Apples Abound

As I mentioned a few days ago, I bought a large bag of mixed apples at a local orchard.  I don't know how much it weighed, but it was probably at least 15 pounds for the price of $10.

My purpose with these apples was to make applesauce because both kids enjoy it so.  While I was peeling and coring and slicing apple after apple, I really wished I had a sous chef around here.  Finally the first batch was ready to cook...

... and be turned into this final product.

The next day I made a second batch of applesauce which yielded two more quarts for the freezer and a big bowl for the fridge to eat right away. But I still had five more pounds of apples, so I decided to experiment and make my first ever apple butter.

Here are the apples covered in spices and ready to simmer in the crock pot all day.

This is what they looked like after cooking for about five hours.

And here's the apple butter at the end of the day, stirred smooth with a wire whisk.

I don't think the half jar is going to last too long around here because this stuff turned out to be quite delicious.  I am saving the full jar until Thanksgiving though to serve with our big feast.

In other autumnal happenings, I made pumpkin spice muffins for Rex's teacher-therapists.  I thought they looked quite yummy.

Autumn Greetings

I am so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.  
- L.M. Montgomery

HallZOOween

Today's gorgeous fall weather well made up for yesterday's dreariness, so we decided to make a spontaneous visit to the zoo.  

The last time we went it was Easter and the kids did not realize that they were surrounded by live animals.  This time, they did better.  Here are Rex and daddy watching the elephants:

A lot of the animals were enjoying a special treat of fresh pumpkin:

The zoo also had trick or treat stations set up along all the main paths, so us humans got to enjoy a few sweets.  Most of our goodies came home with us as the kids aren't into candy (yet)... I call dibs on pixie sticks.

Emilia in a stare-down with a peacock.  Should I have been surprised that the peacock left first?

Just relaxing and taking it all in:

We had a great afternoon at the zoo.  Thanks to Grandpa and Michelle for our annual family membership.

Saturday Substitutions

Our family had some fun plans for today, but with such cool, dreary and wet weather, we had to nix them.  That's how our day of substitutions started.

We substituted attending a Halloween festival at a local park with a quick trip to a nearby orchard where got several pounds of apples, mostly to make applesauce.  While there, I tried to get the kids to pose for a pumpkin picture, but had absolutely no luck.

"No, thank you, Mama
I want nothing to do with those pumpkins."

" I see the one I want,
that one, that one, going for it."

Being cooped up indoors all afternoon made me a little more ambitious with today's dinner, so I decided to fix a favorite casserole.  The problem was that I did not have cream of mushroom soup at home and the kids must have hidden the green chilies somewhere in the pantry.  I am sure I will find them tomorrow while looking for something else.  So, I substituted canned soup with this concoction and added a quarter cup of homemade spicy salsa in lieu of the green chilies.  It worked out well.

I always have to double this recipe now and make two pans if I want to have leftovers for lunchboxes.  Of course, Emilia cannot eat this casserole as it is loaded with dairy, so I usually set aside some zucchini and plain stuffing for her.  She enjoys this mix as much as we enjoy our casserole.

To make us feel better at the end of a rainy day, I knew we needed dessert, so I used some of the orchard apples to make an apple cinnamon upside down cake.  Normally we'd just have a bowl of icecream, but this seemed like a more delicious substitute on a chilly evening.

My day was also much improved with the season's first taste of freshly pressed apple cider which I bought at the orchard. And there's simply no substitute for that!

October 18, 2011

One year ago today, a judge in Sofia, Bulgaria decreed Craig and me to be the parents of a beautiful little girl.  On that day, we became a four country family with each member born in a different nation.

It's been a crazy, intense, tiring, happy, busy, challenging, full of love twelve months and we wouldn't change them for the world.  We are so blessed that the four of us found each other and can walk together on whatever paths lie ahead.

Fall Is Here

I finally had to give in and recognize that fall has arrived by opening soup season in the Martini house. We all enjoy soup (Rex maybe the least of us) and certainly had a delicious favorite tonight with this rosemary corn chowder.

My giant mums out front are in full bloom... another sure sign of autumn.

But these sounds here I love hearing at any time of year:

Emilia - Forty-Seven Weeks Home

Yesterday marked forty-seven weeks home for Emilia.  It's been an exciting period because we are seeing some nice developmental progress.

First of all, Emilia's verbal output is increasing in frequency and variety, so much so that therapists and friends have even noticed.  Her teachers at preschool, Sarah and Nina, tell us that she calls them Rara and Nini.  I'm not so sure I believe it, but then again, she is always a little show-off in settings away from home.  She is signing "more" and we are working on adding another sign or two quickly, so that she can learn to distinguish between communicating different needs.

Self help skills are also on the rise with Emilia holding her own cup and beginning to put some food on a fork and then to her mouth.  She can take hats off and put them back on, socks and shoes off, and she tries to put her shoes on, too.  Emilia is also newly interested in her hair and attempts to comb it, but more preferably she shakes it and runs her hands through it like a supermodel at a photo shoot.  I am pretty sure she's not getting that from me.

Emilia is now quite comfortable on playgrounds and independently navigates play structures, including slides and ladders.  I think this is something she has learned at preschool by observing other children and following suit.  We also have a new bounce toy our German friends brought as a gift.  You have to climb on as you would a tricycle, hold on to the ears (the thing looks kind of like an animal) and then you bounce and balance by pushing your feet up from the floor.  Emilia took about ten days to watch me use the toy and now she hops on it independently and loves it.

Ready for story time at the library

Little sister still adores her big brother and thinks that he is super cool, but the time home alone with me has done wonders for her.  I feel that our bond is so much stronger and she seems to trust me more.  She's always been pretty snuggly, but I cannot enter a room now without Emilia running for me to pick her up or sit down anywhere without her climbing into my lap.  She wants to be close and for longer periods of time.

Playing with her brother

Emilia continues to sleep well through the night, to nap in the afternoons, to never miss a meal (or anyone else's for that matter) and to bring so much sunshine to our lives.