Yesterday I went out to do some shopping. I was definitely in the minority because I was not wearing my Seahawks "Blue Friday" attire....it was everywhere! As I passed by a team store on my way to Nordstrom, people were pouring in and out and the same was true for the team logo section at Sports Authority...crazy Seahawks fever on this Superbowl weekend!

Are you almost ready for Christmas? Can you believe it's only a week away? It feels like December flies by faster and faster every year! I always feel a bit sorry for those with birthdays in December, because their birthdays are often overshadowed by all the Christmas hustle and bustle and festivities.

Happy Halloween! Just in case you are loving all things pumpkin like me, I want to share with you a recipe for a Pumpkin smoothie! Did you know that pumpkins are low in cholesterol and calories,  yet rich in dietary fiber and certain vitamins, especially A, C, and E? So you see, you really can't go wrong with loving this vegetable. 

There is nothing like a bowl of hearty stew or soup with a delicious piece of bread on a cool fall day...well, maybe pumpkin doughnuts and a cappuccino come close! But I'm talkin' dinner here, so the doughnuts and coffee will have to wait until morning, unless you think like Danny Devito who once said, "You don't have to be hungry to eat a doughnut!" But I digress...back to stew.

I know many of you got all excited when Pumpkin Spice Lattes showed up at Starbucks this fall. All I can say is, good for you. Though I like the sound of that, I have to admit I never order one...just a coffee purist to the core. I have tasted one...they do give samples at Starbucks once in while. I'm always game to try something one time, but I just really like the flavor of coffee. 

The smell of good bread baking, like the sound of lightly flowing water, is indescribable in its evocation of innocence and delight...M.F.K. Fisher. Can I just say, Amen?

The month of October just makes me think about pumpkins...how about you? A trip to a local pumpkin patch like Carlton Farms is one of the highlights of early fall for me. And looking at pumpkins just makes me start thinking about baking with pumpkin...such a wonderful, warm, tasty part of fall!

Way back in the 80's...(some of you remember those years)...my husband gave me a Cuisinart Food Processor. Believe me, it was a hot item for cooks when it first came out! A good friend of mine, Rhonda, had also just gotten one so off we went to the free class at the kitchen store to show us all the amazing culinary delights we could now make with our new machines.

As September days chug along, I find myself eating lots of apples. The prices have finally come down and all my favorites just call out to me at the market...Honey Crisp, Gala, and Fuji top the list. Today I want to share with you a new recipe from a pinterest post. 

Sitting here in Plain watching the sun go down on a fabulous fall evening after a sunny day...so lovely. As promised in a previous post on apples, I am sharing an apple dessert with you that is one of my favorites! This recipe came from a very special place where my mother grew up...Frost, Minnesota. 

You know how you can hear a song on the radio or Pandora and it transports you to an earlier time and place? Like when I hear Carole King sing, "You've Got A Friend," I am immediately transported back to the Junior High cafeteria! The cafeteria sound system played a lot of Carole King...Rod Stewart...Creedence Clearwater Revivial in my day! Well, certain recipes do that to me too. 

It's been a tough week for the most part...dear friends experienced a troubling cancer diagnosis, a family member lost a parent, and a friend's daughter was struggling to not miscarry her baby. Yet, in the midst of all that, two other friends rejoiced in the birth of their first grandchild. Isn't that how life is sometimes...in the midst of pain, there is a glimpse of joy.

I'll just come out and say it....I love coconut! I love it in all its' forms, whether it is dried, sweetened, toasted, raw...with chocolate, without. My favorite candy bar is an Almond Joy and I'm in heaven when I pick a chocolate out of a box of mixed chocolates and get the one filled with coconut cream...yeah! 

I was in the mood to make or bake something sweet for a friend of mine...something delicious to cheer her up. Glancing in the fridge, I saw some strawberries and a dessert immediately came to mind. It involves a crumbly cookie like crust, whipped frothy egg whites, strawberries, and whipped cream....what could be sweeter?

Good morning! Since it's been about a month from my first French Toast Friday post, I thought it was time to for another french toast experience. And, for any fathers and children out there looking for a fairly simple breakfast to make for "mom" on Mother's Day....this is for you! The name of this delectable dish is "Stenberg French Toast." A little story....

My youngest son turned 5...just in time for the fall soccer signups at the local Lochsloy field. As he and I approached the sign up table, a friend came running and said, "A friend of mine from high school days is coaching....sign him up to play on her team, since my son is on it too!" Our sons were good friends so I thought, "Why not?" We were directed to the corner of the field where this coach was rounding up her team and I was introduced to Mari Lee.

Breakfast in our home growing up was pretty mundane during the week, especially once my mom went back to work as a nurse when I was in the fourth grade. Dad was the king of oatmeal!  But when the weekend came...look out! Delicious smells wafted up the stairs to our bedrooms, making it almost impossible to sleep in. My mom was the queen of french toast, Norwegian pancakes (which some have the audacity to call "Swedish pancakes"! ), coffee cake, and cinnamon rolls. Dad was an early riser and didn't believe in allowing us to sleep in past 8 at the latest....so the aroma of breakfast worked in his favor...we couldn't resist Mom's cooking!

I'm normally not much of breakfast eater at home...a cup of coffee and a small handful of almonds is all I usually eat in the morning. But....when I'm on vacation...I indulge....I admit it!

In my defense, I do try to stay very active...a run or walk every day, and on our most recent vacation, I added Aqua Gym in the pool or ocean twice a day, along with other water activities. Exercise in the water is just much more fun....and a little less stressful on the knees. We stayed at a Club Med resort in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Club Med is known for their abundant water and land activity options, all led by skilled and trained GO's...Gracious Organizers! Isn't that a great title? (Same initials as a blog you might be familiar with....:).