peas: one of the first of the summer vegetables. bright green, crisp, delicious. but what to do with pounds and pounds of them? suggestions would be appreciated...
Our Annual Pumpkin Carving Party was a huge success- thank you to Chelsea and Mark for hosting the event this year. Lizzie introduced me to the trick of using a jar lid to scrape out the guts- brilliant! Dave's pumpkin took on a cartoon-ish complexion, and I'm not sure if mine is shreiking or yawning. Either way, these are the faces greeting our trick-or-treaters this Halloween.
Our friend Siqi carved this all too pretty jack-o-lantern... not too shabby for a first-timer, eh? I love the smiling eyes.
WHOO can resist pumpkin carving? not I!
There are only two apples on our apple tree this fall, which is okay since it's just a baby tree. But whenever I look at it, I feel like Eve in the Garden of Eden. Not because my yard is a perfect oasis, but because I feel tempted by these apples- there's one for each of us, just hanging there at arm's length, perfectly ripe and delicious looking. I'm afraid to see what would happen if I partook of the fruit; I think Dave's waiting for me to do it first. Little does he know, if I'm eating so is he!! 
One of the best things about working 3 12-hour shifts in a row is waking up the next morning only to find that Mother Nature has been hard at work herself. This is just a sampling of what I found one morning last week. Don't even get me started on the 50+ tomatoes I picked yesterday. I guess I better stock up on tortilla chips because I can smell some salsa coming any day now...
I also planted parsley a few years ago, and it came back last summer even larger than before. So this summer when I found a big sprouting green plant, I assumed it was the herb coming back yet again. But it didn't have a good, strong parsley scent so I decided to dig it up and replant. As I tried to yank it out of the garden, I realized it wasn't parsley at all, but a pile of carrots! Neither Dave nor I can recall ever planting carrots, but they somehow sprouted up right next to the parsley. All this before June 1? Can't wait to see what else our garden has in store for us this year....
My trusty old Bissell has given up on me, after four years of cleanliness. So the hunt began last week for a replacement. After 2 very disappointing and frustrating trips to walmart, I decided to wise up by visiting my dependable, lovable Target. And yes, they came through for me once again. The Eureka Altima is the coolest- it has a "pet paw" that picks up jo-jo hair better than anything I've ever tried. Plus it has this cool electromagnetic duster that sucks all the dust right off the furniture. Better yet, it was on sale for $70, proving that you don't need to spend $300-400 for a good vacuum (just like you don't need to spend over $100 for a good pair of jeans.) I got the kind of satisfaction today that only a good cleaning product can provide- I haven't been this impressed since I discovered the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. Dave even got excited about it and let's face it- that's a deal breaker ladies!
With warm weather extending well into October this year, we've been able to enjoy our garden for longer than expected. My favorite vegetable we grew would have to be tomatoes (not to mention it's one of the only ones that really thrived.) Sacks full of tomatoes have been taking up most of the refrigerator space, motivating me to make multiple batches of salsa and bruschetta. I love the combined flavors of the yellow and red tomatoes, and I've basically been putting them in everything. This past week, we savored some of the last fruits as we topped some ravioli with the colorful concoction. It actually turned out be be a few ravioli alongside our tomatoes rather than the other way around. But if you ask me, that's how I prefer it. It makes me sad to think I'll be forced to buy tomatoes at the store in just a few short weeks. Until then, bon appetit! 
I recently got the chance to use my new offset spatula for the first time, and I couldn't help but smile as I did so. If you like to frost anything, this is the tool for you! My chocolate zucchini cake turned into a deep brown ice rink as my spatula evened out any ridges or bumps and let the true essence of the buttercream shine through. A big Thank You goes out to the girl who knows me best and would understand just how much joy this tool continues to bring me. Next on the list? A rotating cake stand; every layer cake I make begs for one.
Throughout all my years of baking, I've never owned anything but a hand-held mixer. I love these things and I'm very loyal to them, but sometimes I can't but help dream of a KitchenAid mixer. I've just never forked over the "dough" to get one. Lucky for me, Peg, out of the goodness of her heart, gave me hers. Thanks to Peg (and my new red friend) I can now bake cookies faster, easier, and have a free hand to crack eggs, answer the phone, or grab a fresh cookie hot out of the oven. 
After a cold, gray winter, any sign of color is celebrated.
