apple picking

This past Friday Evie and I went apple picking with my mom at her husband's house.  We picked Yates and Fuji's.  My mom rode us around in their four wheeler and I would stand up in it and hand down the apples I picked for Evie to put in the bucket. She wanted to eat them straight off of the tree, so we let her.  That night I made two lattice top apple pies from scratch.  It doesn't get more homemade than apples right out of the backyard and a homemade buttery flakey crust with Plugra butter.  

I just love that fall is creeping in.  The mornings are perfect here but by 3 it's normally 79 or 80 degrees.  I'm so excited for when it cools down for good.  I love that October starts tomorrow.  That means so many good things are coming: my birthday, General Conference, holidays, fall weather, oh and WE ARE HAVING A BABY!  This could be the week!

Here are some polaroids from our apple picking.

Jammin' at the Murphy's

A few weeks ago we had a jam sesh with a big group of friends. It was perfection.  


Each jam sesh is completely different.  Sometimes we all play songs we know and sometimes we just improv. No matter what we are doing be assured that the lights are low and there are candles in the fireplace and on the tables.  


We made:


Caramel Apple Pork Chops with a Pecan Glaze Sauce (absolutely a hit and a perfect fall dinner!)
Steamed Broccoli
Squash with Onions and Parmesan
Homemade Bread (which is becoming a staple in our house)
and
Homemade Strawberry Jam (also a staple)


My only complaint about our perfect little apartment is the lack of counter space.  Its so bad that when I am cooking in there I have to open up the dishwasher to get more space.  Its ok, it does the trick.  
Smaller kitchen= less space to have to clean.

the prep...

I used the picture frame that eventually became my (earring holder) as a center piece to hold all of our condiments, gravy, salt, and pepper. (and a couple of teacups and candles just for looks)

(these beautiful floral napkins came from my one and only Lisa who is serving her mission in Finland.  She sent two different packs of them to John and I as a wedding gift.)

Those in attendance:

Me- uke and vocals

Husband- guitar

Belen- rocking it on the drums

Jenna- keyboard

Lina- on her mac

Brandy- the most fierce egg shaker we know

Clark & Monique- the "just marrieds" & our new neighbors! Tambourine and Xylophone

Here is a little taste of what we like to do.  Sometimes things come out great and other times its a flop, but we all liked this one a lot.  I like it when Jenna shakes her hiney in front of the camera in the end.  No one knew I was recording this.  Clark is quite the rapper, wish you could hear what he is saying better.  Listen...

We all had a really fun time.  Everyone left...

(goodbye friends!)

...and then I got to be with this guy.

And we got to do these together.  

It looked like a dishware massacre in there.  But it was nothing a little love and elbow grease couldn't take care of.  We love knowing that these dishes belong to us.  We love that this is our mess and we are the only ones who can clean it up.  If we don't do it, it doesn't get done.  We are big kids now and get to take care of all our own things.  

Growing up is fun.  

I turn 23 tomorrow.

I feel old.

Jumping the gun?

Can you feel it, that old familiar feeling?  Fall is creeping in to the air and I love it.  I love it so much that I am jumping the gun on the fall festivities.  I purchased my new mustard yellow coat for chilly days already.  I am dying to wear it, it taunts me as it hangs on the coat rack in our bedroom.  (Yes, Ashley, I said our BEDROOM, go ahead and think about it.)  

One of my favorite things about fall is getting a fall cold.  I know that is weird, but the feeling of being able to curl up in your bed and stay in PJ'S all day is wonderful.  You get to eat soup and I actually think people are precious when they have red sniffley noses.

  Really it's not quite apple season yet but I just couldn't resist when I saw a bag of caramels.  Fall festivity number 1:

All you need: (is love)

4 apples

1 bag of caramels

2 tbsps water

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

We didn't have any Popsicle sticks so we had to improvise.  It turns out that a fork works just as well.  However, it did feel a bit morbid for some reason when we pierced the apples.

Heat water and caramels in saucepan, when the mixture melts, add the vanilla.  Then dip your apples in.  We got a little crazy and melted some chocolate in with the remaining caramel.  When it was mixed we put it in a plastic bag, cut the tip, and then swirled the chocolate all around!

O.k. apple, I will eat you.

When we moved in to our home, it came fully equipped with the ugliest wallpaper.  We asked them to remove it but apparently we weren't really persistent enough.  I really don't even see it anymore except when my OCD gets the best of me and all of my red kitchen things are screaming at me, "Get me out of this maroon and seagreen room!"

It was a lovely evening of Phase 10, caramel apples, and catching up with my old friend Jenna.  We made a yummy dinner that deserves a whole post of its own, til tomorrow my friends...