Fall Recipes to Share

A Great Pumpkin Cheese Ball

8 oz. pkg cream cheese, softened
10 oz. container sharp Cheddar cold-pack cheese spread
1/4 c. crumbled blue cheese
2 t. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 t. celery salt
1/4 t. onion salt
1/2 c. walnuts, finely chopped
1 t. paprika
Garnish: 1 pretzel rod, broken in half, assorted crackers

Blend together cheese until smooth. Stir in Worcestershire sauce, celery salt and onion salt, adding more to taste if desired. Shape into a ball and set on serving plate; cover and chill for 2 to 3 hours, until firm. If desired, score verticle lines with a knife to resemble a pumpkin. Toss walnuts with paprika; press into surface of the cheese ball. Break pretzel rod in top for stem. Arrange crackers around cheese ball. Makes 10-12 servings.

Pumpkin Latte'

4 c. milk
4 T. canned pumpkin
3 T. vanilla extract
1 t. cinnamon
2 c. strong, hot brewed coffee
Garnish: whipped cream, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon sticks

Stir together milk and pumpkin in a saucepan; heat over low heat until steaming. Stir in vanilla and cinnamon. (I also added Splenda to mine). With a hand-held blender or electric mixer, blend for 15 to 20 seconds (takes much longer than this) until thick and foamy. Pour into 4 to 6 mugs or tall glasses; pour in hot coffee. Top with whipped cream; sprinkle with spice and add cinnamon stick stirrers. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.

Farmhouse Apple Bread

3 eggs, beaten
2 C. sugar
1 C. oil
1 T. vanilla extract
3 C. all-purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. cinnamon
3 to 4 apples, cored, peeled and chipped
1 C. chopped pecans

Combine eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla until well mixed; set aside. Combine four, baking soda and sinnamon in a separate bowl; stir into egg mixture. Fold in apples and pecans. Divide equally between 2 greased and floured 9"x5" loaf pans. Bake at 325 degrees for one hour and 10 minutes. Makes 2 loaves.

Happy fall!

A Rambling Update...

We have a new Whirlpool washer, works great, lots of clean clothes.

I have another tooth ache. This is in a tooth that had a root canal in July of last year. - It could be a sinus infection (original diagnosis several weeks ago); a bacterial infection in the tooth that shouldn't be there; or a crack in the tooth that is there and the tooth will have to be pulled. So, I will most likely go pick up a z-pack on tomorrow or Friday, if it isn't better, I will be scheduling another root canal. All the while, I am hoping that there isn't a crack in the tooth under the crown in my mouth. If that is the case, I will need to have an implant put in once it is pulled. All I hear and see when that is mentioned is $$$$$$$.

Let's see, not much else to tell. Kids still the kids, work is still work, Mark is still very busy with work and travel.

I am hoping for fall weather and the holiday time of the year to arrive. I love the time of the year that is just around the corner. And to honor this time of the year...I will post some recipes that I prepared and shared with friends on Friday evening at the book party at our house. Thanks to all who came, it was a fun time.

Now, the Washing Machine

Is broken. Car repairs, now this. Not sure what will happen. I am sure by the end of the weekend, we will have a new washer.

E & I leave for Mobile early in the morning for a quick trip there. We will return on Sunday. So, Mark will have to do the washer shopping on his own. Oh well...

The Rest of the Story

So, it turns out that there was actually a tire that played a part in the stranded on 431 story. Earlier in the day, Mark ran over a truck tire that came off in the road and he had no where to go but straight - over the tire. This didn't come out until much later in the day yesterday. It turns out that he hit the tire and didn't realize that it would (did) do so much damage. The repair man said today that he has never seen anything like this.

So, the transmission is damanged, the starter is burned from the small fire, and the insurance adjuster will go to the repair shop tomorrow. If they decide that it is worth repairing, then we still have the white car with no A/C (which Mark has endured all summer). If they determine that it isn't worth the money they will have to put into it for a new transmission, starter, etc...then yes, that means we will be a 1 car family until we figure out what to do. In the meantime, Mark will have a rental car to drive.

So, now we wait on the adjuster's opinion of the damage.