Thank you October

A post with no pictures. I'm sorry. I just need to say that I am GLAD that October is here. I disliked September a little bit. If you haven't heard me moan about it already, I'd been running two stores instead of one for the past few weeks. Two stores that were very far apart. This was a good thing, because in the end I moved to a store much MUCH closer to home, but before I could just be at my new store I had to do both for a bit. Not the end of the world, but not easy. I had three days off in September. I worked a lot. And a fact of life was reinforced. No one cares. No one cares that you've got a gazillion and one things going on. No one cares that you're tired and frazzled and your body hurts a little. They have other things to worry about. Life doesn't care. Life doesn't stop because you're busy or tired. Life goes on as normal. And that is okay. Life is tough and everyone their own problems to deal with. It gave just me a little perspective. And perspective is always good.

I worked hard and I made it and I am glad. I'm glad for the opportunity and so glad to be working closer to home. I was very ready for October. Today was a day off and it was wonderful, although odd. When I work a lot, I tend to start feeling guilty for having days off. I get addicted to work and I feel like I'm doing something wrong by not being there. I'm insane, I know. You NEED time off. I know this now more than ever.

So there's that. That is why there was basically only required baking posts all month. I look forward to branching out again. Thank you for arriving October. You are my favorite.

52 weeks of baking: 40 - pumpkin bread

Welcome October! I have been saving up pumpkin recipes just for you. I think I've got a full month planned out. Pumpkinfest 2013. We start the month-o-pumpkin out with a good ol' pumpkin bread. This recipe is from the October issue of Real Simple. It's a baked doughnut recipe, but I opted for the loaf option.

My loaf pan is a bit wider than the recipe called for, so I've got kind of a short loaf. But it's good! It's simple and so yummy, not overly spiced which I often find pumpkin flavored things can be. It's soft and fluffy and that icing? That icing is FANTASTIC. Bookmark this icing for later you guys, it's so easy and so good. Sour cream, powdered sugar, and lemon. That's it! It's a winner. I look forward to munching on this for breakfast. And snack time. And dessert.

Halloween mystery number three

It's that time of year again. Time for the third annual "here's a picture of some fabric, guess what I'm going to be for Halloween" shindig. The first year my sister-in-law guessed that I was going to be Marie Antoinette right away and last year my best friend guessed Snow White correctly, but only after seeing all the fabric together (cheating! ;)). This year? Any guesses? I'll give you a hint, it's not something scary. Or Dolores Umbridge. Although that would be a fantastic costume.

I am incredibly stoked to make this costume. This fabric you guys. I've got tulle, chiffon, shantung, and taffeta happening here. I mean, a kid at Christmas or what? Picking these fabrics out was so much fun. I love picking out fabric. Can I do that for a living? And I have been waiting my whole life for an excuse to use taffeta. It's just not practical for normal clothing, but a costume? Heck yeah. I am in love with the way the light hits it and this dusty rose color is perfection. I paid out the nose for it, but gosh it's so pretty.

I'm winging it big time with this baby. I have a pattern but I am altering it, a lot. I guessed my way through the fabric lengths and am planning on drafting my own pattern pieces for some of it. The pattern will be a good starting point, but I plan on my costume looking quite different. Or I hope so at least. Wish me luck you guys. This fabric is real pretty and I'd hate to ruin it.

52 weeks of baking: 39 - salted caramel dark chocolate chip cookies

Long enough name for ya? These cookies you guys. They are as insane as they sound. Salted caramel dark chocolate chip cookies. I mean, that's a hell of a cookie. I am becoming more and more obsessed with Sally's Baking Addiction, and girlfriend knows how to come up with some delicious goodies. Her recipe for these babies here. These cookies are very very good. SO rich. I mean, there's a freaking rolo baked inside. A rolo! You cannot lose.

Can we stop for a moment and just talk about how fantastic the lighting in my kitchen was for the first half of these photos? Good light makes a world of difference. Forgive the second, they were taken in artificial light after the sun went down because these cookies had to chill for two dang hours!

A MELTED ROLO INSIDE. Oh man, it's good. And the sea salt on these is perfect. I'm so glad someone decided to start adding crunchy sea salt to sweet things. The cookie itself is delicious, worth trying on it's own sans caramel if you're feeling something a little simpler. And speaking of simplicity, next time I think I'd opt for just caramels inside instead of rolos. Don't get me wrong, the rolo inside is brilliant, it's just along with caramel and dark chocolate chips, it adds milk chocolate into the mix. There's already so much going on in these things, and all of it good, I just would maybe simplify it a tad by losing the milk chocolate. These are perfect cookies to make if you are say, having a really rough day. Or week. Or month. Or if your life is completely perfect, make them anyway.

This was my fortieth week of baking. How insane is that? FORTY weeks have already gone by. Only twelve left in the year. Only twelve more baked goodies left. It's a little sad, seeing the end approaching. It's become such a nice and welcome part of my life, and I'm pretty proud of my little project. I'll need to think up a new one for next year! 52 weeks of... who knows!
EDIT: I couldn't believe it was the 40th week of the year, so I googled it. Turns out it's the 39th. I somehow misnumbered my weeks and missed 28. All is adjusted now, everything is numbered correctly. Forgive me, I am terrible with numbers. Just copy past that last paragraph onto next week's post with your mind, okay?

Welcome, Fall!

Happy fall! It's officially here, my favorite time of the year! And I love that the weather has cooperated accordingly. On the first day of fall, and the day after, it felt like FALL. It was COOL outside. And isn't there something just magical about fall air? I swear it looked and smelled different than it did a week ago. The sky was that most terrific shade of blue that seems to only appear with cooler temperatures. I love it. I spent two cool afternoons sewing in front of a breezy open window and it was divine. Aside from the allergy attack that ensued. And I made a pot of butternut squash soup (because fall means soup!) and am ready to get down with some hearty fall flavors in the kitchen!

I am also very ready for the string of wonderful holidays that are soon to begin. In just a week it will be socially acceptable to start picking out pumpkins, spookifying our little home, and of course watching my favorite Halloween movies. And time to scheme Halloween costumes! Neither Brendon or I have any idea what we're going to be, which is weird because we usually have that figured out months in advance. Slackin'.

Thanks for showing up in all your splendid glory, fall. I love you and have been waiting all year for you to arrive, please be good to us. September has been a wild month so October, you're welcome to be slightly calmer. Also cooler please.

AND, this has nothing to do with anything, but the most popular post on my blog by far is this post on Brendon's lederhosen. Random eh? Year round it gets exponentially more views than any other post (when you Google "lederhosen" Brendon's picture is on the first page), and lately, it has been blowing up. Oktoberfest, y'all. Folks are trying to get their Bavarian on. My first and second dirndls are getting some love too, though not nearly as much as Brendon looking cute in his lederhosen. I have yet to decide on whether I should make a third dirndl this year. I haven't even planned my Halloween costume and there's a dress pattern and fabric from this spring sitting on my sewing table that I haven't touched. I'm a bit behind on my sewing game I guess. So anyways, if you are here at my little niche of the internet because of Brendon in his lederhosen, thanks for stopping by. Sorry it's all food. Here's German Brendon, just for fun, because it's what the internet wants.