not too busy for dessert

pecan pie and pumpkin pie

pumpkin ice cream

my mom's apple pie

marshmallows with sweet potatoes

raspberry and nutella crepes

Devonshire cheesecake with raspberry compote

One word describes my week

...

BUSY!

But,

I am not too busy for desserts.

This week I am busy writing final papers,

reading

and

drinking copious amounts of tea and coffee.

My study breaks consist of yoga

and

of course catching up on your blogs

OH

and eating my new favorite snack

...

crackers with sharp cheddar and raspberry preserves

...

DIVINE!!

BISOUS!!

on holiday

These past couple of days 

were filled with 

laughter, 

family,

 crisp cool air,

 playing frisbee,

warm holiday drinks,

scrabble,

wine,

 cooking, 

baking till 2am,

 eating

 and 

watching numerous movies 

... 

When Harry Met Sally

 was my personal favorite. 

Just checking in for a quick blog post 

and

 wanted to say Bonjour to new readers 

and of course

 hello to the rest of you!! 

How was your holiday? 

Bisous!

in charge of desserts

Desserts

 ... 

I'm in charge of making desserts for Thanksgiving.

 I've gone back and forth on the menu

 but

 I think it is finally set: 

a bourbon pecan pie paired with pumpkin ice cream,

 a cheesecake,

 and

 a traditional pumpkin pie. 

I must say I am partial to pecan pie.

 ... 

 I love the taste and with a tried and true recipe my pecan pie is golden.

 I won't be blogging for a couple of days

 so,

 have a wonderful Thanksgiving!! 

What will you be up to? 

Where will you be going?

 What will you be eating?

 And,

 what holiday traditions do you have? 

Bisous!

in the garden

in the garden

winter approaches

the light shines through

snapping photos with a friend

my muse

delicate

an overall calm

My weekend started out with a photo adventure with a sweet friend.

  We grabbed our cameras and headed out for an afternoon of admiring,

 snapping photos

 and

 appreciating one of the many gardens on our campus.

  The weather was perfect

 ...

 cool,

 crisp,

 not too sunny 

and an overall calm illuminated the garden. 

 Even though I do love when I capture something beautiful,

 what I love even more

 is documenting a mood,

 a feeling and texture of a given day. 

 After a day of taking photos,

 I came home and made chocolate chip cookies,

 drank some tea and caught up on my reading

 (break is on the horizon). 

Yesterday,

 my running shoes hit the wet pavement

 and my lungs were filled with good,

 cool crisp air 

as Marc and I ran our favorite race

 ... 

The Davis Turkey Trot.

 My cousin joined us and we could not have been happier

 as it was her first run.

 Afterwards, 

we grabbed breakfast, 

enjoyed white mochas,

 and then hurried home for Chili Verde,

fresh corn tortillas,

 rice and beans.

 My Abuelita outdid herself. 

This weekend was just what I needed

 ... 

a weekend that was refreshing,

 simple

 and 

one filled with gratitude. 

What were you up to this weekend?

 Bisous!

always

driving to Portland

in the car

a trip with my love

The Ace Hotel

snacks

it is all in the details

bliss: Stumptown in the hotel

what our mornings looked like

stopping in Ashland for a treat

taking it all in 

Always pack up your car and drive somewhere new ... (Portland for example)

Always bring your camera ... it never leaves my side

Always make a stop for a sweet treat and while eating it DO NOT COUNT calories

Always stay at THE ACE HOTEL in Portland or at least once ... I must say that one of the "perks"  is that Stumptown coffee is in the hotel 

Always take a road trip with someone you love ... you would be surprised what happens when you are in a car for over 14 something hours ... a true relationship test

Always admire the sites and make sure to take it all in ... one of my favorite things about driving 

Happy Soon to be Weekend!

Bisous!

sometimes

raspberry mornings

before the oven

using my new lens

the crumble is key

straight from the oven

a cup of tea and a muffin

Sometimes sleeping in is a must.

Sometimes changing a favorite recipe is just what I need.

Sometimes I like raspberries over blueberries.

Sometimes I skip my morning run to make muffins.

Sometimes I put way too much sugar in my tea,

and 

Sometimes I bake muffins if only for the smell to linger in my home.

chocolate croissants and clothes

making chocolate peanut butter cups

adding the peanut butter

chocolate croissants on a Friday night

prepping for chocolate croissant bread pudding

cream and vanilla

strawberries and raspberries

a must have with cheese

of course

always

slices of bread

blue cheese

brie and gruyere

a drizzle of honey

chocolate peanut butter cups

dessert and breakfast: 

 chocolate croissant bread pudding

a mimosa with a raspberry

admiring the goodies

swapping

friends and family

On Saturday,

 I invited a couple of friends over for brunch and a clothes SWAP.

 We all enjoyed several mimosas,

 copious amounts of food

 and

 found some sweet finds

 ...

 the saying holds true,

  One woman's trash is another woman's treasure.

 I took several days to plan the brunch menu

 and

 went entirely all out. 

The one thing I care about doing right is 

FOOD

 and 

making good food. 

So, the menu:

chocolate croissant bread pudding 

(I made fresh chocolate croissants on Friday and made the bread pudding 

on Saturday morning)

blueberry muffins (my go to recipe ... I also made these Saturday morning)

sun dried tomato and zucchini strata (I prepared this Friday night)

chocolate peanut butter cups 

(this was my first attempt at candy and they were so easy to make)

strawberry and raspberry salad with a powdered sugar drizzle

green salad with tomatoes, goat cheese and avocado

 Marc also made his signature homemade pizza ... 

thyme, gruyere cheese, red onions and prosciutto.

So, Saturday came and went

and,

 as my friends left with bags filled to the brim with clothes,

 full stomachs

 and

 smiles on their faces

 I thought:

 a brunch and swap party will definitely be an annual thing.

How was your weekend?

  Have you swapped clothes before? 

Bisous!