pumpkins and apples

It is fun to hang on to childhood traditions.



Some times the cocoa is replaced by a beer.



Multi tasking: Let's make some apple sauce as well.













Some times the cider is replaced by wine.



Next: a fire to warm us up





Happy Halloween!

brewery tour

We love hanging out with young people.
They are always so much fun.



A few brewery tours made for an entertaining afternoon.
And . . . since I am not too fond of beer, I got to be the driver.



Where to start?
Left to right? Light to Dark?



Which one was aged in a bourbon barrel?



Cheers to a sunny day in Colorado.



And then ~ a fine finish at Moe's Bar-B-Que.

colorado

We are off to Colorado this week.



We will be visiting our newlyweds in Fort Collins.



I hope we get to see these mountains



and sample some of these brews.

k-cups

I love my new Keurig Coffee Maker!



I used one at work recently and had a great cup of coffee.



It has taken me a few tries but I now find that a
medium roast coffee with 10 oz water works the best.



My favorite so far is Tully's KONA blend.



For chocolate lovers - Cafe' Escapes Dark Hot Cocoa!



I would recommend the The Platinum Brewing System.
It has a blue backlit LCD display and the choice of
five cup sizes (4 oz., 6 oz., 8 oz., 10 oz. and 12 oz).
It has auto on/off and the removable
water reservoir is large enough to hold 60 oz.

Do you have a favorite K-Cup?

toffee pecan apple crisp

I have made this recipe many times this apple season.
It is adapted from a recipe posted by
Diana on To Everything a Season

Toffee Pecan Apple Crisp



6 apples, peeled and diced (I used Golden Delicious)

8 oz. pkg Bits 'O Brickle Toffee Bits
(or 12 oz. pkg Butterscotch Chips)
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup flour
½ tsp cinnamon

1 c. chopped pecans (or walnuts)

½ c. flour
½ c. brown sugar
4 T. softened butter
¾ c. oats



Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
I used a glass pan so I baked it at 350 degrees
Coat a 9x13 pan with baking spray

Place the apples in the 9 x 13 dish.
Combine the chips, ¼ cup sugar, flour, cinnamon
Sprinkle over the apples and bake for 20 minutes


shown with butterscotch chips

While this is baking, prepare the topping.

Topping . . .
½ c. flour
½ c. brown sugar
4 T. softened butter
¾ c. oats

1 c. chopped pecans (or walnuts)

Sprinkle the nuts on the apple mixture.
Sprinkle the topping on top of the nuts.
Bake for approximately 30 minutes until apples are tender.

My family thanks you Diana!

breathing

A wise person once told me
"I go to the ocean to breathe"
It is true . . .

early riser

sunrise

crosswording

watercolor painting


oil painting


reading

puzzling

barbecuing

gaming

fishing

filleting

chatting

swimming

building

shelling

tiramisu-ing

washing and drying

henna tattooing

resting

Thank you Alianellos
for including us in your wonderful vacation

farwell Emerald Isle, NC