annie blog

Dino In Love

My youngest son, E, who is in first grade, pretends that he is some sort of dinosaur for part of every day. Usually he is a Velociraptor.

Okay, now you have the background you need to appreciate this little story.

A few days ago, I picked up my younger two boys at the end of their school day. We were headed to get my 12 year old at his school when my youngest started telling me about his day.

E: Ellen kissed me on the cheek today.
Me: Oh…okay. Well, is she a little girl in your class?
E: Yes, she’s my girlfriend.
Me: Hmmm, well, did you kiss her in return? (I was thinking that this is the most kiss-happy child in the world and it wouldn’t be out of the ordinary…)
E: No.
Me: Well, you know I’m not against kissing in general, but I don’t know if they really want the students to be kissing each other at school. What do you think?
E: (not pay attention to my response, said, recollecting happily) You know, Ellen’s kiss was just like Cathy’s. Cathy was a girl in my kindergarten who kissed me on the cheek last year.

At this moment E’s older brother was looking at him with a mixture of incredulity and disgust. Kissing girls is not on his list. Not only is his little brother kissing, but little brother is liking the kissing. Yuck!

Me: Well, E, just don’t get into trouble with the girls or do any kissing yourself, okay? (Amused, I mumbled to myself, “E, the first grade lady killer”.)
E: (gazing out the window, dreamily murmured) Yes, I’m just a Raptor who LOVES to mate!

I was laughing so hard that I nearly drove the car into a ditch.

Just another day in the life of the Dino Lover, I guess.

Pumpkin Cake with Browned Butter Frosting
I made a yummy pumpkin cake last night. It is here on the blog Shutterbean. Y’all should definitely click on over to get the recipe and to see the pretty step-by-step photos. The original recipe came from Martha Stewart. It was a super easy cake to make (I actually doubled the recipe) and the frosting is so very good.

The recipe also includes some candied walnuts that you put on top. So, yes, that’s another nut recipe for you today.

Nuts are a theme around here — those that I eat and those that I live with. I love both the edible nuts and Barlownuts. They’re all good.

Have a good Wednesday, y’all!

Pumpkin Cake with Browned Butter Frosting
I made a yummy pumpkin cake last night. It is here on the blog Shutterbean. Y’all should definitely click on over to get the recipe and to see the pretty step-by-step photos. The original recipe came from Martha Stewart. It was a super easy cake to make (I actually doubled the recipe) and the frosting is so very good.

The recipe also includes some candied walnuts that you put on top. So, yes, that’s another nut recipe for you today.

Nuts are a theme around here — those that I eat and those that I live with. I love both the edible nuts and Barlownuts. They’re all good.

Have a good Wednesday, y’all!

Pumpkin Cake with Browned Butter Frosting
I made a yummy pumpkin cake last night. It is here on the blog Shutterbean. Y’all should definitely click on over to get the recipe and to see the pretty step-by-step photos. The original recipe came from Martha Stewart. It was a super easy cake to make (I actually doubled the recipe) and the frosting is so very good.

The recipe also includes some candied walnuts that you put on top. So, yes, that’s another nut recipe for you today.

Nuts are a theme around here — those that I eat and those that I live with. I love both the edible nuts and Barlownuts. They’re all good.

Have a good Wednesday, y’all!

Savory Mixed Nuts

This is a new (to me) recipe for taking an ordinary can of mixed nuts and making them a little more yummy. I got the recipe from Pam Anderson’s new book, Perfect One-Dish Dinners, but altered it significantly to make it Aldivore and to require only one can of nuts in the preparation.

I’m a big fan of nuts, in general, and I especially like to have them around when I entertain. They are great for snacking and as an easy no-fuss nibble that folks can have with a drink while you get everything on the table. These also make a lovely gift.

12 oz. can of roasted, salted mixed nuts
1 t. thyme
1/2 to 1t. lemon or orange zest
1 t. brown sugar (light or dark is fine)
1 t. paprika
1/4 t. cayenne (more if you like spicy)
1/4 t. kosher salt
1 T. melted butter

Set the oven to 350 degrees. Place the nuts on a rimmed baking sheet and toast them until fragrant — about 10-12 minutes. Meanwhile, mix all the remaining ingredients except the butter in a medium sized bowl. Put the toasted nuts in the bowl and stir to coat them with the spice mixture. Add the butter to the nuts and then toss again. Spread on the baking sheet to cool.

Savory Mixed Nuts

This is a new (to me) recipe for taking an ordinary can of mixed nuts and making them a little more yummy. I got the recipe from Pam Anderson’s new book, Perfect One-Dish Dinners, but altered it significantly to make it Aldivore and to require only one can of nuts in the preparation.

I’m a big fan of nuts, in general, and I especially like to have them around when I entertain. They are great for snacking and as an easy no-fuss nibble that folks can have with a drink while you get everything on the table. These also make a lovely gift.

12 oz. can of roasted, salted mixed nuts
1 t. thyme
1/2 to 1t. lemon or orange zest
1 t. brown sugar (light or dark is fine)
1 t. paprika
1/4 t. cayenne (more if you like spicy)
1/4 t. kosher salt
1 T. melted butter

Set the oven to 350 degrees. Place the nuts on a rimmed baking sheet and toast them until fragrant — about 10-12 minutes. Meanwhile, mix all the remaining ingredients except the butter in a medium sized bowl. Put the toasted nuts in the bowl and stir to coat them with the spice mixture. Add the butter to the nuts and then toss again. Spread on the baking sheet to cool.

Savory Mixed Nuts

This is a new (to me) recipe for taking an ordinary can of mixed nuts and making them a little more yummy. I got the recipe from Pam Anderson’s new book, Perfect One-Dish Dinners, but altered it significantly to make it Aldivore and to require only one can of nuts in the preparation.

I’m a big fan of nuts, in general, and I especially like to have them around when I entertain. They are great for snacking and as an easy no-fuss nibble that folks can have with a drink while you get everything on the table. These also make a lovely gift.

12 oz. can of roasted, salted mixed nuts
1 t. thyme
1/2 to 1t. lemon or orange zest
1 t. brown sugar (light or dark is fine)
1 t. paprika
1/4 t. cayenne (more if you like spicy)
1/4 t. kosher salt
1 T. melted butter

Set the oven to 350 degrees. Place the nuts on a rimmed baking sheet and toast them until fragrant — about 10-12 minutes. Meanwhile, mix all the remaining ingredients except the butter in a medium sized bowl. Put the toasted nuts in the bowl and stir to coat them with the spice mixture. Add the butter to the nuts and then toss again. Spread on the baking sheet to cool.

This Boy

knocked on the window the other day. I went over. He said, “Open up!” So, I opened the window. Over the sill, he handed me a beautiful but withered bunch of leaves.

I said, “What do you want me to do with this? Is this one of your collections?” “No,” he said, with a little giggle that showed that he thought that it was very silly that I did not know the exact function of this leaf bunch. “Well,” I said, “what do we do with it, then?” He said, “Here, now, you bend down and then we kiss under it — LIKE MISTLETOE!”

The Smoocher.

I never want to forget that moment….his gap-filled baby tooth smile, the sun on his hair, those big blue eyes, his fierce and happy way of taking life by the horns.

Have a beautiful Friday, y’all!

This Boy

knocked on the window the other day. I went over. He said, “Open up!” So, I opened the window. Over the sill, he handed me a beautiful but withered bunch of leaves.

I said, “What do you want me to do with this? Is this one of your collections?” “No,” he said, with a little giggle that showed that he thought that it was very silly that I did not know the exact function of this leaf bunch. “Well,” I said, “what do we do with it, then?” He said, “Here, now, you bend down and then we kiss under it — LIKE MISTLETOE!”

The Smoocher.

I never want to forget that moment….his gap-filled baby tooth smile, the sun on his hair, those big blue eyes, his fierce and happy way of taking life by the horns.

Have a beautiful Friday, y’all!

This Boy

knocked on the window the other day. I went over. He said, “Open up!” So, I opened the window. Over the sill, he handed me a beautiful but withered bunch of leaves.

I said, “What do you want me to do with this? Is this one of your collections?” “No,” he said, with a little giggle that showed that he thought that it was very silly that I did not know the exact function of this leaf bunch. “Well,” I said, “what do we do with it, then?” He said, “Here, now, you bend down and then we kiss under it — LIKE MISTLETOE!”

The Smoocher.

I never want to forget that moment….his gap-filled baby tooth smile, the sun on his hair, those big blue eyes, his fierce and happy way of taking life by the horns.

Have a beautiful Friday, y’all!