Homemade Apple Cider

Homemade Apple Cider

 



Ingredients:

12 Macintosh Apples

1 Orange

1 1/2 cups Brown Sugar

4 Cinnamon Sticks

1 Whole Nutmeg

1/2 tbsp. cloves

1 tsp allspice

 

1. Chop Apples & Oranges into quarters.

 

2. Put all ingredients into stock pot and cover with water.

Bring to a boil and stir (while boiling for 1 hour)



This picture below are what the apple mixture looked like after 1 hour.

This is how I positioned the lid the entire time, not quite all the way covered.



3. After boiling for 1 hour, then simmer for 2 hours.

Your house will be smelling amazing at this point...

Mash the mixture with a potato masher & straing through a cheesecloth

Voila!

Homemade Apple Cider

 

My Little Sister's Getting Married! {The Wedding Day}

The day of the wedding.

I woke up super early... my body was in shock from too much resting I think.

It was 6am.. and I was already showered.. and walking on the beach

Coffee in hand, and the ocean at my feet... I think I need to live somewhere eventually where I can wake up this way all the time...

We ran into my cousin's girlfriend and their sweet doggy Chloe on the beach.

Just soaked in the sun.. until it was time to get the day moving.



My sis and I went to her makeup appointment at 9:30 near downtown Pensacola.

The lady who did her makeup was very very cool.. and her little cottage apartment was adorable... as you'll be able to tell from pics.

She had two adorable kittens roaming around... lots of artsy decor, and peaceful Christian music playing in the background. 

cute

 

I just hung with the cats, and snapped a few pics of her house.

It was the most tiny, cozy, artsy little home.

She said she had lived in this very neighborhood her whole life.. and she loves Pensacola.

So when we asked where was the nearest Walgreens and good bagel place... 

She pointed us in the right direction....

If you are ever in Pensacola.. Bagelheads is THE place to go

After a makeup run at Walgreens & our Bagels.. we headed to the Salon "Self" to get pretty.

I took home this adorable hand-crafted ceramic coffee mug, that the owners' son makes & sells. Coffee tastes better in a cute mug in my opinion.

We got our hair did.. and then went back to the hotel & sat in the air conditioning as to not melt! It was a hot day.. probably mid 80s. All the family members in and around the hotel were getting ready. We took some pictures before heading to the ceremony.

 

Sissy and Me.. the most calm, and breathtaking bride ever!

This was the scene... as we walked down the stairs and down the aisle

Beautiful

My only regret is that I didn't take enough pictures!!!

 

And just like that... it was 4am. I was on my way to the airport.. feeling kind of oozy still from the night before (not gonna lie)...

 

2 hours later, I was half way home 12,000 feet up with some biscoff and coffee

What an amazing 2 days.. As always all good things must come to an end.. But this is only the beginning of an amazing life for my sister and new brother in law. Couldn't be happier for you both!

Mama is Off to Florida!!!



I've taken a break from blogging... and now Im back.

Nothing was really life changing that caused me to take a break.. just life in general... school, routines, laziness (just being honest).. spending more QT at night with the hubby, and preparing for ..... My sister's wedding.

Drumroll please...

Mama was headed to Florida SOLO....

the excitement from that sentence alone was enough...

And then the day before I flew out was here.. Thursday October 10th.

My in-laws drove in from Ohio to stay and help Mat with the kids while I was away for 2 days.

 

My bags were packed and I maybe slept 2 hours.

I volunteered to sleep in the 3rd floor playroom on the aerobed.... because I figured since my mother in law was going to be watching the kids all day the next day, she could get a good nights rest... who was I taking care of??? No one but ME... for the first time in probably 6 years. Weird.

I dozed off ....just for about 2 hours..

So Andrew woke up (like he always does) around 2.. and I rocked him back to sleep.. then tried to catch a few more hours.. but the excitement of it all... and fear of my iphone alarm failing had me just laying there... and finally I gave up after surfing pinterest, and reading blogs... I got up around 3... and started getting dressed etc... in the bathroom...

I was out the door by 4:30am, and on my way to the airport...

 

5:45.... In a seat on the plane... ready for a few days of R&R... and such a wonderful event.

This was so surreal..

Me

On a plane

Alone.

I wasn't quite sure what to do with myself.

Away we went... to Atlanta for our first stop.

I didn't travel completely alone.. My aunts, uncle, cousin and brother were all on the same flight to Florida. But I had my own seat fairly near the front of the plane.. and I was in heaven.

Of course before I even got to my destination.. I was already buying presents for the children I had only left not even an hour before.. 

By noon this was my view.

Ahhhhh serenity now

After I layed at the beach, I did the unthinkable.

I took a 2 hour nap.

Yes.
It was glorious.

I was all rested.. and then got ready for the rehersal dinner festivities.

My sis and her groom to be.. so stinkin cute.



All our family stayed on the NAS Pensacola.

That is where the ceremony was held. Right at a beach club overlooking the inlet.

It was beautiful.

The families had all arrived by Friday night, ready for wedding day.

After the rehersal dinner I was much looking forward to climbing in my hotel bed and sleeping until whenever I wanted... we had loud fans, earplugs, air conditioning .... it was awesome.

I fell asleep hard.. and didn't wake once.

I cant remember the last time I slept through the night.



Pear Picking in Baka's Backyard

My In-Law's Backyard is an oasis of beauty.

The trees, flowers, garden, landscape, animals, & the size is so much fun for our kids... and us.
Even before we had kids, I remember just sitting in the quiet and beauty & enjoying many summer/spring/fall evenings outdoors.

 

They have a few fruit trees in their yard. Plum, Fig, and Pear!

The kids had so much fun picking pears off the trees...

Andrew was our little "pear stacker"...he loves little constructive jobs like this... 

We attempted a grandparent pic... you can see how well that turned out.. 

And just as the sun was setting.. the trees that line the backyard were all glowing.. so amazing

Good wholesome fun.

We cant wait to go back!