Sour Cream Apple Bars

I heart apples. I heart Fall. I heart dessert. I HEART Fallish apple desserts. I originally wanted to do a whole week of apple dessert goodies, but then I remembered I just got back from a vacation where I am pretty sure I ate enough to add on to the circumference of my waist...so I decided I would just pick one...okay maybe two (one for next week too).

These are SO yummy. The filling is divine. The topping is DEE-vine.

Sour Cream Apple Bars

adapted from Leigh Anne with Your Homebased Mom

Crust/topping:

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 cups uncooked quick cooking oats

1 cup flour

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp allspice

Filling:

1 cup sour cream

3/4 cups sugar

2 tablespoon flour

1 egg

2 medium (about 2 cups) apples, unpeeled, shredded...I used honeycrisp, yes the picture shows granny smith and that is what Leigh Anne used.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine butter and brown sugar in large bowl.  Beat at medium speed until creamy.  Add  remaining crust ingredients and beat until well mixed.

Press a little over half, about 2/3  of crust mixture onto bottom of ungreased 13 x 9 pan.  Bake for 8-10 minutes or until light golden brown.

While crust is baking combine the filling ingredients; mix well.  Gently pour the filling over the hot, partially baked crust.  Crumble the remaining crust mixture over the top of the fill and press down lightly.

Bake for an additional 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the center is set.  Cool.  Cut into bars. Eat. Eat some more. Give away the extras or if you have any will power,  store them in the fridge.

I am currently trying to ignore these yummy bars calling to me from the fridge...I DO not need these for breakfast...but they have apples in them and apples are good for breakfast...NO I can say NO!  Maybe...

Halloween Costumes

It is that time of year. The time that months and months of planning and sketching and designing all are supposed to come to fruition.

Halloween Costume Time!

I have the theme for my little men's costume set in my mind for months...but don't worry I always wait for October to roll around until I finally get them together.

I love pulling together costumes. They are always a mixture of store bought, hand made, glued, sewn, help from someone else, and recycled. 

Here is what I have started for this year. Can you guess what the family theme is this year?

Here are some themes we have done in the past.

Curious George and the Man in the Yellow Hat

Monkey: store bought

Man in Yellow Hat: craft foam (before I found the glory of felt), sewing genius of best friends's mom

Batman and Robin

Walmart sweats and t-shirts, heat and bond, and some sewing

Shooting Star 

that went with

Alien and Astronaut

Sewing, Walmart sweats, hotglue, foam, spray paint...oh you name it I used it.

I love themed Halloweens and unique costumes. My favorite was Batman and Robin. What have been your favorite costumes? I would love to see or hear about them.

Now back to sewing I go!

Back to Life...

Back to reality...

Sing it with me...Back to life, back to reality

Back to life, back to reality...

The sad thing is that I am neither back to life OR back to reality. Haha.

It has literally taken me four days to get this written and posted. It is hard to put in words just how glorious, marvelous, relaxing, and all together yummy (talking about the food people) Hawaii is.

We had a great time and are now almost-kinda-sorta Hawaii professionals now...at least for Oahu.

So here is a list of our FAVORITES in Oahu...things that we think are must do's and since I am making the list...OF COURSE there are photos...

1. go to the beach

Obviously there are TONS of beaches. Spend some time there. Swim in the ocean. Sunbathe. We preferred that less crowded beaches.

2. find somewhere tropical and take a hike/walk/romantic stroll

We went to a botanical garden, it was really beautiful...a little over priced, but isn't everything in Hawaii.

3. THE DOLE WHIP...with accompanying fresh pineapple

Ummm...yummy. Do I need to say more? Oh the pineapple. Go to the Dole plant...skip the tour, just eat the Dole Whip.


4. drive along the coast

There are some great places to get out and take a picture of. SO beautiful. This was taken on the east side of the island.


5 The Polynesian Culture Center.

Offers lots of cultural enlightenment and entertainment...'nuff said...hehehe (insert girly giggle here)


6. the north shore

The North Shore was by far where we went back to again and again. This is where we hiked. This is where we snorkeled. We liked these beaches the best. AND this is where KONO's was.

Kono's. I dream of you fortnightly. WE LOVED this restaurant. I mean LOVED it. I later found some of their BBQ sauce on my bathing suit and it made me sad there was no longer a sandwich with the sauce.

It was by far the BEST thing we ate while in Hawaii.


7. try something new

Hubby tried paddleboarding...if you are unaware, as I was, of what this is...it is standing on a surf board and paddling yourself across the surface of the ocean. It looks pretty cool. It was a lot harder than it looked, so after watching Hubby try something new, I decided I would just support him trying something new.


7. shaved ice

This was at the North Shore...I have already told you about my love affair with the North Shore...Hawaiian shaved ice...just one more thing to LOVE that is food.

8. making a fool of yourself on a catamaran boat

A catamaran tour is a splurge. The whole purpose is to go find some dolphins and swim with them. There might be a sea turtle along the way as well...but obviously it isn't guaranteed. We did see dolphins, I even heard them in the water, but they were a little shy the day we went. So with all that sun and not that many dolphins...

The karaoke mic came out and singing was forced on one and all. Yes that is hubby shoving the mic in my face. It was still a really good time.


9. SNORKELING

We did this several times. Our favorite spot was a less busy spot on the North Shore...yes there it is again, called Sharks' Cove. PS the picture is not the less busy beach...this was the way crowded place...just the only picture we had.  We rented our gear for the whole week and I wish we would have snorkled more. It was grand just to float and see all the fish.

10. yogurtland

Just behind eating at Kono's was eating at this place. AH yogurtland. Pretty much the best part of Waikiki (not my favorite place). We went there 3 times. They have 16 different flavors of frozen yogurt. 16!!! The little bubble type things were hubby's favorite topping...mango boba...if any of you know how and where I can get a hold of these I will owe you FOREVER.

So there it is Hawaii in a nutshell. We had a wonderful time!! I promise this is the only post about Hawaii, after all I don't want to rub it in your face bore you.

ALOHA!

We Have a Winner

Let me tell you...I am having a rough time getting back into the swing of things. I am pretty sure I left all my motivation in Hawaii.

So, I am so SORRY that I have been a little sluggish on the posting front since getting back. I have basically spent all my time loving my little boys (11 days was a long time not to see them), lounging, and getting all organized from the trip. 

I have big hopes for this week though. Tons of projects and things to do. BUT first...

I need to announce the winner of my last giveaway. I am super jealous that someone's ears will be wearing these lovelies. 

And the winner is...

#22

 Michelle S said...

I'm also a proud follower.

Congrats Michelle!!! 

I know ALL of you are dying to see some pictures of Hawaii and to get all my useful hints and tips now that I am a seasoned Hawaii pro...I am hoping to be able to get that post out later today.

However, I am warning you...we have entered Halloween costume season and I am WAY behind...

I know you will forgive me!

Love you all!

Hey I Can Do That-Wee One Jean Skirt

Remember THESE...

I decided that they would look sweet with one of these little jean skirts.

I got the tutorial from Homemade by Jill. It was pretty easy to follow. I did have some confusion on how to attach the waistband to the skirt, so I kind of fudged my way around it. 

It turned out pretty stinking cute. If you have any old jeans taking up room in your closet...go ahead make one of these.

Giveaway: Just Enough Style

I am so happy that Jessica from Just Enough Style contacted me to do a giveaway. Her stuff is LOVELY!

I mean, really...LOOK-

Aren't they gorgeous! Your ears really want you to get a pair...or two...or three.

Jessica is so kind that she wants to giveaway to one of my readers a pair of these so sweet earrings. THANK YOU JESSICA.

Okay, so in order to make your ears happy...I mean you want them to be happy, you kind of need them...

Here is what you need to do to enter...

1. Go to Just Enough Style and tell me which of her items is your favorite.

2. Follow JADIP or tell me you already do.

Giveaway ends Friday, September 24th at 11:59 pm est. GOOD LUCK.

Remember you have to leave a separate comment for each entry.

CSN Winner...You Lucky Dog

This morning I am taking a little break from the sun and the sand...okay so I kind of had to since I am on my third sunburn. AND yes I am putting sunscreen...it just isn't working!

BUT I am sitting in my room eating some DE-lightful pineapple and I decided I had time to let some lucky girl know they won the CSN gift card...

So Drum Roll....

The lucky winner, picked randomly from 82 entries by my close friend random.org, is number

#4

Taylor said...I NEED to buy my daughter some new toys to 

keep her busy! She's outgrown all her old ones!

Congrats Taylor and enjoy the gift card.

National Eat an Apple Day

I don't need a national holiday to give me an excuse to eat an apple...especially apples as yummy as these.

Well, I guess because it is a holiday I will eat two.

So find your local apple orchard and pick yourself some apples (my most favorite-est fall activity).

Then have yourself an apple or two...

After all, today is National Eat an Apple Day.

Today Nina from Momma Go Round is here showing you how to do a really cute t-shirt embellishment. I wish I hadn't been so lazy and that I would have whipped up myself one of these to stroll the beaches of Hawaii in...but I didn't.


Maybe I will have to whip up a long sleeved version of this to stroll the neighborhood in when I get back.




Hi everyone I am Nina from Momma Go Round. 

I am OBSESSED with this shirt. I saw one like this in JCrew last year and it was a small fortune for a t-shirt...let's get real.

So now, you can make your own JCrew
knock-off
Flutter Flower Shirt.

It's super simple and requires hardly
an materials!
Time to get fluttering!

Two matching t-shirts
Matching thread
Scissors
Needle

Cut 1 shirt apart into front and back.
Cut strips from one side of shirt. Vary widths of strips from 1" inch
to 1.5" inches.

Fold each strip in half along the
length of the strip to make the width smaller.

Cut each long strip into smaller
pieces about 1" inch long.

Cut small strips into B shapes.

Open Bs to expose petals.

Stack open Bs with centers on top of
each other. Vary how the Bs are stacked to create texture.

Sew a straight gathering stitch
through both open Bs down the center of the top open B.

Pull thread to gather Bs.

Pinch the underside of your now
stitched together flower.

Stitch back and forth through the
pinch to stabilize the gather.

Repeat to make all your flowers. My
shirt has 20 flutter flowers of varying sizes.

Once you have all your flowers, hand
stitch them on to your second shirt. Overlap some to create the full
look.

WARNING: Hand wash
and lay flat to dry. It takes FOR-EV-ER to unwrinkle and iron out each
petal if you use the washer and dryer.....not like that happened to
me or anything!

Thank you Nina! This is just about lovely.

Go and say hi to Nina and see all the other great stuff she has.