North Park Lake, Wexford, PA – November 18, 2016
Life can be so simple
yet so complex.
Much like nature.
And either way…
it is a beautiful thing!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Simple yet Complex
Month: November 2016
Except Another Grandmother
Mother Nature must’ve known
my joy of becoming a Grandma this week
Gifting our sweet baby girl with
a 73 degree mid-November day to come home to
For no one else
in the entire universe
Could understand the immense love
and immeasurable joy
Except perhaps…
another
Grandmother ❤
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
There are truly not enough letters in the alphabet
or words in the dictionary
to describe how I’m feeling!!
A Painting for a Proud Grandpa
Wayne’s Pride & Joy – 10×12 Watercolor
A sweet friend of mine is a very proud Grandpa.
He shared one of his favorite photos on his iPhone with me last week.
These are two of his grandchildren.
I believe this was at Halloween
when they were dressed as a fire fighter and a police officer
leaning on a fire hydrant
watching the community parade.
I hope he enjoys this sweet surprise and it brings him joy,
because it would be hard to image a greater joy than that of being a grandparent.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
P.S. Here is the iPhone photo Wayne shared.
The Clock Ticks
sunset on cranberry twp, pa 11-14-16
The sun sets
The moon rises
The earth turns.
The heart beats
The eyes see
The ears hear.
The clock ticks
The calendar flips
Time flies.
The hands touch
The nose smells
The mouth tastes.
The wind blows
The trees sway
The birds sing.
The soul feels
The brain thinks
The human being loves.
Experience every second
Appreciate every minute
Cherish every moment.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Super Moon over Mars (PA)
Super Moon over Mars (PA) November 13, 2016
Oh the mysteries of the moon and earth
You never realize how quickly our earth is actually rotating
until you try to pause long enough to capture a photo of the moon.
From afar, I always see a face…
the “man on the moon” I called it as a child.
As I look at this photo I took late Sunday evening,
it almost appears as if the moon is a large mirror
reflecting back the earth it sees.
The beauty of nature
It makes you feel small and insignificant
and large and important
all at once.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Easy Cinnamon Roll Apple Pie
When my sister-in-law posted one of those amazing Tasty Videos on Facebook for a Cinnamon Roll Apple Pie, I just knew I HAD to try it!
We love apple pie. We love cinnamon rolls. Who doesn’t??!! Putting them together to make an EASY apple pie = Winner!
If you struggle with making homemade crust or are looking for a new twist on traditional apple pie, this is an easy and super yummy semi-homemade version to try.
I made it for a birthday brunch yesterday when the family came over to celebrate hubby’s upcoming birthday. After gorging ourselves on smoked sausages (that hubby smoked himself in his Pit Barrel Cooker we got him this past Father’s Day), Spinach, Feta, Bacon & Roasted Red Pepper Egg Casserole, Warm Biscuits and Sausage Gravy (homemade by our oldest son), and a fresh berry fruit salad, we waited a little while before eating this. But when we did….. thumbs up all around!
I tweaked the recipe up a bit to assure the apples would be fully cooked without overbaking and drying out the cinnamon rolls. It turned out wonderfully amazing! And the smell…….. can you even imagine the wonderful smell?!?!
Hope you will give this delicious treat a try. (Thanks for sharing Terri!)
Cinnamon Roll Apple Pie
Ingredients:
- 6 cups peeled, cored, and thinly sliced tart apples
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 3 Tbsp flour
- 2 cans Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C.
Melt 1 Tbsp butter in large skillet, add apple slices, sugar, and cinnamon. Cook on medium heat for approximately five minutes until tender. Add flour and stir. Cook one more minute until thickened.
Roll out each cinnamon roll in one tube until flat and thin using a small amount of flour to avoid sticking to rolling pin and counter. Layer on the bottom and up sides of pie pan to form bottom crust. Add the cooked apples.
Roll out each cinnamon roll in second tube until flat and thin, and layer on top of apples to form top crust.
Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 5 minutes.
Allow pie to cool and drizzle with icing from one tube of cinnamon rolls.
Enjoy!
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Golden Sparkle
The golden morning sunlight
on the frosty fallen oak leaf
sparkles more beautifully
than any diamond I’ve ever seen.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Endings and Beginnings
The wind has picked up a determined strength.
And the cheerful orange leaves are all but lost.
The hours of daylight have grown shorter in length.
The morning’s dew has turned into frost.
Autumn’s time is growing near her blissful end,
And winter is waiting for her turn to shine.
Snowflakes and icicles will soon impend.
and warm crackling fires under woolen fleece blankets will be so divine.
One season’s sad retreat
makes room for the next’s joyful beginning.
Goodbye Autumn – it’s so bittersweet
as we prepare to welcome winter’s first inning.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
Pumpkin Banana Chocolate Chip Bread
What do you do when you have over-ripe bananas and a half of a can of leftover pumpkin puree (from making Chewy Pumpkin Cinnamon Chip Cookies – which Hubby has officially declared his current all-time favorite cookie!)?
Well – you make wonderfully sweet and delightful Pumpkin Banana Chocolate Chip Bread of course!
Have you ever thought of combining pumpkin and bananas in a yummy sweet bread?
Wowza! Pure blissful deliciousness!
If you are looking for a lovely Autumn sweet bread to enjoy with your morning coffee, afternoon tea, or to curb your after-dinner sweet tooth, look no further. And how fun is it to make four mini loaves instead of one big loaf so you can keep one (or two) and share the others as sweet surprises for friends or loved ones! To me, that is more than half the joy in baking…. creating something I can share to make someone smile and brighten their day and tantalize their tummy.
Make this bread to share as a Thanksgiving hostess gift or guest’s sweet surprise. Or just make it to enjoy! I’m betting you will! Warm from the oven, a slice with some melting salty butter is just about heavenly!
Pumpkin Banana Chocolate Chip Bread
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup softened butter
- 1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/4 cups pumpkin puree
- 3 mashed ripe bananas
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/4 cups chocolate chips
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cream butter and brown sugar with electric mixer on high approximately 2 minutes. Add eggs and continue mixing until light and fluffy – 1-2 more minutes. Add pumpkin and mashed bananas. Mix well.
Add dry ingredients: baking soda and powder, cinnamon, salt, and flour, and beat just until blended. Remove from mixer.
Stir in 1 cup of chocolate chips with wooden spoon or spatula.
Pour into 4 greased mini loaf pans. Sprinkle tops with remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips.
Bake for 40 mins or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Cool 10 minutes in pans and then remove loaves to cooling rack to completely cool.
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
CharlieDog the Character
CharlieDog Watercolor Character – 10 x 12
I stayed up very late the other night watching election coverage.
It was so nerve-wracking, I had to do something besides watch predictions and “paths” and the shock of the reporters as they announced each state’s decision and electoral numbers.
I wanted to do something pleasant and think pleasant thoughts. The happiest thing that came to mind is our sweet grand baby who is due any day now. As I thought of her, I thought of stuffed animals and cute animal characters. I thought of soft, cuddly teddy bears. And then I decided to create a teddy bear like stuffed character of Charlie, our furry adopted boy.
In the wee hours of the night/morning, CharlieDog was born on a 10×12 sheet of Arches 300 lb cold press. He has chubby chipmunk cheeks and curious cherubic eyes. His chunky belly is plump and soft and snuggable. He has one ear up on alert for Cliff the Mailman or Mike the UPS man or anyone delivering pizza!
Art has become such a calming, stress-relieving outlet for me. If anyone out there thinks they would love to draw or paint or create, but feels they aren’t “artistic” enough or don’t have any formal training, or have never tried, or whatever your reasons might be – just do it. Don’t let your mind tell you that you can’t. I would have said that a year ago. Do it for the joy. Do it for you – not anybody else’s approval or praise (that part was/is a struggle for me that I am getting much better at). Do it to create your own kind of beauty. Do it for peace and love and goodness – for yourself or someone your share it with.
Focus on things that make you happy, bring you peace, express joy, demonstrate love. Small acts change the world. Be your own kind of beautiful. Make your own kind of art or sing your own special song. Do your thing! Be you!
#FocusingonPeace
Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi
the creative life in between 