Holiday Baking {Pumpkin Cake Roll}

This is definitely my all time favorite recipe for Pumpkin Cake Roll. It's perfection I tell ya! It comes from the Essential Mormon Cookbook I purchased years ago from Deseret Bookstore.

Pumpkin Cake Roll
3 eggs
1 c. sugar
2/3 cup canned pumpkin
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3/4 c. flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 c. powdered sugar
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 c. chopped pecans (optional)

Beat eggs and sugar together. Add pumpkin and lemon juice and mix together. In a separate bowl sift together flour, baking powder, spices and salt. Fold into pumpkin mixture.

Line a 15x10 1/2x1 inch jelly roll pan with waxed paper. Grease lightly. Spread pumpkin mixture evenly in pan. Bake at 375 degrees for about 15 min. or until lightly browned. Turn out immediately onto a clean dishtowel sprinkled with powdered sugar, removing the waxed paper. Sprinkle more powdered sugar on top of cake. Start at one end, carefully rolling towel and cake together. Cool on countertop.

Combine the 1 cup powdered sugar, cream cheese, butter and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Gently unroll cake onto cutting board, removing towel. Spread cream cheese filling over top. Sprinkle with pecans. Roll back up. Cover with waxed paper and chill in refrigerator. Best when made a day ahead. Will keep in refrigerator 6 to 10 days (well wrapped). Freezes well. Makes 12 servings.

Take my word for it and make a double batch...I promise they'll be gone so quick you'll wish you had.

Holiday Recipes {Peppermint Brownie Cakes}

These brownies are to die for! They were a big hit with my family so I thought I'd share them. I love all things brownie...so maybe one of these days I'll share my various brownie recipes.

Peppermint Brownie Cakes

Brownie Mix                                                          Other ingredients
1 2/3 c. sugar                                                         semi sweet chocolate chips 
3/4 c. melted butter or margarine                            York Peppermint Patties
2 T. water                                                              peppermint candy canes
2 eggs
1 3/4 c. flour
3/4 c. cocoa
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

Turn oven to 350 degrees (bake 18-20 minutes)

Directions
Mix sugar and butter, add eggs, vanilla and water. In separate bowl, mix dry ingredients. Combine the two. Lightly spray cupcake liners, add large spoonful of batter, then add 5 or so pieces of chopped York Peppermint Patties, add another spoonful of batter, smoothing the tops. After they come out of the oven, place on cooling rack.

Place 1/2 bag of chocolate chips in a large zip lock bag. Microwave at 30 second intervals, smooshing the chips in between (you don't want the chocolate to scortch) so make sure and only do it at 30 seconds each time. Once it's melted, cut a small corner of the bag and squeeze zig zagging over brownies. Then sprinkle crushed candy canes on top.

They are super rich but incredible. Hope you enjoy, and have a fabulous Thanksgiving!!

My Little Pre-Teen

Jaxon at 4 years old                                                                             Jaxon at 12 years old

Where does the time go?

Today Jaxon asked me to teach him how to clip his own fingernails.

I realize they have to grow up some time, but it doesn't make it any easier.

Next he'll want to pick out his own clothes and comb his own hair...OK so I'm

kind of a control freak but I like taking care of them.

FYI: he does shave his own mustache. LOL!

Fall Happenings

This Arizona weather is fabulous! I'm bracing for our trip to Minnesota, not sure how I'll survive the cold. It will be great to have a change of scenery though, it's so pretty there. My parents are flying out for most of December, it will be nice to spend Christmas with them, something my kids are anxious to experience. They just finished their second LDS mission. It will be nice to have their schedule freed up! :)

The boys are attending a homeschool enrichment program, they actually did it a few years ago but it's working out much better this time. They get released at the same time which helps, they have some fun classes and are enjoying it so far. Jaxon is most excited about his "How to Publish A Book" class and his cartooning class.

Other happenings: Jaxon got braces, Kade got an expander and is well on his way to braces. Jaxon quickly learned braces aren't as cool as he'd hoped. He's doing a good job taking care of them because he wants them off as soon as possible. Kade was SO excited because he said it's like he just "grew up unexpectedly".

Kimball's brother will be coming from Denver to spend Thanksgiving with us, we are really excited. We also get a visit from my nephew Jake and his cute wife Lindsay. I'm excited for this next week!

Then Along Came Brayden

This year my brother Jeff and his family were blessed

with their new son Brayden.

Isn't he just the cutest little guy ever?

I won't share the details of their experience, but I will say it was a positive one and they love him to pieces!

It's no secret, I'm a big fan of adoption. If you're having a hard time conceiving or you just have that little voice nagging in your head...get to it! Adoption is amazing and nothing short of a miracle.

As always, I love answering emails on this subject so feel free to contact me if you want. I'm no expert but it sometimes helps talking to those who've been there before.

My top advice would be to make it a prayerful journey, listen to the promptings and answers you're receiving and you won't go wrong. Also, be patient, it's a process. Things may go quick and they may not, it's all in God's hands.  

Veterans Day...Grandpa Kenny {a poem}

Young Man from Spokane

By Richard Pierson (my dad)

Young man from Spokane, Kenny Henager's my name.

I'm stationed in Salt Lake, the army's my game.

Tonight I have a special date--Rhea, she's called;

She's wonderful, you know. Do you think we'll become involved?

Everything has worked out great, and now she's really mine.

We've been married just a short while, but now we're out of time.

It's off to fight a war, you see. The place I'm going is Germany.

The nights pass slowly. Nights are long, it seems an eternity.

It's done with, we've won. Now it's back to my wife.

We've two daughters already--they're the joy of my life.

I'm working as a plumber. Good times are now here.

Family's growing, e'er I turn, little footsteps are near.

Daughters Kay and Carol; sons Craig, Steve and Chad;

Young man from Spokane hasn't done all that bad.

Then it's baseball, and circuses and cub scouts galore;

Leadership and genealogy--I've got to do more.

I'm a grandfather now, and each step is a struggle.

Rhea's still my sweetheart, but now has to work double.

Grandchildren abound--some of them teething.

Me, I just have trouble with a small thing like breathing.

I'm slowing down fast, yet there's more work to do.

I can't let our kin down until I'm completely through.

Now my day has arrived, and I've done all I can.

Father, Mother, take me gently. I'm a very tired man.

Young man from Spokane, Kenny Henager's my name.

Introduce me around, if it's all just the same.

Please give me a job; I'll work here until

My family joins with me. I know that they will.

This poem was written by my father and read at my grandpa's funeral. Grandpa Kenny fought in World War II; he met my grandma just before had to go back to Germany, two week's later they were married and conceived my mom. He got a leave and went back for a visit to meet his little one. Grandpa Kenny or "Daddy" as my mom calls him, passed away when I was four years old. My only memories of him are watching him lay in bed, hooked up to oxygen and sucking on lemon drops; but word is, he was a really great man, serving constantly, taking in foster kids and working hard as a plumber to provide for his family. He died of emphysema and lung cancer at age sixty five. I look forward to the day we're together again. Happy Veterans Day!!

New York Trip

Kimball and I finally took a big trip together to New York. He served there for two years on his mission back in 1995-97. He'd been wanting to get back ever since and I'd never been so I surprised him with a trip over fall break.

The picture above is a view from the Brooklyn Bridge, it's one of my favorite's.

Brooklyn Bridge



Top of the Immigration Station...I love all the old architecture in New York, I couldn't take enough photos!

Inside the Immigration Station on Ellis Island



I was SO excited to FINALLY see the Statue of Liberty.

Another one of my favorite pics ever!

View of Manhatten from Liberty Park





Our hotel was near the Empire State Building. I was surprised at how windy it was up there...amazing view though. The sea of buildings is such an incredible site! Pictures don't do it justice.

View from the Empire State Building

The Vikings happened to be playing the Jets while we were there so we HAD to go...such a blast. The game was delayed due to major rain and lightening but it made it that much more fun.

Adrian Peterson...need I say more!?!

We went to two Broadway shows. Promises, Promises and our favorite Jersey Boys. The music was so great and I was amazed at how good the actors were. Next time we'll get tickets in advance though because some of our top choices were sold out.

Times Square was crazy!

The Metropolitan Art Museum was fabulous, one of my highlights. I wish we'd had another day there because we didn't even scratch the surface. Really, you'd need a week or so to see and appreciate everything. The building was beautiful and SO HUGE!

Kimball conducting business while I shopped in Little Italy

We had a delicious, authentic Italian lunch in Little Italy, we also ran into Cliff Clavin from Cheers (I'd recognize his voice anywhere. Ha! We also went to China Town but we were disappointed at the high prices (we expected some bargains)...not the case! It was also way too crowded! Loved Little Italy though!

The Natural History Museum

St. Paul's Chapel

Located just across the street from Ground Zero.

Geoge Washington attended this church.

It served as a refuge for the volunteer workers of 9-11.

Kimball's little brother Shane is currently serving the exact same mission Kimball did. We just had to pop in and say hello. He looked great and was rather happy to see us. He didn't stop smiling the entire time.

View of Manhatten from the ferry.

I still can't get over how crowded and busy this place was. It was a total culture shock to me but it was pretty neat! I have to say I went home feeling like we lived in the middle of no where.

Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum

We rented a car and drove out to Montauk Point (the eastern most point on Long Island). It was beautiful and for a few seconds I pretended like I was high class and visiting my summer home in the Hampton's. :)

We saw so much, but there's still a handful of things I want to see...next time I guess.

When I got back, Carly and I took the kids to Ghost Town. We went on a tour of what used to be a working gold mine....not such a great idea considering at that very hour they were still rescuing trapped miners in Chile AND I'm totally claustraphobic! We also had fun on the gravity tour, had lunch and got the kids ice cream.

Thanks to my niece Carly for flying in from Utah with her three year old Gavin, to babysit for the week.

Not only did she cook, clean and take car of them, she took them to parks and museums, making sure they too had a fun fall break. Thanks a bunch Carly!!