Fall Lovin' ~ Pumpkin Spice Latte Biscotti

I truly love living in a region where I get to experience the joys of 4 distinct seasons. Each one, for me, brings to life it's own unique characteristics.  It introduces itself through scents, flavors, sounds and feelings.

Fall is my favorite season,
 and it is definitely in the air!! 

The days around here are still lingering in the upper 80's, but thankfully the intensity of the heat is beginning to lift, making way for mornings cool and crisp, and evenings brisk with chill.

All of it gets me so so excited for every single little autumn delight - pumpkin patches and hay rack rides, football, football, football, cozy sweaters, beautiful leaves, steaming cups of hot coffee and tea all-day-long, and a house filled with the scents of fresh baked goodies.  Okay, so somedays that's just the cinnamon bun candle burning, but other days life in the kitchen does produce more than PB & J's....and those days are wonderful!

In honor of fall, this week's posts will be completely dedicated to all of the glories of the season - food, home decor, school projects, etc.  Over the weekend, I was thinking about my sister-in-law, Stephanie, who is amazing and about to bring a new little life into the world.  She LOVES Starbucks pumpkin spice lattes. Thinking of her inspired me to create a recipe for Pumpkin Spice Latte Biscotti.

If you're a coffee or tea sipper like me (all day long, please!), then you know how a yummy piece of biscotti can take it up a notch!  Biscotti also makes a wonderful gift - just wrap up a few pieces in some parchment, stick on a lovely label and assemble with a cute mug and a lovely tin of tea or bag of coffee.  I'm thinkin' it might make a great Thanksgiving gift for teachers or grandparents.  The kids can attach a little note with why they are thankful for that special person.

If you don't live near a Starbucks, or tend to pass out over their prices, there is hope! The Java Mama has come to the rescue with her list of Starbucks holiday drink recipes!!.  Now for the biscotti recipe...

(Scroll to the top to "Pin" this recipe on Pinterest!)

Pumpkin Spice Latte Biscotti
(For a printable version, please click here.)

Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
½ cup pumpkin puree
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules dissolved in 1 tablespoon of very hot     
   water
½ cup finely chopped pecans or slivered almonds (optional)
1 bag white chocolate chips, melted with 1 teaspoons shortening
Pumpkin Pie Spice: (From My Baking Addiction)
3 Tablespoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1 ½  teaspoons ground allspice
1 ½  teaspoons ground clove
Assemble:
1.  Preheat oven to 325*.  
2.  In a large bowl, whisk together flour, both sugars, salt, baking powder, and pumpkin pie spice until combined.
3.  In separate bowl, use a fork to blend together pumpkin, eggs, melted butter, vanilla and dissolved coffee.
4.  Add wet ingredients to dry ingredient mixture, stirring well until combined.  The mixture will be dry.
5.  Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead 8-10 times.
6.  Shape dough into a roll, about 16 inches long, and flatten to 1” thickness.

Here's a visual of the "roll" shape. Out of the oven and ready to be sliced!

7. Bake for 30 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes.
8.  Reduce oven temperature to 300*.

Okay...I think I said cutting board....take 2!....

Be sure and use a serrated knife for a neat, clean slice.

9.  Transfer roll to a cutting board and, using a serrated knife, slice into ½” thick pieces, cutting at a slice angle. The pieces will still be slightly moist in the center.
10.  Place each biscotti piece onto a baking sheet with the cut side facing up.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Flip pieces over and bake for another 10 minutes.  Remove biscotti from oven and cool on a wire rack.
11.  Once cooled, drizzle the biscotti with melted white chocolate, or dip ½ of each piece into the chocolate. (To melt, place white chocolate chips in a glass bowl with shortening.  Microwave for 30 seconds then stir.  Place back in microwave for 15 second intervals and stir until chocolate is smooth and melted.I like to add a dash of the pumpkin pie spice to the chocolate for a little something extra.) Store in air-tight container. Enjoy!!

What do you love best about Fall?? 

I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Fly Fishing ~ A River Runs Through My Waders

“Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world's great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of the rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs." ~ Norman MacLean, A River Runs Through It

It was time.  Time to go.  Go away.  Time to get out, somewhere beyond the baseball fields and Wal-Mart.  Time to spread our wings and fly----fish.  Fly-fish??...

That's how our vacation planning conversations usually go.  We all agree that the future of mom and dad's mental state of being is hinging upon a vacation.  And, a vacation would be fun.  The end.

Being the only female on this ranch, when throwing ideas into the melting pot of opinions, mine are the only ones that seem to melt.  One thing we usually all agree on is traveling somewhere beautiful where we can get out and experience nature.  Then, the planning turns into something like this:

Hey, what about researching the history of (said place)??  We could take in some museums, find a theatre production, eat at a legendary restaurant, meet the locals, (or shop?? she says quietly)....

Blank stares soon breaks into their own special way of sharing their ideas: shouting all at once, like they're on the floor at Wall Street. That's nice, Mom, we were kinda thinkin'...Hunting!....and bears.....and cliff diving.....and s'mores.....beef jerky....and fishing....and camping.....and off road ATV....and wrestling and farting and belching contests and.....

I probably don't have to state that we actually did all of those things, minus the bears and cliff diving. That was more like cliff climbing, really.  I have woke up to the reality that for the next 20 years this little "planning" song-and-dance will most likely be my expectation when it comes to vacations.

As a lover of nature and beauty, I'll admit that our trip this year, though not exactly as I would have planned it, was fun.  The best part for me, anyway, is seeing the boys have such a great time.  And, I was surprisingly surprised at how much I enjoyed our fly fishing adventure.

When Steve came home and told me the WHOLE family was going, that we were going to hike back in to the mountains a couple of miles and then fish, I said, "Okay, crazy-man, did you hire a nanny to help us??"  Nope, no nanny, but we had a couple of guide dudes to show us the way, fix up our lines with the right lures and help keep the non-swimmers from drowning.

Here's a summary of my enlightenment:

1. Fishing far away from other people, in a place where you feel alone in the mountains is a surprisingly surreal feeling. To be able to breathe deeply, to soak in the quiet and enjoy the peace was a welcome escape from the day-to-day stress of life.

2.  Kids don't need all of the crap that they have.  They need curiosity and appreciation for nature, beauty, and the chance to be immersed in it, and make memories in it.

3.  Leaky waders are cold and cause chafing as well as an indescribable longing for a hot bath and a bottle of wine.  That's all I'm going to say about that.

4. The movie A River Runs Through It should not be anywhere in your imagination the first time you try to cast your line and snag the bushes behind you instead.  Brad Pitt's wackadoodle casting is so Hollywood anyway.

5.  Apparently the cold, clear water we were fishing in was drinkable - even though it was rolling over slimy rocks and our bacteria infested boots - but whatever you say Mr. Bear Grylls, Man vs. Wild guy.

6. You can take a baby with you, as long as you travel Indian style.  Our little CA-utie papoosie!!

7.  Fly fishing elevates your heroic status as a mom.  It bumps you up a notch above being able to bake pies and throw a spiral.

8.  Fly fishing ruins your desire to do any other type of fishing (that is if you ever had any desire to begin with.)  When you find your footing in the stream, cast out into the crystal waters and soak in the scenery within the mountain air, it is magical.

On our hike back to the suburban, Steve suggested that next year we get some horses and ride back into the mountains several miles, set up camp and fly fish for a couple of days.  Oh, okay, sure-thang honey.  Just find me some waders that don't leak and that nanny we talked about.

Wanna see what else we did on our trip???

Kayaking...or at least attempting to.  Nothing like a good t-bone to get things rolling!

 Early morning lazy jammie pile-ups on the couch.  That's not a typo.  I meant what I said - it was early. That's why when you travel with kids you call it a trip.  When you and your hubby fly solo it's a vacation.  

 Swing dance lessons from mom and dad after supper.  I'm not sure why we're teaching them....it's not like they're ever going to go to a school dance.  Ever. Never.

 Ice Cream!!  Vacations  Family trips are incomplete unless ice-cream is imbibed.

Mooching...

 More mooching.

 Charlie discovered the beach.

And.....what else but more fishing??!!

Leah's Busy Mom's Workout

Today I'm so excited to introduce my friend, and fitness expert, Leah Hammer. Leah has ever-so-kindly agreed to be a guest writer our  Health & Fitness page. I have known Leah since high school, and feel blessed to have her here sharing her wisdom and knowledge with all of you!!

More about Leah...  

Leah is the owner of and personal trainer at Empower Fitness (Let's show Leah some love by visiting her Facebook page and give her a "like"!). She loves family life and is a busy mother of three amazing kids.  Besides being a personal trainer, Leah runs her own daycare and preschool! So, she knows exactly how difficult, yet how important it is to get a good workout in as often as possible. 

Growing up in a big family, Leah learned a love for cooking and baking.  Ten years ago, she made the decision to live a more fit and healthy lifestyle, but wanted to be sure that it was something that she could stick with, be happy, and still have the energy necessary to be the super-mom her kids need!  In 2011 Empower Fitness was established, and it allows Leah the opportunity to share her gifts with clients every day. "I love helping people find their inner strength! It is so empowering!" says Leah.  

If you are looking for an energizing, strengthening and challenging work-out to kick start your day that can be done in 30 minutes are less, this one is for you!!

Leah’s Busy Mom’s Workout

Click here for a printable version of Leah's workout!

Warm Up:
15 Good Morning stretches (Stand with feet shoulder width apart, hands behind head, bend at the waist.)
Warrior stretch 10-15 seconds each side
Head and neck rolls to loosen up
1 minute jumping jacks

(Warrior Stretch)

Circuit 1: (you will need 5-8 lb. weights)

15 weighted squats
15 tricep kickbacks
15 bicep curls
25 crunches
1 minute high knees
Repeat Circuit

Circuit 2:

15 L shape leg raises each side

(lay down on your side so that your body is in the shape of an L. Do leg raises   from this position.)
15 weighted sumo squats
25 plank twists
15 one arm rows with weights each side
1 minute mountain climbers

Repeat Circuit

Circuit 3:

15 weighted forward lunges, each leg
15 back lunges with weight and twist, each side
Repeat Circuit

Cool Down:
Large breath opening arms to sky and exhale as arms come down
Repeat three times
Sit on the floor with your legs in a "Y" position. Stretch and hold for 15 seconds.

PAT YOURSELF ON THE BACK & GO CONQUER THE DAY!!

Tackle Football ~ Play it Safe

A couple of years ago, our boys began participating in youth tackle football.  Our philosophy with sports is "Do your best, and remember, the #1 goal is to have fun." However, most of you know that

1. boys are usually very competitive and 

2. coaches are even more competitive.  

Sometimes that competitive spirit overrides the crucial necessity of teaching kids practices that will keep them safe out on the playing field.  Safety of the athletes should be every coach's #1 goal.

My husband, Steve, is a great teacher and coach.  In his quest to teach our boys and all of his athletes the safest, most effective techniques possible, he has discovered that many of the techniques being taught to kids today can lead to injury. (Language such as "wrap up" and "hit low" that is used on the practice field can be dangerous.)

If you are involved in coaching football, or even have kids who play football at any level, it is imperative that you visit the Train 'Em Up Academy website and see why every coach and athlete will benefit from Coach Bobby Hosea's instruction.

Head and spinal cord injuries are rising exponentially among athletes of all ages in the game of football. There are videos all over You Tube of young boys who are unable to recover after fatal hits - hits that cause severe concussions and even paralysis.  This is a serious issue.  Steve is teaching our boys Coach Hosea's techniques and are having a great time showing them how to play smart.

Please share this information with anyone you know who may be involved in youth football!!

Every night after supper, football is the first thing on the boys' minds.  They love to practice out in the yard.  But,  more than anything, I think they just love the one-on-one time that they have with each other and with their dad.

They even enjoy doing footwork and coordination drills.  I wonder if that enjoyment will last??

I'm the cheerleader.  Well, not really that kind of cheerleader.  I like to yell, but no thanks on the jumps and splits part. I sit on the deck and drink beer until I can't handle how bad the yard looks and I start pulling weeds, or having funerals for all of the dead flowers that were stricken by the drought.

Sometimes I can't resist chasing the little ones around the yard, or impressing the warrior brutes with wildly awesome ability to throw a spiral.  Well, it's probably more wild than awesome.

 Charlie is the equipment manager.  His favorite job is to reposition the cones. He kind of looks like a cone in his orange polo and droopy diaper.

Everyone has a great time....even the little ones who are waiting for their chance to climb into a pair of shoulder pads and helmet.

Strength Training For Young People

Most of us homeschooling families consider time playing outdoors for "recess" our P.E. class as well.  Over the years, we've enrolled the boys in all sorts of sporting activities and considered that to be an appropriate fulfillment of their Physical Education course.

Now that our oldest is in 6th grade, however, I'm taking this class a little more seriously. Instead of just focusing on the physical fitness aspect of P.E. class, we're branching out and taking a "total body" approach, and calling it "Health and Fitness" instead of P.E.  This concept is connecting well with our semester science study on the human body, which includes nutrition education as well. Whether your kids participate in sports or not, teaching them to take good care of their bodies is an important part of their education.

At age of 11, Ben is at a perfect stage in his development to begin lifting weights.  Jack Medina is a well-known expert in the area of fitness and nutrition.  He has coached Olympic athletes, pro-football players and many more.  He recommends that young athletes (starting around age 10) safely begin lifting weights as a way to strengthen their ligaments and tendons.  Doing so helps prevent injury, strengthens core muscles and instills a sense of discipline and dedication toward lifelong fitness.  The key is to do a high number of repetitions using light weights. 

 This is the workout I developed for Ben using 5 lb. weights and graduating to 8 lb then 10 lb weights (determine weight by the age and strength of the child) He incorporates the program into his school day 3 times per week.

(Click here for a printable version.)

A FEW KEY TIPS FOR THE STUDENT...

1.  Keep good posture, shoulders back, knees slightly bent.

2.  Do not swing the weights.  Use a slow, controlled motion.

3.  Never extend the knees over the toes.

4.  Raise weights above head, but do not overextend behind the head.

5. Do not advance to a heavier weight until you have comfortably mastered the lowest weight.

Warm Up: 
1 minute of Jumping Jacks (or jump rope)
15 arm circles both directions
Gentle stretch of quads, hamstrings, calves, shoulders, hip flexors (warrior stretch)

Upper Body Circuit: 
(Do three sets and alternate with lower body circuit.)

10 Bicep Curls

10 Tricep Kickbacks

10 Shoulder Presses (this can be easier with one foot slightly forward and knees slightly bent.)
 
10 One Arm Rows (each side)
10 Torso Rotations (hold weight at center of chest, twist left/right)

Lower Body Circuit:

10 Weighted Squats

10 Calf Raises
10 Forward Lunges (hold weights at sides)

10 Reverse Lunges with a Shoulder Press (Or you can do a torso twist.)

Cool Down:
Repeat warm-up stretches
Drink plenty of water