Saturday, October 17, 2015

14 Out Of Every 10

"Research tell us that 14 out of every 10 individuals likes chocolate."

~Sandra Boynton

Go ahead. Eat. 
You know you want to!

Red Velvet Cake, With Vanilla Frosting 
And A Chocolate Dipped Strawberry!

Life Affirming Goodness!





Leaf Of The Day
October 17th 2015



Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Friday, October 16, 2015

The Eternal Corrective

"Autumn is the eternal corrective. It is ripeness and color and a time of completion; but it is also breadth, and depth, and distance. What man can stand with autumn on a hilltop and fail to see
 the span of his world and the substance
 of the rolling hills that reach to the far horizon."

~Hal Borland

Just leaves today! I spent all day yesterday doing some local leaf peeping, and prepping the cameras for a hefty autumn workout this coming weekend! You'll see, but first Alan and I are going to do a lot of swimming in the new pool, and making some homemade cannoli. You'll see that too!

Stay Tuned!




Leaf Of The Day
October 16th 2015

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Thursday, October 15, 2015

Trick Or Treat... Let's Talk Halloween Candy

"You can't recapture your past anymore than you can speed up your future.
 Stop lamenting summer and stop trying to hurry winter. Just enjoy the fall."

~Debbie Viguie
The Fall Of Candy Corn

Halloween Candy. There are a million choices to hand out on the big night. Personally, I love candy corn, but because it's rarely available individually wrapped, you can't really hand it out to the kids. That's a shame I think. It's festive. It's yummy. But what can you do? So, in that candy corn isn't good for handing out, what makes for good treats on Halloween? Some form of chocolate is always good, but I have found that one must be careful about which chocolate candy one chooses. When I was a little girl I hated getting Reece's Peanut Butter cups. Not because I was allergic, or didn't like the flavor, but rather because they always seemed to melt on the outside chocolate part before I got home! Do you know how ugly a melted peanut butter cup can look to a 5 year old girl? LOL. Not appetizing. Not appetizing at all! So, no on the peanut butter cups!

Another thing to keep in mind... diets. Not the diets of the youngsters, the diets of the one handing out the yumminess! If you are dieting, do you deliberately purchase candy you would never eat personally in a million years so you won't be tempted? For me, the candy I would be least likely to hand out would be something completely covered in almonds. I am not a fan of the almond. But in truth, I don't hate it either. Just not my favorite. I am just not a fan. Nuts can be problematic. Either you like the taste of them, or you don't. It's that simple. But you might actually like the taste of peanuts or almonds, but you have an unfortunate allergy. That's bad news! So, do you stay away from putting candy that could pose a health risk in the plastic pumpkin?

I suppose Jolly Rancher candies are a good alternative. Or maybe beef jerky. That would be kinda cool! Right? It's not really candy, but it's unique! No other house on the street would pass that out to the wee goblins and ghosties, now would they? Hey, maybe I am on to something. Little gift bags of individually wrapped beef jerky. Maybe held together with an orange ribbon!? Nah, that might be too easy to tamper with also. Sigh. It would never work. Nope. So what would work? What's the top candy for passing out to trick or treaters? What candy is in truly high demand for it's yummy deliciousness?

Well, according to USA Today, chocolate still wins! Hershey's and Reese's lead the pack!

I still love my candy corn, but I will probably hand out Hershey's minis. 

They are a tasty classic. And besides, if for some reason we don't get any trick or treaters, they can be used to make S'Mores on Christmas Eve! 

Your turn!

Tell me, what is your favorite candy to hand out on the best holiday of the year? Halloween!

Leaf Of The Day
October 15th 2015

Mood: Happy

~Me :)


Wednesday, October 14, 2015

The Night Stalker

"I have a stalker, a beautiful one... the sunset.
 Every day she is there, watching me, 
whether I am watch her or not."

~Jarod Kintz
This Book Has No Title


It's a strange sky... isn't it? Spooky, yet too beautiful to be afraid of. 

I love October!



Leaf Of The Day
October 14th 2015

Mood: Happy

~Me :)




Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Happy 25th Anniversary!

"You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep, 
because finally reality is better than your dreams."

~Dr. Suess

35 Years As Best Friends.
25 Years As Best Friends Who Got Married.
You ARE The Love Of My Life.

You Are My Everything.

You Are My Alan.

Happy Anniversary Darling... I adore you!

Love,
 That Woman You Married!




Leaf Of The Day
October 13th 2015
Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Monday, October 12, 2015

Love From The Kitchen


"Cooking is at once child's play and adult joy. 
And cooking done with love is an act of love."

-Craig Claiborne

I made some homemade pizzas for Alan yesterday, a small snack after work. He does a brutal turnaround shift on Sundays, so I try to make the long commute as easy as possible, by having something tasty and nutritious waiting for him before he gets some sleep! 

Heirloom tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, sweet bell peppers, and a dash of sun-dried tomato Parmesan cheese! It was really good if I do say so myself. LOL. There is just nothing like cooking up something special for someone you really love!



Leaf Of The Day
October 12th, 2015


Mood: Happy

Me :)

Sunday, October 11, 2015

In Every Change...

"In every change, in every fallen leaf there is
 some pain,
 some beauty. 
And that's the way new leave grow."

~Amit Ray



Vacation officially begins on Tuesday morning, our 25th wedding anniversary, and we will be celebrating for the next 3 weeks or so. The day trips are planned, and the cameras are on standby. Plumas will probably be the longest trip in terms of distance and time spent on the road, but this year is simply a must! Not only are the leaves all lit up and ready for photographing, but there is an added feature to visiting Plumas County... the quilt barns! Over 70 barns, throughout the county, will be decorated with different squares of colorful quilt patterns! It's like one big public art project sprinkled all over the county! I can't wait! My cameras will be getting an extra workout this October in Plumas. The leaves, the quilt barns and the Halloween decorations. A true feast for the weary photographer! 

But don't think our vacation is all about the trips here and there, it's also a wonderful chance for Alan and I to get into the kitchen with some delicious, organic ingredients, and cook up a storm! I have been wanting to make some cannoli and some risotto, and I know Alan has a few culinary ideas up his sleeve. And then there is the time we need to spend on the continuing project of unpacking, and getting the house in order... finally! So there will be days when we will just stop. Clean out a box. Paint a wall. Swim in the pool! You know... just enjoy our new home. Wine and fondue. A decadent dessert. Midnight swims. Long autumn naps.

 What more could I ask for? 

Life Is Good!
Leaf Of The Day
October 11th, 2015 
Mood: Excited

~Me :)