In this house we share...and I am the Queen

Anyone who has been around a three year old knows that sharing is not something that comes naturally. We have actively been working with Dade on sharing with his sisters and how to take a toy away from the babies if it is not something that should be shared (ex. small toy cars or lovies) Apparently I am incapable of heeding my own advice and have shared something with the girls that really should not have been shared, a sinus infection. YIPPPEE!! I am SOOO proud of myself for this one. About a week ago I was sick and when I went to the doctor he said it wasn't likely they would catch it, but to try not to cough on them. Who willingly coughs on their children? Wednesday Coralee started with a stuffy nose and we though it was likely teething. Not so much, yesterday was a boogery mess. I called the doctor's office after hours on my way home from work and they called us this am to get us in today. There is nothing like schlepping sick children out in the rain. YIPPEE, again!! The verdict Coralee has a bad sinus infection and Brennan has a sinus infection AND an ear infection. You guessed YIPPEE! So we are now administering pink stuff to the masses, using saline, nasal aspirators, cool mist humidifiers with a vapo pad, chapstick on the raw noses and hoping beyond hope for sleep. As I type this Brennan is crying in her sleep from the coughing and trying to breathe. :o(

In other news I learned a friend of mine Rival C. Pot has cracked his bottom. This makes me sad we only met last Christmas and became fast friends with all the things he assisted me with in the kitchen. I think his bottom is beyond repair so it's looks like he will need to be replaced.

Finally, since I claim to be the queen of sharing AND I mentioned a recipe share ages ago. I whipped up this little number this afternoon in hopes that we might make it to a chili cook off tomorrow with our church, but it's not looking promising.

Apple Spice Snack Cake-
I doubled the recipe and added a few kicks

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract (added by me)
2 cups chopped peeled apples
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch of allspice (also added by me)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Caramel Sauce:

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup whipping cream


Directions-

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 9-inch square baking pan. Cream butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add apples; mix well.
2. Mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, and salt in a small bowl. Add to apple mixture; mix well. Fold in pecans
3. Pour batter into prepared baking pan. Bake for 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Once cool, cut into squares
4. While the cake is baking prepare the caramel sauce. Combine sugar, brown sugar, butter, and whipping cream in a saucepan over medium heat. Boil, stirring continually, for 2 minutes. (I let mine simmer and stirred occasionally) Serve sauce over cake.

The cake is yummy, the sauce is delicious. If you went apple picking this fall it is a great way to use your apples. It is also a great fall dessert for Thanksgiving. My cake and sauce (not all the sauce I am going to keep some here to eat on ice cream) will likely go to work with me on Monday since I made so much, and my husband is not a big fan of the sweets. Let me know if you try it and how it turns out.