For many years, we have been a family with 4 dogs. Our beloved Cooper passed away in 2022 and last year, our sweet 16 year old Beagle, Sox crossed the rainbow bridge. They were our last two dogs. For me, the house and property seems so empty without our canine pets. My husband is at the stage where he would rather travel and be untethered to pet responsibilities, but this is the same man who just came home with 15 baby chickens. Hmm. Today’s post is about our journey to finding another dog to add to our family.

Akbash Dog Breed

With so many dogs to adopt, you are probably asking why we would fly across country to Knoxville, Tennessee and drive 2 more hours to get to a dog from a breeder?

The Akbash dog breed, originating from Turkey, is a magnificent and imposing shepherd known for its exceptional guardian instincts and unwavering loyalty. Sometimes confused with the Great Pyrenees, the Akbash also commands attention with their striking white coats and confident demeanor.

Akbash dogs actively excel as livestock guardians, fearlessly protecting their charges from any predator. Their vigilant nature makes them an integral part of farm life, ensuring the safety of flocks and herds. With an acute awareness of their surroundings, Akbash dogs constantly monitor the perimeter, deterring potential threats with their authoritative presence.

Akbash dogs are gentle and protective towards their family, but they can also be suspicious and protective of strangers. They are independent thinkers and need to be trained with a firm but gentle hand. Akbash dogs are brave and courageous, and they will not hesitate to defend their family or flock from danger. They are also very loyal and enjoy spending time with their loved ones.

To date, we have had 2 Akbash dogs~Lightning (2001-2009) and Cooper (2012-2022). Both dogs did an excellent job of protecting our other animals as well as our family and property. This is not a common breed and with our situation, the Akbash dog is the best choice for us.

Our Property

We live in a very metropolitan area, being the 5th largest and fastest growing city in the U.S. In spite of the growing density around us, we have two sublime acres with national historical status 10 minutes from downtown Phoenix. With all the amenities of a big city, we also have a unique blend of city problems (crime, drugs, homelessness) and rural issues (like coyotes, foxes, raccoons and birds of prey).

The Akbash dog is a very large and imposing breed, but a lovable family dog. I always felt safe having Cooper patrol the property and we will never know how many potential threats he dispelled during his nearly 10 years with us.

Three Creek Ranch

In December, my husband, Scott did the research to find this special dog. Three Creek Ranch in Blackwater, VA has high marks for breeding Akbash dogs. The timing is perfect as they are having a new litter born in mid-January. Ten puppies make their way into the world on January 15th~8 males and 2 females.

We explain to the owners our current property situation and the type of disposition we are seeking in a new dog. Typically this breeder does not release the dogs until 12 weeks old, but socialization skills take place between 8 and 10 weeks. They are agreeable to let us come and see the dogs after 8 weeks. Since this dog will not be on large acreage, it’s important to us that he can adapt to life here.

How to Transport?

The thought of putting this puppy into a crate and using Federal Express for shipping just doesn’t set well with me. Initially we had hoped to find an RV that we could drive one way, allowing us (and the dog) some room in a future cross country drive. But, one way RV rentals are difficult to find and when we did, it was cost prohibitive.

We decide to fly to Knoxville and then rent an SUV from Avis, which is a brand new Toyota 4-Runner with only 170 miles on it.

Our First Night in Knoxville

Have you ever heard of the Graduate hotels? Launched in 2014 by a Nashville-based real estate company, these hotels are located in college towns and reflect the culture and charm of the nearby university. Our first night in Knoxville we stay at the Graduate hotel near the University of Tennessee.

Our room is absolutely ADORABLE! I am so impressed that their designer can blend multiple colors and fabric and wallpaper patterns and make it all work together.

The University of Tennessee’s colors are orange and white, which is reflected in many of the room’s elements. A sweet, cross-stitched pillow is a homey touch as is the dog faces on the lamp bases.

An old-style telephone, coffee station and repurposed vintage furniture make the room charming and playful.

The lobby is a cheerful gathering place and the staff couldn’t be nicer. Being impressed with this hotel, I do a little research. The Graduate brand has 31 hotels. Hilton Worldwide recently purchased them. Let’s hope they do not ruin the ambiance and uniqueness of this fabulous hotel chain. We truly enjoyed our stay there and highly recommend checking out The Graduate Hotel.

Three Creek Ranch

The next day, we make the 2 hour drive to southwestern Virginia to Three Creek Ranch. This rural, quiet ranch is on 130 acres and we meet the owners and of course, Mom, Dad and all the puppies. I’m trying not to feel badly about removing this puppy from his family and bucolic setting.

One puppy separates from his siblings finds his way to my shoes, plops down and starts eating my laces. For the rest of the time, he follows us around, appearing rather independent. You could say he picked us as his pet parents.

With a new car crate, dog toys, food, pet pads and numerous blankets and towels, we start our drive across the country.

After much discussion, we pick the name Finnian, Finn for short as it means “white” in Irish. Finn will be pure white after his loses his puppy coat which has a bit of grey in it.

The Drive Across Country

The most challenging time for Finn is getting into a car (for the first time), getting into a crate (for the first time) and being away from his siblings. But once we get onto straight roads, he calms down and snuggles with the very large stuffed bunny we bought as his companion.

Kudos to my husband for being a person who can happily drive for hours. I, unfortunately, am not great at sitting for long periods of time. But we stop frequently to let Finn do his business and British mysteries on Audible make the drive interesting.

At the end of the long days we stop at the Residence Inn by Marriott as they are dog friendly. However, Finn has not received all his shots yet so we are very careful not to let him on the ground in places where many dogs have been. We make the trip home through Tennessee, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas, New Mexico and finally Arizona in 60 hours.

The dog does so well, sleeping for long periods of time and trying to get used to us and all the new sights and sounds he is experiencing. Soon he will grow and be as big as Cooper, weighing in at 125 pounds.

What We Learned

Finn’s temperament is sweet, loving and he is adaptable to new experiences. Sometimes the thought of taking on the care and keeping of a pet can be overwhelming, but in this case, the benefits are well worth it. Our heart are expanding with new love for a puppy. It has only been 11 days since we’ve been home, and I cannot imagine life without this sweet boy.

If you haven’t driven across country, it is extraordinary to see the USA’s beauty and diversity. Open spaces, big sky and everyone, literally everyone, was so kind and warm to us. We saw hardworking people taking such pride in their jobs, as well as their cities and states.

America is not what is shown on the nightly news. The conflicts and issues in some of our big cities are not representative of our country. Having four days away from some of the nonsense and to be with solid, genuine, and caring people is a good reminder that we are one country, made up of many different kinds of folks. A diversity of viewpoints and ideas is a good thing and should be celebrated, not criticized.

With a renewed sense of patriotism and an adorable puppy, life is pretty good. Thank you for all your well wishes and I know Finn will be a big part of all our lives.

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Another rainy and chilly few days here in the Valley of the Sun. My garden is very happy about the additional moisture and of course, the cooler temperatures are always appreciated. Happy St. Patrick’s Day weekend! Tonight we are hosting a dinner party celebrating our daughter, Julianna’s 27th birthday. I will be serving my two favorite recipes which I did share with you this week. Welcome to another Saturday Meanderings, where we chat about all good things this week.

Hosting a Cocktail Mixer

As you may know, I sit on the board for our neighborhood association. This week we hosted a cocktail mixer to introduce people to the association and recruit new board members. With about 40 people attending, I am hoping a caterer will help out with hors d’oeuvres, however, my favorite person is not available.

Using the large round wooden board from Sur La Table, with the help of Costco and Safeway, I create a charcuterie board using cheeses, meats, fruits, nuts and crackers.

Nasturtiums are abundant in the garden right now, and it’s amazing how a pop of color can take your charcuterie board up a notch.

Store-bought French macarons from Costco and lemon yogurt covered pretzels from Safeway make for a colorful Spring dessert tray.

This is the first time buying the Green Chili Chicken Firecrackers from Costco. A quick bake in the oven, it’s always nice to serve a warm/hot appetizer. By cutting them in half, this became a one-bite finger food. I didn’t try them but the tray was nearly empty, so I’m guessing they tasted good.

No photographs but in addition, there is a vegetable tray with hummus dip, fresh shrimp on ice with cocktail sauce, small bowls of cashews, garlic herb almonds and salt and vinegar potato chips.

All in all a very productive and fun meeting.

Gardening Update

This week I plant 6 brand new San Marzano tomato plants. I love this variety of tomatoes as it makes the best sauce. Five out of the 6 plants are missing….just gone. What? For years now, I have grown tomato plants and the critters have never expressed any interest in them. Who/What is eating my tomato plants?

Scattering seeds this week in the garden. I love growing chamomile for its delicate flower and scent~wonderful to dry or make tea. Even though the growing season for chervil is short, it makes a tasty salad.

The castor bean seeds are a new experiment and not even sure it will grow here. Now in doing some research apparently the seed and leaves can be really toxic so I may pull the plants if they grow. Here I thought castor beans = castor oil, all good for you, right? Geez. Not the brightest thing I’ve done.

Do You Take Magnesium?

Gaia Herbs posts an informative article about magnesium. Do you take this mineral that supports muscles and bones, energy, brain function, and so much more? Here is the article and it appears I need to do further research about this.

Currently, I take Magnesium Lactate as this was recommended to me after having low magnesium via a hair mineral analysis years ago. Taking a bath and using Epsom salts is another way to absorb magnesium into your body. Will do a deeper dive and let you know what I discover.

From the Internet

With warmer weather prompting Spring growth, it is also weed season. Stacy from Bricks ‘n Blooms has a very informative post about Homemade Weed Killer and other natural ways to kill weeds.

If you are using weed killers with glyphosate, there is evidence of its connection with cancer. With so many chemicals in our gardening world, please find an organic way to control weeds.

This time of year I love to tackle small Spring cleaning projects. Barbara from Mantel and Table will get you motivated to clean out your linens drawer(s) with her post on Storing Napkins~How to Organize a Beautiful Linen Drawer.

Do you stop for roadside freebies? I am guilty of doing so with this set of Adirondack chairs. Check out how my friend, Rachel from the Ponds Farmhouse transforms these resin planters into DIY faux Concrete ones. It’s probably good that Rachel and I do not live near each other! Ha!

Since my goal is to always post beautiful things, I consider this next post valuable to keep all of us safe. Since I drive a very old car, I don’t have a wireless or remote starter to the ignition. But since many of you do, please read this very informative article for your own personal safety and to prevent your car being stolen while pumping gas.

Mary’s Must Haves

If you have the sourdough bread making bug, then this starter set is a must have for your baking. It is 27% off this week at $39.99. Not baking sourdough bread yet? This is also a great gift for someone who does.

Speaking of bread, my sweet friend and neighbor, Tevia, ordered some dehydrated sourdough starter from the internet and shared some with me this week. Yes, you can order starter from around the world and rehydrate it.

There is one that is several decades old from San Francisco, and with it I make this nice looking loaf of cheddar, rosemary and garlic bread. I will post this recipe shortly~it’s a family favorite. It is fun to experiment with different starters.

Cake Pans

After purchasing my favorite cake cookbook, Layered, I realize that I do not have good cake pans. Yesterday, in making the London Fog cake (a request from my daughter, Julianna, for her birthday), I want to share these cake pans that I love.

The cake recipe requires three 8″ round cake pans and these from Fat Daddies do not disappoint. It’s amazing that just having the right equipment makes such a difference in the success of the recipe.

I am in the process of trying to consolidate all my Mary’s Must Haves. There will be tab at the top of my home page where you will be able to find all the items and their associated links. Hope to have that complete in a week or two.

Tonight, for the birthday celebration for our daughter’s 27th birthday (which is actually on St. Patrick’s Day), I am busy in the kitchen making 2 Guinness beef pies, a Bailey’s Irish Creme cheese cake, my favorite arugula salad and of course, the London Fog birthday cake.

On Sunday, I am doing a 5k/10k with said daughter in order to work off some of the calories from the night before!

Next week, we are heading to Virginia to pick up our new puppy. I am not sure if I will have the opportunity to post, but I hope to share pictures of our journey (and our new little fella) along the way.

Until we chat again, have a wonderful weekend, a fun St. Patrick’s Day and we will connect soon!

Just a reminder that any words that are italicized bring you to the source. If it is a product on Amazon, please note that I am an Amazon Affiliate. If you purchase something through my website, I receive a small (very small!) stipend, which doesn’t affect the price you pay at all. My goal is to make sourcing the items easy for you. Thank you for your continued support.

For the last Saturday Meanderings of 2023, I am including two weeks of good things to chat about. With every intention to post last Saturday, well, you know how life goes the week before and after Christmas. Happily with a house full of family and guests, I never finished my post and here it is, a week later and there is more to add. So grab a cup of coffee or tea, and let’s chat about all good things over the last two weeks.

Before Christmas

What a week! On Saturday, December 16th we made the 6 hour drive to Newport Beach, California where we celebrated my husband’s birthday.

Newport Beach

With the average house price in Newport Beach being nearly $4mm, it is obviously a place we cannot buy, but we certainly love to visit. We always stay at Marriott Newport Coast Villas, which overlooks the Pacific Ocean and is situation right on the Pacific Coast Highway. This location is just perfect for our family and after coming here every summer when the children were younger, it feels a bit like a home away from home.

Four days of chock-a-block activities with the whole family (and significant others), from Disneyland to our favorite beach, the time is filled with lots of laughter and new memories. This Marriott property is so well maintained with beautiful landscaping too.

One of the highlights of blogging is meeting some truly wonderful people. During my September trip to Newport Beach, I learn that Wendy, from WM Design House lives in the area. So on this trip, we schedule time to meet for lunch and immediately, we become fast friends.

I love scheduling 4 to 5 days before Christmas to do something extra special with our family. Not only do we focus on my husband’s birthday (which can get lost in the holiday crunch), but hotel prices are still reasonable and accommodations available. Plus it’s a nice break from the holiday frenzy.

The Loofa (or luffa) is Ready!

This loofa plant has been the highlight of the garden this year. The vine is slowly dying off and I am picking dried loofa from the vine. If you recall, here is how it looks over the summer. At this point, this vegetable is very edible. Surprisingly, it did very well in our exceptionally hot summer.

As it matures, the fruit lightens in color and loses water weight. The shell hardens and starts to separate from interior fibers. Here is what the loofa looks like now.

The dried skin easily peels off and the seeds shake out from the inside. I find this plant so interesting! If you would like to grow this in your garden, here is a link to luffa seeds. I haven’t used it yet as a body scrubber but will keep you posted!

Annual Holiday Competition

My son, Benjamin has long-time friends (Emily, Max and Jeffrey) who gather each Christmas and compete in a food/drink cookoff. To date, the competition has included BLTs, stuffing, and hamburgers. This year they decide to do a cocktail one with categories of stirred, blended, shaken and shooters.

With a cleared kitchen island, each friend has a prep station. Official descriptions and judging sheets are provided to us and our friends, Rick and Janie. Not only are the drinks innovative and delicious, but it is so joyful to see the camaraderie between these incredible friends. Judging scores includes presentation, taste and innovation.

From tropical pinã coladas to snowball Negronis, this group did not disappoint. Operating as skilled mixologist, each and every drink is delicious.

Cocktails are rated with a numbering system and judged with a blind tasting. It’s always hard to pick one winner because such effort and attention is done by all three participants.

Christmas Day and After

Christmas morning is a very casual and relaxing affair here at Bella Terra. After the traditional breakfast of Eggs a la Goldenrod (see the recipe here), smoked salmon (made by my husband), bagels, and fresh squeezed orange juice for mimosas, we open our presents in the living room. It is possible there are more dog than people presents!

A late afternoon dinner is served in the dining room. What is fun about this year’s meal is that it was thrown together without a lot of forethought. The menu includes a smoked pork loin, a salad made from fresh garden greens and sweet potatoes, prepared in the most delicious way (recipe to come soon), cornbread muffins and a previously homemade (and frozen) pumpkin pie.

The table centerpiece is simply created with bottlebrush trees gathered from other parts of the house. Though our dining room is small and can only accommodate 10 people, it is very conducive to lively conversation and ambiance.

Celebrating the 12 Days of Christmas

I know many people are already dismantling their Christmas decorations, but not here at Bella Terra. This year, I decide to truly celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas (from Christmas Day to January 6, the Epiphany). My mother kept all decorations up until January 6th, a tradition we continue here.

What I love about this time between those two dates is the unique period of tranquility. I can fully enjoy the quiet beauty of the winter wonderland of our home without the stresses of the holiday bustle. In this sense of peace and stillness, I will slowly read and enjoy all the Christmas cards and letters we’ve received. Daily, I am watching a Christmas movie.

Even though Valentine’s Day merchandise is in the stores, I plan to be present and enjoy the peace and quiet of these 12 days. I invite you to join me in using this time for quiet reflection, to connect with nature’s stillness, spend quality time with loved ones, embrace deliberately slowing down, and savor your traditions and rituals.

When do you take down your decorations? Do you celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas?

As we say goodbye to 2023, I send you the biggest hugs and best wishes for a healthy, happy and exciting 2024. Keep those you love close to you and always extend a hand to those less fortunate. That’s what life is all about. See you in the New Year!

Just a quick post today to share with you some of my favorite things that are significantly discounted today on Amazon. Most of these are limited edition sales and may not be available after today. Prime Day discounts are for a two day period from October 10-11.

Bissell Little Green Multi-purpose Cleaner

I bought this Bissell Little Green multi-purpose cleaner for $123.59 and this is the LOWEST price I’ve ever seen at $89.00. It’s portable and cleans carpets, upholstery in your home and car. Check out my post where I used this successfully in cleaning red wine out of an upholstered chair. There are numerous uses for this from carpet stains, pet stains to outdoor furniture cleaning. This is a steal at $89.00.

eufy by Anker, Lumi Plug-in Night Light, Warm White LED, Dusk-to-Dawn Sensor,

These are the BEST night lights. Today I will be buying more for our cabin. The Eufy lights are warm and go on automatically at night and shut off during the day. Small in scale, but big on performance, you get 6 for $18.99, discounted from $23.99. Since October is Do Not Fall month, this is a great gift for an elderly friend or relative to help light their path at night.

Faux Fall Flowers

With many stores low on fall flower inventory, check out these artificial flowers. The description calls them “fake mums”, but I’m not convinced they are chrysanthemums. Nonetheless they are very attractive and for $26.38 you get 16 bundles. Customer reviews rate them nearly 5 stars stating that you cannot tell they are fake. Pretty, right?

After the brutal summer we had here in Phoenix, my faux 5′ cedar artificial topiaries by the front door still look brand new. Those, too are on sale today from $131.00 to $105.00

Martha Stewart Dutch Oven

At our cabin this weekend, I made a pot roast but didn’t have a Dutch oven large enough for the recipe. My husband went to Walmart (really our only retail option there) and spent way too much money on a Dutch oven. I wish we had a few days to order one online, because I cannot believe the price of this one from Martha Stewart. Today on Prime, a 7 quart Dutch oven is available in multiple colors for only $54.99, a 31% discount from $79.99! I use my Dutch oven to bake bread and make soups and roasts.

A Dutch oven is a must have in my cookware. Now is a chance to get one at a very reasonable rate.

Love this Suitcase

Even though I just purchased this suitcase in March 2023, it has already been on numerous trips. Each and every time I travel, someone stops me and admires this piece of luggage. It’s been to South Korea, Mongolia, Chicago, Florida and still looks brand new. Not only does it fit well in the overhead bin, but I can pack quite a bit for longer trips. Mine is a 21 inch carry-on which is on sale today from $321.48 to $279.99 (a 13% discount), but the bigger savings in on the 24 inch checked size which is marked down from $259.99 to $220.98 (a 15% discount).

The Delsey Paris Chatelet backpack easily slides over the handles of the luggage and is very room. There is a padded space for your laptop too. However, it is not on sale at $186.10. I do not like to check luggage and the carry-on size works for me, especially with the extra room in the backpack. Truly, I can’t say enough about this stylish, yet effective luggage system.

Women’s Underwear

These boxer type cotton underwear shorts were a lifesaver this summer, especially in the heat and humidity. So comfortable at 95% cotton and 5% spandex, they are not constricting and are anti-chafing. A steal today at 30% off! Normally $27.99, the set of 4 is priced at $19.59. Comes in both regular and plus sizes and helps add a smooth profile to your bottom.

Big Deals on Security

We recently installed a video doorbell and it’s amazing how effective they are. With discounts from 20% to 50% off today, you can bump up your security with a Ring system. There is lots to choose from, depending on your needs. See it here.

Prime discounts ends today. If you are not a Prime member, you can sign up for free using the following instructions.

Step 1: From your desktop or mobile browser, go to go to amazon.com/prime. Eligible customers will see a “Start your free 30-day trial” button.

Step 2: Click on the “Start your free 30-day trial” button to sign-in, or create your Amazon account. From there, choose the membership plan that suits you the best.

Happy shopping! Some of these discounts are too good to pass up. Have a wonderful Wednesday, friends!

Happy 1st Saturday in October! We are finally seeing much cooler weather in Phoenix and fall tree colors in the mountains. Hard to believe last Saturday I was on a ship in the Bahamas, with hot and humid conditions. It’s nice to finally get into the fall mood and today, we will be pumpkin hunting at Willis Family Farm in Snowflake, Arizona. Welcome to Saturday Meanderings where we chat about all good things this week.

Fall Styling Workshop

This is the last opportunity to sign up for the Fall to Holiday Styling Workshop, being held at our home on two dates, October 20 and October 21st. We have only a very few spots left and would love for you to join us. I am so excited to be sharing our home and the expertise of Chloe Crabtree, from Celebrate and Decorate. We will be closing registration soon, so come and be part of a lovely day of learning, friendship and delicious food. For more information, click here.

Autumn in the Mountains

Typically when you think of Arizona, hot weather and desert come to mind. But we have beautiful mountains and lakes here. Being born and raised in Connecticut, I have such fond memories of the gorgeous fall colors in New England. School, back then, started in September which meant new sweaters and shoes.

It is tradition now that we come up to the mountains the first weeks of October to experience a bit of fall. Though our leaf peeping is not as colorful, we do have lots of yellows, rust and browns. The skies are a deep blue and the air is crisp and clean on sunny days; moody and dark when it rains.

It is also a time where we haul all our geraniums back to the Valley and let them enjoy winter is a milder climate. Every year it seems a bit more daunting as the geraniums are huge and the pots seem heavier….must be us getting older!

With such a large variety of pumpkins and gourds, Willis Family Farm is our #1 choice for pick your own. I believe they are open all of October and you can get so many pumpkins at a price far less than the local grocery store chain. Not only does the farm sell pumpkins, but they have many fall activities for families such as a corn maze and a train ride.

Have you Been on a Cruise?

The very first cruise I ever went on I won at a charity event with the Phoenix Symphony back in 2001. For a $100 raffle ticket, it was for a 10-day trans-Atlantic cruise on the Queen Elizabeth II with Cunard Cruise Lines, all expenses paid. It was right after 9/11 and the world felt like a scary place. But it was practically free and after securing appropriate childcare, my husband and I flew to London and then took the Orient Express to Southhampton, where we boarded the ship.

Quite honestly, I hadn’t given much thought to going on a cruise, being busy with 3 small children and a major house renovation. Since then we have taken only one other cruise with the entire family, touring the Baltic Sea in 2008. The QE II cruise was quite elegant, formal with most passengers on board were adults.

Holland America did an excellent job touring the fjords and many countries in the Baltic. The children still share their fun stories from that trip.

Last week I experience my first 3-day Disney cruise to the Bahamas with dear friends. My, ships have certainly improved and gotten bigger in 15 years! The Disney ship, The Wish is a new one and beautifully appointed. I didn’t have any feelings of claustrophobia as the halls are wide and brightly lit. Since COVID, Disney does an excellent job of providing sinks at the entrances of each restaurant and require each passenger to wash their hands prior to entering.

Of course, the best part of the trip was spending it with fabulous girlfriends. I hope to write more about this in detail in the future, as I am still processing all the information about this cruise, our destinations and amenities.

Making Quick Breads

Especially in October, everywhere you go you see pumpkin flavored items~from lattes to breads. There are so many good pumpkin quick bread mixes available so it isn’t necessary to make one from scratch.

My favorite go-to pumpkin muffin and bread mix is from Trader Joes. However, there are so many on the market. King Arthur has a gluten-free one here.

Though I haven’t tried this, I always have good luck with Krusteaz products. You can find this one online here.

Adding More Flavor and Texture to Your Bread

I rarely just use the mix and bake. Have fun experimenting with adding chocolate chips, nuts, dates, dried fruit such as cranberries and raisins. Occasionally I will make a mixture of cream cheese and sweetener (sugar, honey, agave) and swirl it through the bread. Be creative!

Use a Pretty Pan

If you bake it in a pretty pan, well, it just looks that much more impressive.

I don’t recall where I bought this pan as it was many years ago. But here is Harvest Bounty loaf pan that is similar.

If you are seeking mini loaves, this one has a harvest theme as well.

Happy Baking! I am so ready for those wonderful smells in the kitchen. What an easy and perfect recipe with an afternoon cup of tea.

From the Internet

Rachel from The Ponds Farmhouse is always so creative and full of ideas. Decorating for the fall doesn’t need to be expensive. Her post, Autumn Decor with Elements from Nature, is filled with foraging from nature and how to display in your home.

Fall Bucket List

Do you have a Fall Bucket list? Elizabeth from Pinecones and Acorns shares 25 ways to make this fall extra special. Personally, I have never made a Fall bucket list, but I am inspired by her post. You can see it here.

Well that’s a wrap for our first Saturday Meanderings in October! Getting ready to plan and plant the fall garden. Stay healthy and be safe out there.