Beautiful Fall Days ♥

Hello Friends! ♥

We've been waiting for Fall for so long and it's finally here.  I'm doing my best to take time to appreciate all the beauty around me and all the feels, sounds, & smells this lovely season has to offer.  

We have officially put extra blankets on the beds because it's chilly at night.  My coffee tastes extra good on cold, dark mornings. It's steamy and cozy, just the way it should be.  Around town I keeps seeing signs for a fall festival and holiday craft fairs next month.  A sign of normalcy, which is nice. 

On Saturday John and some friends are going to a Haunted House. It was canceled last year so he's very excited to go back and get the ever living daylights scared out of him! 

Ah, to be 14! I love it ♥

Yesterday on the way to pick him up from school I took some time to admire a tree in front of our church. I've always loved this tree.  It's wonky and not perfect, but hey, who is?  

Not everything in life has to be grand. 

She's still beautiful and her color blows me away!

 

Back home I have candles burning all the time.  Yesterday John came in the room and said "its smells like fall in here."  YES!  I guess I'm doing something right after all! 

My favorite time to admire them is around 4:00.  It's when I log off from work and make myself a little snack and hot beverage before dinner.  It's when it starts to get dark and with the candles flickering it's just lovely.  I wrap up in a blanket for 30 mins and I wish that time of day could last a bit longer.  

I picked up this pumpkin bread at a local farm on Sunday, along with some apple cider donuts.  

So delicious and I'm more than happy to support local business ♥

I need to do more of that.  Noted! 

I made us our first round of hot apple cider yesterday afternoon and I realized I need to replenish my spices! Cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and nutmeg are all low.  Need to fix that ASAP : ) 

We have entered baking season and I don't want to run out ♥

I made sure to tell Rob not too eat the cinnamon stick this time!  If you don't know that story, you can read it here.  

I'll never forget it! LOL 

I'm off to the market today to gather ingredients for a yummy pot roast supper I'm planning.

Cozy fall dinners are my favorite.  Especially when it's chilly out, having a roast bubbling away in the crock pot is the best feeling, isn't it?  I just need to decide on dessert??? Hmmm....

Have a wonderful fall day, my friends! Stay cozy! ♥

A Funny Story...

I've said before and I'll say it again... One of the things I love most about this little blog of mine is its a place to store my memories.  From very serious events to the most lighthearted moments. Everything I want to remember about my life is right here, and I love that. 

 I was scrolling though some old posts today searching for a recipe and I came across this little story that I shared years ago.  It's still funny to me, and if you know my husband you'll know why.... 

(I copied this excerpt from my blog post in 2013! ♥) 

One Sunday Rob was watching a football game and I offered him some hot cider.  To my delight he said yes.  I prepared it for him and put it an a fancy mug with a cinnamon stick.  "Enjoy!" I said as I left the room.  A little while later when I came back to collect the cup I noticed the cinnamon stick was gone.... I asked how he liked the cider and he said it was really good, but he didn't care for the cookie! OMG - he ate the cinnamon stick!!! Has anyone ever eaten a cinnamon stick??? I didn't think it was possible???  When I told him that he wasn't supposed to actually EAT the cinnamon stick he said "good, because it tasted terrible".  True story ♥

I remember this day so clearly and the feeling of confusion and shock when I realized the cinnamon stick was gone.  He didn't??? Yep, he did! LOL  

Looking back on this story now I was thinking to myself why did he continue eating the cinnamon stick if he thought it tasted awful? It must have been not to hurt my feelings, and that's really sweet. 

And there you go.  Thank you old self for documenting this on the blog.  I got a chuckle today and I hope you did too!  😄

PS - Here's the link to the post if you want to see how I prepare the hot cider.  I still prepare it this way.  In fact, I had some yesterday! : ) 

I made us a video! Hot apple cider ♥

Hello~

 

I made you a little video today which I just posted on my You Tube channel.  I am still new at the whole "video thing" so forgive me if I sound nervous : )

 

To celebrate fall I made us hot apple cider.  You Tube decided to focus on this pumpkin cake I had cooling in the background, but that's ok.  I'll gladly share that with you too! ♥

 

 

 

 

 

I hope you like the video.  I'm going to try to do more little ones here and there! ♥

 

 

 

 

To start off the week here are a few pictures I took Sunday after mass. 

 

 

 

 

Sometimes it pays to take the long way home....

 

 

I took these home! ♥

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 As always, thank you for visiting me! Have a wonderful week! ♥

Hot Apple Cider for One ♥

 

 

I'll never forget the first time I made my husband this hot apple cider.  It was a few years ago and I had just discovered how easy it was to prepare at home.  Literally just heat up cider, add a few spices, a splash of OJ, and a cinnamon stick. That's it. Up until then I had only gotten hot cider when we went apple picking or occasionally at a restaurant as treat.  It had never occurred to me that I could make it at home. It's so delicious on a cold, damp, Fall day. ♥
 

One Sunday Rob was watching a football game and I offered him some cider.  To my delight he said yes.  I prepared it for him and put it an a fancy mug with a cinnamon stick.  "Enjoy!" I said as I left the room.  A little while later when I came back to collect the cup I noticed the cinnamon stick was gone.... I asked how he liked the cider and he said it was really good, but he didn't care for the cookie! OMG - he ate the cinnamon stick!!! Has anyone ever eaten a cinnamon stick??? I didn't think it was possible???  When I told him that he wasn't supposed to actually EAT the cinnamon stick he said "good, because it tasted terrible".  True story ♥

 

Every Fall, as soon as the cider hits the market I buy it.  I love heating it at night, curling up on the couch with a cozy blanket, and sipping a big mug of it.  Last week I put some in a thermos and brought it to work. It was raining that day and the cider (and cinnamon) made my day so much better.  For me this is a Fall staple.  For some reason it only appeals to me in October & November. 

 

 

 

All I do is take a cup of cider (I measure it in the mug I'm going to drink it in first, then dump it into a little sauce pan) and heat it with a splash of OJ, a few dashes of cinnamon, a dash of nutmeg, and (of course) a cinnamon stick.  Let it come to a boil then shut off the heat.  Stir it up until all the spices absorb and carefully pour it back into the mug.  If you desire you could also add a little something "extra" like brandy or bourbon and turn it into a hot toddy.  This is really nice on coooold nights.  You will sleep like a baby ♥

 

 

 

 

I've been nursing a cold all week and this cider, along with my mom's chicken soup are the only things that are making me feel better.  Leftover Halloween candy is helping too : )

 

Earlier this week I was feeling crafty and started dipping pinecones in melted candle wax to make ornaments.  I'm all done except for hot gluing bows on top.  I had to stop because I got sick, but hopefully I'll finish them up this week and I'll post a DIY.  They came out really cute and are getting me into a holiday mood!

 

 

 

 

I can't believe it's already November.  Thanksgiving is three weeks away!  I just booked tickets for a Polar Express train ride in December and next weekend I'm going away overnight with my Mom on our annual "girls only/Christmas shopping/craft fair/Yankee Candle extravaganza".  Every November we go up to the Yankee Candle Village in Deerfield, MA.  It's about 3 hours from here.  We shop like crazy and then the next morning we go to a huge Christmas Craft Fair in Springfield, MA.  By the time we are through the car is jammed with presents and smells like a giant Christmas tree!  We drink tea, eat chocolate covered apples in the car, and tell funny stories.  We've been doing this for over 10 years and it's one of my favorite weekends of the year! (read about last year's trip here).  Have you started thinking about the holidays yet? It's not too soon, right?  

 

Hope you all are having a wonderful week.  Autumn is going by so fast....xo