Happy Halloween!

Thank you, dear Cade! for finding this for me! :)

Carving pumpkins

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Neon Fall

 

The colors at Wind's Echo get better every day.... brilliant- almost NEON! The leaves look as if they would glow in the dark, like a children's toy.

 

 Try as I might, I just can not capture the beauty with my camera (but it DOES help if you click on each photo for a larger view).

 

  

The Tamaracks are turning yellow to burnt orange, and blazing up the mountainsides. The maples are a brilliant reddish burgundy, and the oak is turning from yellow to intense orange, to fiery red.

Out every window, vibrant color attracts your eyes. This is the true meaning of awesome. :)

Pumpkin Pie Spice

Just dawned on me that, perhaps, MANY other people are like me, and don't have pumpkin pie spice in their cupboards! If so, they might be reluctant to try the pumpkin bar recipe- SO! I'm here to rescue you! YAY!  Here's a quick and easy recipe for pumpkin pie spice:

4 Tbsp. cinnamon

4 tsp. ground ginger

4 tsp. ground allspice

4 tsp. ground nutmeg

Now... just mix it all together, and store it in a plastic baggie, or a small container. It should last you awhile. :)

Maple Frosted Pumpkin Bars

These are SO light, and SO moist, and SO wonderful! You can see how fast they are disappearing!  I can't really take credit for the recipe, because I found it on All Recipes.com, and only made the minor-ish of changes (switching out the raisins for chocolate chips, etc).

1 cup flour

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 c. oil

1 c sugar

2 eggs

1 c solid pack pumpkin puree

3/4 c choc.chips

(OR raisins- OR SOME people have been known to add MORE than 3/4 c. choc chips! AND I always use the milk choc. ones instead of the semi-sweet *hangs head in shame*)

1/2 c confectioners sugar

1 Tblsp real maple syrup 

(I added a tiny bit more maple syrup, and still had to add a bit of milk to make the glaze the right consistency)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9x13 baking pan.

Stir together, pumpkin pie spice, flour, baking powder and baking soda. 

In another bowl, beat the eggs, oil and sugar together until smooth.  

Add pumpkin puree. Mix until smooth

Add dry ingredients. Mix until smooth

Add chocolate chips (or raisins) Stir.

Pour mixture into the prepared baking pan, and spread evenly. 

Bake for 30 min.

Allow bars to cool before frosting with the glaze.

To make the glaze- just stir together the confectioners' sugar, and maple syrup until smooth. (As I said before, I had to add a bit of milk- but not too much!)

Drizzle the glaze over the cooled pumpkin bars before cutting. 

ENJOY!

 

Autumn at Wind's Echo

Meanwhile, midst guests, and birthday celebrations, Autumn crept silently into Wind's Echo.

Just sit back and enjoy some Fall photography- some you've seen (because I've sent it to you :)  and some debuting here. Enjoy!

My favorite time of year!

Cade turns 21!!!

How does that happen?  How could my YOUNGEST child turn 21???  Doesn't he realize I'm sticking at 29?

Cade was able to tear home on Thurs. afternoon.  He had to be back at school by Sat. afternoon, so we didn't have much time.

Friday morning, I made cinnamon twists for breakfast.  We devoured almost two huge trays of the things! (this is all that were left!) So, Bruce and Cade decided they needed to get some exercise, and work off some of the calories.  They headed off to the golf course, while I wrapped presents, and started making Cade's birthday dinner.  (I think I convinced them that wrapping and cooking burns off calories, too! It does, right? RIGHT???  of course, it does! thank you.)

Since this was Cade's BIG ADULT birthday, I went with a 21 theme... on newspaper! We didn't have any wrapping paper that wasn't Christmas!

 

Without a doubt, Cade is the BEST apple pie baker ever! And since he seldom gets to do any cooking at college, he decided to make his own dessert! Bruce told me not to dissuade him. Bruce LOVES Cade's apple pie! :)

It really was fun, being with Cade in the kitchen- I was making lasagna, and he was making the pie. We joked, laughed, and talked about everything and nothing.

Cade even cuts the little pictures in the top dough- just like his Gramma.

While the pie baked, we started dinner.

We've never allowed our children even a sip of wine or champagne, or beer while they are under-age. I guess my main reasoning was, that I wanted them to look forward to something- I wanted the milestones to be important, and not pass by un-noticed, SO, Cade got wine with his birthday meal.

I am not naive. I know this was probably NOT the first time Cade ever tasted alcohol, but we pretended it was... and it was certainly the first time Cade ever tasted alcohol in his parent's presence! :)

Then, he got down to the important business of opening his "under plate" gifts!

Apparently, "under the plate" gifts started with my Father's family. They are small, inexpensive gifts i.e. candy, gum, magazines, pens, etc. that fit under the birthday honoree's plate!  Gifts to open and examine BEFORE the meal! An appetizer of presents, so to speak! 

I have been known to get carried away with my "under the plate" gifts. 

After an incredible meal, Cade got to open his real gifts. He got the symbolic 6-pack of beer... to honor his 21st birthday status!

But, he also, got a super nice tea pot, to honor his healthy lifestyle :)

Both Chelsey and Cass got him amazing gifts- keeping his age in mind.

Chelsey got him a set of Big Sky Brewery beer glasses.

Each one different. Very classy.

Cass made him check his email to discover his gift. A one yr. subscription to Playboy! *sighs* What are big brothers for, right?  *his mother sighs again*  Cade was thrilled. *and his mother sighs YET again* (Cass insists it's for the articles... although he admitted he'd never read any of the articles- but he'd heard they were amazing). Do I have to tell you I sighed?

Bruce and I gave Cade an ultra-compact digital camera. It's a FUN little thing! so many features!

No time for dessert yet! Bruce and Cade grabbed their coats and hats, and flew out the door to the Thompson Falls Homecoming football game. (told you we had to pack a lot of fun into just a few days).

When they got back, the pie was done, and still warm.  We sang Happy Birthday to Cade, and cut large slices, to top with vanilla ice cream.

Cade really DOES make the best apple pie!

Cade and I talked for a little while, but we were pretty exhausted, and headed off to bed soon after.

The next day, Cade stayed long enough to indulge his old mother, by trekking around the yard, taking photos- me with my camera, and Cade with his new one! He takes amazing photos, btw. Then, he was off- back to school. I know he's an adult now... and a responsible one, too, with one heck of a good head on his shoulders- but to me?  He's, also, my sweet, little boy- and I miss him, very much.