Happy Sunday

This is one of those deals where I turn the picture in some program on my laptop and it still shows up sideways when I import to the blog. I must be dumb because I can't figure it out. Oh well.

I've been in a baking mood. Fall weather does this to me. I think it must be typical. There is just something about the cooler air that makes anything warm and cinnamon tasting seem so comforting. The picture above is apple cinnamon hand pies (or turnovers). I sort of made them combining two different recipes, neither of which were made with apples. But apples was what I had available. I think I'll make a pie next.

I've also made about 4 cardamom cakes. I've posted the recipe for that before. It's one of the BEST things to eat on a chilly fall day. So sweet and delicious!

Not only have I been baking (apple cake, blackberry cobbler, apple turnovers, bjornkaka....) but I went nuts-o yesterday morning at the breadsmith (coffee cake, chocolate chip cookies, bread, buns) and at the grocery store (donuts, Hershey's Nuggets, mini Twix). My husband is usually so happy when I bring home treats from the store, but I think he was on sugar overload by that time and even he thought it was a bit much. Which is really saying something because he has the worst sweet tooth ever.

He stood their patting his belly saying, "I've got to cut back on all the sweets." Yes, I agree. He really does. But even more, he needs a bit of exercise. He leads a pretty sedentary life. And I think he gets annoyed when I tell him he needs exercise. Probably because I'm a freak when it comes to working out and he doesn't want to give me the satisfaction of having rubbed off on him. I know he will never have a passion for it like I do, but at the very least I would hope he would want to raise his heart rate and break a sweat 3 times a week.

I say this after doing nothing but shoving baked goods into his cake hole for the past 6 days. But I only do it because I know he loves it. And I love seeing his eyes light up when he asks 'what's for dessert' and I actually have something prepared.

Oh, and I tried the Pioneer Woman's chicken and dumplings recipe last night. Oh. My. Dear. Lord. It was fabulous! I'm a dumpling lover. My husband isn't. But even he liked these. So light and fluffy. Simply perfection.

Yesterday we bought a new grill. We ended up getting a Weber. We looked at other brands but since my husband is addicted to his phone, he happened to be looking up reviews online while we were shopping. Good thing he did because the brand we were sort of eyeballing was supposedly a pile of junk. This is one of the only times I was glad he had his phone in his face the entire time.

Today we have Eden's birthday party at Space Aliens. If you remember, her last party was scheduled over Labor Day weekend and no one could go. I had a nightmare about this last night. We were waiting for the kids to arrive for the party and they just kept coming and coming until we had like 30 kids there. I was freaking out because we only said 6 could come. Apparently Eden had been telling everyone in her class about the party, not just the six we sent invitations to. And they ALL showed up. I was literally terrified when I woke up from that one! Let's pray it wasn't a prophetic dream!

Birthday shout out to my dear friend Carmen today! Hope your day is perfect, girl!

Happy Sunday!