Peepin and pickin!!!

Leaves and apples that is! What a beautiful (if very looonnnnnnnnnng) drive up the NH this weekend. It is definitely PEAK PEEPING time up north. The reds, oranges and yellows take my breath away.. When you look from the highway up at the mountains it looks like a big patchwork quilt.. As my hubby says, "this is God's country up here" It is just such a breathtaking site. I think everyone in the world has the same idea as us this weekend though because traffic was bumper to bumper. The kids fell asleep and when they woke up they couldn't believe we were still in Massachusetts!

So today we went on our annual apple picking adventure and got a great mix of Macoun, McIntosh, Cortlands and something called Jonathans (never head of em!) I made my very first apple crisp of the season with a little help from Matthew who chopped the apples and stirred the "crust" ingredients.. It is the easiest recipe ever and I got it from a neighbor who was about 12 at the time. I think you could pour this over any fruit and it would be delicious. I have used it over canned peaches in pinch and it was still yummy.. Here it is:

1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 stick butter (melted)
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 egg

mix together and put in clumps over whatever fruit you choose ( we prepared cut up apples with some sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg sprinkled over them). Pat down mixture to make sure it covers your fruit.

Bake at 350 for one hour and top with your favorite vanilla ice cream!

I also have a healthy apple crisp recipe made with oatmeal but the kids like this one better. I LOVE FALL!

Let's get Cookin!

So...I picked up my mom today and headed to the Miele Showroom to get a cooking class/demonstration of the Master Chef double oven that we purchased... It was awesome. We made a roast pork with apples and pears, sweet potatoes with onions and rosemary, a rotisserie chicken stuffed with lemon halves and garlic with lemon pepper seasoning, roasted salmon with old bay seasoning and good ol' tollhouse cookies. Oh yeah.. and a thin crust pizza with artichoke and onion. Delicioso!!!

We were able to sample everything and learned how to operate convection oven and the rotisserie. I can't wait to get cookin! It was great to have my mother with me and she was saying, boy did I need this 25 years ago!

The best thing ever about this oven is that you can put 5, yes count em..5 cookie sheets in at the same time and with the air convection, they will all be done at the same time. Just in time for Christmas cookies!

Dad is doing as well as can be expected. He's looking a lot like Kojack these days. Trying to keep his spirits up :)

Matt in Action

Per request of angry anonymous blogger.

Me and Billy and Dad at chemo

One Down...

Two to go...

We got some fairly good news yesterday when I went into Boston with my parents. The docs told him that the chemo is working, they believe the tumor is shrinking and that his bloodwork was good. I was so impressed with how compassionate and kind the doctors, nurses and volunteers all were. They were happy to see that we were all laughing and talking. My father is an absolute trooper and I am so proud of him. It was a fairly long day, but not too bad. Today and tomorrow were supposed to be longer. He is looking at 2 to three more of these sessions but they will do a CAT scan probably next month.

Oh yeah, I was served roast pork, homemade applesauce and rice.. (pork chops and applesaucccccceeeeeeee) It was lovely. My sister Janice and neice Kara also came and gave us some laughs while we watched Amazing Race.

Matt's team won the game again and it was a close one! He did a great job and was full of dirt by the end. I love watching him play!

I also loved having a nice comfy bed all to myself :)

Tedium....and nerves!

Been a busy, almost frustrating weekend. We have been running around buying toilet paper holders, and towel bars and buying more paints and other time-taking tasks. We are really on the home stretch now, and for some reason it is more stressful than ever. Maybe it is because we see an end in sight and we are so impatient to be in our own home. I know, for me, I have honestly had enough and just want my own space. Now. I know I'm being a brat and I won't really be one, but I just feel like complaining, and you, my blogging audience, are the ones I'm complaining to!

I'm getting ready to go to Matt's second football game. I think I neglected to say that they won the first one, and Matt was announced 3 TIMES on the loudspeaker. He is a defensive end and made some very critical plays. It was really exciting! I'm hoping they have another win this week.

After the game, I'm heading up to my parents. I'm staying over tonight and heading into Boston with them for the first Chemo session of Round 2. I'm glad to go and spend some time with them...I called my Dad a little while ago and he is going over my sister's to watch the Pats game with my brother in law. Mom is making dinner so I'm looking forward to something good. Maybe it will be roast beef and mashed potatoes? She also makes the best homemade applesauce, but we haven't been apple picking yet. Enjoy the rest of your weekend, everyone. I'll be back Monday night :)

I was a 40 year old 7th grader...

Last night, we got the opportunity to revisit junior high! We had to do my son Billy's schedule in 2 hours! We went from class to class and had three minutes in between to get from floor to floor. Needless to say, we were late for gym, spanish, math and science. I always was a gabber in the halls, plus we were lost!

Bill and I were talking on the way home, and saying its too bad we can't go back because we are finally interested in what they have to teach!!!!

It is such a beautiful, brand new school and he has two young (aka not ancient) male teachers. I loved the enthusiasm I saw last night and it was fun roaming the halls. I give him lots of credit and as always, wish him success and happiness in his life :)

Update on my Dad!!!

Well, session 1 of chemotherapy is over!!!! Other than being really tired and a bit queasy, my father is doing great! I have spoken to either him or my mother every day and they are keeping my updated on progress. His T cells are low which is very normal because the chemo is fighting the cancer but also lowers his immunities so he is at risk of infection. He needs to stay away from crowds and be careful of people with colds. His very good friend Nicky who he has been friends with since the North End (who is in his 80s and is such a sweet Italian gentleman) came by yesterday. My Dad had a hankering for corn beef and cabbage (go figure.. must be because he married an Irishwoman!) and Nicky drove all the way to Plainville to a resaurant and brought him take out. He's been watching lots of movies and taking lots of rests. He ends each coversation with an "I love you".. and I think we are all a bit enriched from this experience because we really need to appreciate and love the people in our lives.. I am so grateful that he is feeling well..... Next session is in 2 weeks. Thanks for your continued prayers and well wishes!

Crikey!!

Have you heard about Steve Irwin, the crocodile Hunter? He was killed by a stingray while diving in the great barrier reef of Austrailia... Apparently, the stingray's stinger went right into his heart while he was swimming over it...

Now this is disturbing to me on many levels.. First, my sons LOVED watching crocodile hunter on Animal Planet and we were all fascinated by Steve Irwin's abilities to wrestle the great beasts and also for his love of all species of animals. We loved imitating his accent and hearing about the birth of his children with his American wife. So Steve will be missed.

Second, I recently SWAM WITH THE STINGRAYS!!!! While on a cruise we stopped in Grand Cayman and a group of us, including my two children, swam with the stingrays outside of Stingray Island. It was one of the best experiences of my life! They were so gentle and soft. They were also much, much bigger than I imagined they would be. The instructor told us to shuffle our feet as we walked, so we wouldn't accidently step on one... so I'm glad I did it, but I don't think I'll be doing it again..

Here's to the life of Steve Irwin.. I hope he's in crocodile heaven....

The counter tops are here..the counter tops are here

Hi ho the dario the counter tops are here!!! My Brazilian Brown counters are in and they are GORGEOUS!!!! My kitchen is starting to look complete and I am oh so happy because that means we are one step closter to living in our own home again! Funny thing is that the guys putting in my Brazilian Brown counters were Brazilian. Kudos to them for doing such a great job.