Fall Break!

The first weekend of Fall Break flew by at warp speed with a trip to Lexington to buy more goodies to fall-ify the house, then cleaning and chores, the Festival of the Horse, and visits to all the local garden centers to find trees (can't wait to show you all pictures of these trees...they're huge!! Just need to figure out how to get them here....).

The weather has been unseasonably and refreshing chilly. Windows have been closed, sweatshirts have been washed and blankets tossed around the living room. In other words...*sigh*...fall. I loooove fall!!

It's time to bust out the soup recipes! Casseroles! Apple Cider! Apple Pie! Apple Dumplings! Pumpkin pancakes! Pumpkin pie Blizzards! **drool** I loooove fall!

To take the chill out of this first day of Fall Break I cooked up a quick and yummy soup. The recipe originally came from a Kraft Foods magazine, but I've long since lost it...

For this soup I chopped up some carrots and celery. I didn't have any onions on hand, so I sprinkled in some dried minced onion when the other veggies were almost finished sauteing (I cooked them crisp-tender since they would still simmer for awhile).

Meanwhile, I gathered all the other ingredients...

When the veggies were starting to get tender I tossed them into a large pot with the broth, tomatoes, and Italian dressing packet. Then I browned the beef and stirred it in as well...

I simmered this all for about 30 minutes, then poured in two cups of water and brought it to a boil. I then added about a cup and a half of mini pasta. Usually I get bowties or wheels. I guess I was a bit distracted by a screaming, squirming toddler during my last shopping trip. No matter, it all tastes the same!

Once those cooked it looked like this...

Now it's time to turn off the heat and add 4-6 ozs of chopped velveeta...

I know velveeta is a weird, alien-like, is-it-really-food? product, but, it tastes good in the soup. So go buy yourself a block in the fall and you'll be able to make this soup all winter!

Mmmmm.....

Now, if your house is anything like mine, while you are busy slaving over a hot stove, behind you looks something like this...

KIDS!

Atleast she's not trying to climb my leg and whine. So, I let her be....and yes, she is watching Oprah. Hey, she had a whole show based on animals - Libby was hooked!

Once the cheese has melted, the soup is ready to be dished out! Enjoy with some fresh sweet tea and warm, crusty bread.

And don't forget the apple pie for dessert!!

What's a Tea Party Without Some Scones?

The best part about having girls? Getting to do the "girly" things - like tea parties!

And of course, to have a proper tea party, one must bake scones. =)

Off to the kitchen we headed (me shuffling slowly, Anna with a hop to her step). We assembled our ingredients...

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup white sugar (I use a cane sugar - it has a nicer taste)
1/8 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup goodies (craisins and white chocolate chips are my fav, though this time we used semi-sweet chips)
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup sour cream
1 t vanilla
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk

Mix together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Cut the butter into small pieces and use your fingers to rub into the flour mixture until it is in pea-sized lumps. Add in the goodies. Mix together the milk, sour cream, and vanilla, then mix into the dry ingredients until just blended. (Do NOT overmix) Stick the bowl into your freezer for a few minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, grease a cookie sheet and whip up the egg and milk.

Now, here's where you can be creative. Usually I pat the dough into one large circle and cut it into 6 wedges, separating them slightly. This time I made a bunch of little circles and set them on the sheet barely touching. I must say, I like the wedges better. It's easier and creates the more traditional scone shape.
Brush on the egg (or, if you're like me and don't keep fancy little brushes around - or use them for BBQ - use a spoon or a fork. It's not rocket science.) and then sprinkle with a course sugar (I used the same stuff I put in). Let them rest for about 10 minutes, then pop them in the oven and bake. Check them in 10 minutes, but mine have taken as long as 20 minutes. Just cook them until they're done, a nice golden brown.

Pour yourself a cup 'o tea (and mind you always heat the pot) and enjoy!

PS. Tea tastes much better when served in fine china, just an FYI. ;-)