School is Back in Session!

Always do right.  This will gratify some people and astonish the rest. --Mark Twain

The kids have been back in school for a few days now which means we are getting back into a routine after a somewhat lazy summer. This leaves the day open for a little quiet time for me and I've had a chance to sit down and read a book.  I just finished reading Heaven is for Real by Todd Burpo and his wife Sonja. It is an amazing read that left me doing a lot of thinking. 

I happened to come across a box of Bartlett pears and they were so juicy and delicious.  We couldn't eat them all so I dried a few of them. I just cored and sliced them and soaked them in pineapple juice for a few minutes and put them in the dehydrator.  24 hours later this is what I ended up with.  They taste like candy!

I still had some pears left over so I made this bundt pear cake.  My family doesn't really care for the normal sheet cake but there's something about a bundt cake that makes them want to eat it all.  And that's just what they did.

Our book club read the book The Help last year.  It was a great read with detailed character development and quite the page turner.  Tonight we are all going together to see the movie.  Fun!  I've heard it's just as good as the book.

I have been obsessed for quite a few months making these cute quilted table toppers.  I've made one for every month of the year.  The original pattern is from Anka's Treasures.  The book is called "On the Run".    This is what my August topper looks like.  The nice thing about this pattern is you can take the general instructions and use your creativity to make the finished project just how you want it to look.

Life really can be a picnic!

"Behind every successful woman is a substantial amount of chocolate."     -unknown 

Watch Out! It's zucchini season.  Here's a recipe that I use to get the kids to actually eat the stuff.  I normally do not peel the zucchini though.  I like the little flecks of green.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

1 cup sugar                                                      2 T. cocoa

1 cup brown sugar                                           2 cups flour

3 eggs                                                              1 tsp. soda

1 cup oil                                                          1 tsp. salt

2 cups zucchini, peeled and grated                 2 tsp. baking powder

3 tsp. vanilla                                                    3 tsp. cinnamon

                                                                        ½ cup nuts (optional)

Mix together and bake 1 hour at 325-350°.  Makes 2 medium loaves.

Tibble Fork Reservoir

Silver Lake Flat

Soon all the kids will be back in school so as a last farewell to summer, we took the 3 youngest kids and piled in the truck with the canoe and kayak and headed up American Fork Canyon.  We picniced at Tibble Fork Reservoir and paddled around a little. 








Then we took the dirt road further up the mountain to Silver Lake Flat. Since we had such a late Spring and such a late Summer some of the wild flowers were still hanging around.  Beautiful!  We ended the trip with a little rock skipping contest.