Staycation-ing


I can see snow in the mountains!  Winter is here!  I was planning to hike today but the blustering winds and ominous clouds encouraged a stay-inside-drink-coffee-read-books type of day, which was greatly welcomed after a long three weeks at work.  I have been house sitting this week for our good friends vacationing in Hawaii, which made my schedule doubly busy, but also provided me with the perfect opportunity for a staycation.  (Staycation: "A neologism for a period in which an individual or family stays and relaxes at home, possibly taking day trips to area attractions.  Staycationers achieved popularity in the US during the financial crisis.")  In between dog walking and attempted cat befriending, I relaxed in my pajamas, read magazines, and finished up some crochet projects.  Here are some pretty things I made:

My first afghan!

Close-up

Kua approves

Slouchy hat in Golden Rod

Slouchy hat in Cranberry
Cowl

Pot handle sleeve

Pot holder

Man hat

My baking kick continues as well.  When life hands you overly ripe bananas, make banana bread!   As an aside, if I were ever stranded on an island with only one food to eat for the rest of my life, I would choose banana bread.  My absolute favorite banana bread recipe is the one my mom always used when we were growing up.  It’s from the Beard on Bread book by James Beard.  (He also has a Beard on Pasta book, which doesn’t quite have the same ring to it, but you gotta love a man who knows the key to a woman’s heart: carbs.)  Recipe: Banana Bread


I also made some banana biscotti with a recipe I found on a cereal box, which Kua thought was a special treat for her as a reward for not chewing up anything expensive this week.  Recipe: Banana Biscotti    

I wish mine turned out this well.  I also wish I had dishes in this color.

Tomorrow I’m working on some pumpkin cheesecake cake to practice for Thanksgiving, and whipping up my favorite Mocha Cupcakes with Espresso Buttercream Frosting from one of my favorite blogs.  This recipe is amazing and turns out perfectly every time!  

Recipe: Pumpkin Cheesecake Cake 



Recipe: Mocha Cupcakes 




My staycation ends this afternoon, then it's back to normal life.  I am optimistic about hiking tomorrow and seeing the season's first snow!

Comments

  1. KatieNovember 11, 2012 at 3:48 PM

    I recently compared the comfort derived from wearing my slouchy hat a-la-Betsy to how I feel about having Barack as my president. Needless to say it's my favorite addition to my winter wardrobe :).

    ReplyDelete

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