I'm Ready. Bring it on!

Have you ever gone outside and realized that it no longer smells like fall, but there, in the crisp air, is the aroma of winter?

This week has started bringing frosty mornings that don't thaw before the sun sets and the smell of wood fires burning throughout the neighborhood.  We are actively losing about five minutes of sunlight a day.  It is still quite dark at 8:30 in the morning and the sun is setting earlier each night.

With the approaching winter comes the need to prepare the yard, the house, and the cars.  Since our van has front wheel drive we opted to get studded tires over snow tires.

  

Our girl has had quite a few exciting months, and she needed some TLC.  New brakes, new shoes, and fresh oil; she is ready for whatever Mother Nature has to dish out.

Now to get that emergency back pack stuffed and ready - just in case.

Bake, Rattle, and ROLL {Pumpkin Roll}

Pumpkin, Pumpkin, Pumpkin.  It is everywhere.  Your lattes, your M&Ms, your muffins, and your wax melt warmers.  My husband doesn't have much of a sweet tooth, but he has no control when there is a pumpkin roll in the house.  So of course, I indulge him (for his sake only).

I have only been making this for a couple of years, but I think the recipe is pretty much perfect.  Not nearly as intimidating as I thought to make and so worth the effort.  It is a show stopper, folks.

Pumpkin Roll

3 Eggs

1 Cup Sugar

1 Tsp. Cinnamon

2/3 Cup Pumpkin Puree

3/4 Cup Flour

1 Tsp. Baking Soda

Filling

2 Tbsp. Butter, Softened

8 Oz. Cream Cheese, Softened

1 Tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 Tsp. Vanilla
2 or more Cups Powdered Sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Butter a 10x15 inch jelly roll pan.  I also line the bottom with a sheet of parchment paper, to help with no stick removal.

In a mixing bowl, blend together the eggs, sugar, cinnamon, and pumpkin. Add the flour and baking soda and blend until smooth.  Evenly spread the mixture in the prepared jelly roll pan.  It'll be thin, don't panic.

Bake for 18 minutes in a preheated oven.  Remove from the oven and let it cool enough to handle.

Place a cotton tea towel (not terry) on the counter and flip the pan over onto the towel, peel the parchment off and roll the cake and the towel up and place seam side down on the counter to cool completely.

In the meantime mix together your filling.  Add the butter and cream cheese to the mixer and mix until creamy and light yellow in color (three to four minutes) scrapping sides of the bowl often.  Add the pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, and one cup of the sugar.  Mix well.  Contine adding sugar until it is at your desired consistency.  I will let it mix on medium for a good five minutes or more.  The flufflier, the better.  I typically use three (or four) cups of sugar per batch.  As a reference, if I double the recipe I use an entire bag of sugar.

When the cake is cool, unwrap from the towel.  It may feel slightly sticky, that's okay.  Spread the frosting over the cooled cake and roll up again without the towel.  I then wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and place in the fridge until I'm ready to serve it, or my husband finds it.

For a lovely presentation, trim the ends, place seam side down on a platter, and sprinkle with a dusting of powdered sugar.

These freeze very well.  Just wrap the plastic wrapped roll in foil before freezing.  I am pretty sure we enjoyed a forgotten half of pumpkin roll around Easter and it was marvelous!

So Fresh and So Clean {Homemade Laundry Detergent}

Homemade laundry soaps have been all the rage on Pinterest and Facebook pages, lately.  I know people that have been making their own soap for years.  In fact, when I visited my little sister (who is an awesome new mom by the way) she even had her own stash of homemade soap.  So I thought I would jump on the bandwagon too.

This recipe is a combination of different recipes I have seen online.  I decided to add OxiClean to mine because I have... ummm, boys and they stink, let's face it.

So here's what I used.

1 box of Arm & Hammer Washing Soda

1 box of Borax

1 box of Baking Soda (the super big one found in baking aisle)

1 box of OxiClean, 3 lbs

2 Bars of Homemade Soap from Natural History Bees

First, with my cheese grater I shred each bar of soap onto a plate.  Then into my decorative glass jar I dumped half of each box of powder and the shreds of one bar of soap.  I put the lid on and I shook that thing silly.  I then added the rest of the powders and the remaining soap and shook it again. 

To Wash:  I store the scoop that came with the OxiClean in the container and use that as my measurement for extra large loads.  The smaller the load, the less detergent.

I have been using the detergent for about a month now.  I feel that it washes just as good as commercially sold laundry soap.  I love that I get to customize the scent based on my favorite brand of soap.  Seriously, check out Natural History Bees, if you haven't yet, she makes AH-mazing things.

Now, who is going to come fold all of my clean laundry?

Trick or Treat in the Heat

In 2005 an Anchorage neighborhood came together to hold a block event for a terminally ill boy to experience one last Trick or Treat.  It was such a success that it has continued each year with exponential growth, expanding to five neighborhoods throughout the Anchorage area.  The proceeds all go to charities dealing with childhood illnesses and diseases.

We haven't experienced our first Trick or Treat in Alaska, yet.  However, we have been told that it is often snowy and quite cold.  So we jumped at the chance to participate in this great fundraiser and TOT before it got cold.

For those of you that know us, we have been making "Jack" themed costumes for our oldest son.  He is getting to the age where he is starting to protest not being able to pick out his own costume.  Well, this provided the perfect opportunity for Jack to pick his own costume.  Any ideas on what it was?

Don't worry.  Come October he will be flaunting a traditional homemade Jack costume.

Our sweet Nolan was a dinosaur.  And truth be told, he hasn't taken the costume off since.  This was the best purchase his Aunt Wendy ever made.

Miss Claire was a snowgirl.  However, she wasn't a fan of her top hat, we are pretty sure it was tossed from the wagon on the TOT route.

It was a gorgeous evening and we had a wonderful time Trick or Treating with the mountains surrounding us in the nearby town of Eagle River.

It's Five O'Clock Somewhere {Homemade Vanilla Extract}

Have you ever been to Costco at ten in the morning with a huge bottle of vodka in your cart? No? Oh, well, I had a good reason.  I needed that huge bottle to make vanilla extract; yeah, that's my story.

So, I hate to tell you, but the holidays are approaching.  School has started, Halloween candy is out in all of the stores, and here in Alaska the leaves are slowly beginning to change colors.  I love to make cookies for Christmas.  I give them to everyone; the mail delivery person, teachers, neighbors, my husband's co-workers, and I even think I will give some to that lady who walks her boxer every day when I pick Jack up at the bus stop.

There is something special about making my favorite cookies with homemade vanilla extract.  I think they taste better and I love the little flecks of vanilla speckled in the dough.  And it is SO easy.  Give yourself at least six weeks, maybe more, to let the vanilla fully develop a rich smooth flavor.  So plan ahead.  I ordered my Madagascar Vanilla Beans from the online store Beanilla, but you can get them at most major retailers.

Homemade Vanilla Extract

Jar or Bottle (Ball jars work beautifully)

Vanilla Beans

Vodka (You can also use rum, brandy, or bourbon if you want)

The general rule of thumb is five beans to one cup of alcohol.  Split your beans lengthwise to expose the beautiful black vanilla and slip them into your jar.  Pour your alcohol over top and tightly cap.  Give your bottle a good shake and place in a dark cupboard.  Once a week pull it out and give the jar a shake.  Your vanilla should be ready to go in about six to eight weeks.  It'll darken in color the longer it sits.  As you use it just top it off with more alcohol.

These bottles will be ready in time for my holiday baking.  Yum. I love Christmas cookies.  

Who am I kidding, I love all cookies.

Mother Son Adventure

Every year the ASYMCA (Armed Services YMCA) puts together a Mother/Son adventure.  When I read about this year's program, I jumped at the chance.  For a small fee Jack and I were able to ride the Alaska Railroad to the trail-head of the Spencer Glacier.  After arriving at the Whistle Stop for the glacier we were able to walk a little over a mile to the glacial lake and viewing area of this natural wonder.  

The day was rainy and cold, but Jack and I had so much fun together.  While waiting for the hike to begin, Jack decided he was a little thirsty. There was plenty of the wet stuff to spare.


We boarded the train south of Girdwood, Alaska with about 100 other moms and sons.  It was fun to see the various ages and stages of the sons.  There were lots of boys Jack's age who still held hands with their moms but there were some teenagers who spent the entire hike with their ear buds plugged in.  My Jack will never be that embarrassed of me, right?

It was an easy hike.  We would categorize it more of a walk but the payoff at the end was spectacular.  According to Jack the water was icy cold which I would assume had something to do with the mammoth glacier resting in it.  Along with the glacier, the water was full of icebergs that had broken off.  No matter the age, the sons loved the fact that they could toss rocks onto an iceberg.

While hiking we passed more of Alaska's beauty, even in the rain.  The wildflowers are stunning and were so colorful on this drab day. 

This bridge was a favorite photo opportunity for all the moms on the hike.  It was just eerily beautiful in the fog and rain.  I'd love to see it on a sunny day, too!

Rainy Days Call for Soup {Chicken Fajita Soup}

The warm weather of summer is behind us.  The rainy season has rolled in and the blue skies are typically overcast and dreary.  However, the Alaskan beauty is still here and we are enjoying everything this state has to offer us.  

Hatcher Pass

But with this cooler weather comes the desire for a warm bowl of comforting soup.  This latest recipe is an adaptation of a recipe I found on Pinterest.  I switched it up to suit our taste and it has already been requested a second time.

Chicken Fajita Soup

Chicken Fajita Soup

1 Split Chicken

1 Red Bell Pepper, diced

1 Orange Bell Pepper, diced

1 Yellow Bell Pepper, diced

1 Green Bell Pepper, diced

1 Red Onion, diced

1 15oz. Can of Tomato Sauce (I used a sodium  free one)

1 Can Rotel Mexican Style Tomatoes (This had added lime juice and cilantro)

Juice of 1 Lime

Fajita Seasoning Packet (I used reduced sodium)

3 Cloves Fresh Garlic, finely diced (I used a press)

Salt & Pepper to Taste

I tend to make my own soup base, it's quite easy.  However, you can always use five cups of water and some bullion cubes or five cups of chicken broth.

Put your rinsed chicken pieces in a stock pot and cover with water.  For extra flavor you can add an onion or other veggies that need to be used up.  However, this soup has enough flavor that it isn't necessary.

Once the chicken is cooked through, typically about 45 minutes on a low simmer, pull the chicken out and let cool.  Don't throw out the water, you will use this as your soup base.

In a dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot saute the peppers and onions with salt and pepper for five minutes, stirring frequently.  Squeeze the lime juice over the sauteing  vegetables.  Add garlic and the entire fajita seasoning packet.  Saute for two or three more minutes.  When it becomes fragrant add the tomato sauce and canned tomatoes.  Measure out and add four to five cups of your chicken cooking water to the veggie mixture.  Add more or less water based on how much liquid you like in your soup.  I used five cups.  

As the soup begins to simmer de-bone your chicken.  Chop into bite sized pieces and add to the pot.  Bring soup to a boil and reduce to a simmer.  Let simmer for at least an hour to get all of those flavors incorporated.

Serve with your favorite fajita toppings; cilantro, diced avocado, shredded cheese, tortillas, and sour cream.  You get the idea.

I still couldn't get my boys to eat the soup.  Instead they ate a frozen cheese pizza with a can of sliced black olives on top... go figure.