some first words

i took this a few days before dez got sick, he is talking a lot these days and it's so fun to hear him say new words.

new president

i usually don't post anything political on this blog, but this is such a remarkable day, i just couldn't resist. i just have to say that i am so excited that barack obama won the presidency.  the speech he gave last night gave me new hope in our country and made me proud to be an american.  go barack!

happy halloween

autumn yumminess

pumpkin cookies with cream cheese frosting

ingredients

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup canned pumpkin

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

directions

cream butter and sugar.  add in egg and pumpkin.  blend in all dry ingredients.  drop by spoonful onto greased cookie sheet.  bake at 350 for 10 minutes.  top with cream cheese frosting.  

cream cheese frosting

4 oz cream cheese, softened

2 1/4 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup butter, softened 

vanilla to taste

look dad, no hands

last week i was sick, and the one day i didn't see desmond, he did this.............

a lemmon weekend

david and diane (jeremy's parents) came to town this past weekend.  we packed a lot in in the days they were here.  we went to north georgia and spent a night, took long walks, played games, ate, and most of all, played with desmond.  we loved having them here, it went by way too fast.  we love you lemmons! 

burt's pumpkin farm

hillcrest apple orchard

on our cabin's deck

piedmont park

walking (and saying "daddy")

zoo atlanta

this morning we went with a few other ladies from the ward and their kids to the atlanta zoo.  it was a beautiful day so it was nice to get out.  desmond couldn't have cared less about the animals, he was more interested in the trees (he is obsessed with trees) and all of the kids running around. regardless, it was a fun outing.   (thanks for the tickets jan!)

butternut squash risotto

(for heather)

ingredients

7 T. unsalted butter

2 T. minced fresh sage

6 cups vegetable or chicken stock

2 cups butternut squash puree

2 T. olive oil

2/3 cup caramelized onions

2 cups Arborio rice

1 tsp. minced fresh rosemary

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

directions

1.  in a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 4 T. butter.  add 1 T. of the sage and heat until the butter browns.  strain the butter into a small bowl and discard the sage.  cover the bowl to keep butter warm

2.  in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, whisk together the stock and squash puree.  bring just to a simmer, 8-10 minutes; maintain over low heat

3.  in a large saucepan or risotto pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil.  add the caramelized onions and rice and stir until the grains are well coated with the oil and are nearly translucent with a white dot in the center, about 3 minutes.  stir in the remaining 1 t. sage and the rosemary.  add the wine and stir until it is absorbed.

4.  add the simmering stock mixture a ladleful at a time, stirring frequently after each addition.  wait until the stock is almost completely absorbed before adding more.

5.  when the rice is tender to the bite but slightly firm in the center and looks creamy, after about 30 minutes, stir in remaining 3 T. butter, the cheese, salt and pepper.  add more stock if needed so the rice is thick and creamy.  let stand for 2 minutes.  drizzle with the reserved sage butter and serve immediately.  

serves 6

visitors

this past weekend holly and ty came from new york to visit.   we had such a great time, and desmond just loved being with them.   we did a lot of eating, walking, laughing and playing speed scrabble.  it was so nice to have them here, we miss them already.