Storm Season Is Here

One thing I absolutely love about living in Oregon is the fall storms we get. They can be pretty wicked! The first official storm of the season came over night and waking up to the wind and rain this morning was actually peaceful to me. I wanted so badly just to stay in bed and listen to it blow, unfortunately duty called and that meant getting out of bed at the wonderful time of 5:30 a.m. When summer reached to an end and school season had returned I was dreading the 5:30 mornings that came with it. It was so nice to sleep in a few extra hours during the summer, it was almost like I was back in school. Unfortunately it's not me, (I didn't time warp back but how cool would it be if I could) it's my mini me. She started the 1st grade this year and so far is still loving it! I believe a good education is vital, hence why we get up so damn early to get ready for school. I chose to send her to a school 35 miles away because of their academics. If I could afford the commute I would up and move to Elkton in a heart beat. The town is so tiny but the members in the community are amazing and everyone gets involved with the school and its going ons! Amazingly I don't have to commute there at all unless I want to. They are a charter school so they have kids that come from all over and there are enough kids between Elkton and Reedsport that there is a bus that comes to town at 6:40 am and brings them home at 4:45 pm. Not only is she getting a great education (did I mention shes at a 2nd grade reading level) but it works great with my schedule. She doesn't always ride the bus either, my neighbor whom is also a close family friend is a teacher up there so she takes her and brings her home for me most days. She has come out of her shell so much since I transferred her up to Elkton and I have been so pleased with how much she has grown I hope to be able to send her there until she graduates and if for some reason they ever change their boundaries I WILL move just so she can still attend.

I love how I initially started blogging with the idea of storms, fall, and comfort food and got side tracked into going on and on about Keelie's school. This however is nothing unusual for me I will start a conversation/letter and talk about 10 million other things before finishing what I originally started to say. I have dozens of "ooooh look something shiny" moments in a single day, keeps my life interesting I think. So back on to what I initially set out to blog about. I was uber excited about the weather this morning and decided it called for soup for dinner. I first set out to make clam chowder but realized all the clams we had dug over the summer were frozen as a brick so I decided I will make that this weekend, my next idea was venison stew!!! Ive already eaten a good portion of my deer so why not stick with it and make some stew! I haven't had venison stew since I was a little kid at my grandparents house. Which reminds me forget using a recipe out of a book I'm calling grandma! I'm glad now that the venison too was frozen because I want my grandmas recipe!!! Comfort food with a dash of nostalgia! Then came idea # 3. Chicken and Dumplings. My mother makes the best ever and so I picked up the telephone and dialed her up, unfortunately for me she was sleeping. I brought her home from the hospital this weekend and she is still working on recovering from her whole ordeal which could be a book in its own. I decided my mom is one of the best cooks ever and has even worked as a chef in a 5 star restaurant and shes been self taught no schooling, nothing, just trial and error. I hardly ever see that women use a measuring cup either, it baffles me how she can make things over and over again and its always just as good if not better and never use the same measurements. Anyways back to what i was trying to get at, since I'm her off spring I'm hoping the cooking skill is in the genetics! I already know I can bake up a storm, I love baking and am awesome at it! Just saying! I decided to be like my mom and just throw some things together! So as we speak I've got chicken and not yet the dumplings (that will happen when I'm finally home) cooking in my awesome camo crockpot at home! If all goes well and it turns out as good as I am thinking it will I will post the recipe. If it takes like hell I am taking no claim to it, the garbage disposal will get it and "take out" will be waiting before anyone knows i even attempted to create a dinner!

Oh and one more thing, y'all have to try this!!!! I love anything pumpkin and when I saw this in a magazine at work I had to order it! Pumpkin Pie Liquor!!!!! It is trouble in a bottle!

Hugs,