The Colors of Fall

How many colors belong in the palette for fall foliage?

This past weekend, as H.H. and I drove back to D.C. from a beautiful wedding of dear friends in Buffalo, New York, that was the question on my mind.  For about 5 hours we drove through the Allegheny Mountains in PA and the colors were G.O.R.G.E.O.U.S.  And it was such a pleasant surprise, for all the time I've spent in my beloved Pennsylvania (including lots of hours of driving) I was not familiar with this drive so it was fun to see some new sights!

We found an absolutely quaint and picture perfect roadside stop where we picked up some pumpkins.  It was soooooooo beautiful.  That's probably annoying and obnoxious to read, huh?  I mean, really how many "o"s do I need?  Well, try spending anytime in nature with me...every single o is needed for emphasis!

The best part, though? 2 large pumpkins, 3 small pumpkins, 5 gourds, and 3 ears of fall corn...all for $17!

So I was just going to post 1 picture, but the colors are just too vibrant and gorgeous not too share.  And I'm starting to learn how to be all artsy-fartsy with my photography!  Really though, how many colors can you pick out on this palette?

 

 

 
 

Have a wonderful fall!  



I am obsessed with the new panoramic photo feature on the latest iOS 6 software (did I say that right?).  It's just so cool!  And to think such a small device is such an incredible camera. 

I took this photo tonight while on my evening jog.  *Side note - since I mention running/working out several times in this blog, one would think I am in super shape and work out every day - don't let that fool you!

The grandeur of the Capitol on a beautiful evening still gets me.  It's such a magnificent symbol of the greatest of our Nation and her people.  But we can't ignore that our culture and principles of our founding are under attack. 

Which reminds me that we need to P.R.A.Y.  With each breath we take.  I once read an interview in which Billy Graham said that his one regret in life was that he didn't pray enough.  Wow, if Billy Graham thinks that - convicting!  But true.

Let's all call on Him in truth.

On Campus

 

Afraid to oversleep.

 

Can't eat much for breakfast because of the knot in my throat.

 

Butterflies in my stomach.

 

Muscles tightening.

 

Fear of finishing last...

 

These were the recurring feelings I felt for four straight years in late August at the first day of "training camp" for the Grove City College women's soccer team.  The very first event was a timed mile run on the daunting track.  You see, soccer players run sprints and long-distance runs - not track - so those laps, with our coaches standing by with a stop-watch, were s.c.a.r.y.  Not too mention, for the last three years, worrying that one of the new freshmen would beat me!  Okay, that happened...my sister :)

 

These emotions rushed back to me as I went for a *jog* on the track at Bowling Green State University in Ohio while on a work trip.  It's been FIVE years since my last soccer season, and NINE since my first season at the Grove - WOW. 

 

It was a gorgeous end-of-summer-autumn-is-approaching evening.  Athletes practicing football and soccer were spread across the field like the numerous clouds in the sky - I could close my eyes and feel like I was back on the field at Grove City, grinding through a long run, tough drills, 120s (sprint after sprint after 120 yard sprint - yeah, not fun).  Somehow I came away with a few practice pics like this one - yes, that's me - sweaty, bloody-kneed, and yes, chunkier, I know.  It was *muscle*.

 

 

GOOD memories.  I had one of those ah-ha moments to remember to treasure every season in life, and not just be fixated on the next.  Women, (ahem, me) are sooooo prone to do that.  How appropriate that I just read Ecclesiastes 3 - "There is an appointed time for everything.  And there is a time for every event under heaven."

 

Oh, and I'm happy to report, I've still got that competitive spirit - clocked my mile at 8:45! And now my body is a-hurtin'. Happy to just reflect on those 3-a-day practice memories for now :)

 

Some gorgous pictures from an early September Grove City game, circa 2007.

One Cupcake to Rule them All

Amazingly, within 90 minutes on a rainy day in DC, we gathered our bounty:

If you missed my earlier post about our great D.C. cupcake challenge, click HERE.  Moving swiftly, we then displayed each cupcake for a feast of the eyes:

After a sliver of almost every one (I swear, only a sliver!), here is the order of our favorites:
Tied for 1st - Sprinkles and Baked and Wired
3 - Georgetown Cupcakes
4- Hello Cupcake
5 - Red Velvet
6 - Crumbs

I had 2 favorites  - a spice cake with espresso icing from Baked and Wired, and this glorious delight - peanut butter chocolate chip with peanut butter icing and chocolate sprinkles, from Sprinkles.  One word - D - Vine.

Now for this week, I will need to do 10 hours of yoga, a full day of spinning, and how many crunches to burn all this goodness off...????

At least we only ate salad for lunch and dinner! 

Okay, hopefully you're not ready to run out the door to the nearest cup cakery, or start baking yourself, but I'm sure you're probably thinking...if I were stranded on a deserted island, which cupcake could I live off of forever...?

For me, now I know!

Preparing for a Sugar Overdose

This will be brief but I just want to set the stage for an epic journey that starts tomorrow...my lovely sister is returning to the Distric and told me that she really wanted a cupcake this weekend.  I had to laugh, becuase I thought - I think that every day!

I assured her we'd make this happen and then began thinking about which bakery we'd go to...there's many to choose from in the Nation's Capital!

I couldn't come up with a firm decision, and that's when the thought struck - why not go to Every.Single.One. 

So here's our plan - we are going to pick up <1> cupcake from each of the most popular places in D.C. - we'll quarter them, have a bite of each, and then....we will truly be able to judge the BEST cupcake in D.C.  Yes, so I know this is not scientific, but it will be delicious.  And we won't have to waste our time eating inferior cupcakes in the future because we will know our FAVORITE place.

So this is what the list looks like:
Georgetown Cupcakes
Sprinkles
Hello Cupcake
Baked and Wired
Crumbs
The Sweet Lobby
Red Velvet

If I've forgotten one, let me know!

And of course, I'll share our experience, after we recover from our sugar overdose...!

Chocolate Raspberry Bourbon Brownies

Photos by B.G

I L.O.V.E. chocolate.  Who doesn't?  And fresh-picked raspberries? They are a sweet summer delight! Oh, and Handsome Hubby (let's forever after refer to him, as H.H, k?) loves him his bourbon.  I don't, but it adds some nice flavor to a dessert!

I modified a choc-p.b. recipe (I know, my favorite combo, but like I said, the fresh-picked raspberries couldn't go to waste) by using a simple raspberry sauce.

I took these to 2 different dinner parties in one weekend (shhh!), and they were a big hit - ENJOY!

RASPBERRY SAUCE:

1 cup of fresh (or frozen) raspberries
1 1/2 tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 c. water
1/3 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 tbsp. bourbon (my addition)

In a small saucepan stir together cornstarch and sugar. Add water and the raspberries.  Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until mixture begins to boil. Cook mixture for an additional minute, then remove form heat. Stir in vanilla and bourbon. Let stand until cooled.

 

Did I also mention cream cheese?

 

CHOCOLATE RASPBERRY BOURBON BROWNIES

 

Ingredients:

• your favorite brownie batter
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened (can be light)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 eggs
• RASPBERRY SAUCE
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons cream or milk

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Prepare the brownie batter and spread into a greased 8×8 baking dish.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese, eggs, and sugar. Add the raspberry sauce, adding the cream as necessary to make the mixture more smooth. The consistency should be thick, but smooth enough to easily mix with the electric mixer. Add the vanilla and salt.
3. Pour mixture over brownie batter and marble with a knife.
4. Bake for 40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

          (I'd personally recommend underbaking!)

West Coast Trek

Psalm 90:2—"Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God."


America is FILLEd with works of creation that sing of the creativity and beauty of our great God.  While I'm partial to life on the East Coast, the...3?...times I've been to the West Coast, I have LOVED soaking in the scenery.  On a quick trip to Oregon for a dear friend's wedding, I visited Multnomah Falls - 611 feet of cascading water with the most precious viewing bridge.  And oh yeah, we hiked to the top - let's just say my glutes have been sore for days!

What is AWESOME to think about - that water has been falling for ages - LONG before I walked this earth.  And yet, even before that, our incredible God knew me, and had orchestrated His plans for my life.  The good and the bad - it's all in His hands. 



Photo by B.G, 8/6/12

In Praise of Podcasts

The combination of getting out of work "early" (6:00!), my new PINK exercise shirt, and beautiful evening for a run, made my night just lovely!  My workouts have been transformed by the discovery of the podcast.  I've downloaded tons of sermons from R.C. Sproul and our very own Lon Solomon and I can be infused with God's word and the wisdom of great leaders while I get my body in shape...LOVE technology in this case!

Tonight, as I ran past the Capitol, wondering what the fate is for our beloved country, wondering how much longer I'll be working there, and even why God gave me this job in the first place, the Lord, through Pastor Lon was speaking to me - about His omniscience.  It's always a good thing to be reminded that our God is omniscient: "having complete or unlimited knowledge, awareness, or understanding; perceiving all things."  Taking that to heart is freeing on so many levels!  I don't have to worry about the future of America - he's got the whole world in his hands.  No need to fret about future employment - he's preparing me and my path for that.  And I can take heart in the face of a difficult situation - God had it planned before my birth and its for a purpose.  I just need to be obedient in trusting Him to show me His way.

Okay, so I may not have had the most hard core work-out b/c I was so focused on the good word I was hearing, but oh well!  Edification is good for the soul.  And at least I had my pink shirt on :)

Let's cling to Romans 8:28 - "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

Looks like a delicious blackberry pie with a little Americana flair - notice the USA cutout in the middle? Well, I have a lot to learn. On my first attempt at photo-cooking-blogging, my dessert was a temporary failure. Frustrating! 6 hours gone and lots of dishes to be cleaned. I guess I know what to do differently next time. While tiring, I do find the cooking/baking process therapeutic - I feel comforted by my creative juices flowing. And when you're given lemons...make lemonade, right?! Actually, I believe that the blackberry mixture - salvaged - may just be perfect for another dessert. Can anyone say, cheesecake...?

Trust and Obey, There is No Other Way

Mary, the mother of Jesus, is an absolutely incredible portrait of trust and obedience. It was awesome to dig down deep into her character and life over December and January as we celebrated the birth of our Savior. Mary DECIDED to obey God when she willingly accepted the role as Mom to Jesus, despite having to deal with the stigma of being an unwed mother, and all the trials that would go along with his life. And yes, it was a conscious decision she made, but we know that she must have lived a godly lifestyle - what a witness at such a young age! - because she was highly favored by God. WOW. So it was natural inclination to obey.

That's a powerful example to me. I need to be cultivating a life of obedience. What does that mean? Daily prayer and meditation and studying of the Word. And daily DECISIONS to obey - not speaking a bad word about someone at work, not worrying over something silly, offering encouragement to a friend when it's inconvenient for me.

And right along with Mary's obedience, was her steadfast TRUST in GOd. Even when the decision to obey comes naturally, a lot of trust is needed on top of that. I am certain Mary must have experienced fear and doubt when Jesus was turned on by his own people and sent to the Cross. But she trusted that when God told her he was the Messiah, that he was true to that.

I know the promises of God's Word, I just need to trust more! Ultimately, I know that nothing can every separate me from his love, and that he is directing my paths. Perhaps I should memorize the words of that great hymn, Trust and Obey, there is no other way and sing it to the Lord when those daily trials arise!