Computer Burn Out

Do you ever just get sick of the computer?  How about electronics in general?  That's how I've felt these last few weeks.  Blogging, blog reading, e-mail, Facebook, balancing the checkbook, answering the phone, TV, movies ... UGH!  I could just do without right now.  I got on the laptop this evening to catch up and discovered over 50 unread emails and who knows how many unread blog posts.  My Reader Notifier said I had 2,174,267,811+ unread!  That's really what it said.  And even though there weren't that many, it sure felt like it.  So, if I haven't commented on you blog, returned an email, answered your phone call, or ignored you in any other way this is why.  I know I need to rejoin the land of the technology soon, but I'm just tempted to leave it all behind.  I've seriously thought about canceling our Dish Network service.  We've often talked about getting rid of TV someday.  I think I could do it.  Of course, there are a ton of shows I love to watch, but I think if couldn't watch them I wouldn't miss them as much as I think I'm going to.  The only thing that has kept me from canceling it already is breastfeeding.  Yeah, you heard me, breastfeeding.  Breastfeeding is the reason we have 200 channels right now.  We only had basic TV when Claire was born.  But after a few months of watching infomercials and B movies at all hours of the morning, and spending about 8 out of every 24 hours sitting on the couch or in a rocking chair, I broke down and just HAD to have something else to watch.  I know I haven't nursed a child in a year and a half, but the hope is to have another child within the next year or so, and I don't want to disconnect the Dish and then have to sign another contract after the next baby is born.  So, we still have it.  And, I'm completely addicted to the DVR.  I never watch anything when it's actually on, and I love the option of forwarding past all the commercials.  Of course, we'd keep the TVs, since we do love movies and now have an Apple TV.

Enough rambling.  Here are a few of my favorite pics of our walk the other evening.  Completely electronic free (except the camera... couldn't do without that).

OK, I am loving the baby monitor right now.  Claire loves to sing to herself when she should be sleeping.  It's 9:45 and at the top of her lungs she is singing "Love Your Neighbor" (VeggieTales).  But it sounds a little like this... "LOVE YOUR NEY-NER!"  

When I grow up #2

If you thought that first quilt I showed you a few posts back was cute, check out this one!

How gorgeous is that!?! I love it and it just inspires me to get sewing so I can do something like this... when I grow up. Since that will be WAY down the road, I can at least try to win it, and so can you. Just click the link on the sidebar.

Thanks for the tip Andrea!

Andrea would be proud

My dear friend Andrea has been the queen of coupons and good deals lately.  She's been trying to help me learn the ins and outs, and even though this one was a no-brainer, I think she'd be proud.

Rite-Aid:

$56.57 - Total Spent for 13 items

$53.37 - Amount of Rebate Check

$3.20 - Total spent after rebate (just the tax)

94% Savings!!  

What did I get?  Well, usually these really good deals are on junk, or products I would never use, but today I got:

*Sambucol Immune Support/Cold & Flu Relief (Homeopathic)

*Bee MD Organic Honey Throat Drops

*Sucrets Ice

*Hyland's Sniffles & Sneezes 4 Kids (Homeopathic)

*Hyland's Cough Syrup 4 Kids (Homeopathic)

*Sucrets Herbal

*Softlips Pure (95% Organic, 100% Natural)

*LypSyl LypMoisturizer (Organic Shea Butter)

*LypSyl LypRadiance (Organic Shea Butter)

*Mentholatum Cherry Chest Rub

I added the comments in parenthesis because I was just recently complaining to Andrea that it's hard to use coupons or get great savings when you shop for natural/organic products.  Well, not today!  And the best part is, when you walk in Rite-Aid all the items that are free after rebate are all grouped together right at the front of the store... you don't even have to walk around the store to find these great deals.  How about a pat on the back for me?

The Perfect Autumn Day

I can't even begin to tell you how much I love fall. The cool breezes, the beautiful colors and most of all, the heavenly scents. Today has been all of the above. I started off my morning with Pumpkin Butter on my toast (how could it not be a great day with such a delicious start?). Well, back up to yesterday, I made homemade chicken noodle soup and baked pumpkins, so the smell was divine yesterday as well, and then last night I whipped up this recipe for pumpkin butter. I found so many different recipes on the internet, but so glad I chose this one. It was smooth and spicy and oh-so-pumpkiny! And for those of you who don't know, I'm kind of a freak for pumpkin, so it perfectly satisfied my cravings. Just before I started shoveling pumpkin butter in my mouth this morning I popped a batch of pepitas in the oven.


Did you know they were called pepitas? I just learned that this year, and it so much more fun to say than pumpkin seeds, so from now on it's pepitas. Here was my recipe for the pepitas:

*Seeds from 2 pumpkins (the pie variety)

*4 tbsp melted butter

*1 tsp garlic salt

*2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Mix together and spread onto a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.

So, after pumpkin butter, pepitas and a long, hot shower I tackled the applesauce. I made 3 batches, ended up with 12 pints and bowlful for the fridge. Do you know how heavenly your house smells after 4 hours of making applesauce? I could just about lick the walls. Ok, maybe not the walls, but I've managed to lick every pot, pan and utensil that's been in contact with the applesauce. With nibbles of pepitas in between. I looked up a ton of recipes and decided to wing it. Here's what I ended up with:



*20 apples
*2 1/2 C water
*1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
*2 Tbsp ground cinnamon
*2 tsp vanilla
*1/2 C brown sugar

Peel, slice and core the apples. Place in a large pot with all ingredients except sugar. Bring to a boil and boil until apples are soft and mushy. Add brown sugar. Blend (I used a stick blender because I like my applesauce with a few chunks). Continue to boil until you've reached the desired consistency. Ladle into clean/sanitized canning jars. Process for 20 minutes (I processed for 31 minutes with altitude adjustments).

It's got a pretty strong cinnamon flavor, but I love it that way. Claire had a rather large helping with lunch, so it's not too crazy-spicy.

What a wonderful autumn day! And to top it off, I'll get a break from the kitchen because we're going out to dinner. My life is sweet...