Buying Apples for Homemade Apple Cider

Guest post written by my buddy Aldo Mays

Making apple cider has always been one of my favorite fall activities, with jumping in freshly raked leaves coming in as a close second place. This year, I decided to get some apples from a local orchard to prepare the cider with.

On an early afternoon in late September, I piled into the car with some lunch and great CDs for the drive, set my home security alarm I found at Securitychoice.com, and began the three hour drive to the nearest apple orchard. While I drove, I enjoyed the incredibly beautiful scenery of the changing leaves, as well as the trees that had already started to shed some on the ground below.

Upon arriving at the orchard, I was amazed by how many people had apparently shared my idea - the parking lot was nearly entirely full! I found a spot near the back, and made my way into the orchard. Once I got inside, I realized there was actually a festival going on inside.

It turns out that I had come to the orchard on exactly the right day. The festival was a celebration of their 50th anniversary, and they had all of their products and apples on sale for 50% off. I gathered many delicious looking apples, as well as a few pre-made bottles of their apple cider. The day I picked was truly a wonderful coincidence.

FTF: Baked Lemon and Dill Chicken

It's Friday once again...oh my how time flies! Food Trippers here is my share for this week. Happy weekend :-) everyone!

Baked Lemon Dill chicken leg quarter, steamed broccoli, and indian rice basmati. Yum!

Join us by clicking the badge or visit Willa's Kitchen for more delicious food entries!

Anniversary Dinner at Japanese Restaurant

For our wedding anniversary celebration last month, we all went for a dinner at Iron Chef resto; a Japanese resto that we like so much. We love hibachi and that is what we ordered. Jake had so much fun watching the chef did the tricks at he cooks the foods in front of us.

After eating, they posed in front of the resto...
While waiting for the chef....
Waiting patiently....
Finally, the chef came and started cooking ourdinner...

We ordered chicken fried rice for Jake, and a dinner for two for hubby and me. Our foods has fried rice, soup, steak, shrimps with stir - fry veggies....which was very yummy!

Halloween: Four Moms, Eight Kids, One Wagon

Guest post of the week by Brittany Booker

Oh yeah, we're in Halloween costume frenzy at my house. Each one of the kids has been unusually decisive this year, and I am finishing costumes for (from oldest to youngest child): a bathing beauty, a fireman and a princess. Let it be noted that my youngest is on her third year as a princess. What she lacks in originality, she makes up for in passion for her topic!

I've also finalized my plans for the big night. Tradition demands that the playgroup does the neighborhood together. The kids seem to have more fun if there is a big group, and I've found multiple moms mean there's always someone to pull the wagon of tuckered toddlers or chase the one child who must be first to the end of the block. I'm usually the chase-mom as my son fancies himself the Halloween alpha dog. Lucky me.

Here's the plan: Four moms, eight children, one wagon, three blocks. If things go even marginally my way, I'll be back home, kids in bed, on the couch with the satellite TV remote from www.Direc4u.com in my hands by 9 p.m.

I might just be looking through the treat bags for Almond Joy and Mounds bars, too. Trick or Treat does have its rewards for moms, folks.

Precious Diamond Engagement Rings

When hubby asked my hand to marry him, he didn't have engagement ring available. The reason was he didn't plan to propose to me since it was the first time we met. Yes, we met through an LDS singles site and the only means of our communication that time were emails and phone calls since he lives in the other side of the world and so was I. I didn't expect for something like that, but when he popped up that magic question, I was speechless. I did say 'yes' yet. Being a persistent man he was, he asked me the same question the next day and that's when I gave him my sweet 'yes, I will marry you.' We were both elated. That same day, we went shopping for diamond engagement rings, unfortunately, we didn't find the one I like. If only they offered the engagement rings design your own I could have had my own ring before he for U.S.

One month later, I received a package all the way from United States containing a diamond eternity ring with a note saying that it was my engagement ring. I was very happy. I felt like I was the luckiest woman in the world that day. He started processing the papers for petition...and it didn't take long before his visa application was approved. Six months later we got married in the LDS temple in ABQ., NM. Now, I have two diamond eternity rings. Why two? He said the first one has small diamond in it and so he bought me another one that has bigger stones. Big or not, I love them both for it came from my sweet and thoughtful dear husband.