You knew it was coming!

This post was a lot of fun to put together. After compiling the most popular dessert recipes of 2011, here’s what I found:

You guys go crazy for:

• Anything NO BAKE!
• Quick & easy
• Chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate
• Chewy, crunchy things
• Peanut butter AND chocolate
• Short ingredient lists
• Healthy blizzards (1, 2, and 3)
• Bite-sized
• Healthy “dessert-like” snacks (see end of post for list)
• Cookie dough galore
• Classic desserts made vegan
• Balls, balls, balls

What kind of desserts did you love the most? Or maybe you want to let me know about a non-vegan dessert that you’d like to see “veganized” in 2012? Let me know in the comments below and I will add it to my list.

Here are the top 21 dessert recipes that you drooled over, indulged in, raved about, and baked (or didn’t bake) the most in 2011…

21. Peanut Butter and Jam Nanaimo Bars (a personal fav of mine & also no bake)

20. Sinless Sticky Toffee Pecan Pudding

19. 5-Ingredient Almond Butter Chews & Almond Butter Rice Crisp Treats (tied)

18. 5-Ingredient No Bake Date Squares

17. Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Spiced Doughnuts

16. Rustic Chocolate Chip Banana Cake

15. Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream

14. Brownie Pumpkin Pie with a Crunchy Pecan Topping &  Pumpkin Pie Brownie Cupcakes

13. Itty Bitty Carrot Cake Cookies

12. Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

11. Vegan and Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies- the crispers!

10. No Bake Double Chocolate Torte

9. Healthy Strawberry Oat Squares

8. Vegan Pumpkin Pie, three ways (with gluten-free crust option)

7. Dense, gooey, flakey Vegan Brownies, two ways (with killer gluten-free version!)

6. No Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Crispies with “Fudge”

5. 80-calorie No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies 

4. Pumpkin Gingerbread with Spiced Buttercream

3. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Blizzard 

2. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls 

1. Double Chocolate Torte (I would have to agree with the #1 pick, although I’m partial to the no bake version too)

This torte photo was clearly before I learned how to white balance my photos…heh

If you are looking for a lighter treat, check out some of the healthier recipes below:

• Itty Bitty Carrot Cake Cookies
• Healthy Strawberry Oat Squares
• Rustic Chocolate Chip Banana Cake
• 80-calorie No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls + Blizzard
• 5-Ingredient Almond Butter Chews & Almond Butter Rice Crisp Treats
• 5-Ingredient No Bake Date Squares (high in natural sugars, but uses all natural ingredients)
• Almond Butter Rice Crisp Treats

On that note, I see carrot cake cookies in my future…

Not many people know that I’m a former stats geek.

During my 2nd year of my undergrad program, I was absolutely terrified to take my first stats course. I thought I was going to fail, thus shattering my dreams of going to grad school. As it turned out, I ended up falling in love with (most) of my stats courses, studied my butt off, and excelled in them. I surprised myself because I’m not normally a math person, but stats appeal to me because they tell a story! Stats have a hook.

I realized that the Best of 2011 recap posts are like a mini research project for me. It’s fun to see what types of recipes you guys love the most!

This breakfast round-up comes at a good time because my breakfasts were all over the place while on holiday. I was eating random things like dinner leftovers, odds and ends (read: cookies), and sometimes I forgot to pack enough breakfast food while away and got by on random pieces of fruit. It wasn’t ideal and didn’t leave me with bursting energy.

My goal for this week is to get into a normal breakfast routine again and back on the Green Monster train!

15. Glowing Sunshine Juice 

14. Stacked Strawberry Shortcake Pancakes

13. Pumpkin Gingerbread Smoothie

12. Healthy Blueberry Breakfast Muffins

11. Peanut Butter Swirl Pancakes

10. Comforting Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal 

9. Raw Buckwheat Breakfast Porridge

8. Make-Ahead Steel Cut Oatmeal for 4 breakfasts + 4 new recipes

7. Sweet Potato Oatmeal Breakfast Casserole 

6. Lightened Up Granola

5. Apple Pie Oatmeal 

4. 12 Vegan Overnight Oat Parfait recipes

3. Carrot Cake Oatmeal 

2. Vegan Overnight Oats recipes were very popular such as The classic recipe, Blueberry Banana Pie, PB and Jam, and Carob Banana Chia

and the #1 breakfast recipe of the year goes to…

1. Classic Green Monster!

and the honourable mention award goes to…

Chocolate Cake Batter Smoothie!

What types of breakfast recipes would you like to see more of in 2012?

The last week in December is one of my favourite times of the entire year.

Everything slows down. It’s eerily quiet. The normal traffic has vanished. Snow falls from the sky and glistens on the trees.

Eric’s home early from work.  We have impromptu get togethers with friends. I feel proud when I’m able to peel myself from the couch and go for a run.

I have hot showers and eat cookies straight from the freezer.

I drink too much wine and get hangovers.

We torture ourselves with Big Holiday Crossword puzzles.

We watch hockey.

Sketchie warms our legs while we watch movies.

We stay up too late.

I have this undeniable urge to organize my pantry.

I wear clogs Crocs in the snow to take pictures because I’m too lazy to put on boots.

We make a fire or two.

I take some time off work when I feel like it, which is often. Other times, I’m inspired to sit down with a hot cup of tea and write. There isn’t pressure to accomplish much if I don’t want to.

The last week of the year reminds me that it’s a good thing to occasionally just do “nothing”.

A real good thing.

And sometimes the biggest accomplishment of the day is to sit down to a home cooked meal with loved ones.

12) Vegan Shepherd’s Pie with Gravy

11) High Protein Tortilla Pizzas 

10) Naughty and Nice Vegan Enchilada Casserole

9) Olive Oil Pasta with Walnuts, Lentils, and Red Peppers

8.) Roasted Tomato Basil Pesto 

7) Easy Tomato Barley Risotto 

6) Vegan Enchiladas with Cilantro Avocado Cream Sauce

5) Ultimate Vegan Lentil Walnut Loaf 

4) Butternut Squash Mac ‘n Cheeze 

3) Our Perfect Veggie Burger

2) Black Bean and Butternut Squash Burritos 

1) 15-Minute Creamy Avocado Pasta 

Here’s to making the last week of the year whatever you want it to be!

I hope you are all enjoying your weekend so far! Do you have snow where you are? Nothing here….and very strange!

Thank you for your kind words about my Grandpa in my last post. My family appreciates it so much. We had a great visit with him on Friday and he seems to be doing a bit better than he was earlier in the week. When I asked him how he was doing, he looked at me with a smile and said, “I’m on the mend!” and he was joking with the nurse and very much himself. He hasn’t had much of an appetite, but he loved the Nutcracker cookies I made him. That made me happy.

I ended up baking a couple more batches and giving them as gifts to family this weekend. Eric was not happy to see all the cookies go to another home…

Well, I think it’s time to open some gifts. My niece and nephew have been up since 4:30am, so we’re pretty much torturing them with the wait.

Looking for a little gift inspiration this holiday season?

I’ve put together a list of some of my favourite products as well as products I have on my own wish list. Whether you are a foodie, avid cook, fashionista, or man looking for some ideas for the lady in your life, I hope this list gives you a few ideas…all under $55.

I think it probably goes without saying, but this post is not sponsored by any business or brand and reflect my own opinions, as always.

Shall we begin?

Kitchen Products

1. OXO Products (around $5 each)

I’ve raved about OXO before and I’m doing it again. I have yet to be disappointed by one of their kitchen gadgets. For the low cost (roughly $5 per gadget), they can’t be beat. I have a snap-lock can opener, citrus juicer, and apple divider that work great time and time again no matter how much my dishwasher beats them up.

2. 6 piece bowl set from Crate and Barrel for $53

I’ve been coveting this beautiful bowl set at C&B for a long time and I finally decided to put it on my wish list this year. The bowls are not only appealing to the eye, but they’ve received great reviews on the website!

3. Glass food storage- durable and eco-friendly! Such as this one from Crate & Barrel for $7-$10 each.

Apparently, Costco also carries Snapware glass storage containers for less (in the US), but not sure about Canadian stores.

4. Immersion blender (starting around $30)

I asked you guys for suggestions on my Facebook page, and here’s what you said.

5. Stainless Steel Grapefruit spoon ($4, Crate and Barrel)

6. Microplane Classic Grater/Zester ($21 from Amazon)

I tend to zest a lot of citrus fruits and the Microplane zester never lets me down. It has a super long blade that grates in both directions for quick zesting and it is also useful for shaving chocolate, and spices (like cinnamon sticks or nutmeg).

7. Silpat baking mat (starting at $20 from Amazon)

The Silpat is amazing for a non-stick surface when rolling dough or lining a baking sheet.

Veg-friendly reading

8. Veg News Magazine Subscription (tree-free version too!)

9. Blissful Bites by Christy Morgan

I recently received this Blissful Bites vegan cookbook by Christy Morgan and I was blown away by it. The recipes are easily the most unique and creative I’ve come across in a vegan cookbook. The recipes I’ve tried out have been delicious and I look forward to trying more. A++++++

Clothing for Her

10. Patterned or textured tights & hose.

Patterned hose are hot right now and they are so fun to wear with a holiday dress. I love these patterned hose by Commando…it’s the only dig-free hose I have come across and they come in a variety of patterns.

11. Mitts/gloves from Urban Outfitters ($20)

I picked up a pair of these gloves (in black) while in NYC and fell in love with them. They are easily the warmest (while still being quite sleek) gloves that I own! They have a ton of different gloves and mitts to choose from.

12. Eternity Scarves (varies, this one is $35 from Etsy)

[source]

Nothing is more cozy than a cable knit eternity scarf! I love the look of this one by Lisa Marie.

13. Apron from Anthropologie ($32)

I adore Anthro aprons. They have a wide variety of colours and patterns and they are sleek while still giving appropriate coverage while baking. If you can make it in to a store, they have a lot more variety (including holiday aprons) compared to their online selection.

14. Classic long-sleeved, v-neck, pre-shrunk white shirt by Ellen Tracy (Costco, $10)

I fell in love with this long-sleeved v-neck white shirt by Ellen Tracy (sorry, I couldn’t find a picture). Not only is it Canadian made, but it’s soft and pre-shrunk too. All for $9.99! I’m not sure if it’s in the US, but it’s in Canadian stores now.

15. Cable or knit sweater wraps (starting around $25)

                                                                                              [source]

I love sweater wraps because they are cute and great for layering. Depending on the temperature, you can pair them with tees, long-sleeved shirts, or fitted sweaters. This grey wrap is by Dex.

Food

16. Alter Eco Fair-Trade Mint Chocolate Bar

I recently tried this chocolate bar from Whole Foods in NYC and it blew me away. The chocolate is dark without being bitter and the peppermint sugar is a fun surprise in each bite. It’s definitely my favourite mint chocolate bar that I’ve tried.

17. One Lucky Duck treats (starting around $5)

Eric and I fell in love with One Lucky Duck’s Chocolate Macaroons ($13). I also loved their Chocolate Chip Cookies and Cinnamon Buckwheat Crispies.

18. Vanilla beans

[source]

Vanilla beans are such a luxury…a luxury that I often don’t bother to spend money on. That’s why they make a wonderful gift because most people don’t buy vanilla beans on a regular basis!

PS- rumor has it you can score vanilla beans at Costco for around $12 for a package of 8. Thanks to Becca for the tip.

19. High-quality dried herbs and spices, such as smoked paprika or saffron threads

High quality herbs and spices make a wonderful holiday gift for the foodie in your life! Then, they can invite your over to dinner to enjoy the meal.

20. Gourmet flavoured olive oil (I love garlic and herb infused olive oils)

21. Sweet & Sara Vegan Toasted Coconut Marshmallows or S’mores

22. Homemade Pumpkin Butter or homemade Maple Cinnamon Almond Butter with Hemp, Flax, and Chia Seed

In other news, we’re still using a gift wrap roll from Costco purchased in 2007!! I don’t see us finishing it anytime soon either. Our family always jokes that they know the gifts from us because they recognize the wrapping paper. Eric and I placed bets on when we’ll finish it. I said 2017 and he said 2015…may the best spouse win.

Sketchie also wants you to know that he has already started his Christmas tree climbing…

and so it begins.

After rolling ourselves (and luggage) to the airport, we slowed down our rushed pace of the city and headed to the West Coast for a couple nights. Eric and I dream of living on the West Coast some day…it’s on our bucket list. We’ve been planning a visit to So Cal for about a year now, so when we saw a seat sale we figured it was a sign. The best part was that we booked it all with air miles, including our rental car. That was a sweet bonus! Neither of us have ever been to California before so we were pumped.

We booked our hotel once again with Hotwire and got a great deal on the US Grant Hotel.

We were really happy with the hotel. Excellent, friendly service and very clean.

The only thing we didn’t like about the hotel was the noise and single pane windows. It’s located right in the heart of the Gaslamp district (bars and a wild nightlife) and the noise carried through the windows a lot. We put the fan on high before bed and were able to sleep like babies, so it wasn’t a huge issue.

Maybe we’re just getting old.

We picked up some food for snacks and breakfasts to save some money since NYC sucked us dry.

We had a fridge brought up to our room (love that the hotel offered them!). Nut butter, hummus, brown rice cakes, chips, milk, etc. Eric got cereal for breakfast and I picked up some bulk oats, chia seeds, and almond milk and made vegan overnight oats. It worked out perfectly and was cheaper than eating out for breakfast. One thing I noticed right away about California is that the food is much cheaper than at home.

Reunited and it feels so good.

….all hail……BARNEY BUTTER!!!

I hadn’t made VOO in such a long time. I was on a Green Monster kick for the past few months and I forgot how much I LOVE vegan overnight oats. You don’t even need to measure if you don’t want to. I just eyeballed it and it turned out great both times! On the side, I had a package of protein powder mixed with almond milk in a water bottle. Not the best tasting thing in the world (or even easy to get that damn powder into the bottle!), but it worked well to keep my hunger at bay all morning long.

My take on eating while traveling is pretty simple. I try to eat a balance of wholesome foods for my main meals (and try new dishes) and then I indulge in some sweet treats and special goodies that I normally wouldn’t be able to try back at home. It all balances out, especially when walking for 6 hours or more each day! And if it doesn’t balance out, no big deal. Life is short.

Morning teas…I had green and Eric black tea.

The weather was picture perfect! Sunshine and an expected high of about 18C. We really lucked out with the weather on this trip…it was almost as if we were travelling in early Fall, not December!

Anyone in the San Diego area want to take us in for a while? Maybe 4 years? I’ll be your live in chef.

We explored Coronado Island to start.

It was just horrible….dirty….don’t go here.

heh…just kidding.

We saw the famous Hotel Del Coronado right on the beach! I checked the prices for this place and whoa baby, it’s expensive!

Along the bay, with nice views of the SD cityscape.

Then we headed to La Jolla which is only about a 10 minute drive from the downtown core. I’ve always heard that the West Coast is very laid back and it really is! How could you not be if you lived here?

La Jolla took our breath away. My Gosh!!!

We went to the Cove and saw the Harbour Seals! Oh my gosh, I just fell in love with them!!!

Seriously, what magnificent creatures. We watched them for at least 30-45 mins. It’s funny when they get in spats with one another!

heh this guy below was so cute stretched out on his back!! If that’s not a head to toe stretch, I don’t know what is.

Every time the water came up and splashed them they would raise their head and look annoyed.

When Eric and I started to make voices for them, we knew it was time to go.

After exploring for the morning and early afternoon, we had a late lunch in downtown La Jolla at a cafe called Lean & Green. It is extremely vegan friendly with all kinds of options marked vegan on their menu! Definitely check it out if you are in the area. The owner is really nice too!

It was also picked as La Jolla’s best veg restaurant recently.

You can click on the menus below to enlarge.

My customized wrap was great! I stuffed it full with all kinds of veggies (carrot, roasted red pepper, avocado, cukes, tomatoes, red onion, artichokes, shrooms, etc) and hummus.

I had their veggie juice to go with it. Fresh veggie juice is such a treat when travelling. I’m  too lazy to make it at home these days and I don’t find it very cost effective in the off season. Smoothies are my drink of choice when at home, but fresh juice all the way on vacation.

See you for Part 2!

PS- Today is the last day to enter the One Lucky Duck Gift Pack giveaway!

After a deep sleep, we were up around 7 to start our second day of travels around NYC! We lucked out with the weather once again with sunny skies and highs expected to reach 20C. After getting ready, we headed to a nearby breakfast & lunch place called Le Pain Quotidien.

[source 1 & 2]

Le Pain Quotidien features fresh artisan breads and other wholesome breakfast options made from mostly organic ingredients.

[source]

We absolutely fell in love with the atmosphere and the food! Everything was fresh, wholesome, and delicious.

We were brought out a vegan Apple and Cranberry Cannele, compliments of the chef because there was a bit of a wait. It has a lovely apple and cranberry custard-like filling with a crispy exterior. Excellent!!

I had the steel-cut oatmeal with almond milk and fresh berries. I loved that they indicated vegan options on their menu too. The steel-cut oatmeal was perfect- nice and chewy like it should be!

We also shared a bowl of fruit.

Eric had two boiled eggs with a fresh bread selection.

After breakfast, we walked all over Manhattan to explore the sights! We went to the Rockefeller Center first.

Lots of people out taking advantage of the nice morning weather!

We heard from a friend that the Top of the Rock Observation Deck was a great place to see views of the entire city, so we took advantage of our early morning and beat the line ups.

Awesome views!!! And a great morning to go up.

Soon after we were headed to the World Trade Center Memorial.

This was a very sombre part of the trip and I didn’t feel inclined to snap a bunch of pictures, but I did take a picture of the new WTC buildings that are going up right now. They are truly breathtaking. After that, we went to see the 9/11 memorial. It was a really beautiful tribute to those lives lost and quite emotional.

This tribute wall was from another part of town (can’t remember where).

After walking around for a few hours, our appetites returned with a vengeance. We headed to Blossom Restaurant, the sister restaurant of Cafe Blossom, for a bite to eat.

To start, I ordered Blossom Greens with cherry tomatoes, jicama, carrot, pumpkin and sunflower seeds in ginger teriyaki dressing. It was excellent.

With mint tea.

Eric ordered the BLT – Crispy southern fried tofu, tempeh bacon, lettuce, and tomato on ciabatta. He said it was good, but just a bit bland. I took a bite and agreed with him. It just needed a pop of heat to it.

For my main, I ordered the Blossom Burrito – Black beans, rice, avocado and vegan cheese, served with field greens. It was good, but not the best vegan burrito I’ve had. The flavours were a bit off to me.

Overall the meal was quite good, but compared to Cafe Blossom, we both preferred our meals at the cafe much more.

After lunch, we headed to the Chelsea Market, which I already blogged about (thanks for your amazing enthusiasm for the giveaway by the way!!)

Eric gobbled up a Gelato!

We made it back to our room around 6pm, rested our legs, and headed out for dinner not long after. Eric was craving pizza, so we walked to John’s Pizzeria, one of the rumoured “Best” pizza spots in NYC. Maybe some of you native NYCers can chime in on this debate?

heh those pictures look nerdy.

John’s has a beautiful atmosphere located in an old church!

Wine & beer to start.

We ordered a veggie pizza with one half with cheese and the other without. Only when it came, Eric’s cheese side had no veggies.

They brought us a new pizza for Eric and then we stuffed ourselves to the brim. Excellent pizza!

JOHN’S is located right near Times Square, so it was a great time to explore!!

We just stood in the middle of Times Square for a while and took it all in!

Absolute madness!

Of course we saw the Naked Cowboy and other interesting characters. heh

For those of you who asked, yes, The Naked Cowboy wears underwear….Tight Whiteys… which leave little room for the imagination if you know what I mean. Truly, two examples of a healthy body image. Let’s all be Naked Cowboys in our own minds, mmm kay?

Previous posts: New York City Parts 1, 2, and 3.

If you guessed we’re in the Big Apple, you’d be right!

We lucked out with the weather this weekend; it’s been warm and sunny with highs reaching 15-17C!! Who knew? Today is supposed to reach 20C! Peeling off layers is always a nice surprise.

We’ve been getting quite the workout too. No need for the hotel exercise room while staying in NYC. Walking and the subway have been our sources of transportation with the occasional cab when it’s midnight and our legs feel like bricks. I absolutely love to walk, so it’s been a nice break from regular workouts.

When we arrived on Saturday morning, we had a bit of a rocky start to our trip. We flew in on a prop plane on Continental Airlines and when we were boarding the plane they made everyone check “carry-on” suitcases under the plane. We weren’t thinking about our valuables in the carry-on because it caught us off guard, but once on the plane we immediately had a bad feeling about it. When we got to the hotel we discovered that our laptop (which was in Eric’s carry-on) was damaged badly. So now, I’m blogging on half a screen and the rest of the screen is super fuzzy. Doh! Hopefully we can get some sort of compensation from the airline, but I doubt it. So if you see a bunch of weird characters or typos, don’t blame me.

Anyways, we’re staying at The Warwick Hotel. It’s an older hotel, but we got a great deal on it through Hotwire and saved a lot of money.

Then we were off on foot to explore! Eric’s work droid has come in very handy for Google Maps.

Isn’t technology great? He was able to plan all our destinations on a map.

…such as Central Park:

We’ve been enjoying the photography on this trip as usual.

By the way, someone asked me where my boots are from. I recently picked them up at PAYLESS SHOES….I don’t usually have good finds there, but this season I did. The boots are made for walking….literally!  My brown jacket is from Le Chateau. Both HQ pleather.

Then we explored

Much more happened on Saturday, so a Part II will be coming up.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have vegan doughnuts to eat!

So how do I put this nicely……..biscotti season is going to be slightly delayed.

Well, this is a bit awkward now isn’t it.

The biscotti recipe that we fell in love with and made twice already turned into a dry piece of junk when I attempted to make it for the third time last night. I think I may have over-mixed the batter, but I can’t be sure. It was also a full moon so obviously it was out of my hands!

A random flop is why I always test my baked good recipes at least twice, if not 3 times before posting them. I don’t want you to have a recipe bust in your own kitchen!

Now be warned, I didn’t practice a lot of recipe testing in the early stages of the blog. I have no idea what the hell I posted in 2008 and 2009. I assume Tofurkey may have been involved and possibly some scary green monsters.

A main feature in many grocery shopping posts.

Also…may I just ask what this Tofurkey is doing in my salad?

Apparently I enjoyed it with Wolf Blass Yellow Label? I guess it wasn’t so bad after all.

More Tofurkey.

I’d say my vegan recipe creativity has improved slightly since 2009.

Anyways, what’s a girl to do when evil forces are at play in her kitchen? She reminds herself of the good days, of course! Here are the top 10 recipes from the Fall season so far. These are the most clicked & commented recipes since September 1st.

Let’s hope I haven’t already hit my peak and it’s downhill from here…

Top 10 Recipes This Fall

10) Roasted Tomato Basil Pesto 

9) Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies 

8.) Lightened Up Protein Power Goddess Bowl 

7) Detox Salad

6) Butternut Squash Mac n Cheeze

5) Pumpkin Gingerbread Smoothie

4) Happy Thanksgiving Homemade Pumpkin Butter 

3) Peanut Butter Chocolate Pillows thanks to Isa.

2) Black Bean and Butternut Squash Burritos

[one of our all time favs!]

…and the number 1 recipe since September (and of all time) goes to:

1) 15-Minute Creamy Avocado Pasta!

Honourable mentions go to:

• 5 favourite Hot Oatmeal Recipes
• Red Lentil and Squash Curry Stew
• Mushroom Millet Soup
• Vegan Lasagna
• Our Perfect Veggie Burger 
• Weekend Glow Kale Salad
• Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Blizzard (apparently Blizzards are all-season!)
• Creamy Roasted Tomato Garlic Onion Soup
• Make Ahead Steel Cut Oatmeal and 4 new recipes

I like the way you think.

I think we’d hit it off real well.

It’s now 5pm on a Friday and no one is reading this. Better late than never right?

This was one of those rare Thanksgivings with picture perfect, summer-like weather. If I could bottle up any type of weather and have it year round it would have been this weekend’s: 25-26C, low humidity, blue skies, and gorgeous Fall colours. I could do 365 days of this, thankyouverymuch.

The only thing that could have made this weekend any better would be having my side of the family there too!

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Let’s see, there were tees, tank tops, sandals, and Crocs. Pale skin became tickled pink again.

There were morning runs without watches or music. Wake ups to the sunrise cats and not the alarm.

No need for jackets and warm PJs unlike our visit two weekends ago.

Out came the dock and boat lift, although it felt like we should have been putting it in.

I made another Pumpkin Brownie Pie followed by a much needed weekend off from cooking and baking (but of course, not from eating!).

2-day computer cleanse. With only one brief relapse! Darn you, Pinterest.

I’m refreshed, but not quite ready to say goodbye…to this weekend…the weather…or my sanity.

Lastly, I hope you like horse teeth.

Page 4…last picture.

You will laugh…you may cry.

I’m going to go brush my teeth now.