Our Week in a Nutshell: Enjoying the Weather

This week there was some fabulous weather. Glorious and fall-y. Some days warm yet crisp and sunny. Some days overcast crispy and cozy. I heart fall, I mean I really heart it!

This week  we:

went to the zoo
enjoyed warm soccer practice and games
went on a bike ride down a tree lined path
stayed in our cozy clothes and watched movies
opened the windows and listened to the rain


Yes, yes I really heart fall.

Here are a few pictures of the zoo...

Littlest Little Man giving hugs to a polar bear baby 

Little Man teeter-tottering with a little boy he snagged 

best buds sliding together 

Proof that I also was enjoying the cool weather--

I had stayed bundled up all day...yes probably sewing and then realized I needed to pick oldest little man up from school. So yes I just threw on a pair of shoes and was seen in public like this. I pretty much rocked that BYU sweatshirt-brown sweatpants-argyle knee socks-dressy flat combo.

Yes I am sure the other mothers were jealous of my style.

Looking forward to another glorious fall week, and hoping to--

snuggle some more
eat soup
go to a pumpkin patch
more bike riding
going on a fall hike
making caramel apples
making apple butter and apple cider


What is your favorite fall activity??

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...

How 'Bout Them Apples

Can you hear that? No, really can you hear that?

I do believe the winds are changing. The heat is leaving. There is a crispness in the air. The leaves are going from green to golden.

Fall is here. And that is when, if you were listening really close, you would have heard me join in with the choirs of angels with a melodic ahhhhhh.

Our little fam kicked off fall with our traditional apple pickin'. It was a grand and glorious day with our favorite apple--the honeycrisp. Here is our photo diary of the trip...and yes we are all coordinating sorry it is a weakness. Photos omitted--Jack's evil face, Jack refusing to come out of the car, me making out with an apple, and trying to get Case to lick an apple.