Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween from the Glassford family.  We hope you have a creepy, fun-filled Halloween and all your tooth-decaying, stomachache-promoting, candy wishes are fulfilled.

If you stop by our house, you'll see my most creepy Halloween nightmare displayed.... spiders.  Great big, hairy spiders.

I hate spiders.  Really, truly I do, which means I have to display them on Halloween because, to me, spiders are the scariest.  Give me a haunted forest with a chainsaw-wielding psychopath any day over spiders.

Guess I'm just a little weird like that.

Backyard Neighbors

We've got some wonderful backyard neighbors.  They mainly keep to themselves only occasionally visiting to eat the tops of our flowers.  All in all they are very nice and we look forward to many more years watching their activities, in a neighborly kind of way.

Beautiful

I really do love living in Utah.  This time of year is incredibly beautiful.  I love visiting our beautiful mountains and taking advantage of the many beautiful mountain trails.

 I love wandering the mountain trails and enjoying the beautiful scenery but the teenagers.... mmmmm..... not so much.

Thank heavens for my patient husband who, while maybe not enjoying the scenery as much as I do, is patient enough to let me take some pictures.

Had to throw in this lovely little shot of me and my crazy look.  This is what having teenagers will do to a Mom.  I keep warning them that they better shape up or I'll put out this look but it doesn't seem to phase them.

Another gorgeous day in the beautiful mountains of Utah.

Family Photos

They certainly don't take family photos like they did in the old days. You remember those old photos of everyone in the family being asked to look off to some distant point, while smiling brightly, and pretending that everyone wasn't just crying and pinching each other a second before the photo was taken.

A photo just like this.......

I really can't believe I'm sharing this on my blog but honestly I just can't keep from giggling when I look at this photo.  Such a cute little, innocent family.  So very many children.  All such cute little blondies.  What were my Mom and Dad thinking?  Eight children?  They deserve a medal and I love them for that.

So after having the viewing pleasure of the classic 70's family photo, here's another one for you.

This one seriously makes me laugh.  Look at our style of clothing.  Again, just makes me giggle.  I have very strong memories of thinking "let's just get this gosh darn thing over with".  Smiling big for the picture and then breathing a sigh of relief that yet another family picture was over with.

Makes me wonder why I put my kids through the same thing.  hmmmmm Maybe it's a rite of passage every child needs to suffer through?

Fresh Paint

After living in our lovely, little, cozy home for 13 years, we finally repainted all the walls; something I've wanted done since we moved in.  Well, I shouldn't say "we" painted the walls because it was all Todd.  Thanks to the amazing, hot husband, the walls are now painted.

The final walls to paint were our living room, the hallway, and kitchen ceiling.  We decided to extend the yellow painted in our kitchen down to one wall in our living room.  I really love how it's brightened up the room and makes for a nice accent.  We also purchased a lovely, new painting for the wall above the piano.

Take a look.... what do you think?

Nostalgia and New Beginnings

It's that time of year, time for the kids to head back to school, time for cooler weather, time to say good-bye to summer fun, and time for new beginnings.  Big sigh.

Every year as my children head back to school I can't help but feel a little nostalgic over the passing of yet another year.  My children are growing up so quickly.  As I see them prepare for the start of a new year, I can't help but think back to when they first started school, when they were so excited about being such a big kid and going to kindergarten.

Now that my oldest is 23 I'm definitely feeling the nostalgia... thinking of his first day of school... so I dug through the old photo album.  I went back to my first child and my first back-to-school picture.

Oh my goodness, such an adorable little picture and such an adorable little guy.  I remember like it was yesterday, his excitement at going to school, how proud he was of his backpack and baseball cap and new shoes.  (I also can't help but think how nice it is to have our current digital cameras and the ability to take better pictures.)

Flash forward to today.... Spencer graduated high school five years ago, Evan is starting 10th grade at the high school, and Tori is in 9th grade.

Evan who grows taller every time I turn around.  Evan who has developed into a confident, very smart, kind young man is now nearing the end of his years in public school with just three short years left in high school.  I'm not ready to let go.

Tori, now a gorgeous young woman, loves all things social at school.  She loves that she's the oldest in her school and looking forward to going to the high school next year.  This little girl of mine keeps me young and I love it!

Nostalgia and new beginnings, a feeling that I'm swimming in and hope to resurface before it starts all over again next year.

Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies

These brownies are to die for... they are so very good.  I'm not a huge cheesecake fan but combine them with brownies and ... oh my!  Give them a try.

Chocolate Cheesecake Brownies

Brownie Base:
1 cup semi-sweet baking chocolate (I use Nestle Toll House)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder (I used cocoa powder instead)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour

Cheesecake Topping:
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 large eggs, at room temperature
3 tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 1/2 Tablespoons semi-sweet baking chocolate

Make the brownie base:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil and spray foil with nonstick cooking spray.
   
   
2. Place chocolate in microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high (100% power) for 1 minute. Stir. Microwave 15 seconds more or until chocolate is softened. Stir until smooth and let cool.
   
   
3. Beat sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy, using electric mixer at medium speed. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla and salt.
   
   
4. Stir in melted chocolate, espresso (or cocoa) powder and flour. Spread batter in prepared pan.
   

Make the cheesecake topping:

1. Beat cream cheese, sugar and butter in large bowl until creamy and smooth, using electric mixer at medium speed. Add eggs, cream and flour, beating just until combined. Add the vanilla and almond extracts. Pour cheesecake mixture over the chocolate layer.
   
   
2. Place chocolate in microwave-safe cup. Microwave on medium (50% power) for 1 minute. Stir. Microwave 30 seconds more or until chocolate is softened. Stir until smooth.
   
   
3. Drizzle melted chocolate over the cheesecake layer. With the tip of a sharp knife, swirl melted chocolate. Drop pan on counter to burst any air bubbles in the cheesecake layer.
   
   
4. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the cheesecake layer is set. Cool completely on a wire rack. Then chill several hours or overnight before cutting into 2-inch squares. Store refrigerated in an airtight container for 2 to 4 days or freeze up to 3 weeks.