Posting my apple butter recipe w/out all the pictures and commentary so it can be printed it out easily.

Amy's Apple Butter

30 Gala apples, peeled, cored, cut into small pieces
3 cups of sugar
2 Tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 tsp salt

Place all ingredients in Crock Pot and cook on high for 3 hours or until the mixture is reduced by half and the apples are tender.

Blend in blender until smooth(or use an immersion blender if you're lucky enough to have one).

Ladle into canning jars, place lids on and process in water bath canner to seal.

Directions for canning can be found at www.pickyourown.org. They also have directions for making applesauce too if you're interested.
If you do this, email me or leave me a comment here and let me know how it turned out.

We already have our Christmas lights up. Yes. My neighbors are probably REALLY annoyed by the brightness that emanates from our house but I love my lights. I think we might be the only house on our street with lights up this early and turned on this early too. We only have lights on our front porch though because we have way too much stuff do to before our big trip on FRIDAY (!!!) to do the whole house. But even if what we have up now is all we get up, at least we have Christmas lights up this year. And an animatronic reindeer. We got the reindeer as a gift and while I don't have anything at all against people who put fake reindeer in their yards, we probably wouldn't have purchased this reindeer for ourselves. We're much more a simple, lights only family I guess. But I was shopping with the kids in Target and I took them past the Christmas display. (Only a day after Halloween, hello! Aren't we rushing things a bit?) And Easton saw the reindeer on display. You should have heard my boy! The utter joy in his voice when he said "Oh MY! Mama, looka dis!" was enough to make me want to purchase ten of those suckers right there on the spot. But we already had one so I didn't have to. So we have our Christmas lights up on our porch. Just simple (VERY BRIGHT) white lights and a white reindeer. Oh, how my boy loves that light-up reindeer. I'll have to take his picture after dark beside the reindeer. He asks to go see it every night and cries when we come inside, no matter how cold it is outside or how long we've been out looking at the lights. I think my boy needs Christmas lights in his room. Not the reindeer maybe but definitely some kind of Christmas lights as a nightlight. What do you think?

FINALLY! The CraftyLilDevil's been at it again. Sometimes staying up til 2 am to finish projects is the only way I can get them done but I've FINALLY got some things crossed off my craft "to-do" list! Here are some pictures of projects I've done and/or cheap games for my kids. They really do have TONS of storebought gifts and things that they love but I enjoy trying to make things for them too. And sometimes the things that have been the biggest hits are the cheapest!

Easton's fleecy Bedlam blanket and 2 pillows. Go Pokes! Stacking game. Just a simple paper towel holder from dollar general and some links we had already. E loves stacking these and will do it over and over. Cost for this project: $1
Audrey's new bib. This pic makes the opening look really crooked but it's not. Cost: $1.25
Dyed noodles and shoestring for stringing. Cost: $1
Beanbags. Cost: $1.69 for beans

Watch for more projects coming soon!

from 11-1-09

Easton,
Tonight we had chicken, broccoli/carrots/cauliflower mix and rice. You wanted only rice for dinner and also wanted Mama and Daddy to feed every bite to you. Funny boy! For dessert (after you ate some of ALL of your dinner, not just rice!), we had Pumpkin Spice pudding with Cool Whip and Vanilla Wafers. You loved it and call it "pugging".
Other funny words you say:
kruk - truck
fee - tree
cry - try
griving - driving
tit - tent
wallet - Walmart (probably because every time we go to Walmart I have to get out my wallet!)
You have such a huge vocabulary! Today you very plainly asked me "What's that noise, Mama?" You also have a very musical way of talking, which I never get tired of hearing. You are mostly sweet to your sister. Today I saw you very gently lift up a corner of her bib to wipe her mouth with it and it was so sweet it brought tears to my eyes. Then you promptly smacked her over the head when I wasn't paying you enough attention. Hopefully you learn very quickly that you'll definitely get attention for that alright, just not the kind you had hoped for. (TIME OUT!)
I love you, my funny boy. Can't wait to see what funny things you'll say or do tomorrow!
Love,
Mama

from 11-1-09

Audrey,
You had rice cereal again tonight I mixed it with formula and you liked it much better. You laughed and laughed at your brother today. He can make you laugh better than anyone else. I hope this is always true and that you get along well. No one understands you like a sibling. You've both been through all the same stuff and they're the only one who truly understands what makes you YOU.
You just woke up and fussed for a bit until I came and picked you up. I held you and patted and rocked you back to sleep, smelling your peach-fuzz head and listening to your breathing turn into sweet little baby snores. You had a handful of my shirt and were hanging on for dear life. Slow down, little one! I'm not ready for you to grow up so fast!
I love you!
Love,
Mama

from 10-31-09

Easton,
Happy Halloween! Tonight was your first time trick-or-treating. You were a fireman. I wil lnever forget your sweet little blonde curls peeking out from under your red plastic hat. You kept going and going, wanting to walk even long after you were literally falling down you were so tired.

You are 2 years and 3 days old. We celebrated your birthday here at home with just Mama, Daddy and Sis. We were planning a party with some of your friends but we all came down with some kind of cold or bug and have to reschedule. I think you still had a really fun day even with no big party. We were all feeling better by the time the party day rollled around but I don't want to take the chance of gettting our friends sick so we'll reschedule and you'll just have twice the birthday fun.

I made you a birthday cake to celebrate on your actual birthday. It was a monkey. Your mama is far from being a professional cake decorator but it turned out pretty cute and you said it was "Lummy" so that's all that matters. After dinner, we had cake and ice cream and then you opened your presents. You got a Fisher Price Spin-n-Crash Racetrack from Nanny and Papa, which you love and call your "race crack". You got a huge Mr. PotatoHead with lots of pieces (what were we thinking?!) from Mama and Daddy along with some books and movies. Your most favorite present of all is a $5 red Chevy truck we found by the register at Rite Aid. You'd sleep with that truck if you could. You also got a new bedding set from Nana and Poppy which you like but will take some getting used to for you to sleep with I think. I tucked you in and covered you up and the next morning I found you on top of the covers with your head at the foot of the bed. When you woke up the first thing you said to me was "New bed comfy!" You are so funny and smart!
Gotta get to bed. My eyelids are getting very heavy.
I love you, Toodles!
Love,
Mama

from 10-31-09

Audrey,
You are a joy to my heart, my child. OK so I don't really talk that way. My mama gave me a plaque with this saying on it for Christmas one year and it now hangs in your room above your changing table. But it's so true!!! As I write this, you are 5 months and 3 days old. Today was Halloween and we dressed you up in your cousin Addy's Tootsie Roll costume. It was cold and sprinkling rain so you were nice in toasty in the fleece outfit as we walked along the street pushing you in your stroller.

You tried rice cereal for the first time today. You thought it was really gross. I don't blame you. It's really stinky stuff. Maybe we'll try again tomorrow with formula instead of water. Or maybe we'll try oatmeal instead. It was some pretty yucky smelling stuff. Sorry.

You are working very hard on learning to sit up. We let you sit in the family horse collar and you really seem to love it. Remind me to tell you that story another time. It's late and I am sleepy. Your daddy is snoring loudly and I'm thinking I may have to come sleep in your room on the guest bed where it is nice and quiet.
I love you, my little Tootsie!
Love, Mama

Halloween fun

Easton was a fireman this year and Audrey was a Tootsie Roll. (Thanks to Aunt Leslie for sending us the outfit!!) It was cool and sprinkling rain on Halloween night. It's a good thing Easton's "costume" was a rain jacket that looks like a fireman's uniform! All I had to add was a $4 fireman hat from Walmart and he was set. And Audrey borrowed cousin Addy's outfit from last year's Halloween and we were all set. We didn't have spooky Halloween food this time. Well, we had spaghetti and meatballs and I'm sure I could have said it was something gross like monster guts but I don't think Easton would have eat it if I did that. So we ate dinner, got the kids ready and sat around and waited. I guess everyone in our neighborhood decided to wait til dark but I was hoping they would start early so the kids wouldn't be out so late. We finally saw the first trick-or-treaters and headed out. Easton did not want to ride in the stroller or be carried at all so he walked quite a bit for a little guy. He had fun and we had fun watching him. He (of course) wanted to eat every piece of candy he got that night. He kept saying "More can-ee, more can-ee!" Thankfully he walked so much that he burnt off all that sugar in no time and went to bed as soon as we got home with no complaints. Audrey snoozed for a while until it started sprinkling and woke her up. Then she didn't want to sleep when we got home so we were up for quite a while. Little stinker!
Hope ya'll had a Happy Halloween! I know we sure did!

Oops! Caught him w/his eyes closed! But I still love this picture.

Easton loved his hat!

I think he said Trick or Treat pretty much at all of the houses at first. And Thank You too! Then he got tired and just held out his bucket waiting for candy.

Augie-pie in her Tootsie Roll costume. Good thing it was warm!

Looks to me like Audrey is looking to her brother to figure out just what the heck is going on here. Why are we all dressed up in these outfits and out WAAY past our bedtime?!

Amy's Apple Butter

30 Gala apples, peeled, cored, cut into small pieces
3 cups of sugar
2 Tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 tsp salt

How to make apple butter with a toddler:

Wash apples.


Peel and core apples. Wish you had bought an apple/peeler/corer/slicer from Pampered Chef. You were a consultant, for crying out loud!!! You DEFINITELY should have invested in this.


Find sippy cup. Fill with milk. Turn on cartoons and return to apples. Chop apples. LOTS of apples. Chop so many apples you begin to wish you had never gone to the apple butter festival and decided "Hey, that's not so hard. I can do that. I can make LOTS of apple butter." Wish you had never even seen an apple in your life. Continue chopping apples. Finish chopping apples and place in two crock pots.

Find missing puzzle piece. Watch little one work puzzle 3 times. Return to apples. Watch as toddler climbs up on bar stool so he can "help".


And help.


And help.




Still helping.

And helping himself to some apples.


Add orange juice, sugar, salt, cinnamon and cloves.




Clean up kitchen while sweet little apple-filled toddler plays cars under your feet.
Put toddler to bed and then put yourself to bed because it's been a LONG day!

During the night, cook down apples until thick and reduced by half.


In the morning, feed toddler breakfast. While he's busy in his highchair, blend apples and juice in several batches in your blender because you do not have a fancy schmancy immersion blender. Pray that Santa reads your blog and brings you an apple/peeler/corer/slicer and an immersion blender for Christmas so you never have to do this much work to make apple butter again.


Remove toddler from highchair. Wash his hands and then your hands and then help him find something to do. Return to kitchen. Ladle apple butter into hot, sterilized jars. (Thank goodness for the dishwasher w/the heated dry cycle!)


Process in hot water bath for 20 minutes.

During this, play cars, sing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, read Goodnight Moon and change diaper. Remove jars from canner and allow to cool. Congratulations! You've just spent approximately $25 and the better part of two days making 7 pints of apple butter. Taste finished product and realize you must have only added 2 of the three cups of sugar. Scream. A lot. Decide if people love you they'll eat the danged apple butter and love it or at least pretty please do not tell you it needs more sugar. :)

We had dinner and cake and ice cream for Easton's birthday tonight. We were planning a party but we all got some kind of bug so we'll have to postpone it. Everyone here is feeling better but we'll still hold off on the party just to make sure we don't share that with our friends. I'm sure they appreciate that. We sure had fun tonight though! For dinner, I made kid-friendly food: Mummy dogs, Easy Peas-y Mac and Cheese, Scarecrow Taco Dip and a Monkey cake. I'm not the best cake decorator but I think it turned out pretty cute. I could have gotten the lines a little straighter but I think I did pretty well for just using a sandwich bag w/the corner cut off to pipe this icing! Next time though I will definitely invest in some pastry bags and tips so I can do a better job. (Don't know why the pics uploaded in the wrong order but I'm too tired to re-do it.) This first picture cracks me up. He did NOT want to wear the silly birthday hat and really I don't blame him. :)
Happy Birthday, my sunny funny boy!

What an exhausting day today!!! I got up, worked out while I watched the Today show. The kids slept late so I had time to get my coupons ready and get my stuff together. The kids woke up around ten (TEN! Holy cow!). I got everyone fed, dressed and into the car. No big deal so far, right? We made it to Walmart and did lots of shopping. This was no small feat either. Easton was in the front of the cart, Audrey was in the bottom taking up the entire thing with her carseat. This meant I had to put things in my reusable shopping bags and put them under the cart, hang them on my arms, hang them onto the sides of the cart...it was probably really funny looking.

Then all of a sudden Easton had the mother of all meltdowns right in the checkout line. Oh. My. Goodness!!! Kicking and screaming and standing up in the seat of the cart. The checker was ringing up my stuff already otherwise I would have just left the cart with all the stuff and hightailed it out of there. It was that bad. But she was already ringing up my stuff so I decided to try to pay for my stuff and leave. Easton kept screaming and trying to get out of the cart and I was scared to death he was going to fall out of the cart and split his head open right in front of everybody. I tried talking to him, spanking his little butt, threatening him and then finally ignoring him. NOTHING helped. (Yes, Mom and Dad, I am finally getting my payback for all those fits I threw and yes, they really are a *&^$!)

The cashier called someone over to help me out with my stuff because there was no way I could manage to get all that stuff AND a screaming kid out to my car by myself. Thankfully the lady who came over to help me was nice. She was a mom herself so she knew what I was going through. Once we got out to the car, I put Easton in the car (not even in his car seat yet) so he could chill out and shut the door while I loaded the stuff into the trunk. By the time I was done, he had calmed down completely and suddenly my sweet, sunny funny boy was back like nothing had ever happened. Little stinker!!!

Then I went to change his diaper. Worst possible dirty diaper. Of course! No big deal. I can handle this. I changed the dirty diaper, got him buckled into his seat. By tthen, Audrey was screaming and I knew it was time for a bottle. I went to make her a bottle and...no bottled water in the diaper bag!! What the heck?! OK. No big deal. I unbuckled E from his car seat, locked Audrey into the car. (I was in the closest parking place and could see Audrey from where I was going.) and Easton and I walked up to the vending machine to buy a bottle of water. We got the water, buckled E back into his seat, made the bottle and realized Audrey was crying because she had a dirty diaper. I got her ready, reached for a wipe. NO MORE WIPES!!! AARRGGHH!!! I rummaged around in the console and found some napkins. She wasn't coming clean with just the cheap napkins so I had to wet them with the water I had just bought. WOWEE!!! Can you even imagine the shock on that poor girls' bottom! lol I finished with the diaper change with Audrey screaming her little head off. I calmed her down, gave her the bottle and we all just chilled out while she finished. WHEW!

Then Easton decided we all needed lunch. By then it was 3:30 and we’d been shopping at Walmart for THREE hours! We got Easton “unch” at Sonic and then we went to the grocery store for a couple of items that were on sale there cheaper than Walmart. On the way to Martin’s, Easton requested a song. He said “Brick House, mama. Brick House”. I had to laugh. OK, little man. 70’s funk it is. He loves that song and Lowrider. I didn’t realize how intently he was listening to the words until he said “36”. (The part where the guy says 36, 24, 36.) And Easton kept saying Brick House. Brick House. Oh my goodness, it was just the comedy relief I needed. Here ya go. One of Easton's favorite songs right now:



We had an uneventful trip to Martin’s except for the part where it was pouring down rain when we came out of the store. Luckily, Jason called and was close by so he came to help me get the groceries and the kids into the car in the pouring rain. I rewarded myself (and Jason) for our hard work by buying us some coffee. We came home, got the kids in bed, had grilled cheese, tomato soup and beer for dinner vegged on the couch for the rest of the night. What a day!!!<