November happenings...

Hmmm...what did we do in November? This catching up bit is tough. My brain is taxed...

We have some strange characters show up at our home some days...This one is called Blue Beetle. And all he did was cover his face with a Cinderella skirt and drone, "I am Blue Beetle."

At Jonathan's school, the children take turns with Show and Share. On that day, their mommy brings the snack. Several years ago, about 11-12, Michael bought Kayla a cool elephant mask. It is made of that cool craft foam stuff and has a string you pull to make the trunk swing up. (I should note here that he bought himself a horse head with a string to open the jaw! Very funny, especially when you hear him whinny!). Well, Kayla has grown up, moved on, moved out, moved back, and the mask was in a box of stuff she was giving to the kids. This is what Jonathan chose to take to Show and Share.

I brought zucchini bread, per Jonathan's request. Yes, I know, weird. But that's what he wants every time. He doesn't even ask for something like chocolate chip cookies! But this day, we were there for snack and show and share. Do you know how many of the kids took one bite and tossed the rest of their WARM zucchini bread?! Aaaahhh! Guess what I do now? I throw in a handful of mini chocolate chips, just enough to fool the little kiddos into thinking they are getting chocolate!! Mwaahhaahha!

Well, it looks like Jonathan and Annisia had some days outside. Annisia is into being a baby lately, so Jonathan is carrying her across the lawn here. Silly kids!

One thing we do most Novembers is go to my parents for Thanksgiving. It's about the only time I see the rest of my family. Aaron, my nephew, developed a soft spot for Annisia, ear tugging and all! They cuddled on the couch with all the rest of the hubbub going on around them.

Jonathan is really into showing his muscles. Is that a normal 5 year old boy thing, or am I talking too much after my boot camp class?! Anyways, here he's showing Uncle Duane his big muscles, and Aunt Vicky is probably egging him on to pop his uncle!

See the raised eyebrows on Duane? I think Jonathan challenged him and Duane is confirming! It's fun to see how comfortable my children are around their uncles and aunties they rarely see. Click on the pic below to make it bigger then look at the expression on Jonathan's face...

Then a grin for Uncle Paul too!

Grandpa O got some cuddle time (and ear tugging time!) with Annisia. We really have to break that habit of her toying with our ears...

Aunty Janice and Uncle Paul brought their dog, Tiny, with them. He's a nervous little poodle, especially around children. He'd bark and the kids would get scared and scream, then run away. Tiny would chase them making them scream more...what chaos! Neither party seemed to learn how to just chill around each other. So Janice brought out the treats and let the kids feed him treats. He LOVES to play ball, so then they got to throw the little ball for him too. That made everyone a little calmer with each other...good for Mommy's blood pressure too!!

Uncle Alan lives just over a block, so we always find our way over there. Jonathan really enjoyed riding Cassie's scooter. Now he wants one...I wonder how many years we can hold out on that?!

The kids share a bed at Mom and Dad's. So, up we go, we say our prayers, we sit with them for a little bit, and then it's time for them to just go to sleep. So I went downstairs and did some more visiting. Here's where we found Annisia...sound asleep at the top of the stairs, with all the pound puppies Mom and Dad have lining the steps in a sort of fence or something! I laughed out loud. She cracks me up!

Thanksgiving

This is the sunrise we awoke to Thanksgiving morning. Wasn't it beautiful?

I made the dinner rolls...the recipe is at the bottom of the post...they were great! And my apple pie turned out pretty good. At least it was pretty...(heehee)!

We had the day with Michael's family.

Pumpkin Cloverleaf Rolls

“The herb flavoring is subtle, but the texture is rich. In fact, these pull-aparts are sweet and buttery enough to please even the most stubborn self-proclaimed vegetable hater – despite the fact that they’re made with (shhh) squash.” (Family Fun magazine, November 2008)

3¾ cups flour, plus more for sprinkling
1 package or 2¼ tsp instant or bread machine yeast
1 tsp salt
¼ cup milk
¼ cup honey
½ cup canned or frozen and thawed pureed pumpkin or squash
1 large egg
½ cup warm water
8 fresh sage leaves, slivered (or 1 1/3 tsp dried leaves)
½ cup (1 stick) butter

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, yeast, and salt and set it aside.

Pour the milk into a microwave-safe bowl or 4-cup glass measuring cup and microwave it on high for 30 seconds. Whisk in the honey, squash, egg, and water. (The liquid mixture should be less than 110°; anything hotter might kill the yeast.)

With a fork, blend the squash mixture into the flour mixture until you have soft dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Two hours before baking, turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead 6 sage leaves into the dough. Melt the butter and set it aside in a small bowl. Divide the dough in half, and then divide each half into 6 portions. Divide each portion into 3 pieces. With floured hands, roll each piece into a ball and dip it into the melted butter. Place 3 balls in a muffin cup. Continue until 12 muffin cups are filled.

Drizzle or brush each roll with ½ teaspoon of the leftover melted butter and then sprinkle them with the rest of the sage. Let the rolls rise in a warm spot (at least 70°) until they’re double in size, about 1 to 1 ½ hours. The 3 balls of dough will rise together to form a cloverleaf shape.

Heat the oven to 350°. Bake the rolls until golden, about 15 to 17 minutes. Makes 1 dozen.