Toast Some Seedlings

Nothing kicks off the Halloween holiday like selecting the perfect pumpkin to hack into and subsequently set on fire outside your front door. If you were Martha Stewart you could even string the pumpkin innards around a wire form to create a sort of wreath for your door as an example to future pumpkins who dare tresspass on your property. Not having Martha's dark creativity, I usually just throw the slimey stuff away. Boring right? Well, not this year! Although I won't go so far as to create a pumpkin seedling shrine, I am planning on trying to toast the little buggers in the oven. I have read that they are very tasty and nutritious to boot. In case you care to try it out too, I have included 2 methods I got online:

Regular Toasted Seeds
Rinse seeds under cold water and pick out pulp. Place seeds in a single layer on an oiled baking sheet, stirring to coat. Sprinkle with salt and bake at 325 degrees F until toasted (about 25 min) stirring after 10 min. Store in airtight container.

Sweet Toasted Seeds
1 C. Raw pumpkin seeds rinsed and dried
6 Tbsp white sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 Tbsp vegetable oil

Spread seeds in single layer on baking sheet coated with non stick spray. Bake at 250 degrees F for 45 min, stirring occasionally. In large bowl, stir together 2 Tbsp of the sugar, salt, and spice. Set aside. Heat the oil in large skillet. Add the pumpkin seeds and sprinkle remaining 4 Tbsp sugar over them. Stir with wooden spoon until sugar melts. Pour seeds into the bowl with the spiced sugar and stir until coated. Cool. Store in airtight container.

Well, good luck everyone and pumpkins beware!

31 Days of Halloween

On October 1 Paul and I came home to find that some Halloween Elves (not to be confused with the Christmas Variety), likely named Curt and Meg, had left the us quite a surprise. We opened the envelope marked "Day 1" and now have a cute Halloween banner hanging over the fireplace. We're excited to see what comes during the rest of the month! Happy Halloween Everyone.




This is a halloween garland Megan and I made. Paul wanted to model it, but I thought it looked better on the banister.

The Great Wall

To be added to such notable structures as the Great Wall of China and the Pyramids at Giza we submit for your vote the "Wall of Vance and Miles." They built it all by themselves (practically) and it towers over the landscape at an impressive three feet high (at least). It looks like we have some future engineers on our hands.

Park City Exodus

Last weekend six lucky women made a trip to Park City where they competed for the coveted P Bunny Best Deal award. Mom, Susan, Karin, Brenda, Alison , and Charisse participated in a celebrity photo shoot, received celebrity gift bags from noted designers, and stayed at the prestigious Yellow House Hotel of Buelah. It was a heated competition, but by unanimous vote Charisse won the P Bunny Best Deal award for her $11 pants. Brenda won honorable mention for a free pair of socks. Susan won the coveted lime green diva sunglasses for her vocal stylings during the sing along song competition. All in all, it was a fantastic weekend and some great memories.
Charisse and Karin had to share the small upstairs bedroom they lovingly dubbed the Naughty Box.

Everyone modeling their park city club shirts (complements of Karin) and celebrity gift bags (complements of Mom).

Karin, Alison, and Charisse at the kick-off breakfast.

Susan and Dad at the kick-off breakfast.

Mom and Grandma at the kick-off breakfast. Grandma was the guest of honor.

Banana Bonanza!

This is for Katie because she requested it and I don't have her e-mail address. It's also for anyone else who wants a really good banana bread recipe (although, I can't take credit because it's my mom's).

1 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Butter (softened)
2 Eggs
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
2 Cup Flour
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
3 Very Ripe Bananas

Cream sugar, butter and eggs in a bowl. Add dry ingredients and mix. Mash up bananas and vanilla in separate bowl. Add banana mixture to dough. Mix until blended thoroughly. Grease loaf pan well (not the spray stuff, get real shortening and grease it so some white is still visible, get the corners really good). Bake @ 300 for 45 min - 1 hour. The best way to tell is to touch the top and see if it sponges back up. If it's too soggy leave it in for 5 more min. This recipe usually makes one big loaf and one small loaf or a dozen normal sized muffins.

Redfish Excursion

Paul and I spent our summer vacation at Redfish Lake last week with Curt and Megan. We had a blast biking to the lake and playing games and (in curt and paul and megan's case) jumping off the dock. The following are snap shots of endless summer fun.

Beyond A Crush

Ok, so I've had a KitchenAid for eight years and have had a crush on it the whole time. How could you not?! They come in all different cute colors, they're so sleek and stylish looking, and just the presence of one on your counter top gives you added credibility in the culinary world. Unfortunately, a crush is all is ever was because the one time I actually tried to use this masterpiece of machinery was a disaster that ended in blobs of egg-soaked butter and sugar all over the place. Since then the KitchenAid and I have had a strained relationship where I sigh and stare from afar and it squats cold and beautiful in its corner, unwilling to compromise.

And so it continued until this weekend when, with the help of my personal Kitchen Appliance Counselor and Mediator Extraordinaire, Diane, the KitchenAid and I finally progressed into the next stage of our relationship. I had my first successful encounter with the KitchenAid and actually made one normal sized and two tiny loaves of bread. Will we continue along the path into a full-blown culinary affair? Well, I'm pretty sure we'll never share the love that I harbor for my Chi Blow Dryer, but now I can bake easy in the knowledge that we are at least friends. I no longer have to exist in the uncomfortable situation of having an unrequited crush on an appliance.