pumpkin bread

I love love love fall and with that comes a love (love, love) of one of the most important signs of fall: PUMPKINS! I love Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Lattes, I love pumpkin muffins, breads and scones... heck, I was so eager for fall that I made use of some pumpkin pancake mix leftover from last fall for breakfast back in July. My intentions were pumpkin scones, since I love scones and I have yet to ever make my own, but a pumpkin bread kit I found at Sam's decided for me that I would make pumpkin bread instead. Low in funds, and determined to not spend $10 on a mega-pack of butter (even though it would get used) I used the kit that only required eggs, oil, and water. All of which I already had on hand.

The kit makes two batches of two loaves each. So, four loaves of pumpkin bread. YES PLEASE. Since Chris and I are still on a diet (for real real this time), and knowing that two loaves of delicious pumpkin bread would be hanging out in the kitchen, begging to be eaten as fast as they can be to prevent them from "going bad," I made one loaf and about 40 mini pumpkin muffins instead. The mini muffins went to work, where I was easily able to pawn some delicious and inevitable pumpkin-induced fall poundage off on to my co-workers. I don't think they noticed my hidden agenda.

I'm mainly just excited because I have a whole 'nother kit of pumpkin bread just waiting to be whipped up on a pumpkin-fall-craving-moment's notice.

where were you?

That seems to be the most asked question when on the subject of national tragedy. Where were you when you heard? When you saw the footage on TV? I remember where I was. I was 14, in my freshman year of highschool at Cottage Hill Christian Academy. When the first plane hit, I was in gym class. Someone came running into the gym toward a group of girls playing indoor volleyball, where they huddled together in concerned conversation and after a minute or two, one girl backed away with her face in her hands. They made an announcement over the school's intercom system that something terrible had happened; that our country had been attacked. That announcement was the only solid news we heard during the course of the rest of the day. None of the teachers in any class would turn on a TV so we could see what was happening. I'm sure their intentions were in the right place, but sitting through every class, where everyone couldn't stop talking about it, wondering what was going on, and with no one around willing to divulge details, was kind of nerve-racking.

Like everyday, I caught a ride home with a friend and got home before my mom did, who was picking up my little brother from middle school. My mom had talked to me on the phone (I think I called her when I got home? I can't quite remember) and told me not to watch the news by myself... but I did anyway. I sat in our den, downstairs, alone, with only the sunlight that filtered through the heavy curtains and the ambient light from the TV, and watched. They played the footage over, and over again. I cried. I bawled. I didn't even know anyone involved, but just to see the horror unfold and to know that it was something so unexpected... was terrifying.

My mom and brother came home to me still tearing up to it. My memory ends when they arrive.


The photo above is the only one I own of the twin towers. It was taken about 2 years before. I'm the chubby little girl pictured with my cousin and my grandmother. My aunt took the photo.

books & a fall tease

Chris and I (and Fish) are having a lovely lazy Saturday. We went to the library across the street to check out their book sale, and we walked away with five books for five bucks! Can you guess which ones are mine? Yes, the two halloween children's books, and the collection of 50 horror stories. I absolutely love Halloween, and every aspect of it. I even love the cheesy little children's ghost stories and yes, I did buy those for myself. Ha, I'm still such a kid at heart.

After the torrential downpour that was Labor Day Weekend (thanks to tropical storm Lee), Fall seems to be cautiously creeping into the weather forecast... which makes me so incredibly excited! It's still been in the upper 80's/low 90's, but the humidity has been so low it's almost unbelievable. It's the kind of weather that I roll my car windows down for, open the sunroof, open windows in the house for, exercise outside and momentarily wish I had a job where I worked outside all day... or at the very least to have a window in my office.

I've already been buying Halloween decorations, fall-scented candles (I'm currently burning a Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin mini candle and Autumn oil from Bath & Body Works... yes, at the same time, in the same room... while I also have a Leaves-scented wallflower... do I have a slight obsession, or what?!), and pieces of my Halloween costume (it's going to be SO awesome), on top of gathering Fall-themed recipes and ghost stories to read, and I've been watching Paranormal State, Ghost Adventures, and other horror like shows on Netflix like they're going out of style.

I really wanted to make some pumpkin scones today, but neglected to pick up some real butter (real because I'm a good little dieter (I try atleast) and now only keep the whipped vegetable-oil stuff on hand) while at the store earlier today. I might do that tomorrow, though.