I had another crazy day today. Fortunately this time it was crazy busy and crazy fun, instead of crazy clumsy. After I hit the ground running spinning with this morning’s cycle class, I had special plans with Makenzie. Her first field trip!

We visited Uncle Shuck’s – a corn maze & pumpkin patch north of Atlanta.

As a family we have visited this little haven of fall every year for the past few years, but today’s trip had some special and learning for the kids.

We learned about products that have soy beans in them and how to recycle…

(holy junk food propaganda! but let’s not get distracted)

The kids learned how to measure pumpkins…

And they got to learn some fun facts in the "Maize of knowledge”.

The simplest things always take on a new level of excitement when done with children. The many smiling faces and off-the-wall-energy will get you excited about corn, hay rides, and goats too.

Or at the very least, cute kids sitting in a pumpkin patch will warm your heart.

Just keep a keen eye. The little man thinks mulch is fine cuisine.

I, on the other hand, prefer the orange globes behind him as my cuisine of choice. And I was quite disappointed to not get my pumpkin bread fix during our Uncle Shuck’s visit today. It’s tradition!

The craving wouldn’t relent, so I came home and made some pumpkin oats for lunch. I could eat breakfast all day every day, so this actually made me quite happy. Especially since I had to rush my breakfast this morning.  I needed to make up for it.

The pumpkin oats didn’t kill the craving, though. I had to bring out the big guns. Well, looky there.

I offered to bring a dessert to tonight’s small group and had the ingredients for the easiest pumpkin spice cookies on hand for such a need. If you don’t know this simple mix, you must give it a shot – one box spice cake mix and 2 cups (or one 15 oz can) pumpkin. Mix it all together. Plop on a baking sheet by the spoonful and bake ‘em up for 15 minutes at 350.

I love adding white chocolate chips to mine. Heavenly! I will happily eat as many as necessary to satisfy my field-trip inspired pumpkin cravings. Yes, siree!

• What was one of your favorite field trips for school?
• What is the last craving you had?
• PS – The next “Stuffed With Emptiness” post coming tomorrow.

You know those weeks where you wake up on a Wednesday and think it’s Friday? Then the reality hits and makes you wish you could take your frustrations out on Wednesday for its pure evilness at not being Friday?

Well, that wasn’t me today. Today I had the opposite end of the spectrum going on. I woke up and got hit with the reality that Wednesday had arrived much, much, much quicker than I thought. Where has this week disappeared to so quickly?

Learning that today was Wednesday meant that I had quite a bit to get done. The start of the new school year around here means that activities pick back up again at church. That means the time has come for me to help facilitate a small group that meets Wednesday nights again. Tonight is our first meeting and I wanted to give a sweet, warm, welcome to the crew…

Just because Wednesday snuck up on me didn’t mean I couldn’t bring a little treat. The key is finding a quick way to deliver the goods. Cookies work. Add stuff to a bowl. Mix stuff all together. Bake stuff for 10 minutes or less. Works for me. And I have a feeling it will work for my Wednesday night group of friends too.

Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies (2 dozen cookies)

• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 2/3 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup NuNaturals More Fiber Stevia Baking Blend (or sugar/sweetener of choice)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cream the butter, peanut butter, and sugars together. Beat egg and vanilla into mixture. In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar/egg mixture and stir until combined. It will form a crumbly dough. Roll dough into one inch balls and place on a cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Press balls down with a fork in a criss-cross pattern. Bake for 8-10 minutes until browned.

Love. PS – I won’t tell if you eat too many of these cookies. It can be our little secret…

• Is this week going by fast or slow for you?