Home made Ginger Snap Predicament

I made some home made ginger snap cookies last week. They were so Yummy! I can't remember where I read the recipe. It was on some sort of bottle in my pantry. . .oil, molasses, or something like that.
They were really good, and now I can't seem to find the recipe again. I finished using the contents of several bottles in my pantry last week, then I threw them away. If anyone has a wonderful Ginger snap recipe, please share!

Also, does anyone else lose their mind/memory during pregnancy?!? I can search all over for a pen that I put in my hair a minute before I started looking for it. It is driving me crazy. I am just glad I have still been able to bottle peaches and bake food for my family, as well as continue to function somewhat normally.

The Elk Hunt

We went Elk hunting for 4 days over Labor Day weekend. It was a lot of fun. The trip started out slow. Our 3 1/2 hour drive turned into a 5 hour drive because we ended up stopping a little more than we planned. We also had a tire blow out. Luckily it was 5 to 10 miles south of the Cove Fort Chevron. We ended up getting two new tires because our spare had some big cracks in it. We were just grateful it got us to the Chevron tire shop.
Brycen had lots of fun helping set up the trailer and our beds. We also went on lots of hikes, picked flowers and kept a little camp journal about what we learned about. He practiced writing some of his letters and the kids and I colored a LOT.
The boys both loved riding the four wheeler. Sadly, Brycen has grown out of his helmet, and we have not purchased a new one for him, yet. Therefore, we did not get to take the kids for as many rides as we would have liked to.
I was quite proud of myself too. In my pregnant state, I awakened before everyone else the first morning to set up the rest of camp and make breakfast. We all had a lot of fun!
Saturday night a big mama moose walked along the mountain side right by our camp. My little boys were SUPER excited to see a real animal so closely. I was glad they got to see the moose, because they didn't really get to see any other animals other than other campers dogs.

We left the mountain empty-handed after this hunt, because all Ryan and his family (the ones who were hunting) saw were cow elk with their little calves (who can shoot a mom with a baby?!?). I think he may have seen a spike or two, but it was too windy to take a shot.
Anyway, it was okay because my dad took Ryan hunting a few weeks ago, and Ryan shot this beast.
We have lots of meat now, but most of it is sliced for jerky because the elk he shot was pretty old, so the meat will be pretty tough. I think I am going to try bottling some of it too. We'll have to see how that goes. :)

Sweet Children

Ryan and I found out this morning that his Grandpa, Glenn Stratton, passed away during the night. He has been in the hospital for a few weeks so I guess some people would say it could have been a little more expected, but we still were not ready for the news.

I have been crying on and off all morning. I stopped for a little while, then started again. My 4 year old son came up to me and said, "Mom, what is wrong?" I said, "I am just sad that grandpa died." His reply with a smile was, "But mom, now he feels better. He is in heaven now."

I am so grateful for sweet little innocent children and their impeccable timing. I have always loved the saying from The Count of Monte Cristo, "God sees you out of the corner of his eye." I think he sees a little more than just out of the corner of his eye, but I am grateful that He always reminds me in so many ways that He lives and loves all of his children.

Bell Pepper Recipes?!

Does any one have a fabulous bell pepper recipe?

I love to make kabobs and fajitas. I have made an occasional stuffed bell pepper. In the pepper department I mostly have green bell peppers, but I also have some banana peppers, tomatoes, fresh rosemary, basil, parsley, and oregano. If anyone has an amazing recipe involving bell peppers PLEASE SHARE!

Thank you to everyone who reads this blog and shares information. :)

Peach Days challenge quilt

I joined the "Zion Piecemakers Quilt Guild" this year. They have a quilt challenge every year for Peach Days. This year the fat quarter fabric is the peach fabric you see in the project above. The theme for the quilt is "Peach Days". This little quilt is what came to my mind the second they introduced the theme to the guild. When I think of peach days I think of picking peaches in an orchard somewhere then taking them home to bottle, dry, and freeze.
Truthfully I started in April (I think), then I became discouraged when my sister popped hers out in a month. I finally decided about a month or so ago to bit the bullet and finish it. Anyway, if you want to see it live, come to the Peach Days Quilt Show this year. There will be some amazing quilts on display there!

4th Birthday

My three year old turned four on July 27th, 2010. He wanted a spider man/spider cake this year with licorice legs. I wanted his cake to be red, but after almost a full bottle of red food coloring, I ended up with more of a pink cake than a red one. I decided it was okay because it had a spider web on it, and it was not a "girly" cake even though it was pink. Next time, I think I will have to go to a craft store or a specialty bake shop to find real red food coloring.
Despite my concern for the color, my son LOVED his cake. All the cousins enjoyed the licorice legs. Overall, I think he had a happy birthday! He loved his cake, got some fun gifts, and had fun playing with all his little cousins.
He's one year older and hopefully a little wiser too. ;)