Showing posts with label cool weather. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cool weather. Show all posts

Sunday, September 30, 2012

Pumpkin Banana Date Loaf


It's definitely fall now. I can't pretend to be in the last lingering days of summer anymore. 

So, let's embrace this new season...with cozy sweaters, a nice blaze in the fireplace, a forest walk among changing leaves...and something pumpkin-based to eat.

Consider starting with this yummy loaf. It features the comforting taste of pumpkin, along with the additional flavours of banana and sweet dates.

Friday, January 27, 2012

Insta-Friday in real life

Once again, I am posting a Friday look at our week in cell phone photos.

The weather has been completely erratic and mostly miserable, and I know us “northern” types are starting to feel the pain. Some sun once in a while would be lovely.

Hang in there friends. Spring is around the corner…sort of.

In the meantime, enjoy some simple pleasures, like great friends, good books, a warm fire, maybe some nice wine and some delicious food (of course).





All my life I have lived within about an hour’s drive of the CN Tower in Toronto. But, I never actually visited the thing. Last Sunday, teachers and their families got in free—a perfect way to save yourself about $100. See that first pic? Time to get my car cleaned.

At 553.33 m (1,815 ft, 5 inches), it is the world’s tallest tower. I had some trouble standing on the glass floor, I’ll tell you. It’s darn windy and cold on that outdoor observation level—ten degrees colder than ground level, my son reported.

In terms of food this week, I have been cleansing. I had this great smoothie while I was shopping at the local health food store—veggies and fruit and dates…yum. I made a favourite veggie and rice soup, using a recipe from Robin Robertson’s One-Dish Vegetarian Meals. I added some beans for protein. My daughter made a special “cupcake” of her own creation the other day—applesauce, cut up apples and red sprinkles. She said that if I put it on my blog I would be sure to win the Top 25 Vegan & Vegetarian Mom Blogs contest…so vote for me and make my little girl happy. J


This was the view from my back door on Sunday—unfortunately, the next day it rained and melted the rink. At least they had the good sense to take the nets home. Today? Freezing rain. You never know what you're going to get around here.
Linking up with:
life rearranged

Monday, October 3, 2011

October

While I do love the summer, there is something about cool weather that seems to renew my energy and inspire me to head outdoors. Over the years, my husband has often complained about my sudden urge to walk on days when snow swirls around us and wind whips our faces.  I came across a poem recently in my grandmother’s tattered blue poetry book that reminds me of how beautiful fall can be. While today was grey, dismal and rainy in my area, there are beautiful October days to come. It’s about time for a long walk in the woods, I think.

October’s Bright Blue Weather

O suns and skies and clouds of June,
And flowers of June together,
Ye cannot rival for one hour
October’s bright blue weather.

When loud the humblebee makes haste,
Belated, thriftless vagrant,
And Golden Rod is dying fast,
And lanes with grapes are fragrant;

When Gentians roll their fringes tight,
To save them for the morning,
And chestnuts fall from satin burrs
Without a sound of warning;

When on the ground red apples lie
In piles like jewels shining,
And redder still on old stone walls
Are leaves of woodbine twining;

When all the lovely wayside things
Their white-winged seeds are sowing,
And in the fields, still green and fair,
Late aftermaths are growing;

When springs run low, and on the brooks,
In idle golden freighting,
Bright leaves sink noiseless in the hush
Of woods, for winter waiting;

When comrades seek sweet country haunts,
By twos and twos together,
And count like misers, hour by hour,
October’s bright blue weather.

O suns and skies and flowers of June,
Count all your boasts together,
Love loveth best of all the year
October’s bright blue weather.
Helen Hunt Jackson