HOPpy Halloween

Once there was a little girl who loved bunnies. She made a wish that one day she could hop, hop, hop just like a bunny.

Then she found out about a special day once a year when children could be whatever they wanted to be.
So, when that day came, her wish came true--for just a little while she turned into a bunny.
(and, consequently, her mother turned into a carrot)
The little bunny hopped out of the house,
with her white cotton tail,
and found other children whose wishes had also come true.

One friend had turned into a duck,
and another had turned into a puppy,
while yet another had turned into a butterfly.
All the happy children came home at the end of the day with buckets full of candy--yet another dream come true!

Happy Halloween.

Pear Sorbet

Of all the seasonal fruits for this time of year, perhaps the most suitable for ice cream is the pear.

Pear Sorbet

Ingredients:
-4 medium bartlett pears (about 1.5 1b), peeled, cored, and chopped
-1 cup water
-3/4 cup sugar
-1/8 teaspoon guar gum
-1/4 cup light corn syrup
-splash of lemon juice (optional)

1. Combine water, sugar, guar gum, and corn syrup in a small saucepan. Stir together with whisk.
2. Heat mixture over medium heat until bubbling, then lower heat and stir until it reaches a syrup-like consistency. Allow mixture to cool.
3. Purree pears, adding a splash of lemon juice to preserve color, if desired.
4. Combine purree with syrup and chill for four hours.
5. Freeze in ice cream maker according to manufacturer instructions.

the pit stop of Iowa

Although our neck of the woods is by no means the most glamorous location in the midwest, I am pleased with the number of visitors we've been able to bribe our way during the four months we've lived in Cedar Rapids.

Aside from our parents making special trips to come out and see their granddaughter, we've also convinced a few people to take a detour off of Interstate 80 when they were actually on their way someplace else.

We got to see Aunt Crissy, Cousin Aubrey, and Cousin Connor twice in August when they stopped on their way between Utah and Illinois. Ramona and Aubrey were absolutely giddy to see each other.

Even Uncle Scott and Uncle Ammon took their respective pit stops at the Dixon residence during their recent travels, although there exists no photographic evidence of these visits.

A visit from Grandma Carol in September left a memorable impression on Ramona--she was talking about her for days.

A visit from Grandpa Parry last week included planting some bulbs for next Spring.
Ramona helped with the tulips.
And, a visit from Ojii and Obaachan this past weekend left Ramona with a massive pile of new books and our camera with this family photo:
Come back and visit, soon!