tasty treats

my mom hosted her annual halloween party for the kids on sunday. bbb's little pals came over and shook things up for sure. i spent part of saturday and sunday baking for the event. note to self: it is not prudent to provide unlimited amounts of sugar to toddlers.

i had a great time baking, though, and i liked the way most everything turned out.

classic yellow cake with marshmallow fondant.



saffron pumpkin macarons from tartelette's recipe.



ghost sugar cookies.



chocolate bats and haunted houses.



and a spooky train.



i want to bake and eat it all again.

my mom fixed mummy dogs and cheesy bread and chili. it was quite a yummy spread!

delightful

i've been trying to successfully recreate the seafoam candy my mom made when i was little and i think i FINALLY did it. i used the same recipe her family has been using for years from the 1937 household searchlight recipe book.

the taste took me right back to childhood.

more childhood feeling as we chased the balloons all over town yesterday evening. the annual hot air balloon festival is taking place this weekend and we were out and about during one of the launches yesterday. there's just something so beautiful about them.

leaving today for columbus day in columbus. why? WILCO. i'm so excited; it's been way too long since we've seen them.

lovely day

headed to the lake trail with b, tew and sam.  we ate by the lake then strolled down the trail taking pictures.  it was a gorgeous fall morning.  colorful leaves, green clear water and good conversation with my sssm.  after our walk b went nutso on the slides.  by the end of our visit he was going down the biggest corkscrew slide all by himself.  

as soon as we hit our front door i got sick.  i have succumb to some type of terrible flu/cold/plague.  all plans for this evening have been cancelled.  very bummed.  at least my morning was good.

halloween!

my favorite holiday. always has been. i love the spookiness and the cool air. the leaves crunching underfoot. the feeling that anything might happen. mischief making and disguises. not really much of a candy person so i'm indifferent to the treats. all about the tricks for me.

i have most certainly posted this link before, but here it is again.

must also give a nod to ryan adams, halloween head.

i do believe i've passed on my love of this holiday to b.  he's tucked away in his crib with his plastic skull at this very moment.  

cold snap

you feel the cold in your bones on a day like this.  definitely a day that would have been more enjoyable if viewed from our picture window.  dramatic grey clouds and pale orange leaves make for a nice scene.

took b to the U halloween party tonight.  he really likes wearing his scarecrow get-up.  he was a good little boy and did a good job understanding that he had to move from station to station when the helpers told him to.  

i plan on an early bed time tonight after a little knitting.  

jack o' lanterns

spent a nice evening with family at grammie's tonight. sadly, mmm is in martinsburg for work. (at least that's what he tells me; i often think he's a spy on supersecret missions). yummy dinner, then uncle g helped b and i carve pumpkins. will not be able to post pictures til tomorrow.

up too late after much conversation with grammie and brother number two. still fighting earaches. the late night will not help matters, but it was nice to catch up with my big bro.

fall family fun

mmm and i took b to rich farms this morning and my oh my did he have a ball.  it was a gorgeous day.  the sky was pale blue, dotted with clouds.  various birds flew overhead making their respective ways south for the next season.  leaves lined curvy route 857; the drive made me feel like we were in a movie.

came home so b could nap then headed to gram's for the annual halloween party.  so many of our friends and family were there including supermax, aj the carrot, dominic chicken, marron fairy, ian skeleton, kasey ninja, kyle cowboy, jack the superfan and little red riding hood (aka izzy).  the kids all got along so well.  even the little ones got into halloween games.  i am exhausted now, but it was well worth the chaos.  

crashing as soon as i send out some photos of b scarecrow.  

mclovin and me

quintessential fall day.  crisp and clear and very cool.

ran around early with b; needed to get provisions for g's birthday cake.  after lunch he napped and i made said birthday cake as well as an apple and custard napoleon.  it was delish! i really like making custard.  and, uh, eating custard as well.

went to gram's for g's birthday celebration.  he wanted to do oktoberfest, so that's what we did.  i gorged on potato pancakes.  nom nom nom.

after supper b and i walked around wiles hill with ckl and pluto.  very nice to be out in the cool air.  

such great heights

in a thinking place this evening.  thinking about motivations, fate, the little cogs in the machine that line up to create what it is that makes up a person's life.  family, friends, work, pleasure.  driving forces.  what drives me.  

i feel compelled to create a home and a life for my husband and child (and bonus children) that is warm, loving, aesthetically pleasing.  this is why i identify with mrs. ramsay in to the lighthouse.  this is why i wash woodwork once a week.  this is why i stay awake into the wee hours perfecting royal icing for sugar cookies.  this is why i fixate on seed catalogs mid-winter.  yes, i enjoy these things.  yes, they bring me pleasure.  but the impetus behind it all is to create a home that is so filled with beauty and love and comfort that none of us ever want to leave.  

of course, i don't even come close to succeeding at that.  but if you've ever wondered why i do the things i do, that's why.  you can think i'm an anti-feminist if you like, but you'd be utterly wrong.  no one is forcing me into this role.  there is no expectation for me to be as i am.  this is a choice.  who i am.  

in the spirit of creating a warm and cozy homelife, this evening i prepared a fall feast.  pot roast with a cabernet glaze, roasted parsnips and shallots, and roast acorn squash.  soon to be followed by pumpkin tea cake.   

it's a beautiful fall.  vibrant and calm, i think.  love the open windows, the rhythm of the crickets, the smell of drying leaves.  

i liked today.  liked it a lot.  

goblin market

ran around town this evening with b procuring halloween necessities.  we decorated a halloween tree, much to his delight.  the child is obsessed with skulls and scarecrows.  the skull thing kind of freaks me out.  his uncle a worries that he's already turning goth.  

love this time of year so much.  running around, humming james taylor songs.  warm days, cool nights, and blue blue skies.  

song for fall.