Pomegranate Almond Salad

This salad is a refreshing and festive dish. The pomegranates with the green lettuce make a great Christmas side...and it is SO GOOD!!! (Don't judge it by this picture, I had Eric hurry and take a picture of it during Thanksgiving after it was half eaten.) It is one of my favorite salads, especially during the holidays when I am sick of all the heavy and rich foods.

Pomegranate Almond Salad

• 3 heads of Romain lettuce, chopped
• 1 large can of mandarin oranges, drained and patted dry to get most of the liquid off
• 1/2 cup thin sliced celery
• 3-4 green onions chopped ( I leave these out)
• 1 cup candied almonds - put 3 Tbsp sugar and almonds in pan. Cook on high, constantly stirring. The sugar will liquify, coat the almonds, and the almonds will get toasty. Spread on wax paper and let dry.
• 2 pomegranates - an easy way to get the fruit out is to cut the pomegranate in half and soak in water...it loosens the membranes so that the fruit pops right out.

***add all ingredients and top with dressing right before you eat the salad. If I am taking it somewhere I will just put everything in baggies/containers and toss it all together before we eat. Otherwise it will get soggy and gross...you have to eat it when it is fresh!

Dressing:

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 3/4 tsp pure almond extract
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper

Make this dressing the day before. Heat all ingredients on stove until sugar dissolves then store in fridge.

Enjoy!

Paper Bag Apple Pie

Mmmmmm, Thanksgiving was delicious. What was your favorite thing to eat? Mine was this apple pie. It is super easy because you don't have to deal with rolling pastry crusts and it turned out SO GOOD!!! I don't know what the paper bag does - but some kind of magic happened in that bag that I loved!

Paper Bag Apple Pie

Recipe from The Essential Mormon Cookbook

Crust:

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup oil
• 2 Tbsp cold milk

Filling:

• 5-6 peeled and sliced apples 
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp flour
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Topping:

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter (cold)

Mix crust ingredients with a fork until well blended. Press into the bottom and sides of a greased 10 inch pie plate. Toss apples with sugar, flour, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Mound filling on top of crust. Combine topping with a fork until it is crummy. Sprinkle over apples. Put the pie in a brown paper bag and fold over edges. Oven must be completely preheated to avoid burning the bag. Bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours. Do not open oven during cooking.

Enjoy!!! 

Rejoice and Be Glad

Psalms 118:24 - This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Doctrine and Covenants 78:19 - And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more.

"Brothers and sisters, no matter our circumstances, no matter our challenges or trials, there is something in each day to embrace and cherish. There is something in each day that can bring gratitude and joy if only we will see and appreciate it." - President Uchtdorf

I am truly grateful for so many things...yet sometimes I don't appreciate the little things that each day brings.

Today I a grateful for the unique personalities of my little pumpkins.

Seseme Street Halloween

Sunny Day

Cavities are on their way

So excited to go Trick or Treat

 

 

 

Can you tell me how to get,

How to get to Seseme Street

 

Ghost pancakes started off our day

Halloween was A-OK

Friendly Neighbors there

As we Trick or Treat

 

 

Can you tell me how to get,

How to get to Seseme Street

 

Happy Halloween!