Sunday Funday 9-29-13

1. It's still September, but in my classroom I've already changed my calendar over to October.  And I'm already thinking about what I want to dress up as for Halloween.  Being warm is a must for any costume for me....Halloween in Ohio can be anywhere between upper 50's and perfect fall weather to 30's with sleet and rain.  I found a picture on Pinterest of a girl with "Grumpy Cat" make up which would be an awesome, funny, and warm costume.  I love getting dressed up and carving pumpkins...let the countdown to Halloween begin!

2.  This was an awesome football weekend for me....my school won their high school football game (our first - and probably only - all season), our cheerleaders brought their A game, and Ohio State defeated Wisconsin in an entertaining game of football.

3. I just place an order for Ugandan vanilla beans from Beanilla and I'm really excited to get a new batch a vanilla extract started. Ugandan beans have an aroma of earthy notes and tones of milk chocolate. I usually make vanilla extract with Madagascar bourbon beans that I get off of Amazon and recently just finished a batch with Tahitian beans. The Tahitian beans have a chocolate cherry aroma with a fragrance that is to die for.  Needless to say, I need to start experimenting with recipes to determine which bean to use in what.  Stay tuned for some soft and chewy vanilla sugar cookies with vanilla icing.

4.Cleveland Indians scored a wild card spot in the playoffs. It's their first wild card spot in the history of the team and our first playoff appearance since 2007.  Not a bad year to be a tribe fan, I'd say. However, since living in Cincinnati, I've started to root for the Reds, too, but given the option I always root for Cleveland.  What can I say...I'm a Cleveland girl at heart :)

5.  Our church had their annual Oktoberfest this weekend and my husband and I volunteered all evening.  He manned the grill cooking up tasty brats and mets while I fried up 100 pounds of homemade potato pancakes on the flat top.  I managed to sneak away from my post to snag some spaetzles for dinner and an apple turnover for dessert. It was a superfun and low-key way to spend the evening.


Bookmarks

1. Beer and Pretzel Cookies by Cookies and Cups.
These cookies remind me of the beer marshmallows I get so many requests for.  Only they seem like they'd be a little bit easier to throw together - although they do require a decent amount of chill time to firm up the dough.  Perfect for tailgates, Super Bowl parties, or the beer-lover in your life.

2.  Soft and Gooey Loaded Smore Bars by Averie Cooks.
I can't get enough of smores.  All day, everyday.  I've even added a "smore kit" to my treasure box at schools for students to select as a prize.  These bars start out as a basic blondie, but the addition of graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows take it to a gooey new level.  I can't wait to make these.

3.  Blueberry Lemon Glazed Donuts by Country Cleaver.
These donuts are baked and loaded with blueberries, so they're practically healthy, right?  And they're topped with a lemon glaze, so that's even more fruit.  I love the combo of blueberries and lemon so I know this recipe is going to be a winner.

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