candied orange sweet potatoes

For the first time in my life I am hosting a holiday dinner on Thanksgiving and am trying out a bunch of new side recipes for the big day. First guinea pig recipe is these candied orange mashed sweet potatoes. They came out really tasty (but definitely on the sweet side), and are very simple to make. They take quite a bit of time to cook but the prep time was pretty quick. I think this will definitely be one of my sweet potato dishes. Serves 6-8.

What You'll Need:

- 1 3 lb or 2 1/2 lb bag of sweet potatoes, peeled & sliced
- 1 orange
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons orange juice (or 1 fresh squeezed orange)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- nutmeg, cinnamon, and brown sugar (no real measurements, just to sprinkle on top to taste)

Directions:
1. Layer sweet potatoes in baking dish.
2. Top with 1 very thinly sliced orange.

3. In saucepan, melt butter with sugar.
4. Stir in the orange juice and vanilla extract.
5. Cover and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.
6. Uncover and bake 30/45 minutes or more until tender and browned, spooning sauce over potatoes half way through. (This ended up being another hour for me), but the softer/mushier the potatoes are the better).
7. Sprinkle nutmeg, cinnamon, & a pinch of brown sugar on top. I thought it was sweet enough so I left out the  brown sugar, but add in as much as you want of any of these to taste.

8. You can either leave as is, or now start mashing into mashed potatoes.

Stay posted for more holiday side dishes leading up to Thanksgiving!

flashback friday

Then & now
♡

Butternut Squash Baked Mac 'n Cheese

If you haven't noticed, I'm a bit obsessed with butternut squash this fall. And this butternut squash mac 'n cheese recipe is ahh-mazing. It is the epitome of a comfort food and goes great with a nice glass of red wine, garlic bread, and/or tomato soup. There are also many ways to alter this recipe - I don't eat meat so I didn't mix in the bacon and instead served it on the side for all the bacon lovers, and I also think it would taste great if you wanted to add in broccoli and/or cherry tomatoes. It makes for a large serving (about 6-8 people) so there's plenty to go around and/or keep for leftovers or to freeze. Enjoy!

What You'll Need:
- 4 cups butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks
- 3 cups elbow macaroni
- 2 3/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 8 oz or 2 cups shredded cheese. I used extra sharp cheddar cheese but other cheeses that taste amazing with the butternut squash are Gruyere and fontina cheese.
- 8 slices bacon (optional)
- 2 small sweet onions, cut into chunks
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 1/3 cup breadcrumbs
- fresh parsley or sage
- fresh shredded mozzarella or parmesan cheese to top

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425. Lightly butter a 3 quart baking dish and set aside.
2. Cook pasta according to directions, drain, transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
3. In a large saucepan, combine the squash and 2 1/2 cups of the milk over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer until squash is tender when pierced with a fork. (18-20 minutes).
4. Stir in remaining 1/4 cup milk and flour into squash/milk mixture.
5. Stir in the 2 cups shredded cheese until melted and keep warm.
6. Optional: cook bacon in skillet until crisp. Crumble and set aside.
7. Cook chopped onions in skillet with olive oil until onions are a golden brown.
8. Add squash/milk/cheese mixture and onions (and optional bacon crumbles) to the macaroni bowl. Toss well to combine and then transfer to baking dish.
9. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella or parmesan cheese over dish.
10. Mix breadcrumbs with melted butter and sprinkle on top.
11. Bake until top is browned, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley or sage.

Pictures of Recently Enjoyed Things

 Sneak peak into Landon's new room

Custom initial heart cross necklace - silver inital disc with handstamped "l" for Landon, gold heart for Chris, and add ons for future kiddos. Christmas came early :)

"kid cave" completed.

 Blurry but: these two pigs in a blanket 

 Why I usually don't let him order his own meal

hangin' w the big kids

baby carpool

he tries so hard to stay up late with us

butternut squash soup

=^..^=

early morning stories

watching Wall-E with his stuffed animal friends, tough life this kid has.

My Holy Grail

I have a holy grail. It is something I made 4 summers ago while I was studying for the bar exam. It is a compilation of select bible verses, affirmations, and bits of inspiration excerpted from Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, "The Power of Positive Thinking." I started making my grail when I was going through a very stressful time in my life, and I planned on revisiting it whenever I am facing difficulty, times when I am unsure, upset, confused, lacking confidence and clear vision in my present and future. It's no secret that I sometimes get anxiety, and unfortunately whenever it attacks I often let it get the best of me. Tonight I was hit with a lot of pain about our lost baby. (Our almost-baby). And per usual, everything else in my mind comes crashing down. For the first time in a very long time I fumbled through my nightstand drawer and pulled out the stack of worn flashcards with an old rubber band around them. So tonight, I want to share with you the contents of my grail. I want to impart this wealth of knowledge with you so that whenever you have really crap days, you now have a well to pull from too.

"You are the manufacturer of your own happiness. Cultivate a happy heart and you can enjoy life every day. The way to happiness: Keep your heart free from hate, your mind free from worry. Live simply, expect little, give much. Fill your life with love. Scatter sunshine. Forget yourself, think of others."

"Human beings can alter their lives by altering the attitude of their minds."

"I believe I am divinely guided. I believe I will always take the right turn of the road. I believe God will always make a way when there is no way."

"Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him." 1Corinthians 2:9

"Believe in Christ; believe in his system of thoughts and practice; believe and you will overcome all fear, hate, inferiority, guilt, and every form and manner of defeat. No good thing is too good to be true. You have never seen, never heard, never even imagined the things God will give to those who love Him, and put their trust in Him. Not only have you never seen nor heard but you have never even dimly imagined what He is going to do for you."

"Throw your heart over the bar. Throw your faith over your difficulty, throw your affirmation over every barrier, throw your visualization over your obstacles. Throw your spiritual essence of you over the bar and your material self will follow in the victory groove thus pioneered by your faith-inspired mind. Fire the heart with where you want to go and what you want to be. Get it so deeply fixed in your unconscious that you will not take no for an answer. Expect the best, and not the worst, and you will attain your heart's desires. It is what is in your heart, either good or bad, strong or weak, that finally comes to you."

"Whatever you are doing, give it all you've got. Give every bit of yourself. Hold nothing back. Life cannot deny itself to the person who gives life his all. People are only defeated because of lack of wholeheartedness, not because of ability."

"That's the secret. He was on fire for something. He was pouring himself out, and you never lose energy and vitality in so doing. You only lose energy when life becomes dull in your mind. Your mind gets bored and therefore tired doing nothing. You don't have to be tired. Get interested in something. Throw yourself into it with abandon. Get out of yourself. Be somebody. Do something. Don't sit around moaning about things. The man who is out doing something isn't tired."

"A person's life is what his thoughts make of it."

"A man is what he thinks about all day long."

"Have faith in God. Truly I tell you, if you say to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' and if you do not doubt in your heart, but believe that what you say will come to pass, it will be done for you. So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours." Mark 11:23

"Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all."

"There is spiritual healing. Completely surrender you or a loved one into the hands of God. By your faith you can place him in the flow of Divine Power. There is healing, but in order for it to be effective, the patient must be completely released to the operation of God's will."

"Religion teaches us that there is a tremendous power in the universe and that this power can dwell in personality. Nothing on earth is greater than the human mind in potential power. When you actually learn to release yourself, you will discover that the mind contains ideas of such creative value that you need not lack anything. By the full and proper use of your power stimulated by God's power, you can make your life successful. Look deeply into your mind, amazing wonders are there."

"When you pray, visualize what you pray for. Believe that if it is God's will, and it is worthwhile, not selfishly sought after, but for human good, at that moment, it is given to you."

"Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live." Deut. 4:9

"I have come so that they may have life, and have it to the full." John 10:1-4

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13

"God is in me. God is the source of all energy. God is the source of the energy in the sun, in the atom, in all flesh, in the bloodstream, in the mind. I hereby draw energy from Him as an illimitable source."

"Every problem can be solved, and solved right, if you pray. Affirmative prayers release powers by which positive results are accomplished."

"God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the onset to shape the lives of those who love Him along the same lines of His son. The son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in Him. After God made the decision of what His children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name. After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself. And then, after getting him established, he stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what he had begun." Romans 8:25

"Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless. Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted; but those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:28-31

"There is no problem, difficulty, or defeat that you cannot solve or overcome by faith, positive thinking, or defeat that you cannot solve or overcome by faith, positive thinking, and prayer. It's nothing short of a miracle."

"Prayer is a sending out of vibrations from one person to another and to God. All of the universe is in vibration. There are vibrations in the molecules of a table. The air is filled with vibrations. The reaction between human beings is also in vibration. When you send out a prayer for another person, you employ the force inherent in a spiritual universe. You transport from yourself to the other person a sense of love, helpfulness, support - a sympathetic, powerful understanding - and in this process you awaken vibrations in the universe through which God brings to pass the good objectives prayed for."

"By believing, you are not necessarily going to get everything you want or think you want. When you put your trust in God, He guides your mind so that you do not want things that are not good for you or that are inharmonious with God's will."

"For every problem, there is a solution. Don't try to force an answer. Assemble all the facts impartially, impersonally, and judicially. The problems are objective, not subjective. Pray; affirming God will flash illumination into your mind. Believe in and seek God's guidance on the promise of the 73rd Psalm: 'Thou shalt guide me by thy counsel.' Trust in the faculty of insight and intuition. Creative spiritual thinking has amazing power to give "right" answers."

"The almighty God has put in you the power to lift yourself out of the rough by keeping your eye firmly fixed on the source of your power. Through this power you can do anything you have to do. The rough is only mental. I think victory; I get victory. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

"Fear is the most powerful of all thoughts with one exception, and that exception is faith. Faith can always overcome fear. Faith is the one power against which fear cannot stand. Day by day, as you fill your head with faith, there will ultimately be no room left for fear. Master faith and you will automatically master fear."

"A person who is self-reliant, positive, optimistic, and undertakes his work with the assurance of success magnetizes his condition. He draws to himself the creative powers of the universe. So expect the best at all times. Never think the worst. Drop it out of your mind. Relegate it. Avoid entertaining the concept of the worst, for whatever you take into your mind can grow there. Nurture it, concentrate on it, emphasize it, visualize it, prayerize it, surround it with faith. Make it your obsession. Expect the best, and spiritually creative mind power aided by God power will produce the best."

"Everyday is a good day if you pray. Count your blessings. Never use negative thoughts in prayer; only positive thoughts get results. Always express willingness to accept God's will. Ask for what you want, but be willing to take what God gives you. It may be better than what you asked for. Practice the attitude of putting everything in God's hands. Ask for the ability to do your best and leave the results confidently to God. Pray for people you do not like or who have mistreated you. Resentment is blockade number one of spiritual power. The more you pray for other people, and especially those not connected to you, the more prayer results will come back to you."

"With God, all things are possible. With God's help, I am now emptying my mind of all anxiety, all fear, all sense of insecurity. God is not filling my mind with courage, with peace, with calm assurance. God is now protecting me from all harm. God is now protecting my loved ones from all harm. God is now guiding me to right decisions. God will see me through this situation."

"The kingdom of God is within you." Luke 17:21

"God, our Creator, has laid up within our minds and personalities all the potential powers and ability we need for constructive living. It remains for us to tap and develop these powers."

Pumpkin Spice Bread

*Mom, don't worry this isn't your secret recipe. 

There are a bunch of different ways to make pumpkin bread, some add in cranberries, chocolate chips, and/or chopped walnuts, but after making a few different kinds I've decided that the plain pumpkin spice bread with icing is hands down the best. This recipe below makes 2 loaves, so one to enjoy yourself and another if you wanna share the love. Happy fall baking :)

Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 60-70 minutes

What You Will Need:
- 1 can of pumpkin
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 1/3 cups flour (you can split half whole wheat and half white if you want)
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup water
- 4 eggs
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 tablespoon pumpkin spice OR equal parts ground cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg
- cream cheese frosting OR make your own icing (recommended) with: 3 cups confectioners sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. In one large mixing bowl, combine "wet" ingredients: pumpkin, vegetable oil, water, and eggs and mix well.

3. In another large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder,  and spices.

4. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until smooth.

5. Grease and flour two 9x5'' bread pans.
6. Evenly divide the batter into the bread pans.
7. Bake for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
8. Let cool and frost with cream cheese frosting or your homemade icing & enjoy with a pumpkin spice latte :)

Little Talks

Rough night, cute cause.

Life Lately

Porch decor

 @ Wagner Farm

 cousins

 Squared away @ daycare while mumma's @ yoga

 Painting L's new room. Stay tuned for more pics of the grand opening this month!

 Morning power stroll through Harms woods 

 one with nature

 veggie stuffed butternut squash with a cream of mushroom sauce {yum!}

Speaking of food, more of What Landon Eats here

::Sneak Peak:: #Halloween

Suprise sunflowers from my hubby <3 he knows how to make me :)

diy tealight pumpkins

Reposting is not something I commonly do, in fact this is the first time I've ever done a repost, but I love this lil pumpkin craft so much and it is so festive & fitting right now with the cooler weather & change of season. I posted this about a year ago, so if you never saw this or weren't following the blog back then, enjoy! & if you've already seen this, I apologize, just needing a bit of a break this month!

Looking for some cute autumn diy home decor? Carve out the tops of mini pumpkins and replace with tealight candles for a warm, festive holiday glow :) These little pumpks super easy and quick to make. We already had the mini pumpkins and tealights so didn't even make a trip to the store. You could also use slightly larger pumpkins with votives depending on your preference or what you have at home. All you'll need are the pumpkins, candles, and a knife. 

How You Do It:

Step 1: Use the tealight to mark your carving on the top of the pumpkin.

Step 2: Carve out the top. (Be conservative in carving - you can always make a smaller hole bigger but you can't make a bigger hole smaller).
Step 3: Insert the candle, light, & enjoy! 

I think they look great in groups of odd numbers, I like the three here for our round kitchen table, but if you have a longer table or coffee table you can do more, perhaps different colors (white or spray painted gold would look beautiful) and/or different sized pumpkins lined all along the center.

Sidenote - This all started when I saw these pumpkin tealight candle holders in the Crate & Barrel catalog. But I definitely like our real pumpkin candle holders way better :)  Happy fall decorating!

Today

cinnamon swirl butter sandwich, leaving the playground in his trike, after some little kid just asked him if he was a baby ninja. #content