It isn't fall without Saucy Apple Dumplings!

Believe it or not, I'd never made a whole chicken (or any bird for that matter) before this Saturday. As you may gather, I've also never hosted Thanksgiving, and if I did you may not eat turkey, as I've always wanted to cook a festive, elaborate meal that is something other than turkey or ham...does anyone else agree this gets somewhat boring year after year?! The chicken I roasted turned out really moist and tasty. I didn't do a whole lot to it other than rub it with garlic and herbs and place some lemon wedges inside and slices on top of the chicken. With the oven running for over an hour for the chicken and another half hour to finish off dessert, our house felt like a million degrees, which is why I do a lot of baking in the winter. This brings me to my title...SAUCY APPLE DUMPLINGS! They are twice as scrumptious as apple pie! It's basically a square of pie crust with a cored and peeled apple placed on top, filled with a honey and walnut mixture, sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar, dotted with butter, sealed up, and baked while soaking in a cinnamon sauce. YUM! It's a good thing these take a little bit of time to make, otherwise I'd be tempted to have them more often. The best part of all this cooking was that it all got done while Harper took a long nap!

Today started off with a busy morning at church, a delightful brunch with the Dietrichs at Gigi's Cafe, followed by Harper's 6 month photos with Josh's friend Dave at Minnehaha Park and a fun visit with Corynn, Katie and Jozef in the evening. Josh and I can't wait to share the photos with you that Dave took of Harper and our family. There were almost 500 to sort through! At least the blinks and distorted faces brought the picking and choosing down to a more manageable number. They turned out so well! Stay tuned!