xmlns:fb='http://www.facebook.com/2008/fbml' Friday Night Wife: A Few Very Good Things...
Four years ago I taught 2nd graders and had for five years. For now the Lord has me staying home with my babies. I am a believer in Jesus Christ. I have been married for 8 years to my best friend who just happens to be a football coach. We have four precious baby girls who keep us very busy. I love to spend time with family, craft, bake, cook, watch football, and whatever else comes up. I am hoping to start up a baking business with cakes, cupcakes, and cookies. I hope you enjoy reading about our life as much as I am enjoying blogging about it!

Gonzo

Gonzo

My Girls

My Girls

Adda B.

Adda B.

Ella Sue

Ella Sue

Chloe & Claire

Chloe & Claire

Sunday, September 30, 2012

A Few Very Good Things...

I have two bits of information to post about today.  Both of these things are exciting to me.  One is very exciting!   In fact, it's not just good, it's great!

Because October is almost here, because it's cool and cloudy outside, and because everyone needs to know about pumpkin spice pudding mix, I decided to make pumpkin bread.  Nothing puts you in the mood for Fall like the taste of pumpkin (well, besides football)!  I got this recipe from a friend I used to teach with before I had Adda.  I taught second grade here in Arlington for three years.  I was apart of a great team who I became very close with.  The three years I worked at Williams, were the three years we were trying to get pregnant.  There were countless times that the ladies on my team listened, cried, and prayed with me.  I will forever cherish the friendships I formed with those five ladies.  I will forever be grateful for the time the Lord provided with each of them.  Roz is who I got the recipe from.  She is a fantastic cook!  It is truly her passion.  This first time I meet her I knew she was someone I would become great friends with.  I did check with her about sharing this recipe before I posted it!  Everytime I make it I think of her!

Roz's Pumpkin Bread
 2 cups of flour
1 3/4 cups of sugar
1 - 3.4 oz. package of Jello brand pumpkin spice pudding mix 
(This pudding is only sold during the Fall months.  Stock up on it!  It's delicious!  If you can't find it Roz uses vanilla instead.)
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
5 eggs
1 1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 small can of pumpkin puree

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Grease 2 loaf pans (I decided to make mine in the bundt pan today).  In a bowl combine flour, sugar, pudding mix, baking soda, salt, and spices.  In another larger bowl beat eggs until combined.  Add pumpkin and oil and mix well.  Mix dry ingredients with wet ingredients just until combined.  Do not over mix.  Pour into pans and bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  She said she has also made this in a jelly roll pan.  




Today I made a maple glaze to drizzle over it.  I used powdered sugar maple syrup and a little maple flavoring because I had it in my pantry.  I mixed them together until I got the consistency and flavor I wanted.  I also added a little milk.




 While the pumpkin bread was baking I went out to the sunroom and put together our new DOUBLE STROLLER!  The capital letters are my attempt at letting you know how stinking fired up I am about this!  I looked all over the internet, read tons of reviews, and talked to a bushel of people about double strollers before Ella was even born.  We planned on getting one and then she got RSV, was put in the hospital, and we had a few thousand more dollars of hospital bills that were unexpected.  I kept telling myself that I could do it without one.  I have done it for almost 8 months without one!  Most of the time it was no big deal.  Adda was responsible enough that I could let her walked beside me.  The only times that I longed for one were times when I wanted to go exercise (Letting Adda ride her trike while I pushed Ella in the stroller burned about .483 calories per hour), or times when I was in a huge hurry and the store we were in was really crowded.  I finally threw in the towel on Saturday afternoon when I took the girls to the mall by myself, in the rain, during the big Dillards sale!  I was almost in tears before it was all said and done.  Adda had already cried many tears from falling (more than once) because I was pushing the stroller too fast.  My toes were bleeding because she stepped on them about twenty times!  I know I wasn't very nice to that poor girl!  Listen, I'm not a perfect mom by any means.  I don't keep my cool 100% of the time.  I get a little tense at times.  None of that changes how much I love my girls.  My mom still apologizes for things that she did (all of which we think are really funny).  I will apologize for some things too some day!  I do know this...a double stroller will make things sooooo much easier on us all!!!!  

I walked out in the sun room and found Sissy asleep on the stroller.
 Here are all the parts. 
 My handy helper Sissy is back, but this time in the basket.
 Complete!  Oh, this makes me smile!
 Ready for a walk when the girls wake up from their nap.  Notice the basket is sagging on one side.  That's Sissy again!
 Rotten Cat! Notice the really large basket under the seat!  Huge perk!
 Sleepy Cat!

It was a successful calorie burning walk!!!!  At one point as we were going up a huge hill and I was breathing very heavy Adda said, "Mom, we need to go much faster than this!"  I told her I was going as fast as I could!

   
  

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