the unperfected perfectionist

As I stepped out of the shower this morning, I was surprised to find this waiting beside the sink... I couldn't think of a much better way to start my morning.  Emma always seems to sneak little things into my life when I need them most.  I am so incredibly grateful for the relationship that continues to blossom between us each and every day. The note that she left was written in a journal that we share together.  I gave her this unique journal last spring.   It is a journal between the two of us that we take turns writing back and forth to each other.  Most of the pages have ideas to journal about in order to learn more about each other and perhaps gain more insight about things that may not otherwise be learned or talked about.  It is always fun to find it waiting to be read and to write back.  Since we have moved, it had been tucked in a box waiting to be found.  Emma was so very excited to once again find this special journal we sh...

I can't believe it happened to me again!  More brown bananas!  I certainly hope this is NOT a sign of things in my life turning bad and rotting.  The funny this is, I do not even eat bananas or things made with bananas very often because they are too sugary.  Yes, they taste good and I enjoy them, they just don't work out with my body being a Type 1. So, today, I decided to bake some banana crumb muffins with my lovely bananas.  As I was making my muffins and brainstorming for this post, I thought I would toss out a "Funny Fact" about me.  Are you ready for this one?  I am sure by now, you have picked up on the fact that I absolutely love baking and it brings me such happiness.  Yes, I know, I am a total cheese ball!  Well, the "Funny Fact" that I am revealing about myself is that I have this pipe dream to one day own my own bakery.  I worked in a bakery for almost two years and loved it!  The drawback was total lack of sleep...

Good evening!  I am here to post my apple creation for you as promised. I decided to make my Grandma's apple crisp recipe. My Grandma was an incredible cook and baker.  I will share more with you  later about this wonderful woman whom I feel so lucky to have loved, laughed with and I could go on and on but, that is for another post.  I told myself to stay focused as I wrote this evening for I am so very tired and would love to go to sleep but, I made a promise to whomever may be reading this and I plan to keep that promise.  :)  Back to the apple crisp... It went something like this... I even decided to share Grandma's recipe with you that I tweaked ever so slightly.    Emma couldn't stop saying how yummy it was.  I hope you enjoy! Goodnight. 

It is already "hump day" today...or if you would rather put it into plain and ordinary terms, the midway point in the week.  So, here I am, feeling horrible that I didn't post anything yesterday.  It was a stormy and yucky, blah day here, as it was for many of you as well. I had intended on either making applesauce or apple crisp but, since I sat watching severe weather reports on T.V. for what seemed like hours...it didn't happen and the apples are still staring at me as I am typing this. Today, Emma has "early release" (she gets out of school one hour early...strange but, this happens every Wednesday and I love it!) so, we will be putting our apples to use as we spend some time together in the kitchen. She really wants to make caramel apples, which may indeed be another option.  Regardless, in the very near future, I will be making all of the above.  These pictures sum up the "blahs" from here in Cincy yesterday.... The sun is shining here a...

As promised, I am here to report my findings from yesterday.  I found a place that was a slight improvement from Saturday's letdown of the lack of fresh apples and doughnuts.  This fruit farm had that fabulous bakery smell that brings back so many memories of my favorite apple orchard back home.  I have learned that sometimes you just can't substitute a good thing.  Yes, this establishment had the things we had come searching for... just "different".  I don't always adjust to "different", very easily. Yes, the doughnuts were pretty darn close to the ones that I grew up enjoying each and every fall.  And, as I have not yet tried the apples, I am sure they are juicy and fresh and will produce some fine applesauce and tasty apple pie but, as I am typing this today, I am missing home greatly. Memories of places and people back home creep into my thoughts and my emotions take over. I am just being honest.  I rather b...

Good Sunday afternoon!  I hope everyone was able to enjoy the weekend.  We were able to enjoy some fabulous weather here in Ohio.  I will try to make this short and sweet.  Here is a series of photos to show what became of our pumpkins that we found at the less than exciting farm yesterday.  More to come later about where we went today and what we found!   The finished product  Well, here is what became of our pumpkins last night.  I have just one question for you all...does anyone just carve the old fashioned, free handed pumpkins anymore?  I kinda miss those myself.  Does that make me old fashioned?! 

Today, we decided to head out to a farm to get pumpkins. It kind of went like this...we came, we saw, we went.  I will just tell you that we are used to fabulous Michigan apple orchards that offer horse drawn hayrides, pumpkins, apples and wonderful bakery fresh doughnuts, pies and so on.  Here in Ohio, either we picked a less than exciting farm, or it is just different than what I have grown used to visiting every fall.  Another odd thing was going out to get pumpkins and wearing flip flops because it was 75 degrees!  I can't complain about that one bit!  Well, we were able to see a few animals, grab a few pumpkins and some cider and snap a few photos.  As far as the bakery fresh doughnuts or many varieties of apples to choose from...no such luck.  Here is what I have got to share with you... An unexpected surprise...cows cows... you wouldn't believe this...cows! The chicken coop The results of what became of our p...