Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving-Week everyone! I hope you have wonderful plans, either to cook lots or let someone else do the cooking, visit family, entertain family, or have some time to yourself! I hope you eat lots of yummy food, count your blessings, and have a marvelous holiday. My week is pretty packed, so I won't be around to give you new recipes, however, I thought it would be fun to share some Thanksgiving-worthy recipes from last year! A breakfast idea, my favorite Thanksgiving rolls and sides, the Geologist's favorite pumpkin-alternative dessert, and a showstopper. Who knows, they might even inspire you this week!

I'm thankful for YOU. Happy Thanksgiving!!

Pumpkin Pie Coffee Cake

Spiced Pear & Buttermilk Cake

It snowed, it snowed!! It is officially the holidays, truly feels festive, and we put up our Christmas tree! And I, as you can probably tell, am jumping for joy. In fact, the snow has stuck around for two whole days! It'll melt later this week. Finally, a real Colorado winter! 

I have the most marvelous memories of Colorado snowstorms... School canceled for a week, Christmas music playing non-stop, hot chocolate and jigsaw puzzles, baking treats and playing games, movies and popcorn and laughs... It was always best if Dad got to stay home from work too! A few times we had real no-kidding blizzards, and you couldn't see past the windows. Makes staying inside even cozier! In Colorado, a White Christmas is always a possibility!

Small & Wonderful Things 36

Snowflakes... Especially when they actually LOOK like snowflakes, not balls of ice :)

Source: chills-and-crystals

Skinny jeans that fit, look great, and are comfy!

Sparkly Fall-colored Uggs! *giggle*

Planning our Thanksgiving menu

Bittersweet. I used to gather it from roadsides in Missouri to put in vases. So pretty!

Source: sutton15445

Listening to the Nutcracker

Fluffy seeds, just like the ones in Fantasia!

Camera phones with great macro :)

New glasses

School and work holidays!

Apple & Cheddar Scones

I think it is pretty clear that I love food. I would say that food occupies... oh, 70 % of my thoughts during the day? Yeah, that sounds about right. There are a few things I get passionate and snobby about. Instant potatoes? Ew. Tater tot casserole? Not in my house! Quickbreads from a box? Not anymore! (Although during my first pregnancy I kind of lived on boxed muffins... leave me alone! I couldn't keep anything down!)

But on the flip side, there are a few things that true "gourmets" or "foodies" seem to take for granted that I just plain can't handle. First: odd bits of meat. Call it offal, call it whatever you want, I can't eat it. Second: Cilantro and parsley (as a garnish). I wish I could, but I can't! Third: I have a very, VERY hard time mixing sweet and savory. Gives me the heebie jeebies. But what does a good foodie do? Try new things!! This may be a teeny tiny baby step, but mixing cheese and apples in a scone... Could have been risky for wimpy little me! Guess what... I loved them!!

Pumpkin Pie Biscotti

The Geologist and I went to an Ugly Sweater party a few days ago. When we arrived bearing cookies (you always bring something to a party, right?) a friend asked, "What? No Biscotti??" Yup, I am the biscotti lady. But I was in the midst of experimenting with a cookie recipe (that will be shown later) so it was cookies this time. These pumpkin biscotti became a housewarming present for another friend. In the midst of all the cookie and biscotti baking (and tasting), I was reminded of a realization I had a few months ago...

I will never be skinny. 

I could, it is within my power. Through exercise and motivation with my awesome trainer, I'm in better shape than I have been since I was a teenager! I can DO things now! But there are two sides to the fitness coin: exercise and DIET. I refuse to diet. Eat healthier, sure! Have healthy meals, no problem! But then I bake biscotti. Or muffins, or scones... I can't give that up. I can't be the person at a Christmas party who only snacks from the veggie tray. I love my treats too much!! So who cares if I never fit into a size 6 again, or never have rock-hard abs. I make a mean biscotti! And biscotti makes me happy. :)

Weekly Menu Nov 18

Source: blissfulinallthings

This week we have:

Pumpkin Pie Biscotti

Apple Cheddar Scones

Spiced Pear & Buttermilk Cake

For today, Nov 18 ...

Such is life...

Sorry friends, whatever this bug is, it has me down for the count. I'll see you next week with biscotti, egg rolls and scones!

Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats

Bleh... I'm on day 4 of being sick. This hasn't happened to me in years! Usually I catch a bug, it rages through in 24 hours and I'm good. This low-achy-fever-for-days thing is just not cool. Luckily, The Geologist has been around to take care of me! The days of being chained to work (or school) are over! The boys have been super sweet too. So I think I'll live :)

The one good side effect of having zero appetite? Shaving off a few pounds! Though I will admit, if these were still hanging around my kitchen, I think I could find a teensy bit of an appetite...

Weekly Menu Nov 5

Source: northwudzgirl

This week we have:

Brown Butter Rice Krispie Treats

For today, Nov 5 ...

Cranberry Almond White Chocolate Blondies

The Geologist is madly in love with his company. And to be honest, I'm awfully fond of them too. They're extremely family oriented, he works with great people, and there are constant opportunities to serve others. One day he got paid to go bowling for charity. All day. He's had two days of working with Habitat for Humanity. Just in place of a normal work day. How cool is that?? Last month they had a week long series of fundraiser events for , including a cake decorating competition, a chili and ribs cook-off, and an 80's prom. I signed up (obviously) for the bake sale! I made a whole batch of Brown Sugar Coffee Bars (which are a huge hit around his office) but I just wasn't satisfied with only bringing one option, so I whipped these together too. Every single bite sold, and I helped raise over 40$! Food and helping people. Doesn't get much more awesome than that!

Small and Wonderful... House Pictures!!

Want to see our new house?! I'll give you a tour! Now that we officially own it, I can show you pictures!

My Favorite Banana Nut Bread

Source: Pinterest

Happy November!! And in our house, happy first day of the Christmas season! I may have mentioned before, we're a little nuts about Christmas in this house. The Christmas music and festivity and anticipation starts now. Thanksgiving is just wrapped up in the fun of "The Holidays". Now to find a radio station that is playing Christmas music already... We're on pins and needles around here, our sellers are negotiating on a house, and if it goes through, we'll be moving at the beginning of December! Christmas in the new house! Oh, did I forget to mention? WE BOUGHT A HOUSE ON WEDNESDAY!! We are officially home-owners! Too bad someone else still lives in our home... But it is truly worth the wait. 

What about you? How crazy (or not) do you get about Christmas in your house? Do you wait till December to get a tree, no Christmas-ness before Thanksgiving? Or are there other holiday nuts out there?

Speaking of nuts...