Pizza Dough

This is a new staple recipe for us... Pizza dough 5c. white flour 2c. semolina flour (at Winco) 1T. salt 2pckg yeast 1T sugar 4T evoo 2 1/2c . warm water Put yeast sugar evoo and water together. Let set for like 5 min. mix in flours and salt. Knead and then let rise for 1 hr. You can then use or wrap portions in saran wrap and put in freezer. 425 for 12-15 min Here is a white sauce from a friend..YUM!!! 2 cups ranch 1/4 cup grated parmesan 1 tbs minced garlic

Pumpkin Carving

When Brandon's parents came to visit a few weeks ago they asked why we hadn't decorated and carved pumpkins for Halloween. I hadn't even thought to even though I do every year. Maybe it was the morning sickness...who knows. Today I had a hard morning so I decided to have a fun afternoon. We chose which pumpkins we wanted out of the garden then I took off the tops and told the kids to clean out the seeds on the inside. They didn't want to and chose to go play. I got them back and we had a great time carving and even making pumpkin seeds. Last year I made the seeds with kids oil and salt but this year I added sugar and cinnamon. Here is the recipe...

Ingredients

• 2 cups raw whole pumpkin seeds
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 cup white sugar, divided
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, divided

Directions

1. Remove all the pulp and strings from the pumpkin seeds, then wash and thoroughly dry the seeds.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Place the melted butter in a bowl, toss the seeds in the butter to coat, and pour them onto the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon over the seeds, stir the seeds around to mix the coating, and spread them into a single layer. Bake the seeds in the preheated oven for 5 minutes.
4. Remove the seeds from the oven, and sprinkle them with another coating of 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon, mixing the seeds together and spreading them out as before. Bake 5 more minutes. Repeat the coating and baking step one more time, and bake the seeds for 5 more minutes.
5. Sprinkle the seeds with the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar, mix, and bake the sugar coating onto the seeds, about 10 more minutes. Let the seeds cool on the baking sheet before eating.

YUM!! They are so yummy although I can's eat many. ENJOY!

Mommy, Where's Brando?

Dear Brandon, You are working like an accountant this week. Lots of hours. I guess I shouldn't complain...because you are an accountant. We have been so blessed that you have been able to come home at 5ish every night except during budgets and year end. Things have been great here but it's hard to hear the kids ask about you all the time. It's hard to put them to bed knowing that they have missed you all day and probably won't see you tomorrow. So we are pulling some late nights so that we can all see you. Today I couldn't find the kids. I was frantically looking for them when I found them. They were inside the raspberry bushes eating the not quite ripe (by your standards) berries. It seems that Atti is only happy when he's eating berries. Lately he just cries and cries when we are outside. I have a sneaking suspicion that it's the dog he doesn't like. Cali always licks his face. Yuck. Funny Story: Phoenix was out side swimming in the swimming pool and said..."Mommy, Where is Brando?" Anyways, I'm sorry you have to work so hard and miss all those silly moments! We love you for it! Love, Brittany PS Today I did a horrible thing... These are chocolate cupcakes with a peanut butter filling and strawberry jam on top. The best pb and j I've ever had!!