Saturday, September 21, 2013

Happy Pumpkin Season!

The first day of Fall and I am seeking recipes for pumpkin to start some serious baking tomorrow. I am super stoked to make some Pumpkin Gingerbread Biscotti! Nothing better on a Fall morning than coffee and biscotti so here it is.....YUM!



And just to be super nice, I found the recipe so you too can make some too.

Pumpkin Gingerbread Biscotti
Yield: 10-12 pieces
Ingredients
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 1/4 cups flour
  • 4 ounces real white chocolate, chopped, or white candy melts
  • 3 tablespoons chopped walnuts
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350.
  2. Whisk together the egg, sugar and baking powder on medium-high speed until the mixture falls in ribbons when you life out the whisk. Next, add in the pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, salt and vanilla and whisk.
  3. Carefully fold in the flour.
  4. Shape the dough into a flat log about 3″ wide by 8″ long.
  5. Bake the flat log for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from the oven and lower the temperature to 300 degrees.
  6. Let the dough cool down for 15 minutes before cutting into 1/2 inch slices. Put the slices on the baking sheet and bake for another 30 minutes, turning them over half way through.
  7. Let cool completely.
  8. Melt the white chocolate and dip half of the biscotti into it. Sprinkle the walnuts on top. Lay them on wax paper until the white chocolate hardens and then serve.
http://lovintheoven.com/2012/05/pumpkin-gingerbread-biscotti.html
 
My friend Julie is coming for a visit and crocheting lesson, so I think these will be a "good thing" for us to nibble on while we're crocheting.
 
I love the Fall so I'm looking forward to dressing for the cooler weather and the russet oranges and browns.......

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Last few shots of The City by the Bay...

 
 
The old lighthouse is still standing on Alcatraz but its getting pretty worn out. Along with the rest of the buildings. It's a shame it couldn't be restored but it would cost way too much money.  I am sure even with all the tourist money, it's not even close to the repairs. I imagine one day it will just be a massive ruin until a developer comes along and builds an island condo complex on the Rock.



A few of the ruined buildings look like sets out of an old movie......and I guess they are!
 
We didn't go through the doors of Saks, as I didn't win the lottery before we left.
We did frequent here though............


A little easier on the wallet, Nordstroms, another lottery store.....and as hard as I tried to find earrings down there, and a new purse, where do I find them? That's right.....right here at home......go figure!

The biggest damage had to be at DSW, and there's no hard feelings about that.

Well back to work tomorrow, its been a normal week other than the non-stop house cleaning! Excuse me but where did my maid disappear too? The rains will be starting this weekend, and who knows when they will quit, apparently there is a storm brewing off the coast. Time to get out the yarn! I did a couple of runs this week. The second one was a wee bit of a bummer, as my legs were sore, but I am better now. Doing my other classes also this week, so should start seeing some signs of fitness returning.

The biggest change of all this week is....................


that's right, we have curls and an inch cut off. I don't think my son will mind, it only needed to be tidied up. He's doing fine, if not a tad bored but I like bored.....So now that we are well into September its about time I got out some Fall decor, seems like I just packed it all away! You know me and pumpkins so I'm getting together a few of my favourite pumpkin recipes......I'll share them with you soon. But for now I have my pumpkin patch shoes to carry me into Fall.


Totally cute and comfy too!




Well time to shut it down for the night. Peace to all, have a good week!

Sunday, September 15, 2013

San Francisco was a blast!

Back from the Bay City, beautiful weather the whole time, lots of sites but not as many as we had hoped. It's very time consuming trying to see a whole city. Having a car might have made things more accessible but then parking is a major problem. Oh well the girls and I had fun. We shopped, oh did we shop! DSW has to be the best place on earth for shoes! Yup, 10 pairs between the three of us........not too shabby. We took cable cars, trolley cars, buses and cable trains. I think that's what they were called. A crazed taxi driver, who made us feel truly welcome to the streets of San Francisco. OMGoodness! What a ride from downtown that was! Hilarious! Really funny guy!

We did a Hop on Hop off bus tour and managed to stretch it over two days. Made the round trip the first day and hopped off the second day and shopped around Haight Ashbury. Although I was quite young in 1967, I do remember the "Summer of Love", the hippies, the sit-ins, the psychedelic pictures, tie-dyed clothes, the flowers in the hair. The drugs they could have done without, many were ruined mentally and the effects were passed along to their children, but that's another day......We made it to see the Painted Ladies and I have to say I was a little disappointed. I really thought they would look spectacular. There were far prettier houses but I guess its more the fact they survived the earthquake and the fire.

I really thought they would have been painted
brighter colors but they are pastel colors.....oh well
there went that vision......

The sites of San Francisco are amazing, and I guess the sunny skies made it even more beautiful. I'm very glad I went with the girls and maybe we can do it again sometime.

 
 
 
 
Street Singer,
 who sang very much like Neil Diamond
 

 
The drivers were nice enough to take our pictures on
 the back of the trolley car,
such great guys, really made the ride fun!
 
Down at Pier 39
 
 
the infamous prison



 


The girls at Union Square, coordinating
clothes!


Old School House on the island

Well I think that's enough for now...... In total I took over 200 photos, with three cameras, crazy but fun. I love taking pics of old buildings and the curves and angles....they are probably boring for some but they look so different when you're up close and personal.

By the time we were flying home we were some tired, my feet were sore, so it took a few days but I did my first run today, since breaking my foot and it felt really good! Yea! Thank goodness. It could take a while to get back up to speed but it felt so good to get back out there. I will have to gage myself and take it slow for the first week. So here's hoping! I'll be back soon with a few more of my favourite photos! Have a good night! Ciao!

Sunday, September 1, 2013

September already so soon!

I was just saying to the Hubs today I can not believe it is September already, where did July and August go???? It was a fantastic summer as far as the weather went, you couldn't ask for sunnier skies. I guess time flies faster as you get older, and that seriously is not fun! Remember when you were on summer holiday from school and you started to get bored and just wanted to get back to classes so you could see your friends?  Not anymore, time went by too fast!

Now don't get me wrong, I love Fall,  I love wearing the boots and scarves and long pants. I wanted to get a lot of things done but really I need more days off! Maybe I just have too many ideas.......and it doesn't help when people put a bug in my ear or I see something on Pinterest...... I think I am in serious need of an intervention! I wonder what it would be like to just be interested in one thing like crocheting, or gardening, but with me one thing leads to another.......one conversation leads to another hobby.....and if people would quit giving me more ideas!!!!!! Stop the insanity!

The Hubs doesn't know it yet but I have a project for him to build!


I love this idea and with the flowers, I think it would really nice at the front of our driveway......should I show him or just bring home with the lumber!

This is another little project I found and fell in love with......




Yup I'll be making a few more of these shells........


That pretty much sums it up. When your life is a beach.....things just roll in and out of my mind just like the tide..................and with that comes new and exciting ventures, I contemplated going in the Fall Fair, but its in a month and there is no way I can be organized enough but I'm going to plan on it for next year and in the meanwhile I'll get a feel for what's popular and in demand.

I was playing with crayons again the past week and came up with a few pieces........

 
 
 
 
Its a lot of fun playing with a box of crayons but its sure messy! Can't wait to start throwing paint at a canvas! Now that will be a test for my OCD and hopefully I will be able to loosen up enough........and just go with the flow.

The garden is just about done,  the tomatoes are still ripening on the vine, beets and carrots might grow a bit more, but basically its time to put the beds to bed for the fall, and plant a 100 bulbs of garlic. Need garlic anyone?

Well I still have a few things to do tonight, like get some clothes organized for San Francisco......I really don't know what to take, the weather is going to be warm but they say its always cool in the Bay......any who hope you're having a great Labour Day weekend. Enjoy your days off and be safe when travelling. Ciao for now!