A Few Recommendations

Hi, my name is Amber, and I'm a bakeaholic. I know, I know, this is a little deja-vu, but what can I say I have an addictive personality. After baking up a batch of these AMAZING yummy, yummy pumpkin butterscotch cookies last weekend-


I vowed to take a baking break. 1 week, no oven. Easy enough right? Alas, my kitchen was calling me. I hear you kitchen, couldn't give me a rest huh? Well I gave in of course ( like I said addictive personality). So, I give you recommendation #1: Listen to your kitchen. Embrace your love of pumpkin. Bake these cookies ASAP (you can thank me later).

Plus I have a brand new addiction that needed some love, my apron. Of course I've had an apron for a while but I just recently got this new baby. After ordering one for my friend Grace as a wedding gift I had to have my own. Ahhh, but how to make an apron match my personality? You find an awesome, creative Etsy seller who will help find the perfect material and make you something adorable like this...

Recommendation #2: Keep things around that make you happy. Look cute while you cook. Above all else go quickly to http://www.sweetmelissa0901.etsy.com/ (or look up Sew Adorable) and ask Melissa to make you something that is guaranteed to make you smile.

So, back to my lack of ability to handle my addictions. I did it, I baked. I'll let you in on a little secret people, I will never be one of those skinny girls. Reason being, I love food. I don't mean I like food, I eat it because I have to, I mean I LOVE food. I love to cook it, bake it, eat it, research it. Love. So, I will take weight proportionate to height any day if it means I get to have yummy treats like these-

Imagine my surprise when I went to find my recipe for chocolate chip pumpkin bread and it was MISSING?! (note to self , just sticking your recipes into the organizer willy nilly is a very good way to loose them) So I decided to seek inspiration on the Internet and found these chocolate chip pumpkin muffins. Yum! Recommendation #3: Find some inspiration. I usually get mine from here, here, here and here. Hopefully I inspired you to bake these muffins. (note, if you do make these. I cut the white sugar by 1/8 of a cup and added an 1/8 of a cup of brown sugar. I also added and extra 1/4 a tsp. of the cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves)

Recommendation #4: Enjoy your weekends. They go by too fast. Clearly they are better when you add something baked, something cute, a little inspiration, a few pictures and anything pumpkin flavored.

You know what is not funny?

Waiting in the Chinese visa office for 2 hours only to be told that they refuse to process a visa on a non-US passport. Really?? Really.

Folks, this is DC. There are probably a lot of non-Americans "per capita" here. And also, you have done it the last 4 times, your website says you do it, there are even fees for it. Please do not lie to my face and waste my time. It makes me cranky and that waiting room smells bad.

Plus, I didn't have my coffee. You suck. And I'll see you again tomorrow.

YAY for FALL!!!

It's finally here people, the season I have been waiting for, it's Fall! It is wake up in morning and grab a jacket weather. It is also "I can't figure out what to put on in the morning" weather (does it make sense to wear a sweater and flip flops?). I have started to notice one of my favorite sights in the whole wide world, changing leaves. This was followed by two more of my favorite things- parent teacher conferences and a three day weekend. Why would I enjoy parent teacher conferences you may ask? It gives me two days to have a break. Don't get me wrong, I love my job, but sometimes I need a day or two to regroup. A day or two where no one is expecting me to be on and peppy and the supreme problem solver. So after my super conferences were over and I was feeling pretty confident (funny how a few nice comments from parents can make me feel like I'm on cloud nine) I headed home to start my weekend. I tired to cram as many of the things I love into one weekend, and managed to do a pretty good job of it. So, step #1- Go to the movies. Julie & Julia was cute and made me wanna start cooking at 11:30 at night (don't worry, I didn't) Step #2-get my bake on. That's right I took a trip to the grocery store and bought no less than 4 cans of pumpkin (because it is the season and one should always have emergency break glass pumpkin around) and a few bags of chocolate chips. Nothing says fall to me like the smell of something baking in my oven. I busted out a batch of these (and I have to say, they are kick ass)...

Then I got to spend an entire evening by myself, relaxing. I was greatly rewarded by this out my window-

It looked like this, AND it was chilly outside- heaven. Step #3- Hiking!!!!!! Old Rag round two for Becca and I. The weather was prefect for hiking, the views were insane and the rock scrambles were awesome. I will not even try to say that I'm not a little sore, but it was 100% worth it. I would do that hike every weekend. Might I add that I think hikers are just such nice people. We had quite a few nice little chats along the way, and I am very greatful to the nice guy that lent me a hand in tackling a rock that was a little too tall for either Becca or I to tackle solo. So, here is a little taste...
We finished the hike and headed down to Charlottesville for the night to hang out with Mike. Had a little Mexican food, a few laughs, and some more chilly weather. Nice. The drive home was filled with lots more of one of my favorite sights...
I know it won't last for long, but I'll take every bit of fall I can get.