Fall Activities

  • Review & Giveaway: Torani Flavored Syrups

    As the weather gets cooler you may enjoy a hot cup of coffee to help jump start you on a crisp morning even more or a cup of hot chocolate by the fire with the family as you relax together on a cold evening.  Of course you may be in an area that is warm and would rather grab a smoothie or an iced coffee.  The secret ingredient behind those amazing coffee shop drinks that you and I enjoy so much in the syrups they use to flavor them.  Torani flavored syrups are made in the USA and are used at restaurants and coffeehouses in more than 40 countries around the world.   The best part is you can get these amazing flavored syrups and make your favorite drinks at home!

    I was thrilled to hear that SheSpeaks teamed up with Torani and they were sending me some Torani Flavored Syrups to try!  I received the Salted Caramel and Peppermint flavored syrups.   They are AMAZING!  I have been having fun trying out a variety of fun recipes both Torani’s Recipes and ones that I have come up with myself.   Torani offers over 120 Regular and Sugar Free Flavored Syrups which are the perfect compliment to your favorite Coffee, Espresso, Hot Chocolate, Lattes, Smoothies, Teas, and many other drinks you enjoy.  I have even used Torani Flavored Syrups in a few recipes while I was baking and they turned out delicious!  Our favorite baked goods were Torani Salted Caramel Syrup in our Banana Bread and Torani Peppermint Syrup in our Brownies!   Torani Flavored Syrups will add an extra special touch to your next party celebration!

    The Salted Caramel and Peppermint Syrups were awesome!

    • Flavored Coffees / Espresso Drinks
    • Italian Sodas
    • Flavored Tea, both hot and cold
    • Flavored Lemonade
    • Flavored Sodas (or Pop as we say in the Midwest!)
    • Cocktails
    • Mocktails
    • Flavored Energy Drinks

    Our family tried a variety of delicious recipes with our Torani Flavored Syrups!  The ones from Torani’s recipes are awesome so if your interested in getting started that’s a great resource.  Here are two recipes that I came up with that were raving hits with our family:

    Delicious Holiday Hot Chocolate!

    Rich Peppermint Hot Chocolate Recipe

    • 1/2 cup Mom’s Hot Chocolate Mix
    • 1 cup Milk
    • 1/2 tablespoon Torani Peppermint Flavored Syrup
    • Cool Whip
    • Crushed Mint Candies
    1. Heat the milk to near boiling, add the Hot Chocolate Mix, Torani’s Peppermint Syrup and stir until blended.  You can add more Torani Peppermint syrup if you want a stronger peppermint flavor.
    2. Pour the Rich Peppermint Hot Chocolate into mugs.
    3. Top with cool whip and crushed candies.

    It is a perfect blend of chocolate and peppermint for those cool evenings.  The girls loved having this as a special treat and it was great for a relaxing evening with family and friends!  I look forward to serving it even more as the Holidays approach.

    Delicious “pick-me-up” Smoothie!

    Salted Caramel & Chocolate Coffee Smoothie Recipe

    • 1 cup Milk
    • 1/2 cup Coffee (cooled)
    • 1/2 tablespoon Torani’s Salted Caramel Syrup
    • 1 tablespoon Chocolate Syrup
    • 1/2 cup Ice
    • Coop Whip (optional)
    1. Put the Milk, Coffee, Salted Caramel Syrup, Chocolate Syrup, and ice in the blender and mix until smooth.  You can add more Torani Salted Caramel syrup if you want a stronger caramel flavor.  Pour into a cup, add cool whip, and enjoy!

    This was an awesome recipe for an early morning or mid afternoon pick me up, plus it allows you to use up that extra coffee still left in the coffee pot that no one finished that morning!  Since we live in South Carolina we still have some warmer days so we were able to try a mix of hot and cold recipes with our Torani Peppermint and Salted Caramel syrups.  Salted Caramel syrup was my favorite because it blended well with any hot beverage or cool smoothie.

    A great Christmas or Hostess Gift!

    Not only are Torani Flavored Syrups a wonderful addition to your pantry they are the perfect gift to give family and friends for birthdays, Holidays or any other special occasion.  Torani Flavored Syrups make the perfect hostess gift for all those fun Holiday parties coming up.  I love that that Torani Flavored Syrups are both tasty and practical for my family and to share with others.  Torani gives your drinks that extra authentic coffee house flavor that you can make in your own kitchen so you don’t have to pay full price at your local coffee house.

    SheSpeaksbutton

    As a special treat from SheSpeaks and Torani if you order from the link on the left you can get 10% off your order!

    • Click on the picture above (it takes you to Torani’s website)
    • Order the Torani Flavored Syrups of your choice
    • At checkout enter the code shespeaks for a 10% discount

     

    Torani Flavored Syrups can be found at many retail locations or online.  Torani Favored Syrups are available at select:

    Torani has many flavor syrups available to choose from.  I am looking forward to trying more soon, trying to decide which one is next (White Chocolate, Eggnog, Pumpkin Pie, Raspberry).  You can check out more reviews on the Torani Syrup Flavors to get an idea of what everyone else is enjoying!

    Giveaway

    As a way to say thank you to my readers and to share a taste of the Torani Flavored Syrups with you I am doing a 48 hour giveaway!

    The winner of this giveaway will receive a FREE Bottle of Torani Flavored Syrup!  I will be sending the winner a coupon for a free bottle of Torani Flavored Syrup so he/she can pick out their favorite flavor to try or use it to buy a gift for a family member for the Holidays!  Here’s how to enter the giveaway:

    1. Sign up to follow my blog (if you haven’t done so already) and leave a comment below telling us how you follow Blessings Multiplied.  You can sign up to receive Blessings Multiplied via email.
    2. You can get a bonus entry into the drawing if you leave a separate comment below sharing one of your favorite flavored drinks!

    All comments must be made by November 16th at 10:00 PM EST to be entered into the drawing.

    Make sure to follow Torani on Facebook and Twitter using #SSTorani hashtag to learn more about Torani and become eligible for more prizes.  To learn more information about how SheSpeaks works and get involved sign up for free today.

    As a member of the SheSpeaks Blogger Society, I was given samples of this product to write an informed review.  The opinions expressed in this post are my own.  I was not paid to write this post.  A special thanks to SheSpeaks and Torani for providing the samples to review and the coupons for the giveaway!

  • Recipe: Pumpkin Dip

    Fresh Pumpkin Dip

    Our family had fun making jack-o-lanterns this year for the holidays.  Brina choose to do a happy one and Karlie wanted to do a scary one.  While we were having fun doing the activity we set aside the pumpkin seeds and the pieces of pumpkin that we cut out so we could make more goodies with them.  The pumpkin seeds were a huge hit and were gone in less than 24 hours.  We used our Seasoned Pumpkin Seed recipe and shared them with friends.  With the chunks of pumpkin that were remaining we made Pumpkin Dip for the evening meal.  It smelled amazing walking into the house as the aroma of sweet pumpkin soup greeted us.

    Pumpkin Dip:

    • 1 pound Pumpkin, seeded and peeled
    • 1 cup Water
    • 1 cube Chicken Bouillon
    • 1/4 cup Heavy Cream
    • 1 tablespoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
    • Crackers, Pretzels, or Bagel Pieces (for dipping)
    • Dash of Chili Pepper for Spicy Kick (optional) OR Dash of Brown Sugar for a sweeter dip (optional)

    1.  Cut up the seeded and peeled pumpkin into one inch cubes.  Place the pumpkin, water, and chicken bouillon into the crockpot.  Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours (or until the pumpkin is tender).

    2.  Use a hand blender to blend the pumpkin mixture in the crockpot.  Add the cream and pumpkin spice to the pumpkin mixture.  Let it cook for another 10 minutes and stir or blend until smooth.  Pour the pumpkin dip into a serving dish, add your favorite dipping items and enjoy.  You could add a little chili powders to make it a spicy dip or a little brown sugar to make it a sweeter dip.

    Pieces of Jack O' Lantern ready for Pumpkin Dip

    We used the pieces from our jack-o-lantern activity but you could use a regular pumpkin or canned pumpkin as well.  This would be a good one for upcoming Holidays and potlucks.  We used plain bagels cut up into bite size pieces to dip.  The girls loved it!

  • Travel & Vacation: Swimming Pool Fun on Daniel’s Island

    We got to try out a few hotel pools this summer with all our travel adventures.  The one in the pictures below we visited more then once and the girls love it.  The Hampton Inn on Daniel’s Island, SC (actually the only hotel on Daniel’s Island) was one of the girls favorites I think because we went to it several times over the summer and it was really close to everything.

    Brina and Karlie swimming in their “favorite” hotel pool!

      The pool usually had some shade any time you were in it plus it was relatively quiet during the day.

    Brina Bee swimming in the pool.

    The girls did really well in the pools and ocean this summer.  When it was just Mommy and the girls swimming I made sure the girls wore floaties or their life jackets as an extra precaution.  When Jake was with us they could go without the floaties or life jackets because each of us could spot one of the girls.  You really cannot be too safe when it comes to swimming pools.

    Karlie showing off under water

    Love this picture of Karlie and the pool.  As you can see from the picture we were literally the only ones in the pool at this time.  The girls would swims for hours.  We had a blast swimming and playing.

    Brina smiling at me under water

    Cute shot of Brina under water.  She did great swimming, splashing and playing in the pool.  I was thrilled to see her willing to take off her life jacket and floaties for a few minutes too.  She loves the water!

    Karlie ready to jump

    Karlie would wait to make sure I was looking before jumping.  She loved jumping off the side of the pool into the water.  The cannon ball was her favorite because it did a big splash.

    Brina playing in the swimming pool!

    Brina had a blast swimming and diving under the water.  She thought it was funny that she could see under water better than Mommy.

    Karlie in mid air

    Karlie’s face in this picture makes me smile.  She loved jumping, diving, cannon balling into the pool.

    Brina getting ready to jump

    Love her little tongue sticking out as she contemplates the best way to jump on her unsuspecting noodle.    Brina’s favorite way to jump into the pool was to target her noodle and jump in on it.

    Karlie holding her breath under water

    Karlie wears her goggles almost the entire time she is in the pool.  She loves being able to see “clearly” under water.  One time she even found another kids diving stick for them!  The goggles are on a little off center  in this picture but the girls did really well putting them on by themselves.

    Brina laughing at her noodle.

    Sometimes it is the simplest things in life that are so funny.  Even though we were really busy filling our days with activities it was wonderful to have play time were we could relax, play and just have a blast together.

    Karlie in mid jump.....her target is her blue noodle

    Karlie loves jumping into the pool.  I was surprised at how high she was able to get on some of her jumps.  Thankful for this time together and seeing my girls growing up.

    Pretty Brina Bee holding her breath under water in the pool

    It takes talent learning how to hold your breath under water.  I think over the last several months the girls have become water bugs.  They love swimming!

    Karlie having fun at the pool

    The girls could play all day at the pool.  After several hours of swimming and several layers of sunblock Mommy decided we better head in so Daddy wasn’t waiting on us.  The girls loved swimming in the pool and going on adventures.  Most of our activities were simple (swimming in the pool, playing in the park, etc…) yet they were enjoyable for everyone.  We made a lot of fun memories together this year.  Thankful for my camera Jake gave me for Christmas because I can take it with me in the pool, ocean, or rain and not worry about the camera being ruined.  The girls loved that I could take the camera into the pool with us!

    The “Travel and Vacation” series is an insight into our trips together as a family and ways we relax.  Life is short and we were thrilled to have the opportunity to build memories with family and explore of of the most amazing places during our time away.  Explore with a good attitude, look for fun and it will be an awesome trip jammed packed with positive memories.  It is refreshing having some time away from the regular routine.  Make it a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet new people and learn.  You just might see or try something new that takes your breath away!

  • Travel & Vacation: Angel Oak Tree and other Family Adventures near Charleston, SC

    Canopy of trees on the way to the Angel Oak Tree

    The girls and I ventured out a little ways to check out the Angel Oak Tree while Jake was working in Charleston one day.  The picture above is the beautiful canopy of trees we saw on the bumpy country road that led to our amazing tree adventure that was recommended to us by my friend Janet.

    Facts about the Angel Oak Tree

    In case you cannot read the sheet above here are some of the details –  The Angel Oak Tree we visited is said to be between 300 to 400 years old, 65 feet tall, the circumference is 25.5 feet, area of shade 17,000 square feet and the largest limb is 11.25 feet in circumference and 89 feet long.  It is located on John’s Island near Charleston, SC.  Some people believe that the tree is over 1500 years old.

    Angel Oak Tree near Charleston, South Carolina

    The Angel Oak Tree is massive, it was really hard to get a picture that truly shows it’s size.  I took a few pictures from different angles but I couldn’t get the entire tree to fit in one picture.  It was simply amazing to see such a huge tree.

    Beautiful and huge Angel Oak Tree

    If you look closely you can see the supports helping hold up the limbs.  The girls and I were nearly speechless at the size of the tree.  We walked around it several times just in awe!

    Brina inspecting the large carrot we picked out at a local Farmer's Market

    We stopped at this really neat local Farmers Market store on our way back from the Angel Oak Tree adventure.  Their carrots were very BIG, the girls have never seen carrots that huge before (not sure I had either).  They must have had some great soil for carrots.  We picked out a large carrot and nibbled on it for a couple days (I didn’t think to weigh to but I am think it could have been over a pound).

    Great quote the girls and I discovered along our adventures

    The girls love traveling with Jake and I on road trips.  We are always on the look out for neat ideas or something interesting to share.  Of course one of the areas we frequently visited in our travels were a variety of restrooms.  Sometimes the girls were in dire need of a restroom by the time with found one.  The girls wanted me to read this sign in the Farmers Market restroom, we all had a good laugh at it as we reminisced together of some times just in the last few months we felt like a minute was a very long time as we waited on the other side of the door.

    Walking down one of the girls favorite piers.

    Some days the water is low and all the greenery is out of the water other days it is complete under water.  Love the little “sand” trail that you can see under the water.

    The guy fishing off the pier caught a little one!

    As we were walking down the pier we notice a guy fishing.  We asked if he had caught anything yet and he showed us his catch of the morning.  The girls thought it was such a cute little fish!  They were very excited for him.

    Daddy brought us a blue raspberry slushy.

    After a fun day at the park and pool Daddy brought his girls a blue raspberry slushy.  It was amazing!

    We had blue tongues after just a few minutes.

    The blue raspberry slushy made all of our tongues blue!  I think the girls drink more of the slushy based off their tongue color, ha!

    Cannon outside the hotel.

     The girls always hoped that our room was never in the line of fire.  Thankfully our room never faced the cannon.  The girls always loved looking at it!

    After dinner we took a little walk together and found a pond with turtles.

    I am not sure how long we watched these turtles but it was a lot of fun.  The girls were mesmerized by these cute little turtles.   According to the girl there was a whole family of turtles (we did see quite a few).

    Crashed on the pull out couch after a few minutes of chitchat about their "super fun" day

    We got back to the hotel, gave the girls baths and they spent a few minutes talking and giggling about their “super fun” day before crashing.  They were exhausted but in good spirits.  We really did pack a lot into one day!

    The “Travel and Vacation” series is an insight into our trips together as a family and ways we relax.  Life is short and we were thrilled to have the opportunity to build memories with family and explore of of the most amazing places during our time away.  Explore with a good attitude, look for fun and it will be an awesome trip jammed packed with positive memories.  It is refreshing having some time away from the regular routine.  Make it a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet new people and learn.  You just might see or try something new that takes your breath away!

  • Teaching Our Children: How to Roller Blade

    A few weeks ago we purchased Roller Blades ($11) for the girls at a store closing sale.  They had a handful of roller blades left and actually had the girls sizes.  They didn’t get any fancy colors but I was pleased with the two that we found in their size, one blue and one red set.  One relaxing family evening we decided to open the roller blade boxes and try them out.  It was fun watching them try to learn how to balance and move.  We started them on the carpet instead of the tile or sidewalk in case they bit the dust.  It would be better to let them get a handle on it before breaking an arm or leg.  Here is a few snapshots of them trying out the roller blades:

    Daddy getting the roller blade ready for the girls

    Brina’s waiting for her roller blade to go on…..is it ready yet Daddy?  Karlie is busy unpacking and checking out her cool blue roller blades.

    Brina figuring out how to roller blade.

    It was neat seeing the girls get the hang of using the roller blades.  Before long I could see lines on the carpet from them going in circles from the kitchen to the hallway to the living and dining room.

    Brina and Karlie roller blading in the living room

    They went slow at first but got more speed as they did it more.  Probably one of the hardest things for them to figure out was once they fall down how do you get back up without rolling away, pretty comical to watch.

    Karlie concentrating on roller blading

    Karlie was so focused on roller blading I never got a picture of her actually looking at the camera.  I guess it isn’t as easy to turn and face the camera when your wearing “shoes on wheels”!

    One observation I had about the roller blades was the girls were a few inches taller.  They were investigating stuff on the tops of the cabinets and counter tops that never caught their attention before.  Also, I had to make a rule that if Mom or Dad was in the kitchen cooking they could only go on one side of the kitchen with roller blades otherwise I was getting my toes ran over or grabbed as they were passing me in the kitchen while I was making dinner.  It was fun to see them try them out and watch them learn how to move.  I was thrilled that they enjoyed learning new skills.

  • Travel & Vacation: Visiting Daniel’s Island and More

    View after going over the Cooper River Bridge on our way to Daniel's Island

    We always love the views on our way to Daniel’s Island, South Carolina.  This picture was taken shortly after going over the Cooper River Bridge.  Just one of the beautiful pieces of scenery in the Charleston area.

    Almost there.....one more mile to Daniel's Island.

    The girls always look for this sign and know we are almost to Daniel’s Island.  They know that it is Exit 24 and in between two big bridges.  It is a lot of fun traveling with the family!

    One of my favorite signs in the Charleston area.

    A sign we have seen many times this year that the girls always wanted me to read whenever we go to the Waterfront Park under the Arthur Ravenel Bridge.    I grew up in the country hearing coyotes so this smile makes me smile.  One of the girls questions the first time we read it why can we “never feed coyotes won’t they get hungry?”

    Snacks at the park

    The girls were really good about remembering to take their drink with them to the parks.  Most of the places we went had water fountain and restrooms which was really nice too.  I had made some cookies for Jake’s co-workers that week so I put in a few sugar cookies with sprinkles for the girls too.

    Stopping for a quick snack

    I was able to convince Karlie and Brina to stop for a few minutes for a quick snack and more importantly a drink (it was over 100 degrees and we had been out all morning).  They were so fascinated by all the other kids at the park.  Sometimes we would be at the park with a handful of kids and a daycare would show up to play making the the area buzzing with little ones having fun.

    Refueling with Powerade on a very hot day

    On one of our trips it was over 100 degrees and the girls (and Mommy) spent the day outside at parks.  I was worried about them getting dehydrated so we stopped by CVS and picked up a “Powerade”.  The girls thought it was great and it tasted like lemonade.

    Karlie worked up enough courage to go down the big pole.

    Although the pole probably would have been a little easier sliding down in pants I was very proud of Karlie for trying it out.  It takes a little bit of guts to reach out over that gap between the jungle gym and gap to go on the pole.  She was very excited of her accomplishment.

    Brina spinning in the red seats at the park

    I really don’t know how she could sit in those seats and just spin!  The couple times I braved it and did a couple of spins I was ready to loose my cookies.

    Brina and Karlie testing out a new ride

    One afternoon during our Charleston adventures it decided rain so the girls and I hang out for about an hour at the Outlets.  The girls thought this car was HILARIOUS and spent several minutes checking it out.

    After picking up Daddy from work Brina crashed

    We picked up Jake after a full day at the parks and playing.  A few minutes later I looked back to point out a rainbow I saw in the sky and Brina has fallen fast asleep.  Not sure how she can sleep like this (it looks very uncomfortable) but all our pillows and stuff was already at the hotel.

    Karlie was sleeping too

    Looking back at both of them sleeping made me laugh.  They are so different even when they sleep in the car.  After a busy nap the few minute cap night was very nice for both of them.  Thankful that they both travel so well and enjoy exploring different places on our trips together.

    Watching the sun set as we crossed over the bridge.

    One of the questions the girls asked the last time we were in Charleston….”Is Charleston made of bridges?”  There are quite of few there.  We enjoyed watching the sunsets, sunrises, and seeing the beautiful scenery from the many bridges we crossed.

    Walking with Daddy near downtown Charleston

    The girls loved learning about history and just walking around Charleston.  We actually wore out one pair of flipflops on this trip with all the walking and playing.  They love asking Daddy a lot of questions about the town and Jake is so good about answering them.

    Sign from one of the guns / cannons near downtown Charleston

    We went through the Battery Park in Charleston again and looked at all the guns and cannons.  This is a sign from one of the guns that was used to attack Fort Sumter on April 7, 1863.  The girls loved learning about the variety of different cannons and the history behind them.

    The “Travel and Vacation” series is an insight into our trips together as a family and ways we relax.  Life is short and we were thrilled to have the opportunity to build memories with family and explore of of the most amazing places during our time away.  Explore with a good attitude, look for fun and it will be an awesome trip jammed packed with positive memories.  It is refreshing having some time away from the regular routine.  Make it a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet new people and learn.  You just might see or try something new that takes your breath away!

  • Halloween Candy Buy Back Programs

     

    Hope everyone had an amazing Holiday.  Halloween is a great time to create memories with your family.  The Fall Festivals, pumpkin carving, hayrides, dressing up and candy…..sometimes too much candy.  Every wonder if you’ll be able to eat, share and giveaway all the candy before the next Halloween hits.

    Dentists all over the country are participating in a Halloween Candy Buy Back Program. They buy the kids Halloween candy then donate it to the groups that send it to those in Military Service.

    • Example:  Holly Tree Pediatric Dentistry in our area (1334 South Hwy 14, Simpsonville, SC 29681 / Phone: 864-297-5585) is Buying Back Halloween Candy and giving the kids $1 per pound ($5 max per child) and a Treat bag.  The Buy back dates are Tuesday 11/1 to Thursday 11/3 between 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM.  All the candy will be donated to our Troops Overseas.

    If it is something you interested in participating in you can read more about on the FAQ page and search for locations near you!

    Photo by Rochelle

  • Fresh & Healthy: Fall Harvest – Community Supported Agriculture (Week 4)

    We are enjoying our Fall Harvest with our Local Farm with Community Supported Agriculture program.  The Fall harvest is 10 weeks long through our farm.  We were thrilled to get the produce and fresh eggs.  Our family is doing a half share again for this harvest.

    Fall Harvest Week 4 of Fresh Goodies from our CSA!

    Fresh Goodies from our Local CSA Farm

    Items in our Basket this Week:

    • 1 Acorn Squash
    • 2 Sweet Potatoes
    • 1 bundle White Radishes
    • 1 White Eggplant
    • 1  Black Eggplant
    • 2 Milk Thistles
    • 1 bundle Greens and ?
    • 1 Half Dozen Fresh Eggs
    I am not sure what the vegetable is on the left front corner of the picture, I’ve seen them before but cannot remember what they are.  I am looking forward to eating these goodies this week!  Thanks everyone for the delicious Recipes!  To find out how you can be a part of a local CSA check out this post – Fresh & Healthy:  Community Supported Farms

  • Travel & Vacation: Fun Day at Isle of Palms Beach

    Beach day with my three favorite people!

    I love my family and am thankful for the amazing opportunities we had the past few months.  It was wonderful sharing so many great memories together at home, the beach and traveling!  One of our favorite spots to visit was the beach at Isle of Palms near Charleston, South Carolina.

    Crazy crew at the beach.

    The girls have such different personalities!  Karlie has to wear her goggles in the ocean where Brina prefers not having anything on her face in the water.

    Swimming in the ocean.

    It always amazes me how long the girls want to stay at the beach.  Usually Jake and I end up decided to go because we are exhausted not because the girls are asking to go.  It is not uncommon for us to stay for 6 to 8 hours swimming, building sand castles, collecting sea shells and eating our picnic lunch.  Although, the girls typically crash on the way back to the hotel or home.

    Karlie Kool Kat having a blast

    Enjoying her time swimming in the ocean.  Thinking she is pretty cool swimming on her own (at least until the next big wave comes)!

    Mommy and her girls

    Swimming together at Isle of Palms.  Love spending extra time with the family at the beach.

    Brina Bee swimming in the big ocean by herself.

    Brina all smiles swimming on her own in the big ocean.

    Digging around in the sand

    Sometimes just digging around in the sand is the most entertaining.  We typically do a sand castle and just let them play to their hearts content.  One of those times playing in the mud is just plain fun!

    The “Travel and Vacation” series is an insight into our trips together as a family and ways we relax.  Life is short and we were thrilled to have the opportunity to build memories with family and explore of of the most amazing places during our time away.  Explore with a good attitude, look for fun and it will be an awesome trip jammed packed with positive memories.  It is refreshing having some time away from the regular routine.  Make it a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet new people and learn.  You just might see or try something new that takes your breath away!

  • Recipe: Seasoned Pumpkin Seeds

    Fresh pumpkin seeds.

    I shared this recipe last year and since it was a big hit I am re-posting it again this year.  Jake made some amazing roasted pumpkin seeds during our time carving the pumpkins.  Here is a super easy and great recipe for roasting pumpkins seeds:

    • 2 c pumpkin seeds
    • 2 T butter
    • Sprinkle Seasoned Salt (or substitute a 1/2 package ranch package mix)

    Rinse the pumpkin seeds.  Saute pumpkin seeds in the butter for about 5 minutes (until they start to turn brown).  Sprinkle the Seasoned Salt or Ranch Mix on the  seeds.  Spread seeds into a shallow baking pan and baked at 250 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes or until crispy.  Stirring every 10 minutes.

    We made half with the sprinkled Seasoned Salt and half with the Hidden Valley Ranch Dill Seasoning mix this year.  Delicious snacks for the whole family!