Trunk or Treat 2008

Annual Trunk or Treat Event

What a great time everyone had at the annual Trunk or Treat event at the LDS church. It was a big turnout and there were tons of great costumes....some of the adults really outdid themselves, too. There were lots of games like pumpkin bowling, ring toss, cake walk, duck pond, tic-tac-toe, bean bag toss...etc. And of course we could not forget the actual trunk-or-treating at the end. We gave away a huge bag of candy but still managed to run out before the end. Thanks Marti for inviting us!

Scooby Doo, We Love You!

You know it's Halloween at the Connors' household when giant inflatable Scooby Doo makes an appearance. He loves it when the neighborhood kids run up to him and yell "Scooby, Scooby"!

Recipe of the Week

Time for a new recipe already?? My how time flies......... Well, here is one that I just recently found @ http://www.verybestbaking.com/ for Double-Chocolate Dream Cookies. I made these last night and they turned out really well. I've never baked with baking cocoa before so I wasn't sure how it would turn out. But everyone who tried it said it was very good-not too sweet, but still very chocolate-y. Enjoy!

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup baking cocoa (I used a generic brand)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups (12-oz pkg) semi-sweet morsels

PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

COMBINE flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl until creamy. Beat in eggs for about 2 minutes or until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels. Drop by rounded tablespoon (I made mine pretty big-a great heaping tablespoon) onto ungreased baking sheets (you can also use parchment paper for easy clean-up).

BAKE for 8 to 10 minutes or until cookies are puffed. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Try not to overbake. They should still be pretty gooey when you pull them out of the oven, but they firm up in those 2 minutes that they sit there before you transfer them onto the cooling rack. I yielded about 4 dozen cookies.

Pictures of Portugal

Sherry's trip to Portugal

Scott's Mom, Sherry, just returned from a week-long visit to Portugal where she took a walking tour with her friends Millie, Tom & Pat. She flew in 3 different planes and it took about 18 hours to fly there from Spokane. The weather was balmy-in the mid 70's to low 80's. The weirdest thing she ate was Espada fish which were very ugly eel-looking fish that were black with large teeth. (ok, YUK!) What tasted the best were the passion fruit mousse and the traditional honey cake.

They spent 2 1/2 days in Lisbon where they rode the Elevador de Santa Justa, visited Castelo de Sao Jorge (on the highest hill in Lisbon with 11 towers), and the Monastery of Jerominos (with tomb of Vasco da Gama). They also visited the Monument to the Discoveries (built in 1960 for the 500th anniversary of Prince Henry the Navigator) and the Belem Tower (which used to protect Lisbon).

After that they spent one week walking on Madeira, an island southwest of Portugal. They walked along levadas (aqueducts to bring water from the hills to the towns/homes) in the Parque Ecologico do Funchal and stopped at Camera de Lobos where Winston Churchill painted. They visited the Botanical Gardens and took a 2 1/2 hr ferry ride to Porto Santo which is a volcanic island with large basalt columnar outcroppings. They climbed to the top of Cabo Girao - the 2nd highest cliff in the world (580 m hi).

Sherry sent me lots of gorgeous pictures, but I picked my favorites to share on the blog. Her camera took such great pictures, they look like postcards! I hope to some day go on a grand adventure like hers, but first I guess I'll have to bite the bullet and finally get my passport renewed! Thanks, Sherry, for sharing your adventure with us!

Great Job Black Hills Football Club!

What a terrific game today for Gabby and her team, the Black Hills Football Club. We travelled up to Renton to play the Greater Renton Football Club. The teams were well matched and we ended up tied 3 to 3. All the girls did a tremendous job. This was our best game yet. The girls are starting to play together like a team. The weather was sunny & cold-in the high 50's. It couldn't have been a more perfect day. Great job team!

Last Game of the Season

Congratulations to Corey and the JV girls volleyball team who won their final match of the season against their arch rivals, the Bush Middle School Falcons. The team won all 3 sets! Corey served 9 times in a row earning 8 points for her team in the first set. In all she scored 15 points. Way to go Corey!

Ready for Halloween

Recipe of the Week

This is a recipe for Marmalade Meat Balls that I found at the food network website. It was shown on an episode of Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee. We had a small get-together this past Saturday and needed an appetizer. I read some good reviews on this so I thought I'd try it. Corey actually made it all by herself. It's really easy and was quite tasty. Everyone who tried it liked it (at least they said they did). I hope you give it a try the next time you have a potluck and let me know what you think!

Ingredients:

2 pounds fully cooked frozen meatballs (I got mine from Costco)
1 bottle (16 oz) Catalina salad dressing
1 cup orange marmalade
3 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (or more if you like it spicy)

Place frozen meatballs in the slow cooker. In a bowl, stir to combine the remaining ingredients. Pour over meatballs & stir to coat. Cook on high setting for 2-3 hrs. Be sure you turn it off or down to low so the sauce doesn't burn.

Recipe of the Week

Here is a recipe that I found @ http://www.kraftfoods.com/ last year. I've made it several times for work potlucks and at home with good results. It's relatively easy to do and makes a whole 13x9 pan. I found I didn't have to make any changes to the recipe..it's perfect as is. Enjoy!

MARBLED CHEESECAKE

20 OREO Cookies, crushed (about 2 cups)
3 Tbsp. butter, melted
4 pkg. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened (you can put in microwave approx 30 seconds)
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup sour Cream
4 eggs
6 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted, cooled

PREHEAT oven to 325°F. Line 13x9-inch baking pan with foil (the non-stick works best), with ends of foil extending over sides of pan. Mix cookie crumbs and butter; press firmly onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake 10 min.

BEAT cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add sour cream; mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on low speed after each addition just until blended. Remove 1 cup of the batter; set aside. Stir melted chocolate into remaining batter in large bowl; pour over crust. Top with spoonfuls of the remaining 1 cup plain batter; cut through batters with knife several times for swirled effect.

BAKE 40 min. or until center is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. Use foil handles to lift cheesecake from pan before cutting to serve. Store in refrigerator.

A fun but exhausting day..

Today Corey got to celebrate her birthday with her friends Madi & Paige. We started off by going to Lattin's Cider Mill. We pigged out on hot dogs, nachos, popcorn & fresh baked donuts. And of course Scott had to get one of their famous apple fritters...yum! The girls fed & pet the goats & sheep. Corey even got bit by a goat on the finger...her day was complete! We headed out to the pumpkin patch where there were lots of good pumpkins to be found. The girls searched high and low until they found the perfect ones. Gabby got two of her favorite "ghost" pumpkins. After that we went to see "City of Ember" followed by dinner @ Red Robin. The crew sang to Corey and made her wear balloons on her head. Great fun! After that we came home and had cake & opened even more presents. I think Corey really made out this year! Turning 13 was definitely memorable........

Birthday celebration

Lattin's Pumpkin Patch 10-11-08

Corey's Birthday

Happy Birthday to Corey!

Today Corey turned 13...yes, she's officially become a teenager. Mom and Dad survived it though they weren't really sure they would. She had many happy birthday wishes at school and Madi gave her some balloons that she got to carry around all day. To top that off, her JV Volleyball team won their match against Griffin! Yeah! After that the four of us went to Meconi's (her favorite sandwich shop) for dinner and then to Dairy Queen for some yummy dessert. Corey had the Chocolate Extreme Blizzard..what else? Then we came home and she got to open a few more presents. She received a cool glass globe with a rose inside and some funky socks from Gabby. From Mom & Dad she got a cute shirt & some new tennis shoes. She can finally retire those old shoes that she's refused to part with. Tomorrow we head to the movies & dinner with her friends Paige & Madi. Corey hopes to spend some of her birthday $$ from her Aunt Patty on something cool at the mall.......HAPPY BIRTHDAY COREY!!!

Recipe of the Week

Another Monday already? How do these weeks fly by so quickly? Here is a recipe for Spice Cake (or Pumpkin Bars) that I originally got from Rozanne with just a few extra things added in. My family loves this spice cake because it comes out so moist and the cream cheese frosting is so yummy. It fills up an entire jelly roll pan so there's always lots of extra for sharing. I usually bake this at least 2-3 times per winter. I'm sure it will become one of your favorites, too! Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 ¼ C flour
2 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 ½ C brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 can pumpkin (15 oz)
¾ c butter, softened
2 eggs
2 tsp oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 15x10 jelly roll pan. Cream butter, sugar, vanilla, eggs & oil. Add dry ingredients & mix. Add pumpkin and mix until blended. Spread & bake 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick in the center comes out cleanly. Don't overbake!

Cream cheese frosting:
1 8oz cream cheese, softened
1 tsp vanilla
½ C butter, softened
1 C powdered sugar
Dash of salt

Mix in mixer until well blended and frost the bars after they have cooled.

Birthday presents for Corey

Almost a teenager....

Well, it's only 6 more days until Corey turns 13! How did the time go so fast? Since Gamma was here this weekend, we decided to give Corey her presents early. We all went to Best Buy and Gamma & Corey picked out her first cell phone. She is so excited! She can't wait to start texting all her friends. Corey also got a laptop for all those fun school writing projects. She can't wait to get started on all her homework....ok, maybe not!

TMS vs Reeves 10-3-08

TMS Firebirds vs Reeves Raiders 10-3-08

Another exciting game today as the Tumwater Middle School girls JV volleyball team took on Reeves Middle school. The Firebirds took the first set 25-18. Corey scored 4 points serving and all her serves went over the net. Go Corey! Reeves won the 2nd and 3rd sets to win the match 2-1. The Firebirds girls did a tremendous job considering they had to play against some Varsity players on the Raiders team. Go Tumwater!