Week 43

It's simply not October until these cookies have been decorated by the artists of Brierwood Lane. My heart warms when I look back through all the years of this tradition with my nieces and nephew (here's a memory from 2007). This year we were down to two decorators as the oldest is now at college. For a couple hours we allow ourselves to be a little imaginative and goofy. It was a great way to start the week.

I'll post the recipe to this vegetable soup invention soon, paired here with prosciutto-rosemary bread (recipe from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day) and a necessary lager. 

The wind blew me and the leaves here on Thursday. I'm in Boise at the moment helping my mom and dad following my mom's hip replacement surgery last Tuesday. I'm not helping as much as watching my mom regain her strength and independence, which is all happening rather quickly. I was at least glad I could be put to work with a rake.

A favorite Halloween decoration from childhood

Tea and cake: doctor's orders

She's still a star

Staying in my old bedroom-turned-sewing room

Healing foods

It's always fun to cook in my childhood kitchen, read in the living room, walk through the neighborhood, enjoy Saturday night pizza and a movie like old times (Lawrence Welk did make a brief cameo), and fall asleep under the glow-in-the-dark stars I stuck to my bedroom ceiling 20 years ago. I very well may return to Spokane next week feeling a little refreshed.