…T.G.I.F.F. November 6, 2009…

… Pumpkin Waffles for a cozy Fall Brunch…

… isn’t it nice to actually get to sleep in on a Saturday and then enjoy a leisurely brunch…

… well that’s exactly what i did last weekend… and since it was a Halloween Saturday… we thought it appropriate to have PUMPKIN pancakes and caldron coffee…

…i used the Pumpkin Pancake and Waffle Mix from Trader Joe’s… and my beloved Mickey Mouse Waffle Maker…

… i’m just gonna carry on with the pumpkin obsession right through thanksgiving in case you haven’t noticed… but, i’ll be intentionally and intensely throwing in Peppermint, gingerbread, and other yule tide cheer… especially starting at the end of this month with Fa-la-la Fridays (a fitting follow-up to Thank Goodness it’s Fall Fridays, don’t ya think)…

… but for today… Pumpkin Mickey Mouse Waffles…

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…TGIFF: October 30th, 2009…

…is… DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME… only joking, it’s HALLOWEEN…

… whether you’re trick or treating… bobbing for apples… or just hanging out with friends… be clever- and be safe…

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… Pumpkins…

… as promised…a couple pics of our pumpkin trip…

… and this poorly shadowed corn maze pic is pretty much what i have to offer … because i’m NOT sharing pics of my pumpkin… it was a disaster…

… things started out great… i was SUPER excited as i wiped all of the dust and hay from my pumpkin’s skin… then thoroughly enjoyed the cleaning and prepping process…

… but things quickly turned sour after this… the pumpkin rind was much thicker than i remember and i chose a design that had a few precarious edges… for which i completely had a plan but did not-so-successfully navigate…

… there were tears… small ones at first because i was disappointed but thought i could save it…  then a full fledged sob as one slightly forceful slice left a gaping hole in the front of my pumpkin…

… yes, i take my seasonal activities THAT seriously…;)

… once i realized the design could NOT be salvaged… i may have had a momentary pity party… where i spun the mutilated orb around… and carved this in the opposite side… lol…

… but my mom,  in true mom fashion, offered a brilliant  solution to my disappointing disaster… TOOTHPICKS… i was completely encouraged and immediately dug the separated chunk from the trash (ok, really it was more like retrieved it from the top of the bin)… while he emerged with said reparation tools…

… and with a little team work, innovation, and his strong fingers pushing tiny stakes through the stubborn pumpkin skin (i promise you this sucker was tougher than most)…………..

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…T.G.I.F.F.: October 23, 2009…

… Thank Goodness it’s a Fall Friday so we can go to the PUMPKIN PATCH this weekend…

…never mind the Saturday i’m going to spend studying, writing a paper (or at least part of a paper), and studying for an econ exam…

…Sunday afternoon we’re going to go to a pumpkin patch to pick out a little orange friend… and carve him up… woo…

… you can’t tell me that there is any better fall fun than spending an afternoon at the pumpkin patch… running through a corn maze, sipping apple cider, and hopping on a hay ride… i know you love it because i have seen A MILLION CUTE PICTURES of people’s pumpkin patch trips all over the blogosphere and facebook this month…

… pics from our trip last year… and our carved creations after the jump…

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…TGIFF: October 16, 2009…

…apple dumplings…

… i made these for the first time tuesday night… and it was kind of a poignant moment for me… these are something my grandma made every year growing up… and i had to call her for the recipe earlier that afternoon… this was possibly the sweetest, most wonderful conversation i’ve had with my grandmother, possibly ever- as she passed along her wisdom of many, many years of preparing these treats with love for our family, friends, and usually my college dorm-mates…

… it’s really not even a difficult preparation process… but i could tell it meant the world to her that i wanted to take this tradition and ensure i could keep it… actually, i know it did, because i got a call from my mother- promptly after she got off the phone with my grandmother- who called her promptly after we got off the phone… This is how my family works…

… recipe and additional photos after the jump…

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…T.G.I.F.F.: October 9, 2009…

…this week’s TGIFF is no trick… i promise you it’s a treat…

… so don’t knock it till you try it…

…my favorite fall mix: candy corn and salted peanuts…

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…TGIFF… October 2, 2009

…now that it’s October… we’re not only talkin’ fall… we’re talkin HALLOWEEN…

…and truth be told- i’ve already got my costume… yup, that’s right…

… but that’s not my TGIFF for this week…

…TGIFF because i can curl up with some apple cider… and watch HOCUS POCUS…

…a muck! a muck! a muck! a muck!…

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…T.G.I.F.F.: September 25, 2009…

***boo, i thought i had this on timed post– but it didn’t show… so… sorry! TGIFF on Monday***

…i have to be honest, it’s been a crazy week… and i am REALLY looking forward to the weekend… so i’m in just plain T.G.I.F. mode…

…BUT as for the additional “F”…  i did make my first pumpkin pie of the season this week… and taking the time to bake that was the most relaxing thing i’ve done all week… so that is definitely what i’m celebrating on this fall friday…

…sorry, it’s only a crummy cell phone pic… i snapped it about 30 seconds after the pie came out of the oven… and whisked it off to a pot luck about 30 seconds after that…

…recipe after the jump…

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…T.G.I.F.F. September 18, 2009…

…A PUMPKIN FACIAL…

…ohhhh… doesn’t that sound relaxing, rejuvenating, and just plain delightful…

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…T.G.I.F.F. September 11, 2009…

…this week’s T.G.I.F.F. is football…

… i’m not even a huge football fan… i’m a much advocate of the social aspects of the game…  but there’s just something about Fall… that feels like “football weather”… i feel like i should be pouring hot chocolate into the thermos… bundling up… and going to sit in the stands under the lights on Friday night… or making an absurd amount of pot luck foods to share with friends on Sunday afternoons…

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