PBBOCC Cookies

that is to say:
Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I found this yummy recipe here but I doubled it and added chocolate chips so it's even more delicious!
Honestly, I haven't had a banana cookie in the past that I was that crazy about, but this one gives just a hint of banana, mixed in with all the other flavors. I want to even say that it's the healthiest cookie I've ever had, and VERY delicious...?!

Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Cookies


2 c. flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. sugar
4 T. butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
1 c. peanut butter
1/2 c. mashed banana (from 2 sm/med)
3 c. quick-cooking rolled oats (not instant) [this was all I had so I used it and it was fine]
1 1/2 c. chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a large bowl, cream together sugars and butter. Beat in egg until smooth, then mix in the peanut butter and mashed banana. Working by hand or with a mixer on low speed, blend dry ingredients into the peanut butter mixture. Stir in the oats, then chocolate chips.

Shape dough into tablespoons and place on baking sheet, flattening each slightly with your fingers.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, until cookies just begin to turn golden around the edges.

Cool on a wire rack.
Yield: approx 2 dozen.

unicorns and rainbows

Our sweet little cousin E turned 5 in October. Her party was RAINBOWS AND UNICORNS and was it ever! Look at her gorgeous cake! Her mom ALWAYS does an AMAZING job with her parties. She's a natural party-planner and ENJOYS it! (What you don't see is that there were about 6 layers of cake inside- 1 for each color of the rainbow!!)

They made all of us rainbow unicorn horns. Here's our birthday girl in her 5 shirt. :) Not sure what's up with Jackson's face...? Looks like he's in pain. Looks like Alivia is smirking.

SO CUTE! Levi with Aunt Bekah

Love this shot of these 2 cute cousins! HONESTLY! Can't take the cutness!

random october

Did I mention I never get tired of having shots of this little one sleeping? It's so sweet! His hair is getting so long now that its starting to curl on the ends! So cute!

I love braiding and fixing Alivia's hair. It's so pretty. I remember my mom doing it to my hair and liked it then (aside from the occasional pull and tangles).

Every time we go to Target, Jackson wants to get on the "red balls". This time, he wanted to hop on and I had to get a shot. He's a funny one.

sept cabin trip

Going to the cabin is always an adventure. Here's what happened this time.

Look at these two hooligans. Having some lunch in the fresh mountain air.

Please note: lunch consisted of chicken nuggets, grape kool aid drinks (their choice for the cabin), and pringles (mostly MOMMY's chosing,but they were glad I did!)

Headed off to explore.

Levi enjoyed eating his lunch outdoors too! He got his 5th tooth while we were there too!

This trip the kids both pick NERD ROPES for their treat and they loved 'em! Daddy picked a Heath bar, Mommy picked Milky Ways. Mmmm 

Roasted hot dogs for lunch and enjoy some s'more after lunch. 

This one too!

And here's our Eagle Scout Daddy. SO proud and happy to know he's so handy in the woods. He really knows his stuff! My few years of Girls Camp didn't stick with me like his scouting did.

HAPPY BOY!

 

Goofy boy. He thought it was funny wearing the hood of his coat and THEN his hat on top. ;P 

Our makeshift play pen. (He was only in it a few minutes and I was right there by him. He liked it but then he was ready to move on.)

This is supposed to be a shot of them relaxing by the fire but they dont look like they're having ANY fun; more like being MADE to sit there...

Did I mention the cabin DOES have running water? Here it is. Well, it was running a little. Took about 30 minutes to fill this tea kettle. Good thing there's a freshwater spring just about 15 minutes away we could go and LOAD UP on water in the big blue jugs.

We even saw some animals while we were at the cabin:

• 3 deer
• bear droppings
• salamander
• baby rat snake (which was disposed of by daddy for being TOO close to the cabin/and Mommy)

 

And what a great shot of Daddy & Levi!!

It's always fun to get away to the Cabin! And this was no exception! Great time had by all!

aunt karen's pear crumb pie

I bought a WHOLE bushel of pears last month, thinking I needed that many to can. Remind me NEXT year I only need a HALF a bushel. Sheesh. I canned about 18 quarts, and still had about 30 pears. What do I do with all these pears before they go bad? Make2 of my Aunt Karen's infamous PEAR CRUMB PIES! And I'm SO glad I did! YUMMY! I'll be making this again NEXT year, if not sooner! And doesn't it look pretty? :)

Ingredients:

Unbaked pie shell (I cheated and bought the pre-made ones in the refrigerated section; pies are NOT my area of expertise)

5-6 pears (peeled and sliced)

1 T. lemon juice

2/3 c. sugar

1 t. cinnamon

2 T. flour

Crumb topping:

1 c. flour

1/3 c. brown sugar

1/3 c. butter, cold

1. Sprinkle sliced pears with lemon juice.  Mix the sugar, cinnamon and flour and then lightly toss with pears.  Place in pie shell.

2. For topping: cut butter into flour and brown sugar and sprinkle on top.

3. Bake @ 325* for 1 hour.

pumpkin patch

Mr. Jackson is LOVING his 1st year of preschool. I'll admit, I was a little nervous about him starting; he's not as out-going as his sister and I thought he might not take to it very easily, but I'm glad I was wrong! He is really loving it and is eager to go (twice a week). His teacher even said, "Oh yeah, he's one of our talkers."!! I was shocked! He's generally reserved and pretty quiet around strangers but it seems he's taken to preschool rather quickly and is happy and confident and I couldn't be happier.

His little class does just a couple field trips and this trip to the Pumpkin Patch was his 1st one. I was so happy I was able to go with him, just the two of us. :)

He's made a bosum buddy, we'll call him Mr. T (to protect his identity) ;)

It's so cute. As soon as we get to preschool, Jax starts looking for and asking for T. And then Mr. T walks in and does the same thing. And, quite regularly, Mr. T will come over and ask me if he can come play at my house sometime. We will have to do that.

Anyway, this is a shot of THE DUO waiting for our hayride to the Pumpkin Patch.
(I love Jax' hand on his hip and that little smirk- it almost says "sheesh Mom. Another picture?") hehe

Here we are headed out on our hayride. Of course, we had to sit next to Mr. T and his Dad.

It was pretty fun. Each child and parent were able to pick 4 apples (red and yellow delicious), 2 gourds, and a pumpkin for $7. Jackson is so funny. He's all business! We'd hop off the wagon and he'd grab whatever apples and gourds were the closest. That way he could be done. He was more worried about what Mr. T was doing or playing tag or hide and seek with him than being on the field trip. Silly kids! I know he did really enjoy the hayride and seeing the orchards decorated for Halloween with ghosts and spider webs, etc.


When it came time to pick his pumpkin, at first he and Mr. T were on the hunt for the BIGGEST one they could find. But, once he realized there weren't any HUGE pumpkins, he settled on this one. Looks like a good one to me.


Just him and his pumpkin.


His cute little class of fellow "Honey Bears" (8 boys, 4 girls). He doesn't have his pumpkin to hold because he didn't want to. He gave me his bag with his picks and let me take care of it.

Me and my big boy

Jackson thought it'd be funny to take a picture of ME with my camera. Not bad!

All in all, it was a fun morning outing. They even gave us applesauce and apple cider at the end of the hayride, which he REALLY liked. Then he wanted to go up to the shop and take some cider home for Daddy and Alivia (he's so thoughtful). And they were happy we did! Yumm!