Farm Stands

I think it's so fun to be driving along and come accross a farm stand in the middle of nowhere filled with all kinds of wonderful things.  Some of my favorite ones are the Amish families that have them in the rural areas.  This time of year it's so nice too with all the autumn vegetables and bushel baskets brimming with apples, pears and potatoes. It's nice to support local farmers and eat foods that are more fresh since they are grown locally.  Plus, I was able to get several little pumpkins, a bag of pears and a buttercup squash for just over four dollars.

A Nice Cup of Tea and a Sit Down

I've received a fair amount of bad news lately and it was a rainy cloudy and fairly gloomy day today.  So, I took a break from work for a nice cup of tea and a sit down.  That is a title of a book I have actually and there are occasions that call for just that - a comforting cup of creamy sweet tea and a few moments to reflect.  So, I did that.  I sat down, sipped at my tea, had a few biscuits and took some time to think.  I paid homage to my Nan with that cup of tea.  With the packet of Sweet and Low I put in it and with every warm nourishing sip I drank, I said "here's to you, Nana."

Lunch Outside

I wanted to get some fresh air and have lunch outside today and it was a perfect day for it.  It's a chilly fall day with a breeze, but the sun is out to keep you a little warm (along with my long sleeve shirt and sweater).  It was a relaxing break from phone calls and checking e-mail to enjoy my lunch outside, listen to the leaves rustling, the birds chirping and read a few pages of my book.  For my lunch, I used this perfectly ripe heirloom tomato from the farmers market with some fresh mozzerella a drizzle of olive oil, white wine vinegar and some fresh ground salt and pepper. 

Food Presentation

I went to Chicago with a friend today (my foodie friend) and we enjoyed a tasty lunch at Bittersweet Pastry Shop in Lakeview.  It's by far one of my favorite bakeries. Their pastries are gorgeous, their cafe is simple, classic and cozy, they have a great retail shop and the presentation of our lunch was lovely.  Oh, and it tasted really good too.

Fresh Air

The school buses are out, the sweaters are out and fall is setting in. I went for a walk with my dog today and enjoyed the fresh cool air.  I'm looking forward to all the fun fall activities, vegetables and smells.

My Baking Blog

I've moved my baking blog!  Its new name is "Kneading My Dream" and its new home is kneadingmydream.blogspot.com.  It will have a fun new design soon and hopefully lots more baking projects as I find more time to bake! Please check it out and follow me if you find it interesting.

I'm so excited to have my marzipan clementines featured in the Bake It Pretty "Sweet Bites" newsletter (top left image).  To see how I made them and what I used them for, read this post.

Paninis

I don't mind sandwiches, but I much prefer warm sandwiches.  I wasn't sure if I'd use my panini press very much, but I definitely have over the last few years.  It's fun to get all kinds of fillings out when people visit to create their own, or just make the perfect grilled cheese sandwich for me and my daughter.  Today, I made a salami, proscuitto and brie panini for my lunch and it was the perfect blend of salt and tangy creaminess.

A Pretty Place to Sit

I love these bushes (the bright green boxwoods and the frosty sage green tall one), the fully blooming roses and the bench all surrounded by pretty old brick buildings.  This was outside a pastry shop in Germantown, Columbus, Ohio.  I didn't actually have the time to sit down here, but it sure looked like a pretty place to sit, sip a latte, read a few pages of a book or just observe the world around you. 

Ice Cream with Cherries

During our trip to Columbus, OH with family, we made Jeni's Ice Cream a destination of ours.  We all love ice cream and we knew the kids wouldn't complain about going to get ice cream either!  A friend of mine had recommended checking them out and I had seen them on the Food Network as well, so I knew it had to be good. However, it wasn't just good, it was amazing!  I had this fresh waffle cone with honey pistachio (on the bottom) and my favorite was the goat cheese with roasted red cherries.  I love goat cheese and was skeptical about it being in ice cream, but it had the perfect tangy sweet flavor with juicy fresh roasted cherries. The flavors were fresh and amazing.  Some of us got blackcurrant, plum, lavender wildberry and the more traditional flavors.  I'm so excited to have discovered that a gourmet grocery store where I live carries this ice cream and has my favorite flavor in stock right now.  I must go buy a pint to sit and eat from while I watch a girlie movie this weekend.

A Bouquet of Garden Roses

Some family came to visit yesterday and brought me two bouquets of fresh flowers from the garden.  One was a colorful bouquet of zinnias (one of my favorites) and this pretty bouquet of garden roses.  They're such a beautiful white with accents of pale pink and yellow.  I just loved how gorgeous they looked this morning on the breakfast table when the sun was rising and shining in directly on them like a spotlight.

The Best Muffin Ever

One great thing that happened this day was that I was welcomed back to the workforce.  It's a bit different than my original plan, but I'm so very excited about it.  I was so excited that I needed to celebrate with the best muffin that I have ever discovered.  I was happy that even after a hiatus of over a year from working here the cafe downstairs still has these muffins and had only one left on this fine day with my name written all over it.  It's a chocolate cappuccino muffin.  The chocolate is gooey and the muffin is crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside...it's perfect. I enjoyed it with a yummy vanilla latte and had a great first official day back to work.