Washington apple cake with cream cheese frosting...

Apple season is in full effect, and if you need a great fall dessert, I have just the one! My Aunt Sher made this cake for us years ago. We all demanded the recipe, and it has been a family favorite ever since. The perfect fall cake...with a few substitutions to make it healthier! The best baking apples? Mckintosh, Braeburn, or Roma are my faves. I also got a great tip from the produce lady at Central Market...choose at least two varieties of apples when y0u are baking, and mix them together. It adds more variety to each bite! Enjoy!

Washington Apple Cake
5-6 Mckintosh, Braeburn or Roma apples
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil (or substitute unsweetened applesauce)
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour (can use 1/2 whole wheat flour)
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup walnuts (optional)

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 8 oz package cream cheese
4 Tbs melted butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel and slice apples (about 4 cups), and layer in a buttered 9 x 13 pan. Beat eggs and add sugar and oil. Beat until creamy. Mix dry ingredients, and add to egg mixture. Blend in vanilla, beat thoroughly. Stir in nuts. pour batter over apples. Bake 1 hour. Cool completely.

Mix cream cheese, melted butter, and 2 cups powdered sugar. Add vanilla and lemon juice. Spread over cake when cool.

Spooooooky! Fun things to do with software this Halloween!

Halloween is almost here, and I thought I would share some fun things to do on the internet to spookify yourself and your family this Halloween!

First, our all time favorite is jibjab.com. You can custom make a video of your family and share it with friends. Here is ours this year!

Turgeon Halloween Rap


I love to get on picnik.com and mess around with photos. Every holiday they have featured edits, and their Halloween ones are super fun. I know it's spooky to make your kid into a zombie....but Grace was loving it!





This July, I got a text late at night from my cousin Rick.....a picture he had taken while we were all at our cabin, sitting around the bonfire. He sounded really freaked out, and asked if I could see what he was seeing in the photograph. You could see an eerie female shadow, standing a few feet from where we were sitting. I was genuinely spooked, and emailed the pic to the rest of my family. We were all speculating who the image may be, someone's reflection? A ghost? For the rest of the summer, we sat around that bonfire, spinning stories about the freaky woman.....that is until Rick finally admitted on Labor Day that it was the Ghost Capture app on the iphone.....seriously? All summer he let us believe the cabin was haunted. My sister in law could hardly sleep out there. Anyway, I'm glad it was an app, and not the spirit of Hood Canal...download the app for free and have a little fun of your own!


Is that not spooky? Happy Halloween!

Baked oatmeal...healthy, and your kids will love it!

I love baking, I think I have established that...the last couple of years my obsession has been real down home baking...using tons of Barefoot Contessa and Paula Deen recipes, with full on pounds of butter and full fat ingredients. I once saw this super health guru on Oprah that said, dessert is great, as long as you bake it yourself and stay away from the store bought, preservative laden desserts. I kind of took that and ran with it. Although it's still my favorite way to bake, I got to thinking...maybe the guy meant in moderation...hmmmm...ya think? I also have since watched Super Size Me, and Food Inc, and have picked up a new obsession...finding kid favorites and making them at home using healthy ingredients. Homemade granola bars, homemade mac and cheese, things I can sneak my own ingredients into, but that taste good, so my kids will ask for them. I also struggle with finding the time to make a big, healthy breakfast during the mad dash that happens to get out the door, and cereal or toast seem to be the only thing handy. I love breakfast I can make the night before, so the kids can help themselves, and I don't feel like "loser mom" for sending them out the door with a granola bar. My sister introduced this recipe to me quite a few years ago, and between my mom(the serious Martha Stewart of the family) my sister and I, someone is always baking this up. Every one of my kids love it...they eat it for breakfast and for snacks until it's gone. I make it on a Sunday night, so breakfast is already done for the next couple of days. It's also great cold, so you can pack it for lunch or a snack. You can add any fruit of your choice, although I have tried many, pears seem to be the best. I also love to add blueberries to pack in some antioxidants. I sprinkle flax seed on top before baking, and spoon vanilla yogurt over it right before serving. A great way to get fiber, fruit, omegas, and calcium into your kid's diet. Enjoy!

Baked Oatmeal

2 1/2 cups rolled pats (use old fashioned, not quick oats)
1/4 cup oat bran
1/4 cup steel cut oats
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 cups milk
1 egg beaten
1/3 applesauce
1/4 cup cooking oil
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar (you can use less sugar and it still tastes great)
2 cups chopped fresh or frozen fruit or berries (I do 1/2 chopped pears and 1/2 frozen blueberries)
a small handful ground flaxseed (optional)
vanilla yogurt (can use Greek to make it more healthy)


Mix oats, oat bran, steel cut oats, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt in bowl. Set aside. Mix wet ingredients with the sugars in another bowl, except fruit. Mix both together and pour into a greased casserole dish. Sprinkle lightly with flaxseed. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Pull out and stir in fruit. Bake for another 20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve vanilla yogurt over the top or on the side.

Cozy up to fall...

Moving through my stages of grief, that summer has really ended...(anger, resentment, bargaining, depression, asking why God? Why?) I have finally come to...acceptance...and even....embracing! I will embrace fall and all I have learned to love about this season. The baking, the crisp sunny days, flannel sheets, Halloween, crock pot dinners, Thanksgiving, firing up the fireplace, and last but not least, furry boot and sweater season. Twice a year I go through my closet, and each of my kids closets and do a major clean out session. In the fall, I pack up all the summer clothes and flip flops, and bag everything I know I won't wear again, or that won't fit the kids next summer, and give it away. It's kind of fun getting out the warm sweaters, boots, and jackets, and taking stock of what we need as winter gets closer. I am slowly learning that less is more. I used to be a quantity lover....if I found a cheap hoody, I would get one in every color, because, hey, it's only 30 bucks! My closet was bursting with things that were newish, some with tags still on...but still I only wore a few items...I felt guilty, so what did I do? Shopped of course. As the economy changed, as did our finances, I was forced to shop less and less, and really think about the things I needed. I decided to go through my closet and give away about half my clothes, and it felt really good. Life just felt more simple. I actually spend a little more on items I will love and have for a few years, but buy way less over all. A couple great pairs of boots, a few really nice jeans, a great coat, a couple of cozy, soft sweaters, a nice classic handbag...then go cheaper on the trendier stuff...and pass it on as soon as you are "over it!" Your closet will thank you, and believe it or not, so will your wallet! I have received quite a few emails from mom's wanting to see some affordable fall fashions. I am no fashionista, but I could post comfy outfit ideas all day! Hope this helps you to cozy up to fall!
Hat- Jess Beanie $50 allsaints.com
Silver Hoop earrings $2.90 windsorstore.com
Stackable Rings $49 stelladot.com
Super Skinny Destroyed Jeans $50 hollisterco.com
Plaid Flannel Shirt $27 oldnavy.com
Lace Trim Cami $8.50 oldnavy.com
Ugg Boots $210 nordstrom.com

need a cheaper version? Try these:

chunky beret hat $6.90 forever21.com
Bare traps Emilse Boots $74.95 dsw.com

White chocolate pumpkin cheesecake? Heck yeah!

I'm kind of getting in to baking cheesecakes. You might say I'm becoming a cheesecake geek...and we already know I love pumpkin...see here: pumpkin cream cheese muffins....so when I saw a recipe for a white chocolate pumpkin cheesecake with an Oreo crust on thebakingpan.com, I could not bake it fast enough. Seriously. I mean, white chocolate would be enough in itself, but add the pumpkin? Umm,...and Oreos? We had friends over last week from out of town. The guy never eats dessert, but he ate 4 pieces of this. Then he ate two more the next day. I live next to my sister's family, and I also live next to my parents,(it sounds crazy, but it's awesome) and we hail from a family of dessert people. Whenever we are all together, including my 98 year old grandma, there is literally a silence that falls over the room when the Dawson women are eating dessert. It's probably the only time no one talks. My husband would gladly attest to that. So when this cheesecake was in my fridge, there was a stream of people coming in through the sliding door for "just one bite.." (another Dawson term. We would never actually get a plate, just straighten up the sides. 41 times) I could go on and on about this cheesecake, but instead, I will just give you a link to the recipe:

White chocolate pumpkin cheesecake

Happy fall y'all!

Glitter pumpkins...so sparkly!

Everyone knows there are all types of pumpkins...short, fat, round, white, bumpy, sugar, you name it, someone grows it. They are perfection for a thanksgiving centerpiece, mixed with leaves, candles, and pine cones. I have seen some really ornate centerpieces, and I have to say, for me, the more simple the better. But simple + sparkly? Does glitter not make everything better? I say yes, and when I first discovered the Martha Stewart glitter pumpkins, I was in love. Simple...sparkly...autumn-like...add some candles and glow in the season. Here are some images of what other people have done with glitter pumpkins:




I kind of changed up the way Martha does it....the first time I did these I was short on time, and supplies. I do love her glitter, and you can find it on Martha Stewart.com or Amazon for around $7-$9. It's expensive but will last for years. Here is my list of what you will need...(don't tell Martha, don't think I would want her mad at me! That would not be....a good thing.)

1 can spray adhesive
multiple colors of Martha Stewart glitter (I use Fire Opal, Brownstone, and Bronze)
Small pie pumpkins
brown craft paint

Hold the pumpkin by the stem over some newspaper. Spray the entire pumpkin, except the stem.
Sprinkle on the glitter over a separate area of newspaper, don't be sparse! After you sprinkle, grab the sides of the paper and form a line with the fallen glitter.You can pour it right back into the container.
Let dry for approx. 1/2 hour. Paint the stems with brown craft paint.
Done! How easy was that?

Lasagna Soup.....perfect for fall!

What's extra gooey and super comforting on a freezing fall evening after soccer practice? (I know I keep referencing soccer practice, but as you mom's know it pretty much rules my world...)Lasagna soup. That's what. A couple of years ago, while sitting in the waiting room of the kid's dentist office and flipping through a copy of "Family Fun" magazine, I spotted this picture....

I thought about ripping out the page and stealing it, as I knew I had to make this, but I was a little worried I would get ratted out by another waiting room mom, or maybe the cops would get called, or worse maybe my mom would get called...(my imagination can go a little crazy, especially in the waiting room of a dentist...the fear kind of takes over my body)...so I took a way more rational approach and asked the receptionist to copy it for me. I made it that very night, and have been making it ever since. My kids love it, my husband loves it, and it makes enough for two dinners. Serve it up with some toasted Italian rustic bread with a little butter and garlic salt, and pack it in their thermos the next day! Seriously, make it already.

Lasagna Soup

2 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 lbs Italian sausage (bulk)
2 onions finely chopped ( I use one)
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
2 Tbs tomato paste
1 28oz can diced tomatoes
6 cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves
8 oz fusilli pasta
1/2 c. finely chopped fresh basil
8 oz ricotta
1/2 c. grated Parmesan
1/4 tsp salt
pinch of pepper
2 c. shredded mozzarella

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the sausage and saute, breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until the sausage is no longer pink, about 5-7 minutes. Drain any excess fat from pot. Add the onions and saute until softened, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and saute for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and saute until paste turns rusty brown, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes with their juice, the broth, and the bay leaves and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes. Add the pasta, then increase the heat to medium high and boil soup until the pasta is tender to the bite, following the time recommendations on the pasta package. Discard bay leaves, then stir in basil. if desired, season with salt and black pepper to taste.
In a small bowl, combine ricotta, Parmesan, the 1/4 tsp salt and pinch of pepper. To serve, place a scoop of the ricotta mixture into each bowl, ladle the soup on, and sprinkle with mozzarella.

Traditionally, meat sauce is supposed to be served with red wine, but this fall wine was spectacular with it!