Pumpkin Popcorn Balls

In October I purchased some s'mores items for a community party.  I saw these awesome pumpkin spice flavored marshmallows, but had no idea what I could make with them.  I searched a bit on the web and found a recipe for Pumpkin Popcorn Balls.  You don't need flavored marshmallows to make them, but I thought, why not?

Ingredients
* 9 cups of plain popped popcorn
* 1 lb marshmallows (I used 8oz or pumpkin spice flavored and 8oz of regular marshmallows)
* 1/2 cup butter
* 1 tsp vanilla (optional)
* orange food coloring (optional)
* 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (optional)

Instructions
1. Pop your popcorn.  I used an old-school popper from my childhood and had so much fun!

 

2. Melt the marshmallows with the butter in a large pot.  (I put mine on medium heat to get started and slowly turned the heat down.)

3. Once melted, take off of heat and add in food coloring and vanilla if you choose. (I skipped this step.)

4. Stir in 8 cups of the popcorn.  Only add the last cup if you have extra marshmallow mix.

5. Grease yourself up with crisco or butter and make balls out of the mixture placing on wax paper.  (I had to wash my hands and re-grease up after every 2-3 balls...it was a sticky mess!)

The original recipe I found is here. The lady used pretzels or tootsie rolls to make stems for the "pumpkins" and then used laffy taffy or other candy to cut out leaves.  WAY too much work for me.

By using the Pumpkin flavored marshmallows, I didn't even need to add pumpkin pie spice or vanilla and they automatically gave me an orange-ish/brown color.  I did mix a bag of plain marshmallows in with the pumpkin spice flavored ones just in case it was an overwhelming flavor.  They came out perfectly!

Since Halloween and Thanksgiving have passed, I think you could use plain marshmallows and make "snow balls" or add in some green or red food coloring and make these festive.  Try them out and let me know what you think!

Kaleena's Baby Shower

Emerson Grace is already here (and she's precious), but when we threw Kaleena her Baby Shower in September, we didn't even know if it was a girl or a boy.  With the theme: You are my Sunshine, we figured we couldn't go wrong!

The shower was at Midtown Grille in North Hills.  I had never been in before and it was really pretty!  Candice brought decorations from Texas and we made that room fancy!

The cupcake display was beautiful!

After getting pictures of the mommy-to-be with all of the guests, it was time to eat.

Food was delicious!

Next came cupcakes and presents.  Baby Fleming got so many great things!  Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures because I was writing down gifts.

I also got some quality time with this crazy Texan.  Been missing her so much!

Congratulations Robbie and Kaleena!  Emerson is so beautiful!

OBX Beach Trip

Kevin and I joined 6 other couples for a trip to the beach over Labor Day weekend this year.  14 adults and 2 babies in a house.  These couples are our Bible study group, but they're so much more than that.  They're our friends.  They're the people we see each Wednesday night from 6:30pm-9:30pm, or 10pm, or 11pm...  They know our prayers and our praises.  They laugh with us and cry with us.  We all drove up to Corolla in the Outer Banks and we had THE BEST WEEKEND of all time!

Unfortunately, Kevin and I had to work for the majority of the day on Friday, so we didn't hit the road until 4:30pm...with the rain and the Friday afternoon traffic, we were a bit delayed getting down to the Outer Banks.  We had a great ride down, arriving just after dark.  Everyone was there already relaxing and having fun!  The guys were down in the game room playing ping pong and pool.  The ladies were upstairs on the deck with wine, just enjoying the night breezes.  As soon as we came in the door, we were ushered to the master bedroom and given a plate of delicious food.  Now that's AWESOME!  I found us the house...spending hours on the computer each week searching diligently for a house with at least 7 bedrooms, in a reasonable budget, and striking out time and time again.  When I found this one, I was so excited!  There were queen beds for everyone except one couple in a twin room and I planned to be that couple.  I wanted everyone else to have a great stay.  Well, our great friends honored us by giving us the master bedroom and it really touched my heart.  They wanted to bless me for doing so much work to find the house.  WOW!  We were the last to arrive and got the master.  That's love!

The Best Weekend Ever started then!  The girls ate dessert at the big kitchen table.  The guys made up a game they played in the pool.  The girls got in the hot tub.  It was awesome!

Saturday morning a group of us went over to climb Currituck Lighthouse.  The weather all weekend called for 80%-100% chance of rain.  It was clear that morning and I wanted to get our climb in.  We had no line, so we were able to go straight to the top...

...and we witnessed a miraculous rainbow over the sound once we go up there.  It was beautiful!  One more NC Lighthouse checked off the bucket list! 

Pretty soon we made our way back to the house and had the most delicious breakfast!  YUM!  Then it was time for the beach!  It wasn't raining so we all got geared up and made our way down.  It was terribly windy and the first gust took our umbrella out before Kevin even opened it all the way.  After sitting in the sand and taking a walk on the beach, the girls came back to all of our belongings in a pile up on the dunes...a huge wave had come and gotten everything.

That was it for most of us!  We packed up our stuff and headed back to the house.  Luckily we had a pool, so it was straight to the pool.  Many of us took naps.  I took advantage of the time to read the book I brought down.

A few of us took a walk on the beach before dinner...it was just perfect!  I loved the little crabs everywhere!

Eventually it was time for dinner.  We all gathered around the table for a big dinner.  That was my favorite time just being with everyone at the huge table!

While a little fuzzy, this is the only shot with at least some piece of all of us.

Sunday morning we all got up and had bacon and eggs and pancakes.  Delicious!

Then it was time for a group picture before we hit the beach again.

Good looking group there!

Again, rain was in the forecast and again, no rain came.  We stayed on the beach for awhile and then finally went back to the house to make some lunch.  We hung by the pool and relaxed a bit again.  

Some folks took naps again and I kept reading!  We started some board games and I made some rainbow chip cupcakes for everyone.  We were supposed to have burgers for dinner, but they were frozen solid.  We waited and waited and finally it was too late, so some of the ladies whipped up some salads and we had some leftovers.

That night I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning finishing my book before I went to sleep.  Does that scream vacation to anyone else?

Monday morning we got up and enjoyed some eggs Benedict on an English muffin and Duck Donuts.  Yumm!

 

Then we got ready for our wild horse tour.  It was so awesome being able to ride up to Carova and see the horses in the yards around the houses or on the dirt roads.  I couldn't believe how many people were up on the beach there.  Such a different world!

After our tour, we went back to pack up the house and had burgers for lunch before everyone said goodbye.  It was the BEST WEEKEND EVER!  Not a drop of rain.  Everyone got along.  It was so much fun!  We're already planning our next trip together and I can't wait!  It was a perfect Labor Day Weekend!

Cooking with Essential Oils

I've been teaching Essential Oils classes lately.  With each class, I prepare a dish to share that uses the oils.  Here are some of the recipes I've made lately that are delicious.  I love the oils!  Beneficial and yummy!

Raspberry Limeaide

Photo from Doterra's blog

Ingredients:
2 cups raspberries
1/2 cup sugar (or honey)
1 cup water
Limes
Sparkling water
Lime Essential Oil
Ice

Directions:
1. Wash raspberries.

2. In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup of water, 1/2 cup sugar (or honey), and 2 cups of raspberries.

3. Cook until sugar has dissolved.  Cool and strain.

Photo from Doterra's blog

4. Fill up a glass with ice.  Add about 2 tablespoons of raspberry puree, the juice of half a lime, 1 drop of Lime Essential Oil and top with sparkling water.  (Feel free to adjust taste to your liking.  The recipe called for the juice of 1 lime, but that seemed too strong/tart for me.)

5. Garnish with limes and raspberries as you like and ENJOY!  

Make sure you share with your friends.  The puree is enough for 10-20 Raspberry Limeaides.  Doterra's blog recipe.

Lime Essential Oil is good for it's internal cleansing benefits, to uplift mood and energize.


Dill Veggie Dip

Ingredients:
1 cup sour cream
1 cup olive oil mayonnaise
2 tbsp minced onions (I used dried)
1 tsp seasoned salt (I used some sea salt and a dash of a mixed seasoning the first time I made it)
2 tbsp parsley flakes
1-2 drops of Dill Essential Oil

Directions:
1. Combine all ingredients except for the Dill Essential Oil in a glass container.

2. I like to chill mine overnight to make sure everything combines nicely.

3. Add the Dill Essential Oil immediately before serving.  I put mine in a cute bread bowl and chopped up some veggies to serve with it.  Yum!

Dill Essential Oil supports healthy digestion, supports healthy blood sugar response, is good for detoxification and respiratory support, and calms nervousness.  Plus, it's delicious!
Doterra's dill dip recipe.


Wild Orange Fruit Dip

Ingredients:
Plain Greek Yogurt
Honey
1-2 drops of Wild Orange Essential Oil

Directions:
1. Spoon out about a cup of Plain Greek Yogurt into a glass container.

2. Mix in about a teaspoon of honey.

3. When ready to serve, add 1-2 drops of Wild Orange Essential Oil.  Mix together, serve with fresh fruit and eat up.  This one is delicious!

Wild Orange Essential Oil can be used to promote overall health, uplift mood and energy levels and to boost energy.
Doterra's Wild Orange Dip recipe.  There are so many versions of the fruit dip.  I found mine to be the easiest and most simple, but if you don't like it, you can search for plenty of others.

If you're interested in learning more about Essential Oils, please let me know!  I'm happy to share!  Also, if you purchase a kit through me from now until November 30, I'll gift you with a free Wild Orange.  This oil has so many benefits!

Hayden's 7th Birthday Party!

For Hayden's Birthday weekend this year, we headed to High Point the day before to hang with Jamie and Billy.

I couldn't wait to give her our gift, so we gave it to her almost as soon as we walked in the door.  It was a ton of clothes.  This is the outfit she wanted to wear the rest of the day.  So cute and PERFECT for a 7 year old! 

We went to Elizabeth's Pizza for dinner.  It was so good!  Then we went to Maxie B's for dessert.  The kids had a GREAT time picking out their treats!

Sunday morning Kevin and Billy went golfing while Jamie and I set up for the party.  I got to spend some time with the kids while Jamie got ready!

We set up at the pool and then started the party!  It was a great day and Hayden had so much fun with her friends!

I cannot believe she's 7 years old.  Happy Birthday Hayden!  We love you!

Kevin's Birthday Weekend

Kevin's Birthday weekend, we headed out Friday afternoon for High Rock Lake.  He wanted a weekend on the lake with his buddy Wes, so that's where we went.

As soon as we arrived, we both realized how relaxed we were.

Saturday morning, we got on the boat bright and early.  We had to stop at this cute marina for fuel, but then we were off.

We spent hours just floating in the water or sitting on the boat.

Over in the afternoon, after lots of floating...we headed to a cove where there were other people and these dogs.  They followed Kevin around.

After dinner, we face-timed with Mick and ate ice cream cake to celebrate.

Then we got ready and headed across the lake on the boat to Top of the Rock for some drinks and pool.

It was a great weekend!  Thanks Wes and Christina!

Philly

Kevin and I went to Philadelphia in July for an early birthday weekend for him and a chance to get away and catch a baseball game.

We took off around 3pm on a Friday and landed by 5pm.  We took the train into downtown and started the walk to our hotel, stopping by Reading Terminal Market for a quick snack before they closed.

After settling into our room and getting our bearings, we decided it was time to explore.  The goal was to walk down to Penn's Landing.  On the way we stopped in Franklin Square (a cute park) and happened upon Elfreth's Alley, the most quaint street known as the oldest inhabited street in the USA.  Finally, we made it to Penn's Landing.  We sat for a bit, enjoying the music and the water, while we decided on dinner plans.

Dinner was a taste test.  Pat's vs. Geno's.  Pat's won for me, but Geno's was also good.  Overall, know if you're in Philly, you need a cheesesteak and the root beer is delicious!

The next morning, it was time to step back into time.  We started at the Independence Visitor Center to pick up our tickets for Independence Hall for the 9:15am tour.  Our tour started in a room where a park ranger told us about the building.  Then we walked over to see the Courtroom of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and the Assembly Room where the Constitution was signed.

The Coat of Arms above the judge's bench in the Court room is from 1785.  Awesome!

Next, we walked over to Congress Hall to tour that building.

Then it was time to see the Liberty Bell.  Hey, it's more that it's cracked up to be.  It still rings for you and me!

We walked behind Independence Hall to take some picture of the back and then continued on down Chestnut Street to the 2nd Bank of the United States, Carpenters' Hall and the First Bank of the United States.  From there we walked through the spot where Ben Franklin's house stood (you can see some of the original foundation) and it was finally time for lunch.

Why not have another cheesesteak?  We hit up Campo's for lunch.  And got a cannoli for dessert.

After lunch, we toured Christ Church where George Washington, Ben Franklin and others attended church and made a stop by Old City Coffee so Kevin could get his espresso on!

Then it was around the block to the Betsy Ross House for a quick tour before we walked over to see Benjamin Franklin's grave.  There are some North Carolinians buried there too (Buncombe).

 

The US Mint was right there and I've never been in a Mint before, so we took a tour of that.  It was pretty neat to see how money is made and check out some coins going through the process.

At this point, we were tired, but I wanted to take Kevin to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, so off we went on the 2 mile walk.  On the way, we stopped by City Hall to see the statues outside the Municipal Services Building.  And we HAD to make a stop in JFK Plaza for the LOVE statue.

The museum had a festival going on out front and we were HOT and tired, so we took a break there.  Then we ran up the steps like Rocky.  The museum was closing, so we took a bathroom break before coming back down the steps.

Nesquik had a guy in a bunny costume and they were giving out free chocolate milk if we danced to Nelly's "Ride Wit Me" and singing "Must Be the Bunny" instead of  "Must be the Money".  We sang and danced as we took our picture with the Rocky Statue.  Then it was time for the long walk back to the hotel.

After resting a bunch, we ventured out for dinner at Spice 28.  It was DELICIOUS!

Sunday we took our time getting up and having breakfast before heading out to the baseball game.  A heat wave had descended on Philly and it was 105 with the heat index.  For the first hour or two at Citizens Bank Park, I just knew I was going to pass out.  I tried to be as still as possible to not create more heat.  The Phillies played the Marlins and it was a Phillies win!

After getting back to the hotel and resting, we had dinner at a hipster pizza joint, Bufad.  Then it was time for bed!

Monday morning was an early-ish wake-up to get packed up and to the airport and home by noon to go into work.

Another fast one, but I'm so glad we got to explore together and see another city!