It was so cold this morning that I put on my wool socks and dare I say... a sweater! I know that this is just the beginning and not that cold, but  I have such a sensitivity to cold that it makes me miserable. Lucky for me, we heat with wood and it's toasty in here all winter long. We're still working on building up our wood supply, and hopefully, by the end of my husband's "vacation" we'll have all we need for the winter.

Though we had plenty of glorious sunshine, it hasn't warmed up much today. It was a beautiful day to run errands, so we headed to town. I stocked up on feed, went to the butcher shop, bank, and to a local business that sells all kinds of goodies and Amish cheeses. We have certain things that we always buy there--dehydrated pineapple, graham pretzels, etc. I was happy to find more peppermint oil and some caramels that will wait for the apples we buy on Monday. They have some sweet old horses and a big fat cat there to visit with, so my youngest was happy to do so.

Supper will be a snap because I put a roast in the crockpot yesterday while we were at homeschool co-op. After a long day of classes, it was so nice to have meat and gravy all ready to go! Because it was a large roast, I have leftovers today, so I think we'll have beef and noodles.  While we were out today, we saw so many beautiful fall displays. I was reminded of these recipes that the boys and I will soon be making, so I thought I would share a couple.

RANCH PUMPKIN SEEDS

Wash seeds, removing any of the pulp, and pat dry with paper towels. Add a few Tbsp. of oil and coat the seeds. Add 2 Tbsp. dry ranch mix per cup of seeds. (Honestly, I didn't measure anything, I dumped a whole packet in and they were very good.) Roast in baking pan at 300 for 20- 30 minutes. (I use a convection oven, so it didn't take as long.) Enjoy!

 SPICY ROASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS

3 c. pumpkin seeds
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
Salt to taste

Clean pumpkin seed and allow to dry at least 3 hours. Spray a flat non-stick cookie sheet with Pam. Spread pumpkin evenly on pan and sprinkle with seasonings. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring several so seeds do not stick or burn. Watch carefully. Test with fork to see if done; when crunchy remove from oven.