she's here!!!!!

A while ago I wrote a post about the dilemma of getting a new camera.....there were highs and lows....I did my homework, I checked consumer reports, went to Best Buy, Costco and Ritz.....talked to everyone I knew........went on ebay a zillion times.......I finally settled on the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18.....she was the one for me!!!......I found the perfect one on ebay and went to Giant Eagle and got paypal gift cards.....because of course I was going to get the fuelperks for this baby.....and got busy bidding on my camera.....I felt very anxious...was I making the right choice???...well I got outbid in the last 30 seconds and I just looked at the screen and thought....it's okay....it wasn't meant to be......well, it wasn't!......because the VERY next day I was at my son's football game and a family that I always sit with was there, and Dave stood up to take a picture and I couldn't believe my eyes!!!......he had the camera I wanted!!!!....I freaked!!.......well, I didn't know that they had just come out with a brand new model with significant upgrades!....the DMC-FZ28.....he said down and showed me whole camera inside and out..I hugged him!..he obviously read the book a few times...and I could see THIS is the one I really wanted......I couldn't believe I missed out just hours earlier on the old model!!!.........and a big misgiving I had about getting a new camera was that I would be losing the gerberagirl as my tech support girl!!!.....but now I have Dave!!!......perfect!!!!...he doesn't know it yet.....but I promise not to be too painful!! :)......she arrived late yesterday afternoon and I got the battery charged and too late last night I started to play around...I got the date set and that's about it!........as with every camera and cell phone I get I truly want to know how to do everything with it...and I have a delusion that I really will....but it usually turns out that I just scratch the surface.....and that's fine.......it's enough for me!.....this is the biggest treat I've had since I got my laptop for Mother's Day and brownie pans from my Dad!!!!.......and just in time for the last few football games of the season and our trip to Florida at Thanksgiving.....oh, and gerberagirl, I'll let you know how it goes....you may want this one!:)

More about → she's here!!!!!

shakerwoods

If you haven't heard of Shakerwoods, it's an incredible craft show....literally in the woods!!!.....these past few days the weather has been just beautiful ....with so many choices of things we could do we decided to take to take a field trip......it's been a few years since I've been out out there....you take the PA turnpike out to Ohio...then it turns into the Ohio turnpike...you get off at exit 232 and head south on rt. 7.....you go about 4 miles and you can't miss it!!......I have been here on perfect crisp fall days, chilly rainy ones and today was hot and sunny.....but being in the woods here gets you into the fall mood!!...it is just perfect when a leaf floats down before you signally that fall is here!.....here are a few pics of our afternoon.....compliments of my daughters cute new camera she got for her birthday.....I just had to snap one of the big, huge acorn on the roof......I have a thing for acorns.....they are just so cute to me!

....this wagon cart of pumpkins was beckoning us over....we looked and looked for a long while for one to bring home.....but could only narrow it down to six and that was too many!!!....so I took a picture to bring with us! :)...the prettiest velvets and brocades........could this be a craft for a few special girls??!!.....

Then a stop at the rootbeer shack.....we saw people walking with big bags of kettlekorn and we searched for it.........but by the time we saw it on the way out there were about 20 people in line and we had to pass.....

This is the view I had while I was on the phone with marzipanmom.....the little display is where I got my treats........check the picture further down......

.....I was trying to capture the sun flickering through the trees and warming up the day.....but without the sounds of the live bands playing and all the smells of the outdoor food courts with sweet potato fries, italian sausage sandwiches, lemonade shakes, chili, and cookies to name a few.....it doesn't do it justice!

These are my lovely treats......I first saw the tumblers in a beautiful shade of celery green...and then as I browsed the wares Zach explained to me what a butter keeper was....that is the crock on the right...it's amazing because just last week I was stumped at the grocery store between going back to butter which I always used, but hated because it never spread and my usual tub of Land o'Lakes spread.......I went with the spread...but not anymore now that I have my butter keeper...the concept dates back to the 1700's before there was refrigeration...you let your stick of butter get soft and then put it in the crock with a little bit of water and it stays fresh for weeks because the water forms a seal and keeps the bacteria out.....so says Zach!.....I'll keep you posted!!......and the dish on the left is a Brie dish......I have never made brie in my life...but I will now!....apparently a wheel of brie fits perfectly in this dish and you can bake it...it came with a few recipes...the one I want to try is the Caramel Almond.....just pour a jar of caramel topping over the top, sprinkle with almonds and bake for 2o minutes and then serve with your favorite bread......sounds like a treat to me!!! ...you can check out more on this fabulous pottery at their website http://www.brownbearpottery.com/ ...they do several shows a year and one of was at the apple festival in Franklin, PA!!....hhhmmm...that could be a field trip as well!

More about → shakerwoods

white chip pumpkin spice cake

I came across this reciepe in a magazine several years ago and always try to make it at least once or twice during the fall season.......just five days ago after eating birthday cake for almost ten days straight over here I swore I wouldn't eat it for month.....well, I just got a taste for something "pumpkin" this weekend.....

1 package spice cake mix
3 eggs
1 cup pumpkin
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup white chocolate chips
white cinnamon glaze (recipe follows)

Combine cake mix, eggs, pumpkin, evaporated milk and vegetable oil in a large bowl. Beat at low speed until moistened. Beat at medium speed for two minutes; stir in morsels. Pour into greased and floured bundt pan. Bake in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes or until wooden pick comes out clean. Cool in pan for 25 minutes. Invert onto wire rack to cool completely. Drizzle glaze over cake.

Glaze:
Heat 3 tablespoons evaporated milk in small saucepan over medium heat until just to a boil; remove from heat. Add 1 cup morsels; stir until smooth and melted. Stir in 1/2 tsp. cinnamon.

More about → white chip pumpkin spice cake

applesauce

This recipe is so wonderful and easy...I got it from my dear friend next door.....she is one of the most fabulous cooks I know!....actually last year her sister from New York and I called on the exact same day to refresh ourselves on the process...these are the peeled apples...you peel and core a dozen Fugi apples....

....then you put them in the crockpot with a 1/2 cup of brown sugar, sprinkle with cinnamon and add a little bit of lemon juice.....you cook them for about 6-8 hours on low in the crockpot and mash them when they are done........

It is just scrumptious!!!!!...a wonderful treat anytime!

More about → applesauce

Yeck's Farm

What a glorious weekend for a pumpkin patch!.......We were invited to a birthday party at Yeck's Farm last fall and fell in love......it is small, quaint, clean, family owned and filled with pumpkins!!......the big kids had other activities this weekend...so we took Gigi, who is in town from Florida for the weekend, to check it out....we rode the hayride, got some cute pictures, checked out the animals....

....and picked out our pumpkins!!.....they have radio flyer wagons to use to load up your pumpkins....what a great day!!.....and check out the shirt!!!...a perfect treat for the afternoon.

More about → Yeck's Farm