Rain Rain Go Away

Lots and lots of rain. I'm talking day after day of darkness and rain so intense some areas in our neighborhood are flooding. There is something about bad weather that makes me want to eat massive amounts of comfort food. So, I've done just that. Kenny and I made Pumpkin Spice cookie sandwiches with cream cheese icing. 

Oh. My. Heavens.

The recipe made quite a few so we have been snacking on them for a couple days and I swear they just get better and better. At JH Ranch you learn about something called 'The Law of Diminishing Returns' which basically it means the more you do something, the less it satisfies. However, the cookies defy that law, and for that reason you should absolutely make them.

Here is the recipe: (it came from the blog Dreamy Desserts)

3 cups All Purpose Flour

1 Tablespoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup Splenda (use could white sugar if you like)

1 cup vegetable oil

1 - 15 oz. can of pumpkin

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat together brown sugar, Splenda, oil and pumpkin. Add eggs one at time, mixing well after each addition, followed by the vanilla. In a separate bowl, shift together the dry ingredients. Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined. 

Using a pastry bag with a round tip, or a big zip top plastic bag with one corner snipped, squeeze out concentric circles of batter, starting from the middle and working outward until the circles are about 2 inches in diameter. Bake for 11 minutes and cool on a rack.

Cream Cheese Filling

1 - 8 oz. package of cream cheese, softened

1 stick of unsalted butter, room temperature

1 - 16 oz. package of powdered sugar

about a capful of vanilla extract

a pinch of cinnamon (to taste)

Beat together cream cheese and butter. Add powdered sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. Frost flat side of half the pies and top with another piece. 

Enjoy right away or chill overnight.

We had them right out of the oven and after a night of chilling in the fridge and we recommend the chill cookie sandwich. The icing doesn't slide off the cookie and it's a Happy Fall party for your taste buds. 

Since I have been inside with lots of free time the last few days I have taken all my summer clothes out and hung out my fall and winter clothes. That might have been a little premature but I am ok with that. I'll sweat it out. 

In other (much bigger) news, Kenny just found out that he has been approved to strike.

What that means is he is going to become a petty officer third class once he gets done with the Honor Guard in March. We will more than likely be staying here in Virginia until his time with the CG is up, which means no move for us in a few months. It is great because we love where we live now, he definitely won't be on a boat for a long period of time, and a lot of other pros that would bore you unless of course you are a CG wife, then you would understand and know that it is a great move for him and for us. Hopefully, this works out but this is for now the plan. Things are always changing with the USCG. God is faithful and continues to bless us so no matter what happens or where we go, we are excited about our little adventure.

But for now the rain continues to fall (not in the cute, poetic way but like the torrential and tiring way) here in VA, and I am headed down to Alabama tomorrow and can't wait to see my friends and family!