Weekend Waterfalls

We went to the cabin for the weekend. It's becoming a recurring theme.

We stopped on the way up to hike the High Rock Trail at World's End State Park. The trail went straight up the mountain to the High Rock Vista & then straight back down again to this creek.

Because of the raging waters with all of the heavy rains & flooding, this wasn't a simple creek crossing. It was a raging mega-creek. We hiked upstream a little to find a narrower place to cross.

Then, despite all of our efforts to stay dry, it started to pour. We had originally planned to take a second loop that started where this loop ended, but decided to head to the cabin & get some lunch instead.

For Mommom's birthday, I offered to bake a cake. Unfortunately, she and Poppop had to cancel their trip up at the last minute, so she didn't get any. I'll have to make it again! I doubled the recipe for this Chocolate & Coconut Milk Cake since I like to have a layer cake for birthdays, but it would have been plenty of cake with just the single layer. No one was complaining about extra cake, though!

Mom & Dad gave me an early birthday present - a pillow top mattress cover! Our bed up at the cabin is pretty hard & the original mattress cover kept coming off. It was so nice so sleep on this instead!

We went for a few longer hikes on Saturday & Sunday to see more waterfalls & views.

I love being out in nature and seeing all the signs of life.

Butterflies

Leaves changing color

Deer running across the path

Blue skies with drifting clouds

Trees blowing in the wind

Birds flitting around

Chipmunks scurrying through the underbrush

There's something so calming and peaceful about it all.

The Bup has been whittling away at his hiking stick to make the perfect handle. A few more trips up and I think he'll have it done.

Here's the family in their hiking gear. Mom refuses to wear pants if it's over 40*F, but she'll wear gloves! We all had on orange for safety in case any hunters were out.

For breakfast - Pumpkin Spice Pull-Apart Bread. This was a kitchen flop from a few weeks ago, but this time it was a kitchen win! Yum!

The power of water! I think these waterfalls in the middle of the woods are far more beautiful than Niagra Falls.

Water is the driver of Nature.        - Leonardo da Vinci

Kitchen Flops

[Laddsburg Wine - pairs well with dessert!]

Something about this week of gorgeous weather followed by chilly rain makes me want to curl up with a big blanket. Anyone else?

Usually I have no trouble deciding what to make for dinner. I think about what we have, look at the many recipes I have marked to try, and choose from the list or decide to create something new. No such luck this week. Hence the lack of posts. Sorry!

 I have failed at a lot of recipes this week. Just so you don't think that everything I make comes out right, I thought I'd share some flops with you. This week was full of them!

Maybe the oven knows that I'm just not quite with it. Or else it needs a drink, too.

[sampler tray from Troegs]

I tried to bake this Easy Little Bread Recipe from 101Cookbooks.com. It rose beautifully and then sunk in the middle when I baked it. Still tasty, but really ugly. And when I packed a slice 3 days later to bring to work, it molded in the baggie even though the rest of the loaf was fine.

I tried to bake Pumpkin Protein Donuts from peasandthankyou.com. They looked done, sprang back when I touched them, and pulled away from the sides of the pan, but when we ate them, they were still gummy in the middle. Ick.

I made myself a Pumpkin Spiced Latte and it was so bad I had to pour it down the drain. I didn't want to bother with the blender, so it was chunky and the spices all sank to the bottom. I hate wasting food!

Last night I decided to be safe and made big salads and roasted broccoli. All was fine until I found a piece of apple core in my salad that should have gone into the compost bucket. Who knows, I probably put the actual apple chunk in the compost. I didn't want to fish it out, so I didn't check.

I'm beginning to question my kitchen skills.

I didn't try to make these Blueberry Lime Margaritas. Maybe I should have.

Let's hope that the Chocolate and Coconut Cake from The Little Red House I'm making tomorrow for my grandma's birthday turns out better!

Happy Birthday!!

October is a big birthday month, so here's to all of you!

McKensie

Grandma K.

Andy

Mommom

Alex

Bryttani

Dad K.

And everyone else out there with October birthdays!

Fresh Tomato Basil Soup

I love fall.

I can't say it enough! There's just something about this time of year that sings to me.

Sunshine

Crisp morning air

Leaves crunching under my feet

Warm colors

Cinnamon scents

Raking leaves

Pumpkins everywhere

We had warm fall weather this weekend but I'm still craving soup. This soup combines the flavors of summer with the cooler fall weather. Our tomato crop is starting to wind down, so we're eating them as much as possible before they're gone. The basil leaves are getting cold spots on them, so the first frost must be coming soon.

In other interesting news, one person found my blog by doing a google search for "пиво и девушка." I wonder what they were looking for...I hope they found it.

Hopefully you're enjoying fall as much as I am! Take some time to go for a walk and admire the changing leaves and breathe in the fresh autumn air. Then come home and warm up with the last flavors of summer in this easy to prepare soup.

Fresh Tomato Basil Soup
Serves 4-6

12-15 fresh tomatoes, any variety (should be 6 c once pureed)
1/2 c fresh basil, packed
1/3 c nutritional yeast
1 small onion
1 T minced garlic
1/2 c raw cashews
1/2 c water
1 T Italian seasoning
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
sucanat, to taste (or substitute sugar)

Measure cashews and cover with water. Set aside to soak for 30 minutes or overnight. Quarter tomatoes and remove the white stem/core. Fill VitaMix/blender with tomatoes and process until smooth. If all of the tomatoes did not fit in the blender, hold the rest for later. There should be no skins or seeds visible at this point - they should be blended together with the juices. Add basil, nutritional yeast, onion, and garlic. Process again until smooth. Transfer to a medium pot and heat over medium heat. At this point, if there are any tomatoes remaining, blend those and add to pot. Drain the soaked cashews and blend with 1/2 cup of water in the same blender (no need to wash it in between) until it reaches a creamy consistency. Once the soup comes to a low simmer, add cashew cream, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Let cook on medium low for 15-20 minutes to allow flavors to develop, stirring occasionally. Taste the soup. If it is bitter, add sucanat, 1 teaspoon at a time. Ladle into bowls and serve!

Note: If you do not have nutritional yeast on hand, substitute parmesan cheese for a similar flavor.

Note: I find that making the cashew cream is well worth the effort. Not only does it provide additional nutrients & healthy fats, but it also doesn't curdle like dairy would. You can use milk or cream, but be cautious and do not allow soup to boil.