Freezer Caramel Drizzle Pie

I am trying this new dessert for one of my Thanksgiving pies....it looks absolutely delicious and so easy to make! Happy eating!

Freezer Caramel Drizzel Pie

allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 2 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crusts
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1 (7 ounce) package shredded coconut
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 (16 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
• 1 (12 ounce) jar caramel ice cream topping

Directions

1. Place butter in a medium skillet and melt over medium heat. Add coconut and pecans, stirring to coat. Saute until coconut and pecans are lightly toasted, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whip together condensed milk and cream cheese until fluffy. Fold in whipped topping. Spoon 1/4 of cream cheese mixture into each graham cracker crust. Drizzle each with 1/4 of caramel topping. Repeat layers with remaining cream cheese mixture and caramel. Top each pie with coconut and pecan mixture. Freeze overnight.

I'm looking forward to.....

Let's be honest, the months of October-January rock. Why you ask? Oh, I don't know...maybe all the holidays, celebrations, parties, food, and family time!?! Here are some of the things I am looking forward to (and am very thankful for) the next month and a half...

1. My Mom's Thanksgiving dinner...she makes homemade (kickass) stuffing with sausage...and an 

a-mazing turkey. I will easily eat three plates of food...easily.

2. Ella's visit to NY. McKenzie and Riley adore her, not to mention I miss her a ton! (She was my student teacher last spring...who foolishly moved to St. Louis, Missouri. I wish she was here for weekly coffee talks, and Saturday Panera dates.

3. Lights on the Lake. This year we WILL go! It seems like EVERY year we are just about out the door, leaving the driveway when something happens....ie. explosive diaper with poop that has traveled up the back and into armpits requiring the child to be hosed down, or we'll start driving there and everyone passes out from the 10 minute car ride....we will go this year damn it! We will go!

4. Polar Express. If riding on a train isn't cool enough for you, it's Polar Express themed! Kids go on the hour and a half train ride in their pajamas, listen to stories, and get into the spirit of the season. Don't tell the girls, but Santa even makes a special visit...

5. Clinton Square Ice Skating If I'm brave enough this year I am going to take McKenzie to experience her first ice skating adventure.  Otherwise...it's a date night in the making. How could that NOT be a romantic night out??

6. Elf on a Shelf- First year for this tradition. I am so excited to place this little Elf ALL over the house. I figure the little guy can help watch over the girls' behavior until Christmas. Tony on the other hand thinks the Elf is TOTALLY creepy. Can't wait to stick the Elf in a place he least expects it just to scare the poo out of him.

7. Gingerbread House- Every year we make one, every year it collapses overnight. EPIC FAIL! This year, I will learn how to REALLY make a gingerbread house so it lasts more than a night.

8. Making Cookies- SO many ideas, so little time. Thank you Pinterest!

9. It's an O'Malley Christmas! The name says it all!! We somewhat resemble the Griswold's. And, in a way, I'm proud of that (nothing is ever boring around here).

10. Highland Forrest Sleigh rides- Cannot wait to try this out! We took the girls on a tractor hay ride...that was a great success, we took McKenzie on a horse drawn hay ride....another great success...how could this NOT work out?

And of course, it's time to get out my all time favorite holiday movies...(of all time)

40 Bags in 40 Days Challenge

40 Bags-40 Days to Declutter your house!

The Reality

A little over a month ago I read a blog that stopped me in my tracks. You can read it for yourself here at CloverLane (one of my new favorites). There was something about this theory of decluttering your house in 40 days that was appealing and frightening, but I wanted to take the challenge.  See, the whole concept of this theory is "less is more"... I'm sure you've heard of it, and now I, ....well.... I now live by it.  Essentially you have 40 days and 40 trash bags to declutter your house, getting rid of any unnecessary junk, extras, or items you are no longer using. It felt so good to donate clothing, toys, and extras to our local Salvation Army and clothing shelters, and it felt even better to get rid of junk that we've been moving with us the past ten years of our life together. Isn' it easy to accumulate so much "stuff"? I found myself looking at what we kept...asking...ummm WHY do we have this??

Where do I start? ( I wish I took pictures throughout this process, but forgot, I was focused,...ok?!)

So where did I start? Well I took a room a day, if I was really on a roll that day I'd do closets, dressers, AND rooms, but at the end of the day my goal was the same...."less is more".

I broke it down on a piece of paper....for me, seeing it makes it real...

McKenzie's Room
-closet
-dresser
-bookshelf
-bins
-under bed

Riley's Room
-closet
-dresser
-toys

Master Bedroom
-closet
-drawers
-nightstands
-under the bed

Hall Closet
-jackets
-winter stuff
-shoes

Kitchen
-cabinets
-utensil drawers
-pots and pans
-pantry
-under sink

Bathroom Closet
-medicine chest
-old lotions, etc
-irons, flat irons, etc

Basement Laundry
Basement Toy Room
Basement Office
Basement Living room

I mean, you get the point...if you can see it on paper,...it doesn't looks so bad. It's manageable...and for many of us time is something we have a hard time fitting in. (I know that sounds crazy, but it's true)

The Outcome

I found that once I got started it was easy to do. It actually felt GOOD donating, tossing, giving away to others. There were numerous items we left out on our front lawn with a big "FREE" sign, and within minutes they were gone....someone needed it, and in my eyes I helped them. I learned that this is a multi step process...and although I feel as though I made a huge dent in my goal, there is still more I can get rid of, but for now, I want to reflect and say good job. I can always organize more/better, and I can learn how to utilize what I have.

But, what I really learned throughout this process is to really appreciate what I have. Our worlds are so surrounded by "stuff" that we sometimes get lost in what is truly important. Stuff means nothing when you have a house full of love. Stuff is just stuff,... junk to fill the space. I learned that children (yes, even McKenzie's age) can understand how important it is to give to others that are less fortunate, and how a simple act of kindness can feel so good. I learned to rethink purchases (do I REALLY need this???), and how to relax more (not feel like I always need to be buying/purchasing stuff to make me happy, retail therapy ring a bell?).  At the end of this process I felt like I not only accomplished something big (something I've been wanting to do forever, but never had the motivation to start), but my world is a bit lighter. Do I have more to tackle in front of me, absolutely,..but I realize that by taking this process one day at a time, little by little, I slowly was able to change my life.

 I encourage you to try it! Let me know how it goes!!

Fiesta Dip

Looking for a cool and refreshing (and super-duper easy) dip? Try this salsa fiesta dip....

1 cup of sour cream
1 cup of mayonnaise
1 cup of chunky salsa (I like medium)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 diced tomato

Optional additions to the dip
black beans
jalapenos
black olives
shredded cheese (Mexican, pepper jack, etc)

Mix all of these ingredients together. Then chill in the refrigerator.

Serve with tortilla chips or fresh veggies.

I'm loving fall!

We have had an unusual fall this year.  For a few weeks we had nothing but rain, and even snow (yes, in October) and then... BOOM! It's gorgeous out! We are talking mid 60's and 70's on and off for the past two weeks. It seems like every weekend is so full of fun, by the time Sunday night rolls around we are exhausted. I love all of the fun fall activities, and family time. Personally, I can't get enough. I love being able to open the windows for that crisp breeze blowing through my kitchen. And although I am *starting* to get the Christmas itch (how can I not, they have decorations up everywhere!) Here are a few of my favorite memories from the past few weeks....

Seriously, could I be any luckier? I have the best life!