Week 10- Authentic

According to dictionary.com, Authentic means not false or copied; genuine; real.

This is my picture of Homemade Applesauce. REAL...apples...no preservatives...real.

I made it in a crock pot, so it's not the way the pioneers would have made it, but it's the way today's mommy's would make it. Super easy & super delicious!

Crock pot applesauce

6-10 medium size apples-I used granny smith apple & braeburn*
1 c apple juice
pinch of salt
2T sugar
1/2 t cinnamon

Core, peel & cut apples into chunks. Dump in your pot, pour apple juice over apples & sprinkle salt, sugar, & cinnamon over apples. Cook 4-5 hrs on low. Smash w/ a potato masher for a chunkier sauce or with an emulsion blender for a smoother sauce.

*The recipe that I adapted this from said not to use either of the apples I used. Not sure why but my boys LOVE Granny Smith apples & it turned out perfect.

Week 9-Yellow

This week's theme was YELLOW. I chose the banana pick for my "assignment" but here are some more pix I took.


















Colton went crazy eye'd over all the peeps.

week 8- Happiness

Grandma with some of her goofy grandkids. Still smiling with the all the silliness around her.

Week 7- Shadow

Week 7 of 52

My computer crashed somewhere b/w week 6 & 7. That is why I'm finally getting these pix up.

So, I went to the Genesis Conference in Fayetteville, ARK a couple of weekends ago. 10 sponsors...35 middle/high school kids. Yes...I am brave.

After a great weekend & taking a lot of not so good pix (I'm still learning to use my camera), I finally (w/ the help of the youth leader) that my lens was set on MANUAL!!! Ugh...ditz! Now that it's set correctly, I was able to get a couple of in focus pix. SHADOW was our challenge word this week. THis is what'a got.

week 6-Light

Week 6 of 52 weeks...LIGHT. Took this back in November on a trip to California. Loved being able to see the sunrise over the fluffy clouds.

Week 5 of the photo project...."OOPS"

OOPS...this weeks challenge word. I thought I'd have more to show but this week has been pretty "oops-free" at your house.

I did have a pretty good one tho. Picture day was on Monday at Bear's school. BUT I thought it was on the 31st. Just to make sure I checked his folder & dontcha' know it, it was Monday. This boy of mine needed a haircut. We are talking sideburns for miles...he did say he wanted to be the youngest kid to have the longest sideburns...haha. Too bad, mama cut them off. Oh, yeah I did, as well as trimmed around his ears & proceeded to think I was pretty hot stuff & could handle this haircutting thing & moved on back. That's where things went wrong. I took a nice slash out of the back & decided maybe I wasn't "all that". We skipped the bus stop in search of a salon open at 7:45a.m. Let me tell you....there is not a place open...not even Walmart. Oh, how I wished I had a friend that knew how to fix an oopsie haircut.

I took the boy to school & we (the school secretary, teacher, & I) decided that I would just take Bear back home w/ me until a salon opened at 9.

Thank you Mr. Man at Supercuts for being there a little early & gettin' my boy in!

Week 4 GRATITUDE

I'm just getting last weeks picture challenge up because I have to get week 5 up. Last weeks Photo challenge word was Gratitude. Wow...was that a challenge, not that being grateful was a challenge but actually capturing it in a photo.

The one thing this challenge did do for me was to be more aware of things. Seeing my family share & be kind to one another. To see how hard my husband works & cares for us. I am so grateful for him & apprecieate all that he does for us.

In the end, my deadline was coming & I still did not have a picture for my challenge, so I took the easy way out. This is what I came up with.......

Week 3 of 52 Photo Project-WARM

WARM....That word brings up a lot of different ideas. A warm sunset, a sleeping child all snug as bug in a rug, or something cookin' up in your crock pot. This week I chose cookies...when they are warm & gooey out of the oven.

This past week I posted on my Facebook that I was in dire need of a good Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe & this one is good. For some reason, of all the baking & cooking that I do, I couldn't seem to master the Chocolate Chip Cookie. I'm still no "master" but this recipe at least makes me feel pretty close to having mastered it.

Here is the recipe, thanks to Nancy Almstrom, a long time family friend. Thanks, Nancy!

Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/3 c. flour...use at least 1/2 whole wheat
3/4 t. baking soda
3/4 t. salt
1 cup( 2 stix) unsalted butter at room temp (not lite)
1 c brown sugar, packed
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1 egg
1 t vanilla
1 pkg 12oz. semi sweet chips, more to taste
1 plus cup walnuts or pecans...optional*

Measure out flour, b.soda & salt. Set aside.

Beat together butter & sugars until creamy in lg mix bowl.

Beat in egg & vanilla. Then stir in flour, chips, & nuts.

Bake 375 oven. I use parchment paper on cookie sheets. Bake 12 min or until golden. I used a large scoop.

* My family are not "nuts in your cookies" type people but oh, man, I think these cookies would have been BETTER w/ pecans in them!

Also, I decided to freeze the cookie balls so we could have fresh cookies anytime.

Week 2 of 52 photo project- STRIPES

This weeks "challenge" was stripes. In normal fashion, I waited till the last minute...like last night, b/4 Bear had to be in bed. (I actually made him put these clothes on as he was already in his jammies).

I was really excited after I got the theme of this weeks project. I even had a dream about what I was going to do...set up playing cards in the sun & then take a picture of their shadow...I don't know, it was a dream. I saw stripes everywhere but I forgot to bring my camera with me or didn't think to use my phone. Sometimes I forget that it has that function. So this is what I got. Bear reading his Harry Potter book in his favorite striped shirt, but I got it done.

Wonder what this week's project will be???

1st week of 52 photography challenge

Ok, so my photography instructor Nicholle Goodnight
teamed up w/ her friend to do a 52 Week Photography challenge. She said anyone could join in, so I thought I'd try it out. Maybe this way I'll actually make a post at least once a week instead of once every six months. We shall see...

This weeks challenge subject was "feather". You can view their pix at the links above. Above is my 1st attempt.

And actually, I didn't see this challenge until last night & just happened to have this photo, I took last week. If you want to join in, you can start the challenge at anytime, just send your pic in b/4 Friday to 1 of the ladies above. Next weeks challenge is "STRIPES".