A New Favorite Recipe

I came across a new favorite recently, as I was looking for a recipe for homemade applesauce. I have now made it twice and have actually not mashed it at the end so my twist on it is more like stewed apples than applesauce. Here's how to make it...

You will need 3 and a 1/2 pounds of apples. In my experience, that is about 7 small to medium-sized apples. I use Gala apples because they are my favorite, but you could use whatever you like.




You will need to core each apple...

Then, peel each apple...

Then, cut each piece into small chunks and put into a Dutch oven...

You will need brown sugar, vanilla and cinnamon...

To the Dutch oven, add 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla and 1 teaspoon cinnamon...

Mix it up a bit, pop the lid on your pot and simmer over medium-low heat for about 35 minutes. They're done when the apples are soft and the sauce is all combined.

They will look something like this...

What a great way to warm up on a chilly day! Enjoy!

A Weekend Away

This weekend, Don, Hoosier and I went up to South Bend for a couple of family events. On Friday night, we attended The McCloskey Family Benefit, a fundraiser for Izzy and Carleigh at the Knights of Columbus. The turnout was incredible...it was a HUGE success. It was nice to have a chance to catch up with Izzy, see Carleigh and the rest of the family and hang out with Matthew, Fay and my mom.

Izzy and me catching up...

On Saturday, Don and his brothers, dad and nephew hung out while all the girls hosted a bridal shower for our soon-to-be sister-in-law, Jodi. Jodi and Deron are getting married at the beginning of March in Las Vegas. We can't wait!

The shower was held at one of my favorite restaurants in South Bend, Hacienda. Here's the cake/gift table...

A close-up of the delicious cake...

A few of the family members that were there (front row: Aunt Judy, my mother-in-law, Dolores, Jodi; second row: my sister-in-law, Amy, my niece, Elizabeth, me and my sister-in-law, Debbie)...

Another pic of some family members (left to right: cousin Jenny, cousin Lindsey, cousin Jill, cousin Amy, Aunt Lorie and Jodi)...

What a fun couple of days. We headed back home Saturday night so we could get a good night's rest for the big Colts/Jets game today. Go Blue!

A Walk in the Park

Today we took Hoosier to one of our favorite places to walk...the Butler University campus. OK, so it's not really a park, but it is absolutely beautiful.

There are ponds (Hoosier loves to swim in these in the summer, along with the, ahem, fountains on campus)...




and a bell tower...

and gorgeous rock waterfalls...

and very large goldfish...

and a cool wrought-iron bridge...

and lots of trees...

lots and lots of trees...

and a bell tower (I know I mentioned that already, but I absolutely love it)...

and, of course, Hinkle Fieldhouse.

You really can't find a prettier place in Indianapolis. Now I just can't wait for summer when they turn those fountains back on. It's the best place in the city for a dog to go swimming...

Hoosier Update

I haven't posted much about Hoosier lately, and he definitely has had some things going on. First and foremost, he turned 2 last Tuesday! Happy Birthday, Hoosier!

He also had a buddy come to visit for a few days. Kona is actually his half-brother and belongs to a friend of mine. They were going on vacation so Kona came to stay with us. The dogs had a ridiculous amount of fun once Hoosier got over the fact that there was another dog at our house...he wasn't so sure about it at first. They followed me EVERYWHERE (actually Kona followed me and Hoosier followed Kona to make sure he didn't do anything to me), ran circles around the backyard, wrestled in the snow and slept together in our bed at night. They were too cute together. We're planning a reunion at Kona's house in March, when Don and I go to Vegas.

Here they are all tuckered out after a long day of running and playing (Hoosier is in the front, Kona is in the back). I love how they're all curled up on each other...

I just love this picture. I have no idea what they are looking at, but there was definitely something out there (Kona left, Hoosier right)...

After all the playing and wrestling Hoosier did with Kona, he was in dire need of a haircut. So today, he spent a couple of hours with his favorite groomer, Meagan. He must have had a lot of mats because she had to take off A LOT of fur. Doesn't he look so much more handsome though (as compared to the furry mess you see in previous pictures)?

A close-up of his floppy ears and fro...

Hoosier also had to take a little trip to the vet this week. We woke up on Thursday morning and Hoosier couldn't see a darn thing because his eyes were swollen shut! Poor guy had an allergic reaction to something...nothing a little antihistamine can't fix though. As you can see, he's entirely back to normal! Have a terrific weekend!

Georgia Trip Part IV-Final Installment

Well, I'm finally to the final installment of our Georgia trip. On our final day there, Penny offered to watch all 4 kids so Amy, Brett, Don and I could drive to Savannah for the day. I was so excited to go to Paula Deen's restaurant and check out the town. Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate (Georgia was experiencing record lows the week we visited-not bad for us midwesterners, but frigid for the California clan), and we decided it was going to be too much driving for Don and me (we were leaving early the next morning to make the 11 hour trip home). So, instead, we all ended up going to downtown Augusta. We ate at a lovely little restaurant, The Boll Weevil Cafe. The food was delicious!




Afterwards, we walked around the Riverwalk for about 10 minutes before deciding we were too cold. Here's a cool fountain we came across...

The view down the main street of downtown Augusta...

We did a little more shopping then headed back to the house to relieve Penny of her babysitting duties. That night we just hung around the house, playing Wii.

My sister and me...


Finley and Nini...

Later in the evening, Dad, Don and me went out for a drink while everyone else stayed at home playing Left, Right, Center...

The next morning we got up early and on the road. I didn't get pictures, but we stopped at the best breakfast joint in Atlanta, The Silver Skillet which was featured on Guy Fieri's "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives." I wanted to take our waitress home with me, she was so nice and southern. We also stopped at one of our favorite restaurants in Louisville, Lynn's Paradise Cafe. This restaurant was featured on "Throwdown with Bobby Flay." Since my dad and Penny used to live in Louisville, we have gone there several times. It is the most eclectic place you have ever seen, and the food is out of this world delicious.

That just about wraps up our Georgia trip. Now back to reality...

Georgia Trip Part III

On Sunday, we decided to take a family trip to the local bowling alley. Here we are preparing for the madness.

Aidan, Brock and Noah...

Finley, looking too cute, waiting for her next turn...

Brett and Amy had to help Finley roll the ball and, even then, it still took 10 minutes for the ball to get all the way down the lane. Do you think she's going to knock down that 1 pin???

Don and me at the bowling alley...


After we got home from bowling, the boys all went outside for a little pre-football watching backyard football game.

Finley was their cheerleader...

However, she didn't last too long in the cold (ha!) Georgia weather (she's a California girl) so she came inside to help Mommy and Aunt Isa bake (post) Christmas cookies. She even wore her new apron that she got for Christmas.

She helped out quite a bit. Here she is posing with what will soon be (burnt) Chocolate Mints. I have yet to bake a batch of these cookies that has not resulted in half of them burning (and I really am a good baker!).

Later that evening, we broke out the Wii and played a little bowling, golf and tennis. Why did we spend so much money going to the bowling alley when we could have just done it for free at home in our pajamas? Aidan was one mean bowler...

However, Finley was the bowling champion.

We had a lot of fun playing Wii and watching football that night. Stay tuned...tomorrow will be the final installment of the Georgia Trip blog.

Georgia Trip Part II

On Saturday, we woke up and just hung around the house for a bit. Some of us read the newspaper...




Others ate breakfast...

While still others drank coffee and played video games...

Later, we all got dressed and headed to the mall to spend our Christmas money. First, though, Ginger and Charlie (Finley's canine alter ego) had to play for a bit...

Finley and mommy all ready to go to the mall...

After we spent all our money, we went to a local seafood restaurant, Rhinehart's, for dinner.

Finley smiling for her Aunt Isa...

Aidan doing the same...

Don and me...

They had a crab leg special so that's what most everyone got (except me...yuck!)...

Crab legs seem like a whole lot of work to me...

Unfortunately for ocean life, we put away a LOT of sea creatures that night...

More to come tomorrow...