Carrot Cake Muffins with Cream Cheese Frosting

Today, Mother Nature doesn't know if she wants rain or shine in Massachusetts, so we've seen a little of both. I wrote this post last night, but didn't upload the photos until today. Since I wrote this, I've eaten 3 cupcakes. Yikes:).

There's been a lot of talk of Autumn floating around this blogworld lately. While I really love the summer, I can't help but get excited for fall, as it's been my favorite season since I was a little girl jumping in gigantic piles of leaves and carving pumpkins. Maybe it's because Autumn always brings my birthday, or maybe it's because of the smell of pumpkin pie, freshly plucked apples, anything-spice. Perhaps it's because the clothes are oh-so-cute-and-snuggly. I don't know, but whatever it is, it's on my mind right now:).

And when I think of fall, I get a hankering to bake.

 

Tonight I baked one of Matt's favorites- carrot cake. But instead of a cake, I found a sweet (and delicious) carrot cake muffin recipe online here.

 

Absolutely scrumptious:)

 

With the pumpkin spice candle lit and a tall glass of milk, we're going to sit and enjoy the taste of fall on this rainy summer evening.

Happy weekend!!

xoxo

baby and chipmunk

Yes, something is most definitely growing in there. Something that has a sweet tooth, I may add. Or maybe that's just my excuse:).

On the garden front, this evening I spied a little chipmunk in the garden. I'm not 100% sure if he is THE tomato thief, as I didn't catch him in the act. But I'm a little suspicious....

I hope you're all gearing up for a lovely weekend;). It's almost here!

xoxo

morning still (and the tomato thief mystery)

I've been awake since 4am thinking of all of the things I could should be doing. Checking e-mail, writing work reports, folding that ever-growing pile of laundry that has taken over a fourth of my bedroom. You know those sleepless nights?

My husband looks so cute in his sleep, it takes all of the strength I can muster not to smoosh his face or wake him with my eyes. That would be mean:(. So, instead, I've gotten up to do the want-to-do's, which include stepping out with the camera for some fresh morning, summer air (I actually love this time of morning, when everything is so still, so dewy), browsing my favorite websites, choosing paint colors for our upcoming renovation.

The need-to-do's can wait.

After all, it's Wednesday, the ever-so-cleverly named 'hump day', which means only two-point-five more days until the weekend. This week has been just one of those weeks that crawls.... along..... at a snail's.... pace.

 

I'm looking forward to a very lazy home weekend with my husband and dog; something that we haven't really had in a while.

On another note, there has been a smart (and admittedly, slightly obnoxious) little guy who goes into my garden and takes annoying little bites out of my tomatoes. He seems to really enjoy the Early Girls (one per day) and the sweetie baby girls (of which he prefers two per day).

At least eat the whole thing, so I don't have to know you even exist! But no, he takes a snippy little bite and leaves the rest for me. It's the game of twenty questions: What kind of little creature can get through chicken wire? What kind of creature likes to eat tomatoes? A creature that, maybe, only comes out at night? Can any of you dear readers help me solve this riddle??

Happy hump day to you all.

xoxo

My parents live near a sweet little farm in Connecticut. A few weeks ago, Matt and I stopped by with Miss Luna. And I don't know about you, but every four-legged creature that I see, in some shape or form, ends up reminding me of my dog. Is that just how it is when you love something so? You see a little bit of it in everything?

Luna and the goats had a mutual ambivalence/ curiosity towards one another.

Ambivalence...

Curiosity......

And so it went.

I especially like this little guy on the far right in the upper photo. It looks like he's posing for the camera. What a little ham:).

Happy almost Friday. I hope this weekend finds you doing something you love. We'll be at the beach in Newport, RI on Saturday and the evening will follow with some lobsters on the back deck (my favorite meal in the world:)).

Have a good weekend!

xoxo

more from france

It's been a very hot July in Massachusetts. I have daily thoughts of turning the back sprinklers on and running through in my bathing suit, much like my childhood summers. Maybe this weekend we'll see some sprinkler action:).

Here are some more photos from our France trip, specifically Saint-Malo. Yes, there were activities that occurred outside of taste-testing fabulous french desserts;).

This was the view from our hotel balcony... just breathtaking. We slept with the door open to allow ample flow of salty sea air:).

And here are some perspectives of the old walled city of Saint-Malo, La Ville Intra-Muros.

A sweet little creperie overlooking the English channel (delicious banana chocolate crepes served here, with a stunning view:))

And tucked away inside the walled city are rows of fabulous little cafes, shops, vendors.

And a little sneak peek at the baby bump visiting France:)

I hope you're all having an enjoyable July. I'll post some photos from Paris soon. Until then, stay cool, wherever you may be:).

xoxo

France = Dessert?

Bonjour!

We've just returned from a week-long trip to France. Matt had to go for work and it coincided with our two-year wedding anniversary, so fortunately for me, I got to go on a little vay-cay:).

The trip started in the beautiful coastal village of Saint Malo and ended in Paris. I took over 200 photos throughout the week, so I thought that for my first France posting, I'd show you the sweeter side of our travels ;).

I have always had a sweet tooth and France is definitely the place to be when it comes to dessert:). And this girl indulged, to say the very least. I made it my mission to seek out the most delicious pastries and ice cream on a daily basis (sometimes thrice daily, terrible, I know). I have to say, being pregnant in France is not a good thing when it comes to sweet treats:).

And I don't know what it is, but desserts just seem to taste better in France. And on vacation. Coffee-flavored eclairs, strawberry ice-cream piled high on a waffle cone, raspberry macaroons sandwiching a scoop of sweet-pink sorbet. Even the coffee tasted sweeter.I left this trip feeling like I want to open a little French bakery of my own here in Massachusetts. 

Maybe when I retire :).

But until then, I'll continue to be an active connoisseur.

More France photos to follow. And happy summer:)

xoxo

rainy days to slow us down

Today it rained. And rained. And rained. It's still raining... a quiet, dark night kind of rain. This is the last weekend home before we leave for France, so there were many much-needed outdoor chores to be done, but thanks to mother nature, we ended up having a very sllllooooooow, nap-py kind of day. This is fine because I had quite an uncharacteristically busy work week, which found me in and out of Pittsburgh one day, in Connecticut the next and on endless teleconferences the last. Next week will be similar, so I welcomed this sleepy kind of day.

We were able to get our new cedar Adirondack chairs put together and sanded, though the rain prevented us from painting them. Nothing says relaxation to me like the sight of two Adirondack chairs, overlooking a fabulous view on a summer's weekend evening. With a nice glass of wine, though that will have to wait until next summer. We also spent a lot of time sleeping, grazing, watching the UK/ USA Worldcup game, and having quiet time with Luna (which basically consists of the three of us sitting on a floor in a circle, staring at each other, until Luna does something doggy-gross, that breaks the circle and causes us to go back to whatever we were doing prior:)).

Like I said, we have been grazing. And one of my favorite ways to eat is this very European-style way of eating. Eating light, hors d'oeuvresy type foods, fresh meats, cheeses, fruit, with crackers and different types of mustard-y dips. I could eat every meal like this, and I believe that I say those exact words every time we eat a meal like this:).

I've started reading 'The Middle Place', which I'm really enjoying. I've been meaning to read it for months now.

I wonder... what are you doing this weekend? Is it raining where you are? Enjoy the weekend :).