Category Archives: fall

Thanksgiving Menu + Chino House Petit Jean Ham Giveaway

  November 12, 2012 - 10:00 am | , , ,
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Thanksgiving is my very most favorite holiday. To me, it is full of everything a holiday should be. Quiet, gratefulness, stores closed and homes open, family, friends, cold weather, kids piled in spare rooms and basements, couches full to busting, and of course, food. Lots of it. A beautiful table, prepared by hands that have worked together with too many bodies in the kitchen, bumping against each other. Excuse me, excuse me.  Coming through.  Will anything else fit in the oven? And then another whole table, just for the desserts. I can’t tell you how much I love it.  It … Continue reading →

Pumpkin Bread

  October 19, 2012 - 10:00 am | ,
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fall instagram, pumpkin, breakfast breads, pumpkins, brunch, snacks

Fall is in the air and I am loving all things pumpkin! I have an affinity for pumpkin recipes that call for an entire can of pumpkin.  They appeal to my practical side.  I don’t love to save a part of a can of pumpkin puree for some undetermined use, one that usually requires that I open another can and then save part of that one, a never ending line of opening and not fully using cans of pumpkin until I throw out 1/4 cup of pumpkin puree in January. This recipe makes three loaves so you can share some … Continue reading →

happy thanksgiving + helpful holiday links

  November 22, 2011 - 12:09 pm | , , ,
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We’re in a frenzy around here getting ready for the holidays!  We head to my sister’s house on odd years. The picture below is from 2005.  The sweatshirt Cole is wearing is in Simon’s suitcase this time…sigh. In between packing the car, I’ve been bookmarking links and pinning pictures like crazy, so here are a couple I think are MOST helpful. Getting ready for a big holiday dinner? Heidi at 101 Cookbooks listed her favorite past Thanksgiving dishes.  They all look so yum to me! Getting ready for Advent? Here are 20 handmade Advent calendars!  The Christmas season will be … Continue reading →

tara

  November 8, 2011 - 2:50 pm | ,
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Somehow in the busy, busy, busy of the fall, I neglected to mention here on the blog that through a whirlwind of emails, phone calls, conversations and prayers, the Chino House added another member to our family for the school year. Vitara (we call her Tara, for short) came to us at the end of August from Indonesia. This past weekend was her homecoming dance at eStem High.  While the boys were off camping, Mary Polly and I got to help her get ready and add the finishing touches to her ensemble.  I personally get to take credit for those … Continue reading →

Lake Louise Hiking Trails: Plain Of Six Glaciers

  September 27, 2011 - 3:19 pm | , ,
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Lake Louise

Yesterday we drove up to Lake Louise, arguably one of the most beautiful spots on earth. A path runs along one side of the lake.  Towards the end you can look back at the famous Chateau at Lake Louise.  My grandmother stayed there many years ago and I remember her talking about how beautiful it was. From the edge of the lake, we took the Plain of Six Glaciers Trail up into the mountains.  We were excited to find the Tea House that was built for hikers in 1927. The trail leading up away from the lake was very steep.  … Continue reading →

Banff Hiking Trails: Johnston Canyon

  September 25, 2011 - 9:48 pm | , ,
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fall in banff

On our second of hiking in Banff, we hit the most popular trail in the area. Johnston Canyon is an amazing trail, complete with paved, elevated level pathways that are almost stroller accessible.  Lucky for us, we are now stroller (and even baby backpack) free.  I am loving these days of everyone hiking on their own two feet. In fact, I’m having to run to keep up with them.  This hike is super family friendly.  Everyone in our party made it the whole way. The trail went by so many of these gorgeous pools and falls.  The kids wanted to … Continue reading →

Banff Hiking Trails: C Level Cirque

  September 25, 2011 - 8:25 pm | ,
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hiking in banff

Banff Hiking Trails: C Level Cirque Our first hike in Banff was roughly five miles, with some pretty decent elevation gain.  We had a beautiful view of Lake Minnewanka through the trees.  We hiked around old mining shafts.  We climbed boulders and chased pikas under rocks.  We picnicked at the bottom of a great rock basin that was cut by an alpine glacier under the shadow of the sheer eastern face of Cascade Mountain. My legs were aching at the end of the day.  In a good way.  

Banff Fall Color

  September 24, 2011 - 4:58 pm | ,
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Banff Day 6 (13)

We are spending our Fall Break in the Canadian Rockies, and the Banff Fall Color is absolutely stunning. The trees are a sparkling gold instead of just yellow. Against the pine trees and the blue sky, the color shines so bright.  As we are hiking through this part of the Canadian Rockies this week, we are all staring up into this blue, blue sky. The contrasting colors and the bright shades of yellow take my breath away! We’ve had a great first day and we can’t wait to explore more of this gorgeous part of the world!! Did you enjoy … Continue reading →

Taos Ski Valley

  November 30, 2010 - 2:56 pm | , , ,
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I’ve said before that we love the mountains. We love to be in the mountains.  We love to hike and bike in the summer.  We love to ski in the winter. Snow skiing tends to be a little (or a lot) hard on the pocketbook, but it was a huge part of both mine and Taido’s childhoods. So it brings us both a lot of joy to watch our kids falling in love with it as well.   Taido grew up skiing at Taos Ski Valley, and it has become one of my favorite places to ski. The charming ski … Continue reading →

tomato and cheddar potato soup

  November 29, 2010 - 11:10 am | , , ,
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We’re kind of missing this view today and moving very slowly. In fact, one little Chino missed the departure for school this morning due to an overwhelming need to despair in a puddle on the floor. She is now outside planting bulbs, because well, it worked for me. Next up, laundry and unpacking. We’re also going to make soup. I make this soup about once a month in the winter, and I can’t believe I’ve never posted it before.  To me, it is comfort in a bowl. You start by boiling the potatoes in beer which gives the soup a … Continue reading →