who really likes cows.) :) 

Happy Thanksgiving!

We've spent a lot of time at the dentist in the last two years (see here).  We're lucky to have found one that the boys like.  It's just for kids.  They have Wii games in the waiting room, cartoons playing on the ceiling of each exam room, and gold tokens you can earn to spend on treasures when you're done. 

We were there today for 6-month check-ups.  All is well.  Both Seth and Colin are in the "zero cavity club".

Welcome to a new feature on this little ol' blog of mine.  You see, I'm in need of some help.  Our oldest is a thinker.  His mind is running all the time.  He asks questions all day every day.  Most of the time I can provide an answer (and a reminder that I've already answered that question three times today).  But then there are questions that I can't answer.  I can't even guess what kind of information he's looking for. 

I know how this happens.  He thinks about things silently and when his thought gets stuck, he then asks me.  The problem is that there isn't any context, like hearing only the punch line of a joke and not the joke itself.  I've tried to pry for more information but he gets frustrated by my inability to read his mind.  I want to help because often the questions seem meaningful.  So, I'm turning to you for help.  Feel free to answer in the comments.  We could stumble across the meaning of life here folks. 

Today's Question:  "Is it for all of it or just a couple?"

Fire away but don't ask me to clarify or provide more information.  I asked for it but Seth said, "Mommy, that's it, that's all I want to know."  Anybody?  Anybody?

Today is our wedding anniversary.  We didn't make any big plans since we celebrated early with a trip for two.  I did add a few fancy touches to our dinner tonight.  White table cloth (that now has two orange juice spills),  candlelight (we managed not to burn the house down), and clip-on ties for the boys. 



So fancy! 

Another Halloween is in the books.  We capitalized on the cowboy outfits the boys got for their birthday.  That's why these pictures will look so familiar.  John and I joined in the fun so we could stop at Chipotle for $2 burritos (they gave customers $2 burritos for costumes that were farm related). 

Waiting in line for our burritos.

 

Seth's first "BIG" burrito.  He ate the entire thing!

This is not his first BIG burrito

We trick-or-treated in Aunt Kelly's neighborhood since we don't really have one of our own.  She dressed up like a domino with the other teacher's at her school.

 

The farmer, his wife, and their little farmhands.

Last year we stuck to just a couple houses (one of them being grandparents).  This year we ventured out a bit and did an entire street in my sister's neighborhood.  The boys had a great time.  Colin was, as usual, very chatty.  He wanted to hang out and visit with each person that came to the door and then he'd leave with a hearty "buh-bye" as he walked away.  Seth tipped his hat, just like a proper cowboy, to two girls who came in the restuarant as we were leaving.  They giggled and Seth looked up at me, as proud as could be.  I think we might be in trouble in a few years if he keeps that up.

The Grandparents kept us quite busy during our visit.  Usually trips to Nashoba are very relaxing, slow-paced.  A wonderful retreat from our regular hustle and bustle.  But apparently the last weekend in September is filled with loads of activities in the Nashoba Valley.  Friday we spent the day at The Big Foot Festival (you heard me correctly).  We toured booths of local artists and I had my first iconic fair food - Deep Fried Oreos.  I can now say I've done it...and will likely not do it again.  After a quick nap at home, we headed "into town" for a pie auction at the school.  John get to see a few friends he grew up with and I got to meet more relatives.  Saturday night we went to the dirt track races and cheered for "the orange car" - which was Colin's favorite...not sure why.  Sunday afternoon we stayed after church for the all church pot-luck.  Normally I leave well-rested and refreshed after a weekend by the pond but this action-packed weekend left me feeling a little weary for the drive home.  It was all fun, just different than our normal lazy-days in Nashoba. 

John and I worked on the cabin, putting some finishing touches here and there. I cleaned out an upstairs bedroom that has been used for storage up to this point. I was proud of how it turned out. I didn't take a before picture but here's an after picture John took (ignore the baseball pillowcases sitting on the ledge...they came home with us). The cabin has always been comfortable and cozy but with two growing boys it's nice to have a bit more room for them to play and sleep (they camped out in the living room before).

Upstairs bedroom that would impress you more if you saw how it looked before.  The are a few holes to patch (where the hanging newspaper is now) but otherwise it's ready to go.



Grandpa...how do I work this thing?




He makes it appear as if he knows what he's doing.




John spent a lot of time untangling fishing line that the boys tangled up.  Ironically...this tangle was actually his own doing.



The spoils.  John caught a 4 lb bass.  The boys squealed with this one too.

Always a good time.

We trekked out last weekend for the annual Cider Fest in a nearby town.  It's a chance to eat cider donuts until we're sick.  I do believe this is the first time the boys have had donuts of any kind.  I know...we're mean parents. 

Heather joined us for the fun...just like old times. 


 



I think it was at this point that the sugar hit his bloodstream



And Colin's likely in a sugar coma here.



We took no less then 20 pictures to get this one family picture.



We had to walk past the "wastewater pond" to get back to our car.  It was very stinky.

As usual, most photo credit goes to someone else.  Thanks Heather for joining us and sharing your pictures.

It's the end of the baseball season here in KC.  The boys have enjoyed being able to go to a few games this season.  Here are a few pics from the summer.

An afternoon game with just Seth and Mommy

An evening game with Grandma and Grandpa

 

Homerun!  Colin likes going to the games but doesn't appreciate the loud cheering.  Homeruns with booming fireworks added to the cheering crowd caused Colin to bury his head under my arm.  But finally, during the last game of the season (for us) Colin decided to join in on the fun.  The Royals got a homerun and Colin - on his own - jumped up and yelled "HOMERUN!"



I can live without pumpkin spice lattes.  It's not right how happy I am that I don't have to.

Various sunset pictures from the week (don't come here looking for sunrise pictures...no way...no how!)









A storm across the harbor

I love this one!

A few days after the boy's birthday extravaganza...John and I scurried off for some time away.

Some much needed restful, rejuvenating, romantic time away.  We spent a week in beautiful Sanibel Island, Florida to celebrate our anniversary.  I slept in, read two books front to back and didn't have to take anyone to the bathroom.  John read his Kindle for days on end, rode a bike all over the island and didn't have to take anyone to the bathroom. 

We rode bikes to the beach, to go shopping and to get ice cream

 

The lighthouse behind us sits on the tip of the island

Sanibel is known for the abundance of sea shells.  That's a blanket of shells behind my feet.  At first you try hard to walk around them so you don't break any, but by the end of the week you just crunch along in your bare feet.

The boardwalk from our hotel at sunset

 

The view from our room

We took a sunset dolphin cruise on our last night there.  Dolphins are hard to photograph but I managed to snag this picture, which in no way illustrates how cool it is to see a dolphin in the ocean (and not at the local aquarium).

A romantic sunset cruise with 35 other people we don't know

We had a wonderful time.  A big thank you to my mom for watching the boys, almost entirely by herself.  When we booked our trip, the idea was that the boys would be able to stay with my parents - both of them.  Dad has already made the big move to Idaho so my mom took on the task of watching the boys by herself (with help from Grandpa over the weekend).  Not only did she watch our squirrely bunch but we came home to a clean house, empty dishwasher, fresh towels and sheets!  That woman is a gem!  (Completely useless little side note - I discovered tonight when I crawled into bed that her sleep number is a firm 100 while mine is a fluffy 55.)

We're home safe and sound and getting acclimated to our real-world responsibilities.  I may have to carry my beach bag around for a few days to help with the adjustment.