Hot Buns!

Sydney was away for the weekend visiting Aunt Linda in Havre de Grace Maryland. Sophia had my full attention all weekend long (unfortunately that does not happen often). On Saturday morning, we went to the Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia. On our way home, we stopped off at the King of Prussia mall to purchase a few new winter outfits (will blog the "Saturday" RTM excursion sometime soon).

Today, after DRAGGING myself out of bed from a late night (2am!!) watching the PHILLIES, Sophia and I made sticky buns for breakfast. I saw the recipe on "Seasons of my heart". This is the EASY abbreviated version... mine are not as perfect looking (this is why I mentioned below to be sure to repair the "crescent seams" which I DID NOT DO... the slits started to open when I was rolling it up). However, I will say that they did taste amazing... extremely gooey!!!

I had a great little helper. She never waned, not one second.

A short video below that Bob took, the morning after a Philly World Series Game 3 Win, when Sophia and I were making HOT BUNS....

Apple-Pecan Sticky Buns (makes 9)
2 large (or 3 small/medium) Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced 1/4 thick
1¼ C plus 1 TBSP packed light brown sugar
6 TBSP of butter, softened
1 pack of Pillsbury Crescent rolls
1 C chopped pecans
2 TBSP honey
¼ tsp salt
½ C heavy cream
½ tsp ground cinnamon

1. Prepare oven @ 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan.
2. Place the peeled apple slices, 1 TBSP brown sugar and 1 TBSP butter on a bowl and cook on the stove until the apples are soft. Let the apples cool.
3. In a small bowl, mix ½ cup brown sugar, the pecans and cinnamon.
4. Unroll the crescent roll and “repair” the seams so its one big rectangle with no visible dotted seams.
5. Sprinkle the brown sugar pecan mixture on top and then cover evenly with the roasted apple mixture.
6. Roll up the dough (“jelly roll-style”) and cut crosswise into 9 slices; place the round slices in a prepared baking pan.
7. Cut up 2 TBSP butter and place a dot on the center of each round bun
8. Bake until golden, 35-40 minutes..
9. While the buns are baking in the oven, in a saucepan, bring the remaining 4 TBSP butter, ¾ cups of brown sugar, ½ cup of cream, ½ tsp salt and the 2 TBSP of honey to a boil, stirring. Whisk until reduced, about 2 minutes. Let cool slightly. Drizzle the warm sauce over the warm buns.

Sophia chopping pecans
Sprinkle, Sprinkle....
turning on oven light to check on the sticky buns...
YUMMY sauce



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STICKY SWEET PERFECTION...

Daddy LOVED the sticky buns.
If you are a Pecan Pie AND Apple Pie lover.... you will Love these Apple-Pecan Sticky Buns too!

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Besides who doesn't like butter, brown sugar and heavy cream???

Pumpkins!

 
The pumpkin patch was closed on Friday. The "Aunt" of the farmer told us to enjoy the animals and take a walk out to the pumpkin patch. It was actually nice to be there all by ourselves. The girls enjoyed watching the animals - chickens, roosters, cows, goats, sheep, ducks and PIGS! Sydney really really wanted to see the chicken lay an egg... she is turning into an animal lover (the little girl who use to be scared to death of anything with four legs!)

"Speaking" of the pumpkin season... I always hear and read how everyone loves the FALL SEASON. I'm not a big fan of Fall or Halloween. I prefer HOT HOT summer days! I do love Christmas with a fresh blanket of snow, white Christmas lights and a roaring fire (as long as I can stay inside). Then when Christmas is over, I'm ready for summer again! We will be in Florida the week before Christmas. First on the Disney Cruise and then over to Nana & Pop Pop's in Punta Gorda. I cannot wait. We will be back home in Philly Christmas week with Gma, Popie, Aunt Becky & Uncle Sal which will be fun, good food and tons of excitement for the girls. Last year we were on the Disney Cruise during Christmas week so it will be nice to be home this year on Christmas morning.
Until then... back to FALL..

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Please Touch (right here!)

The last few weeks have been so hectic that I haven't had time to blog..... I have a lot to share because so much has been going on lately with the girls and family in general...

The weekend of Oct 3rd was another weekend with no rest. Friday night Bob and I went to the Please Touch Museum "Purple Tie" Gala .... a celebration of the new location in Memorial Hall and upcoming grand opening.
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Bentley was one of the sponsors with four tickets so we were lucky enough to go with Jerry and Kelly King. It was a fun "adult" night out. The food was wonderful (rack of lamb, risotto, shrimp/crab claw cocktail, beef tenderloin, lobster sandwiches and tons more... and even kids food like mac-n-cheese, hamburgers, pizza and gooey PB&J).

It was hilarious to see all the well dressed adults play the evening away and drinking fru-fru drinks garnished with Swedish Fish (of course, I was the mature one.... my handsome date, he is a kid at heart and had to drive the miniature backhoe the second we walked in the door). I left my camera at home, but was able to capture Bob and Jerry King on the carousel with my phone (cute!). We ended the night with Root Beer Floats!
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The next day, it was open for 4-hours for members so I decided to take the girls. (YES, I bought a membership the evening before at a very worthwhile and discounted price. If I take the girls a couple times during the 15 months membership it's cheaper than paying $15/person per visit). Aunt Esther, Corban & Rose met us there (guest are admitted at no charge with the membership too!).

All I can say is WOW... this is the best children's museum ever. If you were ever at the old Please Touch Museum in downtown Philly, this one is a hundred times better. I love the Fairmont Park location. You really have to see if for yourself because the pictures do not do it justice. Sydney & Sophia enjoyed it immensely. We plan to go back sometime after the museum opens on Oct. 18th!! http://www.pleasetouchmuseum.org/planning_your_visit/directions/

A few pics from the fun day...


The Dentzel Carousel




Children's Hospital - yes that is a male doll!!



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Well if you didn't "touch" the "Please Touch" blog title at the top, you can view & listen to the very cool interactive Story Book done by the Philadelphia Inquirer. "Come interact with our special report on the Philadelphia Please Touch Museum. Use your mouse to explore the book. In other words, Please Touch It! "

Very nicely done!
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You can read a brief history of the Woodside Park Dentzel Carousel here http://www.pleasetouchmuseum.org/memorial_hall_update/dentzel_carousel/

Nana

On Tuesday, September 23rd, Pop Pop and Nana came up from Florida for an unexpected visit. Nana's Mom passed away.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Nana and her three sisters. Despite the unfortunate circumstances, the girls were happy to see their Grandparents. They brought more beautiful shells from Sunny Florida... I think the shells came from one of the barrier islands that they frequent off the Charlotte Harbor (pic on left of Nana shelling).

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It rained most of the week here in Philly. Sydney and Sophia kept busy inside playing with Pop Pop. Nana was busy with making final arrangements for her Mom's Saturday burial in Drexel Hill. Jan said the burial went well. She was in good spirits despite the circumstances... I think being around the grandchildren helped.

Pop Pop and Nana took us all out for Sunday Dinner at Maggiano's in King of Prussia. We saw Matt and Lee (Jan's sons pictured on left with Jan) which was nice because we rarely see them. We have been so LUCKY to see Nana & Pop Pop a few times in the past year even though they live in Florida. We will see them again the week before Christmas after the Disney Cruise and then we'll be back down there again in January for my 40th b-day (yeah that's right, I said it and I accept it... 40 is the new 30 :-)

Nana & Pop Pop @ Maggiano's

I love this pic of Bob and Sophia

Pop Pop reading to Sydney... we made him read a tongue twister Dr. Seuss too

Nana and Sydney

Nana trying to get Sophia to eat... which not always easy

Pacifairy

I read in Parenting magazine a while ago that the best way to get a child to give up the pacifier was to suggest that they pass it on to a little baby. We mentioned this to Sydney a couple times to no avail. The other day, I was reading a similar "paci junkie" article in Parenting magazine.... soooo I tried it again when I kissed Sydney goodnight... and she said "NO" (with a smile). The next morning she woke up and told me she wanted to give her pacifiers to a little baby.

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FINALLY!!! after 2yrs, 9mo & 3 weeks on Sept 24th, Sydney said goodbye to her pacifier.

Daddy helped her decorate an envelope and then I walked her to the mailbox so she could mail it to the PaciFairy. She was all smiles! She never mentioned her pacifier again. I couldn't believe it! I think it was harder for me to see it go. I'm so proud of my big girl!

Grandma's new knees!

On Monday, Grandmom had knee replacement (arthroplasty) surgery at Grand View Hospital on BOTH knees! We stopped by for a visit Tuesday afternoon and Thursday night...

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On Tuesday, Grandmom was groggy and a little dizzy (for those of you who just thought "that's normal" for Mom... you should be ashamed!! I don't mean the naive kind of "dizzy"... I'm talking about the "I'm going to fall down the room is spinning" kind of dizzy). Mom said her blood pressure dropped to 7/6 that morning!!?? I'm not a Dr.. but I think Mom may have the numbers wrong because she never mentioned that she also went into shock... so my guess is that her BP dropped to 70/60 . Anyway, she wasn't doing that great and was ticked at Carla for talking her into having the surgery... but she was able to get out of bed to go to therapy (despite her effort in trying to convince Bob, the physical therapist, that she may get dizzy). She walked a few steps then into a wheelchair, where she was able to do most of the leg exercise. It's amazing how quick she was able get out of her hospital bed the day after the surgery.

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We went back on Thursday and had dinner with Mom. She looked 100% better and ready to go... earlier that day she walked the entire length of the hospital corridor with her walker. Mom showed Sydney and Sophia the huge lateral incision on her knee which was held together by staples. Sophia was sitting beside on her on the bed with her face 6 inches away from the incision. Each time Grandmom would cover it back up, Sophia would begin to cry so Mom would show it to her again and again. I'm not sure if she was just fascinated by it or what, but it made us laugh.... maybe she'll be a doctor when she grows up (although if she anything like her Mother, I doubt it!).
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Four days after surgery, Mom is now home and "kicking it up" around the house! Okay, maybe that is a slight exaggeration, but she is doing great. Yesterday, the girls made Grandmom and Grandpop Lasagna for dinner... Sophia took Sydney's lead on how to do it. Daddy and Sydney went for a quick visit to drop it off so they could eat it for dinner last night. Sydney really enjoyed making the Lasagna... she keeps telling us that she wants Grandmom to feel better. Oh yeah, the other night she told Bob, she wanted to go visit her "New" Grandmom (with the "new" knees).... so sweet! Grandnma's got brand new knees, her legs are straight and she's looking great!!

Sydney's perfectly arranged "oven ready" pasta sheets. I did not realize it, until the 3rd layer that it should be 4 across-overlapped.

Sophia is still in a daze from her nap

Sophia watching how her big sis does it...

2 sheets of Lasagna =

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  4 lbs of browned ground meat and sausage with EVO & garlic,
  
  
  
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  8++ cups of Mozzarella,
  
  
  
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  30+ oz of ricotta,
  
  
  
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  4 eggs,
  
  
  
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  oregano & basil for seasoning,
  
  
  
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  2 cups of Locatelli (YUM!),
  
  
  
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  3 1/2 jars of Barilla sauce,
  
  
  
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  2 packs of Barilla oven ready pasta sheets.
  
  
  

the finished product... and she's still smiling after all that work!

Now off to Grandmom's with Daddy....

Sydney was upset that she couldn't stay longer at Grandma's house.

a taste of summer

How summers always seem to fly by… I did very little air or car travel this summer, but work was still crazy busy with emails, phone calls, emails, Live Meetings and more emails. Argghhh – some days I feel like quitting so that I can spend more time with the girls. Then I have those energized days where I love my job and the challenge of it all (...had to mention that in case my boss’s wife is reading this… Hi Darlene! ).

We never did get around to having a big bar-b-q party. We did have a few little cookouts with family. My hamburger loving husband did lots of grilling this summer. His 3 girls reaped the benefits… burgers with gorgonzola, veggie kabobs, corn-on-the-cob, cucumber & tomato salad and Becky’s Baked Beans! If you live in the Gilbertsville area you need to try these baked beans located at the Deli counter in Freed’s Supermarket (2024 Swamp Pike, Gilbertsville)… credit goes to Connie our next door neighbor for having them at one of her cook-outs... You will never buy Bush’s or make homemade ever again!

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The girls had a great summer. Sydney (2 ½) started the summer venturing into the hot tub with a float (the type with leg holes providing complete support and security). Sophia (1 ½) started with arm swimmies. She was very brave from day one… she ventured in the pool even the deep end! Over the summer, at her own pace, Sydney began to expand her swimming skills and comfort level. By the first week of September, Bob had them both jumping off the diving board. They both know how to hold their breath when they go under water (Sophia’s been able to do it almost all summer).

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Only weeks ago, Sydney would have preferred to stay in the house to read a book or watch Noggin and Sprout… now she wakes up asking if she can go swimming. Bob and I are so surprised. We are trying to take advantage of her desire to swim.... there are only a few "pool" weeks left in the season. I’ve posted some pics below of Sydney jumping off the dive and Sophia jumping in the hot tub.

1,2,3...

perfect form

Yeah!

Sophia's turn... 1,2,3...

20 times off the diving board is exhausting!

Miss Corn

Miss Cob

Aunt Becky & Daddy

Mom and Dad