Birthday Girl

This little lady turns 3 today.........Happy Birthday Lilly!

Pumpkin Yumminess

For last week's Fried Chicken Dinner at church I tried out a new recipe. I was really wanting something with pumpkin and cheesecake is always good, so I consulted with Paula Deen, who provided an excellent pumpkin cheesecake recipe.

Crust:

nocoupons

• 1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 stick melted salted butter

Filling:

nocoupons

• 3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 (15-ounce) can pureed pumpkin
• 3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

For crust:

In medium bowl, combine crumbs, sugar and cinnamon. Add melted butter. Press down flat into a 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.

For filling:

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin puree, eggs, egg yolk, sour cream, sugar and the spices. Add flour and vanilla. Beat together until well combined.

Pour into crust. Spread out evenly and place oven for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours.

**I opted to use 2 - 9" graham cracker pie crusts for this recipe....take one to church, and keep one at home :)

While I was busying making cheesecake and freezing pumpkin last weekend, these cuties and their mommies were painting pumpkins at grandma's house.

16 and Counting

Not much to report in the baby department this week. We're moving right along at 16 weeks. Out little bean is now the size of an avocado - approximately 4 1/2 inches long and 3 1/2 ounces. According to everything I've read, over the next couple of weeks the baby will double in size and weight.

Little milestones this week-the baby's toenails have started growing. This will be of particular interest to my family as we've had spirited discussions on whether to clip a baby's toenails or bite them off.....don't ask :)

Wordless Wednesday

The Apple Of Our Eye

Well, at 15 1/2 weeks, we are officially the parents of a baby the size of an apple (or orange if you prefer). And in honor of this milestone, we headed to the Apple Dumpling for some homemade chicken and noodles over mashed potatoes this week. For those of you from around the area, you undoubtedly know how wonderful the food is at this family-owned, home cooking restaurant. I'm sorry to report we did not have enough room for one of their famous apple dumplings for dessert.

Things have been going well. Though I'm still ready for bed before 10 pm, most days I'm not praying for a nap like a couple of weeks ago. I'm still fighting morning sickness, though it does seem to be decreasing in intensity. Heartburn has been minimal (thank goodness), though I've had a few more headaches in the past week than I've had in the previous three months combined.

We had a short doctor's visit earlier this week. Not only did I get a prescription for migraines, but we got to hear the baby's heartbeat. Yahoo! We were able to see the heart beating at the ultrasound a couple of weeks ago, but hearing it for the first time was amazing!

Mondays Stink

It's Monday. It's Cold. And it's raining. Again.



Stinky Mondays.



But a different kind of stinky than Saturday.

Macro Monday

This is a photo I actually took a few weeks ago. Teasel is an invasive plant that is quickly overtaking roadsides, ditches, and natural area. However, when in bloom, it can be quite lovely. I suppose that is why people don't realize how devastating it can be.

Truth be Told

The real reason I've been slacking on the blog.....By the time I get home I'm too tired. I've been nauseous. I couldn't share the news I wanted to the most.


That's right....mark your calendars for April 7! Now we just need to make sure the baby gets here before planting!