Baking Baking Baking....

This past month or so I've been in a baking mood. And cooking for that matter. At the end of October, our neighbor across the street brought us a HUGE bowl of plums from his backyard. You can only eat so many before you really shouldn't eat anymore. (I didn't let the boys have any specifically for this reason.) I would say the cupcakes from scratch started my baking mood, but these plums really added to it. I made....8 pie pans of plum crisp. We gave most of them away. Hunter and Jim were great helpers on the first few. They helped me sort through the bowl for the good ones, and de-pit them. (Hunter was much more successful at this part than Jim).

 Here's the recipe I used. It was SO yummy!

Plum Crisp

Filling: 

  4 c sliced plums

  1 tbs flour
  2 tbs sugar
  1 tsp vanilla
 1/2 tsp cinnamon (I added extra!)

Topping:

  1/2 c flour
  1/2 c oats
  1/2 c brown sugar
  1/8 tsp salt
  1/4 c butter or margarine melted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl toss plums, flour, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon together.
3. Pour into ungreased 1 1/2-quart baking dish.
4. In a small bowl combine all topping ingredients.
5. Mix with a fork until crumbly.
6. Distribute topping mixture evenly over plums (I use my hands for this).
7. Bake in 350 degree oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until topping is crispy and golden brown

Last week I tried my hand at meal planning. It made grocery shopping so much easier! Monday we had Baked Cavatelli, Tuesday was Sloppy Joes (or Sloppy Jims at our house), Wednesday was Saucy Stuffed Shells (really good!) (we brought the leftovers to Perry at work. As soon as we got out of the car and started walking up to the store, Hunter yelled loud enough for the entire parking lot to hear "Daddy I brought you supper!" Super cute) Thursday my dad joined us for dinner having Chicken Cacciatore. Friday Aunt Kim and Uncle Ray Ray joined us for leftover chicken and Greenbean Casserole. I was surprised Hunter didn't eat it as he loves greebeans. 

On Saturday Mom and Dad Patrick and Mom and Dad Dustin and Kim and Ray joined us for the Cat/Griz game followed by Hunter's 3rd birthday party. I made Hunter a firetruck cake this year. He has told us a few times that he wants to be a fireman when he grows up. Needless to say, he loved his cake! 


I'm lucky I started early though! This is cake #2. I glued the wrong piece on top for the body. This was also my first time using fondant. I think it turned out fine : ) 


All day the only thing the boys wanted to do was to open the fridge to look at the fire truck. Jimmy enjoyed picking the lights off the truck to eat them and surprisingly Hunter didn't mind that he did. Hunter and Jimmy left with Papa Craig on Monday and have spent this week farming and the like with him. Sounds like they're having fun!