8

Great Goblin!

I wanted to share this before Halloween in case anyone wanted to make one. He turned out so cute. Next time I would spice up the cheese ball a bit. It was nice and mild for kids I guess. This is from Paula Deen off the Food Network website. I always love a new fun Halloween snack!

Ingredients

• 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature, plus 2 (8-ounce) packages whipped cream cheese
• 4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 2 cups shredded mixed cheeses, such as cheeses for tacos
• Green food coloring
• 2 large tortilla chips
• 1 whole pepperoncini pepper
• 2 pimiento-stuffed olives
• 1 bell pepper, cut 2 thin strips and 6 small triangles
• 6 pitted green olives
• 20 small carrot sticks
• 3 cups shredded red cabbage (You don't need 3 cups)
• Toothpicks
• Assorted crackers
• Assorted vegetables

Directions

Place 2 packages of cream cheese, butter, and milk in a mixing bowl, scraping down the sides of the bowl a few times. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth and combined. Add the shredded cheese and mix until well combined. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or up to 24 hours.

Remove the chilled cheese mixture from the refrigerator. Place the mixture on a piece of waxed paper and form the cheese ball into a head-like shape. Place 3 pieces of waxed paper around the edges of a serving plate, leaving open space in the center. Place the cheese in the center of the platter so some of it is right on the platter, but the edges are on the waxed paper. This will ensure that the platter does not get dirty while you make your goblin.

In a medium bowl, stir the remaining softened cream cheese until totally smooth. With a spatula, spread the whipped cream cheese over the head. It's O.K. if it's not totally smooth - this will give your goblin spooky skin.

Place a few drops of green food coloring in a small bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of water and mix well. With a pastry brush, paint the tortilla chips with the food coloring until they are the desired color. Set aside to dry for a few minutes.

Once the chips are dry, press them into the sides of the cheese ball to form ears. Skewer the pepperoncini with a toothpick and then attach it to the center of the head to make a nose. Press the pimiento-stuffed olives into the head to form eyes. Use the 2 red bell pepper strips to make eyebrows. Take the pepper triangles and insert them into the holes in the pitted green olives. The green olives will serve as toes, and the red pepper strips will be scary toenails. Once the olives are assembled, press them into the bottom of the head to form the toes.

Press the carrot sticks into the head to form teeth. Leave them sticking out a bit to make scary teeth. It's O.K. if your carrot sticks are different lengths and thicknesses. Hold the head onto the platter with a spatula and gently pull away the waxed paper. Finally, press the cabbage into the top of the head to make hair.

Serve with crackers and assorted vegetables.

Sad Sink

My kitchen sink is missing RuLynn.

We are too!

SLC

We did something really fun this summer in Utah. With my dad and siblings we bought SLC Passes. These tickets let you into a whole bunch of sites around Salt Lake for one low price. When we bought a one day pass we got a second day free, so we drove all around the Salt Lake Valley cramming in as many things as we could without going too crazy.

Here is what we saw:
Tracy Aviary
Liberty Park
Discovery Museum
Clark Planetarium and IMAX show
Lion House for dinner (AWESOME DEAL!!!!)
Ride on Trax
Snowbird Tram
Five Guys (Not included in deal but a yummy stop)
Aquarium
Thanksgiving Point Dinosaur Museum
Thanksgiving Point Gardens

This was quite a feat considering that there were 21 of us. The kids were amazing and I think we all had a lot of fun. I did at least!

I have about 50 pictures that I want to share so for tonight I'm just posting one until I can narrow down what I should include.

7

Here is another recipe from Rebecca's meal. This dessert is so yummy and so easy to make. It says cake but it is more like a cobbler. It was an unexpected mixture of fruit and the nuts were my favorite part. I think this would be perfect to do in a dutch oven while you are camping.


Paula Dean's Blueberry Pineapple Crunch Cake

1 20oz. can crushed pineapple with juice
1 20oz. blueberry pie filling (it may be 21oz. whatever is closest)
1 box yellow butter cake mix (Betty Crocker)
1 cup chopped pecans
3/4 cup melted butter

Layer in 9x13
First: pineapple w/juice
Then blueberry pie filling
Cover with dry yellow cake mix
Top with chopped pecans
Drizzle 3/4 cup melted butter (1 1/2 sticks)

Bake @350 degrees 35-45 minutes (until cake mix is golden brown)


Don't forget to put a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top!

6

One of the best things about the beach trip is the meals. Everyone prepares delicious meals and then it is fun to share the recipes and try them throughout the year. This year we had Asian, American, Italian and Mexican nights. We order seafood one night and this year we found a Carolina BBQ place that was pretty good.

So here is a recipe from Rebecca B. I like this because it tastes so much more complex than it is. It is easy to make and good for a crowd or for a night when you have to be at the soccer fields and need a dinner in the oven when you get back.

Sorry I don't have a picture. I have been a slacker in that department lately.

Spicy Sausage Pasta

1 T. olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
8oz. rigatoni pasta
1 pkg. chopped spinach
2 cans Italian style diced tomatoes
1 container chive and onion cream cheese
1 lb. chicken or Italian Sausage (mild or hot)
1 1/2 cups mozerella

Heat oven to 375. Layer 1 T. olive oil and chopped onion in bottom of 9 x 13 pan and cook for 15 min.

Cook your meat and pasta. Mix spinach, onion, and meat first in dish then hot noodles and cream cheese to help melt the cream cheese. Then pour diced tomatoes last.

Cover dish with mozerella cheese. Cover with tin foil and cook for 30 minutes at 375. Uncover and cook and additonal 15 minutes.

Julia's Kitchen

You probably know if you've read my blog at all that I LOVED the movie Julie and Julia. That is also why I'm posting recipes with numbers on them. I'm trying to do 52 NEW recipes by next August. So, when Rulynn visited we went to the Smithsonian American History museum and we got to see Julia's kitchen. It was just like the movie and it was fun to stand there and watch funny clips from her cooking shows. Even though this is a relatively small project, it has been very motivating for me. Lately I have been a terrible blogger, but it is not because we haven't been doing anything. I've just been feeling like life is kind of crazy.

Outer Banks

The beach this year was different. We had a lot of wind, rain, and red flags. We still had a great time. The kids all get along well and really enjoyed the yard and the hot tub this year. Nights are always fun filled with games and plenty of treats. We love this trip and are so happy to have awesome friends to share it with!

I love all the squinty faces.

We were trying so hard to enjoy being down at the beach in the wind.

Our last two days were beautiful!

Cam's First Day

I am doing a preschool with some girls from out ward for Cam. He was so excited to go. He loves to wear his backpack or packpack as he calls it, even though he doesn't need one. He has been having a great time but he was so disappointed when he learned that he didn't get to ride a bus. Also, after the first day I picked him up and he asked if he was going to school. I told him that was school and he said, "No, that was Ian's house." I think he has the hang of it now.

ENOUGH PICTURES MOM!

He looked so cute I couldn't help myself. My baby is getting so big!

First Day of School

The first day of school has come and gone. The boys are all enjoying school and their new teachers. Spencer is doing Start again and Sam was thrilled to join too. They do neat activities. Nate has adjusted well to the changes of middle school. He has been so responsible and even much more organized than last year. He is still playing the viola in orchestra.

This is Nate not so happy that his mom is taking pictures as he gets off the bus.

Isn't that what mom's are supposed to do?

Dad stayed home this year to see the boys off.

Cam was pretty sad that he couldn't get on the bus with them.

Boy's Campout

Matt took the boys camping at Lunga and they all caught fish! They LOVE going with their Dad and I think it is pretty fun when they go too.

Cam lived up to his nickname Clod, as in DIRT CLOD. My dad named him that last summer because he was always so filthy while we were camping.

Sam wins the prize for biggest fish of the day.

5

Ever since I saw Ina Garten make this on her show I have wanted to try it. So when I saw those big plums at Costco last week I thought it was time. Then the boys, well, everybody was sick last week and so I didn't make it until Sunday. It was nice for a perfect fall day after watching conference.

Ingredients

• 6 peaches, pitted and cut into quarters or eighths
• 6 plums or Italian prune plums, pitted and quartered or halved
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 cups fresh raspberries
• 2 tablespoons orange juice

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Place the peaches and plums snugly in a single layer, cut side up, in 2 glass or porcelain oven-proof baking dishes. Sprinkle with the sugar, and then top with the raspberries. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until tender.

Heat the broiler and place the fruit about 5 inches below the heat and broil for 5 to 8 minutes, until the berries release some of their juices.

Remove from the broiler and sprinkle with orange juice. Serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

We had it with ice cream on top!

Monsters

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