Pumpkin Yuck

Growing up, I always remember my Mom decorating the house for the different seasons. Obviously, Christmas was a big one, because we always decorated the house together as a family after church. And. It was Christmas. What kid in the their right mind doesn't love Christmas decorations? Because where there are Christmas decorations, there are PRESENTS!! 

SO, being inspired by mommy dearest (as I often am) I have decided it is time in my life to begin decorating my house for the seasons. Im not big on Halloween. I am actually a claimed "month-of-october-hater" because everything is so scary everywhere. Every single day I have to cover my eyes and ears at least once while I'm watching TV because some zombie monster is walking through smoke towards me swinging a hatchet over is head. Im a wimp, I know. 

Having confessed all of that, I decided that instead of decorating this season with Halloween decorations, I would go for a more happy, pretty fall decor. I'll post more pictures of everything I have put in place in another post. This one is strictly devoted to the fun I had last Saturday night with the BF and BF (boyfriend and best friend) carving pumpkins. 

Now I know what you're thinking. Megan, you just said you hated Halloween. Why did you decorate with Jackolanterns???  Thank you for asking. 

A month and a half or so ago I was reading Eddie Ross' blog and saw his project for perforated pumpkins. I was totally inspired. SO. I asked David to have a date to the pumpkin patch with me. He obliged. Because he is the best. 

Now. I have learned that there are two kinds of people in this world. People who appreciated the inside-of-the-pumpkin yuck and those who do not. I am one of those people who DO NOT appreciate the yuck. Teri Hill is. Teri Hill is also a person who thinks its funny to shove the pumpkin yuck in front of people who do not appreciate it until they touch it. Exhibit A.

I eventually gave in just so the pumpkin yuck would not be forced upon me. Teri was happy she won.

Back to perforated pumpkins. David took on the roll of top-cutter-offer.

....while I did the drilling (drilling of pumpkins??? Read Eddie's blog, seriously. He is a genius!)

and Teri played with the yuck and drew the letters for the monograming on the pumpkin

Oh yea. And posed with the pumpkins

She's fun. I like her : )

And look what they looked like when they were done. Quite possibly the cutest thing of your life, right?

And I will say, that now when I walk through my front door I am pleasantly greeted with NOT SCARY October appropriate decor.

"Come on in, the mud is fine!!" -Sugar Malone

Have I ever mentioned how much Sugar LOVES to get muddy at the dog park??

I will have you know that she is the ONLY dog who does this at Tom Brown Dog Park. Sure, she is a social butterfly and plays with all of her furry friends in attendance. But when its time to play catch, all the dogs chase her around the perimeter of this mud puddle while my little Sugar goes straight through the deepest part.

Have I also mentioned how equally she HATES baths.

Just a little weekend fun I thought I would share....Happy Monday : )

FLAN!

Remember how I said that work inspires me to make lists?? Well last week on my last night the inspiration juices were flowing...again; and I suddenly felt like I needed to tackle the art of making flan. David and I have gone to visit my sister and brother-in-law a few times and have been taken to a spanish restaurant after church. It was here that we decided that we LOVE flan.


SO. I googled "flan" and stumbled upon this recipe that didn't seem like it would be too hard. And indeed, it wasn't. I feel like maybe you should try making it. I think your life my be greatly enhanced once you have this little piece of heaven!

Here is what you'll need:

1 cup of white sugar
4 eggs
1 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk
1 12 oz can of evaporated milk
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
A 9 inch glass baking dish
And some sort of pan (vague right? I'll explain in a minute)

And here is what you do:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Take your random pan and fill it with water. Careful not to spill (I of course did ; )   ) and place it in the oven. Place your empty glass baking dish in the "water bath" and allow your dish to heat up while the oven is heating up.

2.  While all of that is happening, in a saucepan melt the cup of sugar over medium-low heat. This takes a little while. Make sure you don't stir the sugar...just tilt to saucepan back and forth, like so:

It will look nice and golden brown and yummy when its done

3. Once the sugar is melted, remove your baking dish, carefully, and pour the hot syrup into the dish. Turn the dish in order to coat the bottom and sides.

4. In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Beat in the condensed milk, evaporated milk, and vanilla extract. Pour the mixture into your baking dish.

5. Cover it with aluminum foil and bake in the oven for 60 minutes. When its done baking immediately put it in the refrigerator to cool. Let it cool for a number of hours.

6. Wait to serve it until its completely cool. Carefully invert the baking dish onto the serving dish. And this is what it should look like right before you indulge (obviously without a slice cut out of it)  : )

 

Enjoy

Christian's with fiery coals- look out!

I was reading through Romans the other day and stumbled upon the passage where Paul cites a Proverb (25:21-22)

If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. For in doing so you will be heaping fiery coals on his head.

Isn't it great (and a little comical) that God knows the temper of his creation so well that he knows how satisfying it would be to heap fiery coals on the head of someone who has made us mad : ).

Can you feel the fall in the air?

The weather this week has been so wonderful. It has been so enjoyable to get a break from the heat and humidity that plagues the south for 6 months out of the year. I don't know if we have kissed the stifling weather for 2009 good-bye yet or if this week was just a little foretaste of what we have to look forward to, but the nice little present mother nature brought us sure got Sugar and I in the mood for fall!!

                                       

Happy Fall dear readers (all three of you ; ) ).