Happy Labor Day

I honestly lose track of what every holiday is about, so I tend to forget who we need to be honoring for Labor day. All I know is that the best part about Labor Day is the day off, and the worst part is that I have to put some of my fabulous white wardrobe to rest for the year. Otherwise, it seems like a really great, lazy day that should be enjoyed with friends relaxing and napping. Which is exactly what we did at the Shack. We played, we ate, we napped, we swam, we painted, and we played some more. I hope everyone had as great a day as we did.

Thanks to the Cannons for being the ultimate hosts at their lake house, one of our favorite places to visit.

Storms a comin....

We spent some time in the country this weekend, and we got to see a beautiful storm roll in across the pastures. We all felt like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. Luckily, no one had to go running for a storm shelter; it turned out to be a pleasant late summer downpour.

Summer has been lovely, but it's time for fall to arrive. Pumpkins and boots and jeans and football and hay rides and corn mazes and orange and brown. Come on, fall! My favorite season.

Caramel Cake

Ok, so I never post recipes on here because none of my recipes are actually my own creation. They are all borrowed from somewhere else. I do manage to put my own spin on things after I get used to a recipe, but that's really just paraphrasing, isn't it?

Anyway, I saw this caramel cake recipe in the newspaper last week, and I couldn't resist. Now, I have to warn you, this isn't a beautiful show cake. I don't do that. I can't do layers, and I don't decorate. This is a very basic sheet cake, and I didn't even make it in my 9x12 casserole dish as recommended because I was using it for a lasagna at the time. Instead I used one of my old Corningware dishes that my mom gave me when I was in college. I still use them all the time. They're all mixed in with the Corningware and Pyrex that I got for my wedding nearly ten years ago, but the stuff my mom gave me reminds me of my childhood. Because it is that old if not older

Okay, enough disclaimer. Here's the cake:
And here's how you make it:

Yellow cake mix - make according to the directions on the box. An extra egg never hurt anyone, and you can use oil instead of butter if it calls for butter.
Toffee chips - toss in about a half a bag of heath bar bit of brickle to the batter before you pour it in the pan.
Then pour your batter in a greased dish.
Before you pop it in the oven - here's the good part - open a can of Dulce de Leche (caramelized sweetened condensed milk - you can buy it like that or you can boil a can of SCM danger pudding style). Save out about a half a cup of the stuff for later. Dollop the rest by spoonfuls over the cake batter in the pan. I had to put it in a bowl and heat it up a little to deal with it because it's VERY thick stuff.
Then bake the whole thing at 350 for about 45 minutes or until it's done all the way through.
When you take this amazing thing out of the oven, let it cool for about 5 minutes (not long) then spread the rest of the dulce de leche over the top like icing, then sprinkle the rest of that bag of toffee bits over the top.

Now, this cake came out perfectly perfect in every way! Even better than I thought. All that dulce de leche that you plop into the batter sinks to the bottom and spreads out to make this awesome bottom crust that tastes borderline burned, but in the good way.

If you do make this, please don't think about how many calories or fat grams are involved. I really don't want to know. I'm still losing weight from all my working out that I hate so much, but if I lose too much weight too fast I won't even know myself anymore. So I eat stuff like this to even it all out. Yeah, right. That's why I do it......

Lazy Weekend

Aside from attending a lovely wedding on Saturday night and making a large grocery trip today, we spent the bulk of the weekend enjoying friends and family at home.

This is where I should post a picture of me and Joe all gussied up for the wedding, and it would have been a great idea to take a picture. But we didn't.

Jacks spent most of Saturday hosting his very good friend Tristan over here for a play date. Tristan's mom needed to paint a guest room at their house, so I offered for Tristan to get out of the way and have some fun with us for the day. They had their ups and they had their downs throughout the day, but these two boys were terribly sad when their day of fun together came to an end.
And Tristan's mom brought Gigi's cupcakes! Those things are CRAZY good but thankfully way too much work to eat on a regular basis. (thanks, Amy!)
Sunday was too hot for much of anything, so we spent the day inside drawing and cooking.
I do manage to put out some great meals from my little galley kitchen. It's too narrow for many kitchen visitors, but I like it.
Thank heavens for weekends spent at home to help us regain our sanity.

Email

I received this picture from my sister the other day with this caption:

Sometimes you just have to relax with your foot on your cousin. He don't mind.

And it also came with a happy birthday message to my big brother - hope it was a great day, Bob! We love you!

Cousins

My sister's family was headed back south today after spending the past 6 weeks in Omaha, Nebraska. My bro-in-law spent the time working as an artist in residence at the Bemis Institute in Omaha - we're so proud!!! It sounds like it was an amazing time for all of them. My parents went for a visit, and Omaha sounds like a little slice of heaven planted somewhere in the midwest. I think a wonderful time was had by all.

We were quite lucky to serve as one of their hitching posts as they made their way back down to Gainesville.

Here are all the cousins posing on the couch together, with the exception of Jacks who lives to be contrary. We have tried to get pictures of all the kids on that same couch several times before. Nealy is so proud that she's a big girl now, and she gets to sit along side her cousins instead of being held or propped up.

Nealy wanted to make sure everyone saw her belly button.....

We miss everyone so much already, even though they were here for a short 18 hours. Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and we're planning on descending upon Gator Town for Turkey Day. And we can't wait!

Back to school

Don't worry, sister. I'll look out for you.