Saturday Meanderings

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.