Happy Halloween!

I'm doing this a day early in case I forget or run out of time tomorrow. I wish you all a very happy and spooky Halloween!

I plan on watching the following (after Mini-Pie goes to bed, of course):





















And...





















I can only imagine what you are thinking- WHY Halloween 4 and 5? Why not the original? Watched it already on AMC's Monsterfest. I missed these two. Plus I like 4 and 5 a lot.

Anyhow, I bid you adieu, and wish you a great Halloween!

Up late (hey I'm done with my finals, WOOHOO!)

This is possibly the only picture you will ever see of my mug. Not that I'm ashamed to hide it, I just like my privacy is all. In any case, my beautiful friend over the rainbow posted this cool website that allows you to profile your face against celebrities faces, and well, I did it twice and got some rather interesting results...

The first one I did with this picture came out with Beyonce Knowles in first place, but I messed up and had to redo it, so it put Hayden Panetierre (spelling?) first. Yes, we TOTALLY look alike- blonde hair and all! Hee! The second one I did that I couldn't save had Jet Li matching my profile. Jet Freakin' Li! Wowwwwwwwwww (/Flavor Flav). And Jessica Alba. Woo!


Oh, and yes, I am done with my finals, HUZZAH!!

One last thing I will put down here, a quiz I saw from my friend in the Yukon, What kind of food are you? Quiz:

You Are Mexican Food

Spicy yet dependable. You pull punches, but people still love you.

What Kind of Food Are You?

My Christmas wishlist

My blogging assignment is to make up my Christmas wishlist, and while I have been trying to think of what I wanted, I had trouble. Of course, I have a few ideas.

For the kitchen:

The latte maker mentioned below in the list:

















Maybe some more silicone utensils (the spatulas that don't melt when you cook with them). Those rock.

Other than that, of course, I have personal wishes...such as:

my love for Coach bags, such as this:



















Other than that, the only other thing I am looking at is that new Sony digital camera that was just made, the Cybershot DSC-N2. Apparently it's great for taking active shots, and my 2004 Canon Powershot A75 just ain't doing it for us anymore!











But honestly? That is about it for me. Some are vain (the digicam when we have one..., the Coach bag- hey I love knock offs too!), but hey...it's a wishlist! Do you remember your wishlist as kids?? LOL! I never did get that amazing dolly that peed when I was a kid! I think that was the only thing I ever asked for that I did NOT receive. Insane.

I even remember when my mother scrounged up everything she had as a single parent and bought me my first Discman in 1992. You know, to this day, I still have it, and it still works. It means so much more than just a Discman to me...that my mother put her blood, sweat and tears into it. It's something of sentimental value to me.

Nowadays, what means the most to me are the cute little crafts my daughter brings home from school for my birthday or Christmas, or my husband picking out the RIGHT cards. My birthday card from him featured two very adorable English Bulldogs (so cute!) with the cutest message inside. Those are the kinds of gifts that mean so much.

Recipe Review- Pumpkin Pound Cake (Diana's Desserts)

Pumpkin Pound Cake
Courtesy of Diana's Desserts

Ingredients:
1/2 cup (1 stick/4 oz/113g) butter
2/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup canned 100% pumpkin puree
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350°F (180 C). Beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add pumpkin, eggs and vanilla; stir well. In a small bowl, stir together dry ingredients; add to pumpkin mixture and mix well. Pour into a greased 9 x 5-inch loaf pan and bake for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool before slicing.

Makes 8-10 servings.



After waiting anxiously for this to cool down, I had a slice and it is the most moist and delicious poundcake I have ever had in my life. Now, typical Pumpkin Bread consists of the following spices: Cloves, Nutmeg, Cinnamon. This one consists of Pumpkin Pie Spice. It gives it this little kick that makes you feel like you're eating a slice of Pumpkin Pie, but in the cake form.

It's a very easy recipe to follow and a delicious treat. So much so, that when I woke up this morning, I found HALF of the loaf gone. My husband liked it- a bit too much!

Mmm, Washington State grown apples

Yummy goodness. I never got the chance to go to an orchard (weekends are hell here), but today I went to the grocery store to pick up a couple of different varieties I haven't tried before. I bought the Jonagold and Honey Crisp apples. I just finished up a Honey Crisp apple and it was delicious. I used to love the Gala apples, but this is so much better than a Gala apple.

They also have other varieties, including the Fuji (another favorite of mine), Granny Smith, Red and Green Delicious, and the traditional Washington State Red apple (I can't recall the name, but it's the one apple I do NOT like. It's got to be the texture).

Grab an apple! Doesn't it keep the doctor away?

Lattes- at home?

I got one of those Brylane Home catalogs and saw this in there. Says you can make any type of latte in it. Now, if you know me well enough, Latte is my middle name. I'm always up for a good Latte! It's something I'm thinking of ordering after Christmas when all is said and done and I have some extra money to throw around.

I remember when Cappucino machines were all the rage. I know someone in my family bought one and if I recall correctly, one of the younger kids in our family ending up breaking the steam milk concoction on it and ended up in a LOT of trouble.

Ahh, technology. I keep telling my husband, "think of all the money we'll save on lattes!" Ha! We'll see how good this one works if we decide to get it someday!

Recipe Review- Downeast Maine Pumpkin Bread

from the All Recipes Website.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup water
• 3 cups white sugar
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 7x3 inch loaf pans.
2. In a large bowl, mix together pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar until well blended. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger. Stir the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture until just blended. Pour into the prepared pans.
3. Bake for about 50 minutes in the preheated oven. Loaves are done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

This is an easy recipe to make, but I have never made any bread that called for oil in place of butter, so it was a bit different. Definitely easier to mix, for one, and while the bread was baking, I could smell the oil. The results? A very pumpkiny and flavorful bread, but it's a bit heavy, in my opinion. I think the oil is what caused it to be so heavy, but the flavors were great. Another problem was it was still uncooked in the middle even after 60 minutes of cooking, but anyone can adjust that easily. I loved the addition of Ginger. I may modify this and put butter in instead next time. 5/5.

Here's a bright picture my husband took while eating up the first slice of bread. Why he didn't get a picture of the loaf itself, I don't know, but I was not feeling so hot this weekend which is why I didn't get the shot. I apologize for how bright it is, but the other picture he took didn't come out too good.

Egg Nog is in da hizzouse!!!

Oh my gosh, I am so beyond thrilled. Earlier this week I treated myself to a Pumpkin Pie Latte and the lady who was making it asked me if I wanted 2% milk or EGG NOG in it, and of course, I had to opt for the Egg Nog! So today, I went by after my daughter's soccer game to see if they were making Egg Nog Lattes yet, and sure enough, they were! Huzzah!

It's that time of year again. I know some people hate Egg Nog and maybe it's an acquired taste for some, but it's something I drive my husband crazy with around this time of year. I never hear the end of it, "You and your Egg Nog!" from him. In my opinion, Egg Nog is the drink of the Gods! I can't put my finger on why, but there's a certain taste that has had me hooked since I was younger.

As for what KIND of Egg Nog, I'm thinking the storebought type. I've tried a few homemade Egg Nogs in the past and the only one I ever liked was my dad's now ex-girlfriend's homemade Egg Nog. And to this day, I do NOT like alcohol in my Egg Nog. I like it as is.

So, my sister-in-law (SIL) and myself are preparing Thanksgiving dinner, and she wants cider, so she's buying that, but I know how much her husband, my BIL, loves Egg Nog, so I will buy some Egg Nog for us to enjoy.

Here's to Egg Nog! YAY!!! :)

Meme- Welcome Dinner

I was tagged by Jeffrey at C is For Cooking for this virtual feast. While I am drooling over the thought of the food he prepared, I had to come up with a menu all of my own. I thought I'd put together a few of my favorite dishes for my guests, and hope they enjoy it, even if it's a bit, well, eccentric!

First course we'll start out with a light salad, the way my Grandma makes her salad, mostly consisting of orange and red bell peppers, but with a little bit of Romaine lettuce, as well as cucumbers for crunch. I'll leave the dressing choice up to my guests, but have the following (per my Grandma's suggestions): Italian, French, Thousand Island, and Ranch. This is served with a nice crispy baguette (and optional butter to the side for those who wish for butter).

Second course will be my oven-baked pork chops, seasoned with garlic olive oil, grill steak seasoning, and paprika. For my vegetarian or non-pork eating guests, I will serve you with grilled Portabello mushrooms drizzled in Extra Virgin Olive Oil and seasoned lightly with salt and pepper. Both are served alongside my Garlic Roasted Potatoes and fresh steamed asparagus.

Third course consists of my dessert, which I have chosen to make a Banana Cream Pie. For those not wanting the Banana Cream Pie, I have a fruit platter full of strawberries, pineapple, and red seedless grapes awaiting you.

To this, I invite:

Jeffrey, of C is for Cooking, of course! :)
Siuan, my friend from the Yukon and author of Not Just Cheesecake
Madeline, who shares my Rachael Ray love on Everything Rachael Ray
Kate, an old friend who recently escaped Surburbia
and
Garrett of Vanilla Garlic!

Enjoy! (And you all are tagged- except for Jeff, who has done this already!)

My first attempt at chili

And while it looks good, it was rather bland. I don't know where I went wrong to tell the truth. I cooked the kidney beans the night before in the crock, then the next day I browned the ground beef (added garlic salt for flavor to that), then put the ground beef at the bottom of the crock with diced up onion, 3 cloves of garlic, enough tomato sauce, the beans as well as about 2 tablespoons of chili powder. Where did I go wrong??

I mean, it looked great, but it was just so...meh.

Any suggestions?

Another off-topic late night rambler

Because right now I am a bag full of mixed emotions. I'm sure the ladies can understand my sentiments here- damn hormones! This is what I typed up earlier tonight...

My mind has been completely preoccupied today since I was told it was recommended that I get a partial hysterectomy. While I am relieved that the threat of cancer isn’t the main problem here but Adenomyosis is, for some reason the thought of losing my uterus is a scary thought. I’m feeling a range of emotions right now…from relief that I may not need that biopsy after all to depressed because a hysterectomy is final. I check out a message board for women with hysterectomies and I notice most of them are over 30. There are only a handful of women who are under 30, and I have to wonder…why me? Where is it in my history that we have problems with our uterus and hell, our ovaries?? I have a cousin who has ovarian problems but not PCOS like me. Other than that, fertility is not a problem on either sides of my family.

Whatever this is, it is ruining my life. My mobility has been impacted severely and there is so much pain involved. I don’t know how much more I can take of it. But I can’t fathom the thought of losing my uterus. Before, I used to jump at the chance of a partial hysterectomy, but now that it’s almost final, I feel like a part of me will be missing. My womanhood will be gone. The organ that incubated my daughter for 9 months will be gone.

Why grieve? It’s a pain in the ass, anyhow. I don’t know why I’m sad. I don’t know why I’m depressed over this. Yes, I blame my hormones. I blame my failed body. I often wonder what life would have been like had I never gotten that rotten Depo Provera shot. I wonder if I would have gone on to have another child, if I would have lost that weight and kept it off, and what things would have been like for me. But there’s no sense in wondering when what is done is done.

So I move on with my life and I'll get the hysterectomy and hope that it helps change things for me. Of course I have the “What if” questions in my brain…but again, there is nothing I can do about this. I am trying to not even think about this, but no matter what I do, I can’t help but think about it.

In the end, I will come to accept it and move on with my life. I always do.

Let's talk Spice storage!

I asked for advice elsewhere, but what do you like to use for your spices? I have very limited room and limited counter space, so I was trying to figure out what to do with all of my spices (which are currently spread out in three different cabinets!). My husband's grandmother gave me this plastic thing for the spices, but the problem is, they fall right through the slats on the bottom.

When you are limited on space in your cabinets, which product would you opt for more:

This one looks good, but I wonder how much of a space hog it is:


This one looks flimsy but hey, you could HIDE it!!!


Which one would you opt for? Or would you rather do something else? Any suggestions?

Thanks!

Aha!

I was trying to figure out what the Pumpkin Bread I posted about before was missing, and it seems less pumpkiny than I would like it to be, plus it calls only for brown sugar so it's not as sweet. It's just more hearty than anything. I found a few recipes that I want to try out and when I do, I plan on sharing my thoughts and pictures on here, but here's one that seems to get very very good reviews:

Pumpkin Bread IV- All Recipes

INGREDIENTS

• 3 cups canned pumpkin puree
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 4 cups white sugar
• 6 eggs
• 4 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour three 9x5 inch loaf pans.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the pumpkin, oil, sugar, and eggs. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves; stir into the pumpkin mixture until well blended. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The top of the loaf should spring back when lightly pressed.

Variations

Add raisins, mini chocolate chips (the best), pecans, or walnuts.

Cloves was another thing I was missing, as well, and I had it right in front of my face! So I shall try this recipe, perhaps this weekend, and will post how it turns out.

I don't know about you, but all of this pumpkiny goodness is wonderful! Per a friend's blog, I found a new recipe website I wanted to share with everyone too- Diana's Desserts, I can't wait to try a few of her recipes! They all look so tempting!

Truly, this is the best time of year to me, not only is the scenery gorgeous (I love the fall foiliage), but I gather a lot of comfort from baking hearty foods. As much as I love to eat them, there's just more to it when I actually mix and bake the foods. It kind of gives more meaning, if you know what I mean. I'm a baker more than a chef, and watching people enjoy my baked goods is something that means a lot to me.

Hot cocoa with a twist

Yesterday marked one of the first of what I am sure is many cool and crisp days to come, now that Fall is here. After taking my daughter out (more like dragging her with me to run errands), we came home and were chilled to the bone from the cool weather outside. I decided to make some hot cocoa, and seeing as we didn't have any regular Hershey's cocoa powder, we did have that instant Cocoa mix stuff (I believe Carnation brand).

I made our mugs and added a pinch of pumpkin pie spice and a teeny pinch of nutmeg. Now, this may sound odd to you, but it had a very rich flavor to it. It was actually very comforting and nice. Had I any Peppermint, I would have added that instead. So, the next time you have some hot cocoa- try it! It's quite delicious!

Stuffed French Toast, YUMMO

On an old $40 Day episode with Rachael Ray, she visited Jack's Outback (which was quite comical- I will explain after the recipe posting) on Cape Cod and ordered the Stuffed French Toast. It looked absolutely delicious:

And here is the recipe:

2 1/2 pounds ricotta cheese
3/4 cup sugar
1 orange, zested
1 lemon, zested
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
3 tablespoons margarine or butter
10 slices white bread

Blend the ricotta cheese, sugar, orange and lemon zest in a medium mixing bowl. Cover and set aside. Beat eggs and milk in a wide flat bowl. In a large saucepan or griddle, melt margarine on medium heat. Dip each piece of bread into the egg mixture briefly on each side. Place in saucepan and cook until browned on each side. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture onto 5 pieces of French toast and spread. Place remaining 5 pieces of toast on top of mixture.

When I stop feeling so lazy and am not so caught up with this school thing, I will make this for my family for breakfast, and I promise to post pictures.

Anyhow, Rachael decided to go to Jack's Outback because a few people recommended it to her, but told her the service was "miserable". You pretty much have to wait on yourself, but it looks well worth it- that Stuffed French Toast must be to die for! Can't wait to try it!

28

28 years ago today, at this moment (12:20pm to be exact), I was born 20 days early. I weighed 6 lbs, 9 oz and was 18 or 19 inches long (my memory fails to serve me at this moment) and was a bald little baby.

Almost 7 years ago today, my daughter came into this world, but on her birthday I'll share that story with you. However, I will share that she had a full head of hair. When I was pregnant with her, I swore up and down she'd have my baldness curse, but I was wrong.

10 years ago today I was turning 18 and yelling, "WOOHOO! I'm LEGAL now! FREEDOMMMM!!" Today, I sit back and laugh at that. I think of all of the things we did on my 18th birthday and how I probably thought of how in 10 years, I'd be 28. I probably freaked out or thought something stupid. Now, I sit back and laugh at that. But 18! Wasn't that like yesterday??

Two days ago, I spoke with one of my oldest friends on the phone and asked her if she remembered what we did, ten years ago this week. She said, "Ohhh yeah, you got your cartilage pierced and tried to hide it from your mother!" When my mother went to touch my head that night (I guess for a hug or something), I cringed and said, "owww". She pulled my hair back and just laughed. All I can think of was, at least I didn't get my nose pierced, like I had been threatening to do since I was 16. My mom threw me a birthday BBQ and get together, then I went out to El Torito with my friends for dinner. Ahh, memories.

Tonight? I plan on doing a whole lot of nothing, except maybe some class reading (what a bummer. These chapters...killer, man) and cooking dinner. Maybe this weekend I'll catch a break.

C is for Cookie

My sister

After a crazy weekend filled with errands and homework, I think I am *just* about ready for that 3-week vacation to hit me come late October/early November. I still have three weeks of this left, but in the meanwhile, baking and perhaps even cooking have to be an escape, an outlet for me.

Truthfully speaking, I enjoy baking about ten times more than I do cooking, but there is nothing better than having a satisfied family praising your well-cooked meal. Am I right? That's why I went on my pumpkin bread baking spree last week, and plan on making some more today as well. My little sister is in California and just moved on her own back in February of this year, first to a room she rented out, but now she's renting out her own apartment. I am constantly worrying about her and if she'll make it (considering her rent is significantly higher than mine, but I'm in Washington State...), so I thought I'd send some Pumpkin Bread down to her, and when I told her this while talking to her over the weekend, she was thrilled. We often commiserate over how much we miss each other, but it wasn't always like this.

My sister and I are almost exactly 7 and a half years apart in age. When our parents divorced, we were forced out of our nice 3 bedroom house (and our own rooms) into cramped 2 bedroom living quarters. First we lived with my dad, but a long story short (not one I wish to tell, anyhow), we ended up moving in with my mother. My mother had a small 2 bedroom apartment and we shared the smaller room, and made it work out somehow. All I can remember is how much we fought. I was in the 7th grade and my sister just started Kindergarten. From there on, til my senior year of high school we shared a room, fought like cats and dogs, and generally couldn't stand each other. After I graduated early and was starting to get ready to choose a college, my father offered for both of us to come move with him. Again, another long story short, I was not comfortable with that idea, and it was on my mind as he was wanting to know so he could find a place for us. My sister chose to move with him, and it was different without her being around. Yes, I missed her, but don't get me wrong, I was celebrating the fact that I finally had my own room. Eventually because I chose to go to a university instead of going to the local junior college, I ended up having to move with my dad as my mother went to rent an apartment out with a friend. I lived with my father off and on throughout my freshman year of college, and until I moved with my now-husband in December 1998. My sister was spoiled rotten by him and when I moved with them, my dad only had a 2 bedroom place- so I had to SHARE a room with my father!!!!! I know, it sounds weird, but mostly all of my crap was in his room, as my sister refused to share her room with me. I slept in the living room and if dad felt generous enough, he slept in the living room and I got to sleep in the room. In any case, that was funny (looking back now, of course). He did eventually move us into a three-bedroom rental, but then I decided to move with my now-husband (which he was pissed over!). That signalled the beginning of a closeness that began with my sister.

My sister and I don't get along too well when we live together (who does?). I lived with my father again in the third trimester of my pregnancy when I moved back to Monterey (and my husband followed suit). We lived with my father for 6 months until we found our own place. Then I lived with him again in 2003 when my husband was up here in WA trying to find work. Five months of living with my sister and father. My sister and I fought like cats and dogs- only this time, we were 24 and 17. No matter what, we are closer than ever, and I guess distance does that. I miss her terribly and wish she could come visit. The last time I saw her was January 2nd of this year. The last time she was up here visiting was August of 2005. No matter how happy I am to see her, I always end up getting a little sad and bummed out because I know that she will have to go back home. It's never easy saying goodbye, and I wish I could move back to California, but I know that won't happen. I am just glad that we share a closer bond than we did in the past.

Yay for liquor!

Okay, not that I'm advocating drinking...but tonight we went out for dinner and I had this weird peachy tropical mixed drink. Well, since I don't drink too much...I felt a little tipsy. Boy, was it fun. And after a particularly stressful week all around (especially with school), a drink was just what I needed. But boy, I tell you what, yesterday I was craving a cigarette like no other. Of course, I didn't smoke, but it's been a while since I had a nicotine craving as bad as I did last night.

After a long day, filled with a soccer game (loss, and a child who decided not to really play today *sigh*), finishing up an assignment (essay on Real and Intellectual Property law- FUN!), and general whining between my daughter and my husband, it was nice to celebrate with a dinner out (even if that wait was like 1/2 an hour).

Man, am I glad this day is over. And tomorrow begins another hectic one.

Bottoms up! (I'm not a lush, I swear.)

The perfect pick-me-up

I am still working on a couple of assignments that are due tomorrow and knew I needed some energy to get through it, of course, I take the bad route (caffiene) and after picking up the kid from school, drove to the coffeeplace nearby. In celebration of Fall, I decided to try a Gingerbread Latte and decided to accompany that with a slice of some homemade Pumpkin Bread that I made last night. Pure heaven.

On school...this block has really done me in. I mean, unless you're majoring in Economics, who actually understands "Economic Theory"?? Or "Political, Legal, & Ethical Issues in Business". The latter was actually an elective to gain 3 more points towards graduation, but since I am a Business major, I figured it would be best to take this course. The only problem with that is, every "block" (which consists of two classes) is 9 weeks long. Trying to learn Law 101 in the Business World in 9 weeks is no easy feat and is actually quite harder than I thought it would be, but I am plugging along, and trying my hardest. I just have to remind myself that after this block I have a three week break, and then I have one block left of school. After that, I will finally have obtained a degree after almost 10 years of being out of high school (Class of 1997, yeah! Hahaha). It's an Associate's, and it's better than nothing, but the gameplan still remains. I plan on taking 9-12 months off to look for a job that is full-time and get myself integrated in the working world again (and trying to get my daughter used to the idea that Mommy is not going to be a stay-at-home mom much longer). My goal is to be able to go to school part-time, and pay out of pocket. The very thought of taking out anymore loans is not only discouraging, but a scary thought. I don't want to spend the next 30 years paying off student loans. I'd rather spend 30 years paying off a mortgage.

It's a good debt, no? I keep trying to tell myself that.

In the meanwhile, I am plugging away, with the help of caffienated beverages, moral support from my loved ones, and a nice grade-point-average (3.69 isn't too shabby, but I'm aiming for a 3.71 before I graduate, however, I don't see it happening at this point).

Fall is here

It's time to enjoy pumpkins, apples, and all kinds of fall goodies. Locally, many orchards are opening their doors to the public and offer good deals on bushels and buckets of apples. Having grown up in California, where fall consisted of what we called "Indian Summer", we were never accustomed to apple orchards or beautiful foiliage in the fall months. Up here, there are all kinds of farms that open up that offer great deals, tours of their farms, and even mazes for kiddos.

This weekend I'm hoping to take my family to a local apple orchard and grab some apples. One place I heard of offers five pounds of Jonagold apples for only $8! That is a steal!

I think with all of the apples I buy, I will probably make some apple butter (per my cousin's instructions), maybe try to find out how to can some apple slices, and maybe I'll even make my own cider!

Bring on Fall! I tell you, I have been DEPRIVED in my life. Fall is by far, my favorite season.

A perfect 24 hours of alonetime

If I were able to have 24 hours alone, the best way for me to spend it would be over at the posh Chrysalis Inn near Fairhaven in Bellingham, WA. I would spend the day in their spa (the complete spa package), then go out for a nice meal on the town, and then return to my room and soak up in a jacuzzi tub. ALONE. No husband, no daughter. Just me, a good book, and some nice candles to light up and enjoy time alone.

Now, I'm not a wine drinker, but I think I would buy a nice bottle of a Pinot Grigio for myself and maybe some strawberries to accompany the bottle of wine. Or maybe a nice bottle of Asti Spumante (my favorite champagne!).