Buttery Spiced Cider

Here is a recipe my dear friend Nicole sent me. It is SO DELICIOUS and such a great alternative to wassail because instead of sitting and simmering a WHOLE POT on the stove all day (which I am not saying is bad...I love hot wassail) you can just make one serving at a time. We just bought a small jug of apple cider and make this when we want a cup! ENJOY!!

1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup (half a stick) butter/margarine
1/4 cup honey
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves

Beat ingredients until light and fluffy. Store in airtight container in fridge for up to two weeks. To make drink, mix one tablespoon mixture in one mug of hot apple cider. Yield 10-12 servings.

smile Smile SMILE!!!

Here is our SWEET "Ben-ja-ben" (Rachel's way of saying Benjamin). Rachel calls him "Benny Boy and gets right up in his face when she says it. He loves her SO MUCH - she fascinates him more than anyone else. I'm sure they were good friends before they came to us. They look so much alike (accept for the hair) - but their personalities are definitely different. It's so interesting to see these little spirits grow and develop each day. What a joy!

LEAVES!!

In our back yard we have a gigantic "cottonless cottonwood" tree, an even bigger willow tree, and three small quaking aspens. Needless to say there were PLENTY of leaves for Paul and Rachel to play in! What FUN!

Working Hard

Rachel loved Thanksgiving at Ammie and Papa's (Grandma and Grandpa Watts) house. She wore an apron as she sampled all the food before dinner - had to make sure Ammie's first thanksgiving was up to par! After dinner she sat at the grand kid table and colored pictures for everyone. Our very own Picasso!

Are we "COOL" yet?

After much deliberation and thorough investigation Paul and I have come to the conclusion that we--in order to keep up with the technological trend--need to have a blog to prevent being considered social outcasts. Actually after seeing all of our friends' blogs we realized that this was the easiest and most efficient way to keep in touch with friends and family. SO here we are! We officially have a blog (I never thought I'd see the day).