Super Moist Apple Coffeecake Recipe

Here is a very good recipe for Apple Coffeecake. I actually made this one to gift to a friend and her husband, so it is in a to go pan. Normally I would use a glass pan to bake it in. I think the combo of the fruit and sour cream makes this so moist and yummy.

*1 21oz can of apple pie filling

Cake batter
1 cup of white sugar
1 stick of butter (room temp), I like to use Smart balance sticks (50/50)
1 cup of sour cream
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp of sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Streusel topping

1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup of organic flour
1/4 cup of nuts (optional)
1 tsp of cinnamon
3 Tablespoons of butter

Make the cake batter and put a bit over half of it in the bottom of your 13x9 baking dish, then open a 21 oz can of apple pie filling, or make your own and spread that on top of the filling use the rest of the cake batter and spread on top of the apple layers. Then make your Streusel topping and put on top of that and bake on 325 degrees for 45 minutes. Let cool and serve! As my Grandpa Smith would have said...it's a keeper!

Lauren's class Christmas play

Here are some photos of Lauren and her class mates performing a Christmas play for us parents yesterday. She did a great job, as did all the children. It was just precious.

Celebrating Christmas with Grandma Sandy

We celebrated Christmas with Steven's side of the family on Sunday afternoon. Grandma Sandy and Grandma Barker came for a visit and to bring the children some gifts.

Christmas at the zoo~

Here is a photo of Lauren in front of the tree her girl scout troop decorated!

Skating Party Pics

The skating party was a lot of fun for all the children! My camera battery died, so this is all I was able to get, picture wise. However a friend of mine is making me a CD from her photos at the party, so hopefully I can post some more soon!

Skating Partys

(This is a photo of Tristyn on a ride at our state fair this September.)


Today is the girl's skating partys. We rented out the entire rink and are having both Lauren & Megan's party's at the same time. The girls were able to invite all the little girls in both of there grade levels, so that no one is left out. I hope it will be a fun time and a good child hood memory for them all.

Steven is putting a new floor down in our little kitchen area, so right now our home looks a bit like a construction zone. It will be nice when it is done though. There are so many little projects to do, and every once in a while we pick one, and complete it. Slow and steady!

I have been doing my tread mill a lot, and truly enjoying it. I go for an hour almost every day now! It gives me added energy and is just a good way to get out any frustrations one may have. I truly try not to listen to the news too much, because hearing about the horrible things that people do to each other and to sweet children just tends to get to me.

I better go and do my tread mill, then get ready for this party today. I will post photos of the party very soon. Happy Saturday!

Christmas Tradtions

I love Christmas, it is my favorite time of the year. Nothing comes close to the snuggly feeling of sitting inside my warm little home while snow is falling outside my window, looking at my candles glow and my Christmas tree sparkle. It just doesn't get much better. What a gift God gave the world with Jesus, and I love the traditions of giving. I try my best, not to let it be a too materialistic time in our home, as I am hoping to teach my children that things are not what is important in this life. So we try to focus on what Christmas truly is about...Jesus and the spirit of giving more than recieving.

Another aspect of Christmas I love is the tradtions that go along with this time of year. My Father and Mother always gave each of us children a special Christmas orniment each and every year. Then, when we got our own homes, they gave to us all of our orinments from our childhood days. When I hang each one, the memories of my childhood come flooding back. This is a tradition that my husband and I have passed onto our children as well, and my parents still buy me an orniment every year, as well as each of my four children. Our tree is beautiful as well as full of memories for my heart. My little ones look forward to going out each year and picking out their orniment for the tree. Traditons may be such simple things, but the feeling of home and serintiy they inspire is awesome.

One of my favorite things to make~

I have to share how I make my favorite frothy coffee. First let it be known, I have tried those coffee makers where you pop a pre-measured type of coffee in and it brews it. I really had thought I would like that, but was very let down at the quality of the taste of the coffee. Yuck! My favorite coffee maker is this little Mr. Coffee with a stainless steel pot. It does wonders for getting the coffee perfectly hot. I like to let it sit for a few minutes once it is brewed, to get it to the perfect temp. While it is doing this, I heat a bit of milk for about 30 sec. in my coffee mug, in my microwave. Then remove it, and use my little battery operated ($5.00) Mr. Coffee milk frother to froth my milk, then slowly pour my favorite coffee into the frothy milk, while using the frother to blend it well.

Here are some photos of the process. :)







So the next time you have a craving for a really yummy cup of coffee, give this one a try.

We had a family skate day on Sunday~

Megan won the limbo contest for the girls and Justin won for the boys! They both won a free soda.

Lauren's 9th Birthday~

Yesterday was a very special day in our family. My oldest daughter, Lauren turned nine years old. She is such a blessing in all of our lives. She is kind, caring towards others, smart, beautiful, helpful, the list goes on and on. I am very blessed to be her mother. A perfect example of her sweetness, is that just this morning, she went downstairs and cleaned up her big brother's mess and the school/art room all by herself. She said that way, I would not have to do it. :) I can't believe that she is already nine...the years just go by so fast. It seems like just yesterday, I held her for the first time, and now she is so grown up already.

We celebrated her special day by going shopping for some art supplies to go in her art desk, that is on order for her birthday gift. We also went out to her favorite place to eat. Today, we are going skating as a family, and making her favorite smores instead of cake. :) (We celebrate birthday weeks in our home.) We are having a big skating birthday party in a couple of weeks for both Lauren and Megan's birthday celebrations with their friends this year. We tend to do this close to the end of the year, not really sure as to why. :) But it works well for us. Here is a photo of my beautiful little girl, taken yesterday.

What I'm reading right now...

I love to read, what a great way to expand your horizons, and a frugal way, if I may add. :) I actually like to read many books at once, but this is one that I am really loving.




Jonathan Bloom has a way of writing, that is just easy to read. His insights on waste in America cause a person to perhaps look at waste in a different light. I for one try not to waste, but even so, I hate to admit, I still do. At least when we attempt to counteract waste in our own lives, even if we are making baby steps, we are, none the less making progress. One way I try to counteract waste in my own little life, is to have a night where instead of making "new meals" we eat left overs. Also, before going major grocery shopping, I make sure to use up perishable foods before bringing in any thing new. I always feel badly when I have to throw food away, thinking of all the people in this world who don't have enough to eat. If we can embrace a frugal, less wasteful lifestyle, we can have more to help fund programs to help those in the world who truly need it the most. Even if what we can do is little, if everyone did just a little, it could add up to something big.

Christmas is comming!!!

We will be celebrating Christmas early this year, so that we can all celebrate together. This is Tristyn's Christmas with his father, this way we don't miss Christmas together. So if you may think it is a bit early for a tree, for us it really isn't. :) Do you like my TV fireplace??? ;)

My Thankful List 2010 (in random order)

1.) I am thankful for God and Jesus love and forgiveness.

2.) I am thankful for my family, my husband, my children, and all of my extended family that I love with all my heart, even those I do not get to see very often.

3.) I am thankful for all the dear souls that have been in my life both in my past and my present.

4.) I am thankful for getting to live in America, where we have rights and freedom and riches that most of the world does not get to have.

5.) I am thankful for my little home, that provides a safe Harber for my family and I.

6.) I am thankful for books, as I love to read and consider it a blessing to be able to have such options available to me.

7.) I am thankful for the hard times, because even though they may not be pleasant to go through, they help shape the soul and help me to appreciate the good times.

8.) I am thankful for a husband and his patience with me.

9.) I am thankful for my comfy bed and the soft Cotton sheets my parents got us for Christmas last year.

10.) I am thankful for my dishwasher, my washer and dryer and all the items that make life a lot easier.

11.) I am thankful for being able to have such abundance of supplies to make good and healthy meals with.

12.) I am thankful for my husbands job, that allows us to have all that we need and much that we don't.

13.) I am thankful for my comfy Cotton clothing.

14.) I am thankful for our cars, that allow us to travel now and then and get us where we need to go.

15.) I am thankful for my camera.

16.) I am thankful for Paula Deen candles, that I just love.

17.) I am thankful for coffee and half and half.

18.) I am thankful for my church and my church family.

19.) I am thankful for my friend Lisa who watched my children when I gave birth to Justin, so that my husband could be with me, I will never forget her kindness to me and my family.

20.) I am thankful for my contacts and glasses.

21.) I am thankful for my computer.

22.) I am thankful for our family's doctor, who has been taking care of my children for a great many years, and even back before we had health insurance, was willing to see us and always has been caring and just such a blessing.

23.) I am thankful for my sew box.

24.) I am thankful for Netflix

25.) I am thankful for my little house on the prairie books that my Grandpa and Grandma bought for me in 3rd grade.

26.) I am thankful to my late 3rd grade teacher Mrs. Longrin, who took time each day to read us the Little House books.

27.) I am thankful to my parents who have shown me such love.

28.) I am so very thankful that God blessed me with my children, being a mother is my favorite thing in the world to be.

29.) I am thankful that I can type well.

30.) I am thankful to live in a era where we have electricity.

31.) I am thankful for all the special blogs that touch my life, my favorites like the frugal girl's blog and my cousin Teri's blog just to mention a couple.

32.) I am thankful for my husband's skills and how he finished our basement into a beautiful living area.

33.) I am thankful for the wonderful Christian schools my children get to attend.

34.) I am thankful for art.

35.) I am thankful for my cell phone.

36.) I am thankful for my GPS, which allows me more Independence when traveling alone.

37.) I am thankful for good water to drink.

38.) I am thankful for spray and wash. :)

39.) I am thankful for my education.

40.) I am thankful for makeup. :)

41.) I am thankful for a husband that allows my children to be vegetarian, even when he is not.

42.) I am thankful for the unconditional love of my little Mommy.

43.) I am so very thankful for Lori, Tricia and Matt. My sister's and brother. Even though I don't get to see them so often I love them with all of my heart and soul.

44.) I am thankful for a closer relationship with my father, and his love for me.

45.) I am thankful for Pradeep, who is always so kind to me and the children, our family is so blessed to have him.

46.) I am thankful for my dreams and goals.

47.) I am thankful for my Victoria Magazines.

48.) I am thankful for paper, to keep me organized.

49.) I am thankful for date night.

50.) I am thankful for being able to see my blessings, and this special day of Thanksgiving to spend with my family.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Easy Deep Dish Pizza Recipe

If you like deep dish pizza, this recipe is worth a try!


Step 1: peel and boil one potato, let cool and then grate it as you would cheese. If you don't have a grater, then mash with a fork

Step 2: 1 cup warm water
1 1/2 teaspoons of yeast
1 teaspoon of sea salt
2 Tbsp of oil
3 cups of flour (I like unbleached organic)
mix in kitchen aid with the dough hook, and let it kneed for 3 minutes. If you don't have a Kitchen aid, you can do this with a wooden spoon and then kneed by hand.

To bake this deep dish pizza I use one glass casserole dish and one glass pie dish.

Divide the dough, leaving a bit more dough for the casserole dish than the smaller pie dish. Add 1.5 tablespoons canola oil to the casserole dish, and spread evenly with a paper towel, do the same for the pie dish, only use less oil. (about a tablespoon.)

Pat dough into oiled baking dishes, cover and let rise for a half and hour. Prepare your pizza with what ever you like. Tonight, I did one cheese with traditional pizza sauce, and one taco pizza with taco sauce and re fries and lots of yummy toppings. Bake on 400 degrees 10-15 minutes, or until done.

It is a easy dinner and quite yummy! Try dipping it in ranch, for a special treat. :)

Fun playing in the leaves~

Here are the children playing in the leaves this weekend. :)

Wow...it has been a while since I have posted! We have been pretty busy around our little house the past few weeks. Tristyn started basketball, and with the early morning practices six days per week, we have had to wake up at five every morning. That took some time to get used to on my part, but the daylight savings time has been a dream come true for me! I go to sleep much earlier and it is helping so very much! My parents and my little niece,Sarah, came for a visit last weekend, and our family has been enjoying the wonderful fall weather! I have been busy cooking lots of breads and soups. There is just something about a warm bowl of home-made soup and a slice of freshly baked bread with butter that just makes me happy this time of year. Once I have Tristyn off to his basketball practice, I have time to enjoy a cup of coffee a burning candle scented of plum and the quiet that my little home does not have too often. :) Then I head down to our family room and do my tread mill, all before the little ones awake. So this getting up a bit earlier thing does have it's benefits. I am getting excited for the holidays, and am looking forward to some special time with family and friends in the near future. Tristyn has his first basketball game today, so I will post some photos of that later today or tomorrow. :) Happy Thursday!

A few random photos of the last couple of weeks~

We made our version of Cinnamelts~





Lauren, before and after attending her friends birthday party~




A small town around our home at a fall festival this last weekend that we attended. (Check out little Lauren...she is such a little ham!)






Here is my friend, Angelina when she came up for the State Fair.