The countdown begins...

Well, I have to admit I slacked off a bit in preparation for Thanksgiving, so I have to get you all up to speed. I just got back this morning from 5 days in Canton with my family to celebrate the holidays. I didn't get a chance to see anyone, we stayed pretty busy, but I'll be back at Christmas as well and hope to see more of you when I get back. So we had a late start leaving Peoria and I got back to Denver around 11:15am this morning. Just in time to hit LOLA for brunch with Dan. It is such a great place. I have to admit that it's not quite the same when the outdoor patio is closed. It was pretty cold here today and some snow on the ground. But the big news for those of you who haven't heard is my trip to the Big Apple!!! I'm counting down the days until we go. 3 days of work. I know they will be long. 5 1/2 days in New York City at Christmas time. I can't wait. I have a list a mile long of places to go, things to see, food to eat, etc. etc. But one of the biggest things to celebrate is my luck in scoring some tickets to see a taping of ...you guessed it! The Martha Show!!!! Holy crap. Two brushes with Martha in one year. I'm not holding out too much hope for this meeting, I think it will take one more (3rd times a charm) before she realizes she needs me in her organization. Anyway, December is shaping up to be a big, busy month. I did manage to put up a few Christmas decorations last weekend, so that is taken care of. I've got a few new recipes to share, but I will have to finalize and test them one more time before I send it out. Hope you are all having fun in preparation for the upcoming holiday season. Enjoy it, and don't stress out. I'll have lots to share when I get back from New York. See you soon.

Back from Salt Lake and ready to nest...

We finished up opening the store in Salt Lake on Thursday and I headed back to Denver for at least a few weeks. Glad to be back, I spent most of the weekend hanging out around the house. I did a little exercise, did some grocery shopping, etc., but mostly just appreciated the luxury of having nothing particular to do. The weather here has been unseasonable, it was approaching 80 degrees today, but when walking at the park today with the path covered in fallen leaves, it is very evident that the seasons are changing and we are entering one of my favorite times of the year. Back home I started making plans and arrangements for my visits to Illinois over the holidays. I started pulling recipes that I don't want to forget to take with me, made a rough draft of a Christmas gift list, started thinking about the design of this years Christmas card, and considered the logistics of perhaps throwing myself a little happy big 4-0 birthday party when I'm back over Christmas. I haven't really talked myself into that one yet, but I will keep you all posted and give details if I do in fact decide to do it. As I searched through the recipe collection, I ran across one of my favorites. I remember my mom making this Apple Pudding many fall evenings to enjoy as a snack after dinner. It is so good served warm with some fresh whipped cream.

Apple Pudding

1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cups sugar
1 egg, well beaten
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup nuts, chopped
3 or 4 apples, peeled and diced

In a large bowl, combine butter, sugar and eggs. Add the dry ingredients. Stir well to combine. Add the diced apples and nuts and blend. Pour into a lightly sprayed 8 x 8 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.