Fall Recipes:)

Easy Chicken Noodle Soup

2 Tbs olive oil
1 carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 bay leaf
salt/pepper to taste
1 lb. (the average weight of 1 package)chicken breast tenders, diced
4 cups chicken stock
egg noodles

Heat olive oil in soup pot over medium heat. Chop carrots, onion, and celery, and add to the pot as you chop. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add bay leaf. When veggies have cooked down, add chicken stock and bring to boil. Add your chicken and cook about three minutes until cooked through. Add as many egg noodles as desired and cook til soft. Serve and enjoy:)

This is a really chunky soup, so add more broth if you like.

CinnaSpin Cookies Courtesy Betty Crocker

1 pouch Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 Tbs ground cinnamon

Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbs milk
1/4 tsp vanilla

Heat oven to 375°F. In large bowl, mix cookie mix and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Stir in butter and egg until soft dough forms.
On piece of waxed paper, shape 1 tablespoon cinnamon into a line about 5 inches long. Using floured fingers, shape 1 tablespoon of dough into a rope 5 inches long. Press one side of dough rope into cinnamon.
On ungreased cookie sheet, coil dough rope tightly, cinnamon side facing center, into cinnamon-roll shape. Press end of rope into roll to seal. Repeat with remaining dough. Place cookies 2 inches apart on cookie sheets.
Bake 7 to 10 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
In small bowl, mix glaze ingredients until smooth. Drizzle over cookies. ENJOY!!!

These are seriously my husband's favorites and so easy to make! They are really yummy with a steaming mug of hot cocoa as well:)

With Autumn comes Changes!

Fall is undoubtedly my favorite season. Well, after summer that is! I love fall because of the may changes it brings and the warm feeling I get when I look outside the window and see the beautiful reds, yellows, and golds on the trees. So far, Autumn in Oregon has been gorgeous. For the past week, I've woken up to overcast skies, sometimes foggy and wet. But as the day goes on, the sun somehow manages to show itself and the birds come out from their hiding places to sing and fill the air with their melodies. My fall decorations are in place and the house smells of cinnamon, pumpkin, and spices thanks to my candles! Around this time I always want to make good old comfort foods like huge pots of chicken noodle soup and fresh out of the oven pot-pies. Foods that fill me up with warmth. I start making more homemade cookies and sweets. My husband's favorites now are the cinnamon roll cookies I bake during this time. Fall also reminds me of family and with that comes the anticipation of the holiday get-togethers that are right around the corner. I absolutely adore this season!
With fall upon us and the many changes that are happening outside, there are also many changes that are happening for me as well. The baby is due in four weeks and my body is really gearing up! Sleep is a foreign word at this point, and I'm constantly thinking about what it's going to be like raising two children. (My mom raised eight and did an amazing job so I feel like I have big shoes to fill)! My adorable daughter is almost two years old now, and let me just say, she acts like it! Being pregnant and having to keep up with her has proven to be a major challenge. Like the changing colors of the trees, it seems as though I have undergone some subtle changes as well. And not in the good way. Maybe it comes from being tired all the time, but I have really been impatient with everyone lately. The other day, my little girl slapped me in the face because she wanted my attention. My reaction was quite the opposite of how I should have reacted, and I ended up feeling horrible and, after I asked God for forgiveness, I apologized to her over and over. That little episode got me thinking about change. How do I deal with it and is it in a way that glorifies God? She is going through a lot of personality changes; my body is going through changes as well. My temper is shorter; she wants my attention constantly. My body aches everyday and she wants to play, play, play! When she tests me I don't always respond in a way that brings honor to God. The changes (even the subtle ones) can be so overwhelming and yet, they're coming. I can't stop them. Just like the autumn season that is turning everything into beautiful colors, I want the same outcome in my life. Just because things get hardeer to deal with, or I'm lacking my "beauty" sleep, doesn't mean I can't greet the changes in my life with grace. I realize I need to be looking up during the hard times and not concentrate on myself because then I am able to focus on the positive things and not the negative things. I believe God sends change to test our true character and to show Him and ourselves what we're really made of. Do I accept gracefully or do I lash out and do and say things I regret later? Everyday I pray that I can be found to have a character that is not only pleasing to God, but one that others can look up to.
Fall is here, changes are all around us and I'm going to enjoy this season to the fullest!

Happy Fall Everyone!

"Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending."

-Maria Robinson