My Apple Pickin' Adventure

Guess what I got to do yesterday?

Pick me some apples.  It was awesome.

Mommy and Daddy dwove us out to this place with lots of twees, and lo and behold, there was weal apples growin' on them!

We even got to take some of our best fwiends... like "Uncle" Danny.  It's so cool to have other people who wuv hanging out with me.

See?!  I'm a master picker... and eater.  Well, I twied, but Mommy's going to have to make me some applesauce so my gums can handle all this goodness.

She also loves making this wecipe during apple pickin' season.  It's the perfect breakfast with a dowup of yogurt or the perfect dessert with a wittle homemade whip cweam:

Cran-Apple Crisp:

Filling:

8-10 apples, cored and sliced (I tend to leave the peels on)

1/4 cup honey (approximate)

1-2 tablespoon(s) all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon (or more) ground cinnamon

1/2 cup water

1 tablespoon lemon juice (not needed if you use craisens or cranberries)

1 cup craisens or cranberries - optional; if you use cranberries, add a little more honey

dash of salt

Topping:

1 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup wheat germ

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup butter, softened

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degree C).

Place the sliced apples in a 9x13 inch pan. Mix the honey, 1 tablespoon flour, lemon juice, craisen/cranberries and ground cinnamon together, and sprinkle over apples. Pour water evenly over all.

Combine the topping ingredients (oats, flour, wheat, brown sugar and softened butter). Crumble evenly over the apple mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for about 45-60 minutes.

What's your favorite apple recipe??

Bella's Buddy & The Indoor Picnic

Bella is co-starring with Baby Behr over at the Scribble Pad today.  For a how-to on indoor picnics with babies (or for more cute pics of Bella), go check it out!

Signing off for a few days as the Manninas head down to Florida for a Davis Family Vacation!  Sand and sun, here we come!

Welcome Home!

To my dear KB:

Yes, that's right. This gourmet and patriotic wonder is coming to your doorsteps tonight!  Mike and I are so excited for you both!  All your hard work has finally paid off!  Congratulations!

Thrift Store Adventure

Many thanks to my friend and neighbor, Shannon and baby Behr over the at the Scribble Pad, for taking me and Bella on our first crazy consignment warehouse adventure.

And crazy it was.  We pilgrimaged almost an hour outside DC to join other crazy money saving mommas in the hunt.  We got there so early that we literally had to stop and have a picnic on the floor of Panera... because how else do you kill two hours with two little movers and shakers?  And yes, that means we literally threw out a blanket on the floor of the restaurant and ignored all looks from people who don't have babies and therefore can't relate.

As the hour drew near, we pulled up to the Montgomery County Fairgrounds, nursed both babies in the front seat of the car, laughed at the thought of what this must look like to a watching world that thankfully wasn't watching, secured a fresh change of diapers, and took our place in a long line of politely anxious mommas with babes strapped in Ergos.

I felt like one of those crazy brides on the hunt for a half price wedding dress that camps out the night before so she can mad dash in to some store and rip her wedding dress out of another bride's hands while tackling her to the ground lest she protest.

That feeling scares me.  I'm actually not a huge fan of places that bring out the aggressive side of women and put them all together in one room.

But thankfully our hunt actually went without any big bumps, rips, or tears.  No one ripped anything out of my hand, I didn't see anyone pulling anyone's hair out, and I didn't pull my own hair out.  No, I maintained composure.  And some moms even helped me find the right size I was looking for.  Now, that's the spirit!

I came out with some great finds.  Check it out!



1 Jacket, 2 dresses, 3 hard back books, 2 pairs of shoes, 3 footed sleepers, 1 set of 3 travel bowls for food (not pictured, in the sink), 1 table placemat (also in the sink), and a bathing suit for our Davis Family Beach Trip next week(!)... and all for the whopping low price of $48!  That's 14 items for $3.43 each!  Yes!

Thanks for all the money saving and fun memory making, Shannon!  I think Bella and Behr are really starting to hit it off.  The way they traded off screaming in the backseat on the way home leads me to believe that something really special is going on there. ;)