Who's There?

~ Banana.
     Banana.
       Banana.
         Banana.
Knock, knock.
~ Who's there?
Orange.
~ Orange who?
Orange you glad I didn't say banana?
Remember that?  Is it still big with the kids nowadays?

I love bananas.  And, I love oranges.  I love the color yellow; the color orange, hmm...

I'm glad I found this wonderful Fall Leaves background for my blog.  I think it's perfect.  And I think many would agree the color orange in nature is truly magnificent.  So please enjoy a few of my favorite images featuring the color of Fall... orange.

Autumn morning skies... perfection.

image

A fresh fruit salad made complete with orange segments and a drizzle of honey... yum.

image by L. Carilo

A cool October afternoon sit down in the courtyard among vibrant flowering vines fills the senses... 

image by L. Carilo

Yes, I also love the color orange.

Did Somebody Say Pie!

Well, who doesn't like pie? Everyone likes some sort of pie, right? I love pie, both savory and sweet. Fall season is pretty much the only time I'll make pie - okay, "cook pie." Confession: I've never made a pie, not from scratch. I have made cheesecakes, do those count as pies.. they're made in a pie pan after all.

Now, let's talk about pie. When apple pie is served it must be warm and come with vanilla ice cream... on the side. If I'm gonna be picky, Dutch apple pie would be my preference. When it comes to pumpkin pie, nothing overly spiced or sweetened, please. I'll happily accept a serving at room temperature or out of the fridge and topped with a mountain of RediWhip. "Having a little pie with your whipped cream?" is something that is often asked, as I'm diving into my Thanksgiving Day dessert.

I really couldn't say which of those two pies I like more. All I know is that I won't say, "No," when offered a plate. I would like to try pumpkin cheesecake, and every Fall I'm tempted to call and ask for the recipe from a small hotel restaurant where I once had the most delicious pecan pie - a perfectly flaky crust that was coated with CHOCOLATE and filled with the perfectly packed, not-at-all overly sweet pecan filling. It was served warm with vanilla ice cream... and, Oh. My. God. I have not had pecan pie since; I don't want to spoil that heaven-on-this-earth experience. It's been over 10 years since we lived in Hawaii; over 10 years since that pie came into my life. Maybe I'll Google a recipe for it to try to make this year.

Unrelated to pies, another sweet dish I'd like to attempt to make this year is Mexican bread pudding - the kind my Auntie Mary used to make. So good!  Trifle is another holiday favorite, but it's strictly my Christmas and New Year's Day dessert.

Want to know a secret... all this writing about pies has made me super hungry and there's a Marie Callender turkey pot pie in the freezer. I couldn't pass it up when I was shopping the freezer section the other day. It reminds me of elementary school lunch served the day before Thanksgiving break... and it wasn't even in pie form.Cubed turkey and gravy were served over mashed potatoes, with a dinner roll and apple or cherry cobbler. Yum. That was my favorite day of the school year.

What are some of your holiday pie memories?  Any good recipes for desserts mentioned here that you'd like to pass along?  Feel free to share in the comments section below.  Thanks.

And Speaking of Fall Favorites...

Food... seasonal foods. It is that time again; time to dig out all those favorite family recipes and newly discovered holiday dishes to try,

Even if it's only first week of October and it is 90 degrees outside - whew, it's cooling down... grrrr - my mind is already zooming toward last week in November; to the point of my clearing out a shelf in The Place's tiny refrigerator - there are parts missing and inadequate amount of space, so I need to sort it out before filling it with all things Thanksgiving related.  The freezer portion is even worse. Did I mention it's a rental

Anyway, October is off to a good start in the way of meal preparations.  I've made chili - note to self, never again follow a recipe.  Today I made a huge pot of meatball soup for us and for mom to split. Tonight were having chicken with pasta alfredo, salad and garlic bread. Yum.

So, for this month my food focus will be on making stews, soups, and baked dishes... oh, just remembered the delicious baked talapia topped with salsa and cheese that we used to make at home in Colorado. Served over rice pilaf with a side of steamed veggies... Let's Eat!

I'll probably make a few sweet treats like banana bread and caramel apples, I'll also give one of those Dump Cakes The Pioneer Woman made on her show.  And there is absolutely nothing wrong with enjoying ice cream treats, right?  So must stock up on plenty of toppings.  Hmmm, now seems the perfect time to head out to pick up a few groceries.

What do you crave most this time of year?

Sources:

• thepioneerwoman.com

Mmmm... So Good!

I like to eat. There I said it. But that's not the reason I'm a fatty. I'm fat because I'm sedentary, I also experience some degree of pain on a daily basis. It's also been said that the medications I'm on contributed in some way to the weight gain. Those are the reasons I call myself a fatty. I'm not so sure I'm okay with anyone else calling me that though... I do have human feelings after all. But as a realist, especially after stepping off the scale (named Sophia - sounds friendly) and updating my BMI, I know what has to be done. Can't even imagine what kinda of state you'd find me in if I took out a measuring tape and wrapped it around my waist... no, no, no. Just no.

I do have a goal, which I'm three-quarters of a year through and failing at miserably. I have a daughter in third year of College, and a teenager graduating next spring. Originally my goal was to lose 50lbs before turning age 50. Well, here I am, a few short months from reaching 51 and the only thing I have to show for in that quest to lose 50lbs was putting on an extra 9lbs.  I really want not only to look fit and healthy, but be able to shop for something really nice to wear to my girls' graduations.  Well, I got sick last week and lost a quick 5lbs. Yay, ME. I've already put three of those pounds back on. What can I say, I like the taste of my own cooking.

Life Reimagined Profile Photo
October 3, 2014
THIS IS FIFTY WITH LIL
At my heaviest *sigh*

This Is Fifty with Lil means reassessing my goals... again, I've determined that my daily routine must change.  So in keeping with the spirit of my effort to develop my YouTube channel - baby steps - I've also signed up for AARP's Life Reimagined, and what do you know... a few online activities to assess where to begin, I'm already on target.  Remember, baby steps. Yesterday meant being on my feet shopping for, prepping & cooking a large pot of chili, as well as doing a thorough kitchen clean-up. I did it! I went to bed after midnight, in pain; woke up in pain, slept late because I didn't have work and school drop off.  So, I got plenty of rest.  Tomorrow will be much different - four hours driving, several errands, cooking dinner, and hopefully another empty sink before bedtime.  That's my commitment to my family.

Now, on the subject of the whole pumpkin spiced everything, there is no problem there. I reserve pumpkin spice flavors for Thanksgiving pies and breads.  I mentioned last week that cinnamon and chocolate are my go to flavors.  My seasonal icy beverage choice is a Mexican style cinnamon rice drink that I'm so happy is easily found in restaurants in this part of the country. Ginger Ale teas and fizzy drinks are a favorite option as well.  My cold weather drink is Mexican style cinnamony, hot milk chocolate. I just have to make sure I use low-fat milk and stevia sweetener to keep calories at bay. I will spoil myself once in a while stopping by Starbucks for a Cinnamon Dolce Latte or my favorite, Chai Tea Latte - fat-free of course.  And there you have it, my Favorite Fall Flavors.

Mmmm... So Good!

What are your favorites?


Sources:

• www.aarp.org
• lifereimagined.aarp.org
• starbucks.com