Sunday Funday!!

I do love the weekends! Especially in the Fall – everything seems a little easier.

Spent most of Saturday hanging out with my dog, Phred. A little laundry, a little guest room bed-making, a lot of thinking about getting a lot done! I did manage to make some headway on a craft project I am pulling together for Wine and Dine weekend

On Sunday, I hit the ground running! Literally :) It seems like all of my pains are definitely going away so I wasn’t terribly concerned about my 5K, The Pumpkin Run, this morning..or rather, this afternoon! A 1 pm start meant I could get some things done BEFORE the run and then come home and putter.

I overestimated my lack of pain, however, so it was a slow 3.1. But I got it done! The weather was beautiful, clear blue skies and the trees are still in the last stages of changing and losing leaves. Lots of folks in costumes so there is definitely some Halloween spirit(s) in the air!!

Before the race, I hit up Target – using their new Cartwheel app on my phone I saved a buck and change. Once I figure it out I am hoping the savings will add up!! Had to get laundry supplies and got some percentage off of those items so Yay! Also got some supplies for making macaroni and cheese in the crockpot! I made this last winter and it is really, surprisingly good! Made the mac and cheese and stuck it in a dish to do the final hour of cooking with melty cheese and crunchy potato chips on top. Tomorrow is gonna be SWELL!!

Yeah, it doesn’t look like much here…but just you wait!

Tomorrow, this will be all brown and bubbly on top!!

Then, since I was apparently in some kind of nesting mood, I baked up my mom’s Apple Cake. I used to bake this ALL THE TIME when I was growing up and when I found the recipe again and made it the first time again, it really brought back some great memories. I don’t know why, but I added some glaze to it this time – it’s nice, but really not necessary at all!

Before the oven….

And after. With some lumpy glaze. NOMS!!

THEN…I had some thawed chicken breasts and had figured I’d just throw them in the oven and bake them but then was struck with the desire to make chicken piccata –which I have NEVER made before but I just love! Turned out pretty amazing if I say so myself! Cooked up some noodles and broccoli and had an actual proper dinner tonight!

I may always saute chicken from now on…even without the sauce it was pretty tasty!! Butter does that!

Full of lemon-y caper-y goodness!!

A grown-up dinner. It happens every now and then!

So, if you know me – and even if you know me you might not know this – Useless Fact #23432: I don’t like when my house smells like food. I don’t care what kind of food, unless it’s baked goods made with lots of butter – that smell I don’t mind! So, I needed to do something to clear out the chicken smell.

Since I had some leftover pumpkin in the fridge to use up I whipped up a batch of really great pumpkin cookies. Another something that I used to bake all the time growing up. Me and mom would bake hundreds of these it seemed! Her original recipe calls for dates but I could never get into that, so I use raisins!!