Buttermilk Cinnamon Bars

This was my dear Aunt Carolyn's recipe.  When I make them I definitely think of her.  I used to make them all the time but hadn't for quite awhile.  We were all happy when I pulled this recipe out again.

Buttermilk Cinnamon Bars

1½ cups sugar

¾ cup brown sugar

2 cups flour

½ cup butter

½ cup nuts (your choice)

½ cup coconut

1 egg

½ to ¾ tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. baking soda

1 cup buttermilk  (see note below)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Mix the sugars and flour together.  Cut in the butter to make coarse crumbs.  Take 2 cups of this mixture and mix with nuts and coconut.  Press into buttered jelly roll pan or bar pan.  Combine the rest of the ingredients with the remaining flour/sugar mixture.  Pour this over the crust you had pressed into the pan.  Bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees or until cooked through.  

Buttermilk Cinnamon Bars Frosting

½ cup butter, melted

5-6 Tbsp. buttermilk

1 pound powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Mix together the melted butter, powdered sugar, buttermilk and vanilla.  Mix until smooth. Spread over the bars when they are cooled. 

Note about the buttermilk... I keep this product in my refrigerator and use it when a recipe calls for buttermilk.  It is a powder and you mix it with water to make the exact amount of buttermilk you need. 

I wish I had gotten a photograph but I forgot.  Next time...

Thanksgiving 2019

Thanksgiving day was a wonderful day!  The M family hosted the whole crew at their house.  It was great to see everyone and spend the day together.  We were excited that Marvin's cousin Jason was able to drive up and be with us!  Nice to have him living in NEMO.  :)  Marvin, Jason and I were on the front porch getting ready to take a photo of Marvin and Jason together when Megan pulled in.  She was just arriving after her long drive from Minnesota and we got to see Melina run out to greet her.  Sweet moment for sisters.  :)

Jason and Marvin - cousins

Brenda and family always decorate so nicely! 

Jonathan, Jackson, Brianna

We were all sad that Jeff couldn't get off work to come.  But happy that his parents were able to drive up from St. Louis.  Megan with her in-laws, Pam and Ed.

Brenda and her brother, Bret

Betty, Brenda, Melina, Linda

Megan and Julie

Matthew and Anna

Jason

Matt

Bill, Bonnie, Paul
Brenda, Linda

Laura and Brenda

Mama and Betty

Betty always brings custard for Marvin and Daddy.  She makes is sugar free so Daddy can eat it.  And she knows her fellow southerner Marvin appreciates a good custard!  You can see on Marvin's face below that he is, indeed, enjoying it!  :)

Marvin

Daddy

Brenda had 2 wishbones (they cooked 2 turkeys).  She gave one to Jackson and Jonathan and one to Melina and Matthew.  They were soft and so didn’t want to break easily.  But each team finally got it done.  Funny to watch.  :)

This was fun!  As you may remember, the M family has a long standing tradition of a very competitive game called White Rabbit.  The person who is able to say 'White Rabbit' to another on the first day of the month, wins!  This has been 'a thing' ever since we have known them (and way before!) and they take it very seriously!  :D  Sooooo, since Travis had gotten Brenda back in July (all the way from Australia) she had been waiting to get him back.  She gathered everyone together and we took a short video of the whole group shouting 'White Rabbit'.  She then saved that video to send to him at one minute past midnight on December 1.  :D  Like I said... this is serious business!  :D

Here is a still photo from that video... I'll be able to add the video to this post Saturday morning.

playing cards

Bonnie sang for us - so nice.  She was practicing for singing at a nursing home.

you can just see some of our crew going on a walk...

Matthew, Melina, Bonnie, Megan

Melina, Paul, Megan, Matthew

Here is a video with snippets from the day

Random November

We started off the month of November with a lovely evening out with friends.  Marvin and I met Deb and Bryan at Take Root Cafe for dinner before heading to Baldwin Hall for the Lyceum presentation of Paul Robeson-The World is My Home.  It was quite good.  It was held in the Little Theater because attendance was low - that is sad.  But the venue was good for the one man play and allowed us to all feel a part of it.

Laura and Marvin

I knew the Chamber choir would be performing for the November Sojourners Club meeting but was thrilled to look up and see this!  Dear Cody never fails to come give me a hug when he sees me.    That small gesture means the world.  I just love that kid.

Cody a blur as he comes to give me a hug.  :) 

I really enjoyed the choir at church this day.  I also had to chuckle that a LOT of people were wearing purple that day!  Not just folks in the choir.  I missed the memo, though, and wore blue.  :)

Back in October, Daddy had that teleconference where he shared about leadership with the team of a friend who is now at another university.  They sent Daddy and Mama this book and the t-shirts as a thank you.  We staged these photos to send back.  Daddy was having too much fun with it and was making smart remarks that would crack Mama up.  :)  We had to take a few shots to get the one to use!  ha!  :)

Brianna was feeling good at a family dinner, which was wonderful news since she suffered so much from morning sickness throughout her first trimester.  We celebrated by opening up her cheese advent calendar a bit early and giving it all to her!!  :D  Brianna loves cheese!!  :D

Okay, I am now hooked on olive tapenade!!!  I had never had this until Sparky brought some to October wine night.  This stuff is magical!  Toast up some crostini (or just use good crackers) and spread it with smooth cheese (like Allouette garlic & herb - but I buy the Aldi version) then top with some tapenade and oh my!!  This stuff is heavenly!!!!

I just really love this hymn we sang at church.  #581, but #582 is good, too!

This is funny... Anne sent me this photo
from their travels to Texas.  Who knew?  :D  

Julie got tickets to this play in Memphis for us.  We ended up going over as a group and having supper at Keith's Cafe beforehand.  Since this was the night before Marvin's birthday we decided that would be a good celebration of him.  Marvin and Jonathan went back home after dinner, skipping the play.   But Mama, Daddy, Julie, Brenda, and I drove up to Cooks Mens Store and did a little shopping before the play started.  We all found something nice to purchase.  I do love that store.  Then we crossed to the other side of the square to the theater for this play.  It was hilarious!  And so well done!  It was my first time being in this community theater and I have to say I can't wait to return. Very nice place.  Fun evening!  (can't believe I didn't take photos!!)

Ahhh.... this was a lovely evening.  We went out to the lake restaurant - their last night they were open this season.  Enjoyed great food and lively conversation with these wonderful people.  A much needed evening with dear friends.

Marvin, Scott, Anne, Deb, Bryan, Laura

Megan sang a beautiful solo at church.

Here is video of Megan's solo...




Lora needed a driver to get to a doctor's appointment in Columbia.  (she isn't supposed to drive herself after the treatment)   I was happy to be free to do that.  And then at the last minute Shonda was able to join in, too.  We made a fun day out of the opportunity, including having lunch at the Apple Basket in Macon.  And of course, we had to get their onion rings!  :)

Lora and Shonda

This gross photo is the from the night before Thanksgiving (which also happened to be our 26th wedding anniversary) when I burned my fingers.  You are lucky I didn't document any further than this....  :D  I am still having trouble with two of the fingers weeks later... the skin is very thin and tender and tears easily.  Thankful it wasn't worse.  And as much whining as I did with this tiny little burn, I just can't imagine what Marvin went through all those years ago with burns over his body.  :(  Definitely makes one think.

What happened was... I was cooking supper on the stove and washing dishes in the sink.  We have had some trouble with our oven letting heat out the top when it is on.  I had bread in the oven so the oven was on.  When I picked up a pan to wash (that had been sitting on a back burner of the stove) it was very hot.  I thought, 'oh boy - that oven is really leaking heat again...' so decided to check it.  I laid my hand down on the back of the stove to determine how much heat was leaking out... and heard a sizzle.  This time it wasn't the oven leaking heat... I had turned the wrong burner on and I had just laid my hand down on that very burner.  Yup, it works!  I immediately put my hand in cold ice water and then we applied aloe and various treatments.  The blistering began pretty quickly and boy did it make my whole arm hurt!  Poor Marvin got roped into potato peeling duty since I had laid out all the prep for the mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving, but hadn't yet gotten to that.  He graciously peeled about 15 pounds of potatoes for me that night!!  :)