A great time!

Our Harvest Gathering turned out to be an AWESOME evening!! I laughed way too much... my "laugh muscles"  hurt today.  Which is a welcomed hurt... since my back has been so bad lately!  (For anyone keeping track... my bruising is a really yucky greenish/purplish now!! Ewwwww!!  But I am hoping by tomorrow it wont hurt to put my brace on.)

Anyway...  it was an enjoyable evening.  Watching Aunt Vickie and Aunt Brenda together.... HILARIOUS.   Listening to Jason and Stacy tell stories... also VERY funny!  Having good company to share it all with... AMAZING!!
I wont even try to get into telling stories from last nite... it will NEVER do it justice!!! 
All of the harvest goodies were yummy.  I will share some recipes this week!!


I think we will definitely have to have more get togethers... and I am still stuck on a card nite or something every once in awhile!

Today the guys are hard at work on the roof.  And it is an easy day for me...  my house is fairly clean and laundry is mostly caught up!  I will be taking it easy... hoping my back feels better... I really want to get a nice hike in this weekend!  I skipped the Gratz Craft Fair today... I didnt want to do all that walking right now.

Oh, yesterday's meeting about Courtney went better than expected.  We hope we are on track now and we can continue to move forward with her goals and plans.  This Wednesday we go to visit HGA!!!   This Tuesday she starts DRIVING LESSONS!!!

RECIPE!!!!---

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins:

1 1/2 Cups of all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 Cup unsalted butter, room temp
1 Cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 Cup solid packed, pumpkin puree
1 Cup semisweet choc chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place rack inthe middle of oven.  Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners

In large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, ground spices and salt.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or hand mixer), cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in vanilla extract.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  With mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and the pumpkin puree, in 3 additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.  Fold in choc chips.

Fill the muffin cups evenly with the batter (you can use an ice cream scoop for this!)  Place in the oven and bake for about 18-20 minutes... or until firm to the touch and a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool on wire rack.

NOTE--
You can also bake this batter in a loaf pan!!!  Butter the pan first.  Bake at 350 degrees for 50 - 60 minutes.