I have been finding things to fill my time.

First there is the job thing.

Then I move on to other things.

My recipes are a disaster.

I do have a 3 ring binder of favorites to which I've added scraps of recipes cut from magazines

and anywhere else something has caught my eye.

My recipes seem to revolve around the sweet stuff. Shucks anyway!

I decided to tackle the recipe piles.

I'm not done yet, but getting there.

Some of them I'm typing out and will add to the binder, that way when I'm looking for the favorite

recipe for Cheesy Hashbrown Potatoes it won't be buried under a ton of paper.

One of these days I should probably try all the things I've put in that binder

so I can either keep them or pitch them.

Other recipes I've just decided to pitch.

With the internet at our fingertips all the time, it is mighty easy to find something delicious.



Today I found a recipe for a gluten free coffee cake.

We aren't a gluten free house, so I used regular flour ....  but I know many of you are.

I do like to test things on unsuspecting folks who come to visit.

This one tested well this evening.

Great recipe for fall ... delicious served warm with ice cream.

penny's apple-brown sugar coffee cake

1 cup plus 2 tsp gluten-free all-purpose flour, divided

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar, divided

1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1 tsp cinnamon

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 large apples - cored, peeled and cut into 1/2-in. pieces

Preheat the oven to 375. Lightly grease a 9-in round baking or springform pan. In a large bowl, whisk together 1 cup flour, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, stir together the remaining 2 tsp flour, 1/2 cup brown sugar, chocolate chips, walnuts and cinnamon.

In another small bowl, whisk together the eggs, granulated sugar and remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar until smooth. Whisk in the oil and vanilla. Stir into the flour mixture until just combined. Pour half the batter into prepared pan, top with half the apples and half the crumb mixture; repeat with the remaining batter, apples and crumb mixture. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30-35 minutes.

Editors Note: Read all ingredient labels for possible gluten and dairy content prior to use.
Bakers Note: Next time I'll make 2 of these at a time and freeze one for convenient and handy dessert.

My girls think I do nothing all day.

Really. They do.

They don't know that I finally quit 5 hours of open employment selection and application submitting at about noon.

I think they are under the impression that I'm eating bonbons and reading something other than the fineprint of job descriptions.

Which, by the way, are incredibly vague.

The legal department probably recommended that, but I'm telling you it shouldn't be that hard. Really.

I'm just a plain and simple gal. (Unless you ask my hubby, he may have a different opinion.)

I am going to ramble on about the job thing for a minute.

I'm use to working. I'm not use to this not working thing.

I have time to run around and go shopping.

Me?

 I don't care for that much.

Run and scarf up deals at the grocer would be more like my kind of thing.

I do have an interview this afternoon.

I could probably use some practice at that sort of thing as it has been awhile.

Anyway, I feel like I NEED to be working.

Which then makes a person, namely myself, a bit too restless to even focus on sewing.

We are now among the nations uninsured.

Which, on the bright side, means we are now probably in the majority.

A whole different perspective.

So, I should find a job with healthcare benefits.

Should.

Ach. I don't like should.

Yesterday I told you my hands would look like prunes?

They didn't.

I'm really bummed out that I didn't buy more of the pears the other day.

I'll have to watch for another humdinger sale and hope there is one being as I'm definately not going to make it to an orchard.

At least not as long as I have bonbons to take care of!

Because, just like the tomatoes and carrots, my dear hubby eats pears straight out of the dehydrator.

Sometimes saving a minute just isn't worth it.

I have become a digital scrapper.

I still scrapbook some things in the paper fashion, but prefer the ease of digital when it comes to our photos and recording our lives.

I can hit the save button on my computer and (hopefully) things are just tucked away until I'm ready to return to them again.

The night before Jari took our computers apart in Alaska, I made sure that the photos were all on the external hard drive. I moved my photos, kids' photos ... all that good stuff.

I think I moved all photos with the exception of any scrapbook pages that I had finished that were not yet printed.

Then the computer didn't survive.

It isn't worth crying about. I still have the photos.

My program didn't survive either.

It was a sometimes frustrating and very inexpensive program, but I was accustomed to it's foibles.

My fun fonts are all gone but I know where to get them again as well.

This morning I got me a new scrapping program and downloaded it.

I'm not into a lot of doodads. I really prefer telling stories instead.

Before I started my day today, I decided to give something a whirl and see what happened.

I'm thinking it is going to be fast once I figure it all out.

Maybe this time I'll copy to external hard drive ... and print them!

Happy Birthday to my Dear Dad today.

Today is also my dear SIL Tarja's birthday. Happy Birthday to you Tarja!

Just think of all the parties we could crash if we were in Minnesota!

Being as I'm not in Minnesota today, the outside temp is a delicious 73 degrees and the pears are looking near ripe ... I'm going to end up with prune looking hands from peeling pears!

Sunday we went for a drive ...

and my camera sat in the car nearly the entire time.
Sad, hey? Thank goodness the phone takes up the slack.
The four of us headed up the hill to Flagstaff for the day.
Our northern place of choice use to be the Mogollon Rim, not Flagstaff, and I'm guessing it was because we lived on the other side of the city.
It may become Flagstaff now.
Other than the driving thing, we have special people to see in Flagstaff.
I'm not a downhill skiier, but they do live right next to the ski hill and the nordic center. Hmmmm.
And they do have the cutest littles ever.
Brand new littles that beg to have their toes uncovered ... just so Anna can count them.
 

Keilah is in a state of delirium and we probably didn't help. I should have sent her for a nap during the afternoon. I'm going to go back and do that. Soon.

Then we had the most delightful bit of news. Babies are certainly delightful enough. This was just more icing on the cake of life. My SIL Annette has moved back to Arizona from Colorado. Sorry for the kids she left behind, not sorry for me. Hopefully her hubby will be able to get down here soon. For now, it is work where there is work. I haven't driven this road in 4 long years. It felt so good to travel down it .... and have a warm cup of coffee with a warm visit at the end.

 
While we were running around northern parts of the state yesterday, Alyx was having a barbeque (and birthday celebration unbeknownst to her) with the family up in Alaska. I'm glad she had a good day. Today is officially her special day. The day when teen years ended yesterday and life's path lays ahead ....
Happy Birthday to my dear daughter!
 
Today I picked up (as in grocer not orchard) 16 pounds of Barlett pears. They're still a bit green so I have a day or two to find some canning jars. Then I'm going to do the forbidden. I am going to use the glass top stove and the pressure cooker ... together. I'll let you know what happens!
 
**************************************************************************************
 
Monkey Bread
 
2 large cans refrigerated biscuits
3/4 c sugar
4 tsp cinnamon
 
Cut biscuits in 6 pieces each. Combine sugar and cinnamon. Roll biscuit sections in sugar mixture. Spray Bundt pan with Pam. Arrange 1/2 biscuits in pan and 1/2 of mixture below over them. Arrange final 1/2 of biscuits, covered with final 1/2 of mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.
 
Carmel mixture:
Melt together in sauce pan and bring to boil.
1/2 c butter
1 c brown sugar
1 c light karo syrup
 
*** Note: I googled Monkey Bread and adapted this to what I do from Cooks[dot]com. If you don't have access to refrigerator biscuits, there are other options avabailable such as frozen bread dough or fresh home made doughs. Have fun!

The weather is absolutely heavenly!

Yesterday it started.

The season of No Air Conditioning Needed.

It's a whole separate season, all in itself, if you enjoy this climate.

Especially if you've spent the past 4 years without any air conditioning in your world,

excepting for your car.

The neighbors must have their themostat a bit lower than ours.

Theirs is running around the clock, kicks on and off.

I've got the windows open and the ceiling fans twirling.

Oh. By the way.

The sun is shining ...

on cactus in the front yard ....

and my beloved mesquite trees in the back.

I've been in flip flops for the past month.

To the point where my feet have certainly gone right back to

Desert Feet. Disgusting to be sure.

I've had several occasions in the past week to make some Monkey Bread.

Supremely easy to make.

Not one bit light on the calories.

Need a reason other than just my taste buds to put this pile of sugar together.

In the last week we've been having some partying goin' on.

A 60th birthday, a 40th birthday ...

and to top it off a It's a Boy After All Those Girls Party!

Frans & Jenny are expecting a bundle of blue

after many years of solid pink and lace.

The throng of young girls is always so much fun.

I've also been spending my week doing this.

This would be hunting for work.

I could probably find enough scrapping, sewing and other fun things to do

to keep me busy for many months.

However, all that busy still does nothing in the health insurance department.

I don't even know what the cost of continuing healthcare coverage is with Cobra,

but can take a rough guesstimate and it makes me shudder.

So I'm looking for something.

Many hours a day of looking. It can be a bit all consuming.

For now, it's all put away and the weekend looms ahead.

I don't know what we're going to do.

Anna just headed out the door with keys to my car in her hand.

Tia is heading out later.

I'm going to take a wee little nap ...

and then I'll decide what to do!

... and they're off!

This is what happens on the first day of school over here.

They're walking. And the mom has to sneak out with a camera to get the backside view because they'll think I'm just too wierd if I ask them to pose for a minute. The walking. First of all, let's call that a miracle. I've been driving kids to school for so many years I can't begin to count them. It might help if I tell you that the oldest of them is 24 years old. This year the cherubs are walking. I can't believe it. I did consent to driving them. Only it comes with some serious consideration on their part. I'd ride a bike (thought an adult trike would be even better!) and pull a wagon with a child in each. Being as they're a little too big to fit two in one. We'd sort of make a train out of the whole thing. Then pipe in some ice cream truck music and sing (to a tune of my making) something like The Wheels on the Bus go Round and Round. I thought it was a fabulous idea. I was nearly running out for the curlers and a good lookin' gown for the whole event!

They opted to walk. Party poopers that they are.

And better yet ... they had a good first day.

We had a good first evening of homework. I'm making new promises for the rest of the school year. I am going to be on top of this game. I am. I. Really. Am.

I'm probably not going to share the entire inside of my home with you, but I had to share one part of the dining room wall. Only because I'm nuts enough to hang brooms next to the table. Makes it convenient when I feel the need for a ride around the neighborhood. I was online looking for vinyl lettering but couldn't find anything appropriate for broom riding mothers. If you happen to have a fabulous quote, I happen to be looking for one.

The thermometer is reading 80 degrees inside and 66 degrees outside.

We had rain this evening! Good Arizona rain. Complete with thunder and lightning. It started while Tia and I were at Office Max picking up some school supplies. She was thinking the garage door opener's novelty was wearing off as we were headed to the store. She was loving it on the way home. Amazing how quickly our list of I'm Thankful For can change!

Back to the pencils!

I'm guessing that tomorrow evening will find me at Office Max with a list 3 miles long.
The girls are finally starting school tomorrow!
They are just as excited as I am.
Vacation is over.

They're really excited to get life moving along here.
I was less than thrilled to meet the Assistant Prinicpal today.
I finally got a call from the school this morning that we had a meeting scheduled at 2:15 this afternoon.
Fine and dandy.
I was serving lunch following a funeral but it worked out just fine.
The Assistant Prinicpal got my blood pressure up.
I finally had to ask him if he didn't have room in his school or just didn't want the girls there.
Talk about an arrogant jerk.
Let's hope I don't have to meet with him too often.
We will not get along unless he has an attitude adjustment.
Just who does he think he is anyway?! I do pay a itty bitty bit of his paycheck. He certainly isn't paying mine.
The counselor was a pure gem. She squeezed us in and did her best to get the girls teachers that she really likes and thinks will be good with them. I'm going to introduce her to pulla. The other ... maybe I'll make some prickly pear jelly or something.

We have had girls running to and fro. Girls coming and girls going.
It is so much fun to have giggles in the house.
I'm also doing some of the driving again.
Run this one here. Pick up that one there.
It is what I asked for ... and I'm thrilled to have the opportunity.

Enjoy your day! Ours is suppose to be cooling off a bit this week.
Not quite enough to equal the temps we had when I shot these about a month ago, but cooling nonetheless!